Someone New (and tacos, too)

Hi there, I’m Emme -- the latest addition to the Youth Services Department.

I’ve been working in libraries for over a decade (so long that my oldest son told his teacher I was a “longtime library ninja”). I don’t, unfortunately, have any serious karate moves -- but I still like the title. Here are a few (other) things you should know about me:

I regularly wore fairy wings as a child (I still own a pair).

I think libraries are as magical (incredible, fantastic, wondrous!) as Hogwarts.

I adore Maira Kalman.

I think Doctor Seuss is a genius.

I won a taco eating contest in college.

I never get tired of blowing bubbles.

Don’t know who Maira Kalman is? Checkout one of her awesomely illustrated books from the library. 

Craving a taco? Check out my favorite recipe for tacos al pastor in Fiesta at Rick’s. 

Want to see my bubble blowing in action, pick-up a ticket for the library’s Time for Twos! 

 

 

Red, White and Blue Pride: Polish American Heritage Month

In ethnically diverse Des Plaines, it's not hard to find Polish foods, the red and white flag displayed in a home or business or hear the Polish language around town and at our library!

Polish American Heritage Month celebrates the history, pride and culture of Polish Americans. Find out where you can go around town to Explore Polish culture and find some perogi, kielbasa or even paczki!

While there are many contributions and achievements of Polish Americans, this year marks the 234th anniversary of the death of General Casimir Pulaski, who volunteered his service to this country upon learning from Benjamin Franklin about a young nations' struggle for independence. He assisted George Washington in a number of victorious battles in the Revolutionary War and is known as "the father of American cavalry." Congress in 1929 passed a resolution to honor his heroism and to honor Polish American Heritage by designating October 11 as General Casimir Pulaski Memorial Day in our nation.

Come visit the library and see a display of handcrafted items from Poland, digital photos of the poppy crafts created at our Polish American Heritage craft program and browse through our Polish language collections for adults and children. Youth Services has a growing collection of Polish language movies, music and books for children and also a parent collection which is highlighted below.  Have a younger child? Consider joining us the first three weeks of most months for Dual Language (Polish/English) storytimes to hear rhymes, poetry, traditional songs and stories in both languages. Witamy!

DPPL YS Polish Language: Parenting Books

• Świetne zabawy dla małych dzieci
• Mamo, tato co ty na to?
• Mój pierwszy elementarz
• Encyklopedia gier i zabaw dla niemowlaków i maluchów
• I ty możesz mieć superdziecko
• Granice w życiu nastolatków
• W oczekiwaniu na dziecko
• Siedem supełków
• Moje dziecko gdzieś na mnie czeka
• O dzieciach dla młodych ojców
• Ojcostwo
• Pyszna mama
• Nianiu na pomoc!
• Moje dziecko uczy się poprzez zabawę
• Wielka księga dziecka
• 365 dni z kochanym maleństwem
• Dziecko
• Nocnik nad nocnikami
• Poradnik dla zielonych rodziców

Eeek! Halloween is Coming!

It's so hard to believe it's already October 11th. Doesn't it just feel like kids just went back to school? Now as the weather is crisp and cold in the morning and leaves are changing color, that means it's time to turn our thoughts to our spookiest holiday, Halloween.

We have tons of materials at the library to get your ready for Halloween. We've got stories to put you in the spirit, how-to books on making your own costume or perfecting pumpkin carving, and DVDs of Halloween classics like It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

This year we discovered something amazing. Are you familiar with Freegal? Freegal is our awesome digital music service. All you need is your Des Plaines Public Library card and you can get 3 free songs to download and keep each week. That's right--after you download them, they're yours forever! This year we discovered that Freegal has Halloween music--perfect to get those spooky sounds and tunes to help you set the atmosphere at your Halloween party at school or home. Once you're in Freegal, try searching for Halloween or Halloween sounds to get results, then explore from there.

Of course, we have Halloween CDs at the library too, but if you've come to the library at the last minute looking for these items before you know that they've all been checked out. Halloween (and holidays in general) move fast at the library, making Freegal a perfect option for you.

Feel free to stop by the Youth Services desk and ask us more about Freegal. Visit Freegal by clicking on the link here http://dppl.freegalmusic.com/homes/index or view some of the spooky selections.

