Make Waves at Your Library
Teen Summer Rading Program ~ 2010

Area teens are welcome to participate in this year’s Teen Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is Make Waves at Your Library, and we will having all sorts of special events that will be filled with fun. The program will run through August 14. Activities will include a cartooning workshop, many craft opportunities, chances to play Wii, and even a chance to complete some community service time by volunteering to work with kids. An informational booklet describing the whole program will be available mid-June, and you can register for some of the early activities at that time. Funding and support for the statewide Rhode Island Summer Reading Program includes a grant from the US Institute of Museum and Library Services through the RI Office of Library and Information Services and McDonald's Local Owner/Operators of Rhode Island. Local support includes RI Children's and Young Adult Librarians, , the Friends of the Greenville Public Library, McDonald’s Restaurants of RI, and a number of area businesses and organizations.

Smithfield Idol

It wasn't that long ago that the last season of American Idol finished, but the library is looking for its own idol. Thanks to our Wii system, Simon, Paula, and Randy are going to be there to help judge the competition on Thursday, July 1 at 3:00 pm

Statewide Pen Pal Program

The library is participating in a statewide pen pal program.  Participants will be paired up with a person of a similar age and interests from another town.  Complete an Introductory Letter form, which is available at the Reference Desk, and turn it in to Aaron by Friday, July 2.

Anime Cinema

Are you into anime? Every Tuesday evening at 6:00 pm, you can come into the library and enjoy a free showing of some Japanese-themed cartoons. Over the course of the summer, the library will be showing episodes of Koducha, season 2, and Azumanga Daioh. Register quickly because space is limited.

Book Buddies

The library would like to invite anyone who has finished the 5th grade or higher to become a Book Buddy this summer. If you enjoy working with young children, the library could use your help! Volunteers will read to preschoolers or listen to beginner readers on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 am or afternoons at 2:00 pm through August 10. Interested young adult readers should stop in at the Reference Desk or the Children’s Room and fill out an application.

Be a Program Buddy

If you would like to be an assistant and buddy up with a child to help with any of the crafts or activities below or would like more information, contact Aaron.  The programs being offered are as follows:

• Decorate a Beach Bag - Friday, July 9 @ 10:30 am: The kids will decorate beach bags to make their summer more festive.
• Bubble Fun! - Friday, July 16 @ 10:30 am: Participants will learn about and experiment with all sorts and sizes of bubbles.
• Rock Creatures -  Monday, July 26 @ 10:30 am: The children will be making pets and other creatures with various rocks and stones.
• Shell Picture Frame -  Friday, July 30 @ 10:30 am: The kids will add some beachside flair to picture frames.
• Build a Boat -  Wednesday, August 11 @ 10:30 am: Participants will be building boats with all sorts of household items.
• Final Program - Friday, August 13 @ 2:00 pm: Help serve ice  cream to celebrate the end of summer reading!

Chat & Snack Book Group

Our tween book discussion book will be looking at Voyage of the Frog by Gary Paulsen as its second selection on Wednesday, July 7 at 3:00 pm.  When David goes out on his sailboat to scatter his recently deceased uncle's ashes to the wind, he is caught in a fierce storm and must survive many days on his own as he works out his feelings about life and his uncle. This is the required reading book for those entering the 7th grade at Gallagher Middle School so take this chance to review the book for school! We will repeat this program on Wednesday, August 18 at 11:00 am and Wednesday, August 25 at 3:00 pm.

Help with Storytimes

If you really enjoyed your storytime experiences when you were younger, here is your chance to Pay It Back!  The library will be offering Evening Storytimes each Wednesday evening from 6:30-7:15 pm from July 7-August 11.  If you would like to help, just contact Aaron at 949-3630 x102.

Just Add Water for Food Fun

We all know how hungry everyone gets in the afternoon. Come to this fun program to learn some quick, easy, and healthy ways to fill up with this program. We will be cooking up a good time at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, July 6. Just bring your creativity and your hunger!

Water Games

There is no reason to wait for the Olympics to have some fun with sports.  Through in a series of water-related activities, you can vie for some fun prizes in a contest that will take place on Thursday, July 8 at 3:00 pm.  This is a 2 hour program.

You Sunk My Battleship

Come and play a variation of the fun party game Battleship in a program being offered at the library at 3:00 pm on Monday, July 12.  Test your strategy skills and see if you can sink all of your opponent’s boats before you lose your boats.

Make an Underwater Scope

Much of what happens in a stream, pond, ocean, or even your pool is fascinating to watch.  The hard part is getting a good vantage point.  With this easy-to-make underwater scope, anyone can have a front row seat to the action.  Join us as we make the underwater world easier to see at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, July 13.

Battleship

Our tween book discussion book will be looking at Tentacles by Roland Smith on Wednesday, July 14 at 3:00 pm.  After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, Marty and Grace go to live with their scientist uncle and accompany him on what soon becomes an increasingly dangerous expedition to New Zealand to track a giant squid. This is the required reading book for those entering the 8th grade at Gallagher Middle School so take this chance to review the book for school! We will repeat this program on Thursday, August 19 at 11:00 am and Thursday, August 26 at 3:00 pm.

Bottles, Bubbles, and Bulbs

This craft program will include a variety of different projects.  You could make lightbulbs that run on lemonade, perform with bottle instruments, or even work with various types of bubbles.  Our craftiness will take place on Thursday, July 15 at 3:00 pm.

