The Rebecca Caudill Award is given each year to the author of the book voted for most by Illinois 4th-8th grade students. To learn more about the award and Rebecca Caudill herself, visit https://www.rebeccacaudill.org.

Come in to the library to check out one of the outstanding 2023 award nominees below!

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston	J ALS (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.9
A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner	J BIL (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 10-13 AR: 4.1 Lexile: 690L
The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman	J BLA (CAUDILL 2023)	Ages 9-12 AR: 4.8
The Benefits of Being an Octopus  by Ann Braden	J BRA (2023 CAUDILL) PLAYAWAY J F BRA (CAUDILL 2023)	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.9 Lexile: 770L
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley	J BRA (2023 CAUDILL) AUDIO CD J F BRA	Ages 10-12 AR: 3.6
Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish by Pablo Cartaya	J CAR (2023 CAUDILL) AUDIO CD J F CAR	Ages 10+ AR: 3.9 Lexile: 580L
Efrén Divided by Erenesto Cisneros	J CIS (2023 BLUESTEM) AUDIO CD J F CIS (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.5 Lexile: 710L
The Only Back Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert	J COL (2023 CAUDILL) AUDIO CD J F COL (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.4
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas	J CUE (2023 CAUDILL) AUDIO CD J F CUE (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.7 Lexile: 740L
Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie	J CUR (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 10-14 AR: 4.3 Lexile: 610L
A Thousand Questions by Saadia Faruqi	J FAR (2023 BLUESTEM) AUDIO CD J F FAR (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.8
Wink: Surviving Middle School with One Eye Open by Rob Harrell	J HAR (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 9-12 AR: 3.9 Lexile: 580L
When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed	J GN JAM (CAUDILL 2023) PLAYAWAY J F JAM (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 9-12 AR: 3.7 Lexile: 530L
This is Your Brain on Stereotypes: How Science is Tackling Unconscious Bias by Tanya Lloyd Kyi	J 303.385 KYI (CAUDILL 2023)	Ages 11-14 AR: 6.8 Lexile: 910L
Chirp by Kate Messner	J MES (2023 CAUDILL) PLAYAWAY J F MES (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 10-14 AR: 4.6
The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy	J PAN (2023 CAUDILL) PLAYAWAY J F PAN (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 8-12 AR: 4 Lexile: 620L
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes	J RHO (2023 CAUDILL) PLAYAWAY J F RHO (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 8-12 AR: 3.4 Lexile: 400L
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat	J 796.52 SOO (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 8-12 AR: 7.2 Lexile: 1020L
Katie the Catsitter by Colleen A.F. Venable and Stephanie Yue	J GN VEN (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 8-12 AR: 3 Lexile: 340L
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson	J WOO (CAUDILL 2023) AUDIO CD J F WOO (2023 CAUDILL)	Ages 10+ AR: 4.5

UPCOMING TWEEN EVENTS

July 1-30
TinkerCAD Challenge: Create a Derby Car
4th Grade & Up
Registration begins July 1

July 11
Wild Explorers: Rockss + Geology | 10:30-11:15am
Grades 3-6 with a caregiver
Registration begins June 27

July 11
Mad Science: Growing Geodes | Video posted at 4:30pm
Kindergarten-6th Grade
Registration begins June 27

July 15
Chalk the Walk | 11-11:45am
All Ages
No registration required

Happy Reading!

We are happy to announce the re-launch of display case collections featuring YOU!

In the Youth Department, there are 4 display cases that are available for kids (up to 8th grade) or organizations focusing on children to display their prized collections, art exhibits, or information on their organizations. The cases may be reserved for one month by calling, emailing, or stopping by the Youth Services desk. We will be happy to give you more details or sign you up!

Here are some photos from previous displays:

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Insects or rocks or shells? Buttons or coins or bells? Even if you haven’t started a collection, click on the link in each photo for some inspiration to get started:

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A quick search in PrairieCat also brings up a list of books to browse for possible collection ideas:

Start thinking about what you may be able to share with your library friends, or look around to find something to begin a collection… we need your help to fill these display cases!

