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Citizen Science Kits
Leave a CommentExplore Science at Home with Our New Citizen Science Kits!
The Morgantown Public Library is excited to introduce Citizen Science Kits, now available for checkout! These hands-on kits provide everything you need to participate in real scientific research from the comfort of your home or out in the community. Perfect for all ages, our kits help you contribute valuable data to global research projects while learning about the world around you.
What Kits Can I Check Out?
- NEW: Snowflake Kits — This kit helps scientists collect data about snowflakes and snowfall conditions. It includes a way to gather snowflakes, a phone lens to zoom in and take photos of snowflakes, a snowflake shape chart, and a paper with the history of snowflake photography.
- Biodiversity Kits — This kit helps scientists collect data about the local wildlife. Community members are encouraged to upload their findings to iNaturalist, a site that shares the information gathered with scientists. The kit includes binoculars, a lens kit that attaches to a smart phone to assist with taking pictures, as well as information about local species. Anyone can use iNaturalist.
- Cloud Kits — This kit helps NASA scientists collect data about clouds. The kit includes some information to assist with cloud identification as well as information on how to get the app. Globe Observer is an app through NASA that uses the data gathered about clouds to help them get an accurate picture of the weather. The observations we gather as a community will help NASA scientists interpret the information they get from satellites.
- Water Quality Kit — This kit includes different ways to test water quality. It includes PH strips and a TDS meter (Total Dissolved Solids). This information is shared with mWater, an NGO that collects information about water quality from areas around the world.
How to Check Out a Kit
The Citizen Science Kits are available for check out at the Morgantown Public Library! Stop by the front desk with your library card to pick up a kit.
Citizen Science Kits are a fantastic way for families, students, and curious minds to engage in real-world science. Whether you’re an aspiring scientist or just love learning, these kits make it easy to contribute to meaningful research. If you would like to anonymously submit your data, please use these forms for the Snowflake Kit, Biodiversity Kit, Cloud Kit, and/or Water Quality Kit.
Check out a kit today and start your science adventure!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who can check out a Citizen Science Kit?
Anyone with a valid Morgantown Public Library System library card can check out a kit from the Morgantown Public Library.
How long can I keep a kit?
Kits can be checked out for 3 weeks. Please return them on time so everyone has a chance to participate.
Do I need special training to use a kit?
No special training is required! Each kit includes clear instructions to guide you through the project.
How do I submit my findings?
Each kit includes instructions on where to submit your data online. The Biodiversity Kit uses iNaturalist, the Cloud Kit uses Globe Observer, and the Water Quality Kit uses mWater. If you would like to anonymously submit your data, please use these forms for the Biodiversity Kit, Cloud Kit, and/or Water Quality Kit.
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Giving Tuesday
Leave a CommentThank You for Your Library Love!
Now that GivingTuesday is over for 2025, we want to express our enormous gratitude to all of our donors and supporters. December 2 was a global day of generosity, and the Morgantown Public Library System aimed to raise $2,500 for the 2026 Summer Reading Program. We met and exceeded that goal! Now, our biggest project of the year will be better than ever, with all-ages activities and events across Monongalia County.
Looking to support your library? We’d love you to be a library hero! We’re now accepting donations to our general operations fund, which supports all our programming, collections, and expenses.
Beyond donating, here’s how else you can help support the library:
- Post about the library on social media. Follow our Facebook and Instagram, share our content, or write your own.
- Tell your friends about the library. Send a text, make a call, or take a trip to the library together!
- Use your library card! The more you use your card, the better we look to our funders. Check out or download a book, audiobook, or movie!
Your contribution is tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law.
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Kids’ Summer Reading Program 2025
Leave a CommentSign Up
Sign up for the 2025 Summer Reading Program (SRP) with programs for children (grades 1-5), tweens & teens, and adults (ages 18+)! Children in sixth grade can choose to participate in either the Kids’ or Tween/Teen program (see registration form for more details).
Registration for the Summer Reading Program opens on June 1st. You can sign up at any point during the program — it’s never too late to join in on the summer fun! Once you’ve registered, stop by any Morgantown Public Library System location to pick up your SRP 2025 Registration Kit, which includes a customizable tote bag!
Don’t forget to fill out our weekly prize form for your chance to win some awesome prizes throughout the summer.
Too young to register for the summer reading program? No problem! We have organized a series of preschool programs and created a reading log for our readers-in-training!
Log Your Books
Beanstack is a website and app that serves as an interactive home for all reading challenges and events. It’s your one-stop-shop to track your reading habits and unlock badges! New to Beanstack? Check out our easy-to-follow instructions!
Children in grades 1-5 can also choose to track their reading on the paper log included in the registration kits. Here’s a digital version in case you need another!
Earn Prizes
Participation Prizes:
Log at least 3 books and you will go home with our Summer Reading Program system-wide prize: a customizable “Color Your World” bag — perfect for fitting all of your art supplies! Participation prizes can be picked up at any of our locations at any time during the program once you’ve read 3 books. Prizes are available on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
For your chance to win during our weekly prize drawings, fill out the online form updated below each week! Winners will be notified and can pick up the prize from one of our library locations.
Week 1 (June 9-14): Paint SetWeek 2 (June 16-21): WOW Factory Gift Card
Week 3 (June 23-28): Paint Set
Week 4 (June 30-July 5): WOW Factory Gift Card
Week 5 (July 7-12): Paint Set
Week 6 (July 14-19): WOW Factory Gift Card
Week 7 (July 21-26): Paint Set
Thank you to the WOW Factory for their generous donation!
Craft Kits
Participating children can pick up a free craft kit at their home library during certain weeks (while supplies last)!
Week 2 (June 16-21): Crowns & Creativity Craft Kit
This craft will include a customizable paper crown, a “design your own wizard cloak page,” and other royal activities.Week 4 (June 30-July 3): Beginners Origami
This craft kit is for beginner paper folders! It comes with instructions on how to make some basic origami designs as well as fun colorful origami paper.Week 6 (July 14-19): Make a Mask
This craft kit is all about theater! Use your imagination and a character creation sheet to design your own paper mask! Will your character be scary? Funny? Or CRAZY?!Attend a Summer Reading Program Event
Check out our full events calendar!
June 1st: Registration Begins!
June 9th: Official Start of the Summer Reading Program
August 1st: End of the Summer Reading Program
August 1st: Community Art ShowRegistration Kick-Off Party at StoryFest!
