Family Science Expo 2013

Science fun for all ages will fill the library on Saturday, September 28 from noon until 4 p.m. Visitors of all ages will be able to explore science in many different forms. This hands-on expo features interactive exhibits from many Chicago-area science organizations. Here are links to our exhibitors:

American Chemical Society Chicago Section

American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Chicago Section

Braino Institute of Brainology

Civil Air Patrol, Illinois Wing

Des Plaines Science Prodigies

Gateway Traveler Information System

IEEE Women In Engineering, Chicago Chapter

Illinois Section American Society of Civil Engineers

Optical Society of Chicago

Society of Women Engineers

Structural Engineers Association of Illinois

Working Bikes

Special thanks to Village Bank & Trust, our partner in the 5th Annual Family Science Expo.

Have Book Will Travel . . . Reading Patch Bingo

Completing activities to earn our Summer Reading Club patch allows every child to learn by doing.

Reading Patch Bingo cards are still available in the Youth Services Department. To play, complete two rows of activities. Turn your completed card in by August 30 to receive your patch.

 

Since each child is unique, we included a range of activities to appeal to a variety of learning styles.

 

For the singer in your family, check out a CD and sing along. Try Ozomatli Presents Ozokidz. The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) named it to the Notable Children's Recordings list.

 

Dancers will love our last Reading Club event for the summer, the Radio Disney celebration August 23. The whole family can dance and sing along on the plaza.

 

The chef in your house can make an recipe from one of our international cookbooks. There are lots of pictures and easy recipes in the International Cookbook for Kids.

 

Making a paper airplane is fun, as our Teen Advisory Board learned at their recent lock-in at the library. If you want to work on your technique, check out The Kids' Guide to Paper Airplanes.

 

These are just a few of the 25 different squares that you can choose for your 10 activities as you enjoy the last few days of summer.



Have Book Will Travel . . . to Peoria

Yes, you and your family can play in Peoria. I know that is not quite how the saying goes, but there are lots of fun activities for families. Besides, Peoria is close enough for a quick weekend vacation. Here are some destinations to consider.

The Caterpillar Visitors Center is a fantastic new facility on the riverfront, and it has nothing to do with butterflies. There are interactive displays and exhibits for all ages, and lots of photo opportunities with giant construction and mining equipment. Admission is very affordable, but the center is closed on Sundays

Wildlife Prairie State Park is a 2,000 acre zoological park that is home to 50 animal species that are native to Illinois. Animals such as bison, wolves, cougars, and sandhill crane can be seen in a natural landscape.

Wheels O' Time Museum features displays of vintage and classic autos, gas engines, fire engines, airplanes, tractors, musical instruments, juke boxes, toys, and dolls. There are many hands-on displays that make it fun to learn about the past.

Be sure to check the museum websites for updated information, and peoria.org for lots of other ideas.

 

Here are some books you might want to take along for the ride.

Earthmovers by Linda Williams

Old Cars by Melissa Abramovitz

 

Illinois, the Prairie State by Rennay Craats

 

 

Leave a comment about your adventures if you visit Peoria, and have a great trip.

 

It's A Butterfly's Life

Summer is the time to appreciate…butterflies!  If you haven't seen many winged beauties yet, and want your kids to learn everything about them, take the family on a field trip to a butterfly garden!

Happily, there are four such special exhibits in the area this summer where, for a small admission fee, you can see hundreds of butterflies native to Illinois and the Midwest or even exotic ones from around the world. In Chicago, the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum  maintains 500 butterflies of a dozen different species. On the North Shore, in the Butterflies and Blooms tent at the Chicago Botanic Garden you can watch exotic butterflies from Asia, South America, and Africa emerge from chrysalises to feed on flower nectar. In the western suburbs, the Butterflies! is an annual exhibit at Brookfield Zoo, and Peck Farm in Geneva, Illinois hosts the Butterfly House.

