The end of the school year is just around the corner. At the Library, summertime means Summer Reading.  Come to the Library any time in June to sign up for this great program for children ages 0-12.

If you have done our Summer Reading Program in the past, be ready for a change. This year it is all new and all exciting. All you have to do is read at least 15 minutes a day for 4 days, plus do two extra activities. The activities are fun and simple, like checking out a book at the Library or drawing a picture about summer. The best part of the new program is that you can earn a prize every week!

There is also a grand prize drawing. Every time you come back for your next prize, you also get an entry into the drawing. We have 5 bicycles to give away to 5 lucky readers!

This year’s Summer Reading theme is Dig Into Reading and we have tons of underground programs and events for you to enjoy. Look forward to a visit from Silly Safaris and their wild animal show. Learn about Pirates and Treasure, Digging for Dinosaur Bones, and much, much more! At the end of summer, to wrap it all up, we’ll have our annual Ice Cream Social!

Garden Story Time 2013
6:00 p.m. (rain or shine):

May 21 June 18
July 16
August 20
September 17
October 15

DIG INTO READING this summer at the Elkhart Public Library!

For one day in early May, lemonade stands will pop up all around Elkhart.  Saturday, May 4, is Elkhart’s second annual Lemonade Day.   Lemonade Day is held in communities all across the country to help kids learn how to start their own businesses.  They also learn other things, like self-confidence and skills that can help them achieve their dreams.

We have made a Lemonade Day book list especially for kids. It includes books about starting a business,  how to turn hobbies or interests into earnings, and more.  All of these books are available from the Elkhart Public Library.

For more information about Lemonade Day, and to register, visit the Lemonade Day Elkhart website. Regular updates are posted on Lemonade Day Elkhart’s Facebook page

Lemonade Day backpacks can be picked up at the following Elkhart locations:

• Elkhart Public Library, 300 S. Second St.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Elkhart County, 9029 CR 13
• Boys & Girls Club of Elkhart: 131 E. Franklin St.
• Concord Mall Information Desk: 3701 Main St.
• YMCA of Elkhart County,  200 E Jackson Blvd.

Elkhart Public Library has a new computer for kids just like you!

The Literacy Computer is for kids ages 2-8. The computer is equipped with a touchscreen, a mouse, and a color-coded keyboard. It has over 60 games that kids will love. You don’t even need a library card to get on.

You can play Diego’s Safari Rescue, JumpStart Learning, Kid Pix 3D, Sesame Street, and many other games with your favorite characters. All the games on the computer help with skills like math, reading, and science and you’ll have lots of fun too. Come to the library to try it out today. Just come to the Children’s Desk to ask for the day’s password.

This project is supported by the Institute of Museums and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Indiana State Library.

CLEAR YOUR LIBRARY ACCOUNT & START FRESH

Do you have overdue library materials? LONG overdue library materials? LONG, LONG overdue library materials?

WE WILL GLADLY TAKE THEM BACK, and CLEAR YOUR ACCOUNT of all related charges!

Here’s how it works:

• Return all undamaged, overdue materials to the Circulation Desk at any Elkhart Public Library location between March 4 & March 30, 2013.
• THEY MUST BE RETURNED DIRECTLY TO A CIRCULATION STAFF MEMBER. Fines for items dropped in the drop box, return slot or on the counter will not be cleared.
• The staff member will waive all fines and fees related to the returned items.

For more information call 574-522-2665.

]]> http://myepl.org/kids/kids/1326/feed 0 http://myepl.org/kids/kids/1341 http://myepl.org/kids/kids/1341#comments Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:10:54 +0000 Administrator http://myepl.org/kids/?p=1341 more »]]>

Join the Cat in the Hat  this Saturday, March 2, at the Osolo Branch (11:00) and the Main Library Children’s Room (12:00). Our special guest will read some of his unique stories to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday.  We will have a hat for you to wear and a fun activity to take home with you!

Continue the celebration by reading some of the many  Dr. Seuss Books available at the Elkhart Public Library.

Bring your family to the Main Library on Wednesday, March 6, for an engaging evening filled with stories and songs about all your favorite zoo animals. Bedtime Storytime is a library program for all ages and designed for families to attend together. The program begins at 6:30 and pajamas are welcome!

There will also be a craft and we will serve animal crackers – the perfect snack for a storytime about zoos!

All Bedtime Storytimes are listed on the Events Calendar:

• Wednesday, March 6, at 6:30 pm: Zoo Fun. Details and sign-up.
• Wednesday, April 3, at 6:30 pm: Bunnies and Carrots. Details and sign-up.
• Wednesday, May 1 at 6:30 pm: Picky Eaters. Details and sign-up.

Cleveland, Dunlap, and Pierre Moran Branches also have Bedtime Storytimes! Go to the Events Calendar to check them out!

Abe Lincoln, Mark Twain and the Civil War

Wednesday, March 6, 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library in Downtown Elkhart

Discover how a Union president and a Confederate deserter fought against slavery and racism pre- and post-Civil War. Join us as veteran performer Dave Ehlert portrays both Lincoln and Twain in this live theatrical production of historical drama, humor and education.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Elkhart Public Library.

The event is a perfect prelude to this year’s One Book, One Michiana,  April 1-May 11. The 2013 “One Book” selection is THE KILLER ANGELS by Michael Shaara. If you want to get a head start on reading (or listening to) it, you can find it in our online catalog or in area book stores.

We will offer a variety of related activities and programs, which will be described in a future post. Check our April and May Event Calendars for a sneak preview.

Kids! Create your own animations, games, music, art, interactive stories with Scratch! Scratch is a free program you can download to your computer. Check it out:

If you are 8 to 11 years old, you can sign up to learn Scratch at the Main Library. We will have three classes, each one about a different part of the program. Each class is independent of the others, so you can take any or all of them. These are hands-on classes, so class size is limited.

Scratch Classes at the Main Library for children, ages 8 to 11:

• February 26, 4:00 pm: Introduction to Scratch Details and sign-up
• March 26, 4:00 pm: Learn to make music with Scratch – Details and sign-up
• April 23, 4:00 pm: Making “costumes” for your characters – Details and sign-up

Access the Scratch website and download the program to your own computer at scratch.mit.edu

Note to Parents,

Here is an excerpt from the About Scratch web page:

Scratch is a programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art — and share your creations on the web.

As young people create and share Scratch projects, they learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively.