Create a Puppet

Tweens, ages 9 - 12, are invited to 'Create a  Puppet' with Sue Klau on Thursday, August 1st and Thursday, August 8th from 10:00am - 12:00pm in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.  Tweens will construct puppets based on the book, Where the Wild Things Are.

Tweens who participate should be available to attend both sessions.  Registration is required and is limited.  To sign up visit the Children’s Desk or call 401-847-8720 ext. 204.

Dino Discovery

The first summer reading performer will be at the library this Thursday, June 27th @ 10:30am!  Don't miss Dino Discovery - meet ancient animal friends and hold real fossils that are millions of years old!

No registration is required for this free program held in the lower level program room.  Ages 4+.

Gnomes in the Library!

Do you "gnome" which one?

Help us explore the "Gnome Man's Land" display at the library and uncover which gnome is digging up mischief!  It began with 7 gnomes in the garden display and the next day there were 8!  Then strange objects started appearing at the library - rocks, plants, fossils, worms, all kinds of strange stuff that seems to have been dug up from the ground.  Could it be that one of the gnomes is real?

We need you, the summer readers of Newport, to help us uncover what is going on.  Each week there seems to be something a little different about one of the gnomes.  Visit our website to find pictures of the gnomes in our garden display and photos and information about the objects that have been dug up.  Figure out which gnome is behind all the summer mischief and be entered to win a terrific prize!

And follow along in the Community Section of the Newport Daily News each week beginning June 27th!  There you'll find articles about the strange happenings at the Newport Public Library that just might help you dig up the answer!

Name the Gnome Contest

Beginning July 1st!

The Children's Department is also having a name the gnome contest!  Visit the Gnomes in the Library webpage to see pictures of each of the gnomes in our "Gnome Man's Land" garden display.  Help us find the right name for each gnome.  Name a gnome after a plant or animal, type of rock, or make up an exotic name that sounds like another language - anything you can imagine.  You can submit one name for one gnome or up to seven names - one for each.  Just write the number for the gnome you would like to name and the name you are suggesting on a piece of paper and submit it to the Newport Daily News or drop it in the entry box at the Children's Desk.  Include your first and last name and a phone number.  Children who submit winning entries will receive a toy prize.  Enter as often as you like.

Summer Hours and Closings

The library will switch to summer hours beginning Monday, June 24th.  Summer hours are:

Sunday - closed
Monday - 11am - 8pm
Tuesday - 9am - 8pm
Wednesday - 9 am - 8pm
Thursday - 9am - 8pm
Friday - 9am - 6pm
Saturday - 9am - 6pm

We will also be closed all day on Wednesday, June 26th for staff development day and Thursday, July 4th for the Independence Day holiday.

Tween Activity: Summer Movie

Beat the summer heat with a movie @ the library!  Another of the Tween Friday activities this summer will be a movie chosen by you.  Tweens, ages 9 - 12, who are registered for the Children's Summer Reading Program, "Dig Into Reading," are asked to vote for which movie they would like to see on Friday, August 2nd @ 10:30am in the lower level program room.  Vote for one of 4 popular movies (find out all about them on our website):

National Treasure (2004) - Rated PG

Gnomeo and Juliet (2011) - Rated G

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) - Rated PG

The Borrowers (1998) - Rated PG

Voting begins on Monday, June 24th and continues until 5:00pm on Thursday, August 1st.  Vote in a poll on our website or at the Tween Kiosk (in front of the Children's Desk).  The movie with the most votes will be the one we watch!

Summer Reading Featured Performers 2013

Dinoman Dinosaurs

The 2013 Summer Reading Program features a number of excellent performers beginning June 27th and finishing up on August 14th.  All library performances are free and are for children ages 4 and up.  Here's a brief overview of what you can expect:

Thursday, June 27th @ 10:30am: Dino Discovery!  Meet ancient animal friends and hold real fossils that are millions of years old!

Thursday, July 11th @ 10:30am: Mad Science!  Dig into the layers of the Earth and discover how scientists evaluate what they find.

