Are you a fan of Roald Dahl? He wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, BFG…all of these have been movies (although we need a new BFG version). Anyway, Fantastic Mr. Fox is coming to theaters Nov. 25! And what happens around our library branches before a new kids’ movie? We have our Read-it-Before-You-See-It programs for older kids, ages 9 and up! We do lots of fun activities, eat popcorn, and even have a drawing for a free movie ticket! Here’s the schedule of our Fantastic Mr. Fox programs:

• Monument Branch: Fri., Nov. 6 at 4:15 p.m.
• East Library: Fri., Nov. 13 at 5 p.m.
• Fountain Branch: Wed., Nov. 18 at 4 p.m.

This program for tweens was presented by the Space Foundation as part of All Pikes Peak Reads 2009. 10 kids ages 9 – 12, and parents as well, had loads of fun designing and building a lander similar to NASA’s Altair lander that would absorb enough shock to protect its three astronauts (in this case, three mini-marshmallows). Altair is the proposed Lunar lander that will land astronauts on the moon. It is being built by NASA as part of the Constellation program.

A hapless inventor (world-class clown Jim Jackson of the Manitou Arts Theater) dreams of traveling to space and sets out to build a rocket ship in A Nose for Space. The “Rube Goldberg” rocket Machine will be constructed on stage as the show explores all of the necessary and not so necessary items needed for space travel. Benjamin Pratt will provide lively space age music for this All Pikes Peak Reads 2009 program.

For audiences in grades K – 5, with scientific content about space, solar system, the moon, and astronauts.

• Sat., Sept. 26 at 1:30 p.m. – Ruth Holley Branch, 685 N. Murray Blvd.
• Sun., Sept. 27 at 1:30 p.m. – Sand Creek Branch, 1821 S. Academy Blvd.
• Sat., Oct. 10 at 1:30 p.m. – Monument Branch, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Dr.
• Sun., Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. – East Library, 5550 N. Union Blvd.
• Sat., Oct. 17 at 1:30 p.m. – Cheyenne Mountain Branch, 1785 S. 8th St.
• Sun., Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. – Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave.

Join Mitchell High School’s Science Department and PPLD’s Children’s department as they present folktales shown and told as you have never heard them before. Enjoy such tales as Her Seven Brothers, a Cheyenne tale about the origin of the Big Dipper and The Colossal Pumpkin, an African tale about the origin of the stars and moon. Storytelling will be open to school-age children. This program is part of All Pikes Peak Reads 2009.

• When: Wed., Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Mitchell High School, 1205 Potter Dr.

Hey Tweens (ages 9-12): You have even more fun events coming this month: July 15 is So You Want to be a Rock Star . Songwriter Andy Hackbarth will hold a writing music workshop at the East Library at 2pm. Plus, you can still catch a Tye-Dye Tween program at Penrose Library (tomorrow, July 8, 2pm) or next week : Sand Creek Branch (July13), Rockrimmon Branch (July 14), Cheyenne Mountain Branch (July 16), Ruth Holley Branch (July 21) and Briargate Branch (July 22)! Hey, did you see the rockets go off this week with Science Matters and their Radical Rockets programs!? Today is the last rocket program for tweens at the East Library, 2pm.
And if you made a foil superhero at our tween programs in June, check out our slide show of Superheroes!

For more information, read the blog below.

Our summer reading program, Be Creative @ Your Library, is fast approaching. You can register online now! Gamecards will be available on June 1 — the first day of the program. There will be a new Baby gamecard this year! Babies and toddlers, newborns on up to 36 months, will have their own smaller gamecard and will listen to stories and do activities with mom or dad or other caregiver.

As always, we will have tons of free programs through June and July. We end with a cool party that will feature a play: Robinson Crusoe! In fact, if you want to be in the play, you can register for an audition now! Just call 531-6333, x1212. So how cool is that?

We’ve had a great summer of programs and reading at PPLD libraries across Colorado Springs, Fountain and Monument! 23,495 kids registered for Get a Clue @ Your Library. But, our program ends tomorrow already, July 31. Yikes! Get your prizes! We also had amazing summer reading parties. There were 2,100 kids just at the Memorial Park party on July 20 alone. Congratulations all you readers! Hey, and check out the fun 7UP Tricky Pix on our KidsWeb. These pictures were taken at our 7UP programs a couple weeks ago. It was full of headless fun.