This fun, gently educational storytime uses picture book-style biographies and non-fiction books to explore the stories of real people & historical events.  We follow up the stories with a hands-on activity, game, or craft about the theme. Please note: This program is geared towards elementary school-aged children both by interest level and activity level, and is not suitable for preschoolers.

Upcoming topics:

July 2nd: Hear the exciting story of how the Declaration of Independence narrowly avoided destruction, and learn about the only woman whose name appears on an official version of it. Then have a try at making writing your own "John Hancock" signatures in cursive on a copy to keep.

August 6th: Hear the inspiring true story of William Kamkwamba, the Malawi boy who "Harnessed the Wind” to bring electricity to his drought-stricken town. After the story, make pinwheels similar to his invention.

September 3rd: Take a fun peek into the Industrial Revolution through the story of Margaret Knight, who invented the modern paper bag, and then make one of your own

October: Find out how Mary Shelley was inspired to write the book Frankenstein, and do some fun, spooky experiments with static electricity.

November 1st: Thanksgiving might not be celebrated today if not for Sarah Hale! Who was she and what did she do? Find out this month, and then make Gratitude Jars to share at your own celebration

December 5th: This month we'll learn about Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Peace Prize, and then make up our own versions of peace medals.

January 7th, 27th: Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday is this month, with stories and a peace sticker craft.

February 4th, '27: Hear funny stories from the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in honor of President's Day, then preserve the coin with Lincoln's face on it, with a Lincoln Memorial penny book craft.

March 4th, '27: It's Women's History Month, and we'll focus on a fabulous tidbit from history - did you know that the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel was an older woman named Annie Edson Taylor? A Niagara Falls craft will follow.

April 1st, '27: Earth Day is this month! We'll hear the true tale of the 1987 garbage barge that traveled half way around the world to find a place to dump its trash, and then play an energetic recycling game.

May 6th, '27: May is Bicycle Safety Month! Hear the story of how moms and kids turned the city of Amsterdam into the most bike-friendly city in the world, and then do a colorful bike handle streamer craft.

June 3rd, '27: We'll start with the inspiring story of Wangari Maathai, who organized a movement that led to African women planting over 51 million trees, and then we'll plant some seeds of our own with an egg carton garden-starter activity.