Cool Story Programs for the School-Age Crowd

Librarian-humorist Rob Reid, author of Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Library, offers 18 new wacky and offbeat programs designed to delight the elementary school-age crowd. Each program opens with a thumbnail overview, followed by combinations of poetry, picture books, chapter book excerpts, and short stories. Audience involvement includes word play, reader's theater, dramatics, writing, music, sports, or crafts. Reid also shows how these programs can be adapted for younger (preschool) or older (fifth and sixth grade) children. (summary by South TX Library System) My Children's Services staff is always on the look out for ideas like these. Several years ago, they launched a pre-teen/early teen library club for after school. It really changed the dynamics of our unruly afterschool crowd. I strongly recommend that libraries work with (instead of against) this age group.