The Year of Authors

The Diggers

2008-05-12T13:01:00.000-04:00

This Wednesday is going to be a great Family Fun Night! We will be exploring the world of digging with Margaret Wise Brown's The Diggers. I hope everyone is ready to get dirty, because we will have different types of digging in different types of materials set up in our Imagination Studio. Maybe if you are lucky, you will find some buried treasure!

The Sailor Dog

2008-05-06T12:54:00.003-04:00

I hope to see everyone out at the Square this Saturday! The Lynchburg Humane Society will be bring by two very furry friends for us to play with. We will be up by the River with our new friends celebrating Margaret Wise Brown's book The Sailor Dog. Maybe if we are lucky, we'll catch a rain storm on the River! See everyone at 1!

A hoppin' good Saturday

2008-05-04T12:47:00.000-04:00

We had a great time on Saturday with The Runaway Bunny! Check out what we did!

The Runaway Bunny

2008-05-02T12:41:00.000-04:00

Everyone should come out this Saturday to celebrate the classic The Runaway Bunny! We will have a special reading of book, followed by some awesome bunny crafts. Everyone will get a chance to be a bunny with our amazing bunny masks and will be able to take a piece of the story home with them with their very own stuffed bunny pal. Hope to see everyone there for this hopping good time!

Margaret Wise Brown has arrvived!

2008-05-01T15:11:00.001-04:00

This May the Square would like to celebrate Margaret Wise Brown! Our April celebration of Eric Carle was fun, but May is shaping up to be full of fantastic programs. Let's take a sneak peak at what is in store!

Our Saturdays will be packed with tons of activities and fun.

Runaway Bunny May 3 1 pm – 3 pm
Stop by and celebrate the 65th anniversary of this magical book. We have a special reading of the Runaway Bunny and several bunny crafts for everyone to make.

The Sailor Dog May 10 1 pm – 3 pm
Our friends over at the Lynchburg Humane Society will be bring by some of their furry friends for everyone to meet. We will be up at the Square's very own James River celebrating Margaret Wise Brown's courageous and lovable pup.

Good Night, Moon May 24 1 pm – 3 pm
Our friends from Virginia Episcopal School will be here teaching us about the moon and all the other objects in the sky. We will also have fun sculpting our favorite moons, stars, and planets!

The Days Before Now May 26 2 pm – 3 pm
This is a very special program where everyone will be learning how to scrapbook and create their own autobiography, just like Margaret Wise Brown created. This program is $15.00 per album (includes front and back cover, six pages, stickers, design sheets, envelope, and scrapbook session with Creative Memories consultant), so please register for this workshop by calling the museum no later than May 21^st.

Don't forget our Family Fun Nights!

The Diggers May 14 4 pm – 6 pm
Explore the world of digging! See how animals dig, see how humans dig, and see how machines dig in all different types of environments. If you are lucky, you might even find some treasure!

The Big Red Barn May 28 3 pm – 5 pm
Did you know that the Big Red Barn at the Square was inspired by the Margaret Wise Brown book The Big Red Barn? For one night only we will be opening the barn yard doors to visitors of all ages. Come see what the animals have in store for everyone!

A Roaring Good Time....

2008-04-24T15:00:00.000-04:00

Look at all the fun we had this past Wednesday! The masks, people, and animals were all fantastic! Here are some awesome pictures:

Wild Family Fun Night

2008-04-20T14:48:00.001-04:00

Well, it is the fourth week of the month, and do you know what that means? This Wednesday is Family Fun Night! Our last Family Fun Night was pretty cool, but this one is going to be really amazing. We will be making all different type of crafts having to do with your favorite animals. There will be masks, animal activities, and plenty of fun. Hope to see you guys there at 4!

Fun with Two of a Kind!

2008-04-13T14:39:00.000-04:00

For those who couldn't make it on Saturday, you sure did miss an awesome time! Two of a Kind put on an amazing show with tons of songs about animals and they included a special song they wrote just for Eric Carle month here at the Square. Needless to say, it was a great time. Here are some pictures:

Two of a Kind

2008-04-11T10:48:00.005-04:00

I hope I'm going to see everyone on Saturday! Two of a Kind is coming to visit and it is shaping up to be an awesome time!

Two of a Kind is an interactive musical group. They use songs, puppets, movement, and stories to entertain the crowd. But do not expect to sit there and watch the show; they love tons of audience participation!

