Friday, November 30, 2012

Holiday Programs @ the Library

Tomorrow is already December!  To get everyone in the holiday spirit, we are having several festive programs at the Shorewood Library. Our whirlwind week of programming begins on Saturday, December 15 at 2PM with a holiday concert presented by pianist and vocalist Donna Meyer. This event is for all ages! Santa will be stopping by our library on Monday, December 17 @ 7PM! Don't forget your cameras. On December 19, Shorewood Police Chief Aaron Klima will be our special guest reader at our family storytime that night at 6:30PM. Finally on Thursday, December 20 at 6PM, we will be having our Festive Family Movie night. Come and watch "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," make a reindeer craft and enjoy cocoa and cookies!

For more information and to register for any of the programs above, please call 815-725-4368 or check out our events calendar at www.shorewood.lib.il.us.  Also, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shorewood.childrens

Monday, November 26, 2012

Storybooks about Holidays

There are many different holiday celebrations around the world: Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Ramadan, to name a few. Are you interested in reading stories about these celebrations? Here is list of some of the books that you can check out the Shorewood Library?

A Christmas Tree for Pyn - Oliver Dunrea
Oh, What a Christmas! - Michael Garland
The Magical Christmas Horse - Mary Clark Higgins
My First Kwanzaa - Karen Katz
Night of the Moon - Hena Khan
Little Bunny and the Magic Christmas Tree - David Martin
Kwanzaa Contest - Miriam Moore
Santa's New Ideas - Susan Pearon
The Miracle of the Potato Latkes: a Hanukkah Story - Malka Penn
Tree of the Dancing Goats - Patricia Polacco
Ramadan Moon  - Na'íma bint Robert
Elijah's angel : a story for Chanukah and Christmas - Michael Rosen
Hanukkah! - Roni Schotter
Bear Stays Up for Christmas - Karma Wilson

Check these titles out and many more!











Friday, November 23, 2012

AR? DRA? Lexile?


There are many different reading leveling systems to identify at what level your child is reading. For instance, our school district in Shorewood using Accelerated Reader at their schools. All of our books in Children's are labeled at Accelerated Reader levels to help students and parents quickly and easily identify the reading level of a certain book. Your child may be using Guided Reading, DRA, or Lexile levels at his or her school, which are other systems for determining the reading level of a book.  

You can view this Text Leveling Conversion Guide to help you find books at your child's reading level at the Shorewood Library, to help convert the Accelerated Reader book level on our books to the reading leveling system your child's school uses.

Please remember that though your child is required to read books at his or her reading level for school sometimes, that it is okay to encourage  and let your child to read books outside of his or her reading level for fun reading. Limiting your child to only books that are at the appropriate reading level can sometimes make reading not fun for kids.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

National Geographic for Kids: Thanksgiving Traditions



Each year, Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. Most families follow traditions begun on the first Thanksgiving, but many have their own traditions that they follow each year. Here are some of the common traditions associated with "Turkey Day."

Travel

One of the best things about Thanksgiving is spending time with family. Many people live far from family members and travel long distances by car, train, or plane to be with their loved ones. Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year!

The Feast

Traditional foods are a large part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families include the entire family in the food preparation. Traditional foods include turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Many people serve pie for dessert at the end of the meal. Popular pie flavors are pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, and apple.

Vegetarian Foods

Some families choose to serve vegetarian Thanksgiving dinners instead of a stuffed turkey. Some people eat vegetarian turkey, which is made out of tofu. Others prefer to eat squash, salads, or other fruit and vegetable dishes.
The Wishbone

Some families include breaking the turkey's wishbone as part of their celebration. The wishbone is found attached to the breast meat in the turkey's chest. After the meat has been removed and the wishbone has had a chance to become dry and brittle, two people each take one end of the bone, make a wish, and pull. Whoever ends up with the larger part of the bone gets their wish!

The Turkey Pardon

Each year at Thanksgiving, the President of the United States receives a gift of a live turkey (along with an alternate in case something happens to the official turkey). At a White House ceremony, the president traditionally "pardons" the National Thanksgiving Turkey and the alternate turkeys, allowing them to live out the rest of their lives on a farm.

Helping Others

Many generous folks use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to help the less fortunate. Some people volunteer to serve food at homeless shelters on Thanksgiving Day and others donate to shelters or participate in canned food drives.

TV

Television also plays a part in Thanksgiving celebrations. Many families watch the New York City Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade includes marching bands, floats, songs and performances from Broadway musicals, and giant helium-filled balloons! People may also enjoy televised football games.
After the Meal

After the feast families often do additional activities. Some like to take walks after eating such a large meal. Some people take naps. Others sit down together to play board or card games together.

Fast Facts

  • The largest pumpkin pie ever made weighed 2,020 pounds (916.25 kilograms).
  • A ripe cranberry will bounce.
  • All turkeys and chickens have wishbones.
  • Canadians celebrate their own Thanksgiving every October.
  • Abraham Lincoln declared a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863.
  • The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924.
For full story and more information/activities/links, visit:
 
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/peopleplaces/thanksgiving-traditions/

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Cool Activities to Try @ Home

Looking for some fun stuff to do while your kids are off school for the Thanksgiving break?

Check out this blog for some fun science activities to try at home:

http://blogs.babble.com/family-style/2012/04/30/8-recipes-for-disaster/?pid=19536#mad-scientist-potion

Make glowing water, elephant toothpaste and invisible ink!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Welcome to Children's!

Hi! Welcome to our new blog. Check back for all kinds of information, like upcoming programs, department news and fun ideas. Visit the Children's Department in the lower level of the Shorewood-Troy Library for books for babies through sixth graders, kids reference books, DVD's, Wii games, magazines, audio books and more! Check out our events calendar on our website at www.shorewood.lib.il.us for upcoming programs at the library, including storytimes.