Successful Summer

The 2009 Summer Reading program is a success! Our readers read a total of 11,192 books. Those keeping track of time spent reading recorded 2,648 hours. Fabulous! Thanks to the readers, and thank you to the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and teachers who helped make the summer a success.

If you earned the prize of your picture in the paper, today and next Monday, Aug 10, are the picture days. Just come to the library and we will take your photograph.

If you earned the prize of the swim party, be sure you have picked up your invitation. It is required for admission. It will get your whole family in to the pool.

You can still glue a lid on the art project and add to the paper chain, if you want to. The chain is up to 826 links! It looks great.

Time is Runing Out !

Friday, July 31st at 5 PM is the last day to record your reading !

STORYTIME ART ON FLICKR

The paper strip sculptures created by the preschool storytime groups are now on Flickr.
They are so much fun and amazingly intricate, just paper and glue. Circle Gallery & Frame Shop here in El Dorado donated the matboard for the bases. Thanks, Jeanne!

Stay tuned for more preschool art from the fall session, which begins September 3.

TWO PROGRAMS TODAY!

This afternoon at 2:00 the K-5th program will be all about the drama! There will be a reader's theater presentation of "The Boy Who Wanted the Willies!" Brianne will also have games, stories and a craft.
At 6:30 Magic Melton the Magician will dazzle us with mystifying feats of magic! This is the last of our special program for the 2009 Summer Reading Program. Everyone is invited to come in and help us finish with a bang!

Business as Usual

Programming resumes next week. Tuesday,July 7, at 2, K-5th program with Miss Brianne.





Also on July 7th, 6:30 P.M., Teresa Bachman, local, award winning folk muscian, will entertain us with her music, in the Clymer room. She plays banjo and dulcimer. This program is for all ages and it's free. Great for the whole family!

Teresa is also the director of the Kansas Oil Museum and Butler County Historical Museum. If you haven't been there, you should go. It is a fascinating window on El Dorado's past.

On Thurdsay, Preschool Story Time resumes, with stories about the beach! This is for ages 3-5, but everyone is welcome. We meet at 10:00 and 11:00, in the Clymer room for stories, songs, and crafts.

Grandview School

Had a great visit at Grandview school this morning. They invited me to tell them about the Summer Reading Program. I got to speak to about 120 kids and they were a great audience!
Thanks for the invitation and thanks for adding to our paper chain!
See you at the library!

Trail Mix Today

2PM today! Barbara Roths, Butler County Extension agent and our own Miss Brianne will present a Trail Mix extravaganza. Stories, games, and mixing of trail mix.
If you have food allergies, let us know!
Trail mix ingredients:
Cheerios, whole grain Goldfish Crackers, Craisins, M&M's.
There is no heat wave at the library! Come to the library and be cool!
See you there!

Bongo Barry Show a Rousing Success!

Bongo Barry was so much fun! Many thanks go out to the El Dorado Evening Kiwanis for making the show possible. We had a capacity crowd, babies to grandparents. Bongo Barry worked his musical magic on the crowd at one point and turned them and himself into human kazoos, with nothing more than a piece of waxed paper! I am not kidding!

He is posting a recording of the event on his website. Select the "Download Summer Shows" link . Or go here. User name: summer 09. Password:bongob.

Bongo Barry said the crowd was fantastic. I hope you were there!

Tomorrow, Preschool Story Time at 10 and 11.

Next Tuesday, June 23, at 2PM, Trail Mix Adventures, for K- 5th grade.

There is plenty of time left to register for the Summer Reading Program and earn prizes.

See you there!

Still so much fun to be had at the library!

Donate to the Library!

We are now officially on Goodsearch.com. Put Bradford Memorial Library in as your charity, do your search from there and they will donate money to the library! If you shop from any of the businesses on the site, a portion of the purchase also goes to the library! So easy!

If you go to the Pizza Hut at 2423 West Central, in El Dorado, on the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays after 4:00 PM, 20% of your purchases go towards the library! Stop by the library and pick up a coupon to take to the West Central Pizza Hut ONLY. Call Pizza Hut at 316-321-2340 for details. Thank you patrons! Thank you Pizza Hut!

WEEK TWO

We have two programs today. At 2:00 PM, the K-5th program. The theme today is music. The craft is musical instruments. Brianne is a little under the weather, so Kacee is filling in. Great stories, games and crafts await you!

Then, at 6:30 is the Mad Science program with Cosmic Chris! Mad kitchen science is the theme.
This program is for all ages, but is geared toward the K-5th crowd.

As usual, children under the age of seven must be accompanied by and actively supervised by an adult while in the library.

Enrollment in the Summer Reading Program is steadily growing, 271 have signed up and have read 891 books! Well Done!

PROGRESS-- WEEK ONE

The first four days have been a whirlwind of activity. The technical problems have been resolved and things are working like they should. 248 have signed up for the Summer Reading Program, and have already read 703 books! Art project is evolving and paper chain is growing!

We are showing the movie, "Bedtime Stories" tomorrow, June 6 at 2PM. in the Clymer room. It is rated PG.

Regular programming begins next week with the K-5th program at 2PM on Tuesday, June 9.
Thursday Preschool Story Time begins at 10 and 11 AM in the Clymer room. This is for 3-5 year-olds, but everyone is welcome.

Children under age 7 must be accompanied by an adult when in the library.

Tuesday evening at 6:30 Mad Science from Wichita will be here with creative kitchen science.
This is appropriate for elementary age kids, but everyone is welcome!

See you at the library!

DAY ONE IS DONE!

Thanks to everyone who got signed up for the Summer Reading Program, 154 on the first day! What a great start. We also had a really fun first program with "Meet the Instruments" 45 people turned out and we made lots of NOISE.
Thanks to all the musicians who donated their time and talent to make this event a success.

Thanks to Robin from the El Dorado Times for covering the event. We will be watching for the story in the paper. I hope there are lots of pictures. I forgot to bring my camera!

Up next is the movie "Bedtime Stories", rated PG, on Saturday at 2:00 pm., in the Clymer room. Everyone is invited!

READY...SET...GO!!

In spite of starting the day with technical problems, we are off and running . The reading program website can be accessed from the Library Kids webpage, "Technical Problems" post, or the "SUMMER 2009" tab at the top of the page.

We have been really busy today and lots of kids are already registered and have their accounts activated. As of right this minute, 125 have signed up! The art project is well on its way and the paper chain is growing.

We are getting ready for the first program tonight at 6:30, "Meet the Instruments".
Come on down to the Clymer room and make some NOISE!

TOMORROW IT BEGINS!!

2009 Summer Reading Program, Be Creative @ Your Library, officially begins tomorrow, June 1st! Registration for the reading program, the art project, the paper chain, and special programs, starting with "Meet the Instruments" at 6:30 pm in the Clymer room.
I'll see you at the library!
It's time to READ!!!

