Hamster Ball Races

Fifteen furry hamsters competed in the library's first ever Hamster Ball Races on Tuesday.  There was Digger, Gizmo, Goldie, Honey, Joselyn, Mr. Curious, Rookie, Rosie, Sally, Scabbers, Squeeky, Streak, Stripey, Wishing Star, and Zeke.  What a great event!  Everyone had fun—competitors and spectators alike.  Congratulations to our three top winners!

 

1st Place  -  Rookie  (Alexi's hamster)
2nd Place  -  Zeke  (Garrett's hamster)    
3rd Place  -  Rosie  (Halee's hamster)

 

 

 

 

 

We want to extend a special note of thanks to Petco who generously loaned us the racing tracks and other supplies to make this event a success.  We appreciate the support of local businesses who help support the library.

Watch the video below to see the hamsters (and their owners) in action.  On your mark, get set, GO!


LEGO® DUPLO® Read! Build! Play! Project

Visit the LEGO® DUPLO® Read! Build! Play! Project website and vote for Indian Creek!  The library with the most nominations will win $5,000 for books and supplies.  Since both the Main library and Indian Creek are listed, we are trying to avoid splitting the vote, and would love it if you would take a second to go vote for Indian Creek.  Come on all you library and LEGO® fans, cast your votes today...and every day!


What's Happening This Week?

If you would like to see a quick list of activities happening this week for kids at the library, just go to www.olathelibrary.org/kids.  The schedule will be updated every Monday with all the events for kids happening that week.  To find out more detailed information about kids' programs throughout the entire summer, go to www.olathelibrary.org/kids/summerreading-home or pick up a blue summer flyer at the Children's Services Desk at either library.


Batty at the Library

Things have been a little bit batty at the library lately.  Our "Dream Big—READ!" theme has been exploring things related to the night, and that includes BATS!   (That's the flying kind—not the baseball kind.)  There have been bat puppets, bat stickers, bat stories, and even a couple of real bats!

On June 11 and 18 preschoolers participated in our "Go Batty at the Library!" program.  Children made their own special bat puppets and then hung around (no pun intended) with their big persons and read together books about bats.

    

    

On June 13 a capacity crowd of 275 children and parents enjoyed the StoneLion Puppet Theatre's production of Stellaluna at the library's first big program of the summer at the Bell Cultural Events Center on the MNU Campus.  This well-loved story of a bat trying to fit in with a family of birds kept everyone entertained with music and laughter.

    

    

On June 19 children at the Indian Creek Branch got up close and personal with a couple of Egyptian fruit bats from the Kansas City Zoo.  They also got to see mossy frogs, a blonde desert tarantula, and a rainbow boa constrictor.

    

    

As you can see, it's been a fun summer so far, and there's still more to come.  If you don't have a flyer of our summer programs for kids, pick one up the next time you are in the library, or click here to learn more about our summer activities.  Remember, some programs require registration and may fill up quickly.  Don't miss out on the fun!


Be a "Block" Head

In this week's "Be a 'Block' Head" programs kids learned about the art of quilting.  Miss Sharon talked a little bit about quiltmaking and showed some special quilts from her own family, including one made by her father when he was in 2nd grade.  The kids were impressed.  Mr. Gregg shared a book that told about how quilts were used as a secret way of communicating between slaves who were preparing to escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad.  Then the kids got to create their own paper quilt blocks.  These blocks will be assembled into special quilts which will be on display at both libraries.  Keep your eyes open for this!

    

    

    


Fun at the Kick-Off!

What a great turnout we had for our Summer Reading Kick-Off!  More than 1200 people came to Frontier Park to find out about our summer reading program and participate in a variety of fun activities.  Almost 800 kids picked up a summer reading folder to track their summer reading.  Information was also distributed about our Tween & Teen summer reading program and Adult summer reading program.  If you didn't make it to the Kick-Off, you can still pick up your reading folder anytime this summer at either Olathe Library.  Click on the photos below to get a closer look at the fun.

There were worm races.

    

And relays.

    

A lot of kids displayed their chess skills.

    

Others showed off their bowling skills.

    

Mahaffie Farmstead provided some old-fashioned games.

    

There were Dream Big—READ! temporary tattoos.

    

Some kids climbed aboard the Olathe Public Library spaceship.

    

Foresters provided photo IDs for kids, and Macaroni Kid offered a fun craft activitiy.