This Saturday, they have a special program planned just for us! All their songs and stories are going to have to do with ANIMALS!!! Super fun, right? This is all in honor of the Eric Carle's book Animals, Animals. If you haven't read this book yet, then you definitely should! It is available at our Book Nook (opened all day, everyday), so stop by and read it any time!

The program runs from 2PM to 3PM and is free with museum admission! I can not wait to see you all there!!

So there was this ladybug...

2008-04-06T09:35:00.002-04:00

We had a fantastic time this past Saturday celebrating Eric Carle's Grouchy Ladybug! If you missed it, here are some photos of all the fun we had:

April has Arrived!!

2008-04-01T09:52:00.000-04:00

Today the Square kicks off Eric Carle month! While we are sad to see our fantastic Dr. Seuss month go, but we are all very excited about the amazing activities planned for April!

Here is a sneak peak....

Our Family Fun Nights this month will be awesome! Don’t forget that they are every 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday night of each month. Admission for the whole museum is only $2!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar April 9 4 pm – 5 pm

The Nature Zone will be bringing some creepy, crawly bugs for us to see! Our friends will also be teaching us about metamorphosis and how caterpillars transform into beautiful butterflies. After, you should stop by the book nook and read Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

From Head to Toe April 23 4 pm – 5 pm

We will be having a night of fun and wiggling! Everyone will be making awesome animal masks and playing a crazy animal movement game. We’ll also have a reading of the Eric Carle classic, From Head to Toe. It is shaping up to be a moving, grooving time!

Don’t forget about our Special Saturday Programs every Saturday at the Square!

The Grouchy Ladybug April 5 1 pm – 3 pm

We will be crafting up a storm! Not only are we reading Eric Carle’s The Grouchy Ladybug but we will be making several ladybug crafts. Come listen to a story and make a sweet ladybug!

Animals, Animals April 12 2 pm – 3 pm

This Saturday we will have a very special musical guest, Two of a Kind, coming to visit us! They put on a great show magic by weaving together songs, puppets, movement, and stories. Come see this group bring to life all the animals and fun in Animals, Animals.

Hope to see you all at the Square this month!

Happy Birthday to the Square!

2008-03-28T14:23:00.003-04:00

That's right everyone, Amazement Square's Birthday is right around the corner! Come to the Square this Saturday from 1 PM to 3 PM and celebrate the museum's 7th birthday in (of course) Dr. Seuss style!

We'll be celebrating the Square's birthday like in the world of Katoo from Dr Seuss' Happy Birthday to You! Everyone will be able to learn our secret birthday handshake, make a birthday card, and get a very special Katoo birthday treat. This will be a chance for you to check out our fantastic birthday party packages, that are available all year long!

Also, this weekend will be a great chance to check out our current membership special. Get a free month! That is a 13 month membership for the price of 12!

Can't wait to see you there!

Amazing Egg Hunt

2008-03-24T09:53:00.003-04:00

I hope you all were able to make it out to the Square for our Seusstastical egg hunt on Saturday! There was a ton of fun, new faces!

Here are some pictures if you missed out on the fun:

Dr. Seuss Egg-spired Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-21T13:59:00.005-04:00

Just when you thought he was gone--the Cat in the Hat returns!

The Cat in the Hat has returned to the Square to take over our annual Easter Egg Hunt. Stop by Saturday, March 22 at 10 am to join the hunt (keep your eye out for our extra special purple and crystal eggs) and get your picture taken with the Cat (don't forget your camera!). There is sure to be plenty of prizes and fun for everyone!

But the fun doesn't stop there, before you leave home be sure to grab your most fantastical hat to wear for our Cat in the Hat Easter Hat Contest! Once the contest is over, be sure to stick around to relax and listen to a book reading by the Cat!

All of this fun is included in regular admission into the museum. No reservations required!

Can't wait to see you there!

Green Eggs and Ham - Update

2008-03-10T10:19:00.000-04:00

Apparently, there are plenty of folks who would eat them with a fox, in a box, on a train, and in the rain!

Because seats are filling up fast, we have added an extra seating for our Green Eggs and Ham Cookout. You can now enjoy this delicious meal at 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 1:00 pm.

Call the museum today at (434)-845-1888! Don't miss out on this Lynchburg first!