  (Reminder: Chicago Botanic Garden and Brookfield Zoo also offer discounted admission to the main park through our Museum Pass Program.)

But,where are two of the best blooming places to see butterflies flying free? Your neighborhood parks and your own backyard! Why not make it a summer and fall family project to build a simple butterfly feeder or plant new flowers to attract more butterflies, and watch them come to you! Finally, on sizzling hot days, why not cool off at the library, enjoying the amazing color photographs in our exciting butterfly books (J 595. 789).

Exploring Irish Culture

Taking your children to visit the land of their ancestors can be expensive. Fortunately, if your heritage is Irish, this is a great weekend to explore your culture without the cost of a plane ticket.

The 2013 Irish Fest is July 12-14 at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago. This festival features music, dance and family activities to explore Irish culture. Admission is a mere fraction of the cost of flying to Ireland.

Recently I learned that July 12 is a major holiday in Northern Ireland. That day is Orangemen's Day which commemorates the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. I also learned that people in in Ireland eat bacon and cabbage to celebrate St. Patrick's day, not the corned beef we eat here. Of course I learned those facts, and many others at the library.

Check out these resources to help you with your explorations.

Foods of Ireland by Barbara Sheen is a great book for learning more about Irish culture through its food.

Ireland by Colleen Sexton is a great introduction for young readers.

Ireland by Melanie Waldron provides a broad overview of the country for slightly older readers.

Irish is one of the languages you can learn online through Our Mango Languages database.

Slán leat. Goodbye for now.

Summer Travels

This summer, many of our patrons are taking vacations to many different places.  Even staff members are headed off for vacations.  Yesterday, at our program,  we sent 18 Flat Stanleys off to places around the country. 

What is a Flat Stanley, you ask?  Flat Stanley is a book by Jeff Brown.  In it, a boy (Stanley) gets smushed by a bulletin board one day, and travels to California because he is flat and can fit in an envelope!  

In the same way, our Flat Stanleys will travel in an envelope to visit with various relatives across the country.  Those relatives will take a picture of Stanley doing something fun with them and send it back here to the library.  

The pictures and a description of what each Stanley did while he visited will go up on display in the library.  Look for our Stanleys' adventures here in the library later in the summer, but in the meantime, check out the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown to read with your family.  Have older kids?  There are Flat Stanley chapter books to read as well. You can even create your own Stanley and send him for a visit with someone else.  

Remember to have fun this summer, no matter what you do.  Even if you can't travel, your Stanley can!

Have Book Will Travel: DPPL is your Passport to Summer Fun!

Saturday, June 8 is the first day to register for Summer Reading Club! Can't make it on that day? No worries. You can stop by the 2nd floor information desk any time to sign up, get your registration materials, and get reading! You read here last week about the importance of keeping your child's brain exercising over the summer. Here's a great way to keep those reading muscles strong. Your kids may swim, or play soccer, or ride bikes to keep the legs and arms and heart fit...but don't forget about that precious noggin!

This summer we are taking you on a wild ride! To begin, Saturday, June 15 11 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. is our Around the World in 80 Minutes (or less) summer reading celebration. Visit stations to make crafts from around the world, get your passport stamped for every country you visit, and when you complete the goal of getting enough stamps in your passport, stop by the Youth Services information desk to receive a prize!

And now for the rest of the story. Kids of all ages will find something just for them on our schedule of activities this summer. Everything from shows to art to music to stories to crafts to movies to LEGOs to games...and even more, if you can believe it...influenced by world travel and transportation. Check out the entire list of Youth Services programs here.

Once again we will be welcoming our awesome team of Teen Volunteers! Look for them in their blue t-shirts helping you with your Summer Reading Club registration, assisting your children during our programs and activities, and getting us ready for crafts and other projects by preparing materials.

