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Why wait for Halloween to dress up like a zombie?
County libraries in Encinitas, Fallbrook, Santee, El Cajon and Vista will transform into hubs for the walking dead Friday night, as youths aged 12 to 18 get in touch with their ghoulish sides. The zombie themed Nationwide Teen Library Lock-In will take place after hours, from 6 to 10 p.m. and from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Fallbrook. Branches will offer activities such as games, a chance to get zombie-fied with make-up and a virtual author visit with Jonathan Maberry, author of zombie novels Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay.
In Santee, teens can sample brain jello, zombie punch and vampire cookies. In El Cajon, a special effects make-up artist will decorate participants with fake wounds and bloody noses, and a live band will perform, said Youth Services Librarian Miko Osada. Staff at the Fallbrook branch will run a costume contest and award prizes to winners. In Encinitas, teens will learn the Thriller zombie dance from an expert dancer and chow on donated food from Souplantation.
Osada said zombie books are so popular among teen and adult readers at her library that it’s hard to find them on the shelves. The zombie theme also fit with this year’s teen summer reading theme, “Own the Night.”
The event is part of a nationwide teen lock-in, with after-hours events taking place at more than 80 libraries across the country.
For more information or to participate, visit sdcl.org or call the specific branch you’d like to visit.
