The Candyman can...

Alas, the winter weather has worked against me the past couple of weeks. I’ve had 7 scheduled programs in the past two weeks. Of them, only three have had people attend. One program I canceled due to the extreme (for our area) cold – and the phone call from a mom saying that they – and other regulars – wouldn’t be there.

One of the programs with pretty much no attendees has been the latest Bookmarkers program. The movie showing is today, so I’m hopeful that – with the temps supposedly to climb to the upper teens – people will attend!

Although I didn’t actually have the program, here is the info for it. As usual, pizza and drinks were provided for the regular programs, and pizza, drinks, candy and popcorn were provided for the movie. Additionally, I found Wonka brand candy canes at 75% off after Christmas, so they were also available for the kids.

Bookmarkers Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
(Use 40th anniversary edition of the book)

Projects:

Week 1 - Make your own candy wrapper!
Supplies: Hershey bars, markers/crayons/colored pencils, stickers, glue sticks, new wrappers (paper cut 5 ¼ inches by 6 ¼ inches.)

Week 2 - Make your own candy!
Supplies: chocolate candy melts, crockpot, candy stir-ins, candy molds, plastic spoons, paper cups, candy wrappers

Prizes:
Wonka Boxes

• Box 1: paperback copies of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Glass Elevator; assorted Wonka brand candies (nerds, laffy taffy, etc.).
• Box 2: hardback copy of D is for Dahl: a gloriumptious A-Z guide to the world of Roald Dahl illustrations by Quentin Blake; compiled by Wendy Cooling; assorted Wonka brand candies (nerds, laffy taffy, etc.).

Movie
I showed Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder - since it is my favorite.


ETA: We had 11 people attend the movie! Yay!

Bookmarkers - Spiderwick Chronicles edition

For the past few Mondays, I’ve held the Bookmarkers program. The books for this session have been the Spiderwick Chronicles series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The first week I read most of book one: The Field Guide. The second week, I finished book one and started book two: The Seeing Stone. Last week I finished The Seeing Stone and started the third book: Lucinda’s Secret. I will finish that book tonight. Then, on Saturday afternoon, I’ll show the movie The Spiderwick Chronicles.

Pizza (donated by a local pizza place) and drinks are provided at every program. Popcorn and candy will also be provided at the movie showing. Additionally, each child is given a journal to write or draw in while I am reading aloud. Journals are purchased from Oriental Trading.

I was lucky enough to pick up a few items to raffle at the movie showing. Each time a child attends a Bookmarkers- Spiderwick program, he or she will earn another chance to win! The prizes this time are a Spiderwick Chronicles trivia game, a Spiderwick Chronicles jigsaw puzzle, and a Spiderwick Chronicles poster. These items are on display, as well as the crafts, in the lobby of the branch. The poster above the display is the same as the one being raffled.

Week 1 craft: Flower Fairy Dolls – similar to the ones found here.

This was a fun craft! One child even made shoes and a basket for one of her flower fairies.

Supplies – wooden beads, pipe cleaner, artificial flowers, yarn, tacky glue, pony beads

Week 2 craft: Seeing Stone

In book 2, Mallory and Jared find a complex “eyeglass” that enables them to see fairies. This simple craft will allow everyone to search for fairies in the everyday world.

Supplies – round “stone” with hole in middle (found at craft store in the bead section), hemp string (or similar type of string), scissors, pony beads

Loop the string around the “stone” a few times, put on a few pony beads, tie a few knots to keep the beads in place, then tie the ends to make a necklace.

Week 3 craft: Pencil Trolls

In book 2, the kids encounter a bridge troll. These trolls are a bit cuter…and a lot nicer!

Supplies – pencils, yarn (I used Lion Brand Homespun), eye stickers or googley eyes, tacky glue.

Put glue on the eraser of the pencil. Wrap yarn around the glue. Affix eyes. When dry, separate the ends of the yarn to make the “hair” stick out everywhere.

Week 4 craft: Wood Elf mask

This craft was taken from the Spiderwick website. Look under Downloads.

Supplies: cardstock (to photocopy the mask), crayons, colored pencils, markers, yarn or string, glue

Bookmarkers -Narnia – Week Four

It shouldn’t be surprising to hear that after Monday’s program, my voice was more than a bit shaky. Monday evening was the final night of the Narnia program. There were 6 children attending. Three had attended each week. One had attended the first week. The other two were first timers.

I read the final chapters of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, taking about an hour and 15 minutes to finish the book. Afterwards we discussed the book a little – forgoing again the formal questions I had listed. Then we worked on our craft – crowns.

Materials used for the craft: gold and silver bulletin board trimmer, assorted gems, feathers, hole punches, ribbons, etc.

Some photos for your viewing pleasure.

This is how I set up for each week.

My sample crown.

Saturday we will show the movie. I’m not sure how many to expect. I’ve purchased popcorn (from GFS), assorted candy (tootsie rolls, laffy taffy, sixlets, etc.) and juice boxes. We will also have pizza (donated by Inner Circle – Belmont Ave., Liberty).

Bookmarkers -Narnia – week three.

Yay! There were lots of repeat attendees for the program this week. Of the 7 kids attending, only one was new (and the older sister of one of the other kids). I read chapters 10-13. Although I prepared questions, we didn’t discuss the book as much this week. I’ll keep the questions and add them to next week’s.

Pizza was donated by Inner Circle Pizza (the Belmont Ave. location. If I get a working URL, I’ll share it!).