SUMMER READING PROGRAM

We are counting down to the beginning of the 2009 Summer Reading Program, "Be Creative @ Your Library". It is for ages birth through those who have finished 5th grade. Registration starts June 1. It will be online again this year. Go to our children's department webpage, "Library Kids" for more details and for a complete schedule of events.

The link to register will be on the Bradford Memorial Library webpage, same as last year.

We have lots of fun activities planned and some really great entertainment.

Kids who have finished 6th grade will be in the teen program. There is also an adult program. Call the library 316-321-3363 for more information on those programs.

Our first program is June 1st at 6:30, "Meet the Instruments". Local musicians will be here in the Clymer room with musical instruments to visit with the kids. Kids can hear how the instruments sound and ask the musicians questions. They will even get to try playing some of the instruments! We will begin with a short cartoon about musical instruments. After the cartoon, the kids and musicians can visit.

Don't forget, we Twitter!

READ ON.

Something new has been added!

We are up and tweeting and now, we are also communicating through cyberspace via "Bradford Kids" our new Children's Department webpage! You can go there and download Summer Reading Program information and event calendar We have a Parent/Teacher feature as well. The page will be growing and changing. We welcome comments from you. Please look us up and tell us what you think! And don't forget Twitter!

Read on!

Tweeting

We are all a twitter in Youth Services. You can now follow our tweets on Twitter!

Spring Session Almost Over

Thursday, April 30th, is the last day of the Spring 2009 session of Preschool Story Time. We will resume on Thursday, June 11. For the summer session, we will meet at 10:00 and 11:00, on Thurdsays, in the Clymer room.

We had a great time this morning with the firefighters, Tony and Derrick. Derrick put on his gear, boots, pants, coat, red hat and all! They each read a book to the group, and answered questions. They even stayed while the kids made their crafts, a dalmation dog stick puppet and a firefighter's badge.
Thank you to Tony and Derrick and the El Dorado Fire Department for making this morning's story time so special. Robin, from the El Dorado Times newspaper was also at story time, so be watching the papers for pictures!

Next week we will have stories about flowers.

For the month of May, Brianne and I will be busy getting ready for the 2009 Summer Reading program. The theme this year is "Be Creative @ Your Library." More news coming soon!

We have a new children's department website in the works. It will have information for kids and parents. Stay tuned for updates!

Read on!

APRIL - A BUSY MONTH AT THE LIBRARY!

Come in and see our fabulous art show! In honor of the “Week of the Young Child” April 19- 25th, we have art, created by preschool age children, on display in the Children’s Department of the library for the whole month of April. There are over 300 pieces! The work was created by children from First Baptist Day Care, First Baptist Preschool, Educare, 4-year old program and Early Education at Skelly school, El Dorado Headstart, Flinthills Headstart, and our own Preschool Storytime.


To kick off the week, on Sunday April 19th at 2:00 pm, is Colin O’Brien. He plays banjo, fiddle, guitar, sings and dances! He puts on an energetic, interactive show. It is for kids of all ages! Saturday night, April 18th, he will be performing at the Iron Horse Concert Hall, here in El Dorado.



April 20th, there will be a balloon launch from the park behind the library at 9:30. Mr. Dale (Dale Tower)will be there to add music to the fun.

Later that day, Brianne is showing the movie “BOLT” on our BIG screen in the Clymer room. It is free and open to everyone.

On the 22nd Brianne is presenting a “Go Green” program for Earth Day, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. This program is for K – 5th grade.

Thursday, April 23rd, is a special Preschool Story time. Local firefighters will be our special guests!

Preschool story time is winding down the spring session. We will meet April 9, 16, 23 and 30th. Then, we take the month of May off so we can get ready for summer.

We have had great coverage this spring of our story times by our local paper, The El Dorado Times. Thank you to Robin and Julie. It has been so much fun to read about our story times and see the pictures.

To celebrate National Library Week, April 12-18, it is time for FOOD FOR FINES! Bring a non-perishable item for $1.00 of your current library fines. There is no limit to how much you can bring in. Call for more information 316-321-3363

William Allen White

It is now possible to vote for your favorite William Allen White book at the library! If you have read at least two of the books from this year's reading list, you can vote. Come to the Children's Department and cast your vote. Voting ends April 14th.

Read on!

Holiday Movie Marathon

During the month of December the library is hosting 6 different movie days. We have shown 2 so far, with a third playing today. The Miracle on 34th Street is showing at 4 pm today. On next Tuesday The Muppet Christmas Carol will be playing at 4pm. I hope to see you there.

An Afternoon At The Movies

Wednesday, September 24 (an early release day for El Dorado) @ 2 pm the Library is hosting an all ages movie day. Those in attendance will chose to watch either Alvin and the Chipmunks or Good Boy. Both are rated PG. The movie will be shown on the Library's Big Screen. Hope to see you there.

Fall Preschool Story Times have begun again! This week we all made quilt blocks for our 2008 Preschool Story Time Friendship Quilt. The kids each made two blocks, one to take home and one to put in the quilt. They are beautiful. I am excited to get the blocks put together. The quilt will be on display in the Clymer Room. I will post a picture of it when it is done.

Next week we will not have story time so the Friends of the Library can set up for their Fall Book Sale. It is a GREAT opportunity to buy used books. The regular books are priced at $5.00 a bag. If you join the Friends of the Library at the sale, you will get a nice canvas bag filled with books of your choice, and your Friends membership, all for $20.00. Some other books are individually priced. There are also old videos available. They will be setting up for the sale on Thursday. The sale will be open for business Friday, Sept. 19 and Saturday, Sept. 20, in the Clymer Room, during regular library hours.

The following week, September 25, Preschool Story Time will resume with stories about autumn.

BY THE WAY---If you had your picture taken for the El Dorado Times as a winner of the Summer Reading Program, they were published Friday, August, 29th. We have a few copies for sale at the library at the children's desk, or you can get one at the El Dorado Times office.

We will have a very special guest reader on October 9. More on that later…

In the meantime, READ ON!

No Programs This Week

Since this is a holiday week there are no programs. We'll be back next week with our regular programming. There is also a Special Program on Wed the 11th @ 6:30 pm. Singer/Songwriter Thad Beach will be preforming. Everyone have a safe Fourth of July.

School's Out For The Summer!!!!!

So that means the 2008 Bradford Memorial Library Summer Reading Program is about to start. You can begin signing up Monday, June 2nd. We are doing online registration again this year. Once again there will be computers available at the library for signing up and adding books/hours. There will be weekly programs for different age groups starting Tuesday, June 10 as well as special family programs through out the summer. New this year will be three family movie days. We will show a bug themed movie on our BIG screen. Be sure to stop by or call the library with any questions. I hope everyone has a great summer.

