SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Politics in Practice
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

March 21, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Tweens in the Library: Getting Them Involved in Summer Reading Programming

March 21, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS   1 comments

I am a huge believer of keeping my patrons involved in our library.  If they’re invested in the library and the community, they have a reason to come back, and feel like they belong.  I’ve always felt that way, no matter what library I’ve worked in- large branch or small.  Libraries are such a huge portion of the community, and when the community is invested in it, it takes on a life of it’s own.

I apply this heavily in my tween programming.  I’m heavy in the middle of summer programming, and we (Texas) just switched from having a state program to investing in the Collaborative Summer Reading Program, so our theme for the tween set (which I define as eight through twelve years old, YMMV) is Dig Into Reading.  If your tweens are anything like mine, it didn’t exactly inspire much enthusiasm (flowers, Miss?  REALLY? Plants? WORMS?)  So, it’s my job to GET them enthused- this is the age where reading goes to aliteracy, and they’re not old enough for the lock-in and teen things but old enough to WANT them.  These are the ages where they get so BORED with summer reading, so to get them invested is the BEST thing we can do.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT


First, I took the CSRP theme and thought up twelve themes for tweens that I thought would work best- ones that I knew I could create some interesting programs for my kids.  Then I created a ballot and had them vote.  Looking at the programming calendar, I knew that I had three programs that I needed tween themes for. The three with the most votes would be the programs for the summer.


After two weeks of voting, I had my three themes:  Mummies, Wizards, and Spies.

Next, I went through the PG listings of movies covered by our umbrella license, and pulled out movies that would fit the three themes, and highlighted them in different colors.  I then let two of my tweens loose with my list and a computer set to IMDB.com, and had them put YES, NO, or 1/2 for their preferences (half being if they couldn’t come to a decision).

 From their list of movies with definite approval, I pulled out ones that I knew I could stand to watch (a definite requirement for *any* program that I do) and have created our Tween Movie Ballot below.


This week is our school system’s spring break week, so they’ll vote for their favorite in each category, and the winner will be the movie we watch.  I’ll tie it in with crafts, games, and other activities pulled from the Internet and the chaos that is my brain, and we’ll have a wonderful time.  

And, not only have I gotten some of my summer programming done, but I’ve gotten a large group of my tweens interested in what’s going on, what the results are, and what we’re doing for the summer- and it’s mid March.

How do you get your tweens involved in your library?  What programs are you planning for your tweens this summer?  Share in the comments!

Filed under: Collaborative Summer Reading Program, involvement, Summer Reading, Tweens, Uncategorized

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

VOTE! The 2023 Undies Awards

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Funny Picture Books

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

David Ezra Stein on Beaky Barnes | Interview

by Brigid Alverson

Heavy Medal

The Narrow-It-Down Poll: Help us finalize our Heavy Medal Book List

by Steven Engelfried

Politics in Practice

November 2023 Election Hot Take: It was a good night for libraries, a bad night for censorship

by Peter Bromberg

The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Eight Fantastical Books That Center Black Tweens

2 Middle Grade Novels About Becoming Big Sisters

22 Latinx Middle Grade Titles Filled with Magic, Found Family, and More

10 Titles Featuring Twins for Middle Grade and YA Readers

21 Insightful, Accessible, & Fun Books that Tweens Won't Want to Put Down | We Are Kid Lit Collective

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. http://followgram.net/ says

    July 1, 2013 at 9:28 am

    I will recommend my friends to read this.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Politics in Practice
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • Refreshing the Canon Booklist
  • Read Free Poster
  • 2023 Youth Media Awards
  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023