August

AUGUST: Frames and Focus: End of Summer Stories in Motion

                                                   

          FEATURED BOOK

About: The story is about a little boy named Jabari who just finished his swimming lessons and is finally ready to jump off the diving board at the neighborhood pool. He tells his dad that he is not scared at all, but when he looks up at how high the diving board is, he starts to feel really nervous. He lets the other kids go ahead of him, does a few stretches, and tries to find excuses to delay his big jump. His dad gently steps in and tells him that it is okay to feel a little bit scared, and that sometimes taking a deep breath can turn fear into a surprise. Jabari takes his time, climbs up the ladder, walks out to the edge, and finally takes a big splash into the water.

Review

 He tries to put off diving off the board because it’s scary, although he doesn’t want to admit it. The story doesn’t have much more to it other than Jabari’s father speaking to him to reassure him that sometimes scary things can turn out to be surprises if you do them anyway, but the message makes Jabari all the more confident to try what he’s scared of.

The illustrations are fun but also unique. The images of Jabari and his family are big and very expressive. You can really see the happiness in his face as well as the worry when he’s preparing to dive" (Cornwall, 2021).

                                                             August Special Programs 

The Shoreline Story Celebration: End-of-Summer Beach Event (Family Event / All Ages)

                                              Description:
Families gather at the local beach park for a festive celebration to wrap up the summer. The library sets up an outdoor pop-up tent featuring a donated book display packed with stories themed around summer fun, swimming, and outdoor adventures. While parents and children browse the books and enjoy the ocean view, library staff hand out complimentary, homemade cookies baked in the shapes of sea animals (like sea stars, sharks, and whales).

                                                           Developmental Value:

Promotes immense family-centered social relaxation, multi-generational bonding, and positive community literacy associations. Browsing a curated book display sparks casual conversation, self-selected reading interest, and verbal story-sharing between parents and children.

Resources & EDI: 

Highlights a curated selection of donated children's paperbacks that families can take home permanently. This program directly supports inclusion by meeting the community out in a free, open civic space to remove transit or institutional barriers. Non-dairy and allergen-free treats (alongside fun ocean stickers) are strictly provided so children with severe dietary restrictions are fully included in the celebration.

Staffing Requirements: 2 Children’s Department employees (to manage the pop-up tent and greet families) and 2 Library Volunteers (to distribute cookies and pass out library flyers) 2. 

Summer Reel Chronicles: Youth Video Blog Studio (Ages 8–12 / Online Event)

                                                            Description:

 A specialized virtual media workshop where up to 20 registered participants learn the basics of digital content creation. Children are guided through setting up a simple, private blog template to document their favorite summer memories. Using free, user-friendly editing software, kids stitch together photos and record voiceovers to share their summer stories in an engaging video blog format. The program wraps up with a secure, private virtual watch party where peers share their short video clips.

                                                  Developmental Value: 

Drastically boosts digital media literacy, technological fluency, and keyboarding skills. Crafting a video blog script and recording voiceovers strengthens formal narrative sequencing, public speaking confidence, and expressive vocabulary layout.

Resources & EDI:

Utilizes free, open-source blogging platforms and web-based video editing applications. Equity is championed by keeping registration entirely free and capping the group at 20 participants so staff can provide focused, one-on-one virtual tech support. For youth experiencing dysgraphia or writing barriers, built-in speech-to-text tools and automated video captioning features ensure full creative independence.

Staffing Requirements:

 1 Children’s Librarian (to lead the digital storytelling lesson) and 1 Tech Assistant (to manage the virtual platform troubleshooting and caption setup):

Motion-Maker Storytime (Ages Birth–5)

Book:

Book & Media: Clark the Shark by Bruce Hale paired with a minute high-energy animated storybook clip and an upbeat ocean dance mix via Hoopla.

Clark the Shark Clip

Unique Materials: Colorful movement scarves, marine character templates, ocean stamps, and washable glue sticks.

Lego Animation Studio (Ages 8–12)

Unique Studio Focus: Building miniature beach boardwalks, coastlines, and open-air movie sets.

Unique Materials: Bulk tan, blue, and white Lego plates, plastic mini-palms, and high-contrast scenic backdrops.

 Script Writers Club (Ages 8–12)

Unique Writing Focus: Writing final campfire stories, wrap-up logs, and dialogue scripts about preparing for a new school year.

Unique Materials: Lined narrative script templates, fine-tip pencils, and blank dialogue bubble stickers.

Let's Get Moving! (Ages 5–8)

Book & Activity: Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald paired with a backyard sandcastle engineering relay and outdoor agility movement drills.

Unique Materials: Plastic buckets, molds, foam jump rings, and high-visibility running vests.

                                August Monthly Recurring Programs

•  Paws & Playback: Read to Dogs (Ages 5–10)
• Book Selection: Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald.

• Media Element: 2-minute live-action film trailer comparison clip to observe summer-themed scene sets.
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• Unique Materials: Hypoallergenic dog treats, custom canine reading paw-print reward stickers, and end-of-summer activity tracking logs.
•  Fact-Finder Film Scouts (Ages 7–10)
  • Scavenger Hunt Focus: Coastal geography, ocean habitats, and marine wildlife preservation (Dewey Decimal non-fiction shelf 551.46).
  • Unique Materials: Printed Shoreline Scout Manual trivia packets, custom miniature crab library keychains, and small participation treats.
•  Read a Movie Club (Ages 8–12)
• Book Selection: The Lightning Thief

• Media Element: Watch the movie trailer
• Unique Materials: Individual snack boxes of movie-theater-style popcorn kernels and customized book discussion guides.
• Cinematic Escape Room (Ages 8–12)
  • Puzzle Vault Theme: "Escape from the Sunken Boardwalk Media Center."
  • Unique Materials: 3 combination padlocks, 1 locked wooden storage box, beach-themed clue cards, and secret directional compass decoders.