Kim K.'s blog

Signup starts on September 7 for the Youth Services Fall Reading Program, "Gather Good Books!" Kids ages 2 through 9th grade can set their own goals and win weekly prizes just for reading. You can also register for Fall Storytimes, after-school programs, and special events.

Have you visited the miniature Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago? Ever wished you could live inside them? You will love The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone. While on a field trip to the Art Institute, 6th-graders Ruthie and Jack find a magic key that lets them shrink down to the size of gerbils. The kids start to explore the tiny rooms and learn that they are not the first to do so; there's a magical mystery in the Thorne Rooms. If they can solve it, they can change someone's life for the better! This is a great read for fans of Blue Balliet's Chasing Vermeer, and anyone who loves life in miniature.

On Tuesday August 17 and Wednesday August 18, from 2-3 PM, kids ages 8-12 can help local artist Victor Hinojosa decorate 2 rain barrels to be auctioned off at the Library's Taste of Brookfield event in October.  Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water for your garden. You can see 4 rain barrels designed by Victor outside the library right now. Come prepared to paint and help make a masterpiece. This program is inspired by The Language of Conservation in cooperation with Brookfield Zoo.

Sign up for this program HERE

Check out what you did during Summer Reading!

• 553 kids ages 2 through 9th grade signed up for the Summer Reading Program!
• 291 kids met their reading goals (That's 52.6% of those who signed up.)
• Kids ages 2 through kindergarten read 3793 books.
• Kids in 1st through 5th grades read 4182 books.
• Kids in 6th through 9th grades read 131 books and 51,850 pages.

Congratulations!

Be sure to join our Fall Reading Program, "Gather Good Books"! Signup starts on September 7.

Do you like stories about pets? You'll enjoy the series Pet Trouble by T.T. Sutherland. In the first book, Loudest Beagle on the Block, Ella, a young singer, inherits Trumpet, a beagle who howls along whenver she tries to sing! Each book in this easy-to-read series features a different "problem pet" and the kids who love them. Click any of the pictures to see all the titles or to request a book.

Do you prefer fur and feathers to scales? Come meet Chili the
Chinchilla and Charlie the Parrot on Tuesday, July 13 at 3:30 PM in the Storytime Room. Young animal lovers will enjoy meeting these friendly critters

This is a drop-in event, but our room only holds 30 people, so we ask that you please get a ticket at the Youth Services Desk starting at 3:10 PM.

Hey Kids! Somewhat Scary Animals will be at the library this Monday, July 12 at 3:30 PM. Samantha's Amazing Animals are coming for a Reptile Encounter! Meet lizards, a snake, an alligator, a tortoise, and some other creepy-crawly creatures. Join us if you dare!

This is a drop-in event, but our room only holds 30 people, so we ask that you please get a ticket at the Youth Services Desk starting at 3:10 PM.

"I'd won a bet, been fingerprinted, helped write a sermon, and met a mind reader, all in one day."

That's just a regular day for 11 year old Zoe Royston, who's come to live with ther Uncle Henry after years of having to care for herself and her mentally ill mother. Zoe trusts no one at first, but as time goes on, she gets to know Uncle Henry's friends and their small town. Zoe befriends another "wild thing", a feral cat hanging around her uncle's house, and learns to believe in others as she coaxes the cat into friendship. Zoe and the cat alternate the telling of this beautifully written story of how kindness can tame wildness in both animals and humans. Check out Wild Things by Clay Carmichael!

Registration for the 2010 Summer Reading Program begins MONDAY, JUNE 7 at 10:00 a.m.

Sign up in person, by phone at 485-6917, extension 140, or online.

We have lots of fun programs for kids of all ages. To sign up for programs online, please click here.

Join us and Scare Up a Good Book!

Mike Lupica's The Batboy tells the story of Brian, who has an amazing summer job working as a batboy for the Detroit Tigers. He loves all things baseball--but baseball has been hard on his family. His parents divorced because his Dad, a former major-league player, put his career ahead of his family. Brian hopes that his new insider status will bring him closer to his Dad. Then his favorite player, Hank Bishop, returns to the Tigers after being suspended, and Brian thinks things just can't get any better. When Hank reveals his true colors, things get complicated.  There's lots of edge-of-your-seat baseball action and true-to-life complications in this story by a sportswriting master. Click on the book cover at the left to find it in the SWAN catalog.