June | 2015 | Atkinson Public Library

What a busy week we had at the library for week 3 of Superheroes at the Library! This week we learned all about the hero in each of us! Monday had 60 kids coming and making their own superhero costumes when they made superhero power belts and wrist shields. 46 kids came and joined us for snacks and the movie “Big Hero 6” on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, we had 42 third thru sixth graders attend the book talk on “Darling: Mercy Dog of World War 1.” They discussed chapters 8-12 in the book, and the younger kids were led in discussion by Judy Hagan with Kathy Randolph leading the older group discussion along with the help of Sarah Vogel and Kim Frederick. We were privileged to have Megan Hanefeldt from the UNL Extension Office come and help us make Superhero Pizzas. Each pizza had dough, sauce, and toppings, and the kids had to say what superhero power/trait each topping stood for. One student’s pizza was Caring (crust), Smart (sauce), and Careful (cheese). The students also wrote thank you notes to special super heroes in their lives such as Moms, Dads, friends, lifeguards, librarians, medical personnel, trash collectors, firemen, farmers/ranchers, teachers, war heroes, and so many more. The day concluded with a pizza lunch served by the library.

Thursday was story hour, and we had 83 kids in attendance to listen to stories about the superhero in each of us. The day started with our theme chant of “I’m a Superhero.” Heather Slaymaker read “Super Red Riding Hood” by Claudia DaVila and had us remembering that we all need to be a superhero and help out those in need, even if it means just sharing a snack with someone! “Michael Recycle and Litterbug Doug” by Ellie Bethel was read to us by Brianna Rentschler. She gave us a friendly reminder that we need to care for the earth around us by recycling and not littering. This was reiterated by the chant “Don’t Litter!” Our next book had us realizing that our superpowers come from within, not from our hair when Stacy Gross read “Super Hair-o and the Barber of Doom” by John Rocco. Andrea Lemmer read “A Hero Is” by Nikki Rogers. We all went through a list of things that we could do and chanted “I Can Do That,” helping us to see that all of the small things we do each day make us heroes! All of us can be heroes by doing the right thing each and every day. If you want to be a superhero, Kathy Randolph read the perfect book of “How to Be a Superhero” by Sue Fliess. This book was followed by Deb Pilutti’s book “Ten Rules of Being a Superhero” read by Andrea Borer. The day concluded with the kids testing out their super powers by maneuvering their way through an obstacle course in the parking lot.

All week long was spent perfecting our superhero image, so remember…if you are in trouble, just call on one of Atkinson’s very own superheroes!

Don’t forget to keep visiting the library all summer long. The reading program for kids and adults continues until August, so stop by and find lots of great books at your local library!