Children’s Programs
Kiddos’ Korner: Meet and Greet Special Story Hour on February 8
There will be a Kiddos’ Korner: Meet and Greet Special Story Hour at the Chickasha Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 4:30 p.m. Come join us for a special story hour and meet some of the coolest people ever, children’s book authors and illustrators.
The authors and illustrators who will be attending this event are Eileen Hobbs, Aaron Allison, Charles Martin, and Buck Berlin. Children’s author Eileen Hobbs wrote Under the Golden Rain Tree and the Heath Cousins series. There are copies of her books available to check out at the Library, and they can be found in Children Fiction under Hobbs.
Aaron Allison is a teen author whose works include I Love You Mosterous: Poems & Essays Of Love and Acceptance. Charles Martin is a manga and comic book author and illustrator. Buck Berlin is a manga and comic book illustrator and storyteller who owns New World Comics in Oklahoma City.
“Come celebrate Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week with a fantastic event all about those special people who we all love so much because they create the books that entertain and inspire us,” says Youth Services Librarian Drew Cooper.
For more information about the Meet and Greet Special Story Hour, call the Library at 405-222-6075 or email Drew Cooper at ondreea.cooper@chickasha.org.
Take Your Child to the Library Day on February 3
Saturday, February 3, 2024 is National Take Your Child to the Library Day, and the Chickasha Public Library is participating with fun, free activities for children from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be a special library-themed Storytime for all ages from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., as well as crafts, a chance to win a library book bundle, and more.
Stop by the front desk and meet Youth Services Librarian Ms. Drew Cooper, and learn about all of the programs and services for children at the Chickasha Public Library, including Storytime, Summer Reading, and book clubs for children and teens. Take some pictures with some special guest book characters. Families can browse for books, read stories together, and parents and legal guardians can also sign up their children for their own library cards.
According to Youth Services Librarian Ms. Drew Cooper, “Libraries are an ideal place for children to play, discover, make friends, and have fun. And Take Your Child to the Library Day is the perfect time to discover some library magic. From science exploration to craft programs, book clubs to storytimes, our library offers something unique and delightful for youth of all ages.”
Take Your Child to the Library Day has been celebrated since 2011, and it is a great way to help children develop a love of reading while creating family memories together. Be sure to stop in again soon – because every day is a great day to take your child to the library. To learn more about the Chickasha Public Library, call 405-222-6075, email library@chickasha.org, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or visit the Library in person at 527 W. Iowa, Chickasha.
Summer Reading Program at the Chickasha Public Library
Join Chickasha Public Library’s annual Summer Reading Program from May 22 to July 31. Summer Reading is a program to encourage children to read over the summer, bridge the gap between school years, and develop a love of reading. Children and teens can participate by logging reading minutes, earning prizes, and enjoying summer friendship, love, and togetherness programs and activities, complementing this year’s theme, “All Together Now.” All programs will be at the Chickasha Public Library, located at 527 Iowa, Chickasha. For more information, call the Library at 405-222-6075.
Wee Ones (ages 5 and under) will complete 480 reading minutes and have weekly programs on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. for ages 0-3 and 2:00 p.m. for ages 4-5. Kiddos’ Korner (ages 6-11, although all ages are welcome) will complete 960 reading minutes and have programs on Thursdays at 2 p.m. Teen Time (ages 12-17) will complete 1080 reading minutes and have programs on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Adults will also be able to participate in online Summer Reading challenges through Beanstack.
All participants can pre-register for the program at https://chickashapl.beanstack.com/reader365. Everyone who joins the Summer Reading Program is encouraged to participate digitally through Beanstack, either on the web or via the app. Participants can track the books they have read, log reading minutes, earn badges and prizes, and discover great books. Parents or caregivers can sign up and quickly log both their own and their children’s reading under one primary account. Participants also have the option to track their minutes using a reading log provided by the library. Reading logs can be picked up any time after May 22 at the Chickasha Public Library, located at 527 W. Iowa Ave., Chickasha.