We're off the see the Wizard ...

... the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. That's right the Library has a brand new set of L. Frank Baum's series of books that made Kansas famous. Come on in and check them out. We also have the Judy Garland movie of course as well as other books that are Oz spin offs.

High School Musical Books have come to the Library

Come in and check out the High School Musical book series Stories From East High. Books number 1 through 6 are already on the shelves and ready to take home. Books number 7 and 8 will be ready soon.

Hannah Montana Books @ The Library

Come check out the new chapter books based on the hit show Hannah Montana. The Library also has a few Hannah Montana graphic novels, DVDs, and music CDs available for check out. While your here be sure to take a look at the other newest editions to the Library's collection. Happy Reading.

APRIL FUN

Spring has sprung!
April is the final month of the Spring session of Preschool Storytime.

April 3 there will be no storytime due to the Scholastic book sale in the Clymer room.

April 10 -- Spring

April 17-- Earth Day

April 24-- Flowers

May will be spent planning for the summer activites.

Read On!
Teresa

Dinosaurs

This is the theme for Elementary Story Time this month. K-2nd is on Tuesday, April 8th @ 4 pm and 3rd-5th is on Tuesday, April 15th @ 4 pm. I have some fun books to read, we will play musical chairs to a song about dinosaurs, and we will make fossils. It should be a lot fun. I hope to see a bunch of you there.

More Fun Programs This Month

Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 11) the K-2nd grade program will have stories and crafts about the mouse in If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. We will also have S'mores as a snack after we read The Best Mouse Cookie.

On Tuesday, March 18th grades 3rd-5th's program will be about the adventures of Ralph in The Mouse And The Motorcycle trilogy of books. Since Ralph goes to camp in Runaway Ralph this group will also get to have S'mores as a snack.

Also this month there will be a movie afternoon during Spring Break. It will be held of Wednesday, March 19th. We will pick from Meet the Robinsons and Ratatouille. There will NOT be snacks for this one. The movie is open to all ages.

I hope to see lots of you there.

Brianne

Watch it at the Library!!

Is animation your fave?

Come in and check out the new DVD's we've added to the collection, like Academy Award winner "Ratatouille". "Shrek the Third" and "Cinderella III" have also arrived. If classic or vintage is your thing, the "Classic Looney Toons Collection" is perfection with the voices of Mel Blanc in 59 classic Looney Tunes. The vintage, animated , "Bugville" (1941), from the master Max Fleischer, is a recent arrival, too. It includes a Max Fleischer bio and Legend films trailers.

Bored? Nothing to do?

Look at our new books, Quick Knits, Junk Drawer Jewelry and Wind Chimes and Whirlygigs, from the "Kids Can Do It" series.

Knit up a drawstring backpack, or a cool new hat. Don't know how to knit? Quick Knits can help you learn.

Wind Chimes and Whirlygigs shows you how to make 12 unique decorations that make music with the wind, or move when the breezes blow. Most are made of inexpensive materials, many you might have lying around the house already.

Speaking of junk lying around the house, Junk Drawer Jewelry is the guide book to 16 projects to make for yourself, friends, or your mom or dad. Jewelry is made from wire, guitar picks, buttons, craft foam, beads-- even duct tape!

Parents and grandparents, these are all great ways to spend time with the kids.

Read on!

Calling all 3-5 year-olds...

March Preschool Storytimes are coming!!

March 6 – Trains "Toot, toot"

March 13 – Sheep "Ba-a-a-a, ba-a-a-a"

March 20 – Rabbits "???!"

March 27 – Birds "Tweet, tweet"

Books, songs, crafts,
kids meeting kids,
moms meeting moms …
A great time for everyone !!

Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.

Hope to see you there!

Comming Up This Month

The Library is planning all kinds of fun elementary age programs this month.

For the monthly programs the theme is Penguins and Polar Bears. These programs are Tuesday the 12th (K-2nd) @ 4 pm and Tuesday the 19th (3rd-5th) @ 4 pm.

On Monday the 18th we are having a movie day @ 2 pm for anyone who wants to come.

At the end of February there are special programs planned to celebrate Dr Seuss' Birthday. A program for K-2nd is on Monday the 25th @ 4 pm and 3rd-5th is Tuesday the 26th @ 4 pm. A movie day, open to everyone, is scheduled for Saturday, March 1 @ 2 pm.

Be sure to give the library a call @ 316-321-3363 if you need more information about a program or if you have any questions.

Spring Programs, New and Old!

Family Storytime is now Preschool Storytime! Nothing has changed but the name. With the addition of four new storytimes, we have renamed it to clarify the target audience, which is ages 3-5. As in the past, everyone is welcome. We will meet at 10:00 a.m in the Clymer room. I will be sharing books, fingerplays, songs and crafts. Spring 2008 Session begins Thurdsay, January 24th.

Starting Monday, January 28,at 10:00 a.m., Tammy will be presenting Toddler Storytime for two-year-olds. Starting Tuesday, January 29, Tammy will present a Baby Lapsit program, also at 10:00 a.m. These storytimes are offered in sessions. Call Tammy at 316-321-3363 for more information.

Brianne has begun new elementary programming. On the second Tuesday of the month she will present programming for grades K-2, at 4:00 p.m. On the third Tuesday of the month the programs are for grades 3-5, also at 4:00 p.m.

We are also adding movie days at the library in the afternoon, on El Dorado school system early release days. Watch for special programming coming up!

All children's programs are held in the Clymer room on the lower level of the Bradford Memorial Library.

Read on!
Teresa

More Monthly Elementary Programs

The 2nd Tuesday of the month K-2nd grade will enjoy jokes, poems, stories, games, and crafts about a theme. On the 3rd Tuesday 3rd-5th grades have their day. Both programs start at 4 pm and last for around an hour. January's theme is Snow is in the Air and will be about snow and snowmen. I hope to see you there.

Children's Art on Display

The 2007 "en plein air" El Dorado Art Fair has come and gone. In spite of the rain, lots of kids participated in the children's area activities. Some of the beautiful art they created is currently on display here at the library. This is the fourth year for the art fair, which is put on by the El Dorado Mainstreet Artscape Committee. The "post art fair" exhibit has become somewhat of a tradition. Thanks to all of the the artists who generously provided their works to beautify the library for awhile. The works will be up through Friday, Nov. 16.

Read some of our great books on art and get inspired to make your own art!

Read on!

Teresa

Elementary Story Time to begin this month!

Elementary students are invited to join me for Story Time in the Clymer Room on the lower level of the library on the following dates:

Grades K-2: October 16, 4-4:30 pm
Grades 3-5: October 23, 4-4:30 pm

Our theme this month will be Scarecrows, and I'll be reading the delightful book The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams, illustrated by Megan Lloyd. We'll enjoy songs, poetry and fun, as well as a Fall-themed craft for the children to make.

