Storytelling Double-Header next weekend–Princeton Children’s Book Fest on Saturday; Storytelling Day at Grounds for Sculpture Sunday plus Coraline outdoor movie at the library Friday night.

(And check out our FREE museum passes if you are considering the Grounds for Sculpture event. See details below.)

AROUND THE COMMUNITY:

FREE!!!   More than 80 authors and illustrators gather to interact with children and their families and discuss their work at this popular five-hour annual event. Check the list HERE. 

Enjoy a fun-filled day of storytelling at a fantastic sculpture park!
Hear stories from your favorite storytellers from 20 Festivals!!!Rain or Shine • Indoor and Outdoor Sites
Performances for Adults and Families • 12 Noon – 6 PMCome for some or stay for all!!Festival Free with Park Admission
$12 Adult • $10 Senior • $8 Child (under 5 Free)4 DIFFERENT PERFORMANCES EVERY HOUR
Back by Popular Demand – STORY SLAM. Have a story to tell on the theme “Coming of Age.” Come prepared with a 5 minute story on the theme
and you may be chosen at random to perform it.  **Click here for more details on the Story Slam**** Click here to view  the Festival flyer **

Two Morning Storytelling Workshops offered 10 am to noon
CLICK HERE FOR WORKSHOP DETAILS AND REGISTRATION **
For more information: info@njstorynet.org or 1-800-780-4805
An activity of The NewJersey Storytelling Network

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE A FREE MUSEUM PASS (IF STILL AVAILABLE) FOR THIS EVENT.

Planning Ahead? 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

 
LET YOUR FINGERS DO MORE WALKING:

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Teen Creates Powerful Educational Video to Encourage Understanding of People with Autism
Westfield teen brings together experts and community to influence teens to accept peers with autism spectrum disorder
Alexandra Jackman of Westfield, NJ, has created A Teen's Guide to Understanding and Communicating with People with Autism - aimed to encourage teens to understand and accept with peers who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 
The film, now viewable online HERE  was developed as part of an independent study program at Roosevelt Intermediate School in Westfield.
Autism Family Times has been coordinating training of peer mentors in order for them to participate in various educational and creative projects with children with ASD and other special needs. At age ten, Alex was trained as a peer mentor through this organization. Alex serves as a lead mentor, working with teens and young children with ASD. "I know so many people with autism through the volunteer work I do and I care about them a lot," says Jackman.
For Alex, the film needed to be entertaining, engaging, and relatable for teens. "I thought a good trustable way to present this information would be by interviewing experts in the field." Jed Baker, Ph.D., a distinguished clinical psychologist, behavioral consultant, author, and lecturer accepted Alex's request to participate in this project. Commending Alex and her project Dr. Baker underscored, "This is a great video created by an insightful student to help her peers understand what it is like to have autism. This is not your typical dry educational presentation, but a dynamic presentation that speaks to students of all ages to increase their sensitivity to those with autism."
Ultimately, it is Alex's hope that this video can help people with autism be more accepted in the community.  A Facebook page has been established for information sharing and updates about Alex's work and video. The link to this page is https://www.facebook.com/autismguide. 

@ Bridgewater Library for Children

STORYTIMES HAVE RESUMED!

Storytime (For Ages 2-6) No Registration Required.  Tuesdays September 10 - October 15th,  10:30 a.m. Second session at 1:30pm. Story Well.  Join us for stories and songs for the whole family!  This program is aimed at families and is designed for children 3 and up (younger siblings are welcome.)  
Toddler Time (For Ages 18 months-36 months) No Registration Required.  Wednesdays September 11-October 16th, 10:00 a.m., repeats at 11:00 a.m.  Also Thursdays September 12-October 17th 10:30 a.m.  Story Well.   Clapping and singing and listening to books... introduce your toddler to the beginnings of storytime!
Baby Time (For ages birth - 18 months) No Registration Required.
Thursdays September 12th – October 17th, 9:30 a.m. Story Well.  An interactive lap-sit program of songs, rhymes and a story designed to introduce your baby to language and promote early literacy.