Younger children aged 0-5 will be encouraged to participate in the Wee Ones Wednesday Storytime programs at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. This program engages young learners in fun pre-literacy activities, stories, and group play. Children aged 6-11 can participate in the Kiddos’ Korner program on Thursdays at 2 p.m. All ages are welcome to the Thursday programs, but it is recommended for ages 6-11. Kiddos’ Korner will include enhanced learning activities and hands on programming that will focus on reading. Teens aged 12-17 can participate in programs during Teen Time Tuesdays, which will be at 2 p.m. Teen Time will focus on reading as a way to encourage teens to interact with people outside of their peer group while providing informational programs that support lifelong learning needs, provide knowledge about, or inspire interest in a variety of subjects.
All youth who complete the Summer Reading challenge by reading the age-appropriate minutes will have a book of their choosing painted on the outside of the library, plus an entry into a final drawing for additional prizes. Further prizes will be awarded throughout the summer at different levels for designated minutes reached, such as a Level 1 prize for Wee Ones earned for 60 minutes completed reading. Prizes will also be awarded for community service, kindness, and program participation. Our youth community service project this summer is the Chickasha Animal Shelter. We will be taking up donations to help our local furry friends from June 1-July 31. All youth who donate supplies at the library will receive a community service badge and an additional entry into the final grand prize drawings.
“All Together Now” is a perfect slogan to bring us all together! No matter our age, socio-economic status, political affiliation, or location, we can all find a book to fit our interests and maybe make some friends in the process. Centered around kindness, friendship, unity, and community togetherness, this year’s theme comes with endless opportunities to share the library. In-person indoor and outdoor activities will be offered all summer long and monthly take-and-make crafts will be available for all ages. Program content changes weekly and take and makes will be available while supplies last.
Research from the American Library Association indicates that summer reading helps children and teens retain and enhance their reading skills over the summer, provides a haven for community readers, and develops reading enthusiasm. Additionally, adult participation encourages caregivers to play a strong role in their child’s literacy development by reading aloud with their child and modeling good reading behavior. Kids read more and enjoy reading more when they can choose what they read. Benefits to readers include encouragement for reading to become a lifelong habit, reluctant readers can be drawn in by the activities, reading over the summer helps children keep their skills up, and the program can generate interest in the library and books. For more information about the benefits of Summer Reading, visit the American Library Association’s information about Summer Reading benefits: https://libguides.ala.org/summer-reading/benefits.
As poet and author Maya Angelou noted, “Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.” Chickasha Public Library joins libraries across the nation to encourage adults, youth, and families to read over the summer.
The Summer Reading Program is free and sponsored by the Chickasha Public Library, the Friends of the Chickasha Public Library, the City of Chickasha, and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. For more information about Summer Reading, call the Chickasha Public Library at 405-222-6075 or check our website under the Youth Services tab at CPL Summer Reading Program. To sign up for Summer Reading, visit the Chickasha Public Library or sign up online on Beanstack. You can also connect with the Chickasha Public Library on Facebook and Instagram.
Books Come Alive and Local Author Festival will be held Saturday, March 25!
Submitted by the Friends of the Chickasha Public Library
The Friends of the Library and Chickasha Public Library invite the community to stop by the Library on Sat., March 25, 2023 between 2pm and 4pm for two very special attractions! The Library is located at 527 Iowa Ave., Chickasha, OK.
Visitors will enjoy being entertained by Books Come Alive presenters as they each create their own setting, costume as a character, and present a 3-5 minute scene from a book they have selected to share. Participating as presenters are Mischelle Blunt who has chosen “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett; Dr. Christy Clift will portray a scene from “Harry Potter” by JK Rowling; and the Library’s children’s director Drew Cooper has selected “Beauty and the Beast” as her book. Also presenting are Rebecca Cravens portraying a scene from “Jane Austen”; Sydny Dockery has chosen the book “Percy Jackson” by Rick Riordan; Dr. Jeanne Mather selected Mike Artell’s “Petite Rouge”; and Rick Phillips will be having fun with “Star Wars”. Well-known radio host George Plummer will be presenting a special book, as well!
