Reading is Snow Much Fun

Things are getting festive here at Seabrook Library as we prepare for our annual Polar Express Storytime on Wednesday, December 13.  Join us at 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. for hot cocoa and a special storytime with Don Bagley of Old Time Radio!
 

We expect the storytime will re-kindle your love with this beautiful story, so we have partnered with the Seabrook PTO to also show the film "Polar Express" the following Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 6 p.m.  Popcorn will be served.




Although our weekly programming wraps up for the year the first week in December, there will be lots happening!  Everyone is invited to participate in our Festival of Trees by creating a tree out of household materials to display in the library.  We hope you will visit the library to learn more.

We will also be offering a special Make-It Take-It craft station throughout the month of December, and will host a Hot Chocolate Bar for holiday shoppers on Tuesday, Dec. 19 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

We will be open during the week of school vacation and families are invited to stop by to make a craft, play games and enjoy new books together!

In the meantime, we'd love to hear from you about your favorite books and programs of 2017, and what you are looking forward to in the new year!  Feel free to post below or email Miss Gretyl at gmacalaster@sealib.org.

Weekly programming will resume the second week of 2018!  See you soon!

November Fun at Seabrook Library

It is hard to believe the holidays are nearly upon us as we wrap up our Fall programming at Seabrook Library.

• Students in grades 5-8 are invited to join us each Monday evening this month for a different activity.  On Monday, November 13 join us for some "Mad Gaming" in the Storytime Room with Wii gaming, board gaming and pizza!  Also, help us decide which movie to show during Movie Monday on November 20th.  Then, finish out the month with our NEW Comics Club!  Bring your favorite graphic novel to talk about.  Activities and snacks are also part of this fun new program!
• For our younger patrons storytimes continue for babies on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m. (ages 0-2), and for preschool aged children on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

All programs will wrap up the first week of December, and resume around the second week of January.

Also, mark your calendar for our special Polar Express Storytime on Wednesday, December 13 at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.  This wonderful event is fun for the whole family with winter tales, hot cocoa and small gifts for the children!

Questions?  Contact Miss Gretyl by calling 603-474-2044 or by emailing gmacalaster@sealib.org.

Get Ready for Fall Programming!

We hope everyone is having a fantastic first full week back at school!  Here at the library we have been wrapping up our successful Summer Reading Program and getting ready for Fall! 

Weekly programs for the Fall include:

• Tuesdays, 10 AM
• Baby Lapsit (for children ages 0-2 and their caregivers)
• Wednesdays, 10:30 AM
• Read, Play, Create (preschool storytime designed for children ages 2-4 and their caregivers)
• Thursdays, 4 PM (for students in grades K-5, drop-in program)
•  LEGO CLUB

NEW!

• Wednesdays, 4 PM
• Craft Club (for students entering grades 3-5.  The first month will focus on Knitting)

STAY TUNED!

• New YA Programming being announced soon, including
• Monday, September 25
• Teen Book Club (for students ages 13 and up.  This month's book is "Optimists Die First".  Copies are available to borrow at the library.)

SPECIAL EVENT

On Monday, September 18 at 6 PM Seabrook Library will host an information night for parents curious about Homeschooling.  This event will feature panels of parents and students who will talk about their experiences, as well as a Curriculum Fair where parents can explore some of the different options available for homeschooling.


Questions?  Contact Miss Gretyl at gmacalaster@sealib.org or call 603-474-2044

August Fun at Seabrook Library

Our Summer Reading Program has come to an end and we are now putting our efforts into planning fun, new programs for Fall!  In the meantime, join us this month for movies, a celebration of our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Party, 3-D Design workshops and a Solar Eclipse Viewing party on August 21!

Summer Reading Program Finale

After five amazing weeks our Summer Reading Program comes to an end today with a two-part finale!  Join us at the library at 4 p.m. for a performance from storyteller Simon Brooks.  Children who completed the Summer Reading Program can also pick up their certificates and prizes and everyone can enjoy cupcakes!

Students entering grades 5-7 are invited to join us at the Seabrook Community Center from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a Summer Mixer featuring roller skating, gaga ball, face painting and more!

Thank you to everyone who helped to make our Summer Reading Program so successful including our amazing sponsors, Kennebunk Savings Bank, the Rotary Club of Hampton, Hodgies Too, Topsfield Fair, Water Country and the Portland Sea Dogs.

New Teen Book Group

We are so excited to announce our first Teen Book Group at Seabrook Library being led by our newest staff member, Amanda Plante!  The first discussion will be held on August 7 at 6 p.m.  This month's book is Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia.  See the flyer for more information and visit the library to pick up a copy of the book today!

Fun Continues at Seabrook Library

Our Summer Reading Program is going strong. Today begins the penultimate week of the program which means only TWO more chances to win the raffle for Water Country tickets by showing your reading logs to a librarian. We are excited to report that over 13,000 minutes have been read in the library so far this summer!



We have also been celebrating summer with special storytimes, a visit from the Boston Bruins mascot, Blades, and Community Builder storytimes with town departments.

