Caudill Club Blog

You may have noticed a new blog listed on the library's home page called Caudill Club - For readers in 4th through 8th grade. This is an online book club for children who are reading books nominated for the 2010 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award. This award is given annually to the book receiving the most votes from the children in Illinois who have read at least three of the nominated titles.

Some of our local schools promote this award in their buildings; however, not all do so. That's why in 2003 we started a Caudill Club for students who don't have one at their school. It's evolved over that time from a monthly book discussion group to what is now an online community of readers. We've designed it to operate like a social networking site, where children can share their opinions about the books with one another -- but one that is completely safe for them.

Here at the library, we ask that children fill out a Feedback Form for each book they read. Everyone who submits at least three feedback forms will be eligible to vote for their favorite title in February. As an added incentive, each reader who reads at least ten of the books (and submits feedback) will receive a copy of the winning book to keep. The comments children make on these forms are then published so that everyone can read a variety of opinions about each book. Take a look at some of the comments yourself. You'll get a kick out of them, I promise!

Let me emphasize again that this is completely save for your child! All comments and feedback are submitted directly to me. I then publish them, making sure that the only way a child is identified is by their first name and last initial. Any other information collected is for our record-keeping purposes only.

Take a look at the blog and let us know what you think. Also, if your child has posted to it, let us know how they like it...

Yay! Storytime is Here

Join us for Toddler storytimes on Thursdays, November 12, and 19th at 10:30 am and for Preschool storytimes Tuesdays, November 10, 17, and 24th at 10:30 am.

In case you want to put on a storytime at home, here are some of the fun things we did at this week's storytime:

We read the book, The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri which emphasized the pre-reading skill of Narrative Skills. Narrative Skills is the ability to describe things and events, and to tell stories. This skill will help your child understand that stories have a beginning, middle and an end. Later on, this skill will also help your child as he/she learns to write.

Another book to share is I Went Walking by Sue Williams. Invite your child to pat his/her knees whenever you read the line, "I went walking." This story introduces many names of animals, builing your child's vocabulary. One way to increase your child's exposure to language is to "narrate" your day by simply saying out loud what you are doing while doing it. Be patient and encouraging by leaving time for your child to "answer" so that they are learning narrative skills aswell.

After reading a story, pick yourselves up and move to the following rhymes:

Tick-Tock
Tick-tock, tick-tock, (stand straight up and move from side to side)
I’m a little cuckoo clock.
Tick-tock, tick-tock,
Now I’m striking one o’clock. (hold up 1 finger )
Cuckoo! (take a bow and say, "Cuckoo!")
Repeat the rhyme for two o'clock (say cuckoo twice) and three o'clock.

Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Head and shoulders, knees and toes.

Knees and toes, knees and toes.

Head and shoulders, knees and toes,
Eyes, ears, mouth and nose.

Check out the Wiggleworms Love You CD by Old Town School of Folk Music and listen to the song Mary Had a Little Lamb. Use multicolored scarfs for movement actions.

See you in storytime!

Are We There Yet?

Now that November is here, that means the holiday season will be here before we know it. And for a lot of us that means traveling to visit family.

Car rides full of "He's on my side!", She hit me!", and "Moooooooommmmmmm!" can be more exhausted than the act of traveling itself. Need something to distract and entertain the kids, and save your sanity?

Try audiobooks! I love audiobooks. They're perfect for making a long drive seem shorter. Trust me- just like a kid, I start to get antsy after being in the car for too long.

Get the kids involved in the story. Make guesses about what you think might happen. Ask them questions about who their favorite character is and why. What did they like best? Do they think the ending should be different?

Get several different titles so if the family isn't getting into one story, you can switch to another. Some titles that would be great for families of all ages are:

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has the cures for such common children's diseases as Won't-Put-Away-Toys-itis, Answerbackism, and Fighter-Quarrelitis.

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Adventures begin when Elmer Elevator runs off with an alley cat to an island to rescue a flying dragon.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
A story about Despereaux who is a tiny mouse with enourmous ears, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who desires to be a princess, and a rat determined to bring them all to ruin.

The BFG by Roald Dahl
BFG stands for Big Friendly Giant. It's up to him and Sophie ( a little girl) to save the world from giants who love to eat children.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The first book in a series, Percy Jackson discovers he's the son of Poseidon, God of the Sea and becomes involved in a quest to prevent a war between the gods.

Savvy by Ingrid Law
In Mibs Beaumont's family, children receive their "savvy"--a magical power unique to each member. When her dad is in an accident she goes to rescue him believing her soon to emerge savvy will save him.

Do you have any favorites that your children enjoy listening to in the car? Please post them in the comments section. Meanwhile when you're traveling to Grandmother's house give one of these, or one of our other audiobooks a try. I bet you'll end up being entertained too!

