In short, I am busy: Bookaneers

making puppets for Mr. Ball

Bookaneers is actually my private homage to China Mieville, but I am not going to tell the 1st graders that.

• Program Goals
• Reach beginning readers
• Collaborate with school reading specialists to meet the needs of struggling readers
• Encourage kids to build reading skills and enjoy reading!

4:30-4:35: Introduction (new attendees and beginning of the year)

• Introductions
• How Bookaneers works
• At the first meeting, or when they attend for the first time, kids receive a binder with a variety of starter sheets. They can get more sheets as needed from me or at the next meeting. They do not have to fill in the sheets for each book, they're just for fun and to help them remember what they read. 
• Books are due at the next meeting. They have a due date taped to the front of each book. Don't forget your library card!
• It's ok if you don't feel like talking about your book or didn't finish.
• It's ok to have a parent or friend help you read and/or write in your binder
• We all read at different levels and speeds. This isn't a contest or a class; we're here to have fun reading together!

4:30 - 5:00: Discussion and craft

• Make/decorate notebooks and bookmarks if it's the first meeting, discuss what books they like and why and what their favorite things are. 
• Otherwise, crafts and talking about our books! Depending on the age and size of the group, there may or may not be a discussion. I tend to read aloud and talk to them more than have a discussion at this age.
• Final meeting of the school year we decorate t-shirts or bags.

5:00-5:15: Booktalks

• I booktalk selections (in the past this was snack time, but we are not serving snacks for the foreseeable future).
• I choose 9 titles total - 3 picture books, 3 early readers, 3 beginning chapters - and have 5 copies of each available. In addition, I will put on display whatever new books I have gotten recently.
• If it's the last meeting of the school year, they each get a book to keep from the prize cart.

5:15-5:30: Choosing books and wrap-up

• Kids pick their book(s) for next time, finish crafts, younger siblings come in, etc.

