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!

Thanks to everyone who made our opening day of registration such a pleasure! We have about 100 kids signed up so far, and there is still room in some of our programs.

The Young Writers' Reading Club and the Wednesday Read-to-Me Club are full.

There's still space in Saturday Read-to-Me, and in the Young Songwriters Club.

Most Kindergarten-Grade 1 programs in the library are full, but it is still possible to sign up for the club. Kids can still fill in reading logs, win prizes, enter the story contest sponsored by Farley's Bookshop, and join us at the final picnic party.

There are still places in some Grade 2 - 4 programs in the library, and it is also still possible to sign up for the club without attending in-library events. Kids can fill in reading logs, win prizes, enter the story contest sponsored by Farley's Bookshop, and join us at the final picnic party.

Registration for our Summer Reading Clubs will begin Saturday, June 6 at 10:00 AM and end Saturday, June 20 at 5:00 PM.

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 writers' reading club for children entering grades 4 through 6; and a Wednesday evening young songwriters club for children entering grades 4 through 6. Details on these clubs are posted below.

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 .

This year's theme is Be Creative at Your Library!

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 a staff of two paid employees (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 Caroline at the library to sign up. Thanks!

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

Meets Wednesday Evenings 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Dates: June 24, July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Club members will explore the basic musical and literary elements of songwriting, including rhyme, meter, style, melody, song structure, & more. They will work individually & in small groups to create limericks, 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 of the program, and Biersmith Associates for funding the recording of the final session).

Space is limited to 12 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 6 (10:00 AM—5:00 PM) (lines form before 10:00) & continues through June 20 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: June 25, July 9,16,23,30, August 6

Light supper at every meeting (please advise us in advance in writing if a club member has special dietary needs, allergies, or restrictions)

It's Young Writers’ Reading Club time again.  This year we will be spouting poetry, telling stories, writing newspaper columns, and taking part in a radio play.  We have some very special guests who will share with us their writing secrets.  Watch out for other surprises to come, and a new mystery party for everyone who completes a reading log or writes a story! 

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

Space is limited to 15 members only, so don’t wait to register.
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 6(10:00 AM—5:00 PM) (lines form before 10:00) and continues through June 20 (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

Be Creative 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 30: 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 7: Nature By the Yard Learn about the natural world all around you, and let Nature inspire you to get creative.

July 14: Piccirillo Sciencetelling Science and Storytelling get all mixed up in the exciting adventure Trapped at Tripletree!

July 21: Super Songwriting with Chip & Annie Share well-known songs and write a new song from start to finish. Learn about rhythm, rhyme, beat, and lyric writing.

July 28: Larry Sceurman, Storyteller The Storyteller shares a mix of folk tales, fairy tales, and brand new stories.

August 4: 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.

Every 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 child 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 on our website at www.nhslibrary.org, 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 6 (10:00 AM—5:00 PM) (lines form before 10:00 AM) and continues through June 20. 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 2009, you may choose either:

Wednesday Mornings, 10:45—11:30
Dates: June 24, July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

or

Saturday Mornings, 10:45—11:30
Dates: June 27, July 11,18,25, August 1,8

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, often within an hour.

We are sorry, but we are a very small library with only two staff members, and there is a limit to the number we can accommodate! Registration opens Saturday, June 6 (10:00 AM—5:00 PM) (lines form before 10:00) and continues through June 20 (or until programs are full). You must sign up in person at the library, or send a friend to sign up for you.