Date: Saturday, June 7th | 3:00-6:00pm
Location: Morgantown Farmers Market | 400 Spruce St, Morgantown, WV 26505
Join us at StoryFest for our Summer Reading Program 2025 Kick-Off Party! Kids in Grades 1-5 are invited to visit our table to register for the program and receive their Registration Kit — which includes a reading log, fun activities, gifts, and more! Then, explore StoryFest for more fun adventures including design your own shield, live sword fighting demonstration, and special guest story times!Week 1: Drawing & Painting
Self-Portrait Day
Date: Tuesday, June 10th | 1:00-2:00pm
Location: Cheat Area Public Library
Calling all young artists! Join us at the Cheat Area Public Library for an hour of creativity and self expression! We will be learning all about cool artists who made their own self portraits and then we will be using all kinds of crazy craft materials to make our own unique works of art.Watercolor World
Date: Wednesday, June 11th | 2:00pm
Location: Arnettsville Public Library
Learn to paint with water colors with local artist and library neighbor Lark Harms. Paint a picture or two and make a card.Self-Portrait Day
Date: Thursday, June 12th | 2:00 pm-3:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Calling all young artists! Join us at the Morgantown Public Library for an hour of creativity and self expression! We will be learning all about cool artists who made their own self portraits and then we will be using all kinds of crazy craft materials to make our own unique works of art.Self-Portrait Day
Date: Friday, June 13th | 10:30-11:30am
Location: Clay-Battelle Public Library
Calling all young artists! Join us at the Morgantown Public Library for an hour of creativity and self expression! We will be learning all about cool artists who made their own self portraits and then we will be using all kinds of crazy craft materials to make our own unique works of art.Squeegee Art
Date: Friday, June 13th | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Clinton District Public Library
Spend the summer with the Clinton District Public Library as we create new and exciting art pieces for you to take home. This week, we will be doing squeegee art!Week 2: Fiber Art & Fashion
Tie-Dye Day
Date: Tuesday, June 17th | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Join us at the library for a fun day of tie dyeing! Bring a white shirt and we will provide everything else you need to make a one-of-a-kind design!Character Couture: Designing Legendary Paper Characters
Date: Tuesday, June 17th | 1:00-2:00pm
Location: Cheat Area Public Library
From Little Red Riding Hood, to Spiderman, to Captain Underpants — all legendary characters have a legendary design! In this hands-on workshop, you will be using the power of your imagination to create legendary characters of your own!Tie-Dye Class
Date: Wednesday, June 18th | 2:00pm
Location: Arnettsville Public Library
Learn how to tie-dye! Bring a white t-shirt to the class so that you can tie-dye your very own shirt to wear this summer and make a fashion statement.Tie-Dye Bandanas
Date: Friday, June 20th | 10:30-11:30am
Location: Clay-Battelle Public Library
Put your tie-dye skills to the test for Week 2 of SRP! Make a custom bandana and showcase your artistic flair.Friendship Bracelets
Date: Friday, June 20th | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Clinton District Public Library
Join us at the Clinton District Public Library as we weave friendship bracelets with embroidery thread. You can even teach us a pattern to use!Week 3: Photography
Picture This! Picture Frame Decorating
Date: Tuesday, June 24th | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
The summer and the library are both full of such fun memories! During this activity, use all kinds of crafting materials to customize your own picture frame that is perfect for holding your best memories. Use the frame to hold a silly picture of yourself, a fun picture of family and friends, or even a wacky drawing of your own creation!Picture This! Picture Frame Decorating
Date: Tuesday, June 24th | 1:00-2:00pm
Location: Cheat Area Public Library
The summer and the library are both full of such fun memories! During this activity, use all kinds of crafting materials to customize your own picture frame that is perfect for holding your best memories. Use the frame to hold a silly picture of yourself, a fun picture of family and friends, or even a wacky drawing of your own creation!Picture This! Picture Frame Decorating
Date: Wednesday, June 25th | 2:00pm
Location: Arnettsville Public Library
The summer and the library are both full of such fun memories! During this activity, use all kinds of crafting materials to customize your own picture frame that is perfect for holding your best memories. Use the frame to hold a silly picture of yourself, a fun picture of family and friends, or even a wacky drawing of your own creation!Picture This! Picture Frame Decorating
Date: Friday, June 27th | 10:30-11:30am
Location: Clay-Battelle Public Library
The summer and the library are both full of such fun memories! During this activity, use all kinds of crafting materials to customize your own picture frame that is perfect for holding your best memories. Use the frame to hold a silly picture of yourself, a fun picture of family and friends, or even a wacky drawing of your own creation!Picture This! Picture Frame Decorating
Date: Friday, June 27th | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Clinton District Public Library
The summer and the library are both full of such fun memories! During this activity, use all kinds of crafting materials to customize your own picture frame that is perfect for holding your best memories. Use the frame to hold a silly picture of yourself, a fun picture of family and friends, or even a wacky drawing of your own creation!Weeks 4: Decor & 3D Art
30 Minute Sculpture Challenge
Date: Tuesday, July 1st | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Attention all builders and artists! It is time to use all of your skills to create a sculpture in just 30 minutes! Race against the clock using cardboard, paper, and your tremendous creativity to build something the world has never seen before. Whether you create a tall tower, an amazing animal, or something totally new — we can’t wait to see what you build!30 Minute Sculpture Challenge
Date: Tuesday, July 1st | 1:00-2:00pm
Location: Cheat Area Public Library
Attention all builders and artists! It is time to use all of your skills to create a sculpture in just 30 minutes! Race against the clock using cardboard, paper, and your tremendous creativity to build something the world has never seen before. Whether you create a tall tower, an amazing animal, or something totally new — we can’t wait to see what you build!3D Art: Clay Sculptures
Date: Wednesday, July 2nd | 2:00pm
Location: Arnettsville Public Library
Make your own clay sculpture.30 Minute Sculpture Challenge
Date: Thursday, July 3rd | 10:30-11:30am
Location: Clay-Battelle Public Library
Attention all builders and artists! It is time to use all of your skills to create a sculpture in just 30 minutes! Race against the clock using cardboard, paper, and your tremendous creativity to build something the world has never seen before. Whether you create a tall tower, an amazing animal, or something totally new — we can’t wait to see what you build!Ink Marbling
Date: Thursday, July 3rd | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Clinton District Public Library
Create a marbled masterpiece with the flexibility of alcohol ink and your imagination.Week 5: Writing & Storytelling
Once Upon a Time
Date: Tuesday, July 8th | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
You’ve read lots of books and been to plenty of story times — now it’s time for YOU to be the storyteller! Join new friends as we gather together to create the most fun, wacky, hysterical, and out of this world story ever. We can’t wait to see you for this story time with a twist!Once Upon a Time
Date: Tuesday, July 8th | 1:00-2:00pm
Location: Cheat Area Public Library
You’ve read lots of books and been to plenty of story times — now it’s time for YOU to be the storyteller! Join new friends as we gather together to create the most fun, wacky, hysterical, and out of this world story ever. We can’t wait to see you for this story time with a twist!Movie Day at the Library: Harold & the Purple Crayon
Date: Wednesday, July 9th | 2:00pm
Location: Arnettsville Public Library
Grab some popcorn and enjoy Movie Day at the Library! Movies are a form of storytelling and we will be watching a very colorful movie, “Harold and the Purple Crayon.”Once Upon a Time
Date: Friday, July 11th | 10:30-11:30am
Location: Clay-Battelle Public Library