Also, look for your resident book worm (that's me!) on WDBJ 7 this week, talking about the program. Bob Grebe and I also take a trip to Academy Cafe to watch Susan prepare some green eggs. Don't miss it!

Green Eggs and Ham

2008-03-07T15:12:00.000-05:00

Would you eat them with a mouse?
Would you eat them in a house?
Would you eat them here or there?
Would you eat them at The Square?

Saturday, March 15th, is our Green Eggs and Ham Cookout. Join us for a delicious meal of green eggs and ham, provided by Academy Cafe, a reading of the classic tale, a chance to to take your picture with our Sam-I-Am cut-out, and more! The cost is just $3.00 a plate.

There are two seatings - 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm. Call the museum at (434)-845-1888 to reserve your seat today!

Toddler Tales

2008-03-05T11:47:00.005-05:00

Every Tuesday at 1 pm, museum visitors aged five and under (and their parents, grandparents, cousins, babysitters, nannies, and caregivers!) gather in The Big Red Barn exhibition for Toddler Tales. For the rest of March, we'll be focusing on the beloved Dr. Seuss and in April, we'll be reading the work of Eric Carle, another preschool favorite.

For 30 minutes, we have a grand old time reading stories, singing songs, doing movement activities, working on craft projects, and more while building pre-reading skills! We have a great group of regulars but there's always room for more!

Toddler Tales is always free with the cost of regular admission!

Caught Reading!

2008-03-04T13:58:00.003-05:00

About Kendra:
Kendra Scheck is an Elementary Education major at Liberty University. She’ll be busy student teaching this fall and is excited to hone her teaching skills at Amazement Square! She’s been working at the Square since December 2007 and absolutely loves it.

Favorite Book as a Child:
The Monster at the End of This Book, starring everyone’s favorite monster, Grover from Sesame Street. “That book was so funny! I still read it all the time!”

Favorite Dr. Seuss Book:
Horton Hears a Who or The Sneetches. “They’re both phenomenal!”

Why read Dr. Seuss?
“What’s really great is that adults can read his book for the pure enjoyment of his creativity and children can benefit from the rhyming of nonsense words and pure imagination of it all. His books are amazing and so great for pre-or-beginning readers!”

You can check out more about Dr. Seuss and other important reading initiatives at the National Endowment for the Art.

What Dr. Seuss event is going to rock the fox out of his socks this month?
“The Dr. Seuss Egg-spired Easter Egg Hunt is going to be soooooo much fun!”

slamming at the square!

2008-02-29T13:30:00.009-05:00

Our poetry slam this week was amazing. We had a great turn out of both young poets and community members attend. In honor of Black History Month, students were inspired by the poets of the Harlem Renaissance to present either their own original works or to interpret works by Harlem Renaissance poets. The result was a great evening of poetry and fellowship - check out the photos!

Participating Poets:

Linkhorne Middle School, 8^th Grade – Bianca Adams, Shaviya Griffin, Valentina Kastrati, Vanessa Wells

Jefferson Forest High School, 12^th Grade - Michael Chao, Austin DeLaHunt, Tricia Elliot, Zach Foust-Meyer, Garrett Hegner, Stephanie Kountz, Ben Turpin, Logan Wamsley

Miller Park Neighborhood Center, part of the Youth & Neighborhood Services program: Angelica Davies (12^th Grade, E.C. Glass), Shabrina McCloud

Community Participants – Clarise Hicks, Joann Stinnette, Patty Webb, Debra Woodson

poetry slam at the square!

2008-02-27T11:21:00.005-05:00

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?...Maybe it just sags like a heavy load? Or does it just explode?

~ A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes

That excerpt from one of Langston Hughes' most memorable poems is just a snippet of what you'll hear at our From Harlem to Lynchburg Poetry Slam tonight! The slam starts at 5 pm and goes until 7 pm. Young local poets will share their favorite poems from the Harlem Renaissance as well as their own original work inspired by our own Lynchburg community.

Want to participate? All you have to do is show up! It's an open mic, which means that anyone can participate. Be sure to come down, hear some great poetry, maybe share your own, and enjoy in food and fellowship with your Lynchburg neighbors.

Sidenote: Speaking of a dream deferred, did any one catch A Raisin in the Sun on television Monday night? I thought it was really fantastic and great precursor to our event tonight!

