Where The Child Things Are
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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Please Mom, Can I Have a Pet?
By: Kelli Rolston, Youth Associate
If you’ve visited the Youth Department lately, you probably noticed that we have been crazy for animals! Pet-themed learning stations, a vet station in the play area, and making cat/dog toys for a local animal shelter at home could have prompted your child to desperately plea, “Can we get a pet, please?” If you don’t
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Get Ready for Screen Free Week!
By: Kate Easley, Youth Librarian
The last week of April is Screen Free Week. That’s right—from April 29 through May 5, you’re encouraged to turn off those devices and focus on screen free fun. If you have children, it can be a real struggle to get them to shut down their iPads, but this week is a good time to
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Crafting with Children
By: Alexa Moffat, Youth Associate
My love of crafting began early. My mother (sort of) taught me to use her sewing machine, and I went from there. My grandma taught me needlepoint. I asked for paint and canvases each birthday. While I doubt anyone would describe me as an artist, I’ve flourished in the age of Pinterest and love to
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And the Winners Are…
By: Amy Waters, School Liaison
Have you been reading your way through the Illinois State Award lists this year? Well, the voters have spoken! Here are the Readers’ Choice Winners from 2019. How do they compare to your picks? MONARCH AWARD Creepy Pair of Underwear! – 18547 votes Written by Aaron Reynolds, Illustrated by Peter Brown Claymates – 14322 votes
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All About Chickens!
By: Melissa Hilt, Community Engagement Librarian
Here at the Glen Ellyn Public Library we love animals and try to find ways to bring them to the Youth Department whenever we can. In the past, we’ve had a worm compost, a “Read to Dogs” program, hatched monarch butterflies, and invited sloths, baby wolf pups, ostriches, reptiles, tarantulas, and chinchillas to meet our
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Merpeople Unite!
By: Heather McCammond-Watts, Youth Department Director
Empathy is built by imagining what other people think or feel, and especially what the world might be like if we dreamed big. I think fantasy books are some of the best types of books to share with children, because they can transport everyday thinking into the realm of “what if?”, which improves critical thinking
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Anderson’s 17th Annual Children’s Literature Breakfast
By: Cristina Bueno, Youth Associate
For the past 17 years, Anderson’s Bookshop has been hosting a Children’s Literature Breakfast where librarians, teachers, parents, and lovers of children’s literature are invited to meet and mingle with regional pre-kindergarten through grade 12 authors and illustrators. A full breakfast is served, and table discussions are intermixed with a variety of keynote speakers. This
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Are Graphic Novels Real Books?
By: Katy Almendinger, Early Literacy Librarian
If your kids are really into graphic novels, they aren’t alone. The market for graphic novels is exploding with popularity. It’s even become a billion dollar industry. Graphic novel titles for middle grade readers even hit bestseller lists. Readers are always asking us for Dogman, The Baby-Sitters Club, Hilo, or for Rania Telegemier’s stuff. Even
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Time to Travel!
By: Christina Keasler, Youth Department Assistant Director and Youth Technology Librarian
Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s cabin fever, but around this time of year I start getting antsy and wishing to go on vacation. I begin planning my camping trips and other excursions. It appears I’m not the only one—the library processed nearly 200 passport applications in January. (Yes, GEPL can accept passport applications! Click
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