Additional resources and materials including lists of crafts

Evaluation

• 12-2-21
• Attendance: 10ish?
• Craft/Project: Sparkling stars
• Notes: I had die-cut glitter stars, cut-up pieces of cds, recycled cds, acrylic paint markers. We made sparkly things for our treasure boxes.
• 11-4-21
• Attendance: 10ish?
• Craft/project: Treasure boxes
• Notes: I had donated small cardboard boxes and we used acrylic paint markers.
• 10-7-21
• Attendance: 12
• Craft/Project: Decorating notebooks, book bags
• Notes: I rebranded this as an emergent reader book club and opened it to kindergarteners. I had about 5 kindergarteners and the rest were ages 6-8. We had book bags left over from summer reading and decorated them with acrylic paint markers. Some new kids were shy, but most were quite chatty.
• 3-5-20
• Attendance: 9
• Craft/Project: Book Bags
• Snack: Apples
• Notes: With the help of my staff I had all the bags sewn together, with blank squares (needed b/c of the amount of paint) and some extra bags for kids who had missed last time. Two volunteers and one of my staff helped the kids sew on their handles and they used permanent markers to finish the bags. I forgot to check the book list so I missed a lot of what was checked out. Two kids from last time absent (one is very much drop-in and came on Tuesday to Rock 'n' Read), two kids who missed last time came, and one new kid.
• 2-6-20
• Attendance: 8
• Craft/Project: Decorate pre-sewn pieces with fabric paint and fabric markers. We will sew them together after they're dry and then the kids will sew on the handles next meeting.
• Snack: Apples
• Notes: Not sure how we'll sew the bags since some of the pieces are absolutely coated in paint! All the kids found books they wanted and only one kid, a new one I invited in, was rowdy.
• 1-9-20
• Attendance: 13
• Craft/project: Decorate pencil bags with permanent markers.
• Snack: Apples
• Notes: 4 girls, two sets of sisters, came after book club was over but my later event was cancelled so they got to stay and make a project. I think two of them may come back. Needed more easy chapter books.
• 12-5-19
• Attendance: 14
• Craft/project: Decorate cardboard/paper circles as Christmas ornaments
• Notes: I forgot everyone's name and it was insanely chaotic, with a number of kids who don't normally come, kids late, kids early, etc. but 50 books were checked out and the kids had fun.
• 11-7-19
• Attendance: 12
• Craft/project: Puppets with scratch paper, oil pastels, colored pencils, popsicle sticks and tape
• Notes: It was very chaotic, I am down staff and Having a Day as I told the kids. Kids had a lot of fun and there was much competition over the two Crabby books.
• 10-3-19
• Attendance: 11
• Craft/Project: Oil pastels and wooden shapes, thumbprint monsters
• Notes: Ages ranged from 6 to 10, 3 homeschooled, 1 from OPtions, 1 from outside of town, 3 from the Lutheran school, 2 from West Side, 1 from Jackson. I updated the schedule of books and had a lot of older materials available, but I think the older kids' parents are more concerned about that than the kids - most of the older kids are strong readers but they like to take a break and pick up the fun, easier books.
• 9-5-19
• Attendance: 5
• Craft/project: Decorating binders and bookmarks, small totebags (permanent markers)
• Notes: First meeting after school resumed on Tuesday. I have put Rock 'n' Read on hiatus and I pulled a stack of new books in case any older kids came and wanted something more challenging. I did have two older kids, but one did not have a library card.
• 4-4-19
• Attendance: 12
• Craft/Project: Decorating small canvas bags and punch-out fish (permanent markers)
• This was such a big group I had to sort of auction off the books and we ran out!
• 3-7-19
• Attendance: 8
• Craft/Project: Popsicle stick puppets (felt, glue dots, permanent markers)
• Several kids who haven't been able to come for a while returned and two new girls joined.
• 2-7-19
• Attendance: 6
• Craft/Project: Watercolor/oil pastel resist (magic books)
• I went back and forth on canceling b/c of incipient bad weather, but I'm glad I didn't b/c we had two new attendees (M's mom DID have her baby!) and a ton of books checked out.
• 1-3-19
• Attendance: 6
• Craft/Project: Painting rubber duckies
• Notes: Good turnout for the first day of school (helps that 4 of the kids are homeschooled, although I was missing 3 other homeschoolers but I think their mom had her baby). All agreed that Fenske's Nuts books were slightly funnier than the barnacle and plankton books, and they all want to read his new Lego book.
• 12-6-18
• Attendance: 9
• Craft/Project: Painting leftover xmas ornaments
• Notes: Not a very chatty group today. Ended early. One brought her own snack, which I appreciated b/c I'm a bit stymied by nut-free AND gluten-free.
• 11-1-18
• Attendance: 8
