Summer Reading Club 2010

Performers | Special Guests | Crafts
Book Discussions and Book Parties | Fun and Games Galore
Family Storytimes | More Family Programs
Reading Records Online

How does the Summer Reading Club work?

Come to the library to register! Registration begins on Wednesday, June 23rd at 6:00 pm for residents of the Guilderland School District and continues throughout the summer. Please bring your library card to register. All non-residents may register beginning Saturday June 26th. What do you do? It could not be simpler:

• Readers read or listen to books they enjoy.

• Non-readers may listen to books they will enjoy, through families reading together or playaways, readalongs, and books on CD! All ages of children are welcome to join!

• Record the books on your Make a Splash Reading Record or record them online at our website, www.guilpl.org. in the Kids section Summer Reading Club block.

• Come and enjoy the many special programs that will be offered all summer!

• Turn in your reading record on or before Friday, August 13. On Thursday, August 19, our Summer Reading Club Grand Finale will take place in the Helderberg Room from 11am to 4 pm. Summer Reading Club Records, Certificates for participation, and prizes may be picked up with a special viewing of our Summer Reading Club slide show in which YOU are the star! If you are unable to attend, pick up your prizes and certificate at a later date. Local merchants have donated many of our prizes. Our Friends of the Library collect and donate the book prizes.

Our summer reading program kicks off with one of our favorite bands, loved by parents and children alike for their original songs and high-spirited interactive show! Don’t miss this event! Tickets required.

Take a dip into the Water of Life with the Storycrafters! Jeri and Barry present a lively, participation-peppered performance of folktales, unusual musical instruments, with songs and dances from around the world. Integrating poignancy and pizzazz, they have been featured in The National Storytelling Festival and received many awards for their programs and CDs. Publishers Weekly described them as “top-notch family entertainment.” Tickets required.

Catch the reading wave with Jim Snack, whose magic and humor infuses the entire room with a positive energy. Participate in some of his magic tricks and catch his contagious enthusiasm for reading! Kids will also receive a magic trick to take home! Tickets required.

Splish, Splash, A Songwriting Bash with River Jack Z!
Tuesday, July 20 at 2:00pm

Sail into songwriting with River Jack Z and his one-man loop band. School-aged children will create the song or songs and then record them! Bring your ideas and your voices! River Jack Z is a member of a nationally known, locally grown band for kids that begins with the letter Z. Tickets required.

Set sail with Story Laurie on an imaginary journey aboard the magical sloop, “Discovery” as she explores new ports with stories, sea chanteys and maritime lore from around the world! Her new crew members may need to tie a sailor’s knot and get a chance to eat “hard tack”! Tickets required.

With his puppet sidekicks, Percy the Penguin and Freddy the Frog, the lovable Professor Klutzo splashes into magic water tricks, juggling, music and more, but not the way he is expecting! The fumbling, bumbling antics of the professor will leave children and their families in stitches!! Tickets required.

Beatrice Green, the Recycling Queen (also known as Nancy Rosekrans) and her talking turtle, Norton, are determined to find ways to reduce, reuse and recycle to save the earth and its water! With humor and magic, Beatrice, Norton and the audience will find new ways to save the earth! Tickets required.

The Grand Finale of Make a Splash-Read!
Just for the Record and You!
Thursday, August 19, 11:00-4:00pm

It’s time for you, the real performers of Summer Reading Club to get your due! Hand in your reading record or copy of your online record on or before August 13th.Come back to Guilderland Public Library on August 19th to pick up your reading certificates with the special prizes your reading has earned. And don’t forget our special slide show on all the events of the summer with you as the star!

Dive into Family Camping and Hiking! What’s New! What’s needed! And Stories!
Saturday, July 17 from 1:00-4:00pm

Do you think children are losing touch with nature because they haven’t experienced the wilderness? This summer is a great time to reverse that trend!
Meet the experts on the latest camping gear and equipment and hiking gear. Other will advise families on forest safety, and hiking trails nearby and in the Adirondacks! Representatives from Eastern Mountain Sports, L.L. Bean, the Adirondack Mountain Club, the Pine Bush Discovery Center, our forest rangers, and the Scouts will be on hand to answer your questions and explain new trends!
While older family members are talking to the experts, younger family members may join Barbara as she spins stories and does activities about camping and the great out of doors!

Join us for three hours of games, food, fun, and more! Bring the whole family! We’re going to have boatloads of activities that will keep the kids entertained and the adults amused!

Our Furry Friends are Back!
Reading for a dog.
Thursday evenings beginning at 6:30pm on July 8, July 15, July 21, July 29, August 5, August 12
Saturday, August 7 at 11:00am

Dogs are highly intelligent, but they can’t read. Please bring a favorite book, or borrow one of ours and read to a beautiful and gentle dog. Beginning readers and up. Registration required.