You’ve read lots of books and been to plenty of story times — now it’s time for YOU to be the storyteller! Join new friends as we gather together to create the most fun, wacky, hysterical, and out of this world story ever. We can’t wait to see you for this story time with a twist!Storytelling with Guest Lawrence Rebelo
Date: Friday, July 11th | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Clinton District Public Library
Join us as we weave a story together to create a printed “book” for each attendee to have.Week 6: Performing Arts
Puppet Palooza
Date: Tuesday, July 15th | 1:00-2:00pm
Location: Cheat Area Public Library
From googly eyes, to felt, to pipe cleaners, and more — we will supply you with everything you need to design your very own, one-of-a-kind, puppet masterpiece! After your creation is done, use it to tell stories in a whole new way. This fun event is perfect for any kiddos who love being silly and telling stories!Puppet Palooza
Date: Tuesday, July 15th | 2:00-3:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
From googly eyes, to felt, to pipe cleaners, and more — we will supply you with everything you need to design your very own, one-of-a-kind, puppet masterpiece! After your creation is done, use it to tell stories in a whole new way. This fun event is perfect for any kiddos who love being silly and telling stories!Puppet Palooza
Date: Wednesday, July 16th | 2:00pm
Location: Arnettsville Public Library
From googly eyes, to felt, to pipe cleaners, and more — we will supply you with everything you need to design your very own, one-of-a-kind, puppet masterpiece! After your creation is done, use it to tell stories in a whole new way. This fun event is perfect for any kiddos who love being silly and telling stories!Puppet Palooza
Date: Friday, July 18th | 10:30-11:30am
Location: Clay-Battelle Public Library
From googly eyes, to felt, to pipe cleaners, and more — we will supply you with everything you need to design your very own, one-of-a-kind, puppet masterpiece! After your creation is done, use it to tell stories in a whole new way. This fun event is perfect for any kiddos who love being silly and telling stories!Dance Party
Date: Friday, July 18th | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Clinton District Public Library
CDPL is having a dance party and you’re invited! Join us at the Clinton District Volunteer Firehall and we dance the from morning into afternoon!Week 7: The Artist is You
The Artist is You: Workshop
Date: Tuesday, July 22nd | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
We hope you’ve been having fun exploring your artistic abilities this summer because now is your time to shine during our workshop hour! Bring any artistic creations that you are proud of from this summer and add finishing touches to them — or create something new using all of our supplies! We will provide tons of crafting materials and upbeat music to rock out to while you perfect your super cool art work.The Artist is You: Workshop
Date: Tuesday, July 22nd | 1:00-2:00pm
Location: Cheat Area Public Library
We hope you’ve been having fun exploring your artistic abilities this summer because now is your time to shine during our workshop hour! Bring any artistic creations that you are proud of from this summer and add finishing touches to them — or create something new using all of our supplies! We will provide tons of crafting materials and upbeat music to rock out to while you perfect your super cool art work.Nostalgic Art Stations
Date: Wednesday, July 23rd | 2:00pm
Location: Arnettsville Public Library
Visit one of the many nostalgic art stations. Play with an Etch-A-Sketch. Make Spirograph Art. Make Silly Putty Art. Make Dot Art masterpieces and more.The Artist is You: Workshop
Date: Friday, July 25th | 10:30-11:30am
Location: Clay-Battelle Public Library
We hope you’ve been having fun exploring your artistic abilities this summer because now is your time to shine during our workshop hour! Bring any artistic creations that you are proud of from this summer and add finishing touches to them — or create something new using all of our supplies! We will provide tons of crafting materials and upbeat music to rock out to while you perfect your super cool art work.The Artist is You: Workshop
Date: Friday, July 25th | 11:00am-12:00pm
Location: Clinton District Public Library
We hope you’ve been having fun exploring your artistic abilities this summer because now is your time to shine during our workshop hour! Bring any artistic creations that you are proud of from this summer and add finishing touches to them — or create something new using all of our supplies! We will provide tons of crafting materials and upbeat music to rock out to while you perfect your super cool art work.End of Program Party: Community Art Show
Community Art Show
Date: Friday, August 1st | 6:00-9:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public LibraryWelcome to our community art show featuring the fabulous artwork made by — YOU! Dress up fancy and join us at this one-of-a-kind gallery evening complete with sparkling juice, cheese, and, of course, your art! We will have everything from sculptures, to self portraits, to paintings, and more on display here at the Morgantown Public Library. After an evening of being admired, take home your amazing creation to display forever. Bring your friends and family to this artistic evening filled with art, inspiration, and community spirit!
This event is for all ages and you can submit your work at any of our Morgantown Public Library System locations from July 21st-28th. Any large or potentially breakable art pieces should be brought directly to the Morgantown Public Library. One submission per artist please!
Preschool Programs
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
Have you heard of 1000 Books Before Kindergarten? The Morgantown Public Library is committed to creating lifelong readers from the start with a fun approach to establishing strong early literacy skills. The goal is to read 1,000 books (yes, you can repeat books) before your precious one starts kindergarten. Register here!
Morgantown Public Library
Preschool Story Time
Dates: June 3rd & 4th and June 10th & 11th | 10:00-10:30am | Meeting Room A
Let’s have fun at the Morgantown Public Library with story times! During our time together, the children will listen to two delightful stories, enjoy a variety of activities and explore a different theme each week. The story times are for children ages 2-5 year old.Tuesday Evening Preschool Story Time Summer Session
Dates: June 17th, June 24th, July 22nd, July 29th, August 19th and August 26th | 6:30-7:15pm | Meeting Room A
Children ages 2-6 are invited to join us at the Morgantown Public Library for our free and fun Tuesday Evening Pre-School Story Time Summer Session. This summer session will celebrate the library’s Summer Reading Program “Color Your World” and read books about colors this summer. Join us for stories, songs, games, and visit the many activity stations. Story times begin at 6:30pm and last approximately 30 to 45 minutes. For more information, contact the library at 304-291-7425.Cheat Area Public Library
Wednesday Morning Story Time
Come to the Cheat Area Public Library every Wednesday at 10:30am to listen to engaging stories, do themed crafts, and play with new friends! Ages 3-6 recommended.Toddler Playgroup
Toddlers ages 1-5 and their parents can meet up in the library space to play and socialize every Friday at 10:30am at the Cheat Area Public Library! The library provides a variety of exciting toys and crafts that make for a fun, casual weekly gathering.Morgantown Public Library System at Krepps Park
Krepps Kritters
Dates: June 12th & 26th and July 10th & 24th | 10:00am
It is time again for you and your child to join us at Krepp’s Park for Krepps Kritters! The program will be moved to Pavilion 2 located in the upper part of the park. Each session you and your child will hear two delightful stories, enjoy a variety of activities, make crafts, have refreshments, and explore a different theme each week. All sessions start at 10:00am and are for children ages 3-6 years old. The sessions are limited to the first 24 children and we will not take advance registration.Virtual Author Talks
Virtual Author Talk with Katherine Applegate
Date: Tuesday, June 24th | 4:00pm
Join us as award-winning author and summer reading champion Katherine Applegate talks to viewers about her enthusiastically heartwarming novel in verse, Odder.Everyone wants to meet Odder, the Queen of Play. Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she’s known. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself―and about the humans who hope to save her.
