Tuesday, July 12
*10:30-12 storytime k-1 D
*10:30-12 Make a monument
1-2 German culture and tradition
*7-8:30 songwriters beginner

Wednesday, July 13
*10:45 Read To Me (Pr-K)
1-2 Swedish culture and tradition
2-5 Letterboxing for 10+


Thursday, July 14
10:45-11:30 Baby Storyhour and Lapsit
1-2 English culture and tradition
4 Magic From Around the World - Come take a magical journey around the world
with magician Tom Yurasits from Northampton. Kids will explore and learn
about different countries, their culture and their people through magic. They
will travel to India, China, France, Italy and end up back in the US. The show
is a fun interactive show of magic, comedy, LOTS of audience participation and
a magical appearance of a live rabbit. Discover how magicians around the
world entertain their audiences and how they are much like us. The magic in
China is colorful. Italy is known for its magical food. In a trip to India, a
basket holds a magical surprise. You never know what will happen next.

*6 Young Playwrights group
*6 Young Writers

WEEK 3
WEEK OF JULY 3RD

Monday, July 4

Happy Fourth of July – Library Closed No Programs Today


Tuesday, July 5

*10:30-12 storytime k-1 Painting One World Boxes
*10:30-12 craft program

*7-8:30 Young Songwriters Beginner


Wednesday, July 6

*10:45 Read to me (pr-k)

2-4 Letterboxing for 10+ (Letterboxing is a growing hobby that combines elements of hiking, treasure hunting and creative expression into an activity that the whole family can enjoy. Participants seek out hidden letterboxes by following clues that will be included in the weekly program flyer which can be obtained at the circulation desk or from Liam. Then they record their discovery in their personal journal with the help of a rubber stamp that's part of the letterbox. In addition, letterboxers have their own personal stamps which they use to stamp into the letterbox's log book.
5-6 Appalachian trail presentation – A talk about distance backpacking, specifically the Appalachian Trail, an over 2100 mile long path from Georgia to Maine (or Maine to Georgia).

*7-8:30 Young Songwriters Intermediate



Thursday, July 7

10:45-11:30 Baby Storyhour and Lapsit

2:00 Lunchtime Authors Bathsheba Monk reading

5-6 Hot dogs/ apple pie

6:00 Kilimanjaro presentation - Richard Thompson- Come hear a great presentation with pictures from a man who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Japan. I had originally called to ask his daughter if she would like to come speak about hiking the Appalachian Trail and he called back
to say that she was currently living in Thailand and wouldn’t be able to do such an event,
BUT… he would be willing to come speak, having climbed Kilimanjaro and Mount Everest, so we
get this great soul for two different nights to talk about his climbing expeditions.

Friday, July 8

2:00 The Urban Griot – African folktales and music - Linda Humes of the Yaffa Cultural Arts
Center will be coming to give a presentation of African Folktales and Music. She performs
nationally as The Urban Griot. “Griot” – pronounced Gree-oh - is the French term given to the
oral historian or storytellers of West Africa. In the traditions of the West African storyteller,
Ms. Humes presents a captivating program for kids (and adults). She and a percussionist will
be coming here from NYC. Be sure to check it out!!

We made it!!! Here we are in week 2, and it will prove to be an even better one than the first, as everyone is past the nervous energy and we can get down to business.

Here is the official schedule for Week 2!

WEEK 2 WEEK OF JUNE 26th

Tuesday, June 28

*10:30-12 (d) Storytime (k-1)
*10:30-12 (u) African Crafts (2-4)
*7-8:30 Songwriters Beginner

Wednesday, June 29

*10:45 Read To Me (pr-k)
“Eyes of the Wild”-animal show - This beginners program created especially for 3 and 4 year olds is
designed as a first introduction to animals. Using small, non-threatening animals such as chinchillas,
rabbits, guinea pigs and birds, children are able to get a first “look and touch” experience with the
amazing world of animals.
*7-8:30 Songwriters Intermediate


Thursday, June 30

10 Edible Books - START YOUR OVENS! Cook the Books! The 1st Annual New Hope
Edible Books Festival. We will meet today to talk about it and then the finale with judging and prizes
will be at the final party at the end of the Summer. So, come Let us pay homage to Summer with a
festival celebrating books and food and the people who love them. Cook the Books! combines the
creative and culinary talents of Bucks County bibliophiles, foodies, book artists, chefs, bakers,
librarians, kids and punsters. Register before at the library. and then create and bring a piece of
edible art related to books: it can pun on a title, refer to a scene or character, look like a book (or
paper, scroll etc), or just have something to do with books. Whatever the inspiration - it must be
edible. Every type of book---children's classics, detective novels, biographies, fiction and non,
poetry, short stories --- will be sculpted from a smörgåsbord of foodstuffs. Imagine The Brothers
Karamatzah, S'more and Peace, Alice in Wonderbread, The Bun Also Rises, Goodnight Moon Pie, Curd
Vonnegut...and so many more brainy, beautiful, silly, clever and tasty transubstantiations of books
we love into treats we eat!

