I had posted a different theme earlier, for which I apologize. I now find that many states have the following theme for library summer reading programs:

For children: Be Creative @ Your Local Library
For teens: Express Yourself @ Your Local Library

How about some creative ideas right here on the forum? My first thought is that this topic HAS to include the Magic Drawing Board. Another would be the Axtell book puppet for libraries. You can order bookmarks with the theme and then get some address labels made with your website to put on the bookmarks. Then use them for handouts.

Another handout would be a Creative Instruction sheet that teaches how to create your own sack or sock puppet.

Here are some initial thoughts:
"Creating a Skit" with puppets.
"Let's Create a Puppet Show" (show how puppets work and how you go about putting together everything for a puppet show.)
"How Authors Create Stories" (Teach your puppet how to create a story. Beginning, middle, end, setting, etc.)

You have a two fold goal. The initial paragraph description must fit the theme and excite the librarian who chooses between you and 50 other entertainers. They won't hire a fire juggler, for example, even though the audience would love it. Many librarians like to know right away what type books they can set out on a table during your show. (Ex. Puppetry, how to make puppets, how to draw cartoons, etc.)

I recently booked a tour of 29 libraries in BC's Okanagan region for next summer. Our theme is Readers are Leaders.

The way themes work is that the ALA (American Library Association) chooses a summer reading theme for children and for youth, generally similar in nature.
This allows companies to produce top quality posters, bookmarks, etc, and have enough of a market to warrant the expense of the graphic artist and printing.

Then each state (province) has an association which picks a state theme. Many will go along with the national theme.

Then each county will choose their summer reading theme. For example, one county was having a 100th anniversary last year so they chose that as their theme.

You can find out your state theme by doing a search for
California + summer reading theme + 2009 (Put your state in for California.)

You will have to ask your local children's librarian about the county theme. They may not know yet.

2010 is going to have a water theme! Sounds like Axtell Dolphins and Sharks will be swimming out the door!

Tony you have always been a leader in this area.

Can you show us links to the National water themes?

I've surfed around for an hour or so and it's fascinating....

Isn't "Be Creative" the national cooperative? Great for puppets! In fact they show puppets in their logo!
http://www.cslpreads.org/

States do often have different themes....

Seems like California is "Express Yourself".
http://www.cla-net.org/summer-reading/

"Read on the Wild Side" theme for 2009 for Illinois.
https://iread.ila.org/ Great for our Jungle Animals.


Here is a fun puppet video promo for a past "Get a Clue" theme....
http://www.summerreading.cla-net.org/srpkickoff/index.html

The elementary age nationally recommended theme is Be Creative @ Your Local Library. I am considering a puppetry workshop type show, where the puppets teach the kids how they come alive. (Seems like I saw an award winning video on creating a puppet and it's show starring a turtle. Hmmm. That might be a good item to offer with each booking at a library.)

The teen theme is "Express Yourself", which is a dangerous thing to tell a teen. For you young folks, Express Yourself was a term from the 1970's that teens called their own.

The sample video you showed is from a highly creative puppet team that performs in both Southern and Northern California. They always do a nice job.

What a great connection Tony! Ax

http://www.axtelevision.com

I just got booked for a tour of the libraries in the next county north for the coming summer as well. They are following the same plan of "Be Creative @ the Library". The Axtell Lion will be part of these shows. As a matter of fact, it was the lion puppet that got me the gig ! I had to audition for the entire staff of children's librarians to get this tour, doing about 10 minutes of magic and puppets. When the lion was brought out, the whole group of librarians uttered a collective "Awwwww....he's so cute !". I knew i had it in the bag from that moment on....

Mark

Congratu-lions on being the "king" of the library showcase with your Axtell lion. I found a web page for you under Kidabra, but not your own website! That would be a great New Year's Goal for each performer. Get your own website with an easy to remember moniker. I am hoping to put costumes on my Axtell figures this year. I've seen some running around at conventions that were awfully cute!

Mark, it's true how the look of an Axtell puppet can impress a potential client. It's a huge plus to even display the image in advertising to libraries. In fact my habit of adding one or two Axtell's to create a new library show each year is responsible for my large collection.

Here's an idea. Last year, a librarian that hired me for multiple shows asked if I could create a teaser video that they could embed on their summer reading page. It worked out great for their library, other libraries saw it, and it was excellent practice for making a video for the Axtell Video Challenge!
Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDa5ZtRDe7s
I used 2 new Axtell puppets for that show but only had one ready for the video.

2010's water theme
Don't forget Slippy the Seal. Adds a great physical comedy bit that goes with the theme and you don't have memorize any dialog! Mine's coming out of retirement for 2010.

Tony, I actually have a website through KIDABRA that is six or seven pages. If you go to the link I have at KIDABRA, it will take you to the home page of my site. The screen is really large, and in order to see all the page buttons, I have to scroll down. I think the guy setting up the sites must have an enormous monitor he works on, unlike my little 17" cheapo from Office Depot !

I also have a website that was free from IBM, but the photos and text are very small compared to the KIDABRA site.

As basic and unglamorous as these sites are, they still have helped me get work. The fact that they were free with the membership in the two groups has been a real bonus. I heard that the SAM did something like that a few years ago, but as far as I know , they no longer offer their members free web pages.

I hope to have my own dedicated site this next year. The guy I want to design it has been swamped creating his own site, but is done now, so hopefully, he can start helping me ! I have been sitting on my domain names for three years. It is time to do something with them.

Mark

I neglected to say that I was impressed with your Kidabra site. I particularly liked the tophats for the buttons of different pages to see. There are many places that design websites for about $100 per page, but some want to be your host too and they charge quite a bit per month. Templates have made it MUCH easier now, so the best is someone who will design it with you looking over their shoulder and showing you how to make changes once it is finished.