Puppet Shows at Home

Last week during Family Storytime, several parents had the opportunity to share a special one-on-one learning experience with their children. As parents read simple fairy tales, their kids listened and acted out the story out with a set of finger puppets. The resulting interactions were simply  delightful!

If you are wondering how to do puppet plays at home, just follow these simple steps:

1. Choose a simple story from a favorite book, tell one from memory, or make one up.
2. Set up a simple cardboard box stage, or just use a small table.
3. Use a flashlight for a spotlight and add sound effects with simple objects if you wish
4. Look for puppet characters among your kids' stuffed animals. Or grab a pair of colorful socks or gloves, large kitchen spoons or utensils. Give them a face, some yarn hair, and you're ready to start. A small handout of a few puppet-making ideas is available at the YS desk.
5. Give your puppets interesting voices, and actions. Move them with as much variety as possible.
6. Basic rules for puppet actors:
   • Face the audience or the puppet that is talking.
   • Only one puppet talks at a time.
   • Puppets do not hit other puppets.
7. REPEAT the story letting your children be the puppeteers!

If you would like more information on how to make puppets, stages and props,or story scripts for your play, check out these clever library books.  

ON WITH THE SHOW!  

                                                           

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.

How do I get them to read?

Need help motivating your child to read? Bring them into the library and sign them up for the Reading Patch Club! Kids will earn colorful patches for reading the kind of books they like best (e.g. adventure stories, animal stories, sports stories, etc.)

Kids get to pick their own books in the genre, as well as check out some of our favorite titles on an accompanying book list. It’s a reading incentive and a book recommendation all in one!

Is your child just learning to read? You are in luck! This fall we unveiled seven new patches for children in preschool through second grade. Check them out! Click on an image to see a preview of the reading list for that patch.

Early Reader Adventure Patch

Early Reader Fantasy Patch

Early Reader Graphic Format Patch

Early Reader Historical Fiction Patch

Early Reader Rebus Patch

Read to Me Award Patch

Read to Me Fairy Tale Patch

Give your budding bibliophile another reason to read. Sign up for the Patch Club today!

Hispanic Heritage is Des Plaines’ Heritage, So Let’s Party!

17% of Des Plainesians described themselves as Hispanic or Latino in the 2010 US Census*, and in 2012 over 30% of the children enrolled in District 62 schools spoke Spanish at home. With such a strong Latino presence in our community, Hispanic heritage is our heritage. So why not celebrate it?

Hispanic American Heritage Month runs from September 15th through October 15th. Here are some great ways to share the riches of Latino culture with your kids:

Love guacamole? Why not branch out with other scrumptious Mexican or Latin American dishes? Our Latin American cookbooks make it easy to try new recipes with your kids. Bring the party to your kitchen; check one out today!

Papel picado, piñatas, Guatemalan weaving – Latin American handicrafts may serve as the inspiration for tons of fun craft projects for you and your kids! Check out one of our Latin American craft books, and get out the glue sticks! You don’t have to tell them it’s educational.

Take your child to Latin America without leaving your armchair. Read a book! Stop by our Hispanic American Heritage Month display for great stories set in Latin America, or featuring Latino characters in the U.S. Our display also includes non-fiction titles like the craft and cookbooks mentioned above.

Party at the library! We will be celebrating with these fun events. Bring the whole family!

Dual Language Storytime - September 23, 6:30pm
Enjoy stories and songs in two languages.

Hispanic Heritage Music Night T - October 7, 6:30pm
Sing and dance to music from across Latin America.

Hispanic Heritage Drop in Craft - October 14, 5:30-7:30pm Stop by and create something beautiful from Latin America

Family Loteria (Mexican Bingo) - October 19, 2:00 – 3:00pm
Learn to play Loteria, a traditional Mexican bingo game. You could win a prize!

Cultural understanding is one of the most beautiful gifts you can give to your child, and it’s fun! Come celebrate the gifts Des Plaines has received from Latino culture.

P.S. Coming soon to your library! Stay tuned for more opportunities to celebrate the diverse cultures in our community. Polish American Heritage Month is in October.

*Sources: U.S. Census Data http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_5YR_DP05)

**District 62 Home Language Survey 3011/2012 school year.

Photo Credit: Andy Castro, Flickr.