Great MCPL Kid’s Bake Off

A cake decorated with blue candy waves, a lightning bolt, a trident, and icing writing Percy Jackson.

The first Great MCPL Kid’s Bake Off is a wrap! We challenged 17 children to make their best book-inspired dessert. The catch? They had to include a mystery ingredient–beet root powder!

Each participant received a kit that included measuring spoons, beet root powder, some suggestions for baking books, and a copy of The Complete Cookbook for Young Scientists: Good Science Makes Great Food: 70+ Recipes, Experiments, & Activities to keep.

Light-Up Winter Card: A Take & Make Teen Program

Follow along to learn how to make a light-up winter card! Watch the video then use the step-by-step instructions listed below for additional guidance in creating your card! This project uses supplies included in our Light-Up Winter Card: A Take & Make Teen program. If you weren't able to snag a kit you can still create a card, you'll just need the supplies listed below!

Quaranzine, Vol. 4

Quaranzine Vol. 4

Welcome to the fourth edition of MCPL’s community Quaranzine!

There are two different versions––one is for reading on a screen, and the other has been imposed so it can be printed at home, folded, stapled, and read in that fashion. Select short-side binding on most printers to print correctly.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this zine. Please consider contributing to the next issue, coming Oct 1!

Electric Zine Maker

Electric Zine Maker and zine jam

Electric Zine Maker is a super awesome new tool for making zines of all kinds, but especially printable mini-zines! It is one of the most unique looking tools out there, with an interface that proudly screams early 90s internet weirdness and delights in secrets and strange features. It was created by developer Nathalie Lawhead, and to celebrate its launch, she held the Electric Zine Jam on itch.io at the end of June.

Sherwood Forest Digital Zine Library

Sherwood Forest Virtual Zine Library

Looking to read more online zines? The Sherwood Forest Zine Library, based in Austin, Texas, has a truly amazing and updated collection of free digital zines. The collection ranges from topics on self care, food and music zines, to an updated collection of state policing and protesting zines. Updated frequently, polished, and easy to use, this zine archive is definitely worth checking out.

They are also adding to their zine collection actively, so if you have a pdf of a zine you’d like to submit, you can be published on their website!

Making Zines for Tweens

Zines for Tweens

Have you ever wanted to publish your own story, comic, or other writing? If so, then you may be interested in making zines!

What Are Zines?

Zines are self-published books. If you think about a zine as being a “mini-magazine” you’ll have a clue as to what they are and a cool trick to help you remember that “zine” is pronounced the same way as the letters “zine” at the end of the word “magazine.” 

Quaranzine: Call for Submissions

 a call for submissions

During this period of social distancing, the Library invites you to contribute to making an online Quaranzine! The Library's Quaranzine is a community-response zine compiling our community's thoughts, feelings, and reactions surrounding the current situation of quarantine, social distancing, and living in these uncertain times.

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