**Due to the popularity of our early childhood programs, we appreciate your cooperation in attending only one storytime program per week.**
 

Play Group (ages Birth to 3 years) Monday September 16, 2013  10:00 AM to 10:30.  No registration required. Come and play with toys, dance to music, and make new friends! Repeats Sept. 23rd & 3oth.

 

Rocket Readers: ''Dixie Loves School Pet Day' (Grades 1-2)  Monday September 16, 2013, 4:30  to 5:30 PM. Registration required and begins August 20. An exciting program for brand new readers!  At each program we will discuss a book, play some games, or create a story related craft.  This month's book: 'Dixie Loves School Pet Day' by Grace Gilman
When Dixie gets to join Emma at school for Pet Day, she can
hardly stop wagging her tail with excitement! Emma's classmates have all kinds of pets--hamsters, birds, goldfish--even lizards! Dixie tries her best to sit still, but with all the new friends to make, she may not be able to stay calm for long.

Tail Waggin' Tutors: Children Reading to Dogs (For Children of All Ages)  Thursday, September 19th, 4-5pm.  Phone or In-Person Registration Only. Repeats Thursday, Sept. 26th.  Did you know that dogs like listening to stories as much as kids do?  Come to the Bridgewater Library for Tail Waggin’ Tutors, our new program where children will have the opportunity to practice their reading skills by reading a story to Xena the Therapy Dog, a friendly, six-year-old chocolate labradoodle. Each child will have 10 minutes to read a favorite story to his or her new, canine friend.  Sign-ups will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Kickoff to Hispanic Heritage Month with Jesse Rivera (All Ages) Friday, September 20th,   10am-3pm. No registration required. Join us for a unique Hispanic Heritage Celebration with live music from award-winning musician Jesse Rivera as he plays captivating songs from different Latin countries on his Spanish Nylon guitar.  Audience participation is encouraged!

Family Movie Under the Stars: 'Coraline' (All ages) Friday September 20, 2013,  7:00 (or sunset) to 9:00 PM (For all ages – families welcome!)  Registration required and begins September 6. Bring the whole family to the Bridgewater Library for our very first outdoor movie under the stars!  The movie will be taking place on the library lawn, so please bring your own blankets, chairs, and snacks! In case of inclement weather, we will show the movie indoors. Coraline  Rated: PG for thematic elements, scary images, some language and  suggestive humor. Run time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes).  Coraline is a curious young girl who unlocks a mysterious door in her family's new home and enters into an adventure in a parallel reality. On the surface, this 'Other World' eerily mimics her own life - though it is much more fantastical. While encountering different versions of her own life ultimately, Coraline must rely on her resourcefulness, determination and bravery to get back home.

Circus Place: Let's Join the Circus (Grades 2+) Saturday, September 21  from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm  Registration required and begins September 6.  Join us as The Circus Place brings its unique circus training program to the library.  Sit back in amazement as you watch a talented troupe perform some of the most exciting circus skills you've ever seen.  Then, pull the curtains back and learn how to juggle, balance on a tight rope, pin plates, and much, much more. You will walk out ready to perform your very own circus for your friends and families!

Snack Attack (Grades 3-4) Monday, September 23  at 4:00 pm. Registration required and begins September 9. Do you have the best taste in books, movies, video games, and music? Then you need to be part of our Club! We’ll make an awesome display of our reviews that will help other kids know what to check out of the library. And of course, there will be snacks to munch on! Come prepared to tell us about at least one of your favorite books.

Advocacy: Transition from Early Intervention to Preschool Special Education Thursday, September 26,  7:00 pm - 8:30 pm. Registration is required.  Presented by Shakira Linzey, MPH, Regional Manager of Family Support  (Mid-Jersey CARES Regional Early Intervention Collaborative) A program of Central NJ Maternal & Child Health Consortium Understanding the joint responsibilities of Early Intervention, families and school district personnel,  and child study teams when transitioning out of NJ’s Early Intervention System will be the focus of this presentation.  The program is free and open to the public.