• Craft/Project: Painting wooden leaves
• Notes: Good turn-out despite me forgetting to do remind calls since my associate was gone. Mostly quiet group (except for a couple girls who wanted to talk nonstop). Note to self - get some gluten-free, peanut-free snacks. Fruit?
• 10-4-18
• Attendance: 10
• Craft/Project: Glitter magnets/paper cut-outs
• Notes: Two younger sisters came with their brother - they behaved very well. We learned the word "anthropomorphic" and agreed we all really, really like funny books. 1 new attendee.
• 9-6-18
• Attendance: 8
• Books: Very pleased to see the love for My Cousin the Alien. Checkout out about 5 books per kid, so about 40.
• Notes: Some kids are in sports and will come later. A couple new kids, including a very excited younger sibling who has been waiting all summer to be old enough to come! Two families really clicked - both have homeschooled kids with similar interests - and it was really nice to see that connection. I had apples from the farmer's market.
• 5-3-18
• Attendance: 4
• Craft/Project: Decorating t-shirts
• Notes: A bunch of kids have started sports and other activities and the weather was bad. But I'm disappointed that not many people showed up for the final party!
• 4-5-18
• Attendance: 9 (+2)
• Craft/Project: Decorating eggs
• Notes: Several drop-ins, a couple kids who came afterwards, overall a pretty quiet meeting even though I gave them marshmallows. Lots of discussion about how eggs hatch and one very enthusiastic reader is a new fan of Dragonbreath and Pablo and Ugly Cat.
• 3-1-18
• Attendance: 5
• Craft/Project: Playdoh
• Notes: Much distracted by the disappearance of Tumtum the gerbil.
• 2-1-18
• Attendance: 5
• Craft/Project: Dinosaurs (paper, glitter, markers, glue, scissors)
• Notes: Several regular attendees have moved on - other activities. Did another blast out to reading teachers and homeschool community to refill our members.
• 1-4-18
• Attendance: 5
• Craft/Project: Suncatchers (confetti on leftover ends of book cover sticky paper)
• Notes: Freezing cold and the day after school started. Shifting things so they don't get the snack until after crafts worked better.
• 12-7-17
• Attendance: 12
• Notes: It was just kind of a crazy free for all. I have two kids that should probably move up to Rock 'n' Read but they come with siblings. 
• 11-2-17
• Attendance: 10
• Craft/Project: Turn your story into a puppet
• Notes: Lost one kid halfway through, but got her back in time to check out books. Noodleheads and Who wants to be a princess? were both top picks.
• 10-5-17
• Attendance: 6
• Craft/Project: Costumes out of brown paper bags
• Notes: Several kids couldn't make it and got their books before or after. Project was VERY popular. 2 new kids - Harper and Ollie.
• 9-8-17
• Attendance: 8
• Craft/Project: Decorating binders
• Notes: First meeting. 2 kids will be coming but couldn't make it and I invited 2 more. A lot of boys this time around and mostly easy readers I think.
• 5-2-17
• Attendance: 8
• Craft/Project: Decorating t-shirts
• Notes: Last meeting so it was a party.
• 4-4-17
• Attendance: 10
• Craft/Project: Make your own map of the Land of Fake-Believe
• Notes: Two of my boys are getting a bit rowdy....
• 3-7-17
• Attendance: 14
• Craft/Project: Painting pots (dirt and seeds)
• Notes: I may need to split this up more. This is a LOT of kids of varying reading abilities, interests, and attention levels! I did get new kid who hates reading to take several books though.
• 2-7-17
• Attendance: 10
• Craft/Project: Finger knitting, cardboard "medals"
• Notes: The kids didn't take to the finger knitting, except one table who already knew how. A couple new kids, one of whom hates reading. Challenge accepted.
• 1-10-17
• Attendance: 7
• Craft/project: favorite animal books, string and cup telephones
• Notes: Most of the regulars were gone - weather etc. But I had a whole group of new kids, ranging from kindergarten to third grade. The phones turned out a bit difficult as most of the kids needed help (and then they kind of whacked each other with them).
• 12-6-16
• Attendance: 7 (+2 came late)
• Craft/Project: Holiday ornaments
• Notes: Some kids were disappointed that we didn't have book-specific crafts. I was too tired from last week's craziness.
• 11-1-16
• Attendance: 10 (plus 1 sibling and 1 attendee who came afterwards)
• Craft/Project: Create your own alien/monster; decorate mini tins
• Notes: I checked out 45 books! The kids hadn't quite finished some of the longer titles from last time.
• 10-4-16
• Attendance: 8
• Craft/Project: decorating magnifying glasses, comic story starters, pig masks
• Notes: Everyone was very chatty and enthusiastic. We were having so much fun we barely had time to pick out our next books! The Great Pet Escape and Bramble and Maggie were both favorites.
• 9-6-16
• Attendance: 9
