Free Afternoon of Excitement at the Rockport Public Library

The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin – a Kirkus-starred adventure for kids ages 8-12 – will be crashing into bookstores on April 12, 2016. A fun-filled afternoon in the Brenner Room of the Rockport Public Library is being planned for Thursday, April 21, 2016 during school vacation (1:30 PM – 3:30 PM).

ACTIVITIES
Readings, Sales & Signings
Elinor will be reading aloud from her book at 2 PM and 3 PM. Hardcover books will also be available for sale from the local non-profit, Toad Hall. Write your own signature next to Elinor’s when she autographs your copy!

John’s Secret LEGO® Challenge
The budding inventor, John Coggin, is famous for his imagination. So he’s provided us with secret ideas that you can build in LEGOs. Here’s one example – BUILD A CAR DISGUISED AS AN ANIMAL – but we don’t want to spoil the others! Come and pick your own challenge. We’ll have lots of LEGOs available.

Boz’s Crazy Word Play
That sneaky verbal acrobat, Boz, is running amok in the games department! He’s put together an amazing Dictionary Scavenger Hunt and assorted game handouts. If you like word finds, anagrams, and mad libbish silliness, this is the place to be.

Full Steam Ahead! – Immersive Steam Engine Experience
As John Coggin discovers, steam engines may just be the coolest – and hottest – things on the planet. Watch video clips, examine a working steam engine model, and draw plans for your own steam-powered racing vehicle.

Book Raffle
Visitors (of every age) will have the chance to win books from Walden Pond Press, a collaboration between HarperCollins and Walden Media to create the next generation of middle grade classics!

Grand Prize: 1 lucky winner receives Crisis Zero by Chris Rylander, The Vanishing Island by Barry Wolverton, Guys Read: Terrifying Tales, and Minion by John David Anderson.

Bonus Prizes: 9(!) more winners receive a copy of Crisis Zero by Chris Rylander.

Write Your Own Ending
Dreaming of becoming a writer some day? After each reading, Elinor will invite listeners to write about what happens next to John Coggin and his best friend Boz. Read more about her Kid Story Showcase.

When: 
Thursday, April 21, 2016 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM.
Phone: 
978-546-6934
Landmark Skills+ Summer Course at Landmark School in Beverly Massachusetts

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Saturday, April 11

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Teen Naturalist Club at IRWS: Spring/Summer Series

Join Mass Audubon for their Teen Naturalist Club at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield Massachusetts!
Explore a variety of local ecosystems such as a salt marsh, a freshwater river, or a tide pool on the beach. Take part in wildlife data collection in tide pools and vernal pools and engage in conservation projects such as a macroinvertebrate study or a horseshoe crab count in this exciting science...
8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Read to a Dog at SPL

Kids are invited to read to a therapy dog at the Salem Public Library in Massachusetts
Have a new or struggling reader who needs to build confidence and practice reading aloud?  Come read to Hendrix, the trained therapy dog, a sweet a non-judgmental listener!  Bring your own book to read, or choose one of ours.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Discover Saturdays at Cape Ann Museum

Discover Saturdays for Families at Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Enjoy a FREE guided activity (ages 4+) in the gallery. Learn about Cape Ann’s Granite Industry, try a fun art making activity, and join in gallery tour designed for kids and their caregivers, led by a CAM Educator. Afterwards grab a scavenger hunt to explore the property and enjoy the lawn.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

2nd Saturday at Lynn Museum

Lynn Museum in Massachusetts offers free admission on the second Saturday of each month.
Come to the Lynn Museum and Historical Society for FREE family fun. Join us on the second and fourth Saturday of each month for FREE admission to the Museum from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.! You can view our latest exhibitions, purchase Lynn-themed goods in our shop, check out books in our free library, and...
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

The Legacies of Long Hill: House & Garden Tour

Tour the Gardens at the Trustees of Reservations Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts!
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to join our expert guides for a tour around Long Hill’s stunning Sedgwick Gardens and learn more about the special plants. Step inside the beauty and layered history of Long Hill with a guided tour of its breathtaking gardens and historic house. Once the...
10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Vernal Pool Party: Big Night Celebration at IRWS

Come explore the vernal pools of Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary with Mass Audubon!
Each spring, on the first warm, rainy night, frogs and salamanders emerge and begin an extraordinary journey to the vernal pools where they breed.
2:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Sunday, April 12

Todd Farm Market

Come to Todd Farm on Sunday - A classic New England Fleas Market in Rowley Massachusetts!
From early Spring to late Fall, Todd Farm is a great Sunday destination for families!  Head to the farm and explore the outdoor award-winning Market featuring up to 240 vendors from all over New England and New York!
5:00 am to 3:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm