Looking Ahead for Fun Summer Crafts

Are you looking for a fun and easy craft to do with teens this summer?  Look no further!  I bet you have all of the materials you need right on hand.  All you need is yarn, school glue, a bowl, and plastic wrap.  That's it and you won't believe how cool it looks when it's all done.  Here are a few links to some awesome Yarn Bowl tutorials.

Y is for Yarn from Fantastic Fun.  Learning blogger Shaunna Evans shows us how easy it is for teens to make a yarn bowl.

Glue Yarn Bowl DIY - Red Ted Art blogger Maggy gives us the scoop on how to make yarn bowls for any occasion.

Yarn Bowl - Kiwi Crate shows you how to get messy with yarn and glue, it looks really pretty when it's done!

Here's a great idea!  How about taking the fun outside and creating life size games for teens to play?  Here are a few ideas that could be a huge hit with teens during the summer.


 Messy Twister Game With A Paint Twist - Try this out, it looks like a blast!

Sponge Water Bombs

Giant Jenga

Tune in next week for more fun summer crafts from Mrs. Librarian Lady!

Books and Recipes for Teens What a Great Combination

I love starting new book clubs for teens! They encourage teens to read something new and provide great enrichment by asking them to examine what they've read. Then the teens soak up new vocabulary words, figure out the storyline, and learn about the characters in the story.

I am also a firm believer that book clubs help teens build leadership skills and gain confidence. Joining a book club give teens a chance to speak up in a group and respectfully share their ideas and opinions, particularly since so many YA books delve into controversial topics. Teens that take the lead in book discussions will gain an extra edge that will help them in school and social settings.

Most of my teen book clubs have focused on a theme. I think having a theme adds a bit more excitement to the club and also offers you, as the facilitator, a chance to be creative and find great books for your teens to read. One of my first teen book clubs was called “Muggles and Magic,” and all the teens wanted to do was read "Harry Potter" over and over again. It was fun — and tricky — to find other books after we were done with the "Harry Potter" series, but my imagination took over, and I found quite a few books that blend magic and mystery for teens. We also played games like "'Harry Potter' Jeopardy" and dressed up as our favorite characters from the book at the end of the school year.

This book club was a great way to figure out how to get teens to read and discuss books. It also gave me the back-up I needed when I started working in a public library to continue to host book clubs. I am always looking for ideas to start a new book club, and since I have just recently started at a new library, I think it could be a great way to get to know the teens in my new community. 

I read a great article about pairing books with desserts on Shari's Berries, and it totally gave me a great idea! It gave me a chance to explore the world of fiction and the food that is taken from the pages of some of my favorite books. You can find all kinds of recipe ideas in books. Many fandoms have created special web pages just for recipes and ideas. I’ve also seen blogs with resourceful recipes inspired by "Twilight," "Hunger Games" and "Harry Potter."

So, what do you think about planning a book club that focuses entirely on reading YA fiction books and making the food that is mentioned in the book?  Sounds fun, right?  It's also a great way to promote reading.  Not only will the teens be reading, they will also be testing their cooking skills. It's so easy to do.  Choose a book every month and have each member pick a treat to make and bring to the discussion meeting? I bet there will be some creative cooking happening! Check out some of these recipes that book club readers could easily recreate for a fun and interactive book discussion group. 

• The Selection by Keira Cass: "May, don't these strawberry tarts just make you want to cry?" America's Strawberry Nutella Tart
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner: “Beds were assigned, clothes and bathroom things were passed out, dinner was served. Pizza. Real, bona fide, greasy-fingers pizza.” Maze Runner - Tablespoon Pizza Rolls
• Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen: "Layla's crazy fry eating ritual will leave you wanting to test out the mystery blend method after completing your own french frey gathering trifecta."  Layla - Homemade French Fry Seasoning Blend
• Splintered series by A.G. Howard: "I need to get to that tea party and wake up the guests ... and how are you supposed to do that? Give a magical kiss to the half-baked hatmaker?"  Allysa -  Edible Tea Cups - YUM!
• Divergent by Veronica Roth: "I only came for cake." Tobias Eaton  - Dauntless Cake recipe
Check out my Pinterest board, "Tasty YA Book Recipes," for more fun ideas on pairing YA books and yummy treats!


Tune in next month for more tips and ideas for tween and teen programming from Mrs. Librarian Lady.

Teen Summer Challenge Extended!

Hello everyone!  I know it's been a while since I have checked in here.  I've been busy writing for the Programming Librarian blog and was working on a great piece called the Teen Summer Challenge.  I didn't get a chance to finish up on the PL blog, so I was thinking that since summer isn't officially over until September 22nd that I would post the rest of my summer challenge ideas here.  My plan is to post about projects that teens will love to do at the library during the summer. I’ve got ideas for refreshing summer recipes, creative crafts, and even some outdoor activities. If you are a teen librarian or school librarian you can join the challenge by duplicating these engaging ideas at your library. Here's a sneak preview of some of the projects on my summer list that are still left to do:

• Yarn bowls
• Games 101
• Leaf art
• Kaleidoscopes
• Plant pals
• Sock puppets
• Mastering the jump rope
• Waterproofing the jump rope
• Custom crayons
• Lazy summer day playlist

Here are some crafts and activities that I already tried at my library!


Summer Fun with Adorable Tape and Dancing


More Summer Fun with Dream Catchers and Playing in the Dirt


May the Fourth of July Be With You


Feel free to try these crafts and activities out any time of the year!


Love your library!


Mrs. Librarian Lady