And if I haven't tired you out yet, mark this date on your calendar. A RADIO DISNEY dance party is coming to DPPL on Friday evening, August 23 6:30-8 p.m. This event will be fun for the whole family, with music, prizes, treats, and more! Tell your friends and neighbors. The whole library community will want to see your friendly DPPL Youth Services staff shaking a tail feather. Thanks to NorthShore University HealthSystem and Friends of the Library for their support of this event.

Many thanks to the Friends of Des Plaines Public Library for their generous support of the entire Have Book, Will Travel Summer Reading Club. So many of the shows you will see, and things you will do this summer could not happen without them.

We are SO excited! And we look forward to sharing and absolutely fabulous summer with you and your kids. See you!

Chess + Library = Big Brain

With study after study touting chess playing with an increase in cognitive and social skills in children- it seems chess is in the equation. That’s the kind of news that gets us excited and springs the library into action! We are delighted to introduce our newest offering (thanks to funding by the Friends of the Library): a library family chess club, Chess Mates! The club will meet the first Saturday of September through May, no registration required. Next one is tomorrow, April 6^th from, 1:30-2:30 pm.  Instructors from CheckMatesUSA will be present to teach chess at all ages and skill levels but a basic understanding of chess is required.  Chess for the family allows parents and siblings to enjoy brain boosting benefits of chess too.

In May, we are having a Beginner Chess Workshop, a 3 consecutive Saturday afternoon series for children who would like to learn how to start playing chess. Visit the Events calendar or call the Youth Services Desk  847-376-2839 for more information on any chess program. We hope to see you here!

Brain abilities and other benefits of playing chess at Des Plaines Public Library

• Memory skills
• Exercises and develops of various parts of the brain
• Problem solving
• Concentration, planning, strategizing
• Creativity
• Reading skills
• Social skills
• Communication/ sportsmanship
• Self confidence/ self worth / coping skills

Here are some links to studies on chess and the brain! 

Ten Big Brain Benefits of Playing Chess

Chess Also Develops Psychological Skills Says New Study

Chess Improves Academic Performance

Note: Above blog image source: http://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/

Art Attack: Pinecones

If your child missed our first Art Attack program, have no fear.  You and your family can make a pine cone decoration at home.  All you need is ribbon, pins, and a styrofoam egg and you can make your house look festive for any holiday or decorate your child's bedroom with a fun accessory.  The best part is that your child can easily help with it all and you can have a lot of fun together for less than $10.

 

Art Attack is an ongoing program for 5th-8th graders here in the library.  Look for more fun Art Attack events going on throughout the year.  If you want to make a pinecone at home, just follow these directions here.

 

Have younger kids, but still want to have a fun day?  Try making snowflakes out of empty toilet paper rolls and plastic cups following the directions here.

Take Your Child to....

There are many 'take your child to' days throughout the year such as the most famous of them all, Take Your Child to Work Day.  Saturday, December 1st is national Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day.  While the perception of libraries and bookstores is that we are in constant competition with each other, you might be surprised to know that there is a lot of collaboration between us.  As a library, we are excited and encouraged by the amount of literacy initiatives being brought forth by both local and big chain bookstores.  

On weekdays and nights, you can catch a storytime here at the library, but perhaps on a weekend you can head to your local bookstore to listen to the 'story lady' read as well.  Any and all actions on the part of parents to foster a love of books in their child is wonderful and highly encouraged by all of us here at the library.

Many bookstores which participate in the day are providing entertainment and activities for children.  We highly encourage you to participate in any and all of them that you can.  Then, head to calendar.dppl.org to check out the fun things going on here in the library.  Remember, almost all of the programs here in the library are free, so feel free to check them out!  While there is a specific day in the year for Take Your Child to the Library Day, we feel that every day can be celebrated with a visit to the library or the bookstore.  Share a book with your child and get them on the right path to literacy!

Celebrate Family Reading Night

What is your family doing on Thursday, November 15th?  You have plans... and they involve the library.

Family Reading Night is a state-wide event  sponsored by Jesse White, Secretary of State and State Librarian.  It encourages families to spend quality time reading together.

