Hope Decker, Director, Cohocton Public Library (NY) Partnering with the local elementary school, the Cohocton Public Library created a dynamic, fun, hands-on program for struggling and reluctant readers ages 6 to 10 years old. Readers were engaged and enthusiastic. Character Quest was based on graphic novels that a variety of ages and reading abilities would enjoy. The cornerstone was the hands-on activities that the Library developed to accompany the books. The goal was to have positive reading experiences and to get struggling readers hooked on a book series. An overview of the program, suggestions on community partnerships, and the 4 week plan will be given. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fLbHr2roCss http://nlcblogs.nebraska.gov/bigtalk/

1. Character Quest
Book Club for Struggling and Reluctant Readers

2. Overview
Character Quest is a book club developed to engage
struggling and reluctant readers in high interest
books with relatable characters. Readers will
associate positive, fun experiences with books, so
they will continue to read on their own.
•Background of our town, library and the
program
•Character Quest Program
•Pitfalls/Benefits
•deckerh@stls.org

3. Cohocton Stats
•Rural area in western NY state, 60 miles south
of Rochester
•Village of 800 people surrounded by farmland
•Very few businesses (gas station, small
grocery store, elementary school, wind farms)

4. Cohocton Public Library Background
• Founded in 1977 after the bookmobile crashed
• Chartered to serve
1400
• Annual budget of
$65,000 for
everything!
• 2011 moved from
800 sq ft carriage
house to a 6000
sq ft store front

5. Old Building

6. New Building

7. Summer Program
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2013 Character Quest
2012 Expected Increase
2011 New Building Closed
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
•Morning and evening
programs
•Outside in the pavilion
•Kids catch the bus after
the program

8. Met with principal
•Very supportive
partner!
•Talked about ways we
could work together
•Came up with a plan
together to have the
Summer Reading Camp
kids come up to the
Library every day

9. Challenges
•
•
•
•
Different abilities
Different interests
Wide range of ages
Getting kids here
(walking in heat)

10. Benefits
• New library audience
• No
advertising/promotion
necessary
• Helpers
• Supplies paid for
• Actual data from school

11. Primary Program Goals
• Library’s goal: The children have positive (fun)
experiences with a book so they will want to read
more (in a series so they can find others like it)
• School’s goal: help children who are in danger of
loosing reading skills over the summer, retain or gain
skills

12. Library’s Secondary Goals
• Partner with school
• Increase our summer reading program
numbers
• Get new families to come to the library

13. Partner: Lion’s Club
• Literacy is one of their
missions
• Love to help locally,
and new projects
interest them
• Always looking for
guest speakers

14. Participants
• Grades 1 to 5
• Children who have been
identified by the school as
having a significant risk of
loosing reading skills over the summer

15. Program Structure
• 10 to 15 Children
walked up to library with
adult teacher and 2-3 teen
helpers (about 25 minutes
at the library)
• Each group met 4 days a week for 2 weeks
• Those who finish the books on their own and
bring the form back to the Library could claim
a prize pack at the end of the program

16. Program
• Choose high interest, easy to read, and
humorous graphic novels in a series with
relatable characters
• Babymouse (week 1) and Squish (week 2) by
Jennifer and Matthew Holm
• I would read the book aloud, while they
followed along for 5-7 minutes, then the kids
went to “stations” and did activities and crafts

17. Station: Craft/Activity
• 2 new crafts or activities a day

18. Station: Activity Sheets

19. Activity Pages
• Book based activity sheets (Mazes, coloring
sheets) from author’s web page
www.babymouse.com or
http://www.randomhousekids.com/brand/babymouse-squish/activities

20. Other Online Resources from Publisher
•Teacher Guides
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/
9780375832307.pdf
•Computer Games
http://www.randomhousekids.com/games/babymousemunch-mouse

21. Station: Books
• Rest of the books in series to quietly read/look
through/review

22. Station: More Crafts
• Other unrelated crafts in case they run out of
things to do
https://www.guildcraftinc.com/READ-Cards.aspx

23. Babymouse: Mad Scientist

24. Facts about Babymouse
• She loves cupcakes
• She is messy and forgetful
• Has a hard time keeping her
whiskers straight
http://www.randomhousekids.com/videos/lpwcnsuyf
om-babymouse-book-trailer#.Uw9v9uNdVvA

25. Babymouse really LOVES cupcakes
and is very messy

26. iPad App

27. New Babymouse App!

28. Pipecleaner Babymouse
http://www.funfamilytips.com/?p=316

29. Hershey Kiss Babymouse

30. Play with Slime

31. Examine Slime Mold
Give the Dog Vomit Slime Mold a Squirt of Water

32. Cupcake Bookmark

33. Moldy Cupcake

34. Decorate a Cupcake

35. Foamie Babymouse

36. Model Magic Clay: Your Favorite Treat

37. Squish was the natural choice for the
next book

38. Squish: Game On

39. Facts about Squish
• Daydreams a lot (and is
very imaginative)
• Loves comic books
• Loves Twinkies
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/babymouse/squish/

40. Amoeba Inspiration

41. iPad App

42. iPad Apps

43. Microscopic Pond Life

44. Microscopic Pond Life

45. Amoeba Visor

46. Amoeba Visor

47. Amoeba Box

48. Amoeba Box

49. Watercolor Amoeba

50. Watercolor Amoeba

51. Amoeba Twinkie

52. Amoeba Twinkie

53. Bleach City

54. Bleach City

55. Squish Photo Frame

56. Squish Photo Frame

57. Prize: Read book and Return this form

58. Conclusion
• Pitfalls
No one came into the library to claim their
prize pack (nevertheless did have a few new
families come to the Library)
• Benefits to the Library
• Benefits to the School
• Benefits to the Kids
Email me at deckerh@stls.org to get the list of activities and copies of the
instructions