A hoppin' good Saturday

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

Margaret Wise Brown has arrvived!

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....

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

Fun with Two of a Kind!

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:

So there was this ladybug...

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:

Celie and the Harvest Fiddler

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!

Books in Art

Caught Reading!

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

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 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!