Story Time will be held monthly. Check back here this for more information about the time, place, and theme of future programs. Also watch for flyers here at Bradford Memorial Library and at your school.

Up Comming Teen Program

Help the library customize out bookcart so we can enter Overdue Media's contest. Overdue Media has a comic strip called Unshelved about library employees and things that happened in a library. This will be a two part program. October 16 @ 6 pm we will brainstorm design ideas and on October 23 @ 6 pm we will put it all together. We will also have snacks to help the creative juices flow. Be sure to come to the second program even if you couldn't come to the planning part.

Jim Clements--guest reader today!

I am so happy to announce the second in our series of guest readers for Family Storytime. Our theme today is "art" and we are very fortunate to have a wonderful artist from El Dorado as our guest. Meet Jim Clements!!

What is your job?
I am an artist.

How long have you had that job?
I’ve been drawing my whole life, and painting for about 27 years.

What do you like about your job?
I love many things about it. Since my painting subjects are primarily people, it gives me the opportunity to work with many interesting personalities. I also like creating a likeness of a person or a certain scene, starting with just a blank canvas. Looking at my subject, I react intuitively to what I see rather than rely on formulas. This lets me mix colors as I go, and observe edges, values and use a variety of brushstrokes. When it all comes together and the painting is finished, it makes whatever struggle I had getting it right all worth it.

Is there any advice you would give someone who wants to do the same job?
Draw. Draw everything. Drawing is a great way to improve your ability to observe things, and is fundamental in every form of fine art. Every problem I ever have with a painting almost certainly goes back to the drawing being off. If I take the time to get it right, the painting goes much smoother. Although inevitably, no matter how careful I am with drawing I still often find I’m off a bit as I begin to paint, so I continue drawing with paint. It never stops through the entire painting process. Don’t hesitate to correct mistakes. You’ll be happy you do and frustrated if you don’t. Do every painting to the absolute best of your ability. Also, you’ll never stop learning, and the more you learn, the more difficult the next painting becomes. This is because you know more about what works best, but it isn’t always easy to achieve.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I was interested in so many things; I changed my mind a lot. I was never set on any one career for very long when I was a kid. But the thing that has always been with me was my love of art. It’s how God made me, and I take it much more seriously now than I did when I was younger.

Did you like to read when you were child?
Absolutely! I read constantly when I was a kid. I truly believe there is nothing – not movies, not TV, not video games – that is better for your imagination than reading. Actually, I read constantly even now.

What was a favorite book or author when you were a child?
I really liked books about animals. Two that come to mind that I read numerous times were "Midnight", about a wild horse sold to the rodeo circuit that could never be ridden. I think it was a true story. Another one was "Kavik the Wolf-Dog", about a half wolf-half dog who neither belonged in the wild or in the village. He had to survive on his own in the wild. It’s been a lot of years so I don’t remember the details, but I remember I liked it a lot. I still have both of these books; maybe I’ll read them again!

What do you like to read now?
Art books mostly. I’m always trying to educate myself to be a better painter. I also read biographies, political books, and novels.

Do you have a favorite story/author?
My favorite author is Michael Crichton.

Are you reading anything now?
I’m always reading. Right now I’m reading a book about the history of the United States. I just felt like I need a refresher course. I was occasionally coming across historical references in other books and realized I’d forgotten too much since school. It’s very interesting.

Did you ever try to write a story?
I did when I was a kid.

Would you like to write or illustrate a book someday? What would it be about?
I’m too slow a typist to write, but it might be fun to illustrate a book someday. I always thought it’d be cool to do illustrations for some bible stories. There are a lot of good ones and it’d give my imagination a workout coming up with unique ways to present them.

Do you have a library card?
Yes I do!

Awesome interview, Jim. Thank you so much. I hope to post a pic of Jim soon.
If you missed our first interview, go to 8/30/07 for a visit with our first guest reader, Jon Pic.
Stay tuned to this blog for more interviews.
Keep reading!
Teresa

The Winners Have Been Published

The Summer Reading Program Winner's photos appear in the Tuesday, September 4, 2007 edition of the El Dorado Times. Thank you for being patient with us.

Up Comming Teen Program

Tuesday, September 18, 2007 @ 6 pm the library will have a teen Feng Shui program. We will use Feng Shui to map your bedroom to enhance your goals. We will also have snacks. Anyone in 6th grade and up is welcome to attend.

Our Mistake

OOPS! We are so sorry. The pictures in the El Dorado Times of the top readers of the 2007 Summer Reading Program were the wrong pictures. The wrong file was sent to the paper. The correct ones are being sent today and will be published soon.
Thank you for your patience.

Teresa

Something new has been added!

I am so excited to launch my series of guest readers for FAMILY STORY TIME. Randomly, hopefully at least once a month, I will invite a guest to read a book at story time. I will publish an interview with the guest reader here on the blog on the day they read for us. I plan to have a podcast of the interviews later on, when I learn how to upload the files.

The first guest reader is Jon Pic, a recent addition to the staff at the El Dorado Times newspaper, here in El Dorado. He has generously agreed to donate his time and talents to our Family Storytime. Here is his interview:

What is your job?

I'm a reporter for The El Dorado Times. Glamorous, I know.

How long have you had that job?

I took this position on March 31st of this year, two days before my 25th birthday.

What do you like about your job?

I like that I get an opportunity to learn about things that I might otherwise have never taken an interest in. This job sort of forces me to learn as much as I can about other people's jobs. I often feel like I have to be as knowledgeable about the intricacies of other people's businesses as
I am of my own. In other words, I have to know a little bit about everything or at least be prepared to do some research about whatever subject I'm writing about.

Is there any advice you would give someone who wants to do the same job?

Love words. I like to enhance my vocabulary every chance I get. If I'm reading and I see a word that causes me to stumble ... I won't continue until I've thumbed through a dictionary to ascertain the meaning of that word. That may sound like a chore, but only in the beginning. Then I try to
use those words ... not only in my writing, but even in conversation. Who cares if people giggle at your verbosity? I guarantee your favorite authors love words, too.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a cartoonist or a comic book illustrator. As a kid, I would doodle during class and my mind wandered to the magical worlds that had been created in comics or animations. I would sketch pictures of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Darkwing Duck into my notebooks. I always really enjoyed hearing the compliments of my classmates when they would look over and see
my page of doodles.

Did you like to read when you were a child?

Absolutely comic books. My teachers were always so impressed with my "advanced reading level" in elementary school, I attribute that to my love of comic books. Those books sparked imagination and encouraged a surprisingly adult-level literacy that most kids' books don't offer. And I'm not talking about Archie and Jughead. I'm talking X-Men, Spider-Man, Batman and Superman. Are those books sometimes too violent for kids? Maybe. But I loved them. Still do, though I don't get to read them as frequently any more.

