Spooky Resources and Program Ideas

Who I am

Who are you

Goals for today’s program

AKA why are YOU doing this?

See Florida Department of State Division of Libraries

Planning, Evaluation, and Statistics: Library Services Evaluation Resource

Books

Nighty-Night Little Green Monster by Ed Emberley

Love Monster by Rachel Bright

Yeti, Turn Out the Light! By Greg Long, Chris Edmundson illustrated by Wednesday Kirwan

The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone and Michael Smollin (pairs with Monster in a Box Activity)

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Apps

Another Monster at the End of this Book Starring Grover and Elmo by Sesame Workshop

Teach Your Monster to Read by The Usborne Foundation (Computer based version is free)

Activity: Monster in a Box

Supplies

Monster puppet or stuffed animal (can even be a flat cut out or flannel monster)

Large box or bag (could use a pillow case), at least large enough to hold your monster, larger is better

Things you can use to secure/wrap the box—string, yarn, rope, tape, band aids, plastic wrap, etc.

Activity: Magic Envelope Monster (What is a Magic Envelope?)

Supplies

2 large, sturdy envelopes glued together so they look like one, but you can access both pockets

Colorful cut outs representing parts of a monster—fangs/teeth, horns, scary eyes, fur, big nose, claws, and so on

Cut out of a whole monster

Craft-Make a Monster

Supplies

This is a use what you have craft, so collect together anything that could be used to make a monster, especially all the odds and ends of things you were saving just in case you needed them:

Monster foundations: paper plates, paper bags, construction paper, cardboard, paper towel or toilet paper tubes

Monster parts: googly eyes, pipe cleaners, tissue paper, pompoms, dot stickers

Crayons or markers

Glue sticks

Research

Learn about books (parts of the book, authors, illustrators, kinds of books)

Learn about the library

Books My Name is Elizabeth by Annika Dunklee and illustrated by Matthew Forsythe

Catalina Magdalena Hoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name by TeddArnold

My Name is Sangoel by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Catherine Stock (teacher’s guide)

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi (discussion guide)

Poem Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out by Shel Silverstein Read by the

author

Song The Name Game by Shirley Ellis

Short Story/Excerpts How Angel Peterson Got His Name by Gary Paulsen (Chapter 1)

Chapter 2 Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry

Program: What’s in a Name?

Craft: Make a Name Monster

Supplies

Construction paper

Pens or pencils

Crayons

Markers

Odds and ends for monster parts (googly eyes, feathers, pipe cleaners, tissue paper, etc.)

Glue Stick

Fold

Research: Name Meanings

Get out the library’s baby name books or go to a site like http://www.babycenter.com/baby-names and have each child search for his or her name. Have them write down or print out the meaning of their first names. Ask them to observe what other information is available about their name (census data, popularity). Ask a few to share something they learned.

You can also search for the meanings and origins of last names here: http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts

Books

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and illustrated by Jim Kay

The Alchemyst, Book 1 of the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott (website for series)

American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America by Linda S. Godfrey

Monsterology: A Complete Book of Monstrous Beasts by D. Ernest Drake and illustrated by Wayne Anderson, Helen Ward and Douglas Carrel (activity kit Ology World website)

Movie Monsters by Gerrie McCall (Gareth Stevens series Monsters and Myths)

Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling Off Your Shorts by Troy Lanier and Clay Nichols

Tricky Video: The Complete Guide to Making Movie Magic by The Editors of Klutz, John Cassidy, Editor

Song

Purple People Eater

Movies

Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

The Giant Gila Monster (1959)

MSTK Planet Theater

Research

Monsters of myth and legend

Movie monsters

Movie special effects

How to make your own movie

Activity-DIY (Horror) Movie

Have your teens script/storyboard and film a (very) short film using their mobile devices. Provide random props and items and make the setting be the library. Screen the films for friends and family and serve popcorn and drinks. Pull out library books as resources.

See also Teen filmmaking resources

Video special effects

Animation basics: Homemade special effects - TED-Ed

Stop Motion How To

Stop Motion Apps

iStopMotion for iPad

Vine (if you start and stop the capture)

Stop Motion Studio

Smoovie

Storyboard Templates

Activity-Movie Make-up

DIY Movie Make-up and Special Effects Sites

Home-made Special Effects Make-up

7 DIY Halloween Tips From Let Me In's Special Effects Artist Andrew Clement

Make your own special effect make-up

How to do special effects make-up (videos)

7 Halloween Makeup Tricks Using Common Household Items

How to Make “Latex” for Special Effects Makeup

Want some professional help? Call your local theater group and see if they have someone who might come and do the program for cheap or free.

