“Reading is important. If you know how to read, then the whole world opens up to you,” former President Barack Obama said to children back in 2013 at the White House Easter Egg Roll. These words are a reminder that reading can broaden our world view and take our curious minds around the globe.
Boy Reading on Top of the World, a Haddonfield sculpture by an unknown artist, evokes the wonderment of a young boy expanding his world through reading. Located at Haddonfield Public Library, 60 North Haddon Avenue, the bronze sculpture is the focal point of the plaza. The sculpture depicts a young boy wearing an oversized graduation cap on his head and large framed eyeglasses. He is holding a magnifying glass with his right and holding a book with his left hand. Dressed in shorts and a short sleeved shirt and wearing sturdy shoes and socks, the boy is reading the book perched on top of a large globe. His curious eyes are visible to the passersby.
“Since its arrival, it’s been prominently featured by the library in many images – marketing, website, social media, and otherwise – and is, I would say, a town landmark,” Eric Zino, Haddonfield Library Director, said. He added that the statue is “part of the backdrop” of many library programs. “It also is a perfect addition to that part of the library grounds, surrounded by park benches where people sit in the shade and read, converse, and play game of chess or checkers,” Zino said. Jordan Bilodeau, Children’s Librarian, Haddonfield Public Library, said Boy Reading on Top of the World is a “source of joy” for the children.
Boy Reading on Top of the World was donated to Haddonfield by Patricia Gargano, president of the Haddonfield Garden Club from 2007-2009, in memory of her husband, Angelo Gargano, who passed away in 2010. ” ‘Ang’ was a veracious reader and a dedicated and civic-minded resident of Haddonfield. The location is also thoughtful because the Haddonfield Public Library has always supported the Haddonfield Garden Club,” MaryClare Malady, current co-president of the Haddonfield Garden Club, said. In 2011, the Haddonfield Garden Club sponsored a dedication of the sculpture.
With oversized glasses, a graduation cap and a book in hand, the young reader depicted in “Boy Reading on Top of the World” has become a source of joy for children visiting the Haddonfield Public Library.
Of note, this is not the first time the Haddonfield Garden Club has contributed to the community’s sculpture collection. Haddy, the iconic bronze dinosaur sculpture in downtown Haddonfield, was commissioned by the Haddonfield Garden Club to commemorate the 1858 local discovery of the most complete dinosaur skeleton in the world, according to the Haddonfield Outdoor Sculpture Trust website.
