Read Across Lawrence for Kids

 

After months and months of preparation, I'm so excited to share with you a community-wide reading event with the goal of getting kids "on the same page".

For 10 years, the Lawrence Public Library has been hosting a city project, Read Across Lawrence, where everyone reads the same book at the same time. This year will be the very first year we also have a parallel program for kids, Read Across Lawrence for Kids, featuring the highly acclaimed, bohemian fantasy, The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski.

 

Yesterday, over 200 kids attended our Read Across Lawrence Pizza Party Kick-Off to enjoy delicious Wheat State Pizza, pick up a FREE copy of the book, watch the offical book trailer, and learn about the variety of events offered throughout the month of September. Lots and lots of events!

• Cover Art Workshop: Local cut-paper artist Angie Pickman will be hosting an art workshop inspired by the cover art of The Cabinet of Wonders.


• Book Trailer Workshop: Kids will learn how to make a stop-motion claymation movie and create a book trailer for The Cabinet of Wonders to premiere at the Read Across Lawrence for Kids Author Talk Finale


• Tour of the City's Own Cabinet of Wonders: Watkins Museum in Downtown Lawrence is going to grant access to library patrons to explore their attic, which looks like a cabinet of wonders. There will also be a short book discussion and craft activity following the tour.


• Cabinet of Wonders Scavenger Hunt: Using pre-programed GPS devices and clues based on the book, kids can navigate downtown Lawrence in search of hidden treasures.


• Cabinet of Wonders Installation: The library is creating it's own community Cabinet of Wonders!


• Book Club: Our monthly children's book club, The Secret Book Club, will be reading and discussing The Cabinet of Wonders for their September meeting.


• Teens Read it First: Drawing in the Teen Zone for advanced readers copies of Marie Rutkoski's YA novel, The Shadow Society, due out this October.


• Read Across Lawrence for Kids Author Talk Finale: Kids will have the opportunity to virtually meet The Cabinet of Wonders author Marie Rutkoski. The book trailer for The Cabinet of Wonders made by the kids of Lawrence will also premiere. Attendees also have a chance to win a copy of the next book in The Kronos Chronicle Series, The Celestial Globe.

The whole month is chock full of activities that take the reading experience one step further.

 

Along with promoting the events in the library with displays and word-of-mouth, the local teachers and school librarians have been the BIGGEST advocates. Twenty classrooms ranging from 3rd-7th grade have either already started or soon will start reading the book as a part of their language arts curriculum. School librarians have been encouraging their students to read the book and continuously keep them updated on upcoming events. They've been a dream to work with! Gotta love teachers and librarians!

With the kids program underway and the adult Read Across Lawrence program kicking off later this week, I feel confident in saying it's going to be a great month of reading here in Lawrence, Kansas.

Stay tuned...