Wednesday, March 29, 2023

What’s your #bookface?

Youth and teens are invited to participate in the Fond du Lac Public Library’s first-ever bookface competition. Replace your face with a book cover, then take a picture!

Children’s entries (under 11) should be sent to childrens@fdlpl.org and teen entries (11-18) to teens@fdlpl.org by April 30. Include your age/grade and contact information in your email. One entry per person per age group. 

The winner in each category will receive a camera. Winners will be contacted in mid-May; one winner per age group.  

Plenty of other activities are planned for younger children and their caregivers as well during April. Other activities include:

  • Wednesday, April 5 at 1:30 p.m. at Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts: Learn about revolutionary artist Frida Kahlo, and then create art in her style. Projects will be adaptable for all ages. This program will be provided in partnership with Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts.
  • Thursday, April 6 through Saturday, April 8: Drop in to the McLane Room anytime the Main Library is open to explore a Life-Sized Candyland. Succeed and earn candy prizes along the way as you enjoy the game at your own pace.
  • Wednesday, April 12 at 4:30 p.m. in the McLane Room: Drop in to “plant” a paper plate garden during Crafty Kids. Recommended for ages 4+.
  • Monday, April 17 at 4:30 p.m. in the Mid-States Room: Explore light with rainbows during the library’s monthly STEAM night.
  • Tuesday, April 18 at 9:30 a.m. in the McLane Room: Join us for a special storytime for Money Smart Wisconsin as we talk about what it means to earn money, how to decide what to save or spend, and make our own piggy banks. Every family that attends receives a free copy of “Give It” by Cinders McLeod.
  • Tuesday, April 25 at 4:30 p.m. in the McLane Room: Read to a therapy dog during Paws to R.E.A.D.

Storytime for children also continues through April 27. Baby storytime will be held Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m.; toddler storytime will be Mondays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.; and preschool storytime will be held Mondays at 10:30 a.m. and Thursdays at 4:30 p.m.

Teen activities scheduled for April include:

  • Tuesday, April 4 at 4:30 p.m. in the Mid-States Room: Drop into Anime Afternoon to see a few episodes of anime and enjoy a few snacks. Cosplay is welcome.
  • April 9-15: Register at fdlpl.org/teens for Browser’s Cache, which contains a checked-out library book to read and return, plus a snack, an activity, and a list of more book recommendations for you to keep. We'll hook you up with a cache curated just for you. April’s theme is Me, You, and #MeToo. Pick up your cache on the holds shelf April 16-22.
  • Tuesday, April 17 at 4:30 p.m. in the Mid-States Room: Mix wordplay and art to create awesome blackout poems during Full Steam Ahead.
  • Ongoing - 100 Books Before Graduation: This new, low-key reading program is geared toward busy middle school and high school students. It can be hard to find time to read for fun, but reading regularly improves cognitive skills, boosts reading comprehension, and more – so you might as well get prizes for reading. Register at the library or online, then keep track of each book you read. 

Meanwhile, the deadline for the Teen Photo Contest is approaching quickly. Young adults in grades 6 through 12 must submit their entries for the 9th-annual contest by Friday, April 7 at 8 p.m.

Area teens are invited to submit photos in three categories:

  • Story of My Life: Craft a photo that tells a story about an aspect of who you are
  • Mood: Take a photograph that sets a tone or instills a specific feeling in the viewer
  • Anything Goes: Share with us any photo you have taken that you feel is award-worthy.

Photos that include a literary element may be given extra weight when judged, but a literary element is not required to win.

The photographer who submits the photo judged best overall will win a grand prize $250 Visa gift card. Honorable mention awards will be given for the winners of each category.

The contest is open to teens who attend school in Fond du Lac County in grades six through 12.

Following the April 7 deadline, the library will gather a VIP panel to judge entries. Entries will be displayed in the library’s Langdon Divers Gallery in May.