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!

The Importance of Summer Reading

You hear us say it all the time up here on the 2nd floor of the library, "You have to read over the summer, you might as well get prizes for it!" 

 

There is a certain level of enthusiasm that comes along with Summer Reading Club each year on the part of the staff here, but it isn't just because we love putting together the booklists, programs, and picking out prizes... it is because we know just how important reading over the summer is, and we know that our excitement rubs off on the children who come to the library.

 

As your child's school year winds down, take the time to read this article by Julie Wood, a literacy expert.  Studies show that children who read over the summer do better in school than those who don't, something most of use knew already.  But did you know that by middle school, children who don't read over the summer have already lost a total of two full years of reading?  That is a lot of time to be behind in a key skill of education. 

 

Julie gives some great tips on how to help your child be ready to read wherever he or she might be and how to get them excited for exercising their 'reading muscle' over the summer.  I especially love that she suggests joining a library's summer reading program to encourage your child to read. 

 

We here at DPPL hope that you bring your enthusiasm for summer and reading during it as well.  As the person that your child looks to for guidance, it is most important for you to set an example - let your children know how important it is to practice reading (and hey, YOU can get prizes too by joining the adult summer reading club).

 

We hope to see you in here over the summer, check back for more information on the upcoming Summer Reading Club, Have Book, Will Travel, next week!

Free--That's Right, FREE Downloadable Audiobooks!

Audiobooks are one of my all time favorite things. Audiobook narrators do an amazing job of bringing the story to life and create a different way to view a story. For instance, I love reading the Harry Potter books but listening to Jim Dale read them is an entirely different experience. Audiobooks are great for a long car trip or just listening to as your getting ready for bed. Knowing my enthusiasm for audiobooks, you can understand why this is my favorite time of year. The SYNC free downloadable audiobooks are about to begin!

For the past two summers AudioFile magazine, which lets you in on the best audiobooks, and audiobook publishers have been bringing listeners SYNC! For twelve weeks you have access to download a free YA modern title and a classic which is a fitting companion. That's 24 free titles! The only catch: you only have the week they are available to download them, but once you do, it's yours to keep.

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!

May 30-June 5
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

The Tempest by William Shakespeare

June 6-June 12
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, #1 by Maryrose Wood
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

June 13-June 19

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

June 20-June 26

Once by Morris Gleitzman

Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.

June 27-July 3
Rotters by Daniel Kraus
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

July 4-July 10

Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford

She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith

July 11-July 17

The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

July 18-July 24

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Hamlet by Charles Dickens

July 25-July 31

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

August 1-August 7

Death Cloud by Andrew Lane

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

August 8-August 14
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

August 15-August 21
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie

All you need to do to download the books is click on the link below and follow the directions. In summers past, all you've needed to get the books was your name and email address. Then you'll need OverDrive Media Console to play them (which, if you already download e-audiobooks from our library you'll have already). The whole process is 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 a great way for them to get their summer reading in. Post us a comment and let us know which book your teen liked best. I've read Death Cloud, which imagines a young Sherlock Holmes just starting to solve mysteries, and it was fantastically eerie. The top titles I can't wait for? The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, The Raven Boys, The Peculiar, Grave Mercy, and The False Prince. I'm going to have a busy summer!

Visit www.audiobooksync.com to start downloading your books on May 30th.

Extreme Makeover for Our Library Loving Fish!

Spring is here and with spring comes thoughts of spring cleaning and decorating. Our fish are no exception! You'll be noticing some changes to our fish tank starting this week. Perhaps they got some ideas from Pinterest (maybe they took the class at the library?) or talked to some of their fish friends, but their digs are getting an upgrade!

Please excuse our "hard hat area" and rest assured that the fish are in good hands and will be happily overlooking the remodel. We are expecting to unveil their new habitat, including the plan to "go natural" by having living coral put into the aquarium on Friday, May 24th.

If you haven't been here lately, now's a great time to stop by with the kids and show them the new design. The picture to the left shows the fish you can see in our tank.

