The Explorer

(Cross posted from The Answer; authored by Kate.)

Rush University Medical Center has created an invaluable online resource guide for families with autistic children.

The site includes extensive information about services and programs for autistic kids in Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties.

Families without computers can call the Autism Resource Center at 312.563.2272 for information.

Calling all Peek-A-Book fans! Skokie Public Library has six new picture books premiering on the Peek-A-Book kiosk. Parents, bring your children to the Youth Services Department to watch these fun puppet-presented booktalks. These titles will be available on the Peek-A-Book kiosk for one week beginning Saturday, June 27:

Trainstop NEW!
by Barbara Lehman – Youth Picture Book LEH

In this wordless picture book, a young girl takes a train and makes a stop at a most unusual place where she has an important task to perform.

Mammoths on the Move NEW!
by Lisa Wheeler – Youth Nonfiction-Easy 569.67 W

Join a herd of woolly mammoths as they migrate south for the winter.
Read on the Wild Side! Join today at Skokie Public Library.
Read on the Wild Side! Join today at Skokie Public Library.

Hello, Bumblebee Bat NEW!
by Darrin Lunde – Youth Nonfiction-Easy 599.4 L

Simple text and illustrations introduce the endangered bumblebee bat of Thailand.

Read on the Wild Side! Join today at Skokie Public Library.
Read on the Wild Side! Join today at Skokie Public Library.

Metal Man NEW!
by Aaron Reynolds – Youth Picture Book REY

One hot summer day, a man who makes sculpture out of junk helps a boy create what he sees in his mind’s eye.
Read on the Wild Side! Join today at Skokie Public Library.
Read on the Wild Side! Join today at Skokie Public Library.

Piglet and Mama NEW!
by Margaret Wild – Youth Picture Book WIL

When Piglet cannot find her mother, all of the barnyard animals try to make her feel better, but Piglet wants nothing but Mama.
Read on the Wild Side! Join today at Skokie Public Library.
Read on the Wild Side! Join today at Skokie Public Library.

My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World NEW!
by Gilles Bachelet – Youth Picture Book BAC

Gilles Bachelet’s cat behaves like any normal cat–sleeping, eating, getting in the way, making a mess–but in this warm and funny picture book he happens to be…a very large elephant. Whether he’s keeping clean, playing with yarn, or posing for a portrait, this cat has his own unique way of doing things.
Read on the Wild Side! Join today at Skokie Public Library.

Copies of these titles can be found on the kiosk’s book shelves. Also, please let me know if you have any P-A-B favorites that you’d like me to include in the future!

Parents, while you are visiting the Library this summer, don’t forget to sign up (and check in) your kids for the Library’s 2009 summer reading club, Read on the Wild Side, running through July 31.

The Voice of Youth Award (VOYA) is a special school–year reading program offered by the Youth Services Department. Students in grades 3 through 8 are encouraged to read quality books, carefully selected by Youth Services librarians for reading and interest level.

How we arrive at this list of recommended titles is interesting. Last September Youth Services librarians divided into three groups. Each group was assigned a grade level—3rd⁄4th, 5th⁄6th, or 7th⁄8th. The groups were charged with recommending a balanced list of 20 books representative of the various fiction genres (mystery, historical, science fiction, fantasy, realistic) as well as non–fiction. Then the fun began!

Each group developed an ever–changing list of books to read as new titles were added and some titles were removed. The groups met every three weeks or so and group members presented the books they had read. These presentations were often followed by lively discussion. Was the plot interesting? Would it draw in reluctant readers? Would students relate to the characters? Was the subject matter appropriate for the targeted age of the students? Was the book well written? Finally, perhaps the most important question of all—did we love the book?

As our April 1 deadline approached, tension in the groups increased. Narrowing down our list of possible titles to twenty seemed an almost impossible task. There was some last–minute scurrying to produce a written recommendation for each book that was selected. The recommendation included copies of reviews from reputable journals as well as a description of how we would booktalk the book to a group of students. Once all recommendations had been submitted, the Youth Services Department Head had the challenging task of selecting the final ten titles for each group.

Et voilà! Here’s our list. Check it out and let us know what you think. What’s your favorite title? Do you agree with our selections or do you think we missed the mark on one or more titles? What book would you recommend? We can’t wait to hear from you!

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on up in the press box at a sporting event, then you won’t want to miss Chicago Sportstalk with Melissa Isaacson on July 8 at 7:00pm.

I first met Melissa when we were both in high school. We knew her as “Missy” back then, when she wore #10 on the 1979 girls state championship basketball team for Skokie’s own Niles West High School.

Missy has been a sportswriter for more than 25 years. She’s been to and covered some of the biggest sporting events that most of us only watch on TV: the Olympic Games, Super Bowls, the Final Four, and college bowl games; Wimbledon and U.S. Open tennis; the British Open; the White Sox World Series win in 2005; and the Chicago Cubs’ playoffs in 2003, 2007, and 2008.

Missy is also an author. She’s coming to the Library to talk about her new book, Sweet Lou: Lou Piniella– A Life in Baseball. The book is about Piniella’s life as the man and the manager who might one day lead the Chicago Cubs to their first world championship in over 100 years. Missy will also share some of her favorite stories about the athletes and sporting events that she’s reported on throughout her career.

I hope you and your family have time on your busy summer calendar to join us for a fun visit with Missy. Registration is required. You can sign up online or call the Youth Services Desk at 847.324.3149. See you there!

All books are shelved equally, right?

WRONG! Books that sit on shelves at eye level get a lot more attention – and check-outs – than the poor, neglected books that have to rest on the lowest shelves. Poor books! And poor us, because when we don’t browse the bottom shelves we miss a lot of terrific reads. Never fear! This June, your display diva will try to remedy the situation. Keep a look-out for the display called “Books from the Bottom Shelf.” And if you’re looking for me this month, look down! I’ll be searching those lower shelves for great books. Here are a few I’ve found already:

The Ninth Garfield Treasury by Jim Davis

Garfield fans, don’t forget this one. Join Garfield as he embarks on a program of strenuous exercise (thumb workouts for efficient TV remote use), invents new insults for Odie, and comes up with an ingenious way to deal with a leaky faucet.

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The True Adventure of Daniel Hall by Diane Stanley

This true story will have you on edge. In nineteenth century New England, fourteen-year-old Daniel Hall signs on to a whaling ship, seeking adventure and excitement. He gets more than he bargained for when he becaomes the target of the brutish captain’s anger and abuse. After two horrific whippings Daniel decides there is only one thing to do: escape.pacer

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Dogs Rule! by Daniel Kirk

Dog lovers will adore this book of poems written from a dog’s point of view. Here’s a sample:

I lost my favorite bone, I know it’s somewhere in the yard…

I buried it myself, so why is finding it so hard?

I dug a hole this morning, then I took a little snooze.

Now my bone is missing and I’ve got the dog-bone blues.

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Houdini: World’s Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King by Kathleen Krull

When the famous magician Harry Houdini arrived in a new town, his first stop was always the police station. There, in front of the press, he would ask the police to lock him up in their best handcuffs or most secure cell. Houdini would always get free within minutes. No one could ever figure out how he did it. Learn about this fascinating man and daring escape artist, and how he did the impossible.

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This is just a sample of the many bottom-shelf books that will be elevated to eye level during the month of June. So stop in this month,and check out the hidden treasures that have been right at your feet!