Wednesday, July 17th@ 2:00pm: Ronald McDonald: Dig In, Read and Succeed!  Magic, music and audience participation.

Thursday, July 25th @ 10:30am: Storytelling with Carolyn Martino.  Fun, magical, spooky tales plus songs and jokes.

Saturday, August 3rd @ 10:30am: Dave Marchetti: Animal Experiences.  Meet animals that live underground.

Monday, August 5th @ 2:00pm: Dinoman Dinosaurs!  A magical ride through the Mesozoic Era including incredible life-size dinosaurs.

Wednesday, August 14th @ 10:30am: Magic and Comedy with Malik Haddadi.

Join us this summer and dig into some amazing performances!

June Featured Author of the Month

Hilary McKay (birthday June 12) is the featured author of the month! Ms. McKay has written many books for children including the Casson Family Series (Saffy’s Angel, Indigo Star, etc.), the Lulu books, the Charlie books, The Exiles and Wishing for Tomorrow: the Sequel to A Little Princess.  She lives in a small village in Derbyshire, England with her family.

Read an interview with her and visit the library today to check out her amazing books.

Tween Friday Activity: The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

On Friday, July 19th at 11:00am, Tweens will meet to discuss Lauren Oliver's The Spindlers for our Tween activity.  Read The Spindlers ahead of time and come for a book discussion and related activity! 

In The Spindlers, Liza, accompanied by an eccentric, human-sized rat, embarks on a perilous quest through an underground realm to save her brother Patrick, whose soul has been stolen by the evilest of creatures--the spider-like spindlers.

Copies of the book are available at the Children's Desk.  This is a Tween activitiy for kids ages 9 - 12 only.  No registration is required.  Held in the John Clarke Children's Program Room

Visit the Tween Summer Reading webpage for information about all the Tween activities this summer.

Make a Time Capsule

As part of "Dig Into Reading," kids who sign up for the summer reading program are invited to visit the library and make a time capsule.  What is a time capsule?  It's a special container for saving information to be opened at a later date.  Kids will answer 5 questions and put special objects in a time capsule of their own creation.  Supplies for creating the capsules will be available in the Children's Department from June 24th - July 12th.

Time capsules will be displayed in the Children's Department and then opened at the outdoor fair on August 14th.

Don't forget, making a time capsule is one of the requirements for being entered into the grand prize drawing for the brand new nook!  Find out all the details of how to be entered for this terrific prize on our summer reading webpages.

Sign up for Summer Reading!

Don't miss out on any of the upcoming summer fun!  Register now for the 2013 Children's Summer Reading Program, "Dig Into Reading!"  Sign up in person at the Children's Desk, over the phone by calling 401-847-8720 ext. 204, or online.

To find out all about the summer reading program, visit the the Kids Summer Reading webpages.

Summer Reading Tween Activities

Again this summer, we are inviting Tweens, ages 9 - 12, who are registered for the Children's Summer Reading Program (Dig Into Reading) to special Friday morning activities.  No registration is required to attend.

Friday, July 5th, 11:00am - 12:00pm: Dig Into Ancient Egypt!  Make a Cartouche Pendant.  Held in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.

Friday, July 12th, 11:00am - 12:00pm: Dig Into Gardening!  Paint a pot and plant a flower.  Held in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.

Friday, July 19th, 11:00am - 12:00pm: Dig Into a Good Book!  Read The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver and come for a book discussion and related activity.  Held in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.

Friday, July 26th, 11:00am - 12:00pm: Dig Into a Ancient Greece!  Make a golden treasure box in the spirit of King Midas.  Held in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.

Friday, August 2nd, 10:30am: Dig Into a Summer Movie!  Vote for which movie you'd like to see at the Tween Kiosk (in front of the children's desk) or online.  Choose one of 4 popular movies.  Held in the lower level program room.

Friday, August 9th, 11:00am - 12:00pm: Dig Into Ancient Rome!  Make a roman mosaic coaster.  Held in the John Clarke Children's Program Room.

For more information about the Tween program visit the kids summer reading website.