March

                      Athletes on Screen & Page" (Sports Madness)

MAIN BOOK

A great book about diversity and swimming for the month of May. To see a character overcome their fear of water and not only become skilled but develop passion for the sport. 

                                             Mrs Readerpants Review                                       

"The history. Underlying Bree’s fear of swimming is her belief that Black people cannot swim. Her older neighbor, Etta, explains that this is a holdover from the segregation of swimming pools in recent history. It’s not that Black people cannot swim; it’s that, even in recent history, Black people had limited opportunities to swim at all.

This history comes up only three or four times, so it isn’t the focus of the story. But it’s an important lesson for young readers who may not be familiar with swimming pool segregation in US history. It shows the lasting legacy of discrimination. Though Bree was not denied access to a swimming pool herself, she still has an irrational fear of swimming and believes that swimming isn’t for Black people" (Swim Team: A Librarian's Perspective Review, n.d).

         BOOK DISPLAY

      March Special Programs

           Sports Reels & Vision Collages: Poolside Pacing (Ages 8–12)

 The library screens clips from the highly acclaimed 2016 documentary film Swim Team, which follows three diverse, neurodivergent teenagers on the autism spectrum who form a competitive swim team and win a championship. 

Short clip

                                                The Guest Speaker: 

A competitive collegiate swimmer from a local university (like the UC San Diego Tritons) joins the workshop to share real-world training schedules, pool pacing strategies, and pre-race focus techniques.
                                                The Book Connection: 
Physical copies of the award-winning graphic novel Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas are placed on every table. Children explicitly discuss how the real athletes in the documentary and the fictional character, Bree, in the graphic novel both have to overcome anxieties and rely on teammates to succeed.

                                                     The Craft Activity:

Participants create custom swimming "Vision Collages," cutting out motivational text and athletic action stills from sports magazines to map out their own fitness and personal goals.

                                                   Developmental Value: 

Inspires career curiosity, healthy lifestyle habits, and goal-setting behavior. Interacting with a collegiate role model builds active listening and formal question-forming skills, while sorting and pasting collage elements strengthens fine motor control and spatial layout design.
                                  

                                 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI): 

The documentary directly elevates neurodivergent voices, shattering stigmas about autism in sports. The accompanying graphic novel explicitly addresses historical discrimination regarding access to public pools for Black communities. For the collage activity, pre-cut templates and text phrases are provided for children with fine-motor barriers, ensuring full inclusion. 

Staffing Requirements: 

1 Children’s Librarian (to host the athlete and moderate the session) and 1 Volunteer College Swimmer (guest speaker).

                                 SPECIAL EVENT #2

"Space Jam" Family Basketball Craft & Matinee (Family Event / All Ages)

                                 

                                  The Big Screen Connection: 

Families gather in the programming room to watch classic clips of the ultimate live-action and animation hybrid movie: LeBron's Space Jam

Preview of what is being shown

The Book Connection: Space Jam Join The Team

Feature the physical book 

(Children's Biographical Edition) by Matt Christopher to bridge the movie to non-fiction literacy.  

                       The Family & Craft Activities: The Coloring Station: 

Families can color sports-themed pages featuring diverse athletic legends.

                                                    The Basketball Craft:

Kids craft their own lightweight basketballs using crumpled orange construction paper and masking tape.

                                                     The Interactive Game: 

The library sets up custom-created laundry basket "hoops" around the room for children to practice their shooting skills.

                                                       The Rewards System: 

Every single kid gets a small candy bag/treat just for participating and coming to the library. Kids who successfully sink their paper shots win a bonus bag of extra candy!

                                                        Developmental Value: 

 

Drastically builds gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and physical stamina through the interactive shooting game. Shared family activities boost social-emotional bonding, while the rewards system reinforces intrinsic motivation, rule-following, and positive sportsmanship.

                                       Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI): 

Designed entirely as a free family event to bring the community together without economic barriers. To accommodate all abilities, hoops are set at varying heights (including floor-level baskets for children in wheelchairs or toddlers). Soft paper balls ensure a safe, low-impact sensory environment. Alternative non-food treats (like library stickers or stamps) are provided for children with severe food allergies.

                                             Staffing Requirements: 

1 Children’s Assistant (to pass out craft supplies and cue up the movie clips) and 2 Library Volunteers (to manage the basketball hoops and hand out candy bags safely).

                            

                                                       Weekly Programs

March Weekly Recurring Programs (Theme Updates)

                                            Motion-Maker Storytime (Ages Birth–5)

Book & Media: 

Dino-Hockey by Lisa Wheeler paired with a 3-minute high-energy animated book clip and "The Hokey Pokey Shake" active audio track on Hoopla.

Unique Materials: Miniature plastic hockey sticks, lightweight foam pucks, and colorful floor spot markers. 

Lego Animation Studio (Ages 8–12)Unique Studio Focus: Stadium Lights & Epic Sports Arenas.

Unique Materials: Bulk green and white Lego plates, miniature brick goal posts, and cardstock stadium crowd backings.

 Script Writers Club (Ages 8–12)

Unique Writing Focus: Writing high-stakes sports announcer commentary and victory speeches.
Unique Materials: Lined script templates and blue/red editor correction pencils.

 Let's Get Moving! (Ages 5–8)

Book & Activity: Duke Kahanamoku (Ready-to-Read Level 3: You Should Meet) by Laurie Calkhoven paired with an outdoor Hawaiian surf-balance simulation game and garden agility running tracks. (For more information on Duke Kahanamoku for kids who are avid swimmers, surfers, or simply curious can watch this free clip from PBS to get more info and check out the children's book). Free clip 

Unique Materials: Foam balance blocks, plastic training surfboards, and agility

                                             Monthly Programs

 Paws & Playback: Read to Dogs (Ages 5–10)

Book Selection: Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson (Newbery Honor Graphic Novel / Audio-Visual Media Book) 

3-minute roller derby instructional animated graphic clip to analyze visual speed lines 
Unique Materials: Hypoallergenic dog treats, blank skate design coloring cards, and neon star reward stickers

                                                      Fact-Finder Film Scout

Scouts Scavenger Hunt Focus: History of the Olympic Games & Famous Athletes (Dewey non-fiction shelf 796) 
Unique Materials: Printed Sports Scout Manual packets, custom gold-medal library keychains, and small treats 

                                              BOOKS THAT GO TO SCREEN

WATCH A 2 Minute Clip of Boys in the Boat

Read a chapter of Boys in the Boat and compare to the clip you saw

Unique Materials: Individual snack boxes of movie-theater-style popcorn. 

                                                 

                                              Cinematic Escape Room

Puzzle Vault Theme: Escape from the Locked Sports Stadium Lounge

Unique Materials: 3 combination padlocks, 1 locked gym locker box, sports jersey clue cards, and digital stopwatch timers