Blackstone Teen Services
Summer Program Calendar 2022

Summer Take-N-Makes for grades K-12

Drop-in event. The Program with no schedule is back for another season, this time for grades K-12! If you enjoyed our TeensCraft events in the past, this program is for you! Each month, we’re putting together a different craft with an underwater theme. Kits are available to anyone in grades K-12, no sign up required. Remember, kits are limited. Drop by the Youth Services Department any time between 10am-8pm to pick up a kit while supplies last! Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library

Mantel Stories for grades 5-8

Sign up required. They say Mark Twain used to tell stories about the photos displayed on his fireplace mantel. With the help of local writer Amy Bowers, explore the library to find your own selection of lost photos. Then, use a combination of reading, writing & other activities to create your own story, a perfect submissions for the Flotsam Creative Writing Contest! This program is offered on two dates, choose whichever works best for you! To sign up for Saturday, July 30, click here. To sign up for Monday, August 8, click here. Sponsored by the Branford Community Foundation. Meets in the auditorium

Found Photo Prompts for grades 9-12

Sign up required. They say a picture's worth a thousand words & local author Amy Bowers will put this idiom to the test by “developing” your writing around a selection of obscure photos. We’ll use reading, writing & other activities to create our own stories, which would be perfect submissions for the Flotsam Creative Writing Contest! This program is being offered on two different dates, choose whichever works best for you! To sign up for Saturday, July 23, click here. To sign up for Monday, August 1, click here. Sponsored by the Branford Community Foundation. Meets in the auditorium

TAG: Teen Advisory Group for grades 5-8

Drop-in event. Do you want to make a difference in your community? Do you enjoy reading, crafting & games? Consider joining the Teen Advisory Group! This small counsel of dedicated teens provides reviews, votes on new books to purchase, plans programs & more! Plus, meetings count for community service! Not a member yet? No need to sign up, just drop in & check it out! Meets in the auditorium

Mantel Stories for grades 5-8

Sign up required. They say Mark Twain used to tell stories about the photos displayed on his fireplace mantel. With the help of local writer Amy Bowers, explore the library to find your own selection of lost photos. Then, use a combination of reading, writing & other activities to create your own story, a perfect submissions for the Flotsam Creative Writing Contest! This program is offered on two dates, choose whichever works best for you! To sign up for Saturday, July 30, click here. To sign up for Monday, August 8, click here. Sponsored by the Branford Community Foundation. Meets in the auditorium

Betrayal at the Library: for grades 9-12

Sign up required. Rumor has it, there's a new edition of the board game Betrayal at the House on the Hill, so we're breaking out multiple copies for 2 hours of mysteries, haunts & exploration inside the abandoned “house on the hill.” Which player turn against the others? With over 50 (NEW!) scenarios, each game is a hauntingly different event! Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library. No experience necessary. Space is limited, sign up is required for this event. Meets in the auditorium

Read to a Fish: For All Ages

Drop-in event. Did you know that spending time near a fish tank is good for anxiety, stress & even your blood pressure? This summer, the Youth Services Department is excited to add our own aquarium! Drop by any time this summer to meet our new fish team members & get cozy near the tank. We'll have a variety of fish tales on display all summer long--try reading one of ours or bring your own book to read. Try reading silently or even read aloud, the fish will thank you (they’re too wet to turn the pages themselves). Like the idea of a community aquarium? Once you've come in to meet them, submit your suggestion to help us name our fish! Want to help care for our fish? Email Miss Sarah, she's taking volunteers! Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Library

StoryWalk® On Main: for all ages!

Drop-in event. This summer’s StoryWalk® on Main will embody all things creative! That’s right, this year’s book is wordless, so we’re putting a new spin on our beloved tradition by asking YOU to be the author while walking along Main Street and telling the story of Flotsam to us! This event bridges walking, reading & storytelling & is provided with help from Branford’s local merchants & a grant provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by Connecticut State Library. Want to share what you create? Submit your writing or art in the Flotsam Creative Writing Contest all summer long. Participants will receive a free creative writing journal while supplies last!

Flotsam Summer Writing Contest: for all ages!

Drop-in event. Participate in our StoryWalk® on Main, then submit your own short stories, poems, or  visual art based on your reading and walking experience! Tell us a story about the whole book, the page you liked best, or even a graphic representation of what happens next. There’s an ocean of possibilities to explore in this creative contest! The only rule is that your submissions must be your own original creations. Work can be submitted by anyone of any age. Please include your name, email, phone number, and age on entries, so we can put your entry in the correct age category. You can submit your work throughout the summer at the Youth Services Desk or enter online here! You can enter as many times as you'd like, but each entry must be accompanied by your own original work. Prizes awarded at summer’s end! Sponsored by the Friends of the Blackstone Memorial Library