Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Summer Planning

When I think of summer, I think of early mornings on my deck, drinking in the dawn and my coffee. I love the wild life that gathers in my yard…we see rabbits, wild turkey, birds of all types, as well as deer, raccoons and fox. I love that quiet time—just before the world has awoken.

Summer also brings to mind that the kids are out of school and looking for things to do every minute of every day. It seems we can’t keep them busy enough! At the library, we’ve seen lots of reports showing that kids who read during the summer months do better academically when they return to school in the fall. That’s one of the reasons the library has always held our Summer Reading Program! We love to see the kids come in during the summer months and leave with arms full of books. Every year, we offer incentives for those who read and we offer a variety of programs for children of all ages.

The Children’s theme this year is “Dream Big, READ.” Our scheduled activities include a visit from Leon Etienne, the magician who wowed us all last year; a puppet show by Nancy Sanders; an evening with Dan the Snake Man and his friends; a performance by jugglers called “Gravitation Bowl”; craft times, storytimes and more!

For teens (grades 6 and up), the theme is “Own the Night.” We have planned an evening of ghost hunting at the library with our friends from Scientific Paranormal. We’ll also be reading some extra books during Teen Reads, writing with author Rachel Guido deVries during a week-long writing workshop, learning about self-defense moves from a karate instructor, as well as making some really awesome crafts.

If your kids are looking for something to do this summer, the library is sure one of the great places to be. So, while you are sitting on your porch in the early mornings working on a plan for your day, be sure to stop by the Canastota Public Library and pick up a summer calendar of events. We hope you’ll be visiting us soon!