Ahhhh, summer reading!! I am living the dream….which is why I’m just now catching up with my blog.
Here are a few highlights from my library…
First of all, a huge shout-out to the incomparable author/illustrator Brian Lies, whose graphics for this year’s Collaborative Summer Library Program were the best yet!!! We were all completely smitten with his Astro-Bat.
The Stanwood Library had a contest to name two bat puppets. There were almost 400 entries! The library staff voted on the most creative names, and the two inventive young bat namers won the puppets.
Storyteller extraordinaire Bob Kanegis kicked off our summer reading programming, spinning tales that kept his audience of kids and adults utterly spellbound.
I became convinced that he had been granted gifts from the Little People when he produced a tiny 2-inch harmonica and proceeded to play a tiny but perfect Scottish reel.
And when I found myself wearing an alligator head and playing a villainous people-eating monster being lulled to sleep through the power of music, I knew for sure that the Force is strong in this one.
If truth be told, I was missing telling stories of my own, since my partner Mira was keeping the story fires burning while I hosted weekly programs and took a couple of my programs on the road to other branches.
So I was thrilled when she took a little vacation and I got to pull out my Robot puppet show. The kids made Robot bodi-puppets and kept on practicing their robotic dance moves. My playlist for Robot storytime is eclectic: “Back When We Were All Machines,” by Cindy Kallet and Grey Larsen; “Technologic (Radio Edit),” by Daft Punk; “Jai Ho,” by A. R. Rahman; and “La Femme d’Argent,” by Air.
We had a super-fun After Hours @ the Library party in late July. Highlights included: 
Making origami bugs (cicadas, flies, and caterpillars) to add to our 50th anniversary time capsule.
Making home-made ice cream, in several steps:
First, go to Ice Cream Station ONE and get your small baggie containing sugar;
Second, go to Ice Cream Station TWO to have milk and vanilla measured into your small baggie…and seal it well;
Third, go to Ice Cream Station THREE and get your large baggie containing rock salt…and put your small baggie inside;
Fourth, go to Ice Cream Station FOUR and get ice added to your large baggie…and seal well;
Fifth, SHAKE and massage your ice cream packet until the ingredients turn into ICE CREAM.
Then…enjoy.
Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…there is nothing like homemade ice cream on a summer evening.
Yummy!
Then my partner Mira and I (with the help of our boss, Jill, on lights) performed a shadow puppet play: “Maui’s Big Dream: How Maui Snared the Sun.” 
We got to use the beautiful shadow puppet theater that Stuart made for me last summer.
After the show, the kids got to design and construct their own shadow puppets.
Here is a Fox…and a Tiger…
…and here is Maui wondering how a Tiger got into the middle of his story!
And those were some of the things that can happen in the library after it is closed for the day…
In August we folded origami boats on a perfect summer day in the library’s sculpture garden.
Would our boats sink or swim?
Kids tested how much weight the boats could carry and still stay afloat.
Alas, many paper boats eventually wound up in Davy Jones’ Locker.
Wait…no….is it just me? Do you hear that sinister martial music?
…What are those loud breathing noises??
TOM ANGLEBERGER, what have you unleashed???????
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
