Potter-mania is alive and well at ImaginOn! Join us on July 20, from 10pm - 1am for the Harry Potter Midnight Book Release Bash, full of activities for kids 10 and older, and an opportunity to be among the first to buy the new book at midnight! No lines, no waiting…you can pre-order the book, and have fun while you wait until midnight to get it! And July 20 is only the beginning – Jim Dale, the voice of the Harry Potter audiobooks, will be visiting ImaginOn August 3, from 1pm - 4pm. Come to ImaginOn to meet and hear Jim Dale, and to celebrate audiobooks and reading aloud.

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Terrific Tuesdays, Mysterious Mondays, and the Saturday morning Early Bird Special have all kicked off for the summer…and that’s not all! Be on the lookout for special surprises as well! The Musical Petting Zoo was the first surprise of the summer, on the day of the first Terrific Tuesday performance. Kids of all ages tried out real musical instruments, with help from Symphony Guild volunteers. Watch for their next ImaginOn appearance in July!

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The Loft is proud to host a photojournalism exhibit compiled by teens at the Stratford Richardson YMCA. People, Places and Things 2007 is a collection of images taken by teen photographers around the Charlotte area, celebrating the diversity of events and people they met around the county. The exhibit is free, open to the public, and will be on display for several more weeks in the Loft.

On June 7, ImaginOn was alive with music. The Charlotte Youth Brass Quintet, five high school musicians who are also members of the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra, performed for the public in ImaginOn’s lobby. The group is student-initiated, with mentors who are members of the Charlotte Symphony. The afternoon of music was a treat for ImaginOn’s staff and visitors, and we look forward to a return engagement!

There’s still time to register for one of Children’s Theatre’s popular week-long summer camp programs. Come join the fun going on in classroom spaces at ImaginOn and convenient satellite locations in Ballantyne, South Charlotte, University, Davidson, and Pineville. New camps start every week and spaces are still available in some camps.

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If you haven’t seen the StoryLab since Once Upon a Time was here, you may not recognize it! StagePlay, designed and built by ImaginOn staff and Children’s Theatre craftsmen, is ready for action! The exhibit explores the world behind the curtain – kids can put on a puppet show, explore stage lighting and scenery in Mysteries of the Theatre, or try on costumes and put on a play on the Page Stage. It’s your turn to be in the spotlight – or to operate it!

A new entertainment system will be available in Tech Central by the middle of summer. The PlayStation 3 is the latest multimedia player on the market from Sony, and was chosen for the library because of its wide variety of capabilities. Movies created in the production studio, Studio i, as well as music, photo imagery programs, and all ages friendly gaming with high resolution graphics will be available for library users through the PlayStation 3. Stop by Tech Central to check out what it's all about!

ImaginOn was the site for CMS’s first Parent Conference on June 1 & 2. The two-day event included fun for kids and families, informative sessions for parents of upcoming kindergarteners and plenty of excitement. Children’s Theatre’s own Tarradiddle Players performed, and Corky the Clown entertained. There were arts and crafts and magical science experiments for kids. Grown-ups heard inspirational words from Thomas Moore and joined in practical sessions about how to prepare young people for school. The initiative provided registration opportunities and support resources for rising kindergarteners and their families. It was planned and organized by a committed team from CMS in collaboration with advisors from across the community. If you need information on registering your kindergartener, please contact The Family Application Center Online or call (980) 343-5335.