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Community
CRYSTAL FALLS - Summer Reading Programs for Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers, Children 5-8, Children 9-12, Teens/Adults and Family Nights.
“Our Summer Calendar is filled with exciting events and programs,” states Library Director Gathu. “Everyone is welcome at our library, and even if you cannot participate in the full Summer Reading Program—even if you can just come to one or two events, we would love to have you. Come to the circulation desk Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., or Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to pick up a brochure full of activities custom made for your age level.” Here is what the library has in store for you this summer…
The Crystal Falls Library has planned a six-week Summer Reading Program for all the ages listed above, and the overall theme this year is Adventure Begins at Your Library. Each of the six weeks is guided by a sub-theme, and here is our schedule: June 10-14 will be Stay Close! Adventures Close to Home Week, June 17-21 is Dim the Lights! Adventures in the Dark Week, Solve This! Puzzles, Scavenger Hunts, and Mysteries Week is June 24-28. Then we will have a three-week break. Our program returns July 22-26 for Go Outside! Adventures in Nature Week, July 29-Aug. 2 is Dream It Up! Adventures in Imagination Week, and our last week will be Aug. 5-9 for And We’re Off! Travel Adventures Week. Our program will wrap up on Aug. 12-13 when we have the Book Buck Bonanza where children can spend the Book Bucks they have earned by reading, attending meetings and completing challenges on prizes. We ask that children register for Summer Reading before May 31! Here is what you can expect for each age level during our Summer Reading Program:
Babies: Each meeting we will read two board books together, and then engage in an activity. This year Babies will practice waving, peek-a-book, explore different textures, lift-the-flaps on some books, engage in parachute play and put stuffed animals to bed.
Toddlers: Toddlers will read three books during each session, have a snack and do an activity. Activities include driving cardboard box cars, making binoculars, playing with bubbles and puzzles, learning some sign language and building forts.
Preschoolers: Like the Toddlers, they will read three books each week, have a snack, and do an activity or craft, such as: making shadow puppets, playing with bubbles and boxes, chalk drawing, making finger snakes and having a scavenger hunt.
Children 5-8: These kids will read each meeting from picture books and/or non-fiction titles, have a snack, and then participate in awesome activities such as: making flashlight art, a bubblepalooza, completing a great book chase and making adventure packs. Birdwatcher Jim Jackson will teach them about the sport on Tuesday, July 23, and the Forest Park Robotics Team will help them to make robots during Imagination Week!
Children 9-12: These kids will be doing some non-fiction readings each week to help them complete their cool crafts and explorations. They will be creating their own wonders of the world, opening and learning about geodes, creating time capsules, competing in Library Olympic Games, making Constellation Jars, and during Imagination Week, they will learn about breakdancing, as it is a new event during this year’s summer Olympics.
Teens/Adults: There is an amazing array of fun planned for our older participants this year. For most of these events, you can just drop in and attend. We do ask that you register for the Mystery Party and the Memory Boards/Coasters Nights. All events are at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, Zach Osborn will be here from Keweenaw Mushrooms to teach participants how to grow their own mushrooms in bags. Michelle Graves will lead a class on how to incorporate light into art Tuesday, June 18. There will be a Murder Mystery Party June 25—be sure to register to get your role and invite. July 23, Irina Tarbeeva will lead a Tai Chi class for Adventures in Nature Week. Marquette Musician/Poet Troy Graham will host a poetry workshop July 30. Then Aug. 6 we will make memory boards and coasters that can showcase our summer adventures!
Family Nights: “Family Nights are so popular at our library,” stated Gathu, “we have brought back some old favorites and added some new ones this year. You can just drop in and join us for these events—unless you plan to cook for the cooking contest—that one you have to register for to get your ingredient bag.” All Family Nights are at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 13 we will have our 2nd Annual Cooking Contest. You must register ahead to get your cooking ingredient bag. Once you get your bag, you’ll have 24 hours to concoct a dish for our local celebrity chef judges. “We can always use spectators to come and help eat the dishes once they have been judged,” said Gathu, “It is a fun way to spend an evening!” Thursday, June 20 bring in some recyclables to create your family’s very own glow-in-the-dark adventuremobile. Prizes will be awarded for the best vehicle. Thursday, June 27 the Jigsaw Puzzle Contest returns, grab some friends and see if you can put your puzzle together the fastest. Thursday, July 25 during Adventures in Nature Week, there will be a Story Hike. Thursday, Aug. 1, the Library will be hosting a film at the Crystal Theatre—Disney’s Fantasia, which will be a perfect choice for Imagination Week. Then to conclude, there will be a Let’s Travel to Asia Night! Thursday, Aug. 8 we will make Boba Tea, which is a Taiwan specialty, and then we will sit back and listen to Iron Mountain’s Rotary Exchange Student, Sierra Scott, as she tells us about her year abroad in Japan.
Two Huge events remain! Luckily, our “house band” The Foucault Brothers will be back to entertain patrons! They will have an Independence Day Concert on Wednesday, July 3 at 6 p.m., and the Friends of the Library will provide refreshments. During the Humongous Fungus Fest, Saturday, Aug. 24 the Friends of the Library will host the Annual Book Sale.
The Crystal Falls District Community Library is located at 237 Superior Avenue. If you have any questions or would like to register your child for the Summer Reading Program, or need to register for the Cooking Competition or Murder Mystery Party, please call Evelyn at 906-875-3344 or email egathu@crystalfallslibrary.org.