December can be a magical month, and WCPL plans to make it even more special for our community! With loads of free Winter Reading Program activities and a cool art contest for teens, we hope to engage, inspire, and entertain readers all month long!
The Winter Reading Program officially began in late November and will continue through January 31! This month is particularly exciting, as it will feature Storytimes in the Snow Dome on Thursday afternoons at SoKY Ice Rink at both 4pm and 4:30pm. Character meet-and-greets will follow a story-telling session and will feature these special guests:
•12/5: The Grinch
•12/19: Princesses (Elsa & Ana)
•12/26: Pete the Cat
For a January sneak peek, these characters are also on the schedule:
•1/2: Winnie the Pooh
•1/9: Bluey & Bingo
•1/16: Pikachu
•1/23: Paw Patrol’s Chase & Skye
Sign up through the library’s calendar of events (warrenpl.org/events), or link through from the Winter Reading page (warrenpl.org/winter). While you’re there, check out the cool grand prizes you will have a chance to win if you complete a Winter Reading Program activity log!
You better not pout; Santa Claus is coming to WCPL! Santa loves visiting WCPL locations to check on his favorite young readers before the holidays. We’re thrilled to once again host Santa Bob and Santa Jason as special guests during these times:
•Wednesday, 12/4, 4pm to 8pm: Santa Bob at Buchanan Park Branch, plus live Nativity animals between 5pm and 7pm
•Thursday, 12/5, 3pm to 8pm: Santa Bob at the Bob Kirby Branch
•Tuesday, 12/10, 4pm to 8pm: Santa Jason at the Lisa Rice Library
•Thursday, 12/12, 4pm to 8pm: Santa Jason at SoKY Ice Rink’s Snow Dome
•Saturday, 12/14, 10am to 2pm. Santa Bob at the Smiths Grove Branch, plus live Nativity animals between 11am and 1pm
Registration is required. Sign up online (warrenpl.org/winter) as a family group for a 30-minute arrival time slot, during which you can line up to talk to Santa. We will have jolly elves on site to help with fun activities while you wait to share your Christmas list and get a photo with Santa!
Finally, this month we will host a Teen Book Cover Design Contest for artists ages 13 through 17! Teenagers are invited to put their creativity to work and redesign the book cover of a classic YA novel (see list below). They can submit their artistic rendition for display and a chance to win a gift basket with art supplies and free art classes from BG Art Class. Here are the details: Artwork can be done in any style, using any medium. The original finished cover should measure 6×9 inches and should include the title of the book and the author’s name. Entries should be dropped off at the Lisa Rice Library between December 16 and January 6. Entrants should select one of the following titles:
•The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
•The Outsiders by S.E. Hint
•Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
•Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
•The Giver by Lois Lowry
•To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
•Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
•The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The redesigned book covers will be on display at Lisa Rice Library until the closing reception on January 29, at 6pm, when the winners will be announced. There will be a “Library’s Choice” award selected by library staff and a “Public Pick” award voted on by the public. If you plan to come to the closing reception, let us know by registering through the library’s calendar of events. Direct any questions to elizabethc@warrenpl.org.
We hope your schedule allows for lots of library fun this month! To keep up with everything happening at the library, follow us on social media (@warrenpl on Facebook, Instagram, and X) or sign up for our email newsletter (https://tinyurl.com/WCPLNews).
-by Ashley Fowlkes, Digital Content Manager