10:45-11:30 Baby Storyhour and Lapsit
*6 (down) Young Playwrights
*6 (up) Young Writers


Saturday, July 2

Library Closed for Renovations

WEEK 1
WEEK OF JUNE 19TH

Tues, June 21

*10:30-12 (down) Storytime
*10:30-12 (up) Make a Book
We’ll be making a book from scratch, which kids can use for the writing
programs or for a gift to loved ones.

*7-8:30 Young Songwriters I (Beginner) - Limited to grades 4, 5, and 6
Young Songwriters I is for beginning young songwriters. At each Young
Songwriters session, we'll learn about how songwriters do what they do,
and then we'll do some writing of our own; we’ll take a field trip, and as we always do, at our last session, we'll host a little concert so that we
can share some of the results of our work. Here’s some of what we’ll be doing: Learning about rhymes, limericks, parodies, Learning about song form, Learning some basic music skills, Recording. When you come to YSC I, we ask that you bring a respect for your fellow writers, along with your most open mind. If you've got ideas for songs, or music for songs, or words for songs, bring them with you. If you've got something you want to say, let's share it and tell it in a song. We are looking forward to writing songs with you!


Wednesday, June 22
*10:45 Read To Me (Pr-K)
2:00 Ivy Vine Players Puppetry.
A one woman show with a cast of 75. Her name is Grian and she does
puppetry, performing and puppet making. Her only warning is that her
show “may cause cheek fatigue”. The Ivy Vine Players employs over 75
puppets and only one human being. The cast (which includes a lady
pirate, a tomato-growing grandma, and three very hip recycling kids)
presents carefully chosen material. The rhythm of the stories and songs,
and Grian's natural rapport with children provides a varied show that
captures and holds everyone's interest. She employs a unique
approach to puppetry using a wearable stage that will transform the
library into a theater. Why do these puppets seem so engagingly real?
Because they have lived before, as a favorite sweater, a toddler's
raincoat, or a silk kimono. The Ivy Vine Players are made from 100%
recycled materials, including the human being! She does a great show
and then spends time with the kids showing them how to make puppets
so they can then have their own shows.

3:30
Pay it Forward program introduction - Start a revolution--it begins with you! Your assignment is to
find a simple way to change the world. Paying it forward is a third-party beneficiary concept that
involves doing something good for someone in response to a good deed done on your behalf or a gift
you received. However, when you pay it forward, you don't repay the person who did something nice
for you. Instead, you do something nice for someone else. Good Deeds and Ideas Make the World Just
a Little Brighter Place. We all complain, but most of us have it pretty easy. Sure, there are rough
spots along the way. It happens to all of us. Why not help out someone who's going through a rough
spot? Hopefully, this will inspire everyone to do one little deed today to help someone- a loved one, a
neighbor, a co-worker, or a complete stranger. Try to make a habit out of it- just one tiny gesture
each day. If everyone did this, imagine the effect on the entire world. It's amazing to think about the
possible results. So let’s go out and make a difference for someone else.


*7-8:30
Young Songwriters II (Intermediate)
Limited to grades 6 and up (or those with previous participation in Young Songwriters I). Young
Songwriters II is for young songwriters who are beyond the beginning level. At our first session, you
will receive a songwriting bag with important supplies and some goodies too. Be sure to bring this
bag full of stuff with you to all of our meetings. At each session, we’ll learn about how songwriters
do what they do, and then we’ll do some writing of our own. We’ll work together on a project, we’ll
take a field trip, and as we always do, at our last session, we’ll host a little concert so that we can
share some of the results of our work. When you come to Young Songwriters Club, bring your open
mind. If you’ve got ideas for songs, or music for songs, or words for songs, bring them with you.
If you’ve got something you want to say, let’s tell it in a song.

Thursday, June 23
10:45-11:30
Baby Storyhour and Lapsit
New Hope Baby Story Hour and Lapsit (babies to Two years) . This group will be run by Sean Curran. Parents or caregivers cuddle babies as they participate in finger and toe plays, rhythms and rhymes, and simple stories that give them a positive first impression of books and reading and start them on the road to reading and learning.