What was a favorite book or author when you were a child?

Well, the book that I remember being read to me in elementary school is "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day". In truth, I haven't read the book in ages, so I couldn't begin to tell you what it's about (a bad day, obviously). But I've always been a fan of hyperbole and with a book title like that, Alexander is the king of exaggeration, in my book! Now that I'm reading books to a two-year-old every night, I think Dr. Seuss (A.K.A. the late Theodore Geisel) was a mad genius. Talk about creativity.

What do you like to read now?

I don't read as much as I should, but I'm flat-out voracious when it comes to J.K. Rowling's boy wizard saga, "Harry Potter." Maybe you've heard of it? Otherwise, I try to pick up books that cover subject matter that I find interesting. I picked up a book called "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking". It's an interesting read about the human mind's remarkable ability to act instinctively. I've read a couple of books by Dan Brown..."The Da Vinci Code", of course, and "Angels and Demons". I picked up a copy of Sun Tzu's "Art of War", but I've had a little trouble getting started on reading it. I'm also trying to start reading Frank Herbert's sci-fi "Dune" series. I also like to read books about quantum mechanics (don't laugh) and filmmaking. On the rare occasion that I find a place that carries comic books or graphic novels, I try to find something I can read. I've most recently read Alan Moore's "The Watchmen", which is about to be turned into a movie next year and Neil Gaiman's "Marvel 1602", which imagines the struggles of major superhero icons like Dr. Strange, The Fantastic Four and Nick Fury as if they had existed over 400 years ago.

Do you have a favorite story/author?

I don't think I do. I've always been kind of adverse to the idea of picking favorites. Each story has its own unique charms and reasons for being enjoyable. Why limit yourself to a favorite book or song or actor or anything? Exploration of new things is always a joy.

Are you reading anything now?

Apart from my subscription to Entertainment Weekly magazine? After finishing "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", I felt inspired to re-read the entire series, so I'm in the middle of "Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone" right now.

Did you ever try to write a story?

Sure. Every time I come to work I get to write a story. Some require more creativity than others, some require none at all. As far as a purely creative endeavor ... I'm more of a movie fan, myself. In the last few years, I've tried to pen a couple of scripts, but I find I get distracted too easily. I did write a ten-minute play and a children's book during high school for my classes.

Would you like to write or illustrate a book someday? What would it be
about?

Without a doubt. I'd love to write a comic book or a fantasy novel. I'm a champion of imagination. There's nothing wrong with historical non-fiction or biographies or literature, but I prefer to get lost in a world of whimsy and wonder. Some people might criticize that as arrested development on my part. If so, just call me Peter Pan. I'll take a strong dose of magic and mystery any day.

Do you have a library card?

When I first moved to El Dorado in 1996, I got a library card from Bradford Memorial Library. I left town for a few years and when I moved back to El Dorado earlier this year, I brought my old library card in and traded it for a new one.

Thanks to Jon. Great interview!
Keep reading!
Teresa

Hooray for the Bradford Memorial Library's Summer Reading Program Readers! We had 557 readers who read an astonishing 11, 559 books in June and July. Awesome! The pool party was a rousing success with 284 people enjoying the cool waters of El Dorado's municipal pool.
Great job, readers!

The pictures of the readers who reached the higest level this year will soon be in the El Dorado Times newspaper. Keep an eye out.

Hats off to you!

Teresa

Family Story Times are in session again! The Fall 2007 session runs from August 23 through December 20. We have 30 minutes of stories, songs and crafts. Last week our theme was summer. It was nice to see so many friends from this summer's group and also nice to see so many new faces.

You can go the the Bradford Memorial Library's Children's Services page for a schedule of upcoming storytimes.

August 30th we will have a very special guest. More about that later! I hope you can join us.

So many books, so little time!

Teresa

One last chance to get your prize photo taken!

You have one more chance to get your award photo taken before we send them to the El Dorado Times for publication! You may stop by the library anytime between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Monday, August 13, and the Youth Services staff will take your special picture. If for some reason you can't make it on that day, give us a call at 316-321-3363 or email me at yservice@eldoks.com and we will work around your schedule.

See you soon! Karen

The Pool Party is Tonight

Everyone who has a pool party ticket don't forget it's tonight. The party starts at 6:30 pm and goes to 8:30 pm. The El Dorado Municipal Pool, where the party is at, is located at 900 N Taylor in El Dorado. Also snacks will be available from the concession stand but you do have to pay for that yourself. It looks like it will be a great evening to swim so I hope to see a lot of you there.

Weekly Teen Programs Are Over

Monthly teen programming will start back up in September. I don't have an exact date so be sure to check the blog for updates and stop in the library from time to time for more information. If any of you have any great ideas for programs feel free to let me know. I have a few ideas but could always use more. For those who earned a pool party ticket don't forget it is this Saturday. Have a great rest of your summer.

KPTS Share-A-Story (You didn't miss it after all!)

Due to a glitch in scheduling, Pat Clough from KPTS will be here THIS SATURDAY, July 21, to present Steven Kellogg's The Missing Mitten Mystery. So join us at 11:00 a.m. for this high-energy program. And, remember, each family gets a book of their own to take home, compliments of KPTS!

music, music, music

Tomorrow is the last Family Storytime for the Summer session. Mr. Dale was scheduled to perform, but will not be able to, due to a family emergency. We are, however, still having a musical program. The Villigans were kind enough to volunteer to share their wonderful music with us! The performances will be at 10:00 and 11:00, in the Clymer room. Please join us, you will be glad you did!

See you at the library,
Teresa

One More Weekly Teen Program

Next Tuesday is our last weekly program for the summer. An officer from the El Dorado Police Department is coming to show us how to process a "real" crime scene. We will have prize drawings for some cool stuff. I hope to have a great turnout so tell all your friends to come too.

KPTS Share-A-Story on Saturday!

Don't forget the KPTS Share-A-Story program this SATURDAY MORNING at 11:00! Pat Clough of KPTS will be featuring a MYSTERY by Steven Kellogg: The Missing Mitten Mystery! "During a busy day in the snow, Annie loses one of her red mittens--her fifth lost mitten this winter! Where could it be? Did a mouse take it to use as a sleeping bag?"

Registration is limited to 20 families only (each family receives a copy of the book to keep). Call Youth Services at 316-321-3363 to register.

Hullop All,
I am sorry that I have been so sparse in my posts lately. Things were crazy my last week in England. There were so many things that I wish that you all could have seen. There was Paddington Station for all of you fans of Paddington Bear, there was The Kilns for all of you C.S. Lewis fans, and there was the Eagle and the CHild pub for all of you Tolkein fans. For all of you that love the theatre, I had the privilege of seeing Les Miserables in London and seeing the Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park. there were so many lovely and wonderful things to do and see, that I had and am having troubles writing it all down. For any of you that want a good story though, come by the library and we can have a chat. So, where in the world is Evan? Evan is sitting comfortabel in his home glad to have his own bed.

