@ Your Library 10.23.26
Written by Beverly Ewart
Have you ever created a potion and later regretted it? (This isn’t a question about your cooking skills.)
When I was a kid, I firmly believed in magic and spent lots of time trying to perfect my magical abilities. However, magic can sometimes backfire, and I was brought face to face with consequences the day I made a shrinking potion of dirt, leaves, pepper and spit.
Spit being the key magical ingredient, I applied the potion externally, like perfume, because spit isn’t something you want to swallow after the fact. Then I waited.
That night, as I anticipated shrinking down to thimble-size while I slept, I started imagining the ramifications of being that small. It was a good lesson in thinking things through. What if my cat or dog didn’t recognize a teeny tiny me? What if they ate me, mistaking me for my gerbil, Tricia? (They were always hopeful to catch Tricia out on an adventure.) Worse yet – how would my parents feel if they accidentally stepped on me?
These thoughts and others, each more catastrophic than the next, kept me up all night long. Joy came in the morning when I found that I was still my regular size! The potion hadn’t worked this time, thank goodness, and I never tried making a shrinking potion ever again! Lesson learned!
Flying was next on my magical syllabus, but that didn’t work out very well, either. Especially for my little sister.
If you know a young someone with an appreciation for magicalness, you might want to check out The Beginner’s Guide to Being a Wizard by Keith Negley.
Here’s what the publisher has to say:
The Beginner’s Guide to Being a Wizard by Keith Negley.
So you want to be a wizard? Excellent choice.
The first thing you need to know is wizards come in all different shapes and sizes. You will need a cloak (but a towel will do), a wand (a stick works fine), and snacks. A pointy hat is not required. Now you are ready!
Read on for essential information on spell casting, wizard duels, and what to do if you accidentally turn your friends into fish. Remember, it’s normal to make mistakes. Just don’t forget the snacks! ~ Publisher ~ Publisher
It hasn’t phased me – not learning the spell-casting kind of magic. It turns out that the world can be a pretty magical place even without my help. And I think this book, with its lively illustrations and cheeky sense of humor, is pretty magical!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Canton Writes, facilitated by Liz Armstrong, will meet Saturday, October 31st from 10:30am-12:00PM. Join us at the Canton Free Library to work on your novel, screenplay, or poetry! Writers of all experience levels, genre preferences, and walks of life are welcome to join in for an hour and a half of focused, uninterrupted writing time in the company of fellow creatives. There are no critiques or readings; all you need to bring is a notebook or a laptop and your own ideas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chess Club at CFL meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3–4. Tuesday is free play with Ryan Nolan and designed for those that have some experience.
Thursday’s weekly session is with Zachary Woodley-White and is designed for beginners who would like to learn how to play. We offer rudimentary instruction and a judgement free space for younger players to establish and build on their fundamentals. No registration needed, ages 12 and below. Questions? Contact Zach at zwoodleywhite@ncls.org
Grab a board, find a friend, and start a game at any open table in the Main Reading Room. Other board games are available or bring your own.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TEEN ANIME meets on Thursdays from 5-7pm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Children’s Programming at the Canton Free Library:
O-17 months: Baby Storytime is for our library babies and a caregiver. We’ll share books, bounce rhymes, songs, finger plays, and lots of smiles, and then close with social/play time. Tuesdays 10:30-11:30 am. No registration is needed.
18-35 months: Toddler Storytime is for children and their caregivers. We’ll share books, rhymes, music, movement, and lots more early literacy fun! Mondays 10:30-11:00 am. No registration is necessary during the school year.
3-5 years: Preschool Storytime is for children and their caregivers. Stories, songs, movement, crafts, friends, and lots of fun! Wednesdays 10:30-11:15 am. No registration is needed during the school year.
K-2nd grade: Each month at Books and Beyond, we’ll explore a theme with books, activities, games, and art. Meets each third Thursday afternoon from 3-4 pm. Registration for each month required by the Monday before.
3rd-6th grade: Tween Time offers a mix of cool crafts, art exploration, games, STEAM, and book talks of popular and classic literature. Meets every fourth Thursday afternoon from 3-4 pm. Registration for each month is required by the Monday before.
K-6th grade: Lego Club: A different challenge/theme will be given at the start of each meeting. Meets the last Monday of the month (unless that’s a holiday, whereupon the date will be announced) from 3:00-4:00pm. Registration is required by the Friday before, but it fills fast! Don’t wait!
Ages 5 and up: Arts After School: Artist Kris Rozelle will lead a different art project each month for kids aged 5 and up. Meets the first Wednesday of the month from 3-4 pm. Free, but registration is needed for each class. Since class size is limited, please let us know if your registered child cannot attend so another child may have their spot. Thanks!
Questions about children’s programs? Ms. Val @ 315-386-3712 x 4 vwhite@ncls.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MORLEY BRANCH is open Tuesday 1pm-3pm; Wednesday 4pm-6pm; Thursday 10am-12pm. Call for more information: (315) 379-0066.
RENSSELAER FALLS BRANCH is open on Tuesdays from 11am – 5pm. Call the library at (315) 344-4155 for more information.
CANTON BRANCH is open 9am-6pm Monday – Friday; 10am-3pm Saturday. Contact us at (315) 386-3712 or cantonfreelibrary.org.