The craft was one that I remember doing often when I was a child….tissue flowers. How does this fit in with Narnia? During the chapters I read Monday night, spring is coming to Narnia. Flowers are a wonderful sign of spring. So, there you have it.

For this craft, we used a regular box of tissues. I know the craft can also be done with tissue paper, but 1. that isn’t how I made them when I was little, and 2. I didn’t have any tissue paper in my office on Monday. Other craft materials include pipe cleaners and markers. You can decorate the flowers using the markers either before or after the tissues are folded.

The steps are easy:

1. Fold the tissues (longer side) accordion style (I used two per flower, but you can use more).
2. Fold the tissues in half.
3. Secure with a pipe cleaner, but twisting the pipe cleaner around the folded edge (before the program, I cut the pipe cleaners in half, but this isn’t necessary).
4. Pull apart the layers of the tissues.

I have a couple of photos to share of the craft. The flowers in the first photo are my examples. The second photo is of two flowers made by one of the program attendees. She did a beautiful job!

Bookmarkers -Narnia – Week Two

The second week of this program went well. Five children returned for an evening of pizza, reading and fun. I read chapters 6 – 9. Afterwards, the children made jingle bell bracelets and we discussed the story (questions below).

• When they first hear Aslan’s name, the children all experienced different feelings. Why do you think they felt different things? How did you feel when you first heard his name?


• What did Edmund know about the White Witch? Did he believe that she was good or bad?


• How does Edmund justify his choice to go to the White Witch? What do you think of his decision?


• What do you think of the Beavers? Are they good or bad?


• What do you think of the story so far?

I have photos of the crafts so far!

Week 1 – Always Winter Bookmarks:

Week 2 – Jingle Bell Bracelets:





Additionally, the children have journals they can decorate (inside and out) while I’m reading. Here are a few photos of their journals (name edited out on one):







A few photos of the inside pages:

Narnia photos

A few photos from my Narnia displays.

This is the wardrobe I made. Next week I'll take a pic of it set up for the actual program.

And my current display. This is in the lobby of the library. I plan to put other things in it over the next month, like craft samples.

Bookmarkers - Narnia Week 1

Program went fairly well tonight. I had 8 kids (and one more who came at the very end). I read aloud for about an hour. The kids were hungry – ate all but one slice of pizza (had 2 half sheets from a local place), and they were thirsty – they drank a total of 18 juice boxes!

The program is advertised as for 3rd-6th grades. However, I had kids in Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th grades. All participated in the discussion questions. All seemed to enjoy the journals and the craft. I did not serve hot chocolate, as the weather today has been sunny and in the high 60s. Definitely not hot chocolate weather! Also, I did not have the kids write Son of Adam/Daughter of Eve on their nametags. 1. I kind of forgot. 2. There wouldn’t have been room for most of them (younger kids write big).

I’m still working on a craft idea for next week. I also need to come up with some discussion questions.
I am beat!

Here are the questions from this week’s program:

1. When Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy arrive at the old mansion, they are eager to explore the countryside around it, but unfortunately, it rains. They then decide to explore the old house itself and play hide-and-go-seek. Have you ever been stuck inside on a rainy day? What did you do?
   
   
2. When Lucy tells her siblings about Narnia, they don’t believe her. Later, Edmund visits Narnia as well. When Lucy tells Peter and Susan, he denies it. Why do you think Edmund lies about having been to Narnia? How does lying affect him?
   
   
3. This story is set in England during World War II. At the time, the city of London was being regularly bombed. The children are sent to live with the Professor so they will be safe. How would this make you feel?
   
   
4. What would you do if you walked into a magical wardrobe? Would you keep walking or never step foot in there again?
   
   
5. In Narnia there is a curse that made it always winter. How would you feel if it was always winter?
   
   
6. What difference would it make to you if there was no Christmas?
   
   
7. Why do you think the professor believed Lucy’s story?
   
   
8. Do you think that Mr. Tumnus is good or bad? Why?
   
   
9. In what ways is the Professor an unusual grown-up?

Bookmarkers - Book to Movie group

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Narnia is coming to my local library. Every Monday night throughout April, I will be conducting a Narnia program for upper elementary students. Then, on Saturday, May 3, we will be showing the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I hope we get a great turnout, because I have lots of fun activities planned.

Plans so far for the 1st session:

• When the children arrive, they will make their name tags – writing their 1st name and either Daughter of Eve or Son of Adam.
• Each child will be given a small journal to decorate. They can decorate the cover and write/draw inside while I am reading.
• I will read aloud the first 5 chapters of LWW. During this time, pizza and juice will be served.
• After I finish reading, we will discuss the story a bit. I have 9 (I want one more) discussion questions.
• Then it is time for activities/crafts! We will make a snow/winter themed bookmark (since in Narnia, it is always winter – never Christmas). Additionally, we will have hot chocolate to drink. I’d like to have Turkish Delight, but I’m not sure if 1. I can find it here, or 2. I can make it. We shall see.

Other fun things that go with this series of programs include:

• A Narnia themed display in the lobby of the branch.
• A LWW movie/library poster also on display in the lobby.
• At the end of the program series (when we show the movie?), a prize drawing for either a paperback set of The Chronicles of Narnia or a DVD of the movie (we will have two winners).

I’m excited for this program. I’ll update as it goes along.

Because of this program, and since it has been 10+ years since I’ve read the books, I am currently listening to LWW on CD. It’s a decent production. Michael York narrates.