*6 (upstairs)
Young Writers
It's Young Writers’ Reading Club time again. This year we will be spouting poetry, telling stories, and writing the news. Some very special guests will share their writing secrets just in time for you to put them to work in our Story Contest. Watch out for surprises to come, and a special closing party for everyone who completes a reading log or writes a story! Liam Rogers will lead the club this year with some other wonderful souls.
*6 (downstairs)
Young Playwrights Group
Aspiring young bards can develop their skills at a free Playwriting Club this Summer taught by an
esteemed instructor from Philadelphia Young Playwrights, a pioneer in children’s theater
instruction. The playwriting workshop is geared toward children in grades 5-9 and introduces the
basics of the craft. Through various exercises, kids will learn fundamental elements of playwriting,
including character development and dialogue, to help bring their creative writing to life. The
workshop concludes with the production of a play written by the group.


Saturday, June 25
*10:45
Read To Me (Pr-K)

Any event marked with an asterisk (*) indicates an event that requires sign up on registration day, Saturday, June 4, 10-5

• * Read To Me Story hour three times a week
• * Make a Book
• * Young Songwriters I (Beginner) - Limited to grades 4, 5, and 6
• Ivy Vine Players Puppetry. - A one woman show with a cast of 75.
• Pay it Forward Start a revolution--it begins with you! Your assignment is to find a simple
way to change the world.
• * Young Songwriters II (Intermediate)
• Baby Storyhour and Lapsit
• * Young Writers
• * Young Playwrights Group
• * African Crafts (2-4)
• “Eyes of the Wild”-animal show
• Edible Books Competition - START YOUR OVENS! Cook the Books! The 1st Annual New Hope Edible Books Festival. Imagine The Brothers Karamatzah, S'more and Peace, Alice in Wonderbread, The Bun Also Rises, Goodnight Moon Pie, Curd Vonnegut...and so many more.
• Letterboxing Club (Letterboxing is a growing hobby that combines elements of hiking, treasure hunting and creative expression into an activity that the whole family can enjoy.
• Appalachian trail presentation – someone who hiked the whole trail will come talk about it and share the experience.
• Lunchtime Authors Bathsheba Monk reading
• Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing presentation
• The Urban Griot – African folktales and music - Linda Humes of the Yaffa Cultural Arts Center will be coming to give a presentation of African Folktales and Music. She performs nationally as The Urban Griot. “Griot” – pronounced Gree-oh - is the French term given to the oral historian or storytellers of West Africa.
• * Fascinating Monuments Across Europe Craft Program — Take Home a Monument You Made By Hand
• German culture and tradition
• Swedish culture and tradition
• English culture and tradition
• Magic From Around the World - Come take a magical journey around the world with magician Tom Yurasits from Northampton. Kids will explore and learn about different countries, their culture and their people through magic. They will travel to India, China, France, Italy and end up back in the US. The show is a fun interactive show of magic, comedy, LOTS of audience participation and a magical appearance of a live rabbit. Discover how magicians around the world entertain their audiences and how they are much like us. The magic in China is colorful. Italy is known for its magical food. In a trip to India, a basket holds a magical surprise. You never know what will happen next.
• Around the World in 60 Musical Minutes –Chip & Annie, a duo who does interactive folk music for kids, is one of the highlights of the Summer.
• Australian life and food
• * South American Rainforest Craft and Lore
• Spanish lesson
• South American Food and culture
• Trenton Thunder game - All Summer Reading Program participants get a free ticket to see a great minor league baseball game when the Trenton Thunder take on the Richmond Flying Sqirrels. Kids are free, and tickets for any adults who want to go with them will be $8.
• Mad Science Tales From Around The World - Pack your travel trunks; we’re going on a journey through time!
• The Great Wall of China
• Mount Everest presentation - Richard Thompson Standing on Top of the World
• Antarctica Craft – a penguin of your very own
• * Making Snow Cones

• Final SRP Picnic!!! With Prizes and Edible Books Finale and Judging…and of course Eating.

2011 Summer Reading and Creativity Clubs Registration

Registration for our Summer Reading Clubs will begin Saturday, June 4 at 10:00 AM and will go throughout the day. For those of you who can not make it that day, the registration will be open for the following week and will close on Friday, June 10 at 5:00 PM. Be sure to get there early though, as programs fill up fast.

We offer two read-to-me clubs for preschoolers aged 2 to 5; two summer reading clubs for children entering kindergarten through grade 4; a Thursday evening Young Playwrights Program, a Thursday evening young writers' reading club for children entering grades 4 through 6; and a songwriters club for children entering grades 4 through 6, with both a beginner and intermediate session available (Note: the intermediate session is only available to those who have completed the beginner session. Details on these clubs.

Our popular writing contest for kids will return this year as well. There will be contests for kids entering kindergarten and first grade; for those entering second through fourth grades, and for the Young Writers' Reading Club. The prize this year is spectacular.