Make a 'Zine

Similar to magazines, ‘zines are part journal and part multimedia artform.  They are also  a great way to share your thoughts, writing skills, and artistic ability.  Come and learn how to create your own ‘zine in a hands-on workshop on Monday July 19 at 3:00 pm.  We will provide the supplies, you just have to provide the creativity.

Watery Writers Workshop

Come and practice your creative writing skills in a fun workshop that will include a series of writing activities, all with a watery theme.  You will have an opportunity to explore writing simple narration and poetry, whatever you prefer.  The workshop begins at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, July 20.

Chat & Snack Book Group

Join our tween book discussion group as it reviews Windcatcher by Avi on Wednesday, July 21 at 3:00 pm.  While learning to sail during a visit to his grandmother’s at the Connecticut shore, eleven-year-old Tony becomes excited about the rumors of sunken treasure in the area and starts following a couple who seem to be making a mysterious search for something.  This is the required reading book for those entering the 6th grade at Gallagher Middle School so take this chance to review the book for school! We will repeat this program on Monday, August 16 at 11:00 am and Monday, August 23 at 3:00 pm.

Pirate Scavenger Hunt

Arrgh!  The library is filled with all sorts of treasure, me mateys, and we need you to help us find it.  You will have to follow the clues found in a number of books throughout the library if you are going to figure out where it is hidden.  The program will start with a short tour of the library and information about using the library catalog, a tool you will need to use if you are going to get the “gold.”

Ellis Island Exploration

Ellis Island played a major role in the immigration process for so many people who came to America.  Come and learn a bit about this important site, and how you can find out if your ancestors transferred through it when they came to America.  Our Internet-based visit will take place on Monday, July 26 at 3:00 pm.  Participants should be prepared to head back in time.

Chat & Snack Book Group

As we look back in time, our book discussion group will get an opportunity to share the experiences of the passengers on the Titanic in Walter Lord’s popular A Night to Remember.  A completely riveting account of the Titanic's fatal collision and the behavior of the passengers and crew, both noble and ignominious. Some sacrificed their lives, while others fought like animals for their own survival. Wives beseeched husbands to join them in lifeboats; gentlemen went taut-lipped to their deaths in full evening dress; and hundreds of steerage passengers, trapped below decks, sought help in vain.  The discussion will take place on Wednesday, July 28 at 3:00 pm.

Family Tree Workshop

Here’s an opportunity to learn how to look back in time and figure out who your ancestors were.  The library is offering a 1-hour program to help you learn how to start collecting information about your family and how to keep track of all the information you collect on Thursday, July 29.

Cartoonagrams with Steve Brosnihan

Rhode Island cartoonist Steve Brosnihan will be presenting a cartooning program on Monday, August 2 at 4:00 pm. Using letters of the alphabet, Steve teaches tweens and teens to draw cartoon characters he has created. Cartoonagrams are very easy to learn and remember. No matter what characters are taught, the method guarantees satisfying results-and lots of fun - for everyone.

Sidewalk Chalk Contest

The library is looking to spiff up the sidewalks in the parking lot, and you and your friends hold the key.  We will provide each person or team with a kit of sidewalk chalk, and you will get to decorate a section of our sidewalk with graphics from your favorite book or that fits our watery theme.  You could even draw a picture that works with both!  The contest will take place on Tuesday, August 3 at 3:00 pm and our celebrity staff judges will choose a winner at 4:30 pm.

Chat & Snack Book Group

You can create works of art from just about anything, even trash.  Our tween book discussion group will be talking about Razzle by Ellen Wittlinger and highlight all of the great things one of the main characters does with recycled materials on Wednesday, August 4 at 3:00 pm. When his retired parents buy a group of tourist cabins on Cape Cod, fifteen-year-old Kenyon Baker's days are filled with repair work until he becomes friends with an eccentric girl and makes her the subject of a series of photographs.

Sand Art

Create some sand art using a variety of colored sand provided by the library at a fun program on Thursday, August 6 at 3:00 pm.  You can fill a small jar with the sand to create any pattern you like and take the finished product home to add a little color to your room or to even give as a gift.

Facebook Safety Workshop

On Tuesday, August 10, at 3:00 pm the library will be hosting an informational meeting for young adults and their parents to discuss ways that MySpace, Facebook, and other social networking sites can be used safely.  This one-hour workshop will discuss the history of the sites as well as what dangers can be avoided by those who use the site.

Chat & Snack Book Group

Our book group will be exploring the watery world designed by Hilari Bell in her popular novel Songs of Power on Wednesday, August 11 at 3:00 pm. Someone is trying to sabotage the underwater habitat where Imina, the granddaughter of an Inuit shaman, lives after terrorists have infected the earth's food supply, and Imina must call on her still undeveloped magical skills to save the colony.

Super Smash Brothers Brawl Tournament

This fun, interactive Wii activity will allow you to play some of your favorite Nintendo game characters as they test their skills to see who is the ultimate hero (or villain)!  Who will you play, and will that character be the best?!?  Come and test your gaming skills in this 2-hour gaming tournament on Thursday, August 12 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm at the library.

Costume Party

It is time to celebrate the successes of the summer reading program.  To do so, we will have a costume party with fun treats and activities to celebrate.  If you have finished up your target of 7 books during the summer reading program, you can pick up your prize pack and find out if you won the grand prize drawing.  The fun will last from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday, August 14.
This is the final program of the Teen Summer Reading Program.  Those completing the seven (7) book requirement of the reading portion of the program will be rewarded with a bag of prizes.  The winner of the Grand Prize Drawing will also be chosen at the party.