Ti Ti for Then and Ta Ta for Now!
Evan

Don't Forget About Our Weekly Programs

Next Tuesday (July 10th)the teens will decoupage a shoe box to make it into a treasure chest. There is still time to sign up if you would like to come. The program starts at 6 and will last about an hour. Will have snacks and prize drawings. I hope to see you there.

I wanted to thank ever one who helped my month to go smoothly and to encourage you all to finish the Summer Reading Program and get your prizes! :)

Farewell to Ben!

Today is summer intern Ben Kuestersteffen's last day in the Children's Library (for this summer at least!). Stop in and say "bye" if you get a chance. He's been a great addition to our staff and we've really enjoyed having him here!

Are You a Detective?

I was checking out the website for the new Nancy Drew movie and had fun playing their "Are You a Detective?" game online. Here's the blurb: "Are You a Detective? Welcome to the Draycott Mansion, once home to mysteriously murdered actress Dehlia Draycott. It is rumored that there is a hidden room within the mansion that holds the missing clues to this still unsolved murder."

Has anybody seen the movie yet? Give us a review if you have! And how about those books (I always come back to books somehow!)? You can find a quite a few Nancy Drew's in the Juvenile Series collection downstairs and also in the Young Adult Series collection upstairs.

Another fun website I found is Nancy Drew at MysteryNet.com. You can read about Nancy Drew mysteries and author Carolyn Keene; buy Nancy Drew books and Nancy Drew computer games like Danger on Deception Island; and discuss with others in Nancy Drew forums!

Hope all of you are planning fun (and safe) Independence Day celebrations with your families next week! We take a break from programming for the entire week and then resume our regular schedule the following week (Elementary and Teens on Tuesdays; Preschoolers on Thursdays).

Be sure to take time to see the new exhibits on the lower level of the library (in the hallway and also in the Children's Room) the next time you're in. The El Dorado doll collectors' club, an affiliate of The United Federation of Doll Clubs, Inc., has set up some wonderful displays of dolls and the books they're based on, such as
Eloise, Raggedy Ann and Andy, The Legend of the Bluebonnet, and Hitty: Her First Hundred Years.

Young people can become part of the UFDC Junior Collectors organization. You can download an application at their website.

Tell us what you think!

As you know, this is our first year to have you register via the web for our Summer Reading Program. The Youth Services staff really appreciates your willingness to take this step with us--it's been a real lifesaver for our small staff in helping us deal with registrations that just keep growing and growing every year!

There are, of course, some patrons that can't stand the new system (and we do sympathize with them). Most comments that we're hearing, however, are positive. Let us know what you think and if you have suggestions for next year for "tweaking" how we set up the program using the Library Insight summer reading program manager.

Thanks for your input!

Karen

"Was it a rat I saw?"....Palindromes!

Friend Hannah stopped by the library tonight and mentioned that her name is the same even if you read it backwards. I told her that there was a word for that phenomenon--palindrome! A palindrome is a word, phrase, verse, or sentence that reads the same backward or forward. Here's a link to a website that let's you play around with palindromes. It has palindrome riddles and also a list of single word palindromes. Have fun!

More on Exodusters and Archeology.....

It's been BUSY in Youth Services, so I haven't had a chance to tell you more about my trip to Nicodemus, Kansas, for the archeological dig earlier this month. Just in case you're looking for something new and different to read for Summer Reading Program, here are a few titles from our library about the Exodusters: Promised Land on the Solomon: Black Settlement at Nicodemus, Kansas by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service (978.1 Pro/Kansas Collection/Max Main Room); Wagon Train: A Family Goes West in 1865 by Courtni Wright (J 978.004 Wright); Black Frontiers: A History of African American Heroes in the Old West by Lillian Schlissel (J 978.004 Schlissel); and Exodusters: Black Migration to Kansas after Reconstruction by Nell Irvin Painter (978.1 Painter/Kansas Collection/Max Main Room). And here are a few dealing with archeology: Archeology by Dr. Jane McIntosh (J 930 McIntosh); I Can Be an Archaeologist by Robert Pickering (J 930.1 Pickering); Digging the Past: Archaeology in Your Own Backyard by Bruce Porell (J 930.1 Porell); and Going on a Dig by Velma Ford Morrison.

Enjoy!

Don't forget about the Teen program tomorrow. Lifting fingerprints should be fun. We will also play a game of pictionary using some of you favorite book titles.

Edinburgh has been a great place. I have noticed that ther is just a greater respect for authors and artists here. For example, there are countless monuments and statues in honor of different authors such as Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott. At the same time, I have also realized that this is a much more literary place. There is more to write about and be inspired by. Just yesterday, I ate at this restaurant called The Elephant House. It is where J.K. Rowling wrote part of the first Harry Potter book.
Also, there are so many things that commemorate and cwelebrate the great achievements of others. There are monuements to soldiers such as Nelson, politicians like William Pitt, theologians like John Knox, and adventurers such as David Livingstone. Yet, this celebration is not limited to ancient times. Last night, I went to the appointment ceremony of a new govenor for Edinburgh Castle. There were military bands, bagpipers, soldiers, a general, a lord, and messengers from the queen. I even saw Princess Anne leaving Holyrood with her entourage.
I know that it all seems rather random, but there are so many things that though very inspiring, cannot be described as anything other than British. Well, that is all for a while so....

Cheers!
Evan

YNK @ Your Library

During next Tuesday's teen program we will practice lifting finger prints and look at the different kinds of sworl patterens there are. It should be fun and as always we will have snacks. Please don't forget to sign up ahead of time. I wouldn't want us to run out of food.

"Happy Birthday, Harry!" replaces "Hogwarts Breakfast"!

We've had to change the date and time of our Harry Potter party. It will now be a "Happy Birthday, Harry!" party at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 31. Tickets are $5.00 per person and we only have room for 60. It's still being presented (with great enthusiasm!) by SCALA from the SLIM program at Emporia State University.

Advance registration and payment is REQUIRED. We will not be selling tickets at the event!

p.s. July 31st is also J. K. Rowling's birthday!

Hullo All,
I took the train from Stirling today, and arrived this afternoon in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is the home of Hollyrood (the Queen's house in Scotland), Edinburgh Castle, and the University of Edinburgh. I already took a walk through and was very impressed. I am looking forward to more exploring. Tomorrow we start our lectures from a professor at the University of Edinburgh. I am really looking forward to this part of the trip as we begin to study a man named John Knox, who is infamous for his conflict with Mary Queen of Scots. I hope that this post finds you well...