Fiddlin' Fun

2008-02-25T17:07:00.006-05:00

This past weekend's program, featuring Woody McKenzie and friends, was a rip-roaring, toe-tapping good time! If you weren't able to make it, you missed out on a chance to hear music from all over the the world, try your hand at playing the fiddle, and make the dancing man dance.

Check out this photos below to see how much we're having during The Year of Authors!

Celie and the Harvest Fiddler

2008-02-21T13:19:00.004-05:00

This weekend, we're hosting a local legend, Woody McKenzie, to come down to The Square and present a fiddling demonstration. This program was inspired by a great children's book, Celie and the Harvest Fiddler.

The story is about Celie, an lively and adventurous girl who lives in the South in the 1870s. She plans to win the prize for the best costume at the All Hallow's Eve parade. When she meets a mysterious fiddler, she accepts the African mask he offers her. But is the mask more than it appears? And what is the story behind the fiddler's mysterious song? If you like stories that keep you on the edge of your seat, you'll love this historical thriller, coupled with beautiful oil illustrations.

Woody McKenzie, local musician and college professor, will present a rip-roaring demonstration of traditional Appalachian fiddle music and take questions about from visitors about his music, his instruments, and just about anything else! Guests are invited to bring their own instruments as well and join in the fun!

As always, this program is free with the cost of admission.

Saturday, February 23rd
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Don't miss it!

Gwyn Moses

2008-02-14T10:46:00.005-05:00

Gifted author and storyteller Gwyn Moses visited the museum last night as part of our Visiting Author Series. Gwyn shared African-American folktales and stories ranging from the Br'er Rabbit tales to stories about African safaris to the modern classic Henry's Freedom Box.

Upcoming African-American Authors Programs:

Fiddling program with Woody McKenzie, inspired by the book Celie and the Harvest Fiddler
From Harlem to Lynchburg Poetry Slam - An evening of poetry by local student poets, inspired by their own community!

If you're interested in participating in the Poetry Slam, it's not too late! Call the museum at 434-845-1888 for more information!

Books in Art

2008-02-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

Caught Reading!

2008-02-06T16:47:00.000-05:00

Our resident book worm has been very busy getting this month's featured books into the hands of our gallery staff members. One of our long-time floor managers, Jillian, was recently snapped this morning checking out A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams. [Teachers, check out a great related lesson plan here!]

About Jillian:

Jillian was born in Louisiana and raised in Winchester, Virginia. An outdoorsy girl, Jillian spent a lot of time riding horses or pursuing art. A graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, Jillian has been working at Amazement Square since October 2006. She loves good food, good friends, good movies, good books, and great art!

Favorite Book as a Child:

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardem. “I liked the illustrations and how it was about Africa, which was so far away and exotic.”

Favorite Book as an (sort of!) Adult:

“One of the only novels I have read more than once is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I love the way she writes about women during that time period.”

What Year of Authors element are you most excited about?

March’s Author of the Month, Dr. Seuss! “His creativity and ability to get kids reading and thinking in such a silly manner while teaching life lessons is brilliant!”

Why check out Amazement Square’s African-American Authors this month?

“This month’s programming is really exciting because it features stories from strange and exotic places as well as authors who write about aspects of American history that are important and relevant. I’m most excited about the Poetry Slam – that sounds awesome!”

John Henry

2008-01-31T14:01:00.001-05:00

The first program for our Amazing African-American Authors month is coming up soon!

Our program was inspired by Julius Lester's retelling of a beloved folktale. This Saturday, February 2nd from 1 pm - 3 pm, you can experience the life of the mythic folk hero, John Henry, the steel-driving man.

Participants will have fun making their own trains cars and painting their own train whistles. Program is free with cost of admission but the wooden whistles cost $1.00 each.

Welcome to The Year of Authors Blog!

2008-01-31T13:11:00.000-05:00

2008 is the The Year of Authors at Amazement Square! This year-long program will focus on introducing beloved children's authors to new and old readers alike through interactive and exciting programs.

Did you know that according to the National Endowment for the Arts report Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America, reading rates are declining rapidly in all groups, especially among youth? Our goal is to make books exciting, relevant, and essential in the lives of every young person and their families.

This blog is your resource for author information, program updates, recommended reading, tips for parents and teachers, and so much more! Remember, this is your resource! If there's anything you'd like to see, drop us a comment or an email!

Happy Reading!