Youth Services - Hockessin Library

Blue Hen Voting

The nominees have been announced and we're leaving it up to the readers to vote for their favorites. Read all 5 books for young readers or read 3 of the 5 books for middle or teen readers and CAST YOUR VOTE!

Voting ends October 31st.

** The Blue Hen Book Awards are children and teen choice awards sponsored by the Youth Services Division of the Delaware Library Association. The purpose of the award is to encourage literacy and library use by children and teens.

Summer Reading Club

Dig Into Reading!

It's that time of year again for Summer Reading Club

June 1 - August 17th

Newborn - Age 17

After registering keep track of the amount of time spent reading.

10 hours - FREE book

30 hours - tote bag

60 hours - entry into the raffle for your age group

Programs going on all summer long!

Book Babies

No registration required. Stories, fingerplays and more for children newborn - 17 months & their caregivers.
Wednesdays at 10:50am
May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

June 5, 12, 19, 26

July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

August 7, 14, 21, 28

Toddler Tales

No registration required. Stories, fingerplays and more for children ages 18-35 months & their caregivers.
Wednesdays at 10:05am

May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
June 5, 12, 19, 26
July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
August 7, 14, 21, 28

Rhythm, Rhyme & Story Time

Stories, fingerplays & an activity designed for ages 3 and up. No registration required.

Tuesdays at 10:15am
May 7, 14, 21, 28
June 4, 11, 25
July 9, 23
August 6, 20, 27

Wednesdays at 1:30pm
May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
June 5, 12
*This program does not run on Wednesdays for the majority of the summer.

Lunch and a Movie

Come watch a family movie on our projection screen.
Don’t forget to bring your lunch!

All ages welcome. No registration required.
Wednesdays at 12:30pm
6/12: Holes

Rated PG, 1 hour 53 minutes

6/19: The Land Before Time

Rated G, 1 hour 9 minutes

6/26: Arthur and the Invisibles

Rated PG, 1 hour 34 minutes

7/03: The Secret of NIMH

Rated G, 1 hour 22 minutes

7/10: Once Upon a Forest

Rated G, 1 hour 11 minutes

7/17: The Spiderwick Chronicles

Rated PG, 1 hour 26 minutes

7/24: Gnomeo and Juliet

Rated G, 1 hour 44 minutes

7/31: How to Eat Friend Worms

Rated PG, 1 hour 38 minutes

8/07: The Lorax

Rated PG, 1 hour 26 minutes

8/14: Curious George Goes Green

1 hour 48 minutes

8/21: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Rated PG, 1 hour 27 minutes

Kids Book Group - Ages 5 & 6

Registration required. Limited to 10.
Book discussion group. Bring bottled water. Snacks will be provided.

5/21: Cool Zone with the Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume @ 4:30pm
6/17: Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones by David Adler @ 2:15pm

7/16: Lunch Walks Among Us by Jim Benton @ 1:30pm

8/20: Ivy and Bean by Sophie Blackall @ 1:30pm

Kids Book Group - Ages 7 & 8

Registration required. Limited to 10.
Book discussion group. Bring bottled water. Snacks will be provided.
Tuesdays

4/30: The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary @ 4:30pm

5/28: From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg @ 4:30pm

6/25: Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart @1:30pm

7/23: How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell @ 1:30pm

8/27: Stuart Little by E.B. White @ 4:30pm

Kids Book Discussion Group - Ages 9 - 11

Registration required. Limited to 10.
Book discussion group. Bring bottled water. Snacks will be provided.
Tuesdays

5/14: Wonder by R.J. Palacio @ 4:30pm

6/11: Max Quick: the Pocket and the Pendant by Mark Jeffery @ 1:30pm

7/9: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick @ 1:30pm

8/13: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier @ 1:30pm

Mother/Daughter Book Group

Book discussion group. Ages 8 & up. Limited to 10 pairs.
Bring bottled water. Snacks will be provided.
7:00pm
5/7: The Magican's Elephant by Kate Dicamillo
*This is the program rescheduled from 4/24

5/29: The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

6/26: The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

7/31: The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

8/28: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Teen Book Group

Registration required. Limited to 10.
Book discussion group. Bring bottled water. Snacks will be provided. Ages 12 and up
Tuesdays

5/7: Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko @ 4:30pm

6/4: Golden Compass by Philip Pullman @ 4:30pm

7/2: Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck @ 1:30pm

8/6: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien @ 1:30pm

Princeton Review Practice Tests

Overcome your jitters with these practice versions of the SAT and ACT. Registration required.

Go to http://princetonreview.com/events or call 1-800-2-REVIEW to register

Saturdays, 10:15am - 2:15pm

SAT

6/29 or 8/3

ACT

7/13

Family Book Group

Let's read some great family books togehter. Bring your lunch and discuss these books with other families. Registration required. Limited to 10 families. Books provided by the library. All sign ups begin June 1st.

Fridays, NOON

6/14: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

7/12: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

7/26: The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett

8/9: The Borrowers by Mary Norton

Beneath the Surface

Teens come on an adventures as we go beneath the surface to explore new things. Craft projects. Gardening activities. And more. Registration begins 2 weeks before each session.

Wednesdays, 2pm

6/19: Topics

6/26: to be

7/3: posted

7/10: soon

7/24:

8/7:

8/14:

Dig Into Reading!

