Libraries are more than books. Some kids need a little direction to get the creative juices flowing. I gleaned the following from PUBYAC contributors. If you’re a member, check out the archives for 2-2011. Please add YOUR comments. Your colleagues would appreciate hearing what works, and what didn't!

My Weird School by Dan Gutman

see also

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/HarperChildrens/Kids/SeriesDetail.aspx
http://www.awesomeadventurebooks.com/dan-gutman.aspx

INVITATIONS:

• Ages 5-12, most will probably be at the 3rd grade level
• Miss Daisy is Crazy, Mr. Klutz is Nuts, Miss Coco is Loco and Mr. Docker is Off His Rocker!  
• Sign in--Children signed in using my weird school name tags.  Children were asked to create their own My Weird School name, most used their own name and picked their favorite book.  

REFRESHMENTS:

FAVORS/CRAFTS:

• bookmarks

GAMES:

• PIN—Kiss on the Pig
• TOSS—
• FLOOR—
• RELAY— Split the children into two teams for a teacher relay.  Children have to get dressed either in female or male teacher attire and race to the finish. 

PROGRAM:

• Introduce the children to basic information about the author and read the first chapter from Miss Daisy is Crazy.  Afterward, I asked the kids to name what was weird about their school. 
• After the relay, children could do activities at three stations:  science, language arts and a chocolate party station in honor of Mr. Klutz.I printed out a large cover of each book to name each station.
• Mr. Klutz is Nuts: A chocolate party station in honor of Mr. Klutz complete with kiss the pig. I created a pig poster and printed off kiss stickers. I used pictures of lips and had the phrase kisses for piggy on each sticker.  Each child was blindfolded and spun around and had to land (stick the sticker) a kiss on the pig. Once complete they received a chocolate treat.  I picked up a bunch of chocolate wrapped hearts and alerted the parents in case of food allergies.
• Miss Coco is Loco: Language Arts- Our Youth room has a white board and I used that to create a magnetic poetry station, and had handouts were children could  work on the Harper Collins maze sheets and the word scramble.
• Mr. Docker is Off His Rocker:   Science -Children created silly putty (2:1 ratio glue and liquid starch) and colored it using Neon food coloring. I used small plastic bags to have the kids knead the putty but his one does get messy!!
• Prism station using different shaped prisms children could create refracted light using a flashlight and make their own rainbow.

VOLUNTEERS:

• Get teen or adult help to “serve.”  

COST:

• Most supplies can be purchased in bargain bins at craft stores or Dollar Stores. 

TIME:

• About an hour-and-a-half should be sufficient. (Dependent on the number of families passing through; and how many stations are offered.)