Capture the creatures that live in a fresh water pond- Learn who is who, what they do, how they grow, and where they go! Environmental educator George Steel will provide the pond water and a wrap up slide show of what these animals look like under a microscope! Older pre-schoolers and elementary school children will love this program! Registration required.

Price Chopper’s Kids Cooking Club with Jodie Fitz
Saturday, July 10 beginning at 11:00am

Do you love food? Do you like to cook? Jodie Fitz of the Price Chopper Kids Cooking Club will bring an easy, no bake recipe for kids to prepare and eat. How cool is that!
(School-aged kids will register for one of three sessions, first to begin at 11AM.) Registration required.

Have you ever seen a turtle in the Pine Bush? They’re here! There are seven different species of turtles that call our local Pine Barrens home and some will visit the library! Come learn which turtle species live in the Pine Bush, how to identify them, and what a day in the life of a turtle is like. A turtle craft follows the discussion. For those in the elementary schools! Registration required.

Design your own water wheel (that works!) with a selection of materials gathered by children’s science book author Kathy Ceceri. Once your design is complete, you’ll try out your creation in the Literary Garden, weather permitting. Ages 7 and up. Registration required.

George Steel likes to play with water and wants to share the fun with you. Can you make a paper clip float? Or pull water out of a plugged sink? Cool water experiments for a hot summer day! Grades 3 and up. Registration required.

Seashells have been used to decorate a wide range of surfaces, from chandeliers to mirrors. Learn how to decorate a picture frame or a wooden box, using shells in a geometric or abstract pattern. All materials will be provided. Open to grades 5 and older. Registration required.

Join us for fun Under the Sea. We will offer many different undersea crafts, a story, a song, a game and a snack. If you’d like, come dressed as a mermaid, a fish, a pirate – use your imagination! 4-7 years old welcomed. Registration required.

How can you make a string of yarn into a coaster or a scarf? With two needles and some time, let our Drop-In knitters show you how to begin a knitting project. For ages 10 years old and up! Registration required.

Do you like crafts but hate making mistakes? Using a Japanese technique in which there are NO mistakes, you weave with yarn, sticks, even drinking straw papers. Enjoy a family experience. Materials provided. For Grades 3-6, plus parent or favorite adult. Registration required.

Let’s paint! Fishes and waves may be yellow, pink and blue. Tee shirts and visors to wear to the beach! Balloon toss to follow in the literary garden! Bring your own white tee shirt! For Grades 3-5. Registration required.

Come and paint a Chinese rice paper lantern to decorate your room! Learn how these lanterns are used in China and listen to a tale about them. For Grades 1-3. Registration required.

Create a 3-dimensional fish, using sea print fabrics and jewels. Dazzle! For Grades 2-3. Registration required.

If your mom were hypnotized to believe she was a pirate, what would your life be like? Come talk about Pirate Mom, walk the plank, find out what a real pirate’s sea shanty sounds like. Make a pirate sword. Grades: 1-2. Registration required.

Geronimo must leave New Mouse City to search for a buried treasure somewhere off the Ratlapagos Islands. But Geronimo hates traveling! Will Geronimo find it? We will make our own treasure chests and have a cheesy snack. Grades: 2 and 3. Registration required.

A thirteen-year old bride in contemporary India struggles to be independent in a world of powerful tradition. A glimpse into another culture with a courageous girl’s perseverance and talent. For Grades 5,6,7. Registration required.

Tudley the turtle doesn’t know much about his abilities, or those of his pond neighbors, but that doesn’t stop him from helping out the hummingbird, katydid and firefly that he befriends. Registration is open to readers entering 1st and 2nd grades. Registration required.

Sunk in 1912, the great cruise ship, Titanic, was lost until 1985 when Dr. Robert Ballard found it on the ocean floor! Know the true story of how the Titanic was found written by the man who found it. We’ll talk about the book and make a Titanic decoration with a copy of the real newspaper article of the day Titanic sank. Take home a Titanic puzzle. Grades: 3-4. Registration required.

Percy Jackson, half Greek god and half human, and his friends embark on a quest to find Zeus’ lightning bolt and prevent a war among the gods. Fantastic and fun! For Grades 5-7. Registration required.

Could the Coral Queen, a casino boat, really be dumping all their wastes into the bay?
Noah and his sister, Abbey, must find out- to get their father out of jail, to save their precious Florida bay and to mend their family ties! for Grades 5,6,7. Registration required.

Poppleton the Pig has just moved from the city to the suburbs. He’s getting used to a quieter life (or is it?) and he’s making new friends. We’ll make a craft, play a game and have a snack as part of this fun book discussion. Grades: 1 and 2. Registration Required.

Escape to a tropical island with this adventure novel. Nim loves to read, swim with her sea lion friend, share coconuts with her buddy the iguana, and conduct scientific research with her father on their uncharted island. How will Nim protect the island from tourists while Dad is lost at sea? Readers entering 4th and 5th grades. Registration required.