The theme this year is One World, Many Stories and each week is devoted to a different continent!

The clubs usually fill up very quickly. Please plan to come early to register.

You must register in person at the library during our normal hours. Last year the line began to form about one hour ahead of time. Please note that last year the Wednesday preschool program and the Young Writers' Reading Club were full almost immediately. Many of the presentations for kids entering grades K-4 were full by the middle of the first afternoon of registration. We apologize for the limited sizes of the groups, but we are a very small library with an even smaller staff (helped by a terrific group of volunteers), and this is simply all we can handle. Believe me, we wish we could do more!

If you have time to volunteer to help us, especially on Tuesday mornings for the K-4 groups, we would be most grateful. Please contact Liam at the library to sign up.

And the results are in...

Can we have the envelope, please....

Here are the winners of our 2010 Writing Contests. Congratulations to all, and thanks for sharing your stories with us!

Young Writers' Reading Club

1st prize:
It's the Climb by Kaylee Tao

2nd prize:
The Secret Door by Thomas Fendler

3rd prize:
Pink by Vanessa Northrup

4th prize:
Ben's Life by Parker Miele

Honorable mentions:
Tricky Time Traveller by Saptarshi Dutta
My Life in Elementary by Kaylee Tao


Summer Reading Club (older group)

Grand prize:
The Alligator and the Monkey by Saptarshi Dutta

Other prizewinners:
Seeing Big by Sophia Francesco

Nicholas the Black Bear Hibernates for Winter by Gianna Ferlazzo

Beach Days by Markella Bishop

Creeking is Cool! by Zach Griffiths

How Butterflies Grow by Emily Walton

Dear Mom by Emily Walton

Cannon Ball! by Anna Schmidt

My Summer Vacation in Wildwood by Emily Walton

Speed Racer by Eric Povacz

The Beach by Morgan Miele

The Lockheed-SR-71 Blackbird by Ray Brady



Summer Reading Club (younger group)

Grand prize:
Willie and Glitter by Riley Star Ramirez

Other prizewinners:
Stella, The Princess Gardener by Stella Kozielec

USS Gabe Sea Adventure by Gabe Kozielec

Whale by Sasha Isupov

Shopping for Your Friends by Cecilia Kathleen Schmidt

Bobby Angel and Erika Cousins by Bobby Missell

I Love Father's Day by Harrison Missell

The Rainbow Princess by Reagan Chrencik

The Adventures of Bobbie Joe and Coconut by Kyle Northrup

The Pink Whale by Sarah Bielaus

Calling All Stories!

Ideas for Your Book and Stories This Week

Week Four – Make a Splash @ your library!

It’s the very last week to enter your stories in our contest – but we hope you keep writing and making books all year!

Stories are due no later than Saturday, July 31. Prizes will be awarded at the picnic on Tuesday, August 3.

There’s still time, and there’s still water all around you.

Really.

It’s hot out – there’s water in your cup. Doesn’t that drink of water taste good? I bet there’s a story in there. What if you turned on your faucet and nothing came out? What if every glass in the world had a hole in the bottom?

How about the water in your bathtub? What if the little rubber duckies floating in baths all over the world all got together and made a rubber duckie army? What if the towels and washcloths all came to life and ran away before you could dry yourself off?

Don’t forget the laundry water… Ever been in the laundry room when the washer decided to overflow and start a flood? What if the rubber duckie army made a fort in the washing machine and nothing could be clean?

OK, it’s silly… but now let’s get real… Not everyone has all the water they need every day:
http://www.waterforchildrenafrica.org/

Kids can (and do) help:
http://www.randomkid.org/water.asp

Ahoy, mateys! It's story-writing time

Ideas for Your Book and Stories This Week

Week Four – Make a Splash @ your library!

On the High Seas…

This week we are setting sail for high adventures. This is the week to imagine yourself out to sea. Are you a sailor in a tall ship? A pirate with a fine treasure to bury? A scientist learning about all those strange undersea creatures?

Imagine the sound of the waves and let them carry you off. What would it be like to live on a ship in the ocean? Where would you go? What would you see?

Would your ship have old-fashioned sails or hot new engines?

Would you have somewhere special to go, or would you just follow a star?

Would dolphins swim alongside your ship? Would whales sing to you?

What would the birds think of you? Once, when I was sailing on a tall ship, a flock of migrating birds came to land for a moment in our rigging. It was a rare rest as they flew over the sea. Their story would be a good one to tell.

What kinds of treasure would you find? What new friends would you make?

You can try a sailing game online here:
http://www.cbc.ca/kids/games/tallships/

Or learn about sea creatures here:
http://www.pbs.org/oceanrealm/seadwellers/index.html

Keep on writing!

