MLK Day...of Service

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr., Day...of Service. That's right: "of service." Why does that last part always get left off the calendar? As its motto goes: "Make it a day ON, not a day off!" A Wrung Sponge does a nice job of outlining the idea here.

MLK Day is one of those mysterious holidays when the schools, banks, and post offices are closed, but the library is open. This means entertaining a higher-than-average number of school-age kids during normal school hours. This means extra activities.

In past years, we've generally shown a random kids' movie and/or offered a craft time, but this year I wanted us recognize what MLK Day is for: that whole taking-care-of-your-fellow-humans thing. So today, our movie is the Disney channel's Ruby Bridges, and our craft project is making valentines for veterans and senior citizens. It figures that today I got slammed with a cold and had to leave work after setting up the valentine-making station, so I'm not able to be much help myself.

Next year, who knows? A book-buddies program? A book drive for a kids' organization in need? I'm already looking forward to it.

(Side note: Whenever I'm working on a book that has kids with a day off school for MLK Day, I try and give them something service-oriented to do, without making a big, pedantic fuss about it. If fictional characters can't be model citizens every once in a while, who can?)