Katherine Applegate’s Odder, is inspired by the true story of a Monterey Bay Aquarium program that pairs orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers. This poignant and humorous tale told in free verse examines bravery and healing through the eyes of one of nature’s most beloved and charming animals.
Register here!
Virtual Author Talk with Raúl The Third
Date: Tuesday, July 8th | 4:00pm
Join author and illustrator Raúl The Third as he discusses his book ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Read!. Meet Little Lobo and friends as they explore their library’s Libro Love Book Festival! From cookbook demonstrations and comics workshops to mask making and language classes, this library has something for everyone and Little Lobo can’t wait to show you.Raúl the Third uses his culture and his experience growing up on the US and Mexico border to inspire his art and his storytelling. Students will be encouraged to explore their world through a creative lens. A draw along is planned, drawing supplies and paper are recommended.
Please note that we will be hosting Raúl the Third twice on this date, once in Spanish and in English. Be sure that you are registering for your preferred format.
Register here!
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Tween & Teen Summer Reading Program 2025
Leave a CommentSign Up
Sign up for the 2025 Summer Reading Program (SRP) with programs for children (grades 1-5), tweens & teens, and adults (ages 18+)! Registration starts on June 1st on Beanstack for the Summer Reading Program! Once you’ve registered, stop by any Morgantown Public Library System location to pick up your SRP 2025 customizable tote bag!
Log Your Books on Beanstack
Beanstack is a website and app that serves as an interactive home for all reading challenges and events. It’s your one-stop-shop to not only register for this summer reading challenge, but to also track your reading habits and unlock badges! New to Beanstack? Check out our easy-to-follow instructions!
Earn Prizes
Participation Prizes:
Log at least 3 books and you will go home with our Summer Reading Program system-wide prize: a customizable “Color Your World” bag — perfect for fitting all of your art supplies! Participation prizes can be picked up at any of our locations at any time during the program once you’ve read 3 books. Prizes are available on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
Grand Prize Drawings:
By logging at least 3 books on Beanstack, tweens & teens will be entered into the Grand Prize Drawing through Beanstack! Three lucky winners will receive coloring books & markers! The drawing is weighted — so the more you read, the higher your chances of winning.
Prizes must be picked up in-person once you’ve read at least three books. The Grand Prize Winners will be contacted at the end of the Summer Reading Program to come and pick up their prizes.
Attend a Summer Reading Program Event
Stay tuned for our full events calendar!
June 1st: Registration Begins!
June 9th: Official Start of the Summer Reading Program
August 1st: End of the Summer Reading Program
August 1st: Community Art ShowTween Events (Ages: 10-12)
Bad Art Night
Date: Wednesday, July 30th | 6:00-7:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
No artistic talent? No problem. Join us for Bad Art Night, where tweens can create the weirdest, wackiest, and most wonderfully awful masterpieces imaginable. At the end, vote on the worst piece of art to see who will be dubbed the worst artist at the library. For ages 10-12.Teen Events (Ages: 13-18)
Glow Painting Party
Date: Wednesday, June 11th | 6:00-7:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Join us for a fun-filled glow-in-the-dark painting party! Paint small canvases with glow-in-the-dark paint and then decorate cookies with neon-colored frosting! For ages 13-18.Runway Reimagined
Date: Wednesday, June 18th | 6:00-7:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Unleash your creativity and hit the runway! Teens ages 13-18 are invited to transform their everyday clothing into bold, stylish, and unique fashion statements using upcycled materials and accessories. After designing their looks, participants will strut down the runway in a fashion show! No sewing experience is needed.Pet Portraits
Date: Wednesday, June 25th | 6:00-7:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Show your love for your pet by creating a pop-art style portrait of them using markers and paint! Bring a printed 10×10 size photo of your pet or use one of our pre-printed animal photos. For ages 13-18.30 Minute Sculpture Challenge
Date: Wednesday, July 2nd | 6:00-7:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Put your creativity and building skills to the test by designing and constructing your own sculpture using only cardboard and paper. Whether it’s an abstract masterpiece, a towering structure, or a detailed design, the challenge is to bring your vision to life using just these simple materials. There will be pizza too! For ages 13-18.Verses & Vibes: A Poetry Exploration
Date: Wednesday, July 9th | 6:00-7:30pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Join us for a creative and inspiring poetry workshop! This special event will feature a guest poet who will share insights on writing poetry, finding inspiration, and expressing yourself through words. After the talk, explore interactive stations where you can try your hand at creating different forms of poetry like blackout poetry and shape poetry. Each participant will get to take home notebooks, pens, prompts, and more! Snacks will be provided. For ages 13-18.A “Wicked” Fun Teen Movie Night
Date: Wednesday, July 16th | 5:30-7:30pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Teens ages 13-18 are invited to come watch the movie “Wicked” and eat pink and green snacks inspired by Elphaba and Glinda!Bad Art Night
Date: Wednesday, July 23rd | 6:00-7:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
No artistic talent? No problem. Join us for Bad Art Night, where teens can create the weirdest, wackiest, and most wonderfully awful masterpieces imaginable. At the end, vote on the worst piece of art to see who will be dubbed the worst artist at the library. For ages 13-18. -
Adult Summer Reading Program 2025
Leave a CommentSign up for the 2025 Summer Reading Program (SRP) with programs for children (grades 1-5), tweens & teens, and adults (ages 18+)! Once you’ve registered, stop by any Morgantown Public Library System location to pick up your SRP 2025 customizable tote bag!
It’s simple: log your books on Beanstack and earn prizes!
Sign Up
Register for the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge for adults directly through Beanstack starting on June 1st!
Log Your Books on Beanstack
Beanstack is a website and app that serves as an interactive home for reading challenges and events. It’s your one-stop-shop to not only register for this summer reading challenge, but to also track your reading habits and unlock badges! New to Beanstack? Check out our easy-to-follow instructions!