Ideas for Your Book and Stories This Week

Week Three – Make a Splash @ your library!

Over the River and Through the Ponds…

There’s freshwater all around us: in the beautiful, historic Delaware River, springing up from the ground at Aquetong near Deer Park, flowing in creeks and into ponds.

Listen for the evening frogs…
are they telling you a story? What does a creek look like to them?

Listen to the River…
imagine an army crossing here, or a ferry with a coach and four horses. Can you hear their stories?

How about the birds who depend on the water?
It’s not just ducks and geese. Look under the bridge to see the swallow’s nests. In the evening you can see the swallows dance low in the air to eat bugs. If they weren’t there, mosquitoes would be nibbling you right now. Their story is worth telling.


Find out more about some local waters:
http://www.aquetongwatershed.org/
http://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/

Don't stop writing now!

Ideas for Your Book and Stories This Week

Week Two – Make a Splash @ your library!

Where Does it Come From? Where Does it Go?

This week our inspiration comes from some local waters on the Canal. Long ago the canal was an important way to travel from one place to another and move goods around from where they were made or grown to where they would be bought.

Imagine your way back to the 1800’s…

Where do you come from? Where are you going?
Who else is on the Canal?
The animals may look the same, but are the people different?


Imagine yourself in the 2100’s…

What’s the canal like now?
Is it still there?
Is anyone still using it?
Are the animals still around?


Or take a walk to the canal path and take a look right now today…

What do you see?
Imagine what the people you see are doing, where they come from and where they are going.
Did the heron just fly in from a long winter down south?
Is the Canada goose raising little goslings? Where will they spend the winter?
What’s that turtle eating? Did he go out for dinner, or did dinner fly right up to him?

We're off and running!

Ideas for Your Book and Stories This Week

Week One – Make a Splash @ your library!

Where Do I Start ???

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to put in your book.

Sometimes it’s simple as rain falling down from the sky.

This year our club is all about water, all different kinds of water, each kind making its own special splash!

How about a book of things to do when it’s raining?

How about a book about a town where it never rains? Or never stops raining?

How about a book about the gold at the end of the rainbow?

How did the rainbow come to be, anyway? And who put the gold there?

And who makes that big thunder noise and flashes the lightning around?

Rain is full of stories, falling all around you. Hold out a bucket and catch one.

I bet you already know lots of stories. A book is someplace to keep them safe, and don’t forget: you may have made just one book today, but you can make as many as you want tomorrow!

(PS - If you are one of those who cancelled at the last minute, or who missed and didn't tell us, please stop by the library to pick up your make-a-book kit. We'll have it safely here for you)

Thanks for making the first day of summer club signup such a pleasure. About one hundred kids are registered so far.

There is still space for all the Tuesday Summer Reading Club events, but many are almost full. There is still space in the Saturday Morning Read-to-Me.

The following clubs are completely full:
......Young Writers' Reading Club
......Young Songwriters Club
......Wednesday Morning Read-to-Me

We have added a "Just the Reading, Please" option this year for kids who are outside the age limits of our clubs or who are just not joiners. Kids who opt for "Just the Reading, Please" will fill out reading logs and win prizes, but not attend any library events. if this is an option that suits you, please stop by to sign up anytime.

Summer reading and creativity clubs are coming up fast. Soon it will be time to Make a Splash! @ your Library.

Club information is available now. See the listings below for details on each club for 2010.

Flyers will be available at the library early in May.

Registration opens Saturday, June 5 (10:00 AM—5:00 PM) (lines form before 10:00) & continues through June 19 or until programs are full. You must sign up in person at the library or send a friend to do so for you.

If you have questions, please email librarian@nhslibrary.org or call 215-862-2330.

There is no charge for any summer program at the Library. We thank the Haley Foundation for continuing their very generous support.

Young Songwriters Club
For Kids Entering Grades 4, 5, or 6

Meets Wednesday Evenings 7:00 - 8:30 PM
On: June 30, July 7,14,21,28, August 4,11

Club members will explore the basic musical and literary elements of songwriting, including rhyme, meter, style, melody, song structure, & more. They’ll have a chance to meet with professionals in the music business. They will work individually & in small groups to create poems, parodies, song sketches, & songs. Songwriters' creative output will be performed & recorded at the final session.

This club will be led by New Hope resident Rick Rosen. Rick is the Minister of Music at Church of the Messiah, Gwynedd, where he directs chancel, bell and junior choirs, composes music, produces the Music at Messiah concert series, gives guitar lessons, and otherwise coordinates the musical aspects of the church's worship. Rick is the founder of the male a cappella singing group Cordus Mundi, is currently a singing section leader with the Bucks County Choral Society, and also sings with the Bucks County Choral Society's
Chamber Singers.

