FROM STAFF REPORTS

The Albert L. Scott Library in Alabaster is the recipient of the 2018 Virginia Hamilton and Arnold Adoff Creative Outreach Grant awarded by the Advisory Board of the Virginia Hamilton Conference at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.

The $1,000 grant is to launch the library’s new Wonder Kids’ Book Club. The monthly club will showcase the books of the late award winning author Virginia Hamilton and her husband award winning author and poet Arnold Adoff.

The co-director of the conference advisory board, Dr. Meghan Harper, wrote in the congratulatory letter to the library, “Your project titled ‘Wonder Kids’ Book Club’ is an excellent example of a multicultural program that will raise awareness of the need to respect and honor human diversity.”

The club will be for children age 6 years old to 10 years old. The grant will support the book club exclusively.

“The goal is to introduce the children to the books of Hamilton and Adoff as well as the works of other authors in a fun way. We plan to include music and art as well as poetry and biographies,” Youth Services Librarian Frances Smith said. “We’ll discuss not only the themes and plots of the books but the illustrations and how the books relate to the children’s’ lives. We also hope to improve children’s reading skills, vocabulary, imagination, social skills and world view.”

The first session is called ‘Terrific Talents’ and will meet on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. A surprise guest will share balloon sculpting. Each club member will receive one of Hamilton’s books to keep.

Smith said signup is ongoing and space is limited. Parents may check the library’s in-house calendar, the city’s newsletters, and Cityofalabaster.com for more information.