This week, join us for Touch-A-Truck on Thursday, July 20 at 3:30 p.m. Trucks from the Seabrook Police, Fire and Public Works departments will be here for children to explore!


Also, students entering grades 3-5 can join us for STEM & A Story on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m.  This week's theme is "What's in the Box?"



Mark your calendar for our SRP Finale next week with Storyteller Simon Brooks on July 28



Looking for tips to get your child engaged with reading? Check out this New York Times Books article on "How to Raise a Reader".

Summer Reading Underway!

What a fun first week of Summer Reading Program we had! In addition to special visits from the Seabrook, NH Fire Department and the NHSPCA, our students were busy reading! During the first week 32 students read 4,695 minutes! Awesome job! Check out the LEGO Build behind the Children's Services Desk representing all of those minutes, and don't forget to turn in your reading log to earn prizes!

This week we are looking forward to STEM & A Story on Wednesday at 6 p.m. The theme is Animal Gross-Out.  Learn about wacky, slimy animal defenses, hear a story about a beautiful cockroach and play some games! This program is designed for students entering grades 3-6. Last week we designed bridges using toothpicks and marshmallows and learned the importance of triangles in design. Brielle's bridge held up the most animals at 23! 

On Thursday at 3:30 p.m. join us for a special storytime with the Seabrook Police Department.

Next week is also lining up to be a stellar week with Sandwiches & Stories on Monday, June 10 and our special Boston Bruins storytime with Blades the Mascot at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11.  We look forward to seeing you at the library soon!

Sandwiches & Stories at Seabrook Library

What a beautiful day for a picnic! Bring your lunch and join us on the lawn of the library for Sandwiches & Stories at 12 p.m. today, Monday, June 26. Miss Paula will read some stories, sing some songs, lead some games and has prepared some amazing crafts for this week's theme of "Places to Live".

This is the first of many great storytimes we are offering this week!  Join us on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. for our Community Builder storytime featuring the Seabrook Fire Department and on Friday at 3:30 p.m. for a special storytime with the NHSPCA and a furry friend!

This is also the first week for turning in reading logs.  Visit the Children's Desk to show how much you've been reading already and earn your first prize! We look forward to seeing you!

Summer Reading Program Registration Underway, Time Change for Finale Performer

Summer Reading Program registration is underway!  Children can visit Miss Gretyl to sign up and receive their registration materials and prizes just for signing up!  Next week we will really celebrate the beginning of our program with Jungle Jim's of Boston and his Minecraft Madness program.  For more information about Jim, visit his website:  http://www.ilovemylibrary.com/.
The program begins at 11 a.m. and will last about 45-minutes to be followed by cake!



Starting June 26 children can bring their logs to the library to show Miss Gretyl or Miss Paula and earn prizes for reaching reading goals.  We are so excited to hear about the great books you are reading this summer!  Can't find a particular book?  Let us know and we will do our best to get it for you.
Programs continue through July 28.  Please check out our Summer Reading Program calendar for more information. 



PLEASE NOTE: CALENDARS THAT WENT HOME FROM SCHOOL LISTED THE WRONG TIME FOR THE PART I FINALE ON JULY 28.  SIMON BROOKS STORYTELLER WILL BE HERE AT THE LIBRARY AT 4 P.M. ON JULY 28 FOR OUR FINALE CELEBRATION!  This is to accommodate the many students who will be at Seabrook Recreation's Summer Camp during the day.

30 Million Words

Summer is a great time for curling up in an air-conditioned room or on a breezy beach to enjoy stories together.  Check out this article to learn why speaking to, reading to and singing to young children can impact literacy development at young ages:

Why 30 Million Words Are Critical to Your Child’s Future Success

Then visit Seabrook Library starting June 12 to register for the Summer Reading Program!  Children can read anything they like, track their progress in the library and earn prizes for reaching reading goals!  Questions?  Contact Miss Gretyl at Seabrook Library.

"Build a Better World" with Seabrook Library this Summer

Summer Reading is coming!

Thank you to everyone for making our Spring programs such a rousing success!  More than 42 individual students participated in our weekly LEGO Club between Feb. 23 and May 25, a handful of amazing tween students helped put on some unique and engaging Young Adult (YA) programming on Wednesday evenings and Miss Paula continued to wow the preschool crowd with her morning storytimes.  Check out our Facebook page to see photos from some of this season's programs  We look forward to resuming all of these programs in September!

Now we are busy preparing for an incredible Summer Reading Program.  This year's theme is:

Be sure to mark your calendar for our Kick-Off with Jungle Jim's of Boston and his "Minecraft Madness" program on June 22.  Seabrook Library was awarded a Kids, Books and the Arts grant through the New Hampshire State Library allowing us to offer this exciting new Kick-Off program.  Funding for the Kids, Books and the Arts event is provided by the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, CHILIS, Cogswell Benevolent Trust, and is supported in part by a grant from the NH State Council on the Arts & the National Endowment for the Arts as well as funds administered by the NH State Library and provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Other incredible sponsors this summer include Kennebunk Savings Bank, Rotary Club of Hampton, the Portland Sea Dogs, Hodgies Too and Water Country.