Cheers!
Evan

Hello All,
I am now staying in Stirling, the home of Stirling Castle, Mary Queen of Scots, and the William Wallace Meorial. It is a lovely town, that I find much more agreeable than Inverness. The people are very friendly and the city is very clean. My group, after spending all of our previous times in hostels and dormitories, are now staying in bed and breakfasts. While most of my group is staying all together, I and four others are staying at another 10 minutes away. I am sharing a room, but not a bed, with one other guy. We have our own toilette and shower complete with a heated towel rack. We had a very authentic scottish breakfast complete with haggis and black pudding. I was able to handle the haggis, but black pudding is a tough bite to swallow (literally). However, I did have coffee this morning at a very nice old coffee house that took me back to the days when coffee houses were the center of political and literary conversation. Well, I am off....
Cheers!
Evan

This week’s Family Story Time is almost here!
Last week we had lots of fun with stories about hats. We all made wonderful newspaper hats to take home.
This Thursday we are doing stories about DOGS, Angus Lost, What’s What, and Widget and the Puppy. The books I read in story time will count towards your reading record if you are participating in the pre-reader level of the Summer Reading Program!
We will sing , “Where oh Where has my Little Dog Gone”, “How Much is that Doggie in the Window”, and “Bingo”. There is also a craft!
Please come and join us! Story Time is at 10:00 and 11:00AM on Thursday mornings.

Yo-Yo SpinMaster Program--Don't forget to sign up!

Don't forget that Yo-Yo SpinMaster Brent Dellinger will be performing in a FREE family program at 1:00 p.m. this coming Saturday at the library. Please call or stop by the library to register--we had an overflow crowd when he was last here with his music and light show about 4 years ago and the fire marshal will only let us squeeze a certain number of people into the Clymer Room!

After the free performance, Brent will take a short break and then will work with a small group in a workshop format. The workshop is limited to 20 PERSONS and costs $7.50 per person. You may either bring your own yo-yo or buy one of Brent's line of yo-yo's before the workshop. He is bringing his full range of yo-yo's, including the new "Yo Stick." ADVANCE REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT IS REQUIRED! It is really doubtful that any slots in the workshop will be available if you wait until the day of the program!

Hope to see you all there--this is a REALLY special program!

Get a Clue! - Elementary Program, Tuesday @ 1:30 p.m.

We had a great turnout last week for our first Get a Clue! summer program for Grades 1-5. And we expect an even better group for tomorrow's program--1:30 p.m. See you there!

YNK @ Your Library

Tomorrow is another teen program. This week we are making a Cartouch using Egyptian Hieroglyphics. We will have snacks and prize drawings. I hope to see a lot of you there.

Brianne

Hullo All,
I am now staying in Inverness, Scotland. We have been here two days, and have had a very relaxed time. The first day was dominated by school work (two tests and two short assignments), however overall things have been good. We will be going to Lock Ness tomorrow. We drove by it on the way here, and it is beautiful. It is really quite impressive at 23 miles long and 800 feet deep. At that size it is no wonder that they cannot find Nessie. Oh well.
Cheers!
Evan

Living on an Island

Hullo All,

Sorry that I have been so long in writing. I have spent the last weekend living on the Isle of Iona, which is a very small Isle off of the coast of the Isle of Mull, which off of the coast of Scotland. It was a very good and relaxing time. I stayed at a place called the Macleod center, a place that is affiliated with the Abbey that is on that Island. Though there is a long and diverse history since its inception, the original monastery was founded by St. Columba. He was an Irish monk that took part in what historians call the re-evangelization of Europe (a phenomenon recorded in Thomas Cahill's "How the Irish Saved Civilization" a book for any older readers interested in history). All in all it was a great time. I hiked all over the place, ate good food, had good fun, and worshipped in the abbey. I hope to write more consistently form now on.

Cheers,
Evan

Where in the World is Evan?!

We haven't heard from Evan since he last reported in from Glasgow, Scotland. Hmmm, do you suppose he's just having too much fun to blog?!

Hats, Hats, Hats...Don't Miss Tomorrow's Preschool Story Time!

Hope all you families with preschoolers (through kindergarten age) are planning to join us tomorrow as Teresa kicks off the summer preschool story time series! Teresa's theme for tomorrow is "Hats!" There will be fun stories, crafts & music, so drop in for either the 10:00 session or the 11:00 session. Registration is not required.

Here we go, the first program of the 2007 summer reading Program, Get a Clue @ your library is today at 1:30!! Pat has some fun mystery activities planned and is rarin’ to go.

Brianne has a great activity planned for the teen program tonight at 6:00. They will be making secret compartment books.

Our online registration for the reading program is going well. Registration started Wednesday June 6, and is ongoing. As of this morning, 298 have signed up! Our goal this year is 700. This is the first year for us to have online sign ups and reading records. Please feel free to leave comments letting us know what you like or don’t like about the online system.

Saturday’s KPTS Share-a Story program was well attended and a good time was had by all. Each family that attended took home a free copy of the book, “Hey, Little Ant”, by Phillip Hoose. The next one is scheduled for July14.

We will soon have pictures of the “Where in the World is Evan” map for all to see.
Follow his progress here on this blog as he travels in Scotland and England.

Keep reading!

"Where in the World is...? for Grades 1-5 on Tuesday!

Just a quick reminder that our first summer program for Grades 1-5 will be tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Your leader is Pat Powell and she has packed a lot of fun activities into the Tuesday programs, so grab a couple of friends and come on down!

Mrs. K

Hello Teens

Just a heads up to the teens. Our first weekly program is tomorrow at 6 p.m. We will be making Secret Compartment Books with paper bag covers. We will have snacks too. It should be lots of fun. I hope to see a lot of you there.

Brianne

Home Again, Home Again....

Hoo-boy, what a week! My daughter and I just got back from this year's Kansas Archeology Training Program at Nicodemus, Kansas, the Exoduster settlement in western Kansas. We had a fantastic time! I'll tell you more later...

Mrs. K

So far So good!

Hullo all,

I am already in Scotland (after a long day of travel). I did get one surprise. My group flew through New York City rather than through D.C.. That does not, however, give you an excuse to not check out the Smithsonian.

I arrived in Glasgow this morning, and after I got my bag I went to my hotel called the Tulip Inn. We are just a few blocks from downtown Glasgow, where I spent most of my day. I went with some of my friends, and we just wandered all over the place looking at all of the old buildings and exciting new things to see. After wandering for a little over an hour, we stopped in at a nice little pub and had a nice filling (but cheap) lunch.

After that, we meandered; until we found our way back to the hotel. Later in the evening we went with the whole group for supper at this nice little Italian Restaurant. The food was delicious, but we were tired from travelling across 6 time zones. So, we went back to the hotel to rest.