 

To aid in this effort, the library is providing 50 families with a library bag filled with hot chocolate for four and popcorn to share while you enjoy your family time.  Inside of the bag will also be five books for you to check out and share with your family.

 

Stop in from November 1st - 14th to pick up your family's bag and then share the treats and books with your family on the night of the 15th.  Post here to tell us about your night and if you enjoyed participating and remember to return the books when you are done.

 

*bags will be given out while supplies last, limit one bag per family*

Fall Free Days at the Chicago Museums!

Are you looking for something fun (and educational) to do with your family on a fall weekend?  Take advantage of free days at the museums in Chicago!  A number of museums are offering free days throughout the fall for Illinois residents. Visit Sue the dinosaur at the Field Museum, journey through space at the Adler Planetarium, find Nemo (or his friends) at the Shedd Aquarium, climb aboard the Pioneer Zephyr at the Museum of Science and Industry, or travel wherever your imagination takes you at the Chicago Children's Museum.  Click on the links above to view the free days at the Chicago museums this fall.

If the hustle and bustle of the city is too much for you, you can always check out a free Museum Adventure Pass for suburban museums at the library. View the list of museums available and then visit the 2nd floor information desk to check out your free museum pass.

Fairs Are So Delicious, Too

So far this summer over 2,000 children have learned that Reading Is So Delicious by participating in our summer reading club. Remember that Sunday, August 5 is the last day to receive prizes, so read, read, read. 

If you have finished recording your 16 hours, make sure you try our TASTY Reading Patch Bingo. To play, pick up a BINGO card in the Youth Services Department and complete two rows of activities to earn your patch. You can turn in your card through the last day of August.

A fun way to expand on the patch activities is to visit a local county or state fair. You will be able to actually ask a farmer questions, see what your favorite farm animal likes to eat, and see lots of colorful new foods . You might even want to sip on some fresh-squeezed lemonade.

These are fairs that you might want to visit.

DuPage County Fair is in Wheaton through Sunday, July 29.

Lake County Fair is in Grayslake through Sunday, July 29.

Wisconsin State Fair is in Milwaukee, August 2 - 12.

Illinois State Fair is in Springfiled, August 9 - 19.

Look Mom, I made Art!

This past week in our Food Craft program, children participated in fruit and veggie stamping.  It was tons of fun, and easy to do.  If you, like so many people in this country, are constantly throwing away fruits and vegetables that have gone bad before you have a chance to eat them, try re-using them!  If they are too old to eat, but still holding their shape, you can grab your kids, a couple of colors of paint, and some paper, and you have the makings of a fun afternoon!

At the library, we used apples, pears, bunches of celery, lemons, limes, and grapefruit to create all kinds of designs.  One boy made a fireworks display on his paper.  Have fun!

Dairy Day Trip

All summer we have been telling you that Reading is So Delicious. Hopefully you have participated in some of our tasty food-themed programs and are completing your Reading Patch Bingo card.

Summer is the perfect time to explore local sources of our delicious food, ice cream being one of my favorites. An "edutaining" place to spend the day is Fair Oaks Farms in northwest Indiana. The dairy is home to thousands of cows that are milked three times each day. During the milking process, 72 cows at a time ride a milking carousel. Who would have thought cows would enjoy riding a merry-go-round!

While you are at the dairy you can see how cheese and ice cream are made, enjoy the outdoor play center, and check out the indoor exhibits. You can even watch a baby calf being born in the birthing barn.

Of course the library has some great books to help you get ready for your trip.

Grass to Milk by Julie Murray explains how milk gets from the farm to your table.

If you prefer to stay close to home, check out Ben & Jerry: Ice Cream Manufacturers by Joanne Mattern. After you finish reading, you will have a good excuse to continue your research by trying Chocolate Therapy (one of Ben & Jerry's new flavors).

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.

(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!

It's Picnic Season!