Dream Something Big: The Story of the Watts Towers (Grades K-5)Monday, September 30, 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm. Registration required and begins September 16. Can you imagine working on a art project for 34 years?  A man named Simon Rodia did just that, using cement, broken tiles, shells, and other found items to build towering spires, some almost a hundred feet tall, decorated with mosaic designs.  Come to the library and hear his story then create your own mosaic towers from pipe cleaners, magazine clippings, and found objects.  Have small objects you’d like to include in your tower, bring them along!

Storytime Yoga (Ages 2-6) Friday, October 4th from 10:00  - 10:30 am  Registration begins September 20th. Animal characters come to life as stories are read and acted out with yoga poses. Through the use of songs, puppets, and fun, animated poses, children will learn what it’s like to hop like a frog, slither like a snake and roar like a lion!  Please note: If you have not participated in this program before, you must print out and sign a copy of our Program Release form, located here:http://www.sclsnj.org/PDFs/SCLSrlsformchild.pdf.

There are ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS at other system libraries for children & teens…find their online calendars under the “events/programs” tab on our home page. Planning ahead for October? -- Check out our library calendar.
If you register for a program and realize that you won’t be able to come, please call (908 526-4016x126) or email us(bwljuv@sclibnj.org) as early as possible so we can make someone on the waitlist very happy. Next time that waitlisted participant might be your child!

@ Bridgewater Library for Tweens and Teens:

Make It, Take It - Awesome Locker Accessories (Grades 6-12) Monday, September 16, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm. Registration required. Come make awesome mirrors and magnets to personalize your locker this school year! All supplies will be provided—just show up with your imagination and creativity!

Keys to Unlocking Financial Aid (Grades 9-12) Monday, September 23, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Registration required for both students and parents and begins September 3.  College is one of the largest investments a family makes.  In the “Keys to Unlocking Financial Aid,” families of high school students will learn the basics of need-based and merit-based financial aid, as well as valuable tips on how to reduce college costs, increase funds, and get a better financial aid package.
This session will be presented by Rana Slosberg, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, a Master of Arts degree from Queens College, a Certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from the University of California Irvine Extension, and visits colleges regularly. She is a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), the New Jersey Association of College Admissions Counselors (NJACAC), and the Somerset County Business Partnership (SCBP). For more information, please go to slosbergcollegesolutions.com.

TAB Meeting (Grades 6-8)  Tuesday September 24, 2013, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. TAB Meeting (Grades 9-12) 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM  Story Well. Registration Required. Do you want to make a difference at your library? Do you have suggestions for programs, new books, movies, or video games?  Then come to one of our upcoming T.A.B. meetings! Community service hours will be awarded for attendance and snacks will be served!   Do you want to make a difference at your library? Do you have suggestions for programs, new books, movies, or video games?  Then come to one of our upcoming T.A.B. meetings! Community service hours will be awarded for attendance and snacks will be served!

Practice PSAT (Grades 7-11) Saturday, September 28, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Registration required and begins September 6. Taking the PSAT on October 16th or 19th? Here’s your last chance to practice before the real thing! Even if you’re not taking the real test this year, a free practice test is one of the best ways to get ready for the real thing.  By taking this practice test, you will learn exactly what to expect on test day and receive a complete individual analysis of your results (which will be mailed to you 7-10 business days following the test). Don't forget a #2 pencil and calculator. **PLEASE NOTE: No admittance after 9:15 am.
 
5th & 6th Grade Volunteers Monday Oct 7th , 2013  7:00 PM to 8:00 PM  Story Well  Registration required.  ATTENTION STUDENTS IN GRADES 5 AND 6: Here is your chance to make a difference by volunteering at the library! You can help the library with special projects cluding creating bookmarks for young children, organizing and tidying up the Children’s Room, and much more!

College Planning 101: Using Library Resources to Begin Your College Planning   Tuesday October 8, 2013  7:00 PM to 8:00 PM  TTC Room  (For students in grades 9 - 12 and parents/guardians). Registration begins September 17.  Feeling overwhelmed by the whole college planning process? Your public library is the perfect place to start your research! During this presentation, we’ll go over FREE resources available to you, including databases to help you find scholarships and prepare for the SAT, books that will help you narrow down your choice of school, and  more!
Want more info about upcoming programs? Check out more October teen calendar here.