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Hope to see you soon!

Often times I get ideas for this space by reading other blog posts. One librarian that I follow wrote about the wordless picture book exhibit at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art which is located in Amherst, Massachusetts. Take a look to explore their website:

After scrolling through her page, I started to look around our library to see what we have to offer in this unique category… and now I am even more in love with these books! Below is a small sampling of books I’ve found on our shelves:

This search in PrairieCat shows what’s available for you:

One of the many great things about the wordless genre is the creativity and imagination it sparks. You can see something new each time you look through it. The story can change each time you pick it up. You learn to relax and “read” the pictures. They can spark great interaction as you share responses together. There is often more emotion involved as you examine the pictures and illustrations…and many other valuable reasons to explore this genre!

Playful Learning has a great article about this genre for more information:

Reading Rocket has more tips for enjoying your time with these books:

Check this list from Reading Rockets:

And this is our link to our GoodReads list of wordless books:

I hope this sparks your curiosity a little to come in and find some wordless picture books to share with your friends and family. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them as much as I do!

The library has been a busy place lately! We have had over 1200 of our young friends sign up for the Summer Learning Challenge, and more than 200 completed levels…that is phenomenal! The challenge runs throughout July, so be sure to bring in your colored sheets for your completion certificate, prizes, and bonus logs for raffle entries. Summer programming is back in action too, with photos below. Some of our nature encounters were planned (dinos and fishing) but the spider….not so much!

Recently, the Saturday program at the library featured the T-Rexplorers Dinosaur Discovery program. Kids (and parents) were treated to insider secrets about a dinosaur dig, spent time with an authentic fossil hunter, and had the opportunity to handle actual dinosaur bones!

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Look at all those cool fossils!

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When you visit us, if you’d like to know more about dinosaurs, information is located in the 560’s of the non-fiction and ER non-fiction section.

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Rather unexpectedly one day, this mama wolf spider was enjoying herself in the storytime room. Miss Alissa and Miss Lizzo then corralled her and were startled when babies started hopping off her back!

See those babies exploring their temporary home in the cup?

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They quickly called Mr. Phil to come and help wrangle these critters into one of our bug-catching kits.

It has a magnifying glass, so they were able to get some really good photos!

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Look closely at the spider’s back…those are all the spiderlings hanging onto her!

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Here are a few more close-ups:

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For more information about spiders, visit the 595.44 section of the non-fiction collection,

and maybe go on a hunt of your own…but be careful!

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Let’s Go Fishing is a popular program hosted by Miss Lizzo. Participants learn how to bait their hooks, cast into the pond, and release their fish safely back into the water.

The June session was a great success with quite a few catches:

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Check the program guide for more info, call with any questions, or register online for the July session.

For books about fish in general, visit the 597 area in non-fiction. To learn more about the sport of fishing, try 799.1, or ask us to help you locate any of these books.

Whatever you might have an interest in this summer- whether it’s about science, sports, or summertime fun, you can be sure that we’ll help you find out more about it.

Stop in soon to check something out!

With the Summer Learning Challenge in full swing, it’s time to update our Staff Picks with the summer edition! Need ideas for summer reading? We have chosen some of our favorite books for you. Grab a book and a bookmark from the shelf near the main desk. Right next to our picks you will find the State Award Nominees display. You can get a head start on reading these books for spring voting or any school reading requirements. There is a fun bingo sheet to help you keep track of what you’ve read, or just a list to check.

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Be sure to visit our Reading Colors Your World virtual library:

Now it’s time to….

This year there are “Art on the Go” & “Art on the Spot” activities. Be sure to learn about the artists featured and share your creations!

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Look around in the non-fiction area to find out more about art (the 700 section) or artists (in biographies) or let us help you find whatever! We also have our Pinterest page with color themed books for summer reading:

Drop in, create, and hang out for awhile since we’re now in Phase 5 and comfy chairs are back!

