April 2024
Fort Bend County Libraries is celebrating Poetry Month in April with special programming for children, teens, and adults throughout the month. The libraries encourage everyone to celebrate poetry in all of its forms at the following programs. All activities are free and open to the public.
Do You Haiku?
Fulshear Branch Library – April 1-30 – Adult Services Department, 2nd-floor Reference Desk. (grades 9-12) A traditional Japanese Haiku is a 3-line poem with 17 syllables in a 5/7/5 count. Haiku highlights the simple, powerful, directness of expression. In recognition of National Poetry Month, teens are challenged to create their best Haiku for a chance to win prizes. Teens can enter more than one Haiku anytime during the month of April, but they can only win one time. Drawings will take place weekly.
National Poetry Month Poetree Display
University Branch Library (Sugar Land) – April 1-30, Adult Services department, 2nd floor. (all ages) Visitors are invited to help the library’s “poetree” leaf out this spring by contributing leaves with their favorite verses. Blank paper leaves will be available for anyone to write a poem on and add it to the poetree display. If composing in verse is not one’s forte, books of poetry will be on hand and individuals may share their favorite poem from those, as well!
Young Adult “Spoken Word”
First Colony Branch Library (Sugar Land) – Saturday, April 6, 11:00 am, Conference Room. Teens (age 13 and up) are invited to share their prose or poems with other community writers, or simply enjoy and encourage the imaginative talents of others. A randomly selected topic will be posed, and teens will be challenged to write a poem or short story and share their masterpieces with the group.
“Blackout Poetry for Teens”
Cinco Ranch Branch Library (Katy) – Monday, April 8, 4:00-5:30 pm, Conference Classroom. (grades 9-12) Blackout poems can be created using the pages of old books, magazines, or even articles cut from yesterday’s newspaper. Using the pages of an existing text and a Sharpie® marker, blackout poets isolate single words or short phrases by completely blacking out unneeded words, leaving the selected words to create lyrical masterpieces. Since the words for blackout poems are already written on the page, it’s up to the blackout poet to bring new meaning and life to these words. Blackout poems can run the gamut from absurd to sublime because the poet can only work with the words that are already there on the page, but the randomness is all part of the fun! A poem may live within the words and lines of any page, just waiting for a poet to discover it! Registration required; click here to register.
“Walking in Verse: An Interactive Poetry Experience”
George Memorial Library (Richmond) – Saturday, April 13, 10:00 am-12:00 noon. (all ages) Special “guests” will be visiting the library for National Poetry Month! Library visitors will have an opportunity to interact with some of their favorite poets – both past and present – in a theatrical experience that is sure to delight poetry lovers of all ages! Actors from The Live Oak Playhouse will portray iconic poets, such as Maya Angelou, Shel Silverstein, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edgar Allan Poe, and more. Children will even have an opportunity to meet Mother Goose and be treated to some rhyming fun! Ongoing performances will rotate and take place simultaneously in the lobby, the Youth department, and the second-floor landing of the library. While alternating turns in the spotlight, the actors will bring the poets to life, recite their poetry, and interact with visitors who will be able to converse with them as if they were speaking to the poets themselves. Poetry enthusiasts can collect stamps on a scorecard after meeting each poet for a chance to receive a prize at the end of the event.
Popcorn & a Movie: Dead Poets Society
Missouri City Branch Library – Saturday, April 13, 1:30-4:00 pm, Meeting Room. (teens & adults) This Oscar-Award-winning dramatic comedy, released in 1989, stars Robin Williams as a newly arrived charismatic English teacher who returns to the prestigious, well-respected (but staid) New England boys’ boarding school where he was once a star pupil. Using unconventional methods and philosophies, he inspires his students by using poetry to embolden them to new heights of self-expression. This movie is rated PG. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver. Refreshments are made possible by the Friends of the Missouri City Branch Library.
Creative Connection: Berries & Verses
Mission Bend Branch Library – Saturday, April 20, 2:30-3:30 pm. (grades 4-8) Combining National Poetry Month and National Food Month, students will make sweet treats and share poems and rhymes.