    

The Olathe Noon Optimist Club provided free bottles of water which were most appreciated on this hot summer day.  Thanks also to our many volunteers who helped make the day a great success.  Thanks to everyone who came to the Kick-Off.  What a great way to start off our summer!  We hope to see you all at the library this summer.


Child & Parent Book DIscussions

This summer the Olathe libraries are again doing book discussion groups for children with their parents.  There is one group for kids going into 3rd & 4th grade plus a parent at the Indian Creek Branch and another group for kids going into 5th grade plus a parent at the Main Library.  The goal of the program is to have children and parents read and discuss books together.  The library will provide one copy of the discussion book for each child that registers.  Parents, you'll have to share your child's copy.  Both child and parent should read the book and come prepared to discuss it.  Registration is required.  You may register online through our website or call (913) 971-6874 or register at either library.  Books for the 3rd & 4th grade book discussion must be picked up at the Indian Creek Branch, and books for the 5th grade discussion must be picked up at the Main Library.

Here is the June schedule:

3rd & 4th Grade Child/Parent Book Discussion    
Wednesday, June 13 - 7:00 p.m. at the Indian Creek Branch
Book - The Dream Stealer by Sid Fleischman
Registration now in progress

5th Grade Child/Parent Book Discussion
Tuesday, June 12 - 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library
Book - Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm  (This title is on next year's William Allen White award nominee list.)
Registration now in progress

 Here is the July schedule:

3rd & 4th Grade Child/Parent Book Discussion
Wednesday, July 11 - 7:00 p.m. at the Indian Creek Branch
Book - Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look
Registration begins Wednesday, June 20

5th Grade Child/Parent Book Discussion
Tuesday, July 10 - 7:00 p.m. at the Main Library
Book - Gossamer by Lois Lowry
Registration begins Tuesday, June 12

There are still spaces available in the June sessions.  Register now so you have time to read the book!  Feel free to bring a pillow and relax.  A snack will be served.  Book discussions will last about an hour.  It's always fun to read a good book and then hear what others think about it.


Summer Reading Kick-Off 2012

School is out!  Yippee!  But now what are you going to do with all your free time?  We hope you'll spend part of your summer at the library.  We have lots of fun programs planned, and we encourage every child going into 1st - 5th grade to get a summer reading folder to keep track of all the reading you do this summer.

All the fun begins on Tuesday, May 29.  Our Summer Reading Kick-Off will be held on May 29 from 10 a.m. - 12 noon at Frontier Park, located at Black Bob Rd. & Inidan Creek Pkwy.  You may pick up your reading folder, play some games, get a temporary tattoo, watch the worm races, and more fun.  We will also be selling Dream Big—READ! t-shirts for $5 each.  Be sure to bring along some money if you're interested in purchasing one.  In case of rain, the Kick-Off will be cancelled.

You may also pick up a reading folder at either Olathe library starting Tuesday or anytime during the summer.  If you bring your folder back between July 30 - August 15 and show us all the reading you did over the summer, you'll get to choose a free paperback book.  You get to have fun reading some good books all summer, and then you get a freebie to keep!  It's a win-win situation.

To learn more about all the activities going on for kids this summer, pick up a blue program flyer at either Olathe library or click here to explore our summer web pages.  We're looking forward to a great summer and hope to see you at the library!

  


T-shirts For Sale

This summer's reading program theme for children is "Dream Big—READ!"  To help get everyone in the spirit, the library will be selling cool blue t-shirts featuring the theme beginning Wednesday, May 23.  T-shirts will be available in both kid and adult sizes.  All t-shirts will sell for $5 each.  T-shirts will be sold at both Olathe libraries.  We will also have t-shirts for sale at our Summer Reading Kick-Off on Tuesday, May 29, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, at Frontier Park, just southwest of the Indian Creek Branch Library.  The supply of summer t-shirts will be limited, so come early to get yours before they sell out!


William Allen White Award Winners 2012

Young readers across the state of Kansas have once again voted for their favorite nominated book to win the William Allen White Children's Book Award.  The votes have been counted, and the results are in!

The winner in the 3rd - 5th grade category is 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass.

After celebrating their first nine same-day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo, having fallen out on their tenth and not speaking to each other for the last year, prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately but peculiar things begin to happen as the day of their birthday begins to repeat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The winner in the 6th - 8th grade categroy is Confetti Girl by Diana López.

After the death of her mother, Texas sixth-grader Lina's grades and mood drop as she watches her father lose himself more and more in books, while her best friend uses Lina as an excuse to secretly meet her boyfriend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To see next year's 2012-13 William Allen White Award nominees for 3rd - 5th graders, click here.


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