A Change is A-Comin'

Today, one of our lovely staff is getting married.  You may have noticed her excitement building as her wedding came closer when you saw her at storytime! Sometimes we walk down the aisle toward change willingly (like her), but sometimes we drag our heels into change hoping it doesn't disrupt the status quo too much.  Children can approach change in the same ways adults do, and there are things you can do to help them through it.  Whether it is a marriage, a divorce, a new sibling, or the loss of a family member or pet, there are lots of books to help your child cope with the changes going on around them.

Here are some great books (some for even the youngest listener or reader):

Brand New Baby Blues by Kathi Appelt

The arrival of a new little brother has his big sister singing the blues.

Harry and Hopper by Margaret Wild

One day when Harry comes home from school, his faithful companion Hopper isn't there to greet him, in a touching story about the process of healing after losing a beloved pet.

Nana's Getting Married by Heather Hartt-Sussman

A young boy disapproves of his grandmother dating her boyfriend, Bob, because she spends more time with Bob than with him, and he tries to find ways to separate them before their wedding.

Standing on My Own Two Feet by Tamara Schmitz

Addison's parents are divorced and he lives in one house with his mom and another with his dad, but one thing he knows above all is that both his parents love him and they always will.

That Summer by Sarah Dessen

During the summer of her divorced father's remarriage and her sister's wedding, fifteen-year-old Haven comes into her own by letting go of the myths of the past.

Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff

After her brother Jared dies, ten-year-old Annie worries about the hidden dangers of everything, from bug bites to bicycle riding, until she is befriended by a new neighbor who is grieving her own loss.

 

Remember that even if change is happening to a friend, your child might be able to better understand what they are going through by reading a book.  We also have lots of titles in the Parenting Collection to help you in your efforts to assist your children.  Stop in and ask about them today!

The Eyes Have It

Babies spend a lot of time staring at things. As their vision develops, newborns like to look at contrasting colors and shapes. The pictures in many children's books have strong color contrast to aid in this development. Your baby will enjoy gazing at them. Prop open a book with a bright illustration at the side of your baby's bed. They will enjoy the picture!

These books have bold illustrations which babies will enjoy:

 

Machines at Work, Picture Book by Byron Barton

My Car, Board Book by Byron Barton

Ten Black Dots, Picture Book by Donald Crews 

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, Picture Book by Lois Ehlert 

"More More More", Said The Baby, Picture Book by Vera B. Williams

Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe,  Board Book by Tana Hoban

Damaged Items at the Library

Icky Sticky Books and Scratched DVDs, Oh My!

Have you ever checked out a DVD only to bring it home and find out it is so scratched it won't play?  Every started to read a picture book to your family only to get to the last page and see that half of it has been torn off or scribbled on with crayon?

As materials are returned, we can't always see if something is scratched, scribbled on, or torn.  That is why we count on you to tell us when something is wrong.  There are several ways you can help us keep the collections great.  After all, the library's collection belongs to everyone.

One way is by filling out a 'damaged slip' in our CDs and DVDs when you come across a scratched item.  If you bring something home and it doesn't work, we want you to tell us.  Otherwise, it will go back on the shelf and someone else will end up taking it home and being frustrated.  Taped inside of each CD or DVD case you will find a 'damaged slip' with space to let us know if you come across something that doesn't work.  If we know it is damaged, we can either try to repair or replace it.

Another way you can help is by bringing a damaged material to the desk.  This most often would happen with a book or magazine.  If you come across a book that has been scribbled in or torn, instead of just putting it in the drop bins in the parking garage or sticking it in the slots in the library, let a library staff member know.  If we know a book is damaged, we can either try to repair or replace it.

If you bring something in that is damaged, we can even put the item on hold for you so that you can either get another copy, or a new copy when it arrives.  We won't automatically think you ruined our book and charge you for it, we appreciate your efforts in helping to keep our collection clean for everyone. 

We try our best to keep the collection neat, but sometimes things slip by us.  We are counting on you to help let us know when there is something that needs our attention.  We know it is frustrating to bring something home that is damaged and not be able to use what you check out.  Thanks for all of your help!