Hampden Free Public Library Summer Reading 2008

What If We Are On Vacation?

2008-07-29T18:21:00.004-04:00

I have been asked numerous times what to do if a child is not able to attend the final party on August 5. No problem! We will keep all certificates and prizes at the circulation desk after the party and patrons may come by at any point during normal library hours to pick up their child's "goodies."

Final Party on August 5

2008-07-29T18:14:00.003-04:00

Everyone is invited to the library on August 5 at 2:30pm for our Summer Reading 2008 Final Party! We will have food, drinks, games, reading certificates and prizes just for you! Everyone who participated in any aspect of Summer Reading is invited (this includes anyone who attended any program or event).

Children who have completed their reading goals will receive a certificate of achievement and a special prize. **You do not need to have reached your goal to attend the party.**

PARENTS: Please make sure that your child/children reports their reading progress to the library by Saturday, August 1. We are in the process of putting together reading certificates and prizes for those who have reached their goal, and I want to avoid any disappointed faces on Tuesday. As you may recall, the goals are: at least 25 books up to Grade 4 and at least 900 total minutes for Grade 5 and older.

Coming Up: Magic!

2008-07-22T16:31:00.003-04:00

Everyone is invited for an afternoon of magic as we welcome Ed the Magician on Tuesday, July 29, at 2:30pm. ALSO, we will be raffling off some brand new magic sets! Every young patron, age 15 and younger, who comes in the door to see the performance will be entered in the raffle, which will be held after the program.

Frisbee Performer Postponed

2008-07-22T16:24:00.004-04:00

The July 22 performance by Todd Brodeur, World Frisbee Champion, had to be postponed due to a significant traffic backup on the Mass Pike that had cars stopped for hours (and miles). We will reschedule the program and will notify everyone once the new date has been set. Newspapers will also be notified. He sends his apologies and we thank him for his willingness to reschedule.

Sidewalk Art & Fairy House Photos!

2008-07-22T16:00:00.007-04:00

Do you recognize these smiling folks? What a great time we've been having at Hampden Public Library this summer!

Teen Drawing Workshops Offered in Springfield

2008-07-17T18:19:00.004-04:00

Teens can "Get Inside Manga" from a published author!

SPRINGFIELD, MA - July 17, 2008-Teens love manga, the Japanese style of comic books, and many fans try their hand at writing and illustrating their own manga. Now they can get advice and insider tips during free drawing workshops at the Springfield City Library led by Bettina Kurkoski, the published and award winning artist of My Cat Loki. Bettina will give fans an inside look into the life of a manga artist and how she got into the industry. From a step-by-step walkthrough of her working process (scripting and storyboarding, toning and lettering, and everything in between) and tools of the trade, to tips and techniques to get you started on your own manga. Teens can bring their own work for a mini-critique session following the discussion. Sign up for one of these workshops: Monday, July 21, 6-8 pm, Central Library Community Room, 220 State Street; Tuesday, July 22, 11 am-1 pm, Pine Pont Branch Library, 204 Boston Road; or Tuesday, July 22, 2-4 pm, Forest Park Branch Library, 380 Belmont Avenue. Teens can call 263-6828, ext. 425 or go online at http://www.springfieldlibrary.org/ to register.

Kurkoski grew up in Western Massachusetts in Montague, and now lives in Plymouth, where she works as a freelance illustrator. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth in 1996 with a BFA in Illustration, she entered Tokyopop's Rising Stars of Manga 2 competition in 2003, and placed as a runner-up. Though My Cat Loki is Bettina's first professionally published series, she also illustrated the convention exclusive cover for Star Trek the Manga: Shinsei Shinei, both cover and short story "Communication Breakdown" for Star Trek the Manga: Kakan ni Shinkou and her latest, Warriors: Rise of Scourge, all available from Tokyopop. You can see more of her artwork at www.dreamworldstudio.net. These workshops are part of Expect the Unexpected, the Teen Summer Reading Club.

Wild Animal Facts from National Geographic!

2008-07-08T16:58:00.003-04:00

I just found a cool site that I think will interest our patrons, no matter what your age! Click on the link below to access National Geographic's Wild Cards, where you can watch videos and hear audio descriptions of 57 different African animals along with their names in Botswana's Setswana language. Click here to access the page: National Geographic Wild Cards.

