When Whalers read, kids listen

ED WRIGHT
June 29, 2010, 9:45 p.m.

  The reading room inside the Canton Public Library was so quiet for an instant Monday afternoon you could have heard a puck drop.

  The close to 70 young kids and their parents were anxiously anticipating the first words of "Franklin Plays Hockey" from the day's guest reader, Plymouth Whaler forward RJ Mahalak.

  A veteran when it comes to offering his reading services at the library, Mahalak added drama when necessary and well-timed humor.

  After finishing off "Z Is For Zamboni" with the help of a smooth-reading volunteer, Mahalak opened up a question-and-answer session, which went over well with his young fans.

  "Do you like to ride horsies," one pre-school girl in the front row asked.

  "Yes, I like to ride horsies," Mahalak said.

 "How many goals have you scored?" a young man queried.

  "Bunches," Mahalak replied, smiling. "Millions!"

  "The kids love RJ," said Kristen Kostelny, a spokesperson for the Canton Public Library. "He's great. He started coming around a lot last year and he really gets the kids' attention. He's an awesome role model."

  Of all the community-related activities Mahalak dives into, the 90-minute reading stints at the library are his favorite, he said.

  "I like the kids and it's such an easy, laid-back atmosphere," he said. "And I love reading myself, which makes it that much better."

  When time allows, Mahalak is page-flipping through "The Jungle" and "Freakonomics", a couple of works that may be too demanding for his Monday afternoon audience.

  "They really like hockey books, like "Franklin Plays Hockey" and "Z is For Zamboni", things like that," he said. "I always enjoyed the 'Corduroy' books when I was small, so I try to sneak one of those in if we can."

  On the ice, Mahalak is close to being 100 percent recovered from a shoulder injury he suffered in the fourth game of the 2009-10 season, an ailment that ended costing him over 40 games.

  "The doctors say I'll be able to go full tilt in July, so I'm looking forward to it," he said.

  Until then, he'll make a few more 45-minute treks to Canton from his home in Monroe to entertain a group of kids who, thanks to Mahalak's dedication to helping out, will never forget what letter Zamboni starts with.

  The Canton Public Library will be hosting four more summer-reading sessions like the one Monday. They are free and attendees are not required to pre-register. For a scheduled, visit the library's website at: www.cantonpl.org.

  Ed Wright can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.