Welcome to Monster Summer

All summer long at Muhlenberg Library, we will be delving into all things monster!

ADULTS: we have a special line-up of classic Universal and Hammer Monster Movies planned for you in July and August. TEENS: join us for Teen Monster Movies on Friday afternoons in June and Dr. Frankenstein's Lab in August.  CHILDREN: explore the human body with the Mad Scientists program!

And this is just the start! Watch this space for announcements of even more great events and book recommendations. You can also quickly access this page at: bit.ly/monstersummer2014

 

Monster Movies

In the 1930s and 40s, Universal Pictures produced some of the most indelible monster movies of all time. We highlight four black-and-white classics from the era, starring Boris Karloff (Frankenstein, The Mummy, Bride of Frankenstein) and Bela Lugosi (Dracula).

Later in the 1950s and 60s, Hammer Films updated these films for a new generation in vivid Eastmancolor and gained a cult following (that continues to this day) for their luxurious, period sets and committed performances by Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

DATE	FILM	YEAR	TIME	DIRECTOR
July 3, 2014	Frankenstein	1931	70 min	James Whale
July 10, 2014	Dracula	1931	75 min	Tod Browning
July 24, 2014	The Mummy	1932	73 min	Karl Freund
July 31, 2014	The Bride of Frankenstein	1935	75 min	James Whale
August 7, 2014	The Curse of Frankenstein	1957	82 min	Terence Fisher
August 21, 2014	The Mummy	1959	88 min	Terence Fisher
August 28, 2014	Brides of Dracula	1960	85 min	Terence Fisher
September 4, 2014	Horror of Dracula	1958	82 min	Terence Fisher

Please note Horror of Dracula has been rescheduled for Thursday, September 4. All film screenings are FREE, begin at 5:15 p.m., and will be held in the third floor community room of Muhlenberg Library. Seating is first-come, first-served.

 

Dr. Frankenstein's Lab

This is a FREE hands-on, science-based workshop series for teens. You'll learn about how things work and experiment with paper planes, electrical circuits, boats, and silly putty. You'll even get to participate in design competitions! For ages 12-18.

DATE	TITLE	DESCRIPTION
August 8, 2014	Let It Fly!	Learn about the basic principles of aerodynamics by folding different kinds of paper planes, predicting how they'll fly, and then observing their actual flight behavior.
August 21, 2014	Light It Up!	Explore the differences between conductors and insulators by going hands-on with a simple circuit.
August 22, 2014	What Floats Your Boat?	Discover how to use model building to gain first-hand experience of concepts such as buoyancy and density.
August 29, 2014	Let's Make Silly Putty!	Learn how to make two different formulations of Silly Putty with varying properties.

Please note: Light It Up! has been rescheduled for Thursday, 8/21 at 3:30 p.m. Registration is limited to 15 participants. Sign up by visiting Muhlenberg Library or calling 212-924-1585.

 

Mad Scientists

Join us for four sessions as we observe, model, and build the human body. All programs are FREE. For ages 6-11.

DATE	TITLE	DESCRIPTION
July 23, 2014	The Respiratory System	Observe the respiration of a goldfish and build a working model of a pair of human lungs.
August 6, 2014	Inside/Outside Skeletons	Build a human bone and observe an insect’s exoskeleton in action.
August 20, 2014	Hands, Fingers, & Thumbs	Thumbs up! Build a working model of a hand and see what you can grasp.
August 27, 2014	Eye See You	How do we see? How do insects see? Build two different types of eyes and find out!

Registration is limited to 15 participants. Sign up by visiting Muhlenberg Library or calling 212-924-1585.

Photo by Kit Perren, CC BY-NC 2.0

 

Monster Summer Reading Kick-Off

Please join us for the official Monster Summer Kick-off on Wednesday, June 18! CHILDREN & PARENTS: we will have crafts, board games, and story time from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. TEENS: Come play video games, listen to monster music, and win prizes from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Jennifer Rodgers, CC BY-NC 2.0

 

Teen Monster Movies

Throughout June, we will be screening Japanese monster movies (or Kaiju) on Friday afternoons at 3:30 p.m. For ages 12 to 18. Please contact Thomas Knowlton (thomasknowlton@nypl.org) if you have any questions!

DATE	FILM	YEAR	TIME	DIRECTOR
June 6, 2014	Mothra	1961	81 min	Ishiro Honda
June 13, 2014	King Kong Vs. Godzilla	1962	87 min	Ishiro Honda
June 20, 2014	King Kong Escapes	1967	92 min	Ishiro Honda
June 27, 2014	Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidora: Giant Monsters All Out Attack	2001	105 min	Shusuke Kaneko

All film screenings are FREE and held in the third floor community room of Muhlenberg Library. Seating is first-come, first-served.