Earn Prizes
Participation Prizes:
Log at least 3 books and you will go home with our Summer Reading Program system-wide prize: a customizable “Color Your World” bag — perfect for fitting all of your art supplies! Participation prizes can be picked up at any of our locations at any time during the program once you’ve read 3 books. Prizes are available on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
Grand Prize Drawings:
By logging at least 3 books on Beanstack, adults will be entered into the Grand Prize Drawing through Beanstack! Three lucky winners will receive a gift card to a local business! The drawing is weighted — so the more you read, the higher your chances of winning.
Prizes must be picked up in person at any of our locations once you’ve read at least 3 books.
Attend a Summer Reading Program Event
Chronicles of Yarnia
Date: June 4th, June 18th, July 2nd, & July 16th | 6:00-7:45pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Wherever your yarn passions lie — knitting, crochet — bring supplies and meet new friends at the Morgantown Public Library in Meeting Room B!Trick Out Your Bag
Date: Tuesday, June 10th | During Open Hours
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Do you love your summer reading tote bag? Want to make it your own? Drop by the main floor of the Morganton Public Library to use our supplies to put your own spin on these customizable totes! You can use fabric markers, embroidery thread, and more to make your Summer Reading Bag a one of a kind work of art!Adult Craft Night: Guided Paint Night
Date: Thursday, June 12th | 5:30-7:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Come to the library for an evening of painting fun! We will guide you through a beginner level painting.Silent Book Club
Date: Thursday, July 10th | 5:30-7:30pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Wouldn’t it be great to have a book club where you could just enjoy books, friends, and snacks—without any homework? Silent Book Club is a community of readers and introverts that gather together to read in quiet camaraderie. There’s no assigned reading and all readers are welcome but BYOBook! Grab refreshments and settle in for an hour of silent, sustained reading. At the end of the hour, attendees can socialize — or not!Adult Craft Night: Thread and Yarn
Date: Thursday, July 17th | 5:30-7:00pm
Location: Morgantown Public Library
Join us for a fun night of knitting, crochet, and cross stitch! Supplies will be provided, for a fun evening of yarn and thread crafts. -
StoryFest 2025
Leave a CommentJoin us for StoryFest 2025!
The Morgantown Public Library System is proud to present StoryFest — a day of non-stop fun for people of all ages! Join us on Saturday, June 7th from 3:00-6:00pm at the Spruce Street Pavilion (located at 400 Spruce Street). Our festival celebrates storytelling in all its forms and this year, we’ve added a Renaissance Faire twist! StoryFest will be an evening filled with enchantment, including a live sword fighting demonstration, a chance to be knighted as an official StoryFest knight, and free crafting stations to design your own wands, crowns, and shields. Kids, teens, and adults are sure to find something to love at StoryFest!
Plus, be sure to stop by our Summer Reading Program table to register while at StoryFest! More info about the Summer Reading Program coming soon.
For children, we will have a Storyteller’s Court with special guests including the West Virginia Black Bears Mascot, the Morgantown Fire Department, and the Aquatic Center Mermaid! We will also have a variety of free crafting tables provided by Early Head Start and the Morgantown Public Library System including design your own coat of arms, make an enchanted crystal, design a royal crown, and customize a wand!
For all ages, you can watch a live sword demonstration from Black Bear Historical Fencing, get a poem on the spot from the Bards of Yellowwood, complete a challenge to become an official knight of StoryFest, and enjoy delicious carnival style food from Mag & Pops food truck!
For the grown ups, there will be amazing creators to meet including the West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman, local authors Anna Smucker, Patricia Hopper Patterson, the Morgantown Writers Group, the Bards of Yellowwood, and local artists Liz Pavlovic and Angela Awesome Pants, as well as the Friends of Deckers Creek, and more! There will also be free crafting areas, fun entertainment, neat library merch, and more!
StoryFest by the Morgantown Public Library System is a Main Street Morgantown Affiliate event.
Event Overview
Date: Saturday, June 7th
Time: 3:00-6:00pm
Location: Spruce Street Pavilion (400 Spruce Street, Morgantown, WV 26505)
Admission: FreeMark your calendars for this free, one-of-a-kind event that promises something for everyone in the family. Whether you’re a bookworm, an art enthusiast, or simply looking for a fun day out, StoryFest welcomes you with open arms. Bring your friends, bring your family, and join us as we celebrate the magic of storytelling together!
Special Guests
We’re excited to share that we have a fantastic lineup of special guests joining us at StoryFest this year! Take a moment to learn more about each of our special guests below!
Artists & Authors
Liz Pavlovic
Liz Pavlovic (Keep On Creepin’ On) is a Morgantown-based artist + designer whose art celebrates the special things about WV and Appalachia, from Mothman to morels. They create and sell stickers, enamel pins, shirts, cards, and more as well as collaborating with local businesses on unique merch.
Michael Strayer
Michael Strayer is the author of two Cryptid themed children’s books Mothman Learns The ABC’s and Curious Creatures: The Vegetable Man, he has released a book with his cryptid themed comedy podcast Mothboys called “The White Monsters Of Sherman, New York”, and has also released a fanzine on West Virginia Paranormal author and investigator Gray Barker. Michael is from Western New York originally but lives in Morgantown, West Virginia now. When Michael isn’t podcasting or writing he works as a mentor with West Virginia youth and loves taking his family on adventures!
Marc Harshman
Marc Harshman, besides being a poet, is the author of 14 nationally acclaimed children’s books including FALLINGWATER: THE BUILDING OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S MASTERPIECE, co-authored with Anna Egan Smucker, illustrated by LeUyen Pham, and subsequently named an Amazon Book of the Month. Previous titles have included THE STORM, a Smithsonian Notable Book. His children’s books have been published in Spanish, Korean, Danish, Japanese, and Swedish. His collections of poetry include WOMAN IN RED ANORAK, winner of the Blue Lynx Prize, BELIEVE WHAT YOU CAN, winner of the Weatherford Award from the Appalachian Studies Association [Vandalia/WVU Press] and also named the Appalachian Book of the Year by the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival in Tennessee. DARK HILLS OF HOME, was published by Monongahela Book in 2022 to celebrating his 10th anniversary as WV Poet Laureate, and his latest volume is FOLLOWING THE SILENCE from Press 53. FOLLOWING THE SILENCE was selected as the 2024 One Book One West Virginia Adult Title, along with aforementioned FALLINGWATER… as the 2024 Children’s Title. Both books represented West Virginia at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. He was recently named the Appalachian Heritage Writer for 2024 by Shepherd University’s Appalachian Studies program whose past honorees have included Barbara Kingsolver, Charles Frazier, Bobbie Ann Mason, Henry Louis Gates, and Nikki Giovanni. He is co-winner of the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award and his poem, “Dispatch from the Mountain State,” appeared in the 2020 Thanksgiving edition of the New York Times. He holds degrees from Bethany College, Yale University Divinity School, and the University of Pittsburgh. Appointed in 2012 by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, Harshman is the seventh poet laureate of West Virginia. His next poetry collection is forthcoming from WVU Press in 2025.
