Summer Reading

Please remember that our meeting to trade ideas for Summer programs will be held at 10 AM at the Willimantic Service Center on April 13th.

Also, I’ve updated the Summer Reading Page with booklists that I’ll be using this summer.

2012 Slogan: Own the Night
Book Ideas: The following book lists have been updated/created at the book list page.
Vampires
Werewolves
Graves
Spa/Resorts
Monsters
Ghosts
Dreams

Please feel free to add in your own topics to the page!

~ Jennifer

Programs for guys

Last week we met and chatted about programs gears towards guys.

Mentioned:

• Volcano (other exploding experiments like Diet Coke and Mentos)
• Science Experiments
• Bubble Rockets
• Duct Tape Tie
• Music Events – after hours
• food programs – make nachos, decorate cupcakes, bake brownies
• mini golf
• nerf gun battle
• move nights

*please add your ideas/successful programs to the list to share.

** Also check out Pinterest for more ideas on crafts/food programs. Everything is on this site – but there’s a craft and DIY section. I’ve been getting tons of ideas from it!  Check out my boards (Jennifer Rummel) for some ideas on what you can find. I have lots of different boards, but my “work” boards are labeled Teen

***Be on the lookout for the books we mentioned closer to the beginning of the year.

~ Jennifer

Natasha Friend coming to Otis Library

September 7th at 6:30!

She’s our teen CT Author Trail author! Hope to see you there!

Tera Lynn Childs at Otis Library

Don’t forget that on Monday, Tera Lynn Childs will be visiting the Otis Library at 6:30!

 

I’m super excited to host her and hope that you can make it.

 

~ Jennifer

Ag Program @ Killingly Library

We are fortunate to have a wonderful regional agricultural education program at the Killingly High School.  I was pleasantly surprised when one of my YA volunteers offered to do agriculture/farming programming for the  children in town.

We all know how much children look up to teens and I think this is going to be a great program.  We are planning on continuing the program through the summer and we will be planting a small  garden here at the library.

Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

~ Allison Whiston ~  Killingly

Next Meeting: Friday March 11th

Join us as we discuss Summer Reading Programs. Get some great ideas for summer or programs for any time of the year. We’ll be at the service center at 10 AM

See you there!

~ Jennifer

 

Mardi Gras Masks

A fun program with a low cost. Check out your crafting supplies for odds and ends -anything that sparkles, feathers, glitter glue, or ribbon will work. Check out this website to copy, enlarge, and print out mask templates. Have your teens decorate them! You can use chopsticks to create a holder for the mask.

 

~ Jennifer

Chess Club

Yesterday I had a great surprise. I looked up from my desk and was surrounded by 5 teens who had gotten together and decided they wanted to have a meeting of our Chess Club. I was the last to know, but I set up and had the program anyway.

I started the chess club back in January after a few requests and we are still establishing a set schedule, although we are trying to meet twice a month. At the first meeting I invited the leader of the UCONN Chess Club, Tom, to facilitate and go over the rules. I am not a very good chess player, much to the delight of the members who enjoying beating me in as few moves as possible. Tom stayed for about an hour and brought with him a 16 year old chess master who played four of the members at the same time (making one move and then moving on to the next player and board). He beat them all in close to 5 minutes.

Since then, I just set out chess boards and let the group play. I have a few different members each time, but usually about 4. They enjoy challenging trying to replicate the Chess Masters game and just playing against each other—rotating their partner after each game. At our most recent meeting (despite not knowing what day it would be) I had printed out several Chess Puzzles and the group worked through them, solving all but one.

This is a fairly easy program, especially since I have an interested group. I am super impressed with their desire to learn about and get better at the game.

-Kristi from Booth & Dimock

Cake Pops Program

Last week, we held a program based on simplified versions of blogger Bakerella‘s popular desserts. Instead of the “cake ball” recipe she provided in her book, Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats, we used munchkins from Dunkin Donuts and large marshmallows.

List of ingredients (for 5 teens):

• Candy melts — 1 bag each of white chocolate & milk chocolate
• Sprinkles (we used red, yellow, green, blue, rainbow & hearts)
• Lollipop sticks
• 25 count box of plain donut holes
• Bag of large marshmallows
• Styrofoam block (for drying)
• Cellophane bags (to bring home as gifts)
• Plates & napkins

The program was scheduled for two nights and lasted about an hour each session. We handed out the original cake pops recipe to take home. The microwave in the staff area was used to melt the chocolate, but a crock pot or fondue set would work as well. We also have a small refrigerator that we used to allow the cake pops to dry more quickly after being coated in the candy shell.

Everyone had a great time, and they even brought some of their sweet creations home to give to friends and family.

Kara Berglund & Kathleen Hart – Canterbury Public Library

Read-A-Thons

I fought this suggestion from the teens for a long while. They’ve been asking me and pleading with me to do an all-night readathon for several years. All night? Really? Really?

I finally caved in last year and agreed to do a six hour readathon. It started at 4pm and went until 10pm. Everyone adhered to the rules, which they had spelled out in great detail at the prior advisory board meeting:

• No walking around.
• No outside music (ie. iPods or mp3 players of any sort).
• No cell phones.
• One five minute break every hour, on the hour.
• No talking. Just reading.

It went great. We had a pizza break around 6pm for 15 minutes and then they got right back to reading. It’s a fun, low-cost program that the teens really enjoyed. Last year I had six teens attend, this year it’s up to 12 (two of them are bringing friends).

What they loved the best about the program? I let them move the furniture around. They were the only ones in the library since we did it on a Friday night after we closed. They got to read for six straight hours.

We’re doing it again this week. Our now annual January readathon. They wanted an all nighter again, until I told them I turn into a pumpkin at 10pm, and so they settled for 10pm instead. Whew.

I give prizes ($10 gift cards to a book store) for most pages read and most money raised. They have pledge sheets for people to pledge either a dollar amount per page, or a flat rate donation. All funds raised go towards their trip to NYC in the spring.

Cheryl