Grab a passport and travel to one of our 8 Worlds of Reading! Ask for a sticker at each world you visit—when you have collected 5 stickers, you’ll be able to enter a raffle in the main lobby for a chance to become a lucky winner! You do not need to be present to win. One prize per family.
Hear Suzuki violin students play music from the children’s balcony overlooking the main lobby from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m.
Discover the secrets behind the world’s most popular bear! Award-winning local author Sally Walker will speak from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the Bilder Room about the writing of her 2015 children’s book, Winnie, the True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. Learn which stories weren’t included in the book, and find out what the most difficult facts were for the writer to unearth! Two copies of the book will be raffled off at the end of the program; Sally will be happy to autograph them.
Middle Earth – Lord of the Rings
Sign up at the circulation desk in the main lobby to join a team descending into the bowels of the building to enter the Mines of Moria. Can you solve the puzzles in time to escape? If so, sneak back to the main floor via the secret stairway.
Oz
Follow the yellow brick road to Oz, located for the day on the library’s lower level. Make your own tornadoes and poppies, and play with a variety of lovable animals brought to the library from 10:00 a.m. to noon by TAILS Humane Society. Can you find a companion as loyal as Toto?
100 Acre Woods
Can you spot Winnie the Pooh and his friends in the Zimmerman Room’s 100 Acre Woods? Build a house for Eeyore and see if you can attach his tail. Do you love honey as much as Pooh? Toss “bees” into a honey pot and don’t get stung!
Narnia
Slip through the wardrobe into Narnia, located in the Story & Activity Room! Help Tumnus deliver his packages, paint a stone animal, and sample Turkish Delight and hot chocolate (while supplies last). Sit on a throne in Cair Paravel and build your own block castle, then celebrate the end of winter and the coming of spring in Narnia by taking your picture with Aslan and decorating a shield!
Hogwarts
Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin—begin your time at Hogwarts being sorted into a house! Receive a wand (while supplies last) and make a school tie, then have a bite of Butterbeer fudge and a sip of Polyjuice Potion (which supplies last). Between noon and 2:00 p.m., you can even meet Hermione (pictures welcome) under the tall ceilings in the Great Hall!
Fairy Tale Land
Journey into your favorite fairytale land! Peek into the 3 Little Pigs’ houses and make Pig Pops from marshmallows (while supplies last). Have your face painted and meet Sleeping Beauty between 10:00 a.m. and noon. Make sure to have your picture taken on the throne in the main lobby!
Seussville
Bound into Seussville to pin the hat on the cat, go fishing, design your own Dr. Seuss sock, and play Dr. Seuss bingo. Guess how many goldfish crackers are in a plastic bowl to win a container full of goldfish! Seussville will be located in the Teen Room.
Westeros
Travel to Westeros (Game of Thrones) to be assigned a house, help complete a 2-D or 3-D puzzle, and—since Westerians love their mead and wine— learn the secrets of the vine! Capture a dragon hidden somewhere in the Local History Room (one per person, while supplies last), determine what environment would suit it best, and fill a “dragon container” with the appropriate material.
Many thanks to our program sponsors; Friends of the DeKalb Public Library, TAILS, Suzuki Strings, NIU Theater Department, Children’s Community Theater, and author Sally M. Walker. Thanks also to the many volunteers who helped make this event possible.
This event is free and open to all; everyone is welcome, no need to register!
For additional information, please contact Theresa at theresaw@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 3350.
