Where The Child Things Are
Wizards Unite!
By: Christina Keasler, Youth Department Assistant Director and Youth Technology Librarian
It’s finally here! I got the buzz alert. Wizards Unite is available! In 2016, Pokémon GO was a huge deal. It opened the door for augmented reality (AR) to be commonly used and also brought AR into mainstream vocabulary. Augmented reality is similar to virtual reality (VR), but with one main difference. VR puts you
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International Sushi Day
By: Cathy Mori, Youth Librarian
Today is International Sushi Day. Who even knew there was a day to celebrate sushi, a Japanese food that has become popular worldwide? And it is so easy to celebrate: just eat some sushi. A completely unofficial celebration, International Sushi Day first appeared on Facebook in 2009. First, let’s clear up some misconceptions: sushi does
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Check the Library for American Girl Dolls
By: Kate Easley, Youth Librarian
Did you know that the library has American Girl dolls? I know! I was excited, too. I love the American Girl books and am thrilled about the dolls being available for checkout, as well. I recently borrowed the Samantha playpack for my 4-year-old daughter. To say she was excited is an understatement. She had so
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Storytime Faves
By: Alexa Moffat, Youth Associate
We love storytime at the library! Our summer series will kick off on June 17 (click here to check the calendar). Until then, here are some of our favorite storytime books and songs to hold you over. Books: Rhyming Dust Bunnies: A silly tale of oblivious dust bunnies who love to rhyme. The Very Hungry
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Game On! Summer Challenge
By: Cristina Bueno, Youth Associate
GEPL’s summer program is no longer just about reading. You can also play games and complete activities to earn points in this year’s challenge! As a kid, and especially as an avid reader, I loved participating in my library’s summer program. Even though I’m not a kid anymore, I still get to do the adult
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Read Like a Champion
By: Amy Waters, School Liaison
Are you a Jeopardy! fan? If so, and maybe even if you aren’t, it’s been hard to miss news of the current champion’s incredible winning streak. As of May 21, James Holzhauer, a Naperville native now living in Las Vegas, has won $1.78 million and is still going. All this winning has been great news
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Take an Audiobook Adventure!
By: Heather McCammond-Watts, Youth Department Director
Planning a family vacation this summer? Bring along some exciting audiobooks, and watch the miles fly by. Listening to stories in the car or on an airplane helps reduce stressful travel conditions and provides entertaining content for kids of all ages. The key to a successful audiobook experience is to select a really good narrator
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Celebrating Ramadan
By: Sammer Zehra, Guest Blogger
Growing up, Ramadan (Rum-a-don) was an exciting time in the house. My mom would make special food like samosas (mini deep fried meat pies), chaat (a spicy salad of chickpeas), and rooh afza (a refreshing sweet drink). We competed with our siblings and cousins to see who could fast the longest and who had the
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Dear Chickens
By: Katy Almendinger, Early Literacy Librarian
We love opportunities for children to get writing practice because it’s an important skill that is directly tied to reading and letter recognition. We also know that handwriting is losing importance as technology becomes more integrated into our daily routines. So we were especially excited when first grader Gavin suggested we write letters to the
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Year of the Garden
By: Christina Keasler, Youth Department Assistant Director and Youth Technology Librarian
Instead of a New Year’s resolution, I declared that 2019 would be the Year of the Garden. I refer to our home as Jumanji. We inherited a lot of perennials when we bought it that have gone rogue over the years. It’s been a losing battle. Ants have taken over the pots in the center
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