Whether your destination will be the park, zoo, baseball games, or the soccer field, packing a meal that is healthy and enjoyable becomes a creative challenge.

To teach your children about healthy eating as you plan together, the following books and websites are some resources that will prove helpful!!

Get planning, get ready, and have some FUN!

Here are some of the books in our collection. Click on any of them to be linked to the library's catalog. You can put them on hold today!

The Fussy Eaters' Recipe Book : 135 quick, tasty, and healthy recipes that your kids will actually eat
Karmel, Annabel.
J PARENT COLL 641.555 KAR

Superfoods for Healthy Kids: more than 250 immune-boosting foods and great-tasting recipes for your children
Burney, Lucy.
J PARENT COLL 613.2083 BUR

Cool Sweets & Treats to Eat: easy recipes for kids to cook
Wagner, Lisa, 1958-
J 641.53 WAG

Cool Lunches to Make & Take: easy recipes for kids to cook
Wagner, Lisa, 1958-
J 641.53 WAG

Packing Up A Picnic: activities and recipes for kids
Walton, Rick.
J 641.5 WAL

Kids Cook 1-2-3: recipes for young chefs using only 3 ingredients
Gold, Rozanne, 1954
J 641.5 GOL

Kids' Baking: 60 delicious recipes for children to make
Lewis, Sara.
J 641.71 LEW

Boost Your Child's Immune System : a program and recipes for raising strong, healthy kids
Burney, Lucy.
J PARENT COLL 618.9239 BUR


Here are also some helpful websites:
Kids' Turn Central
Kids Cooking Activities
Picnic Recipes and Games
The Picnic Site

A Book Turning 50?

That's right... books have birthdays too!  This year, is the 50th birthday of the book A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle.  It is a fun story that helped bring the science fiction genre of children's literature to the forefront of American Culture.  It is something exceptional when a children's book is popular enough to make it to 50 years and is still well loved and often recommended.  Even books that have won the Newberry and Caldecott Medals have lost favor over time.

While I am excited about A Wrinkle in Time's great accomplishment, it is not the first book to reach this milestone.  Several books have come before it and there will be more in the future.  Cheryl, who also works in the Youth Services Department, felt this same excitement last year when it was the 50th birthday of the book, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, one of her absolute favorite books. 

Does your child have a favorite book?  Perhaps you can have a discussion about how old that book is and about the different types of people that may have read the book throughout the years.  You could work in a discussion about what life was like for children 50 years ago.  If your child were growing up in 1962 when this book came out, think about how it might have been to start thinking about 'time travel' when we hadn't even reached the moon yet. 

"Baseballs" Building Nests

This is a great time of year to go out looking for "baseballs". I don't mean the kind you hope to catch at Wrigley Field. I'm talking about our national symbol, the bald eagle. "Baseballs" are what some eagle watchers call these magnificent birds because that is what their white heads look like from a distance.

Eagles along Illinois waterways are building nests to get ready to lay their eggs. According to baldeagleinfo.com nests are five or more feet in diameter and are home for up to three eggs.

The Bald Eagle Watch Weekend on January 28-29 is just one opportunity to see and learn about eagles. The Illinois Audobon Society has many activities planned at the Illinois Waterway Visitors Center, across the river from nearby Starved Rock State Park.

Last year the famous Decorah eagles laid their first egg on February 23. The egg hatched on April 2, to the joy of thousands of observers who watched this eagle family through an internet webcam. If you want to watch them this year, you can find nest camera links at the Raptor Resource Project.

Of course, the library has some great print resources as well.

The Bald Eagle by Karen Latchana Kenney describes the bald eagle as an emblem of the United States.

A Bald Eagle's World by Caroline Arnold is great illustrated book for the youngest readers.

Exploring the World of Eagles by Tracy C. Read includes great photo illustrations.

Eagles by Tom Warhol and Chris Reiter goes more in depth for older readers.

I hope you have success if you go looking for bald eagles. Don't forget your binoculars!