Monday, May 20, 2013

lunch bunch?


 I sent an email out this morning to YSS librarians searching for ideas about lunch bunch. It's a program idea we're going to try here at West Bend to increase programming for elementary ages.
As I get ideas in I will post them in this thread. Keep coming back or comment below and you'll get an email when new ideas appear.

~Kristin Pekoll, West Bend Library

Photo Credit: http://www.peninsulaheritageschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Terry-Metzenbaum-Literary-Lunch-Bunch.jpg

9 comments:

Kristin said...

We've been doing lunch bunch here a few years, but we're changing it up this year. It used to be (before my time), the kids would be read to while they ate, and then they'd do an activity about the thing they just read about.

This summer, we're doing a little bit more. While the kids are all getting settled and eating lunch (we tend to have late arrivals here), we'll share some fun poetry, or some short stories, or some school-age picture books. About 15 minutes in, we'll bring out our tabletop carnival spinner. Each of the eight segments of the wheel will have a different topic (different sessions will be done by genres or readalikes or themes). We'll ask some trivia questions - some library related, some silly, some factual etc. - and whoever takes a risk and answers it gets to come up and spin the wheel. Whatever segment it lands on, they'll get to pick from four or so books in that category to hear about. And they'll get a cool simple something for coming up. So we're interacting, reading, discussing, and generally having a laid-back introduction to some new reads.

My original plan for the program was to have registration, select a book, and do a reading and interactive thing for each meeting. My book was going to be "Bliss" by Kathryn Littlewood, which is about a magical family who owns a bakery, and we'd do a different cooking activity each week - learn how to use measuring cups for dry and wet ingredients, read a recipe, make something, etc. but my age range is too wide for me to limit that much. Maybe during the year!

Let me know if I can answer any other questions,

--
Sarah Newton
Children's Services Coordinator
Fond du Lac Public Library
920-322-3941

Kristin said...

Hi,



I did attempt a chapter book program for young people at Chilton Public Library last fall. It was a brand new program and was held after school. The first book I read was “The invention of Hugo Cabret” the program had an initial modicum of success with regular participants. Ages 12 and up to adults but the numbers dropped to zero when I went on to the next book. The program was called Book Voyage and I think with a bit more promotion and maybe some coordination with the schools…i.e. reading chapters from books they are already reading in class numbers could be better.

Flossie McKeown
Youth Librarian
Chilton Public Library
920.849.4414
youth@chiltonlibrary.org

Kristin said...

Hey Kristin,

I'm doing a program this year called "Pickles, Pranks and a Picnic Lunch" inspired by the book, "Pickle: the formerly anonymous prank club of Fountain Point Middle School." We'll read a few chapters from that book each week (while eating lunches) and then everyone gets to make a practical joke craft to take home each week. Let me know if you'd like any more details!

:)
Carissa
Madison, WI

Kristin said...

I have decided that this year I will do Dig Into Chapter books on Monday afternoons and a Lunch Bunch for my younger crowd on Fridays that includes a craft.

Monica Wasemiller
Children's Librarian
Hustisford Community Library
609 W. Juneau St.
Hustisford, WI 53034
920-349-3463

Kristin said...

Hi Kristin,

I tried it years ago in Middleton and ended up with only two participants. We’ve also tried it here in Janesville, but had very little success. We didn’t do it at lunch for either program, but I don’t think that would have made a difference. We always had a few kids show up, but never enough to continue to justify pulling a staff member out for the time.

Sharon

Sharon Grover
Head of Youth Services
Hedberg Public Library
316 S Main Street
Janesville, WI 53545
608-758-6584 Voice Mail
608-758-6583 FAX
sgrover@hedbergpubliclibrary.org

Kristin said...

I have not done this for several years, but we spent the time other activities such as reader's theatre, book talk sharing of the participants and reading not only chapter books but also those picture books that are not for pre-k but for alder kids, many of which are historically based. I also had guest reader's that the kids would know, to mix it up a little.
C

Carolyn Wey
Youth Services Librarian
L. D. Fargo Public Library
Lake Mills, WI 53551
(920) 648-2166

Reading keeps the imagination alive!

Kristin said...

I am doing weekly afternoon Dig into Chapter Books program with a slightly different title each week depending on genre (Dig into Fantasy, Dig into Mysteries, Dig into Silly Stories, etc.). The title could work for lunch book club too . . .

Elissa

I haven't decided on all the books yet . . . I am thinking "Trouble with Chickens" for mystery (partly because I love it and partly because I want to use at least one rather easy book), "Tuesdays at the Castle" for fantasy, "Liar and Spy" for realistic, and "The Toys Go Out" for silly.

I am aiming it at ages 8-11, reading a snippet of the chosen book, talking about the genre, having a bunch of copies of the book that I read available for check (plus others in the genre to cover the whole 8-11 age range) and then doing a quick craft (probably a genre related bookmark).

Let me know if you have other questions. I'd be interested to hear what you decide to do too!
Elissa

Kristin said...

I called mine "Sandwiches and Stories" last summer, but this year I decided that was too much of a mouth full and I'm reverting back to lunch bunch. I am curious to see what creative ideas you come up with!

-Minetta
Fort Atkinson

Kristin said...

Butler did a read aloud chapter book program reading the Lemonade Wars.
We had a kids lemonade stand in the lobby to promote the program. It was really cute.

The first night we had lemonade and cookies however I don't recall what she did for the other evenings.

Ellen-
Butler (and Menomonee Falls)