Sidewalk Art

2008-07-08T16:45:00.002-04:00

Today 22 children and parents withstood the heat to join us for a Sidewalk Art program in front of the library! If it doesn't rain (let's all hope it won't, for at least a little while), stop by the Town House and see what our youngest patrons created - their artwork is on the sidewalk in front of the Town House, as you walk up to the main door.

Coming Up: Teddy Bear Workshop!

2008-07-08T16:39:00.003-04:00

All eyes are on Thursday, when I will be leading a "Build a No-Sew Stuffed Bear" Workshop at 4:00pm. As of this writing, we are full, BUT we are accepting names for a waiting list. If there are any cancellations, I will be contacting children on that list in the order in which they signed up. If you have any questions, please call 566-3047. Participants do not need to bring anything to the program, I will have fabric and stuffing and anything else that we might need to bring our bears to life!

We Keep Growing and Growing and Growing...

2008-07-02T14:14:00.002-04:00

Today's tally for Summer Reading 2008 is 165 for children of all ages. Hurray! But it's not too late to sign up - if you or someone you know wants to participate, all you need to do is stop by and we'll set you up with a name tag, instructions and a reading log. Go wild this summer and read!

Hampden Public Library in the News

2008-07-02T14:08:00.002-04:00

This morning we were delighted to see that our Summer Reading Program made the headlines in the Springfield Republican! Click here for the full article.

Babies, Thornton Burgess and the Moon!

2008-07-02T13:23:00.005-04:00

What fun we have been having here, and the summer is just getting started.

Yesterday we had two terrific visitors enchant children with their programs. At 2:30 we welcomed Mary Beers, from the Thornton Burgess Society in Sandwich, MA, who read a riveting story about Jimmy the Skunk to a group of 48 children and adults. Then, everyone got to learn about the animal world with the help of a live turtle, a rabbit, a snake and a tiny frog. We also learned how to respect animals when we encounter them in the wild. What a terrific program!

Then, in the evening we welcomed Jan Kibbe and Kathy Hutchison, Hampden residents and certified NASA instructors, who led an informal program at the library on outer space. Around 25 people stopped by to see real moonrocks and have their photos taken in front of a large photo of the moon! Those photos are currently being processed and will be available at the library in coming days.

Finally, this morning we had a fabulous time with our littlest patrons. Twelve children joined us with their parents and grandparents for our weekly Infant & Toddler Storytime at 11:00 am. We practiced quacking like a duck and mooing like a cow, then we listened to Tumble Me Tumbily by Karen Baicker as everyone bounced and hugged to the words. We finished things off with a rousing round of "The Hokey Pokey," in which mom Mary Luff, who originally hails from England, taught us a wonderful chorus to the song that apparently has not crossed the Atlantic. What fun!

Thank you to our presenters, and also to everyone who has attended our programs this week!

Next week: Be on the lookout for Sidewalk Art on Tuesday (July 8), another Infant & Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (July 9), a Storytime for Ages 3 - 8 on Thursday (July 10) and our Make a No-Sew Stuffed Bear Workshop on Thursday (July 10).

Join us for July Storytime, Ages 3 - 8

2008-06-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

Looking for a fun thing to do with your young child this July? Bring him or her to the library every Thursday for a storytime! At 3:00 pm they can listen to staff member Allison Rief read a few of our terrific picture books, PLUS they can use those books as entries on their Summer Reading logs! Hear some stories in a relaxing environment and work toward your reading prizes - what a deal!

And We're Off!

2008-06-24T23:00:00.000-04:00

Summer Reading 2008 is underway! As of today (June 24), we already have 134 children signed up, ranging in age from a few months to teens. If you haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for?

Did you know that Summer Reading is a terrific way to develop reading and learning skills? Scientific studies have shown that "the number of books read during the summer is consistently related to academic gains," that "the use of the public library during the summer is more predictive of vocabulary gains than attending summer school is" and that "reading as a leisure activity is the best predictor of comprehension, vocabulary and reading speed." [Making the Case for Library Services to Children and Teens, State Library of North Carolina; Krashen, Stephen. The Power of Reading. Libraries Unlimited. 1993.]

A 2006 study in Canada found that participants in Summer Reading at public libraries experienced improved reading habits, an increased excitement to read and share books, and an improvement in reading skills. [National Report of 2006 Program Statistics For Library and Archives Canada]

So, what does all this scientific talk mean to you? Simple - visit your library and read!

