April @ the Library

Teens at the Cedar Lake Branch created a 'Mishmash" of crafts this week: t-shirt & socks tie dye & painting; t-shirt pillows; pop tab bracelets; recycled cd mobiles & other artistic creations. They also recycled magazines into visual poetry and made repurposed book poetry.

You Belong @ Your Library: Write a Poem & Win!

All month everyone can write a variety of poetry--cinquains, haiku, acrostic poems, 24 hour poems, repurposed book poetry, and visual poems. It's all to celebrate National Library Week & National Poetry Month. All poets will pick a small prize for each poem and will be entered into a drawing for a library bag full of goodies. We will display them & post them on the blog if you want. Check out some of the poems so far:

Cinquain (has 5 lines--line one is the one word title; line 2 has 2 words and describes the title; line 3 is a 3 word pharse that describes an action relating to the title; line 4 is a 4 word phrase that describes a feeling related to the titile; line 5 is one word that refers back to your title.) Here's one:

Insectopedia
Crawly bugs
Bugs crawling around
Nasty, disgusting, disturbing, yucky
Insects.

And another:

Spring
Fun time
Flowers are blooming
The smell of flowers linger.
Warmth. 

One more:

Reading
Every book
Turning unseen pages
A world of possibilities
Endless.

A haiku:
Make a difference.
Have fun. Enjoy your lifetime.
Go enjoy a book.

An acrostic poem:

L earning new things

I ntelligent people making a difference

B ooks with interesting facts

R eading a lot of books

A ll access to new knowledge

R are and intelligent facts for learning.

Y ou have ways of getting inside a book.

Repurposed Book Poem: (yes, they circled words in a book & crossed out others...):

Eliminate difficulties
Beautiful considered
Figure identified
Toughest pleased
Arrived gift.

March @ the Library

• Geek Out @ Your Library & celebrate Teen Tech Week. Play a new game every day during the week of March 5 & win prizes!
• Snack & Plan Teen Advisory Board (T.A.B.) meeting Monday, 3/5, @ 4. Play games, eat, help plan, & more to earn volunteer time. Open to teens 12 & older.
• Terrific T-Shirt Reconstruction Tues. & Wed., 3/20 & 21. Turn an old t-shirt into something new. Bring a shirt--everything else--& snacks--will be provided.
• GameFest Wii & PlayStation games & tournaments, too. Wed., 3/28 @ 3

Winter & Teens @ the Library

Teens created some amazing tie dye t-shirts, socks, & bandanas. They also celebrated National Do Nothing Day. Those who wanted to made deep fried twinkies & oreos for snacks, made stress balls from balloons and rice, and challenged each other to a Guitar Hero Tournament and a Fear Factor Scavenger Hunt. Check out the pictures:

tie-dye crafting 



 



Relax with a stress ball...

The programs keep coming...check out the Events Calendar and don't miss GameFest Wed. Jan. 25 @ 3!

Chocolate & More!

Celebrating December! Teens made chocolate candy to eat, take home, & for library programs in December.

 They also made ornaments for the library tree & to take home...

Check out the great madlib from the GameFest Holiday Style program:

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the squirrel

Not a pikachu was stirring, not even a wombat.

The children were electrified all snug in their loveseat

While visions of hot pizzas banished in their ear.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my leg to see what was the matter.

I knew in an eyeball it must be Saint Philip with his miniature Lamborghini

And 17,000 tiny dragons named Dasher and Dancer and Roger and Keith.

He filled all our squirrels, then laying his teeth aside of his fingernail, up the chimney he echoed.

But I heard him exclaim as squeaked out of sight,

"Intelligent Christmas too all and to all a daring night!"

Fall Festival

Teen Volunteers hosted their annual Fall Fest for the community. Over 350 people enjoyed games, crafts, library golf, a graveyard cakewalk, pumpkin bowling, face painting, the haunted room--and a spooky story. The pie in the face activity was challenging because of the wind & it was cold! But everyone had a great time. Thanks to all the volunteers!!!

 

Seven years ago, in a much smaller & older version of our current building, the library's first Teen Advisory Board (T.A.B.) was deciding on a program for Teen Read Week. The theme that year was volunteering and they decided they wanted to hold a community event--not a teens only program. Ever since then the T.A.B. has hosted the Fall Festival. More people attend each year and we always hear how much everyone looks forward to it. Way to go, teens!

And...if you are 12 or older & want to join, see library staff--or just come to a meeting--they are on the 1st Monday of every month at 5pm. Teens eat, play games, try out activities for programs, plan programs & do other volunteer-type things--& earn volunteer time, too!

Haunted Crafts @ the Library

Finishing up with haunted food. Yum?