• Craft/Project: Cutting up F&Gs to make bookmarks, decorating precut bookmarks.
• Notes: I wasn't able to make reminder calls b/c we were closed on Mondays and it was the first day of school on Tuesday. I did send out some reminders earlier in the day and 6 kids from last year returned, 1 more came who I invited at the end of the year, and 2 who happened to be there. I signed up one more afterwards and there are 2 more who should be coming later. The first meeting was a short one as usual, but there was lots of enthusiasm. I may need to have a talking stone or something like that. This group is mostly at a higher reading level, so I need some more challenging choices.
• 5-3-16
• Attendance: 6
• Notes: Couple new kids came this last time. They were all very excited to get their books and I am going to call to remind people next year.
• 4-5-16
• Attendance: 4
• Notes: People forgot to come back after Spring Break last week! I think next year I am going to have people sign up with an email or phone and make reminder calls on Monday. 1 newbie, 1 came in late and I had to coax to get them to check something out.
• 3-1-16
• Attendance: 3
• Notes: Small attendance due to the weather and school being closed but we had fun and two who haven't come for a while came back and enjoyed the quieter atmosphere. We painted snakes.
• 2-2-16
• Attendance: 7
• Notes: Really good turnout despite the icy weather! Two new attendees, although one may prefer to move up to the older group. We'll see. Big Fat Cow is still making the rounds - the kids keep returning it and then somebody else wants to check it out!
• 1-5-16
• Attendance: 5
• Notes: We're having so much fun! I'm thrilled that some of my struggling readers are enjoying their books, reading with their parents, etc. Two regulars didn't make it tonight - they came and picked up their books later. One new attendee.
• 12-1-15
• Attendance: 8
• Notes: Last time I ran out of books - this time I had too many! The kids were a bit hyper. I think instead of drawing the titles, I need something more visual - bowls for them to put their names in or something.
• 11-3-15
• Attendance: 7
• Notes: 1 boy could not attend and checked out his book beforehand. I did not have enough books! Every single one was checked out - kids wanted to take multiple books and I let them. One grandparent and one parent sat in and one mom afterwards asked if we could have book club in the summer (probably not, but I'll think about it). We had 2 boys, 1 returning from last year, and almost all 1st and 2nd graders with one 3rd grader.
• 10-6-15
• Attendance: 3 registered, 3 attended
• Notes: This was a bit of a wash-out. One of the attendees came by mistake - she meant to come next week with her friends who have all graduated up to the older book club. The other two were sisters, one who is only four. Not that I really mind, b/c she's a sweetie and joins in happily. Clearly I had overblown expectations from starting in February earlier this year - most kids are in sports or other after school activities in the fall apparently. I sent some marketing home with the sisters who go to a parochial school and I am going to reach out to the homeschoolers and schools (again).
• 5-5-15
• Attendance: 9
• Connections/Feedback: I had a very good response from kids this year and I'm looking forward to next year - the older kids were excited about a new book club and the prize books were a hit!
• Notes: I didn't have snacks b/c we had paint. I had candy left over from summer that they got to pick along with their free book.
• 4-7-15
• Attendance: 11
• Connections/Feedback: 1 new member for the first time and three new that I just collected from the library. Only one of my boys came - this is turning into an all girls group! I now have a total of 16 kids registered!
• Notes: Lots more kids wanted Notebook of Doom than I had copies. I also ran out of Best Friends and Ranger in Time. I need at least 4 copies of each book I think.
• 3-3-15
• Attendance: 8
• Connections/Feedback: I have 13 registered but the weather is not helping! One new person came - they were sick at the last meeting.
• Notes: I just kind of played this by ear in discussions. We talked about genres, what makes a book funny, why cats have whiskers, how reptiles sense things, and illustrations. I collected the books to return too early - I should do that later next time. I also let the kids take extra books to check out.
• 2-3-15
• Attendance: 11 registered, 7 attended
• Feedback/Connections: 
• Notes: We went about 40 minutes. I knew all the kids and they had a great time. The Brownies came a little early and helped me clean up. I had to help circ check out the books. I have six girls and one boy and they all meshed very nicely.
• I put about 10 books, notebooks, and notes to the parent at the circ desk if anyone wants to join later.