Love legos? A story told with lego pieces, Troll Attack is about a knight defending a castle against evil. Come talk about the book and make a castle (or a lego object you like!) Legos provided or bring your own. For Grades 1-2. Registration required.

Six young strangers are forced together aboard a small ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. When a terrible storm hits, there is no way for them to fully prepare for what is to come. An excellent suspenseful survival story! Discussion will be followed by a craft and a snack. Grades 5 and 6. Registration required.

Charlie and Lola Book Party: This is Actually My Party by Lauren Child
Thursday, July 29 at 10:30am

Do you love birthday parties? Today is Charlie’s birthday and he’s having a monster party. Lola says, “ Pink, pink, pink…pink is definitely for parties!” Whose party are you going to attend…Charlie’s monster bash or Lola’s pink fairy party? Come dressed to the party of your choice and discuss how we can help Charlie and Lola make up in time to save the party! Dress up is optional. K-1 (Ages 4-7) Registration required.

Chart the fate of lost pilots and sailors who disappeared into the Bermuda Triangle. Abandoned ghost ships, glowing fog…Can this triangle in the Atlantic swallow people and airplanes, leaving no trace? Myth or Truth? You decide! For third and fourth graders. Registration required.

Meg’s Dad is missing. Charles Wallace, her 5-year-old brother who is a genius, discovers Mrs. Whatsit, who sends them on a mission to save their father on another planet. A science fantasy. For grades 5-7. Registration required.

Charlie and Lola Book Party: I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed by Lauren Child
Friday, August 6 at 6:00pm

Don’t you just love staying up late coloring and scribbling and bouncing and chattering? Lola never gets tired. If you’re in grades K-1 and don’t feel like going to bed, join us as we discuss the book and for an evening of songs and a craft activity. Don’t forget to wear your pajamas. K-1 (Ages 4-7) Registration required.

Mother –Daughter Book Discussion: Boston Jane, an adventure, by Jennifer L. Holm
Thursday, August 12th at 7:00pm

Follow 16 year-old Jane Peck as she changes from a tomboy to a society lady in 1854 Philadelphia. When she travels to the Pacific Northwest Territory to join her fiancée, Jane finds that her tomboy skills are more useful than those learned from Miss Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy. This is a Mother/Daughter Book Discussion Group. Open to young ladies entering 6th through 8th grades and their moms, step-moms, aunts, or grandmothers. Registration required.

Lapsit storytime for babies and toddlers ages 6 months to 36 months with a caregiver. Drop in for a fun early literacy session featuring books, puppets, flannel board stories, singing, and action rhymes. No registration is required.

July 6-It ain’t gonna rain no more, no more!
July 13- Yo, Ho, Ho and a Bottle of Rootbeer: A Pirate Adventure
July 20-Life’s a Beach!
July 27- I wish I were a little bar of soap: Bathtime storytime
Aug 3- Frogs and Crocs and Alligators, Oh My!
Aug. 10-Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea: storytime and puppet show

July 7- Pirates!! Ahoy!
July 14-At the Beach
July 21-Under the Sea
July 28-Frogs and Ponds
Aug. 4- Let’s Go Fishing
Aug 11-Let’s stretch with Yoga

Pre-schoolers, get ready to sing about all things watery. Stories, songs, rhythm activities, a craft and short movie will be part of the fun. Drop-in for a great time!

Bring your BIONICLE Lego pieces on a trip to the island of Mata Nui and watch the movie, Bionicle, the Legend Reborn, while you build your biomechanical creatures. Open to grades 4 to 7. Registration required.

Play is an important part of early childhood development. That's why we're setting aside the air-conditioned, toy-filled story hour room just for you and your little ones! If you have a child between the ages of 6 and 36 months and you'd like to get out of the house to enjoy the company of other moms, dads, and caregivers while also letting your baby play and make new friends, then please come join us. No registration is required, just drop in!

Fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series are invited to enjoy some Camp Halfblood games, crafts and activities. Please dress as your favorite character! Open to grades 4 through 7. Registration required.

SpongeBob SquarePants fans, this is the program for you! Join us for an afternoon of games, crafts and sea creature science! Open to grades 1-3. Registration required.

Tweens are invited to a dance party using the Wii games Just Dance and Dance Dance Revolution Disney Grooves. Open to grades 3 through 6. Registration required.

Puppet Workshop
Wednesday, August 4th at 2:00pm
Friday, August 6th at 2:00pm
Tuesday, August 10th at 5:30pm

Have you always loved puppets? In this 3-part program you will make your own puppet, work with a script, design scenery, and rehearse your act in the library’s new, custom-built puppet stage. Student puppeteers can volunteer to perform their shows for our Drop-in Storytime audience. Participants must attend all three sessions: Open to grades 5 through 8. Registration required.

Splash and crash your way through the underwater world of Bikini Bottom playing SpongeBob Boating Bash. Open to grades 3 through 6. Registration required.