Stay tuned for information about the many events, storytimes and other activities planned for the summer - or get a headstart by viewing our June/July calendar!

May Happenings

A fun time was had by all during school vacation week.  Carol and Crew entertained about 40 children and parents with a special puppet show, a handful of families learned how to protect seals snoozing on Seabrook Beach this pupping season, and about a dozen children tried their hand at Sand Art.  You can see some of their creations on display along the walls of the Children's Area.

Looking ahead, we are so excited for our annual Tea Party hosted by Library Trustee Laura Litcofsky and her daughter, Kaylee coming up on Saturday, May 6 at 10:30 a.m.!  Join us for tea and make a surprise for a special grown-up in your life just in time for Mother's Day!

Regular programming also continues in May before we break for an exciting Summer Reading Program!  Weekly programs include:

•  Sing, dance, read stories and make a simple craft with Miss Gretyl on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. during Preschool Storytime.
• Join Miss Paula on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 for Read, Play, Create - a fun and engaging preschool aged storytime (siblings welcome).
• Youth ages 10 and up are invited to YA (Young Adult) Wednesday programming from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  This week we will get a sneak peek into the historic Brown Library and see if we can make video games work on our new Story Room screen.  Each week youth attendees help decide the following week's program.  Pizza is served.  Please notify Miss Gretyl of any food allergies.
• LEGO Club continues on Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for children in grades K-4.  Come check out some of their challenge creations in the glass display case near the Circulation Desk!

We look forward to seeing you at Seabrook Library soon! Questions?  Give us a call at 603-474-2044.

April Vacation Week Activities

We have an exciting week of activities planned in the Youth Services Department for April vacation including a special puppet show, a visit from the Seacoast Science Center and a special showing of the original Disney "Beauty & the Beast" cartoon movie in the Storytime Room.  Children of all ages and their caregivers are invited to attend these free events.  No registration required.

Tuesday, April 25 

10:30 AM

Save A Seal with the Seacoast Science Center

Meeting Room

Seals come on to the beach to rest and soak up the sun. But what happens when a seal is in distress and in need of rescue? Children will learn all about the common species of the Gulf of Maine, find out how the SSC Marine Mammal Rescue Team responds to seals on the beach, and perform a mock rescue. Children will earn “seal of approval” after learning how to protect marine mammals that haul out on the shore.

Wednesday, April 26

10:30 AM

Puppet Show with Carol & Crew

Meeting Room

Join us on the 26th during our regular preschool storytime hour for a special puppet show with Hampton Falls Children's Librarian and experienced puppeteer, Carol Sanborn.  Afterwards, hang out in our children's area and put on your own show using our puppet theater!

Friday, April 28

1:30 PM

Friday Family Film - "Beauty & the Beast" 

Original Disney cartoon movie

in the Storytime Room

Join us for popcorn and a movie in the storytime room!

Welcome to Our New Blog!

Welcome to Seabrook Library's new Blogger spot!  We are so excited to welcome our new Children's & YA Librarian, Miss Gretyl.  Miss Gretyl joined the staff in January and has been busy putting together an exciting calendar of events!  Starting Feb. 9 students in grades K-4 can stop by every Thursday afternoon for LEGO Club beginning at 3:30 p.m.  Two afterschool storytimes are scheduled for Monday, February 6 and Monday, February 13 designed for children of all ages who like stories, songs and crafts.  And Friday is for Fun & Games with drop-in crafts and board games for children and adults to enjoy together.

Miss Paula will continue to run our Exploration Station storytimes every Wednesday morning starting with Baby Lapsit at 9:30 a.m., a Meet & Greet at 10 a.m. and Toddler Storytime at 10:30 a.m.

We hope you will stop by and meet Miss Gretyl who is always excited to hear about your favorite books, games and movies and to offer recommendations for new, fun, reads.  Here is a little bit about her.

Name:  Miss Gretyl
Hair Color:  Red
Height: Pretty tall 
Pets:  Camie, the calico cat
Favorite Color(s):  Yellow and Blue
Favorite Animal(s):  Sheep, otters, birds
Favorite Food(s):  Cookies and ice cream 
Favorite Sport:  Baseball
Some Favorite Book(s):  Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery, The Paper Bag Princess, by Robert Munsch, The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Favorite things to do besides read:  Be outside (camping, hiking, swimming, skiing), spend time with family and friends, learn new things (right now I am learning how to knit), play games, watch the Boston Red Sox.
In a previous life:  I was a newspaper reporter and got to do some really cool things - like fly in an aerobatic airplane with one of the world's best stunt pilots.  Here I am upside-down in the middle of a barrel roll over Hampton Beach in 2011!

 

Check out Seabrook Library in the news:  Thank you to the Newburyport Daily News for stopping by for our LEGO Build-It event earlier this month. (P.S.  Miss Gretyl can usually be seen with a big smile on her face - but is not particularly photogenic!)

We are also interested in hearing from you!  Do you have an idea for a fun, new program?  Is there a new book that you just NEED to have - let us know and we will do our best to get it for you!