A Safe and Happy Halloween

Halloween is a fun time for kids, but it is also an important time to be extra watchful for possible safety hazards so that your children will have a fun and safe Halloween. Here some tips to make your family's Halloween safe:

Costume Safety:
-costumes should be short enough so that your child won’t trip and fall.
-select ones made of flame retardant material.

-face paint should be nontoxic and hypoallergenic.
-masks should fit securely and allow your child to see well.
-knives, swords and other props should be made of a totally flexible material.

-if it is a cold night, make sure that costumes are large enough for warm clothes.

-add some reflective tape or bright colors to the costume or bag to make your child visible in the dark.

Trick-or-Treating Safety:
-adults should go with children under the age of twelve.
-carry a flashlight and walk on the sidewalks of well lit streets.
-choose well-lit houses in familiar neighborhoods only.
-older children should trick-or-treat in large groups in well known neighborhoods.
-avoid taking shortcuts across backyards or alleys.
-drivers: follow traffic signals, rules of the road; drive slowly, watching for trick-or-treaters.

Safety Tips for Homeowners:

-prepare for trick-or-treaters by: lighting the house well, removing obstacles from the front yard, and restraining dogs and other animals.

-provide candy treats that are individually wrapped by the store.
-offer kids nonfood treats, such as stickers and erasers.

Candy Safety:

-instruct your children to bring all candy home before eating it, so that you can carefully inspect it.

-children shouldn't snack while they're out trick-or-treating, before parents have a chance to inspect the goodies.
-to prevent children from munching, give them a snack or light meal before they go. Don't send them out on an empty stomach.
-tell children not to accept and, especially, not to eat anything that isn't commercially wrapped.
-throw out candy or treats that are homemade, unwrapped or that appear to have been tampered with (pinholes in wrappers, torn wrappers, etc.).
-remove any potential choking hazards for small children (gum, peanuts, hard candies or small toys).

For more information on how to have a safe Halloween, see :

www.halloween-safety.com

www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/autumn/halloween_safety.html

www.pediatrics.about.com/od/kidsandhalloween/a/1006_hlwnsafety.htm

Holy BOB Books, Batman!

After a long hiatus, the BOB books are back, as well as a similar set of Dora the Explorer Phonics books.

For those of you who are not already familiar with the BOB books, and have not been asking for them all summer, BOB books are sets of 10 paperback books for emerging readers that focus on phonics skills.

Here is what their website says: Developed to guide your child gently through the earliest stages of reading, Bob Books were created to facilitate that ah-ha moment when letters first turn into words. By slowly introducing new letter sounds, using consistency, repetition and stories that fit short attention spans - your child will quickly find his or her own ah-ha moment. This is the magic of Bob Books.

If you have been waiting all summer for the return of the BOB books, wait no longer, they are here. Stop by the YS desk on the 2nd floor to ask for help locating them in our newly created Phonics Collection of Early Readers.

You Watched What!?!

You might be surprised to find out what your children watch on the television when you aren't around.

I remember being excited when my mother went back to school to get another degree because it left me alone with my dad on Wednesday nights, the very night that Beverly Hills 90210 was on.... a show I wasn't allowed to watch. I remember that I couldn't ever watch the previews for the next week's show because I needed to run up the stairs in order to be in my room by the time my mom got home from class.

Now, not all dads are as clueless as mine, however if no parent is home, what is to stop a child from watching unapproved television? Enter... the V-Chip, a government required chip on all televisions bigger than 13 inches made after 2001.

The V-chip allows parents or other caregivers to block programming on their televisions that they don’t want children to watch. If you have concerns about what your children are watching, take the time to look at the V-chip FCC web page, where it describes how to use it and how they determine ratings for the different shows.

As a parent, you are the first line of defense against things that you are not comfortable with... and we love to provide you with information about different tools available to help. Please share other resources with area parents by commenting on this post!

Halloween Helpers

Trick or Treat!
The annual countdown to "Candy Day" has begun. Officially, Halloween happens on October 31, but prior to that day, preparations and activities will be taking place non-stop!

Feeling SCARED? Do Not Fear!
If you are looking for scary or not so scary stories, spooky sounding recipes, movies, crafts, party games or costume ideas, the Des Plaines Public Library can help. Stop by to preview the books and materials on display on the 2nd floor that are available for you to check out.

With fun and safety in mind, Halloween Fun and Activities for Kids is a resource with some good ideas to view online.

Awesome!
Once you have finished the costumes for your family's Halloween events, the annual Des Plaines Costume Parade starts at 10:00 a.m. in the Metropolitan Square, downtown Des Plaines, on Saturday, October 24. Children who participate in the parade with Jewels the Clown and Kiwi the Clown will be given a Trick or Treat bag filled with a special prize.

Later on a 1 pm Magic Show by the great Dennis DeBondt and Spooktacular Craft making from 2 to 4 pm at the library are two events you won't want to miss!

Remember to have a safe and happy Halloween!