By Middle School Services Librarian Jose Cruz Have you checked out one of our Discovery Kits lately? One of the sections is Art and Music, which includes ukuleles you can borrow and bring home for three weeks. Place a hold on a ukulele kit » Ukes not your style? Try these books and activities about rap … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Welcome back and happy autumn! Recently, Miss Jenny shared a book about a day that should have been exciting and wonderful turning into a big disappointment. Those days feel pretty common right now. Our kids want to go to school and learn and play with their friends—but right now, it … Read more
Logistical aspects of this partnership are currently in development. Information will be updated here as more details are formalized. To support Oak Park families and educators who will participate in remote learning, the library is partnering with the Equity Team (E-Team) of Oak Park, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, and Dominican University to serve … Read more
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris It’s never too early to talk about emotions with children, even babies and toddlers. The past few months have been an especially hard time for everyone, and kids are bound to be having big feelings they may not understand. You can share songs and regular check-ins to help kids navigate … Read more
“In a time when a lot has changed for kids, the fact that summer reading is for fun has not.” —Nora Flynn, parent of a 9-year-old summer reading champ To keep everyone safe and reading for fun, we’ve gone virtual with this year’s summer reading program. And while it looks different this year, kids and … Read more
By Children’s Librarians Shelley Harris and Genevieve Grove 5,100 challenges completed. 2,000 books read, in 285,000 minutes. 975 readers. 11,000 beads earned. AND COUNTING! Six weeks into our new virtual summer reading program, kids are blowing us away with their enthusiasm and determination. Adults know that kids who read at least 20 minutes a day … Read more
July is National Anti-Boredom Month, and we know that finding fun activities to keep you engaged at home this summer is more important than ever! Check out these title suggestions from your librarians to help you fight boredom and give you an excuse—as if you needed one—to celebrate National Ice Cream Day (July 19) and … Read more
There are so many ways to bring stories into your lives, and podcasts offer a great way to listen, learn, enjoy, and grow anytime, anywhere—at home and on-the-go! Kidcasts are podcasts created especially for kids, and we’ve gathered together a list of our favorites recommended by NPR, Kids Listen, and American Public Media for you … Read more
Looking for something new to explore this summer? Three new digital resources offer whole new worlds to discover for kids of all ages! And don’t forget, all reading is good reading and counts toward your summer reading goal! So be sure to log minutes spent reading magazine articles in Beanstack. 1. Read every issue ever … Read more
Pictured above: 1,000 Books graduate Selassie and his parents celebrate completing the program last year.Get reading tips from the parents of recent graduates » Now you can sign up and track your reading with Beanstack—from anywhere, at anytime—for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, the library’s long-term, ongoing reading program for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. What is … Read more