There is no charge for this program.
We thank the Haley Foundation for their generous support.

Space is limited to 15 members, so don’t wait to register. Because of limited space, preference will be given to those who are not
already registered for another club at the library. Registration opens Saturday, June 5 (10:00 AM—5:00 PM) (lines form before 10:00) & continues through June 19 or until programs are full. You must sign up in person at the library or send a friend to do so for you.

Young Writers’ Reading Club
For Kids Entering Grades 4, 5, or 6

Meets Thursday Evenings 6:00 to 7:30 PM
Dates: July 1,8,15,22,29, August 5


It's Young Writers’ Reading Club time again. This year we will be spouting poetry, telling stories, and writing the news.  Some very special guests will share their writing secrets just in time for you to put them to work in our Story Contest.  Watch out for surprises to come, and a special closing party for everyone who completes a reading log or writes a story!  Librarian Caroline Dechert will lead the club this year.

Pizza and snacks at every meeting (please advise us in advance in writing if a club member has special dietary needs, allergies, or
restrictions).

There is no charge for this program
(We thank the Haley Foundation for their generous support).

Space is limited to 12 members only, so don’t wait to register.

If you know for sure that you will miss more than one session, please be fair to others and don’t sign up for this club.

Because of limited space in this club and the Songwriters Club, preference will be given to those who are not already registered for another club at the library.

Registration opens Saturday, June 5 (10:00 AM—5:00 PM) (lines form before 10:00) and continues through June 19 or until programs are full. You must sign up in person at the library or send a friend to sign up for you.

We are sorry for the limitations, but we are a small library.

Summer Reading Club
For Kids Entering
Grades K—1, or 2—4

Make a Splash at Your Library! is this year's theme

Club members will read books and learn how to make their own books. Every in-library event will include a special presentation and time to pick out new books to read at home. Kids entering Kindergarten and 1st grade will be in one group; kids entering grades 2-4 in another. Both enjoy the same presentations. Older kids will also explore storytelling and illustration, if they want. With younger kids we’ll read aloud and tell stories. We will once again hold writing contests with prizes for both groups.

Kids may sign up for each special event at the library individually. You need not commit to coming every time. Kids may sign up for as many programs as they wish (space permitting).

Those who can’t come to the events at the library can still participate in reading and making a book. Any registered child who completes a reading log, or makes a book, may receive prizes and sign up to attend the final party.

All in-library events are Tuesday Mornings 10:30—12:00

June 29: Learn to Make Your Own Book! We’ll start making books today—books you can add to all summer long, and show off at the final party.

July 6: Canal Splash Learn about the history and wildlife of the Delaware Canal State Park.

July 13: Steve Pullara’s Cool Beans Music and Art program will get your creativity flowing! This is the perfect time to figure out how to illustrate the book you made in June.

July 20: Wacky Waves with Mad Science of New Jersey Learn about water, waves, & the environment as you find creative ways to clean up an oil spill.

July 27: Jane King, Storyteller New Hope’s best-loved storyteller shares tales from the watery world.

August 3: Final Picnic Dinner Party The whole family is invited to pack a picnic and join us for a music and arts program from 6:00-7:30 PM at a special location.

Each club member will receive a T-shirt upon completion of the first reading log. For every completed log after that, and for making one book, each child will receive a book or similar prize. This year, reading logs will measure time spent reading, not books read. We hope this makes things fairer for kids who read l o n g e r books.

Each club member will receive a kit with materials and instructions to help make a book. New ideas for adding to the book will be shared at each in-library event. If you can’t attend the event, the ideas for that week will be available at the library throughout the week, and will also be posted here on our website, so you can keep enjoying the activities even when you can’t be here.

Club members must have their own library cards, and we ask that they please bring their library cards and the club bags they receive at registration to each event. Any outstanding fines must be cleared and any overdue books must be returned before the club starts.

You don’t have to stay with your child at the library, but we do ask that you please drop off and pick up your child promptly. If you’d like to stay and help us, that would be truly wonderful. We also ask you to be aware that children must be able to behave. Children who misbehave can ruin an event for everyone else, and we do reserve the right to ask misbehaving children to leave the program. We’d hate to do that, so please be sure your child is signed up for the appropriate group and events. Thank you.

There is no charge for this program (we thank the Haley Foundation for their generous support).

Space is limited, so please sign up early! In-library events are often full by late in the afternoon of the first sign-up day.

Registration opens Saturday, June 5 (10:00 AM—5:00 PM) (lines form before 10:00 AM) and continues through June 19. You must sign up in person at the library or send a friend to do so for you. Please come ready to tell us which programs fit your schedule.