Reading Guidelines for Summer 2008

2008-06-07T10:45:00.001-04:00

Pre-K through Grade 4 (entering these grades in Fall 2008)
Every child who signs up at the library on or after June 14 will receive a chart with which they can record their reading accomplishments through August 1. Children may read themselves or an adult may read to them. For every 5 books they read or have read to them, children will receive a special prize from our “Summer Reading Grab Bag.” Children who have read at least 25 books by August 1 will receive a certificate of achievement and a special prize at our end of summer party on August 5.

Grade 5 and up (entering these grades in Fall 2008)
Everyone who signs up at the library on or after June 14 will receive a calendar with which they can record the time they spend reading each day through August 1. For every 180 minutes they read (3 hours), participants will receive a special prize from our “Summer Reading Grab Bag.” Children who have read at least 900 minutes (15 hours) by August 1 will receive a certificate of achievement and a special prize at our end of summer party on August 5.

Programs & Workshops

2008-06-05T18:09:00.000-04:00

All events are free and open to the public. Registration is requested where indicated.

Tuesday June 24:
First day of Summer Reading 2008
Scholastic Book Fair (pre-K to Adult) 2pm to 7pm, auditorium

Wednesday June 25:
Infant & Toddler Storytime (ages 0 - 3) 11am (library)
Scholastic Book Fair (pre-K to Adult) 11am to 4pm, auditorium

Tuesday July 1:
Thornton W. Burgess Storytime, Grades K - 4
Auditorium, 2:30pm

Moonrocks and Outer Space (Grades 5 - 8)
Auditorium, 6pm
*Pre-registration is required. *

Wednesday July 2:
Infant & Toddler Storytime (ages 0 - 3) 11am (library)

Tuesday July 8:
Sidewalk Art (ages 2 -10) 2:30pm
Weather permitting. Raindate: Thursday, July 10, 2:30pm

Wednesday July 9:
Infant & Toddler Storytime (ages 0 - 3) 11am (library)

Thursday July 10:
CRAFT PROGRAM - Make a No-Sew Stuffed Bear! Ages 6 and up.
4pm (library)
*Pre-registration is required.*

Tuesday July 15:
CRAFT PROGRAM - Build a Fairy House! Ages 5 - 12.
2:30pm (library)
*Pre-registration is required.*

Wednesday July 16:
Infant & Toddler Storytime (ages 0 - 3) 11am (library)

Tuesday July 22:
Frisbee Champion Todd Brodeur. All ages. 2:30pm (front lawn)

Wednesday July 23:
Infant & Toddler Storytime (ages 0 - 3) 11am (library)

Tuesday July 29:
Ed the Magician. All ages. 2:30pm (auditorium)

Tuesday August 5:
Final Party - Auditorium, 2pm.

COUPONS

2008-06-04T13:54:00.000-04:00

Every participant in Summer Reading 2008 will receive a free coupon page for Western Massachusetts attractions, courtesy of the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System. The coupon page contains:

Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
One free child's admission with a paid adult admission

Springfield Museums
One free child's admission with a paid adult admission

Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield
$2 off adult admission (maximum 2), children under 12 admitted free

Children's Museum at Holyoke
One free child's admission with a paid adult admission

The Zoo in Forest Park
One free child's admission with a paid adult admission

**Additional statewide coupons are also available to Summer Reading 2008 participants!**
Please visit www.wmrls.org/sum/coupons08.html to see all the wonderful sites around the Bay State that have provided discounts and free admission coupons. These are available free of charge at Hampden Public Library, limit one per participant. Please ask at the Circulation Desk or send an e-mail to cfairman@cwmars.org.

Library Hours & Contact Information

2008-05-20T15:36:00.000-04:00

Tuesday & Thursday 1-8
Wednesday 10-5
Saturday 9-1

625 Main Street (in the Hampden Town House)
P.O. Box 129
Hampden, MA 01036

Phone: 413-566-3047

Visit our main library web page! Go to www.hampden-library.org

Ellen Bump, Acting Director
Christina Fairman, Youth Services Librarian
Cindy Rowley, Technical Services
Allison Rief, Support Staff
Lauren McBride, Page
James Nietupski, Page

Do you have any Summer Reading 2008 questions, comments or requests? Please contact Christina at 566-3047 or email her at cfairman@cwmars.org.