Well, dear friends, it looks like we have the same number of entries for different movies, so I'm going to make an executive decision... On Thursday, July 28, we will show Casper. It is a 100 minute movie, so just over an hour and a half. The show will start PROMPTLY at 6:00, and end at 7:40. We will need to put all the chairs away before we leave, so please remind your parents we will be finished later than usual. You may bring a snack, but please be careful with it. We will have to clean up! Any drinks must, of course, have a lid.

I expect you to behave like the growing-ups you are, not like the five-year-olds you are no longer. This means no throwing anything, no loud talking, no pushing people around. What you will do is show respect both to your fellow movie-watchers and to library property. Capisce?

Looking forward to seeing you on Thursday!

Over, but not yet finished...

Summer Reading is officially over. Behind the scenes, however, there’s a lot of work to do! I have to report statistics, compile evaluations, undecorated, and try to regain my sanity.

I have to start planning programs for the Fall months! I have Storytimes, Books & Beyond, Bedtimes, Family Movies, and something else. What is it? I know I’m forgetting something. Oh, yeah! TEENS!!

There will be official Teen Times with actual programs at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. I would also like to encourage you to come by any time to talk books or play games. The more I talk to you, the better I get to know you. The better I know you, the better able I am to find books and movies you’ll like.

So don’t be a stranger.

So Long, Summer!

The last hurrah of Summer is upon us! Join me for a Celebration Cook-Out (or, more likely, Cook-In/Eat-Out) tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. We'll have hot dogs, chili, nachos, and whatever YOU bring!

Sharpie Art!!

This Thursday (that is, tomorrow) we will be using over thirty different colors of Sharpies, stencils, and our own feverish imaginations to decorate shoes, hats. tote bags, or whatever else you bring to color on! This is a provide-your-own-canvas deal, so be prepared. I have the colors; you bring the surface to decorate.

I will be posting pictures next week.

Double Wii!!

For those of you who did not come to the Night of No Talent, you missed out on playing an extra night of Wii games. The system arrived from the State Library a week early, so we took advantage of it!

There are three more events for you guys this summer. Water Games this Thursday, Sharpie Art next week, and the Celebration Cookout on August 5. I hope to see you all at these events!

No talent

Due to technical difficulties, we will not be having a Talent Show this Thursday. So what are we going to do? I guess you'll just have to come at 6:00 p.m. and see what I've come up with!

Don't forget, next week (July 8) is Wii night!

Family Feud, I hope.

This Thursday, June 17, I am planning to host a Family Feud game at the library. I am experiencing some technical difficulties, however. We may have to fall back and punt, but that can be kind of fun, too!

As a special bonus, just today we installed a work of art by a rising senior at Pelion High School. She will be coming to our program to discuss the work and its meaning.

Hope to see you there!

Teen Night this Thursday!!!

At 6:00 p.m.!!  I am so looking forward to seeing all of you! We are going to be shooting off Bubble Rockets, which I have never done before. That should be entertaining all by itself.

Just so you know... I am really excited by the fact that 84 (yes! 84!) teens signed up in the first week of Summer Reading. If even half of you finish the program, I will be over the moon! Don't let me down!

Okay. I need to back away from the exclamation points now. I don't want to scare you all off. See you Thursday!

I mean... See you Thursday.

Summer is almost upon us!

Now that you've all frittered away another school year, it's time to start thinking about that summer reading you have to do! Middle School classes have to read from the South Carolina Book Award Nominees list, High School Honors English classes have to read a wide variety of the classics, and ALL High School students have to read twenty-five books before the end of May 2011. You have twelve months to read twenty-five books. That is just a little over two books per month. Use the summer to get a jump start since you'll have other homework to do once school is back in session.

What constitutes a book?
Because the average book (novel) length is approximately 200 pages, in addition to novels, reading may include short stories, editorials, opinion pieces, newspaper or magazine feature articles, and technical manuals; 200 pages of this type reading = 1 book. However, 100 pages of densely printed material (ex. Professional journals, scientific and technical articles) = 1 book.

You should be receiving a log from the school, but in the event you don't get one or you lose the one you had, just come to the library. We will be able to print one for you.

Now, with all that reading you have to do, you might as well get something for it, right? Come to the Pelion Branch Library (or any other branch of the Lexington County Public Library System, for that matter) to register for the Summer Reading Program. Upon registering, you will receive a reading log to track the time you spend reading. After reading for four hours, bring the log back to the library to receive an incentive (prize). If you complete all four levels of the Summer Reading Program, you will have read for sixteen hours and will be entered into our Grand Prize Drawing. Have fun!

Express Yourself! @ Your Library

It's that time of year... Summer Reading is about to start and I find myself with a full docket of things to plan and do. My ambitions this summer are huge. I am planning to have events for teens EVERY WEEK!

I have felt in years past that the teens get short shrift in the events department during Summer Reading. Pre-schoolers have weekly story time and elementary kids have their weekly Special Events. Why not the teens?

So here we go.