Angela Awesome Pants
Angela Awesome Pants is the maker of not pants but ceramic friends, pottery, art prints, and so much more.
Anna Smucker
Anna Egan Smucker is an award-winning author of nine books. No Star Nights, her memoir about growing up in the steel mill town of Weirton, WV won the International Reading Association Children’s Book Award. Golden Delicious: A Cinderella Apple Story and Brother Giovanni’s Little Reward: How the Pretzel Was Born represented WV at National Book Festivals in D.C.. Fallingwater: The Building of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Masterpiece, co-authored with Marc Harshman, garnered starred reviews and was named an Amazon Nonfiction Book of the Month. Recipient of a WV Arts Commission Artist Fellowship Award, her poems have been published in anthologies and literary journals. Her first chapbook, titled Rowing Home, was published in 2019 by Finishing Line Press. For more information, please visit www.annasmucker.com.
Linda Gribko
Linda S. Gribko is an artist, author, naturalist, gardener, family historian, and photographer. Find out more by visiting https://milkweedrising.com/
Elisha Rush
Elisha Rush is a local artist who creates animal and fantasy illustrations, often with a colorful and humorous flair. She shows her work in various galleries and shops in the region, and on Instagram under the name @springfoxstudios. Elisha grew up in rural West Virginia watching what she claims were “way too many cartoons.” When not watching cartoons or spending time in the woods, Elisha was honing her drawing skills, inspired by the mix of colorful media she was consuming and the plants and animals that surrounded her.
Bards of Yellow Wood
The Bards of Yellow Wood are two— sometimes three—High School Teachers (Brian Elliot, Daniel Summers, and guest bard Chad Cowell) who write custom poetry in exchange for school supplies or monetary donations. We write custom poems in the moment. Our mission is to spread the joy of literacy and verse and maybe help some kiddos get school supplies when they need them. No donation too small. A penny will get ya a poem, so will a Dixon pencil. We aren’t picky.
Pictured: Special Guest Bard Chad Cowell left and Daniel Summers
Morgantown Writers Group
Morgantown Writers Group (MWG) uses the latest technology to host virtual Craft Workshops with guest authors (and experienced members), and hosts occasional Write-Ins, annual Writer Challenges — and they have hosted weekend retreats. MWG has a proven 3-step process for review of manuscripts (to 5000 words) and follows a 5-page writers critique guide. Since 1994, an estimated 680 writers have been involved in Morgantown Writers literary activities at the Morgantown Public Library.
Patricia Hopper Patteson
Patricia Hopper Patteson, originally from Dublin, Ireland, is the author of Second Chance Christmas and hails from a family of six siblings that is scattered across three continents. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. from West Virginia University (WVU). She received literary honors from WVU in addition to numerous awards from the West Virginia Writers’ annual competition. She is the author of women’s fiction, particularly historical fiction, romance suspense, and romance.
Brooklyn Cutlip
Brooklyn Cutlip is an artist and creator. She creates bookmarks and blind date with a book boxes which are perfect for all ages. Want to try a new reading adventure? Stop by her table at StoryFest!
Groups and Organizations
Black Bear Historical Fencing
Black Bear Historical Fencing is Morgantown’s Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) gym. Our primary focus is on Kunst des Fechtens, the 15th-16th-century German art of fighting. This includes Longsword, Messer, Dagger, Grappling, Spear, and others. The lessons come from surviving combat manuals from Johannes Liechtenauer, Joachim Meyer, and other 15th-16th-century fencing masters. The weapons and techniques are historically accurate and are pressure-tested in sparring and tournaments. Check us out if you are interested in martial arts, history, swords, or are looking for a fun new hobby.
Monongalia County Early Head Start
Monongalia County Early Head Start provides comprehensive school readiness services to pregnant women and children up to age 3 in a homebased environment. Early Headstart will be providing fun crafts! Learn more at https://littles.mono.k12.wv.us/o/mcsec
Cooper the Black Bear
Come meet Cooper the Black Bear from the West Virginia Black Bears as he raffles off tons of free West Virginia Black Bears Merch! Enjoy awesome baseball themed story times and hang out with West Virginia’s favorite mascot!
Family-Friendly Fun
At StoryFest, we know that creativity is boundless and that storytelling in all its forms is a joy meant to be shared. That’s why we’ll have a wide range of crafts and activities for the whole family to enjoy. Whether you’re creating masterpieces at our free crafting areas, watching unique performances, or simply soaking in the lively atmosphere, there’s endless fun to be had for everyone.
We can’t wait to celebrate everything the library has to offer with you at StoryFest 2025!
For more information and updates, follow us on social media and check out our website. See you at StoryFest!
Main Stage Schedule of Events
3:00 pm– Opening remarks by West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman
3:10 pm – Umbrella Arts Opening Dance
3:15 pm – Story Time with Cooper the Black Bear
3:30 pm – Black Bear Historical Fencing Sword Fight and Knight Story Time
3:45 pm – Fireman Story Time with Fireman Andy
4:00 pm – Mermaid Story Time with the Mylan Park Aquatic Center
4:15 pm – Umbrella Arts Drawing Workshop
4:30 pm – Black Bear Historical Fencing Sword Fight
4:45 pm – Umbrella Arts Dance and Movement
5:00 pm – Local Author Readings and Story Times
5:30 pm – Lightsaber Duel by Outerrim Praxium
5:50 pm – Official Knighting Ceremony
6:00 pm – Special guest send-off for one last goodbye until next year!Activities & Freebies
- Free crafting tables provided by the library and Early Head Start
- Free pepperoni rolls being given away by Chico’s Bakery
- Free Black Bears giveaways: tickets, posters, candy, etc.
- Free poems written on the spot by The Bards of Yellow Wood
- Renaissance Faire activities such as going on quests and getting enchanted crystals
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Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month!
Leave a CommentLei Making: A Tradition of Celebration
by Jessika L., Branch Assistant at the Cheat Area Public Library
In honor of AAPI Month, this May we are going to be looking at the tradition of lei making. What comes to mind when you hear the word “lei”? Some might think of plastic party favors, others might think of floral garlands, but what constitutes a lei is less what it is made of and more the intention a lei is made with.
Loosely, a lei is a series of items strung together with the intention for it to be worn or gifted. Traditionally, these would have been made out of native plants and naturally occurring items found throughout Polynesia, such as rope-braided Ti leaves (Lei Hilo) or threaded feathers (Lei Hulu). The most treasured feathers come from the now extinct Hawai’i mamo. As time has passed and access to native resources has dwindled, lei are now also made from foreign plants, such as the famous plumeria, textiles like ribbon, and even novelty items in the form of money and candy lei.
