Celebrating Thanksgiving at the Library
by Andres Guerra
My group mates, Katja and Bettina Mästle Torres, have been setting up while a playtime was still ongoing for children a couple years younger than our target range. Sabina Mästle and Pen-ny Martin are also there to help. When it is almost time to start our program, we ask them to start cleaning up, an activity in which I was fine with participating.
On a table across from the door sits a couple of rows of home-made looking cookies: I wonder who made them or if Giant had gotten better at making cookies? Little do I know at that moment that those turkey-shaped and plump pumpkins-shaped cookies were made by our dear Mrs. Williams, specially for this 4-H Reading Buddies ses-sion! I am a quick learner, though, and I made sure I got my well-deserved share of these delicious threats after I dutifully read, worked and shared them with eve-ry body in the room! We also offer some to the very kind librarians at the front desk of the Library!
Mom and I did not come unprepared for snack time. We have popcorn in the car trunk, and some mini water bottles. Mom and I start setting out the craft materials. She sends me out to the car to get a two foot bag of popcorn. Costco size. I need her keys. She grants me access to the powerful item. I head out in search of popcorn and water - out to the parking lot, and to the car. I double press the small trunk icon. Hey, it’s the Charlery family arriving to help us. They help me carry the dozens of waters and the popcorn.
It’s a few minutes after starting time and three children are pre-sent other than us. I imagine the irony of having less listeners than readers and helpers. My club members and I go out to search for more children and find naught. Maybe we’ll have to go with what we have? No, there is Hope: slowly, but surely, humans of all sizes begin streaming in through the door.
The young group together and we start the reading with a book on the classic tale of the Pilgrims and Native Americans gathering together in harmony and having a big feast. This, of course, came out of the inac-curate idea which has pursued through popular culture that they ate turkey. More likely they ate waterfowl, squash, and lobsters, among other things. I then read a book about a turkey trying to avoid being eaten for Thanksgiving. I accidentally skip a line and one of the kids points this out. We share a short chuckle as I continue the story. In the end, the turkey delivers the farmer’s pizza and was saved!
We move on and make crafts. The youngsters have fun, and in the way that kids do, found different ways to make crafts - putting pieces to different uses. They make bookmarks from felt leaves, feathers and googly eyes. They make headbands, shaped like turkeys, and model turkeys out of pompoms.
Even more people enter the doors. Enough that my mom proposes rereading a book for those who missed the first round. I am kind of nervous about reading and just wanted to stay at the crafts tables. Ayla Charlery and Penny Martin kindly take over up instead.
Before the wee ones head out, we open the snack area to the families. We also have free children’s books to pass out, which Mrs. Luckabaugh has set on the table. Since they weren’t getting much attention, I put up a paper sign to point out the books on the table. Then, the kids -and their parents- do take notice. They walk out, happy and smiling with their crafts, their cookies and of course their very own book!
After all of the families were gone we quickly clean up and say our goodbyes. All in all, it was a very successful Reading Buddies!