Tommorow, we will be leaving at seven in the morning on our day long pilgrimage to the very small Isle of Iona. I hope that I have a chance to tell you about Iona very soon. Well......

Cheers!

Hullo All,

By this time tomorrow, I will be arriving at my first stop on my way to Scotland. I will be stopping in Washington D.C. Washington D.C. is the home of the president, the capitol building, and the Smithsonian Institute. The Smithsonian is a big museum with lots of cool things. To find out more about the Smithsonian check out the book as the library called "A Picture Tour of the Smithsonian." This books has lots of great pictures and fun facts. Stay tuned for more updates, and check the map at the library to see "Where in the World is Evan?".

Ti Ti for Then and Ta Ta for Now

Evan

Don't Forget to Sign up for Share-A-Story!

Don't forget to sign up soon for the first of our Share-A-Story Programs this summer! Pat Clough of KPTS will be at Bradford for another one of her terrific programs for preschoolers-1st graders on Saturday, June 9, at 11:00 a.m. in the Clymer Room on the lower level of the library. Remember though that we're limited to only 20 FAMILIES and each child will receive a free book to take home.

Register today by stopping in at the Children's Circulation desk or by calling the library. If you haven't been to one of our Share-A-Story programs, you won't want to miss this special one based on the "Get a Clue" theme!

Karen

Hullo All,

Some of you may remember me as the summer reading program intern from last year. I am very sorry to inform you that I am the summer reading program intern again. I do feel sorry for you all who have to put up with me, again. However, there will be some relief for you. I will be gone form June 7- July 5 on a study trip to England and Scotland. Now, I am also sorry that I cannot take any of you along, but I will try to keep you all posted concerning my whereabouts. So until I know more...

Ti-Ti for Then and Ta-Ta for Now,
Evan G.

Got it!

Got it figured out! I can now post as "me"! (Thanks, Teresa, for the helpful information.)

As Christopher Robin said to Pooh: "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

Karen

Summer Reading Program--It's (almost) here!

GET A CLUE @ YOUR LIBRARY!

We're putting the finishing touches on Get a Clue @ Your Library! (kids) and YNK @ Your Library! (teens), the themes for this year's summer reading programs at Bradford! Our tech person will soon have links to the flyers from the library website, but until then, I'll give you some basic info. that will get you going. You can also pick up copies of the flyers at either of the library Circulation Desks. Registration begins Wednesday, June 6! As Teresa mentioned in an earlier post, we're taking it online this year for the first time and it's going to be a lot of fun for all of you and the staff, too! You will be able to create your account and access it wherever you have internet access, whether that's here at the library or from your home computer. There will soon be additional internet computers in the children's library so that you won't have such a long wait for access here.

You can start reading June 6 to earn prizes (and we've built in an extra prize level this year, plus special drawings when you attend our summer programs!). Programs will be starting up the following week, with Preschool Storytime every Thursday morning with Teresa Leonard at either the 10:00 session or the 11:00 session. Elementary Programs will be each Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 with Patricia Powell and Young Adult (Teen) Programs every Tuesday evening at 6:00 with Brianne Dennis.

You all keep asking for a return visit by The Bubbleman with his Bubble Magic program, so he'll be here Wednesday, July 25, at 6:30 p.m. And Yo-Yo Spinmaster Brent Dellinger pays a return visit, as well, with a free performance (including light and music show) at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 23. He will also be conducting a yo-yo workshop from 2:30-3:30 p.m. The cost for the Yo-Yo Workshop is $7.50 and is limited to 20 participants. Children's Singer/Songwriter Monty Harper will perform "Wacky, Witty Way-Out Songs" on Wednesday, July 11, at 6:30 p.m.--you won't want to miss this guy!

There will be two KPTS Share-A-Story Programs this summer: Saturday, June 9, at 11:00 a.m., and Saturday, July 14, at 11:00 a.m. Every child takes home a free book! Limit 20 families, please.

And for the Harry Potter fans, we will have our 2nd Hogwarts' Breakfast on Saturday, July 21, at 9:30 a.m.! Cost will be $5 per person. Limit 60. The Student Chapter of the American Library Association at ESU will be planning this event for us and they want it to be even better than our 1st Hogwarts' Breakfast two years ago!

We're in for a fun summer--stop in soon and pick up the flyers (and some fun books to read!)

Karen

The Children's Department will be closed all day tomorrow, May 1. We are going to be hard at work planning the splendid Summer Reading program of 2007. Please stay tuned for further developments.
The Adult and Young Adult Departments will be open.

If you are wondering what to do this summer in addition to the Summer Reading Program, have we got a book for you! The Family Manager's Guide to Summer Survival by Kathy Peel has plenty of great ideas to make summer fun, educational and enriching. You can find it in the Children's Department on the Parent/Teacher Shelf.

Happy May Day!

Teresa

The last Family Storytime of the Spring 2007 session went great today. We had a big group and several newcomers! It was hard to say goodbye, even if it is only until June 14.

The kids made May baskets and tissue paper flowers to go in them. Does anyone deliver May baskets anymore?

The very newest of new additions to our collection are The Sisters Grimm series written by Michael Buckley and illustrated by Peter Ferguson. We just put The Fairy-Tale Detectives, The Unusual Suspects and The Problem Child, out on the new books shelf this afternoon. Sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm keep busy solving mysteries in the town of Ferryport Landing, New York, where they have been sent to live with their grandmother, following the mysterious disappearance of their parents.

If you have been waiting on these books, now is your chance! If you have already read them, please feel free to submit a review. We would love to hear your opinions.

Check back for information on the 2007 Summer Reading Program.

Keep reading!

Teresa

The last Family Storytime of the Spring session is tomorrow, Thursday, April 26, at 10 A.M.. Our theme is “Flowers”. These are the books we will share:
Planting a Rainbow – Ehlert
Sunflower – Ford
Buster and the Dandelions – Madorko

We will be making a tisssue paper flower to take home.

The Family Storytime Summer 2007 session will start Thursday, June 14. In the summer we have storytimes at 10:00 and 11:00 due to the larger numbers attending.
See you at Storytime!!
Teresa

The Youth Services staff will be attending South Central Kansas Library System staff training on Thursday, March 22, 2007, so the Children’s Department will be closed that day. They will be learning all sorts of great stuff to make this year’s Summer Reading Program a super fun time for all. The theme for preschool and elementary this year is “Get a Clue @ your library” and the theme for teens is “You Never Know@ your library” aka “YKN@ your library”.

Registration for the Summer Reading Program will be new and different this year. For the first time it will be done on computer! Patrons can register at home or at the library.
Staff has had training on the software and it will be up and running soon. Check back for more information on the new system.

Please feel free to leave comments and questions. We will read them all.

Happy Reading!
Teresa