See you soon!

That’s right…our Summer Learning Challenge sign-up is just around the corner with registration starting on Monday, June 7th. This year’s theme is “Reading Colors Your World” featuring the artwork of Oliver Jeffers and Herve’ Tullet. We’ve been busy adding colorful splashes all around the department to add to the excitement.

Stop in to register, pick up your activity log, and earn prizes. Complete any combination of the 24 activities to get a prize bag, virtual raffle entry, a completion certificate for school, and a free book! Bonus logs earn addition raffle entries!

The program guide is available in the library or online.

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Colors are everywhere!

What is a cat’s favorite color?   “Purr”ple

Why did the crayon cry?   He was feeling blue.

If you have access to Pinterest, here are some book lists by age/grade levels for color-themed books on the New Lenox Library board:

Our next blog post will feature Staff Picks to help you get started, so mark your calendars to sign up on June 7th, and stop in any time for more information.

We can’t wait to help you color your world with reading!

April is…. a time to rhyme and create because it’s National Poetry Month:

Learn about the National Youth Poet Laureate program featuring Amanda Gorman, who read her poem at the 2021 Inaguration:

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April is….a time to play in the dirt:

National Garden Month has ideas and activities for you to read about, while we have books galore!

And check out these sites geared for kids:

The Spruce always has great ideas for families:

April is….a time to take care of the Earth:

Here are just a few of our books, cds, and dvds relating to Earth Day:

National Today explains its history and how to develop the mindset of making every day Earth Day:

Take a look at Hoopla on our website and find even more resources for Earth Day…including music!

Visit Little Bins for Little Hands and enjoy some crafts to celebrate the day:

April is an exciting month to grow our minds with the often overlooked genre of poetry, grow new plants as the weather is warming up, and grow our respect for this precious planet. Let us help you spark your creativity this spring!

The beloved children’s novelist, Beverly Cleary, passed away last month. This former children’s librarian became one of the most popular authors of children’s literature, touching several generations of readers. Children, parents, teachers, librarians, and people all around the world have enjoyed her works throughout the years. Clicking on the links and pictures below will help you learn more about this fascinating, humble, and timeless writer.

On her webpage, you will find her biography and information about her books and characters.

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These interesting facts (and many more) come from the site “100 Things You Might Not Know About Beverly Cleary“:

3. In her writing, she never forgot the advice her mother gave her: “Keep it funny. People always like to read something funny.”

18. When she was working as a children’s librarian, a student angrily asked her, “Where are the books about kids like us?” That inspired Cleary to create characters like Henry Huggins and Ramona Quimby.

58. After reading aloud an essay Cleary had written, her seventh-grade teacher told the class, “When Beverly grows up, she should write children’s books.”

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Here is an excerpt from mentalfloss.com, a shorter list of interesting tidbits:

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More than a decade ago, the Library of Congress declared Cleary a living legend, and her birthday, April 12, is celebrated with Drop Everything and Read Day, held every year in many U.S. libraries and schools. Will your school be participating? Be sure to tell us about it!

Activities related to the Drop Everything and Read program can be found here and by clicking on the pictures from the website below:

We hope you’ve learned a little bit more about Beverly Cleary and her many works. Come in and pick out some books by her, or any of your favorites, to join in a special D.E.A.R. celebration this year!

We are cautiously, optimistically ready to celebrate spring in the library! Bulletin boards and displays have been updated to reflect the hope of the new season. Here’s a peek at what you’ll see when you visit…

At the YS Main Desk there are QR codes to scan for our social media sites:

And back by the tree, the shelves are buzzing with our new picture book additions:

As promised, here’s the spring bitmoji page of spring-y activities to explore when you click on each of us:

The shelves around the tree area are also blooming with even more books to celebrate the season!

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Trees and shrubs are budding…

while plants and weeds are greening up….

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So make like a bunny and hop in for some great choices we’ve found for you…

or look around to discover your own!

See you soon!