Dream Big! 2012 Summer Reading Program

Dream Big! is the theme for the Summer Reading Program for 2012. The Summer Reading Program begins on June 9.   As soon as I saw the theme name and art work by Brian Lies, I loved it!  Brian Lies' "Bats in the ....." series is one of my favorites.  The art work he creates is fantastic and adds so much to the story.

 As soon as I saw the graphics for the summer, I got on a bat kick.  Did you know that the bats in PA have something called "white nose syndrome"?

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/hunting-fishing/white-nose-syndrome-now-threatening-pennsylvania-bats-327534/

So I started collecting plush bats and bat info for a display board.  I was quite happy with the results.  These "hardy mammals have survived for about 50 million years, & bats play an important ecological role in the environment. A bat can consume 25 percent of its body weight in flying insects during a night's feeding. In Pennsylvania alone, bats collectively eat tons of insects each night, impacting agriculture and the spread of insect-borne disease, not to mention backyard comfort."  So when you see my bat display in the children's section of the library, you will now know why it is there.  Cause bats are important!!

We have lots of activities planned for this summer. Registration is required.

Let's Read Math on Mondays, June 18-July 30 at 1:00-2:00 pm for grade 1-3

Fish Castle Music Program  on Tuesdays, July 10-31 at 10:00 -11:00 am for ages 0-5.  This program has a $5 fee per family per session.

Pajama Story Time - Dream Big! on Tuesdays, July 10, 24, & August 7 at 7:30 - 8:00 pm for ages 4-10.. Wear your pajamas!

Gaming Night on Tuesdays, July 3 17, & 31 at 7:30-8:30 pm for ages 8-16

Stories in the Shade on Wednesday June 27 - August 8 at 10:00 -11:00 am for ages 2-5, but all ages are welcome! Bring a blanket, this program is outside in the grass. Library is closed July 4.

Reading Buddies on Wednesdays, June 27-August 8 at 11:00-11:30 am.  Library is closed July 4.  Sign up to be a reader or be read to. All ages

Nature Mornings on Thursdays, July 5- August 2 at 10:00-11:00 am.  7/5 is bugs, 7/12 is reptiles, 7/19 is bats, 7/26 is solar system, and 8/2 is nocturnal animals, for ages 4-12.

Crafting with Ms Nancy on Fridays, June 29 - August 10 at 3:00 - 4:30 pm for ages 10-adult.

Fundamentals of Drawing on June 28 and August 2 & 9 at 4:00-5:00 pm for ages 10 & up.

Star Wars Meet and Greet with the 501 Legion
Sunday, July 15 1-3 pm
Costume contest for the kids age 0-12.
Car pooling is recommended. 

 





 

Lego Club

Did you know that the Honey Brook Library has a Lego Club for kids K-5th grade?  Here is how we got started.
To start the Lego Club, we put up signs "looking for lonely Legos" at the library.  With donations, grants, and lucky staff yard sale finds, we had enough to start the program in the Fall of 2011.  Here came the tough part,  how to make it work?

I asked asked several Mom friends who had been to Lego Clubs at other libraries what they did, and I also went online to read other library blogs about the clubs.  Here are the basic things that I learned. 
1. Limit the class number
2. Make sure the people who sign up, actually show up or they forfeit coming to the next session
3. Give them a theme
4. Put what the kids make on display

So I had these grand plans of setting down ground rules and going over acceptable behavior and stuff like that during our very first session.  What I forgot is that this age range of kids go to school.  They are not the toddlers and preschoolers that I have for Story Times, who wander around the room and talk whenever the mood hits them.  These are kids who sit down and know how to complete an assignment.  Yay for me!

I set up the work tables for 10 children with an individual building board at each spot. I split the Legos into two tubs and put in the tubs in middle of the two tables.  I explained to them, we would have a theme each time and then free play.  At each spot, I folded an index card in half and stood them up like a tent.  After each child finished, I had them write a title or description of what they made, along with their first name and grade.  Then I had them follow me to a different spot in the library, and put their creations on a display I made.   The display is towards the front of the library so that people coming and going can view them.

After the structured time, the kids had free play time with the Legos.  Their choice was to keep building at the tables or they could sit on the floor with more Lego tubs that had boats and dragons in them.  The Lego dragons were a big hit.  A great yard sale find! The dragons got their imaginations flowing.  Of course, dragons need to fly and I permitted them to fly as long as they were walking with them in our small library.

The clubs have been a great success and I have had a lot of great positive feedback from the parents.  Our Lego Club will be taking a break in this summer, and be starting up again in September 2012.