Read-to-Me Club
For Preschool Children Ages 2 – 5

For 2010, you may choose either:

Wednesday Mornings, 10:45—11:30
Dates: June 30, July 7, 14, 21, 28, August 4
or
Saturday Mornings, 10:45—11:30
Dates: June 26, July 10,17,24,31, August 7

Children must be accompanied by an adult

There is no charge for this program
(we thank the Haley Foundation for their generous support).

This is a fun story-time group. We’ll read stories aloud from books. We’ll make up brand-new stories together. We’ll create craft projects and play music with rhythm band instruments to go with the tales we tell. Kids and parents will keep reading logs to win t-shirts, books, and other prizes.

Space is limited, so sign up early!
The Wednesday group always fills up very quickly. We are sorry, but we are a very small library with a tiny staff, and there is a limit to the number we can accommodate!

Registration opens Saturday, June 5 (10:00 AM—5:00 PM) (lines form before 10:00) and continues through June 19 (or until programs are full). You must sign up in person at the library, or send a friend to sign up for you.

In the 6 weeks of our Summer Reading and Creativity Programs:

You read for 1017 hours.

You wrote 32 stories and more than 30 songs and poems.

You created untold oodles of great illustrations, pop-up and lift-the-flap embellishments, home-made books, and illustrated alphabets.

Thanks for sharing them with us! See you next year!

The Free Library of New Hope and Solebury is delighted to announce the winners of the 2009 Summer Writing Contests. The theme this year was Be Creative @ Your Library. The young writers took this advice seriously! We received more submissions than ever this year, and all judges agreed it was harder than ever to pick the winners. In fact, for the very first time we had a tie.

Some day these writers will be creating your news stories, novels, and favorite movies. Keep an eye out!

The Summer Reading and Creativity Programs at the library are made possible through a generous grant from the Haley Foundation. This year, Farley's Bookshop kindly sponsored the Pre-K through Grade 4 Writing Contest. Grand Prize stories from these groups will be displayed at Farley's at 44 South Main Street in New Hope. You know you live in a great community when it includes so many talented and creative kids as well as a truly great independent book seller.


Kindergarten/Grade 1 Winners:
Gianna Ferlazzo - Grand Prize (co-winner) for The Ants Go For a Walk
Kyle Northrup - Grand Prize (co-winner) for B.B. Finds a Home
Anthony, Nicholas, & Jack DePalo - Best Adventure Story for The Big Adventure of the Three Friends
Sophie Farina - Best Animal Story for Sophie's Book
Morgan Miele - Best Counting Book for The Ants
Chris O'Brien - Best Beach Story for My Vacation to Ocean City, NJ
Kevin O'Brien - Best Travel Story for My Trip to Wildwood
Riley Star Ramirez - Best Fable for The Bear that was Getting Picked On
Cecilia Schmidt - Best Family Story for Cecilia and the Flower


Grades 2 - 4 Winners:
Tommy Fendler - Grand Prize for Going to the Jungle
Ray Brady - Best Book of Architecture for Houses for Sale; Best Book of Words for A Be See; and Best Superhero Story for SuperSmall
Grace Farina - Best Animal Story for Monkey Chamberoo and Daisy
Anthony Ferlazzo - Best Adventure Story for The Four Adventurers
Sophia Francesco - Best Autobiography for The Story About My Life
Zach Griffiths - Best Sports Story for The Owl Olympics
Madison Pierce - Best Science Fiction Story for The Girl Who Didn't Listen and Best Battle Story for The Sword of Fate
Anna Schmidt - Best Story about Friendship for The Three Best Friends
Emily Walton - Most Familiar Story for The Bug Family


Winners from the Young Writers’ Reading Club:
Danny Fendler - First Prize for Operation Alluvium
Emily Madara - Second Prize for Mummy Dogs
Helena Penfold - Third Prize for The Troubled Tormentor
Igor Lupisella - Fourth Prize for The Day My Life Changed Forever

Honorable Mentions to Isabella Farina, Anthony Ferlazzo, Hannah Mailer, Isabella Mailer, Parker Miele, Vanessa Northrup, and Kaylee Tao


Congratulations to All!

Here are some ideas for your book and stories this week.

Week Five– Be Creative at your library!

Crazy Mixed-Up Stories

This was Storytelling week at the library.

We hope you’re busy making up your own stories for the Story Contest. Grand Prize winners will be displayed at Farley’s Bookshop. We need to see all your stories by Saturday, August 1. Yipes!!! That’s pretty soon!!!

Still having trouble with ideas?

How about taking a story you know well and mashing it up?

Ken Geist moved the Three Little Pigs underwater and turned it into a great book: The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark.

