Where The Child Things Are
“Mom, I’m Bored.” How To Beat Summer Boredom
By: Melissa Hilt, Youth Assistant Director Did you know that July is National Anti-Boredom Month? I had never heard of it before, but my friend and I like to text each other wishing the other Happy National (whatever day it happens to be), so I am looking these up on a regular basis. I suppose July being National Anti-Boredom Month makes
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A Reading Life: From Cereal Boxes to Shakespeare and Everything in Between
By: Amy Waters, School Liaison When I was a child I was a voracious reader and I read anything and everything. The best cereals were the ones with lots to read on the back of the box. Newspapers were great places for the comics and picking up new words. Those new words would lead me to the dictionary, which fascinated
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Are You Ready for Kindergarten?
By: Katy Almendinger, Early Literacy Librarian Whether it’s your littlest child or your oldest child, transitioning to kindergarten can be very emotional. You want them to be confident and ready for every new experience. It’s difficult to anticipate how much your child will learn, change, and grow between now and the first day of kindergarten. We’re unrolling a band-new series of
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Meet Ms. Heather – The New Youth Director!
By: Heather McCammond-Watts, Youth Department Director I am so excited to bring my enthusiasm and expertise to GEPL! My top priority is to ensure outstanding youth services through responsive customer service, fun and creative programming, and meaningful community connections. My driving passion is for serving kids and families. My specialties include holistic family services, community engagement, storytelling, play-based learning, and early literacy
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Keeping Your Kids Occupied On A Rainy Day (Or A Long Trip)
By: Christina Keasler, Youth Technology Librarian Summer vacation is here! School is out; GEPL’s summer reading program is underway (have you signed up?); and parents are thinking of plans, or survival skills, to make sure the kids don’t drive the parents, or themselves, crazy with the idle time. We know the importance of outside play, but there are times when that’s
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Stop the Summer Slide
By: Kelly Mahoney, Youth Associate Did you know that it’s common for students to lose academic progress over the summer? In fact, some students lose up to three months of growth in key academic areas. This has been documented by research studies dating back over 100 years, and it makes a lot of sense. Imagine if you tried to play
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Ohh, Origami!
By: Deanna Siegel, Youth Librarian Have you ever seen paper cranes and wondered how they were made? Have you ever wanted to create a paper crane? A dog? A hat? Some kind of shape? Well you can through origami! Origami is the Japanese art of folding squares of paper into different shapes, symbols, and animals. There are various levels of
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Royally Good Reads
By: Kate Easley, Youth Librarian - Homeschool Services In case you missed it, there was a royal wedding that took place recently. Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, or as the Chicago Tribune tweeted “Northwestern Graduate Marrying British Guy.” It was an exciting and beautiful ceremony to watch. I definitely had fun watching all the celebrities arrive, eventually followed by the bride. If you
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Passport to Adventure!
Oh the places you’ll go — Dr. Seuss Summer is just around the corner. And that means sunshine, warm weather, and no school! It’s the perfect time for an adventure. There are many ways your child can have an adventure this summer. Here are just a few ideas to get your summer vacation off to a
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Summer Reading is Back!
By: Melissa Hilt, Youth Assistant Director It’s that time of year again! The weather is finally getting warmer; flowers are blooming; school is ending. And you know what that means — summer break! I know as a kid I always enjoyed summer. It meant staying up late, playing outside, ice cream, and summer reading. Yes, even as a kid I was
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