While at the Library, stop by the meeting room and visit with the authors who are participating in the “Local Author Festival”. All the authors will set up at tables and have books for sale. This year the authors include Karen Knauss Bailey Alicia Dean, Tamrie Foxtail, Dr. Todd Fuller, Kenny “Sad Pawpaw” Harmon (NOTE: enter a drawing at his table to win a copy of his book!), Dr. Crag Hill, Callie Hutton, Anna Kittrell, Brian McNatt, Gloria Koehn Morse, Kathy Shaull and Liz Tyner.
NOTE: The Library will close at noon on Sat., March 25, to set up for these two exciting events! For additional information about these activities and others at the Library, call 405.222.6075.
Seeking Presenters for Books Come Alive!
Books Come Alive in our imaginations, so why not before our very eyes? Remember the scenes from Books Come Alive years past? Let’s do it again! Books Come Alive 2023!
You are invited to present a passage from a book for all the people to see and hear. In case you don’t remember or don’t know what I’m talking about, Books Come Alive is when the library is closed, scenes are set up, and people can tour the library, stopping to listen and view each scene. There will be between 6 and 12 presentations.
Anyone who chooses to can create a setting and costume for a character and scene from a book and prepare a passage to present. You can choose a science fiction scene from a Star Trek book, a classic such as Shakespeare, Mark Twain, or Sherlock Holmes, or something new like Lucy Foley’s “The Guest List” or “The Martian” by Andy Weir. You can choose fiction or nonfiction, an adult book or children’s book such as Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, or Junie B. Jones.
The scene can be presented by one person or by a small group; by a child, an adult, or a mix.
The presentation should be about 3-5 minutes in length. Sharpen your acting skills and have some fun!
Further details:
- The presentation must present a passage from a book which must be on display; or it could be an author presenting a group of books with passages from the books quoted.
- Space is limited; therefore the scene should be no more than 8 feet x 6 feet. All scenes will be in the library (portions of which are carpeted, so please no food or drinks).
- Applications will be reviewed from February 1st through the 10th. Presenters will be contacted during that time for clarification. Auditions will be February 13th – 18th.
- Acceptance/declination decisions will be made and presenters notified by February 25th.
- Don’t hesitate to reach out whenever you have any questions. Email Lillie Huckaby at Lillie.huckaby@chickasha.org or call 405-222-6075.
Click here to apply for consideration. Applications are due by the end of February. The big date is Saturday, March 25th.
2018 into 2019 Past and Future Youth Programs
There were many exciting programs at the Chickasha Public Library during 2018.
Stuart Meltzer, Library Board member, and retired USAO professor read to children during our Spring Reading Program and also during our summer Storytime with Grandpa program.
Chickasha Public Library has a special visitor every December Elf on the Shelf visits the Library to read.
Annual SUMMER READING Program
There was a symphony of fun at the Library during Summer Reading 2018. If you missed all the fun this past summer, there is another chance this coming June and July! In 2018, youth from all over Grady County signed up for the Summer Reading program. Also, the YMCA brought children to participate in the program once a week. The 2018 Summer Reading program was fantastic During the program we read books that tied into our “Libraries Rock” theme and children were able to create instruments of their own. There is more to the Summer Reading program than an hour every week of fun and games; the participants also keep track of the minutes they spend reading at home. In 2018 the participants read over 104,266 minutes in June and July. Children who spend time reading over the summer have a better chance of retaining all the skills from the previous school year. Many people and organizations make the Summer Reading program possible. We would like to say thank you to the organizations that provide funding and incentives, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, the Oklahoman Newspapers in Education, Sonic America’s Drive-In, Corp, Pizza Hut, Water-Zoo Indoor Waterpark in Clinton, OK., and the Friends of the Chickasha Public Library. The Library would also like to thank performers Jammin’ Randy and Magical Michael, all of our volunteers, and the participants for making this year’s Summer Reading program one of the best yet.
