Well, it's been a busy few weeks at my library with our summer and summer reading programs, as well as our Lunch at the Library program all starting at the same time. This year, we decided to have craft programs for tweens and teens after the lunch program, and we ended up with a very big crowd.
This summer I decided to challenge myself before my teens even had the chance to say, "Mrs. Librarian Lady, I'm so bored!" I’ve already created a list with go-to crafts and activities to entertain teens all summer long. My challenge is for all you teen programming staff out there to grab your shades, slather on some sunblock and live it up this summer with your teens!
June is upon us — time for celebrations, the closing of the school year, and of course, summer!
Have you ever heard the saying "April showers bring May flowers?" As we all know, April is known for its dreary weather, while May brings warm weather, blooming flowers and buzzing bees. It's nice to think of this saying when it's raining; it helps to know that the warm weather and the lovely flowers are on their way.
Earth Day may have already passed, but there are so many ways to celebrate and show respect for our planet throughout the year. Check out Billion of Acts of Green, a worldwide enviromental movement that is helping to protect the Earth for future generations. Their site has a ton of great resources and ideas to help you take action all year long, like using a sustainable mode of transportation for your commute to work.
April is one of the most interesting months of the year for me because it’s National Poetry Month. Poetry Month was thought up back in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. Twenty years later, the month has many supporters; there are now countries all over the world that celebrate the month of April and honor their favorite poets. Poetry Month is a wonderful way to raise awareness about the value of poetry, to pay tribute to all the amazing poets, past and present, and to entice our future poets as well.
Spring is always a favorite time of year. With Easter coming up and plants springing to life, festive, bright and happy colors come to mind — blues, yellows and pinks. Mix in some bunnies and chicks, and you can just imagine all of the fun crafts that can be made.
I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day. You're probably wondering how I could not like hearts, flowers, chocolates and those lovey-dovey sayings. Well, here's how it happened: One fateful night (too many years ago to admit), I had the worst Valentine's Day of my life.
Happy New Year, everyone! 2015 went by like a flash, and now we are in a brand new year. Here in California, we have been battling some extremely cold weather. Extremely cold for us, that is; we can't handle it when it gets cold. Although I must say, chilly weather is the perfect time to pick out some new books and read away. Every year I like to say that I will read at least 100 books, but I tend to lose count around summertime. I need to keep better track of my YA reads.
I love the holidays, so I always look forward to planning many different holiday programs just for teens. This year, I decided to create a program where teens can create holiday crafts to give to friends and family. My plan is to have several stations where they can create holiday cards, a sweet treat, ornaments and a peppermint candy bowl. I also really want to have a gift-wrapping station so they can wrap all of their presents, as well as a tasty refreshment center. I found an awesome recipe for hot cocoa and holiday frosted brownies for the refreshment center.
