Kids shoot off rockets as part of library summer reading program

By BRITTANY FHOLER 
Cove Leader-Press 

Dozens of kids participated in the Copperas Cove Public Library’s rocket launch held Tuesday afternoon at the CCISD soccer field behind the library as part of the Summer Reading Program. 
Rockets of every shape, size and color made from 2-liter bottles or smaller were filled with water before being attached to a launch pad and then pumped with just the right amount of air pressure- 50 PSI to be exact. Some rockets launched so far into the sky, it was hard to tell where they would land coming down, while others launched up and then fell off the side. 
Kids of all ages and some parents too participated in Tuesday’s rocket launch, which tied in perfectly with the Summer Reading program’s “Space: A Universe In Stories” theme.
Sally Moser and her three children, T.J. (9), Hannah (5) and Zechy (4) joined Fatma Khamis and her daughter Hameeda (6) for a play date of rocket launching. Moser even made her own rocket out of a smaller soda bottle. 
Moser said this was their first official rocket launch but that her family had water rockets from when they went to NASA in Houston that they would be using later. 
Her son Zechy only had one word for the rocket launch, “Wow!”, while her son T.J. thought it was awesome. 
“We love the public library,” Moser said. “This is our third summer reading program that we’ve participated in and it’s probably my favorite because I am a space nerd, so this is my favorite one.”
Moser and her children joined Khamis in making their rockets at home, using basic instructions. They added fins and a nose cone and decorated each rocket to their liking. 
Khamis said her daughter came home from Martin Walker Elementary talking about rockets and it wasn’t until they came to the library that she realized what she meant. 
Hameeda wrote a short story about her rocket and gave it the name of “Rainbow”, which was fitting since her rocket was decked out in fuzzy pom poms, different colored popsicle sticks, “Secret Life of Pets 2” stickers and dangly pink ribbons. 
“It was great, and I had so, so, so, so much fun,” Hameeda said about making her rocket. 
Moser and Khamis both had nothing but good things to say about the Summer Reading Program. 
“I’m just grateful that they put something on,” Moser said. “You know, it gives my kids something to do and it’s not one of those where I have to keep them busy every single day because we have plans for the weekend. We can come to the library for something different, and I’m just grateful that they do that. We come from a really big city where our libraries really don’t do stuff like this.”
Khamis said the library’s summer reading program and activities help her family have a “perfect summer” because they can go to the pool and then spend time at the library and have a full day at little to no cost. 
It also allows for play dates with friends like the Mosers, Khamis said.
This marked the first year that the rocket launch was held at the soccer field, with the last rocket launch held where the Technology Center on S. 2nd St. is currently located. 
Library Director Kevin Marsh estimated that he launched about 50 rockets plus the rockets that were launched a second time at the end. 
One of the rockets featured a nose cone that separated as the rocket dropped and then deployed a parachute. 
“The kids had a lot of fun with it,” Marsh said. “It just shows them that they can design things and make them real and have them work, which is a good lesson to learn, in a practical way, especially when kids are spending a lot of time making virtual things, and say, ‘Ok, You can actually make things  in the real world that can be pretty amazing.’”
The Summer Reading Program continued on Wednesday with a juggling show at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. by professional juggler Matt Tardy and a lesson in juggling for the teens at 4 p.m.
“There’s a lot of fun yet to be had, but so far, we’ve had big turnouts for all of our programs. Just a lot of enthusiasm,” Marsh said. “The kids are really into the space theme. During some of the programs, I had a lot of the kids say that yes, they’re interested in learning more about engineering or physics or biology so that they could go into space and do some good research work there. I’m just very pleased with how it’s going.”
Next Tuesday, Self Defense America is holding a Martial Arts demonstration for kids age 5 to 11 at 2 p.m. On Thursday, July 11, Austin Reptile Show is bringing snakes and reptiles to the library for all ages at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The following Tuesday, July 16, MECATX is presenting the reenactment of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing starting at 7 p.m.  On Thursday, July 18, Wild Things Zoofari will be at the library at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. to teach about mammals and their habitats.