Lei are most-commonly given at major life-events, including but not limited to: weddings, funerals, baby luaus, and graduations. Depending on the circumstances, they can be made and given as a symbol of friendship, love, loss, or congratulations. The giving of lei is an emotional affair, meant to honor the recipient. While one is physically gifting the lei, they are also gifting their care and affection, or their aloha. While often mistaken as a simple greeting, aloha is a much more complex word with deep cultural and spiritual meaning having no true English equivalent.
May is certainly the biggest month out of the year for lei. May 1st in Hawaii is Lei Day, a local holiday celebrating the tradition and craftsmanship of lei making, with each island having a specific floral lei representing it. Proposed by poet Don Blanding, the holiday has been celebrated with increasing popularity since 1929. Throughout the islands there are community festivals, parades, school plays, lei making classes, and even a crowning ceremony for the Lei Day Queen.
May is also graduation season. Graduation culture in Hawaii is a huge celebratory affair, with graduates often receiving so many lei that they pile up to reach their ears. Hawaiian diaspora continue this tradition in their regional communities, both in making lei at home and ordering lei from professionals in Hawaii. Ribbon lei are quite popular for graduates, as it is an accessible material and also customizable to the graduates school colors. The less formal nature of graduation leads to a lot of creative lei designs. Spam cans, rolls of coins, origami money, and various candies are all items found in graduation lei.
To celebrate Lei Day and your own graduating friends, you can stop by any location in Morgantown Public Library System to pick up a DIY kit with supplies to get you started on how to make your own candy lei! Happy AAPI Month and Happy Lei Day!
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Fiction 101: Books That Celebrate Friendship
Leave a CommentBooks That Celebrate Friendship
by Shelby D., Evening Supervisor
Happy Galentine’s Day!
Last year in February, I made a list of books that have some of my favorite romance tropes. That was so much fun, and if you’d like some good romance recommendations feel free to go back and read it here! Be sure to swing by the Morgantown Public Library this month to check out the Blind Date with a Book display I created — it has a variety of genres, including romance!
But since I’ve focused on romance in the past, I wanted to do something different this year for Valentine’s Day — so this month for Fiction 101, I’m focusing on books that celebrate friendship! I’ve compiled a list of books that in my opinion emphasize the bonds of friendship. This list isn’t exclusively about sisterhood, it includes friendships of all kinds.
We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman
“A riotously funny and fiercely loyal love letter to female friendship. The story of Edi and Ash proves that a best friend is a gift from the gods. Newman turns her prodigious talents toward finding joy even in the friendship’s final days. I laughed while crying, and was left revived. Newman is a comic masterhand and a dazzling philosopher of the day-to-day.”—Amity Gaige, author of Sea Wife
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
“When Lydia takes a job running the Senior Citizens’ Social Club three afternoons a week, she assumes she’ll be spending her time drinking tea and playing gentle games of cards.
The members of the Social Club, however, are not at all what Lydia was expecting. From Art, a failed actor turned kleptomaniac to Daphne, who has been hiding from her dark past for decades to Ruby, a Banksy-style knitter who gets revenge in yarn, these seniors look deceptively benign—but when age makes you invisible, secrets are so much easier to hide.
When the city council threatens to sell the doomed community center building, the members of the Social Club join forces with their tiny friends in the daycare next door—as well as the teenaged father of one of the toddlers and a geriatric dog—to save the building. Together, this group’s unorthodox methods may actually work, as long as the police don’t catch up with them first.”
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
“Teeming with life and crackling with energy — a love song to modern Britain and black womanhood. Girl, Woman, Other follows the lives and struggles of twelve very different characters. Mostly women, black and British, they tell the stories of their families, friends and lovers, across the country and through the years. Joyfully polyphonic and vibrantly contemporary, this is a gloriously new kind of history, a novel of our times: celebratory, ever-dynamic and utterly irresistible.”
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
“Beautifully written and incredibly funny, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is about the importance of friendship and human connection. I fell in love with Eleanor, an eccentric and regimented loner whose life beautifully unfolds after a chance encounter with a stranger; I think you will fall in love, too!” —Reese Witherspoon
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
I know it’s a little silly to include this on here! But amazing fantasy world building, lovely story telling, and epic adventure aside; Lord of the Rings is to me a story about friendships and the bond the fellowship forms throughout their quests.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
“Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He’s tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world.
Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.
The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place―and realizing that family is yours.”
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
“A modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense and generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her two protagonists.”
Sula by Toni Morrison
“Sula and Nel are two young black girls: clever and poor. They grow up together sharing their secrets, dreams and happiness. Then Sula breaks free from their small-town community in the uplands of Ohio to roam the cities of America. When she returns ten years later much has changed. Including Nel, who now has a husband and three children. The friendship between the two women becomes strained and the whole town grows wary as Sula continues in her wayward, vagabond and uncompromising ways.”
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
“A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan’s last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them.
Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment.”
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
“When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they’re broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their center of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever.”
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley
“Colleen Oakley’s The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise is the ultimate road trip, featuring a pair of quirky, original characters on the lam from the law. A funny, fresh take on unlikely friendships and family, I’d ride shotgun with Tanner and Louise in a heartbeat!” — Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Newcomer
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
“With characters so real they feel like dear friends and a compelling storyline, this is a beautiful, special novel. I loved it and didn’t want it to end!” —Liane Moriarty, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies
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Reading Dragons & Friends – Tournament on 3/15
Leave a CommentWelcome to Reading Dragons & Friends
Do you like trading cards? Do you hoard books like dragons hoard gold? Then you need to join our Reading Dragons & Friends program! Season 2 runs from October 1st, 2024 – March 29th, 2025 and you can join in at any time during the season! If you registered for Season 1, you don’t have to register for Season 2.
This is a collaborative national reading program created by the Dover Public Library in Ohio that encourages children in grades K-8 to read for fun. Participants can track their reading, collect dragon trading cards, and play card games, all while learning good reading habits and gaining a lifelong love of reading!
Dragon Madness Tournament — 3/15/25
Save the date! The Dragon Madness Tournament will take place on Saturday, March 15th from 11:00am-12:00pm at the Morgantown Public Library. Kids who collect Reading Dragons and Friends cards are encouraged to bring their cards to play against other kids and win special tournament cards!
