Ew.... Bugs!

As the preschool liaison for our library, it is my job to visit all of the preschools in the city and engage them in a fun learning experience.  These past few months have been filled with bugs; books shared, rhymes acted out, and songs sung.  You can create your own bug-infested learning experience this summer by sharing the suggested books below, and heading to the Brookfield Zoo to experience Extreme Bugs, a new exhibit.

Get your child excited about bugs by sharing the following books with him/her:

Bug Safari by Bob Barner

Big Bug Surprise by Julia Gran

Buglette the Messy Sleeper by Bethanie Deeney Murguia

The Bugliest Bug by Carol Diggory Shields

Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad by David Soman

After you have excited them with your tales of bug life, check out one of our Museum Adventure Passes to Brookfield Zoo.  The pass is good for two free general admissions.  While you are there, check out their Extreme Bugs exhibit and enhance your child's learning experience.

When you get home, you can find a ton of books in our non-fiction collection on your child's new favorite bug.  Will it be a Stink Bug, a Lady Bug, or a Praying Mantis?  Visit the zoo, read some books and find out!  Get more information on the zoo's Extreme Bugs exhibit here.

A "Taste" of Generosity

In the spirit of this year's summer reading club theme, "Reading is So Delicious!", and the library-wide theme, Taste, the library is collecting canned goods and other non-perishable foods which will be donated to the Self Help Closet and Pantry of Des Plaines.  Help fill up the library's donation bucket, located near the summer reading club sign-in table on the 2nd floor and give those in need a taste of Des Plaines' generosity.  As a thanks from the library for your generous donation, stop by the Youth Services desk when making your donation and receive a special prize for every two items donated!

SYNC's Back for the Summer!

I have looked forward to this part of the summer every summer for the past two years. The SYNC free downloadable audiobooks have begun!

For the past two summers AudioFile magazine, which lets you in on the best audiobooks, and audiobook publishers have been bringing listeners SYNC! For ten weeks you have access to download a free YA modern title and a classic which is a fitting companion. That's 20 free titles! The only catch: you only have the week they are available to download them, but once you do, it's yours.

Here are all the titles available this summer and when. Now some of these titles might be more suitable for older teens. So make sure you tell your high school teen, or download it anyways for when your child is older. Or for you to listen to! This is a fantastic deal that only happens in the summer. Make sure you download them all!

June 14-June 20
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

June 21-June 27
Irises by Francisco X. Stork
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

June 28-July 4

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Tales from the Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang

July 5-July 11

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

July 12-July 18
Guys Read: Funny Business by Jon Scieszka [Ed.]
The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Other Stories by Mark Twain

July 19-July 25

Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter

Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare

July 26-August 1

Pinned by Alfred C. Martino

TBA

August 2-August 8

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

August 9-August 15

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Dead Men Kill by L. Ron Hubbard

August 16-August 22

The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

All you need to do to download the books is click on the link below and enter your name and email address. Then you'll need OverDrive Media Console to play them (which, if you already download eaudiobooks from our library you'll have already). I just downloaded the first two titles and it was quick and easy!

When your teen is looking for some good books for their summer reading have them check out the SYNC titles! It's also perfect for them to listen to in the car during those long family car trips. Post us a comment and let us know which book your teen liked best. Personally, I can't wait to download Skulduggery Pleasant--it's one of my favorite books and I LOVE the audio version. I'm excited to own it so I can listen to it anytime I want!

Visit www.audiobooksync.com to start downloading your books today.

E-Readers for the Whole Family!

Is your child learning to read?  I've got great news. 

This year, the library was able to purchase several more Kindles and Nooks for the Adult Department as well as two Kindles for our Battle of the Books participants and Caudill Club readers in the Youth Department.  The Kindles in our department are preloaded with the appropriate novels for each activity (either the titles for Battle or the titles nominated for the Caudill Award) and can be checked out at the desk.

In addition we were able to purchase a few e-readers for our younger patrons, and we couldn't be more excited!  Not only do we now have two V-tech InnoTab machines, but we also have a Leapfrog LeapPad in our collection.  You will find these machines on the shelf in the Phonics Collection of our Early Readers.  Check one out for your child and watch their reading abilities grow.  Each reader checks out for 28 days and includes one book/game cartridge.

Have a LeapPad or InnoTab of your own?  We also added several book/game cartridges to our collection.  You will find the InnoTab cartridges hanging in blue bags in our Phonics Collection with our other phonics sets.  Soon, you will also find LeapPad cartridges on the shelf.  These book/game cartridges also check out for 28 days. 

Have another type of e-reader?  Don't forget that you can download lots of titles through our library's e-dppl website here.  We not only have novels for adults, but lots of chapter books for children too!

Get started working on your child's early literacy today and keep helping them with their reading skills by helping them particiapte in our Caudill Club and annual Battle of the Books.  Everything helps! 

(Summer) Reading is SO Delicious!

Thinking about how to guide your family's time this summer? Instead of lounging with a laptop or sprawling in front of a big screen, consider the wide variety of activities that are open to you at the Des Plaines Public Library this summer. Our annual Summer Reading Club "Reading is SO Delicious!" goes into full swing on Saturday, June 9 with a kickoff event that will surely tempt your taste buds for all the delectable things happening at the library this summer. The Fantastic Food Festival sponsored by the Friends of the Library includes scrumptious snacks, fabulous face painting, a creative craft, appetizing activities, and enticing entertainment for the entire family. June 9 is also your first opportunity to register to participate as a reader in the Reading is SO Delicious! Summer Reading Club. Stop in between 1:30-3:30 on June 9 to sample all the deliciousness of the day!

Don't think, though, that the savory summer ends there...no, no, no! Check out the Reading is SO Delicious! web site here, and our mouthwatering schedule of events here. Find something flavorful to fit any fancy. It's going to be a summer feast of fabulous-ness that's fit for a king!