Families delight in a Harry Potter night at the Lincoln Public Library

 

[November 21, 2018] 

It was an especially fun night at the Lincoln Public Library on Thursday evening, November 15, 2018. To celebrate National Family Reading Night librarians Tegan Follis, Sam Gohl, Michelle Pickett and Rebecca Kirk-Hatfield put their heads together to create a magical Harry Potter evening. Harry Potter is the hero in author J.K. Rowling’s world-renown fiction book series. The team designed and made themed decorations, and planned a variety of delightful activities.

About 15 children attended with their mothers.

Librarian Tegan of Slytherin House said the purpose of this Harry Potter event is to ‘encourage spending time with your family’ and ‘reading with family’…and going to the Library. She said that reading expands children’s vocabulary, imagination, critical thinking and problem solving.

Librarian Sam of the Ravenclaw House was wearing her black Hogwarts cloak and held in her hand a wizard’s wand. “Wands are made of different wood. [And they are] usually made of dragon heart string, or unicorn hair. They are different lengths nine inches and 15 inches.

"The wand chooses the wizard!

"In the first Harry Potter book, students go into the wand shop before the first year of school. Harry Potter enters the shop and the first wand to pick Harry doesn’t seem to like him and causes destruction and made things break in the shop. The next wand liked him,” Sam of Ravenclaw said.

The kids could see the voluminous display of Harry Potter books like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, that were next to the big Sorting Hat station.

The Sorting Hat was in the first Harry Potter book and sorted the students into one of four houses in the Hogwarts School in England.

"Can you guess the four houses?

The houses are Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

"Harry Potter’s name was placed in the hat and Professor Dumbledore caught the name from the air and read where he would be sent to. Was he sent to Slytherin House to learn cunning or sent to Gryffindor to take on courage or did he go to Ravenclaw to polish his whit or did he get named to Hufflepuff House because of his loyalty and trust?"

There was an amazing, creative Goblet of Fire in the children’s library! This incredible station was set for the kids to write their names on a small card and place it in the goblet of fire like in the Harry Potter movie. There was a white age ring around the goblet to make sure children under age 17 would not stand in there. In the fourth book, Goblet of Fire, Fred and George put their name in the goblet and they grew beards because they were too young. They wanted to sign up for the tournaments at a school in France and get a chance to compete for prize money and for the glory for win of their school. (It was intended to be a friendly competition.)

Sam presented clever Harry Potter trivia cards. This was one of the activities for parents and children to spend quality time together and perhaps learn something new about the characters in the books.

Later in the evening, mother Whitney and her daughter Revae, nine-years-of-age, played trivia. Whitney said, “I am obsessed with Harry Potter. I am a Potterhead.” She knew all of the answers to the questions. “During Christmas, I went to the movies with my family. There was a choice between Monsters Inc. or Harry Potter. My family had already seen Monsters Inc., so we went in to the Harry Potter movie and I fell in love with it! The book is far different. You have to watch the movie and read the book,” Whitney said. “It is so elaborately written with family facts. There is more history information that is not in the books that is written by the author if you go to Pottermovie.com,” she said.

Do you know some of the answers to these Harry Potter trivia questions?

Q:  What is Albus Dumbledore’s full name?

A: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

Q: Which creature threatens Harry Potter?

A: a dragon.

Q: Who is Narcissa Malfroy’s sibling?

A: Bellatrix Lestrange.

Q:  When the Death Eaters take control of the Ministry, what title do they give Harry on the wanted posters?

A: Undesirable No.1.

Q: Do you know the three main characters of Harry Potter?

A: Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley.

Q: Why was Professor Lupin ousted from Hogwarts?

A: He turned out to be a Werewolf.

Q: What kind of Professor is McGonagall?

A: A transformation teacher.

Q: What kind of Professor is Prof. Snape?

A: A potions master.

Tegan, the librarian/Slytherin, designed a picture frame of the Azkaban Prison the children could take their pictures in. That is where the wizards went when they would do illegal things.

Revae, age 9 years said she likes Harry Potter’s magic, and Henry, 5 years,
was dressed as Harry Potter with a blue lightening bolt painted on his forehead. His mother, Kristy said that is what he was for Halloween and he also watched the movie.

Jaxson McMullen, age six, and his mother, and grandmother sat playing big checkers with Harry Potter stickers on the checkers. Jaxson’s shirt read “I solemnly swear I am up to no good.” Jaxson said that is the magic words you say to make the Marauder’s Map appear when you tap it with your wand. Jaxson’s Grandmother said that in the book 'The Prisoner of Azkaban,' Harry Potter tapped the map and said these magic words and the map appeared on parchment paper. Harry could then see who he wanted to see and where they were going to because footprints would appear walking across the map.

Reader do you remember what magic words made the Marauder’s Map disappear?

“Mischief Managed.”

Angeline and son Burke also played a daring game of checkers. Burke is nine years-of-age, and he was dressed as a Gryffindor with a red and black tie. He said he wants his mom to be a Slytherin because she is evil. He said, “If she were to do real magic, she would cheat! Mainly because she lets me play a little bit of video games.” His mother said he has no chores.

Burke has plans for his future. He said, “I want to read a Goosebumps book and another Harry Potter book.”

Mysterious letters hung from the ceiling and Hedwig, Harry Potter’s pet white owl, like in J.K. Rawlings first book, was there in the library to give you a real sealed letter of acceptance to Hogwarts School. The librarian would address your name on the front of the envelope. There also was coloring sheets for the kids and a wanted poster of Harry Potter with a reward of 10,000 galleons on his head. Next to the bookshelves, there were silver rings dangling from the ceiling for the kids to play balloon Quidditch.

Here is the complete list of the Harry Potter series of books you can check out from the Library:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

6. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

7. Harry Potter and Deathly Hollows

The Family Reading Night was a fun-filled and imaginative activity for the children and encouraged them to read more books from the children’s Annex in the library. Lincoln Public Library hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Added hours on Tuesday and Thursday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. You can also check if they have a children's book by calling the children’s annex 217-732-5732 or go online at www.lincoln publiclibrary.org.

P.S. Potterheads - “The Fantastic Beast” is the 2nd movie coming out this year about the crimes of Grindewald. “The setting takes place in America,” said Sam. J.K. Rawlings is said to have collaborated with writers and gave permission to write the script.

“It’s cool, it’s magical and great to grow up with,” said Tegan.

[Catherine Carkulis]