Saturday, June 1st

The Summer Reading Club has begun. Stop in the library for some fun activites and to sign up. All ages.

10am - 5pm

Dinosaurs

Monday, June 17

The Delaware Museum of Natural History will share with us information about dinosaurs. Limited to 30. Ages 6 and up. Registration begins 6/3.

1pm

Illstyle and Peace - Become Your Dreams

Tuesday, June 18th

10:15am

Award-winning dancers trace the history of Hip-Hop's positive messages from the 60's through today.
All ages. Recommended for ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Support for this program is possible by a collaboration between the Delaware Division of the Arts and the Delaware Division of Libraries. Funding is provided in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

Dig For It

Monday, June 17

We'll explore animals that borrow. Ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Sparkling Bubbles

Monday, June 24th

Make your own bubble solution and experiment with a variety
of wands. All ages.

10:15am

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Monday, June 24th

The Marshall Steam Museum will teach us how invetions make life easier and about different jobs that require digging. Limited to 30. Ages 6 and up. Registration begins June 10th.

1pm

Let's Rock

Monday, July 1st

We're exploring all kinds of racks and minerals today. Ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Sports Spectacular

Monday, July 1st

Bricks 4 Kidz will be here to help us build some great sports creations using LEGO blocks. Limited to 30. Ages 6 and up. Registration begins June 17th.

1pm

Magic You Will Dig!

Tuesday, July 2nd

Come watch this magic show with Mike Rose that has impossible magic tricks and weird mind reading stunts all themed around things that occur in the ground. Recommended for ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Wet & Wild Water Fun

Monday, July 8th

Come ready to get wet while we have fun with water.
This is an outdoor event – weather permitting.
All ages.

10:15am

Landscaping Legwork

Monday, July 8th

Discover the differences between naturalistic and formal gardens as you practice some of the landscaping techniques used at Winterthur and Longwood Gardens. Limited to 30. Ages 6 and up. Registration begins June 24th.

1pm

Wee Folk

Monday, July 15th

The library is full of fairies and elves today. Come join in their fun! Ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Art Underground

Monday, July 15th

Young artists will rotate through three different art stations exploring underground themes, including abstract "worm" paintings, cave art, and colorful watercolor gardens with the Delaware Art Museum. Limited to 30. Ages 6 and up. Registration begins July 1st.

1pm

Quick Comics

Wednesday, July 17th

In this 90 minute workshop participants are invited to design and illustrate their own comic books about "Why I was late to ____". Experimentation with storytelling, pop-up illustrations and adding your own personal touches is encouraged.

Ages 12 and up. Registration begins July 3rd.

3pm

Gnome, Sweet Gnome

Monday, July 22nd

We have a gnome playing tricks in the library. Join in his games. Ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Constructing Your Own Fun

Monday, July 22nd

Build a great day with the Delaware Aerospace Education Foundation. Limited to 30. Ages 6 and up. Registration begins July 8th.

1pm

Where's My Mommy?

Tuesday, July 23

A baby T-Rex has lost her mommy and needs your help finding her during this puppet show from the Delaware Museum of Natural History. Ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Dino Day

Monday, July 29th

Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs. Everywhere you look there are dinsoaurs today in the library. Ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Give It to the Worms

Monday, July 29th

Explore recycling with emphasis on recycling of organic material through composting with the Master Gardener Junior Gardener Program from the University of Delaware. Limited to 30. Ages 6 and up. Registration begins July 15th.

1pm

Escape from the Great Book Mine!

Tuesday, July 30th

Mike is stuck in a mine where he digs for books. While he waits to be rescued he is visited by a series of tunneling creatures who have buried books underground. Recommended for ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Tuck Me In

Tuesday, July 30th

Bring your favorite stuffed friend for this special evening program. Limited to 30. Ages 3 and up. Registration begins July 16th.

7pm

Personal Essay

Wednesday, July 31st

This two hour workshop allows participants to draft and revise an essay based on personal experiences and values. Depending on the participants’ selected topics, completed essays may be suitable for college admission applications or for publication in the Library’s literary magazine.

Ages 12 and up. Registration begins July 17th.

3pm

Library Late Night

Friday, August 2nd

Come dressed in your PJs and explore the library after everyone else has gone home. Limited to 30. Ages 3 and up. Registration begins July 19th.

7pm

Do You Need a Thneed?

Monday, August 5th

The Lorax is here to encourage you to speak for the trees. Ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Rainforest Rendezvous

Monday, August 5th

Come to the library to dig into the amazing world of the rainforest. You will learn about its plants and animals and how they have adapted to this wet and wonderful environment. Limited to 30. Ages 6 and up. Registration begins July 22nd.

1pm

Be a Chalk Artist

Monday, August 12

Learn to make your own sidewalk chalk. Show off your
artistic skills in a drawing exhibition. All ages.

10:15am

Construction Craze

Monday, August 12th

Bricks 4 Kidz is here to help us build everything we would need at a construction site. Limited to 30. Ages 6 and up. Registration begins July 29th.

1pm

Little Bunny Foo Foo

Tuesday, August 13th

During this puppet show help Little Bunny Foo Foo learn it is better not to hit. Recommended for ages 3 and up.

10:15am

Dig Out

Friday, August 16th

We've been buried under all of the fun and excitement of the summer. It's time to dig out and have one final party. All ages.

10:15am