Downtown Andover Has StoryWalk For Families Until End Of February

ANDOVER, MA — With temperatures no longer dangerously cold, children and parents once again have the opportunity to enjoy the latest StoryWalk in downtown Andover.

Presented by the Memorial Hall Library, StoryWalk features a children's book that has been deconstructed and placed along a route for families to read as they walk.

StoryWalk began at a library in Montpelier, Vermont, but has been replicated throughout the country.

The current StoryWalk features "The Wish Tree" by Kyo Maclear and will be around through the month of February, according to a spokesperson for Memorial Hall Library, which is sponsoring its fourth StoryWalk.

For the next few weeks, the pages of "The Wish Tree" can be found at 20 different downtown businesses. The story begins at the library, on 2 North Main St. and ends at Elm Square Oyster, at 2 Elm Square. The other locations are mostly on Main Street, with a few on Barnard Street, Park Street and Elm Street.

"StoryWalks are a way for families to combine literacy, exercise and enjoyment of the outdoors, all at the same time," Beth Kerrigan, coordinator of Children's Services for Memorial Hall Library told Patch. "Many (StoryWalks) are located along wooded hiking trails. However, we put this one in downtown Andover as a collaboration with the business community and for accessibility for those with mobility restrictions."

"The Wish Tree," published in 2016, tells the story of Charles and his trusty toboggan, who set out to find the wish tree. Along the way, Charles helps to make wishes come true for his friends Squirrel, Fox and Beaver.