Bringing Bill Behind Bars

Bill Shakespeare that is.  Or as most of you know him, William.

That's right, last week I hosted the Shakespeare program with the students at the YIC.  We kicked off the night with a Shakespeare trivia game to get some facts down about Bill's life, work, and time.  Smarties were the prize for the winner... 'cause the winner had to be pretty smart to get those answers right!

Next, the teens played a homemade version of Nine Men's Morris, a checkers-like game Shakespeare himself may have played in the Elizabethan Era.  The game board, authentically, looks like this.

But the teens played a paper version with swedish fish and m&ms as their game pieces!

We watched a video clip from the lovely Reduced Shakespeare Company.  These guys ROCK and the teens were laughing SO HARD.  See for yourself!



The teens lastly got a taste of acting themselves, learned about their public libraries in Lancaster, and learned how to use the library in the center.

Issue 8 of What's Up? Magazine wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Check it out!!

Issue 8 11-3-2010

Thank you to William "Mickey" Beck for his continued support by making these AWESOME covers for the magazines!!

Issue 7 now available online!

Check it out and enjoy!!

Issue 7 8-4-2010

An overdue THANK YOU to United Way!

This is a LONG overdue THANK YOU to United Way of Lancaster for awarding us a $1500 grant for the Summer Activities Initiative Fund.  This fund went to $1400 worth of books for the YIC library and and $100 worth of writing and drawing journals for the residents.  To see the items we've added to the collection with the grant money, visit the following pages of the YIC library's catalog:

SAIF Fiction
SAIF Nonfiction
SAIF Spanish


We are so thankful to be able to provide all of these new books to the kids!  They are on the shelves and already well-loved!!

Native Americans

Last visit to the center we looked at Native American culture.  Residents played a Native American stick game and learned about the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington.  This all to prepare for the read aloud The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.  The students really enjoyed this story - we read the first three chapters out loud together.  The drawings inside induced many giggles!

This book makes a great read aloud.  The YIC Library was fortunate enough to have 2 available copies plus a copy of Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.  All 3 of these books were "checked out" by the end of the program.

Success!

Stay tuned.  I know there was much delay (which I apologize for) but the latest 2 issues of What's Up? magazine will be showcased here on the web VERY soon!

Science Fiction and reality? Yep!

Why is science fiction important?

Tonight at the YIC, we will be exploring the world of science fiction.  I will lead a discussion with the residents about the characteristics we find in science fiction and how they all relate to reality...  yes, reality.

We're going to talk about change and society's fear of change, society's fear of technology, and the consequences that come along with the rapidly approaching future.  We will discuss issues like what happens with an altered brain and an oppressive/fear-inducing government?  How does that effect man?  How does that effect the world?  Words like like "Utopia" and "Dystopia" will be defined and discussed.  Then, I am going to read snippets from the inside covers of various contemporary young adult science fiction books and discuss their stories with the residents.  I will read a significant portion from Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, a thrilling science fiction novel!

Books discussed tonight will include:

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

1984 by George Orwell

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins &
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Issue 6 hits the YIC!

Issue 6 is now available online!!  This special issue has a drawing and photograph from residents as well as great writing!  Enjoy what they've shared in this latest issue and stay tuned for the next one releasing in early August!

Thank you to all the teens who participated!!

Issue 6 5-5-2010

Happy St. Patty's Day with What's Up?!

At my program at the YIC tonight, the residents will learn about folktales from various cultures. In particular we will read aloud the Caldecott Honor book Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe and an old Irish folktale about a Leprechaun. We will play Mancala, a simple chess-like game originating from Ethiopia, and an Irish memory game where we will learn about Irish culture and Saint Patrick's Day fun!

Residents will receive copies of the latest issue of What's Up? magazine and will be given the opportunity to look through library books on folktales and Ireland. We will eat a treat together as I answer any and all library questions!

Black & White

I am getting ready to head to the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center where we will read snippets from Paul Volponi's Black and White.

For an ice breaker, we will start off with two truths and a lie (how appropriate!). For fun, we will play Balderdash (the classic bluffing game, great!). Then we will read parts from Black and White and talk about the characters.

Black and White is about two star high school basketball players, one black and one white. They experience the justice system differently after committing a crime together and getting caught.

We will discuss integrity... what it means, who do we know that has integrity, how do people of integrity influence the world... What happens when someone does not have integrity? Have we seen this happen in history? etc.

We'll take time to write and look through library books about being a successful teen. Each resident will get the latest copy of What's Up? Magazine and a yummy snack. Residents will be free to ask any and all library questions and I will do my absolute best to give them great answers!

Preparing for a positive future

During my last visit at the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center (YIC), I started the residents off with an ice breaker about what they want to be when they grow up! Many inspiring answers were in the mix, from an RN to a scientist!

We talked a little about getting to that point... making plans... setting goals. Then, residents wrote letters to themselves for one year now. They wrote about where they hope to be at that point, how they plan to get there, and the struggles they are facing in their current situations.

Next, the residents took an assessment of their personalities to find out what jobs might be interesting to them. Some of the answers (of course) were a wee bit outlandish, but others were right on target with their current hopes and dreams! Some results gave inspiring options and (I believe) may have opened some doors of thought!

We looked at resumes and talked about what makes them successful. The residents performed a few silly "what not to do" interviewing skits, and then one very fine young gentleman showed the group "how it's done."

We ate a snack together and I let the residents pummel me with questions about their local public libraries in Lancaster County. It was a very successful evening, and I hope they enjoyed the experience as much as I did!

Issue 5 of What's Up? Magazine RELEASED!

Here it is! I hope you enjoy reading the best writings from the 2009 magazine submissions.

If you haven't been here before, "What's Up?" is compiled quarterly by the Library System of Lancaster County's "What's Up with the Library?" program held at the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center. The writings inside are written by teen residents at the Intervention Center. They are a wonderful group of kids and they have talent!! Enjoy :)

Issue 5 2-3-10

New Books!!

Here are a list of some great new reads we purchased and added to the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center's library! These were requests that residents made during my program visits. At the end of each program, the teens fill out an evaluation that helps me to tweak my program and create new exciting activities based on topics of their choice. They are given the opportunity to request books and other resources that can be purchased for their library. Here's some that were wanted and fulfilled!

Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Several Teen Ink books - This are comparable to Chicken Soup books but are all by teens about teenage life.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Tracker by Gary Paulsen
Stitches by David Small - This one's a graphic novel!

I am confident that these selections will be very well read. They seem to be common favorites among teens today, and I was so glad that in these hard economic times we can still purchase books for these teens!! They really need encouraging hobbies. And where they are currently located... they need something positive and uplifting to do with their spare evening time. I really hope we can impact teens in Lancaster County with BOOKS and ENCOURAGEMENT that the library has so much to offer... We can open so many doors of opportunity and possibility!!

Issue 4 released 11-4-2009

Read it now online!!!

Issue 4 11-4-09
Hope you all enjoy the writings from the latest residents at the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center!