A furry friend for #TeamSwanseaSRC

Little Basil popped into the library yesterday. He was thoroughly impressed with the Summer Reading Challenge! He was even more impressed that one of the HQ staff recognised him from a Cats' Protection League poster. Basil regretted having to leave the library, but will be happy to make his way home at last. 

Here he is chilling in the office of Central Library while waiting to be chauffeured home. Bless his furry little socks!

I'm rather disappointed that we don't get to keep this cute li'l critter as our very own library mascot, but so happy that he'll be reunited with his owners. All the best Basil, you crazy wanderer, you!

Ghoulishly Good Printable Pages!

On a dark, dark page

Of a dark , dark blog

Of a dark, dark challenge

Some printables lived!

Are you loving the Creepy House Summer Reading Challenge? Then print out these freebies and keep enjoying the frightful fun!

Creepy Colourings

Creepy Cat

Ghastly Ghost

Horrible House

Menacing Monster
Vile Vampire
Wicked Witch 

Petrifying Puzzles

A Morbid Maze
A Malevolent Maze

Demonic Dot-to-Dot
Putrid Pumpkin Dot-to-Dot
Frankenstein's Monster Maze
Scary Sudoku
Sadistic Spot the Difference
Which Witch is Which?

Woeful Word-games

Creepy Anagrams

Creepy Crossword

Fiendish Frankenstein Wordsearch
Awesome Arachnid Wordsearch
Wooooooordsearch

Monstrous Masks

Petrifying Pumpkin Mask

The End Times are Nigh.

The wait is almost over…

What's that I hear in the distance? Is that the chiming of a church bell? Perhaps it's the sinister swish of the Grim Reaper's scythe. Maybe it's the morbid mumble of mourners... Or could it be a Swansea-wide whisper that there is only one day to go?!

That's right, folks! 

"Bring out your readers! Bring out your readers!"

The Swansea Summer Reading Challenge officially kicks off tomorrow! Come along to a Swansea Library and sign up for a summer full of spooktacular fun!

We'll have ghosties and ghoulies and long-leggedy beasties and all manner of things which go bump in the night. We'll also have crafts, games, puzzles, parties and books books books!

The Challenge

For those of you new to the SRC, it's simple. You simply pop to your library where a lovely librarian or SRC Volunteer will sign you up. Then...

Age 0-5

If you're aged 0-5 you can participate in the early years challenge. Read six books and visit the library three times, collecting stickers for every book you read. At the end, you'll receive a ghoulish goody-bag and a certificate!

Age 5-11

If you're aged 5-11, read six books and visit the library three times. For every two books you read, you'll get a petrifying prize and some stinky stickers! When you complete the challenge, you'll receive a sinister certificate to show your envious mates!

Age 11-14

If you're aged 11-14, read three books (well, they are bigger books so it's only fair) and visit the library three times. On each visit you bring a book back, you'll get a revolting reward! There's a spooky certificate in it for you, too! Great for your Record of Achievement in school!

So what are you waiting for? Come along to your local Swansea library, tell your friends and let’s have a mwahahaharvelous time! The CREEPY HOUSE awaits you... if you dare. 

"Playtime for Ghosts", by Rachel Gauci

Playtime for Ghosts

By Rachel Gauci

SRC Volunteer

When you're sleeping, tucked up in bed,

it's time for the ghosts,

to play instead.

Laughing and joking,

dashing about,

the ghosts are here,

the ghosts are out.

While you're tucked up,

sleeping tight,

the ghosts are about,

they party all night.

They knock things over,

they scream, they shout.

Having fun,

they rush about.

You don't hear them,

you're fast asleep,

in your own little bubble,

counting sheep.

As night turns to morning,

the ghosts shy away,

back in their box,

while you're out to play.

  

All through the day,

the ghosts are asleep.

It's your turn to play,

while they count their sheep.

As soon as the night comes,

and you're back in bed,

the ghosts are back,

it's their turn instead.

  So go to bed quickly,

and close those eyes tight.

If you don't want to see them,

then sleep through the night.

© Rachel Gauci 2013

 

"Monster Splodge Makes A Friend", by Jessica Bain

Monster Splodge Makes A Friend

By Jessica Bain

SRC Volunteer

Once upon a time there lived a monster called Splodge. He didn’t have many friends because everyone thought he was too ugly and too scary. He really wanted a friend, but there were no other monsters in the city.

Splodge stood out a lot; he had blue hair, red eyes and green scaly skin with big pimples. Everyone laughed at him, until one day another monster came to his school. She was called Spogla. She had purple hair and orange slimy skin. They instantly became friends with each other because no one else wanted to be their friends.

One evening all the children in Splodge and Spolga’s class had a party, but Splodge and Spolga weren’t invited. So they made a plan. They would scare everyone at the party, as payback for not being invited. So they dressed up scarily and went to the party.

They went to the back of the building and Splodge helped Spolga climb up to a window. She said ‘Booooo!’ And everyone in the party screamed. They saw all the children leave the party and then they felt bad.

So they explained to the children what they had done and why they had done it. Then the other children felt bad for being so mean to Splodge and Spolga so they all went back into the party and had a great time!
 

© Jessica Bain 2013

Print and colour-in Splodge!

"The Little Scary Spider", by Zeb Anderton

The Little Scary Spider

by Zeb Anderton

SRC Volunteer

It was a dark and stormy night. The wind howled like a wolf. Rain pit-patted on the roof. A tree branch tapped against a window.

The dog was restless. It ran from window to window. It liked to watch the flashes of lightning; the sharp, bright tear that cut the clouds.

But the hamster hid. The hamster did not like the thunder. The thunder was like a growl. The hamster hid in the paper pile. It hid behind the tangle of tubes. The hamster was safe in its cage.

The girl sat on the sofa.  She thought she was safe there. The carefree couch: free of the care of lightning; free of the care of thunder; free of the care of tapping and pit-patting and howling.

The little spider crept. It crept and it scuttled. It crept and it scuttled and it scared. It was a scary spider.

The girl was busy. The girl did not see the spider. It crawled into the house. It crawled along the floor. It crawled past the hamster. It crawled past the dog. Then it crawled up the couch. It crawled along the settee… 

The girl looked up. The girl looked and saw the little scary spider on the sofa. The girl said, “Eek! A scary spider!”

The little spider replied, “Eek!” and scuttled along the settee. It ran down the couch. It crawled past the dog. It crept past the hamster. The spider was scared of the girl. It was scared of the lightning. It was scared of the thunder. It was scared of the tapping and pit-patting and howling.

Then the girl found the spider. The girl picked up the spider and took it to the couch. Together, the girl and the little spider waited out the storm on the care-free couch.

© Zeb Anderton 2013



"The Ghost", by Kayleigh Hook

The Ghost

By Kayleigh Hook

SRC  Volunteer

Knock, knock, knock on the door,

A bump in the middle of the night.

Tossing, turning, you try to sleep,

But it's given you such a fright!

You count sheep for all you can,

Warm milk is little help,

Your sleep won't come, you don't know why,

A door slams and you yelp!

Mum and Dad are tucked in tight,

So what's that shadow by your door?

It's big and white, that's not a sheet!

Are those footsteps you heard before?

Hug your toys, nice and tight,

Tug your blanket over your head.

Nothing can get you now, you're safe,

So why's it creeping towards the bed..?

© Kayleigh Hook 2013