Bob Hartman pulled a quick switch to write The WOLF Who Cried BOY.

David Conway mashed together many Mother Goose rhymes to create The Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster.

How about you? What would happen if Cinderella got lost running away from the ball and stumbled into the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel by mistake? What if Rapunzel’s witch got sick of her and sent her to Hogwarts? What if SpongeBob kissed Sleeping Beauty?

Get us your stories and reading logs by August 1, please. If you’ve completed a story or log, we’ll see you at the picnic August 4!

Here are some ideas for your book and stories this week.

Week Four – Be Creative at Your Library!

Stories from Songs

This week at the library we made up our own songs.

If you missed Annie’s Super Songwriting program, check out her website here:
http://www.notebookrecords.com/

You might also want to link to some great music sites for kids from this list at the Internet Public Library:
http://ipl.org/div/kidspace/browse/amm3000/

Meanwhile, we hope you’re working on your stories. Contest time is coming up soon! Stories are due by July 31. We’ve gotten some stories already, and we hope to read yours, too.

Still looking for new ideas?

Stories can come from songs!

Think of music you like. If it doesn’t already have words of its own, can you think about how it makes you feel and then write words for it? How about drawing what it makes you feel or think about?

Can you make up new words for a favorite song, and draw pictures to go along? Or can you imagine what might have happened to make someone sing that song?

Can you make up a whole new song and write it in your book?

Here are some ideas for your book and stories this week.

Week Three – Be Creative at Your Library!

Stories from Science

This week at the library we saw Piccirillo Sciencetelling (http://www.piccirillo.org/)
And found out how to mix stories and science.

Here are some ideas to take home with you.

To learn all kinds of cool science facts, check out the KidSpace Science Links at the Internet Public Library.

The Internet Public Library also has great links to all sorts of sites where kids can be creative. Some of these will help you learn to write terrific stories. If you write the best story ever – but after our contest at the library is over – there are some sites here that will help you show off your work online so everyone can read it.

What happens when you put science and stories together? Anything you imagine!

Lots of comic books mix up science and stories. There are also books called “science fiction” which tell strange and wonderful stories that may be based on new ideas about science. These are stories about experiments, strange planets, spaceships, time travel and much more. Try it out! What if your best friend was a secret space alien? A robot? A time traveler from the future? A caveman in disguise?

Here are some ideas for your book and stories this week.

Week Two – Be Creative at Your Library!

Inspiration All Around!

This week at the library we saw Nature By the Yard (http://naturebytheyard.com/)
and found out how inspiration waits in our own backyards.

If you missed the program, it’s not too late to find out more!

Take a visit to a wild and wonderful place – your own backyard. Just sit still a moment. Look around you. Stay still and listen. Who’s sharing the land with you? How about the sky? What are all those creatures doing? Do they have stories to tell?

Look around at the trees as well. How old do you think they are? What kinds of stories could they tell you if they wanted? Imagine a nice long conversation with a tree in your yard.

What could a tree teach a squirrel? Do you think that bright red cardinal is a secret superhero?

It would be great to remember a perfect summer day. Why not draw a picture?

Look here to see what other young naturalists are doing:
http://monarchbfly.com/about/

And here's a special project some of us worked on:

Ever here of SPIDERman or BATgirl? At the library we have a cool book about LADYBUG Girl and BUMBLEBEE Boy. Lots of superheroes share names and special powers with creatures you can find in your own backyard. Here's a quick little worksheet to help you imagine your own Backyard Super Hero. This could be the start of a story for our story contest.

Back Yard Super Hero

Superhero Name: ___________________________________________

Secret Identity: ___________________________________________

Is Partly Human and Partly: ___________________________________

Super Powers: ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Best Friend: _______________________________________________

Sidekick: _________________________________________________

Most Evil Villain: ____________________________________________

Villain’s Special Power: ________________________________________

Very Best Adventure Ever: ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Here are some ideas for your book and stories this week. This week we start making books. If you didn’t already get your make-a-book kit, pick it up at the library.

Week One – Be Creative at Your Library!

Where Do I Start ???

Sometimes it’s hard to know what to put in your book. Try thinking about books you like. How about books about animals? Alphabet books (“A is for…”)? Counting books?

There are books of memories, books with photos, books with letters to someone you love.

Maybe you’d like to try a story. There are stories with words, and stories told just in pictures. There are fairy tales and make-believe stories, and stories about things that really happen. How about “what if” stories? “What if I walked out of the house and met a talking rabbit?” “What if I found out I could fly?” “What if I went to a baseball game and caught a home run ball?”

I bet you already know lots of stories. A book is someplace to keep them safe, and don’t forget: you may have made just one book at the library, but you can make as many as you want tomorrow!