As summer winds down and you head back to school, we have a few options to help you get into the reading groove again. We’re heading into the next season, which calls for a new Staff Picks List and the Illinois State Award Booklists. Stop in and explore the two displays next to the Youth Services desk. These lists are full of good choices when you don’t know where to start!
It’s always fun to think about the books we have enjoyed and recommend them to you.
The start of school brings the challenge of seeing how many of the State Award Nominees you can read in order to vote to help choose a winner in the Spring. You can pick up a list of books or grab a Bingo sheet as a different way to keep track!
It’s been good seeing you back in the library! We have been keeping busy by wrapping up the Summer Learning Challenge and handing out books, prizes, and certificates. The books nominated for the 2021 Monarch, Bluestem, and Caudill awards are also on their designated shelves ready to be checked out.
(or click on a page below for the link to the list:)
And next to that bookshelf are the newly updated Staff Picks-books, audiobooks, and e-books…also listed on a handy bookmark!
Several times throughout the year, each of your Youth Department friends choose a few books that we like or that we think you might like to read. This time again, we have included titles that can be found online, as well as books you can come in and check out. Here is our summer list for you to enjoy:
Remember to find us online here with storytimes and activities:
The NLPL website also has links to Summer Programs and past videos for you to access for your viewing pleasure!
Reading at home has looked a little different the past few months. We have depended on technology and our devices more than ever! This installment of Staff Picks features our online resources: Libby, Overdrive, Axis 360, Tumblebooks, RBdigital, BiblioBoard, and Audio Book Cloud.
One of the more enjoyable parts of working in the Youth Department is helping our young patrons find the right book. Whether it’s a specific title or a broader topic area, we try our best to send you out the door as a satisfied customer. There may be times when you don’t have any idea what you’re looking to read next, so that’s where our “Staff Picks” area comes to the rescue. It’s located right near our Youth Services desk for your convenience. Throughout the year, we put together a list of books that we like or would recommend to you. A bookmark format is available, so you can keep track of what you might want to read from our list.
Right next to the Staff Picks are the State Award Book Nominees for the Monarch, Bluestem, and Rebecca Caudill lists. The Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE) sponsors these awards for children’s literature. Children in the state of Illinois read and vote for their favorite books from the lists, usually at their school. We have multiple copies of these books available along with a fun bingo activity and a list of each award’s nominees.
The following descriptions are from the AISLE website: The Monarch Award is a state-wide program in which children in grades K through 3 choose their favorite book from a list of 20 nominated books. The list contains at least three of each of the following types of children’s books: picture books, easy readers, and chapter books. The name Monarch was chosen because of its familiarity to K-3 children and to symbolize the growth, change and freedom that becoming a reader brings. The Monarch is designed to encourage children to read critically and become familiar with children’s books, authors and illustrators. The program is open to all K-3 age children in Illinois.
The Bluestem Award is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in grades 3-5 in participating Illinois schools. It is designed for students who are ready for longer titles than found on the Monarch list, but not quite ready for the sophistication of some of the Rebecca Caudill titles. Named in honor of Big Bluestem which is the state prairie grass, the award may include both timeless classics and current titles, as well as books that have appeared on Monarch and Rebecca Caudill lists.
Several options available!
The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award is an annual award given to the author of the book voted most outstanding by students in grades four through eight in participating Illinois schools. The award is named in honor of Rebecca Caudill who lived and wrote in Urbana, Illinois, for nearly 50 years. The award is given in recognition for her literary talent and the universal appeal of her books which have touched the hearts of many children and young adults.
Multiple copies!
As always, feel free to ask any of us for help choosing or finding a book that fits you. We are also available to introduce you to Overdrive or talk to you about eBooks and Audiobooks.
If you’ve been in the library lately, you no doubt have run into some of our Goofy Ghouls! There was a great turnout for this special Saturday event last week. Our frightening and fun-loving friends were treated to games, stories, tricks, treats, and crafts to get in the spirit for Halloween.
The Youth Services Department is all decked out with Halloween signs of the season. From our staff-decorated pumpkins to our friendly ghost, you can tell it’s the season to trick or treat!
Can you guess which book these characters belong to?
Several of our staff members visited local schools for Spooky Book Talks. It was fun to see students come in right after school and request the books they had seen earlier in the day. We still have loads of Halloween books for you to choose from, so be sure to stop in for some sweet or spooky stories.
We love seeing our patrons in their costumes and hope the weather cooperates this year so that everyone will have a spooktacular evening. Above all, it never hurts to go over a few safety rules to ensure you have a safe Halloween:
Do you have a collection that you would love to share with others? If so, then the library is the place for you! Stop by the Youth Services desk to have your questions answered and to fill out the request form.
Currently, we have two collections on display, and we would love to fill the cases. Patrons enjoy stopping to look when they visit, so you might inspire someone to start collecting- just by sharing what you have collected!
This Hot Wheels display attracts young and old viewers. I know my four year old grandson would be crazy about all these cars along with the tidbits of information…and so would his dad:
Everyone stops at this display, too, as comments like “oh, how cute!” float through the air. Look how sweet and colorful these characters are:
Do you have Shopkins, LOLs, or Polly Pockets to share? Maybe coins, stamps, or rocks? Stop in soon to find out how and when you can share your prized collection. There’s a display case waiting for you!
This summer the Youth Services Department set out postcards again for patrons to share their summer travels. We’re always happy to hear about your adventures, and hope you’ve checked out our display case where our special mail is shared. If you sent us your postcard, we pinned the location you visited along with your message. What a fun way to learn about your vacation!
An ongoing service of the Youth Department is the Travel Bag Request. There is a link on the NLPL website to the request form to fill out information about your destination and your child’s interests. You can then submit your request online. Of course, you can also visit the Youth Services Reference Desk and pick up the request in person. Our department will customize a bag for each child according to your form that includes books, audiobooks, music, magazines, and activity sheets. Even though summer is coming to an end, you can still request a Travel Bag whenever you have a trip planned!
A Culturegram link included in your Travel Bag will give you information about your destination. This is found on the NLPL website too, in the Books & Services tab.
Our Summer Learning Challenge begins on June 4th and continues through July 29th. Our theme is Reading Takes You Everywhere. Are you ready to take the challenge. Summer is the perfect time to try new things so stop by to sign up beginning Monday, June 4th. Anyone, regardless of age, can participate! Pick up your challenge log in either Youth or Adult Services.
