Fizz, Boom, Read!

Our Library's theme for this year's Summer Reading Program is "Fizz, Boom, Read!" with an emphasis on all things related to science.  We will be encouraging reading and activities with a focus on STEAM (a framework for learning based on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math).  There is a huge push for STEAM (or STEM) in schools and libraries across the nation.  (If you backtrack to my first-ever blog post on Shelf Indulged, you will see that the last Library I worked at had a Summer Reading Program theme of "Full STEAM Ahead... which I also made robots for because they are just the cutest.)

For our large display board in the hallway outside of the Chidren's Department, my very talented colleagues made a bulletin board display involving robots, test tubes, atoms, and DNA sequences!  I made the banner above the board, which reads, "Get Ready For A STEAMY Summer!"  It's being carried in the air by cute little handmade flying robots, upon whom I have not yet bestowed names.

Five Little Ducks

My newest flannel addition- Five Little Ducks!

Five little ducks went out one day,

Over the hill and far away...

Mother duck said,

"Quack quack quack quack!"

But only one little duck came back!

Repeat until all five ducks come back.  For the last one, encourage the kids to give their loudest quacks!

I found a wonderful new way to cut felt from a template.  Draw or print your template, and cover it with a thin coating of glue using a glue stick.  Glue the paper onto the felt, and cut.  Peel off the paper and voila!  You can cut even the most fine details this way.  Also, I've said it before and I'll say it again.  Googly eyes make the world go round.

DIY Book Charms

This week for Art Attack (our craft program for teens, 13-19), I gave participants the materials to make book charms.  I looked at a lot of ideas on the web and the ones that I liked best (and looked the easiest!) were made using little dollhouse books, only 5/8x by 7/8 of an inch!

I picked out some of my favorite YA titles, including old and new favorites:

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• Divergent by Veronica Roth

If you save the images of these book covers into a Word document, you can right click the images and format them to the exact size of the books, which I bought on Amazon.

I also purchased eye pins to make the clasp on each charm.  I did this step ahead of time: coat the eye pin in superglue and insert it into the spine of the book.  Something about teenagers and superglue did not sit well with me, and quite frankly I got so much on my fingers I probably should not have been allowed to use it either!

Pretty much all of your prep work is done. When the teens were ready to make their book charms, I told the to trim down the cover image of their choice so that no edges were showing, since the image is the exact size of the book.  Next, they applied modge-podge (the homemade kind: Elmer's Glue + water) with a paint brush all over their book. After gluing down their cover, they put on another layer of modge-podge.  Doing these two layers will keep the paper from curling once glued, and give the book charm a nice shiny finish.

Finally, after allowing the books to dry for a few minutes, teens were able to finish off their book charms by adding a chain or cord to make it into a necklace, keychain, or bracelet.  Most wanted to wear their charms proudly around their necks, and one thoughtful brother made a TFIOS necklace for his sister, because "she's obsessed".  Fine by me!

Happy Mommy's Day!

Sometimes unplanned "programs" are the best ones.  When I realized that we didn't have anything planned at the Library for Mother's Day, I quickly googled "how to make tissue paper flowers".  I found an excellent tutorial here.  I put out a sample flower of mine and sign that said, "Happy Mother's Day!  To make a special flower for your mom, please ask a Librarian for materials."  The materials are so simple- tissue paper, scissors and pipe cleaners!  I also cut out some paper butterflies using our AccuCut so that kids could give their flowers a label.  I tried prying a couple of kids off of the computers with no avail, but shortly a couple of families came in and the kids were very eager to make flowers for their mothers.

One little boy was getting ready to write on his butterfly, and asked me if he could write in another language.  I replied, "of course!  It's your flower!"  He wrote, "Te Amo, Mami".  When he handed it to his mother I could see that she was so proud and touched by his sweet little gift.  After making a few flowers, a little girl who spoke English as a second language sat down with me and we read Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann together (she picked it out!), and after that she read it aloud to her mother.  Her mother, who seemed to speak limited English herself, beamed with pride as her little girl read to her.  Even though I had to work today and therefore could not spend the day with my own lovely mother, it's these interactions that make my job truly wonderful.  

Alphabet Display

When it was time to change up one of our themed displays, I first thought of alphabet books because we have gotten a lot of preschool teachers in looking for them lately.  We have a lot of storytimes that focus on early literacy, so I am hoping these books will move quickly.  I thought what better way to bring attention to them than the tree from Bill Martin Jr.'s now classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom?! I had a lot of fun making the tree.  I rolled up brown butcher paper as its trunk, which I then propped up on two bookends.  I stapled palm leaves cut out in Lois Ehlert's distinct style to its top, then finally added letters A-Z to the leaves, which I punched out with our AccuCut. The tree took less effort than I thought it would and has gotten lots of compliments!