The Hillsboro Library is celebrating beloved author Roald Dahl’s birthday throughout September by dubbing it “Wonka Month.”
“Roald Dahl was one of my favorite childhood authors,” said children’s department manager Gabrielle Pitzer. “I remember reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda as a kid – I checked out each book at this library! We usually do a display for Dahl’s birthday, but we thought it would be fun to celebrate the whole month this year.”
She continued, “The whole month will be dedicated to Wonka from our decorations to our activities. We’ll have a scavenger hunt, a golden ticket search, take-home crafts, and more. And September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, so our goodie bags for new kid cardholders will be Wonka-themed as well.”
Teens and adults are also invited to celebrate.
“Willy Wonka is a timeless character,” said circulation manager Sarah Davidson. “And, also, who doesn’t love candy?”
Patrons can take a Roald Dahl quiz and search for Golden Tickets in books, Davidson explained.
The various activities going on throughout the month can earn patrons of all ages slips for a drawing of one of two prize baskets. Both are themed around Willy Wonka, one based on the books and the other based on the movies.
Patrons who attend different library programs can also earn drawing slips. The eligible programs include: Story Time and Lego Club (kids and families); Pokémon Club, Series Club, and Youth Writing Club (tweens and teens); Trivia Tuesday and Craft-ernoon (tweens through adults); Travel Club (all ages); and BYO-Book Club, Comic Book Club, Write-Away Club, and Cookbook Club (adults).
Additionally, patrons can attend two special Wonka-inspired programs.
Tweens through adults are invited to come make their own chocolate bar on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 5:30 PM.
“This should be a lot of fun,” Davidson explained. “We’ll have melted chocolate and bar molds, along with plenty of mix’ins that people can use to create their perfect candy.”
Then, that Saturday, on Sept. 28, from 10 AM until 2 PM, patrons of all ages are invited to celebrate Roald Dahl Day.
Pitzer described the day, saying, “It will be all of our favorite activities rolled into one day. The highlights include mini golf, carnival games, and crafts.”
The goal is for this to be a time for kids, as well as kids-at-heart, to come and celebrate Dahl, while also enjoying some sweet treats.
“As Sarah said, Wonka is a timeless character,” Pitzer said. “We hope this month will appeal to patrons of all ages. It will be fun for longtime fans and to those who are just discovering the magic of Roald Dahl.”
For more information on these or other library programs, call 937-393-3114, visit www.highlandco.org, or search “Highland County District Library of Ohio” on Facebook.
