Where The Child Things Are - Page 10 of 16

I’m currently taking a music appreciation class at College of DuPage, and our last discussion board post was about how musicians create some “music to teach people what to believe or how to think about or remember certain stories or events”. Families enjoy a concert with Istvan and His Imaginary Band. (Photo taken pre-pandemic.) Consider… Read More about Learning Through Music at the Library

Spring break is fast approaching! While this may be something that kids count down to, parents have a variety of feelings about it. Personally, I am excited to get some extra time with my school-aged child, as well as a break from Zoom tutoring and homework. I’m also already wondering, “What am I going to… Read More about Library Resources for Spring Break

March is National Reading Month, but really, any time is a good time to read. And with today being Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America Day, it is the perfect time to begin some family habits to create lifelong readers out of your children. When I was learning to read, my mother subscribed to the Weekly Reader Book Club. Every so often, a… Read More about Raising a Reader

The other day, I walked into my son’s room to see him reading a book titled The Donner Dinner Party. I laughed out loud at the absurdity of this title, and then took a closer look to make sure it was something I was okay with my 4th grader reading. This book is part of… Read More about Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales

Winter is always tough with cabin fever and kids' pent up energy. Add in the fact that many children now get more screen time than parents prefer, and you have a perfect disaster of both adults and kids going crazy at home. The pandemic has allowed us to spend more time as a family, but… Read More about Bust Boredom with Board Games

Tom and Christina by the Caudill display in Youth. (Note: photo taken pre-pandemic) Last year, Youth Department Director Christina Keasler and I received news that we were chosen to be evaluators for the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award. Huzzah! Here’s the committee in a nutshell: A rotating committee of between seventy and eighty members… Read More about The Rebecca Caudill Journey

For as long as I can remember, we have had a large print collection in the Adult Department at GEPL, and I am excited to share that we are starting to purchase large print fiction books for the Youth Department! As we work on making sure the library is diverse, equitable, and inclusive for all, I knew this personal goal of mine had to be… Read More about Coming Soon: Large Print Materials in Youth

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) are words being used a lot these days, including here at your library. They are even a part of our values statements: We believe that a community flourishes when it sees itself reflected in its library and uses the library as a window for discovery. One way to lend your… Read More about Your Library is a Window for Discovery

Don’t let winter stop you from playing outside! There's something magical about playing outside in the snow. It may be cold, but it’s important to keep playing outside even in the winter months. Not only is playing outside essential physical exercise, outdoor play encourages children to use their imagination to find new ways to play in the snow. Winter tends to linger here in… Read More about Playing in a Winter Wonderland

Although it is winter and the ground is covered in snow (at least at the time of this writing), there are bound to be a few hungry birds in your backyard. Ice and snow storms can make it hard for birds like downy woodpeckers, northern cardinals, and mourning doves to find food in the winter.… Read More about Kindness Club: Bird Feeder

Our winter session of storytime is underway! Register and join us on Zoom for Together Time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 10:30 am. While we may not be able to meet in person, our virtual storytimes follow a similar structure to our live storytimes, and we continue to practice our five important pre-literacy skills:… Read More about Winter Storytime

Hygge is a Danish word that is having a moment outside of Denmark. There is no direct English translation for hygge (pronounced hoo-gah or hue-guh depending on which website you believe), but it implies a sense of comfort, coziness, and contentedness. As such, hygge is not something you do; it’s more a feeling of comfort… Read More about Hygge