Arrrrrrre you ready for this?!

I still have a few things I wanted to share from Summer Reading, and since Children's/Teen Librarians spend 3/4 of the year thinking about Summer Reading, or planning for it, it's always in season, right? Like the color black. Or licorice...

During our Summer Reading we hosted a Pirate's Treasure Hunt around the library; kids and their grown-ups had to hunt around the library, getting a stamp on their maps when they arrived at the proper location. Once everyone found the 6 clues they met up in the Meeting Room, then Prairie Dawn read a series of clues for everyone to figure out together, which eventually led the group outside and to our buried treasure! Yes, we actually buried a (cardboard) treasure box (wrapped in a garbage bag!) under one of our trees--this is when it's nice to be the Director because I can say, "YES!" to these things...I hate saying "no!"(P.S. the treasure box with toys inside can be ordered from Oriental Trading Co.) 

The kids had a blast, the parents profusely thanked us for this fun event, and the local paper snapped photos and we made the front cover! So, to help others out there, thought I would share our clues, save you some time if you ever want to host this fun event! Feel free to reuse at your library (there are only 5 of the 6 clues here as one was very specific to something in our library!)

          If someone leaves something here

the ba-bump sound should alert your ear

that for the library staff a gift has been left

sometimes small, sometimes things of great heft.

We’ve got a wagon when there’s a big load.

We stack things in it, new and old.

Drag it to the desk and check things in,

but where is the box that all of this fun begins…?   (BOOK DROP)

      I hold lots of genres you can pick
many you like and most moms’ love flicks.

I’m up Nye and down low.
Science is where you will find me, I’m in the know.

(Genres: different styles such as Action, Adventure, Comedy, Westerns, Mysteries, etc.)
(**KIDS NF DVDs--we tucked ours in between 2 Bill Nye the Science Guy DVDs, hence the "up Nye" reference.)

      Don’t crack your back
while you look for this rack.

Daily I’m in black and white,
but my Sunday edition is wrapped in color tight.
(NEWSPAPERS/Our Reading Room)

      Put your ear to the ground
for these cosmic sounds.

These check out just like a book
for 3 weeks--come take a look!

We’ve got some for adults and a few for kids.
Head toward the shimmering lids.   (CD collection)

    

We’ve got many friends on these shelves:

a Very Hungry Caterpillar, Pinkalicious, and even a story about elves,

Clifford, Curious George, Fly Guy, a Pigeon who wants to drive a bus,

Brother & Sister Bear, and lots of other friends who won’t cause a fuss…

But the fellow whose books you’re looking for

is silly and funny and never a bore.

He has many characters that you definitely know,

but telling you their names would be easy, so we’ll go slow:

oh, think of all the places you’ll go!

If these characters you know:

a grouchy green meanie, an elephant who hears someone teeny,

a cool cat that makes trouble on a rainy day, enough clues now, so what do you say?
(Picture Books, Clue was tucked in with Dr. Seuss books!)

Were you able to figure out the clues?!