Mark your calendars because May 30th will be the Library’s all-day Summer Reading sign-up day. On June 6th, we will blast off to explore a “Universe of Stories” during the 2019 Summer Reading Program. More details to come as May gets closer.
Mad Hatter & White Rabbit of Books Come Alive 2018
BOOKS COME ALIVE
Over eighty people attended our second annual Books Come Alive and Local Authors Festival event. Local volunteers chose some fantastic books, and some great characters wandered the stacks. Count Olaf attempted to keep his group of orphans in line, while Max and the Wild Things had roaring contests with all the kids, and a creepy woods took over the adult stacks, where participants witnessed a scene from the Watchers. Tune in next fall to see all the places we will go.
Count Olaf of Books Come Alive 2018
Professor Trelawney of Books Come Alive 2018
Some NEW Youth Programs for 2019 are:
Baby & You Storytime is every Thursday morning during the school year from 9:30 am – 10:30 am.
The program doesn’t begin until 9:45 and lasts 15 – 20 minutes, which leaves plenty of time for you to read, play with your baby, and talk with other parents.
This program is for babies ages 0-18 months and their caregivers.
For more information, email Courtney, Youth Services Librarian at courtney.mayall@chickasha.org, or contact us on Facebook.
Beyond the Shelf Youth Library Club is a weekly program on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 for youth ages 10 – 15.
The activities during this program will vary. Scifi-Monster Mania is the theme for February.
There will be a board game demo of King of Tokyo. Who will be the last monster standing? There will also be crafts and plenty of monster book discussions.
The last Wednesday of the month, we will show a film MST3K style.
For more information, email Courtney, Youth Services Librarian at courtney.mayall@chickasha.org or contact us on Facebook.
Preschool Storytime
Food for Fines
Chickasha Public Library Fines Waived in December with a donation of food
Do you have fines on your Library account? Get them waived in December by bringing in a non-perishable food item to donate to the Food Pantry. “The end of the year is a great time to get accounts cleared for a fresh start for the new year. I want customers to be able to check out Library books. This is a great way for customers to get fines waived and help the local Food Pantry too.” The books must be turned in to the Library for the fines to be waived, perhaps you’ve already done that, or perhaps you can do that now, and bring in a non-perishable food item, quantity doesn’t matter. All food is donated to the local Food Pantry. This program covers only overdue fines not replacement fees for lost or damaged books. Donations for the Food Pantry are accepted and encouraged even if you don’t have fines. In addition to the much-needed food, many overdue books come home to the Library. Not having to repurchase popular titles means the Library can buy more new books. The program runs from December 1st – December 31st. If you have questions, call the Library at 222-6075.
Elf on the Shelf at the Library
The Elf is back!
This December at the Chickasha Public Library there will be an elf reading his way through the Children’s section of the library. Children are invited to come each day December 1st through the 21st to find the elf and the book he is reading and add their name to the drawing for a chance to take the elf home.
The Library is hosting some fun activities to go along with the elf on the shelf this year.
Please join us on December 7, 2018, from 4:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. for special craft time. We will be re-using Christmas cards to make a variety of crafts. This event is come and go, and the event is open to all ages — children 8 and younger need to be accompanied by a caregiver.
On December 13th there will be a special afternoon storytime at 1:30 P.M. for preschool ages children and their caregivers.
The elf will meet his new best friend on December 21st at 4:00 P.M. The winning name will be drawn at a party for all ages. There will be a story, crafts, and games. This event is all ages — children 8 and younger need to be accompanied by a caregiver.
All of these events will be held in the Library meeting room, located at 527 W Iowa Ave. For additional information check out the Library’s Facebook page or call the Library at 405-222-6075.
Books Come Alive and Local Authors Festival
On November 16th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm the Chickasha Public Library will be hosting their 2nd annual Books Come Alive and Local Authors Festival event. This year we are using books from the PBS Great American Reads booklist, there will be actors portraying book characters, book scavenger hunts, prizes, and fun for all. There is also an opportunity for the public to meet local authors, discuss their books, and buy them. Both events are FREE, donations will be welcome at the door.