Stop by after trick-or-treating on Wednesday, October 31st for our second annual Halloween Party! We’ll have pizza, drinks, a costume contest, and watch Hocus Pocus. Registration is required and will begin on Monday, October 22nd. For grades 5-12.

An Apple A Day! Art Show and Activities

Grab the kiddos and join us for a special apple celebration. Artist and author Leeza Hernandez and her 11-year-old daughter Liv share their favorite pieces from what began as a simple mother-daughter activity and quickly turned into a 100-day art project.

The local duo will give their personal take on how they survived the project without driving each other nuts—and will show you and your kids how to make apple prints together. Plus there will be some festive apple-y snacks to enjoy and a special gift to take away.

About “An Apple A Day!”

In June 2016, the challenge was to each create an image of an apple using a different medium every day for as long as they felt like it. From edible art to working with paints, pencil, fiber, aluminum foil and even Lego, the duo discovered a myriad of ways you can make multiple interpretations of one single subject.

“We agreed to just keep going and didn’t commit to any timeframe which eliminated any pressure about deadlines and the need to have to create,” Hernandez says, expecting patience to get the better of them within the first few days but was surprised at the result.

“My daughter woke up early every morning to brainstorm what medium we’d try next, Hernandez adds. “She was truly engaged. When we moved into the second week and were still going strong, I realized this was more than about making art together.”

“I think this was a really good opportunity to spend more time with my mom, especially because we were both doing something that we love: art!” Liv says, “It was cool that we would think of a different style every day. I would love to do it again and see how many more apples we can come up with.”

The project was spent during most of summer break and only ended due to back to school and extra curricular time constraints. On average, daily activities ranged from 10 minutes to an hour, while more involved practices were saved for weekends.

“It was hard to stop at all, but Day 100 felt like a good place,” Hernandez adds. “The majority of the project was spent working side-by-side discussing our observations, critiquing and comparing notes along the way, but we worked on the same apple together for the 100th.

Making apples manifested into special memories for both artists that ultimately strengthened their relationship.

“This project far outweighed time spent with devices which seems to be a constant in her generation,” Hernandez says. “I try to embrace the positives of digital technology whenever I can but teaching my daughter to find balance also taught me new parenting skills. Libby taught me a thing or two about art as well.”

The project was documented on Instagram (@leezaworks, 2016)—where you can view their art shown side-by-side—as a way to share and inspire other parents looking to spend time with their kids using a creative outlet.

Community Apple Art Project

You can be a part of the art show too! Stop by the Scotch Plains Library this week and pick up a piece of the giant apple canvas to participate in a community project. All you have to do is create art on one of the mosaic tiles with your child—remember, you have to work together—and return the artwork and completed form no later than September 18. The mosaic will be constructed and unveiled on the day of the event so bring friends and family for the big reveal!

About The Show

The artists have curated their favorite pieces from the project and will be on display for public viewing from 9/22 through 10/12.

This Saturday we’ll be having our second YA Coding Class for beginner coders. This course will teach you the basic principles of computing and introduce you to coding using commonly used languages like Scratch, HTML, CSS and Python. This program is for grades 5-12. Registration is required. Click here to register.

Summer reading has officially started! Sign up online or at the library to win prizes for reading throughout the summer. Also check out our calendar for all the the teen summer programs. We’ll have events every Monday and every other Wednesday, as well as some special programming like a Super Smash Bros tournament and a Harry Potter escape room! For students entering 6th-12th grade.

The teen summer reading program begins on Friday, June 1st. Teens can register for a Readsquared account and log their hours online. For more information about the program, rules, and prizes, stop by the library!

Join us for this month’s YA Cooking Class. We’ll be making summertime smoothies and milkshakes to celebrate the warmer weather. Please note any allergies on the registration form. For grades 5-12.

Click here to register.

Join us for our young adult cooking classes this week. On Wednesday, April 18th at 6:00pm we’ll be cooking personal pizzas. On Thursday, April 19th at 5:00pm there will be a bonus class! A guest instructor is coming in to teach us how to use instant pots to make soup, macaroni and cheese, and cake. Registration is required for both sessions and the classes are open to students in grades 5-12. Please note any allergies in the registration form.

On Saturday, April 14th at 1:00pm stop by the library for an afternoon chat with Archie Comics Co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit. If Archie Comics sounds familiar, that may be because they are the inspiration behind CW’s popular show Riverdale. We’ll also have some snacks, door prizes, and the winner of the comic contest will be announced! Registration is not required but is recommended. Click here to register.

On Saturday, April 14th at 1pm, join us at the library for “Beyond Riverdale: An Afternoon Chat with Archie Comics Co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit.” Refreshments will be served after the talk. If you’re a fan of drawing comics in addition to reading them, enter our Archie Comic Contest! Stop by the library for a complete list of rules and an entry form. Registration for the event is not required by highly recommended. All ages are welcome, though the talk will be aimed at teens and tweens.

Awards season doesn’t just come for movies and TV! Check out the teen book display by the reference desk to see some of the current and past book award winners.  Want a complete lists of winners and honors? Have a look at the YALSA Book and Media Awards website to see more award-worthy titles.