Books

The Night I Followed the Dog by Nina Laden

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? by Bonnie Lass, Philemon Sturges and illustrated by Ashley Wolff

Hermelin the Detective Mouse as told to Mini Grey

Moose Tracks by Karma Wilson and Jack E. Davis

Fortune Cookies by Albert Bitterman, illustrated by Chris Raschka

Websites and Apps

I Spy Games by Scholastic (free website)

Spot the Dot by Ruckus Media Group (app)

Activity: Follow the Trail

Supplies

An object to hide

Something to mark the trail to follow—such as foot prints cut out of paper, other clues that can be used to mark the trail

Magnifying glass

Activity: Mystery Box

Supplies

Large box covered in paper with holes large enough for children’s hands or a bag or pillow case

Cut out question marks to stick on the box

Object(s) to place inside the box

Craft-Make a Magnifying Glass and a Deer Stalker

Supplies

Magnifying glasses printed on construction paper/card stock already cut out (pattern)

Circles cut from freezer bags just larger than the opening of the magnifying glass

Deer stalkers printed, already cut out (pattern)

Crayons or markers

Glue sticks

Research

Learn about mysteries, also here

Learn about books

Books The Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit (Randi Rhodes, Ninja Detective) by Octavia Spencer,

illustrated by Vivienne To

The Wig in the Window by Kristin Kittscher (discussion guide)

Double Vision by F.T. Bradley (First in a series)

The Secrets of Shakespeare’s Grave by Deron R. Hicks, illustrated by Mark Edward Geyer (First in a series)

Malcolm at Midnight by W. H. Beck

The Real Spy’s Guide to Becoming a Spy by Peter Ernest, illustrated by Susan Harper

Websites for Juvenile Mystery Sleuths, Spies and Alibis

Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Juvenile winners

Agatha Award Best Children/Young Adult Fiction

MovieNancy Drew (2007)*

Program: CSI in the Library

Book Two-Minute Mysteries by Donald J. Sobol

Crafts and Activities Make a CSI Kit

Make a Keyhole Spyglass

Make Footwear Impressions - CSI Style!

Make a Handwriting Analysis!

Play Forensic Flashlight Tricks

Send a Message Using Invisible Ink

Extract Your Own DNA

Guest Speaker Call your local law enforcement agency and ask if they can send a detective or forensics/crime

scene tech to talk about their jobs.

Research Forensics/law enforcement careers

Spies

Fingerprints

DNA

Websites 5 Minute Mystery (requires registration)

Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress

Virtual Exhibit on Forensic Science and Interactive Game

Decipher a Coded Message

Mysterynet’s Kid’s Mysteries

Math Maven’s Mysteries

Create a DNA Fingerprint

FBI Kids Page

Books

The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley MacKall (Edgar winner)

Shelter by Harlan Coben (first in series, companion to Myron Bolitar series)

Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gangnon (first in a series)

The Body in the Woods by April Henry (first in a series)

Uncaged: The Singular Menace Book 1 by John Sandford and Michelle Cooke

Defending Jacob by William Landay

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Eye of the Crow, The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His First Case by Shane Peacock (series)

Book Lists Clueless? Adult Mysteries with Young Adult Appeal 2013 2012 (appears in VOYA every

December)

Summer Reading List-Golden Age Mysteries

Popular Sherlock Holmes Pastiches

Movies Sherlock Holmes: Terror by Night (1946)

North by Northwest (1959)*

The Pink Panther (1963)*

Murder by Death (1976)*

Research Sherlock Holmes and the public domain, copyright

The Golden Age of Mystery, classic mystery authors, classic mystery types

Serial killers

Criminal profiling, FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, behavioral science and crime

Program-Mystery in the Library

Purchase or borrow a “mystery party in a box” kit, like these or these. These kits come with everything you need to “host a mystery.”

Alternately, create a version of live Clue-you can make it very much like the board game but life size and simpler or make your own version. Better yet, have some teens make one.

Lay out the “board” in a large space like a meeting room. We designated corners and walls to be the rooms, so had 8. Create the cards for the characters, weapons, and rooms. Create score sheets for players. Make a giant die out of a small cardboard box and put the rooms on each side. Have accessories for players to wear to represent each character. Have props for the rooms and weapons.

You can add your own props and decorations, snacks to fit the themes.