- Program Highlights
- Registration Information
- Dragon Coloring Contest
- Collect the Cards
- Card Games
- Frequently Asked Questions
Program Highlights:
- For children in Grades K-8
- Season 2 of Reading Dragons & Friends will run from October 1st, 2024 – March 29th, 2025
- For every 30 minutes read, you will earn a trading card (up to 16 cards a month)
- Collect different Reading Dragons & Friends card families
- Use these cards to play fun card games with your friends
Registration Information:
Participants (children in grades K-8) can register for the program through our online form or in-person at any of our locations. After you register, you can pick up your registration kit at your home library starting on October 1st. The registration kit includes:
- 3 Starter Cards
- Season 2 Reading Tracker (with exciting new card options including unicorns!)
- Dragon Coin
Did you participate in Season 1? You’re already registered! Just stop by to pick up your Season 2 registration kit.
Dragon Coloring Contest
Congratulations to Gisella for winning the Dragon Coloring Contest! Her “Iris” dragon card family can be picked up during the month of January at any MPLS location.
By participating in this design contest, you are giving the Morgantown Public Library System permission to use it for library purposes, including but not limited to, future programs and publicity.
Collect the Cards:
You will receive 3 starter cards at registration: a red fire type, a green plant type, and a blue water type.
There are many dragon and unicorn card families for you to choose from after logging your 30 minute reading sessions. Each of the card families include 4 members — an egg, a child, a teenager, and an adult.
Each month, you can earn up to four different dragon families – you do not have to complete a family before moving on to the next one, but you must progress through each family in order.
If you join the program late, don’t stress! You can work backwards by filling in squares from previous months on your reading tracker – cards (besides the special edition cards) are not exclusive.
We can’t replace lost cards — just keep reading to earn more cards.
Cards must be picked up in person from a Morgantown Public Library System location.
There are four special edition card families that you can earn by coming to our Dragon Day event on November 9th, Take Your Child to the Library Day event on February 1st, Dragon Madness gaming day in March, and pick up the winner of the coloring contest card family in January!
Card Games:
Once you’ve collected some cards, you’re ready to start playing with them!
Rock, Paper, Scissors
You and a friend each choose one card secretly, keeping it hidden so your friend can’t see what you chose. Then count to 3 and both of you flip over your cards to see who wins.
- Red beats Green
- Green beats Blue
- Blue beats Red
Dragon Duel
Play this game when you have several dragons cards (be sure to write your name on the cards so you don’t get them mixed up with your opponent’s).
Mix up both player’s cards and divide them evenly between both players.
Place your stack of cards face down on the table. Do not look at your cards.
Both players draw the top card on their deck and flip it over at the same time.- Red beats Green
- Green beats Blue
- Blue beats Red
If you have the same color, the oldest creature wins. (The three starter cards count as an “adult” card for scoring during dragon duel.)
If your creatures are the same age then it’s time to duel:- To duel, add two face down cards to the pile, then play one more card face up (red beats green, green beats blue, blue beats red).
- If you have the same color, the oldest creature wins.
- If you tie again, duel until there is a winner.
The winner adds both cards to their win pile.
Play until you run out of cards.
The player with the most cards in their win pile wins.Frequently Asked Questions
If I registered for Season 1 of Reading Dragons & Friends, do I have to register again for Season 2?
No, if you participated in Season 1 of Reading Dragons & Friends, you are automatically registered for Season 2. Just stop by the library to pick up your Season 2 Registration Kit starting on October 1st!
How long does the Reading Dragons & Friends program run for?
Season 2 of Reading Dragons & Friends will run from October 1st, 2024 – March 29th, 2025.
What is the Dragon Coloring Contest?
Submit your own dragon design! The winner will have their dragon family printed as special edition cards. Coloring sheets are included in the Season 2 registration kits. Need another copy? Download one here starting on October 1st.
The Dragon Coloring Contest is only open to registered Reading Dragons & Friends participants. The coloring sheet must be returned to the library by November 9th.
By participating in this design contest, you are giving the Morgantown Public Library System permission to use it for library purposes, including but not limited to, future programs and publicity.
Who can participate in the program?
Reading Dragons & Friends is for children in Kindergarten through 8th Grade.
How do I register for the program?
You can register online via our registration form or in-person. Registration kits and trading cards must be picked up in-person. Season 2 starts on October 1st, 2024.
How do I earn trading cards?
For every 30 minutes read, you will earn a trading card (up to 16 cards a month). Log the reading sessions on your Reading Tracker and show it to a librarian when you come into the library to choose your card(s).
I lost a card! What can I do?
We can’t replace lost cards but no worries! Just keep reading and earning new cards.
I missed the start date, can I still participate?
Yes! If you join the program late, don’t stress! You can work backwards by filling in squares from previous months on your reading tracker – cards (besides the special edition cards) are not exclusive.
How do I earn the special edition cards?
There are four special edition card families that you can earn by coming to our Dragon Day event on November 9th, Take Your Child to the Library Day event on February 1st, Dragon Madness gaming day in March, and pick up the winner of the coloring contest card family in January!
Do I have to complete a “dragon card family”?
Each month, you can earn up to four different dragon families – you do not have to complete a family before moving on to the next one, but you must progress through each family in order. This means that you must always start with the “egg” card for each new family started.
What do I do with my trading cards?
Collect them all! Your Reading Tracker has a checklist on the back to help you keep track of all of the available cards for Season 2.
Once you’ve collected enough cards, you can start to play fun card games with them — rock, paper, scissors and dragon duel.
What “age” are the starter cards?
The starter cards count as an “adult” card for scoring in the games.
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Fiction 101: Top 10 Books in 2024
Leave a CommentFiction Favorites: The Most Borrowed Books of 2024
by Shelby D., Evening Supervisor
Hello and welcome to the first Fiction 101 post of 2025 — I hope the new year finds everyone well! For this month, I’ll be deviating just a bit and instead of a specific genre, I want to talk about the books our library community enjoyed in 2024. Let’s explore the most checked out fiction books of 2024 from our collection (not including ebooks).
Frieda McFadden, known for her thrillers, wrote 3 of our 10 most checked out books! Do You Remember?, The Housemaid, and The Teacher were the three most checked out books of hers last year.
Thrillers were a popular genre for the library in 2024! It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover and The Only One Left by Riley Sager also made our top 10 most checked out books. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides was on our 2023 list of most checked out books, and it continued to be on the list in 2024 too.
Kristin Hannah was another popular author who earned multiple spots on our list with her books The Nightingale and The Women. She writes historical fiction and her books focus on women of history.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt was another popular read last year. It’s contemporary fiction, with an optimistic tone. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros was a fantasy book that was a common pick for readers in 2024.
The final book on our list is Funny Story by Emily Henry. I think it was the only cheerful book that made the list!
In 2024, our readers enjoyed a lot of thrillers, some mystery, and historical fiction. Cozy books and romcoms all had their moments though! Year to year, it’s interesting to see the reading trends, and I’m thrilled to share 2024’s with all of you. We will be back next month in February with reads to celebrate Galentine’s Day!