Books

The Magic Rabbit by Annette LeBlanc Cate

Milo’s Hat Trick by Jon Agee

Anton Can Do Magic by Ole Konnecke

Maisy’s Show by Lucy Cousins (Maisy Activity Kit)

Press Here by Herve Tullet

Apps and Videos

Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses (Pete the Cat website, Pete the Cat app)

Press Here App by Chronicle Books

Activity: Disappearing Coin Trick (fairly detailed instructions)

Supplies A clear glass or plastic cup

Two sheets of construction paper, the same color

A pencil

Scissors

Glue

A coin

A handkerchief

Activity: Watch Me Pull a Rabbit Out of This Magic Envelope (What is a Magic Envelope?)

Supplies 2 large, sturdy envelopes glued together so they look like one, but you can access both pockets (If you want

to extend the illusion, make a top hat cut out that covers the envelope and cut a slit in it so you can access the pockets.)

Colorful cut outs representing parts of a bunny—ears, rabbit teeth, pink nose, bunny tail, and so on

Cut out of a bunny rabbit

Craft-Rabbit in a Hat

Supplies

Top hats, like this one

Rabbits, like these (you may need to adjust the size to work—you want the rabbits to be small enough to slip through a slit in the hats)

Popsicle sticks

Glue

Scissors

Research

Learn about books

Learn about the “magic” of the online catalog for finding books on rabbits

Books

Hurray Up, Houdini: Magic Tree House #50 by Mary Pope Osborne (nonfiction companion book)

A Matter-of-Fact Magic Book: What the Witch Left by Ruth Chew (Matter of Fact Magic Series)

The Magic Trap by Jacqueline Davies (series)

The Lives of Christopher Chant by Dianna Wynne Jones

I Was a Third Grade Science Project by Mary Jane Auch, illustrated by Herm Auch

Songs, Videos and Apps

Magic to Do from Pippin, the Musical (Pop-up Play Book)

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (book, video, and app) by William Joyce

Program: The Science of Magic

Book

Smart Science Tricks by Martin Gardner

Crafts and Activities Magic Paper

Hot Ice or Sodium Acetate Demonstration

Egg in a Bottle Demonstration

Pepper and Water Science Magic Trick

Trading Places - Liquid Science Magic Trick

Supercooling Water

The Tube

Guest Speaker Call your local university or high school and see if a chemistry teacher can come and do a few

demonstrations.

Research Chemical reactions

Physics of air pressure

Physics of levers

Isometric exercises

Websites The Magic of Science (Discovery Australian TV Show)

Science Magic Tricks

Science Magic Tricks 2

The Surfing Scientist: Tricks

Magic Tricks

Experiments: Magic Tricks

Illusioneering

Books

Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear by Jim Steinmeyer, foreword by Teller

Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, and the Hidden Powers of the Mind by Alex Stone

The Magicians by Lev Grossman (series)

Delusion by Laura Sullivan

Illusionology by Albert Schafer, illustrated by David Wyatt and Levi Pinfold (activity guide)

The Great and Only Barnum by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Ray Fenwick

Freaks, Alive, on the Inside by Annette Curtis Klause

Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond

Movies

The Prestige*

Now You See Me (2013)*

Website

Circopedia

Research

Famous magicians such as Houdini

P.T. Barnum

History of the circus, side shows

Circus animals, issue of keeping and training circus animals/wild animals

Program-Circus Scavenger Hunt (Based on this program)

Plan 6-8 stations/activities throughout the library. At each station, a team of teens has to look something up, complete a task, or make something in order to get the clue to go to the next station. Have lots of adult helpers and at least one designated photographer. Have themed prizes, giveaways, and snacks at the end for the whole group where you can show the videos and pictures from the event.

Walk a tightrope-place a rope or piece of masking tape on the floor. Each teen on a team must walk it.

Create a clown face-team members must turn one member into a clown, complete with face paint and wig. Buy clown noses that all teens must wear after this station.

Make circus paper dolls using this or this. Instead of paper bases, attach to sticks.

Make up a skit with paper dolls at another station. Video tape the skits to show later.

Hula hooping-each teen on a team must hula hoop. Bonus points for the team that can hula hoop the longest.

Juggling-each teen must try juggling.

Research-What is the oldest circus still in activity?

Look up books about the circus-what is the call number? Where are they located?

????

Giveaways (with thanks to Bloomsbury Kids)

Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica George

The Magic Half by Annie Barrows

Magic in the Mix by Annie Barrows

Preschool

Children

Teens