October Tween Read Scene

October 22, 2021November 12, 2021 - New Lenox Library

Calling all tween readers! Welcome to Tween Read Scene with the New Lenox Public Library! Tween Read Scene will be a monthly feature in the Youth Services Blog that will highlight books for ages 9-12. The posts will be jam-packed with information on new tween titles, upcoming library events, and helpful tips on how to find your next great read!

For the first couple of months, I will review fiction genres (one genre per month) and give examples and recommendations of each. This will help you, as a reader, identify what types of stories you enjoy reading already, and get you curious about genres you may not have read in the past.

What are genres?

Think about your favorite book. Now, think about what you like about that book in particular. Maybe you like how the main character fights dragons, or how there is a puzzle to solve within the story, or how you laugh out loud while reading it. Whatever the reason, it most likely has to do with the GENRE of the book. Genre is a fancy word that librarians and teachers use to describe how we sort books by subject matter, style of writing, and format.

Let’s get spooky!

Because it is October and we have Halloween around the corner, this month we will focus on the HORROR genre. The horror genre’s main purpose is to shock, frighten, and thrill its readers through the use of supernatural elements. If it’s got monsters, ghosts, or an evil next-door neighbor, you can pretty much guarantee you’ve got a horror book. You won’t want to turn your lights off after reading one of these!

Title and Author	Catalog Link	Reading Level
Missing Pieces (Hello Neighbor Series) Carly Anne West	J WES	Ages 10-14 AR: 6 Lexile: 940L
Part of Your Nightmare (Disney Chills Series) Vera Strange	J DIS	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.9 Lexile: 660L
Gloom Town Ronald L. Smith	J SMI	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.7 Lexile: 650L
Slappy Birthday to You (SlappyWorld Series) R.L. Stine	J STI PLAYAWAY J F STI	Ages 8-12 AR: 3.6 Lexile: 490L
The Night Gardener Jonathan Auxier	J AUX AUDIO CD J F AUX	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.9 Lexile: 690L
Nightmares! (Nightmares! Series) Jason Segel & Kirsten Miler	J SEG AUDIO CD J F SEG	Ages 8-12 AR: 4.8 Lexile: 670L
Scary Stories for Young Foxes Christian McKay Heidicker	J HEI	Ages 9-12 AR: 4.4 Lexile: 640L
Small Spaces Katherine Arden	J ARD AUDIO CD J F ARD	Ages 10-14 AR: 4.1 Lexile: 570L

Upcoming Tween Events

Date	Program	Ages	Registration
October 25	Super Scientists: Disappearing Pumpkins	3^rd-6^th Grade	Registration starts October 11
October 26	Hocus Pocus Night	Ages 4-12	Registration starts October 12
October 29	Halloween After Hours	6^th-12^th Grade	Permission slips available now

Check out the blog in November for our next genre, and have a fun and safe Halloween!

October displays at the Library

October 13, 2021October 13, 2021 - New Lenox Library

October is here, and the Library display cases are changing.

Halloween I Spy

Where in the World is Transylvania?

Did you know that Transylvania is a real place? It’s a country called Romania!

Bat Fun Facts

Find out if Vampire Bats really do suck your blood!

National Apple Month

Find out how many types of apples there are!

Black Cats

Black cats are everywhere! Come and see Ms. Elizabeth’s awesome collection of black cats.

Bullying Prevention Month

October is Bullying Prevention Month. Be kind to everyone! Learn what bullying is and ways you can help solve the problem.

Showcase your own collection

Would you like to display your collection in our Display Cases for a month? You can download the Display Case Agreement request form (PDF, 124 KB) or come in and talk to a staff member.

Fall Favorites… Staff Picks & Award Books

September 2, 2021October 13, 2021 - New Lenox Library

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!

Below are each of the lists with an online link:

Monarch Award Grades K-3

Bluestem Award Grades 3-5

Caudill Award Grades 4-8:

Back to school + back to books = back to the library… See you soon!

Calling All Collectors…..

August 19, 2021 - New Lenox Library

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:

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:

https://hobbiesonabudget.com/cheap-collections-for-kids/

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!

Hope to see you soon!

Wordless picture books speak for themselves!

July 31, 2021 - New Lenox Library

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!

Dinos and Spiders and Fish…Oh My!

July 1, 2021 - New Lenox Library

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!

Look at all those cool fossils!

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.

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?

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!

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

Here are a few more close-ups:

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!

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:

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!

Summer Suggestions…

June 22, 2021 - New Lenox Library

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.

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!

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!

Get Ready, Here It Comes…

May 24, 2021 - New Lenox Library

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.

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!

The Early Bird Catches the Worm!

May 4, 2021May 4, 2021 - New Lenox Library

Looking for an activity that can reduce stress, improve your memory, develop patience, and sharpen your observation skills? Spring is a great time to start a new hobby or pick up where you left off last spring with bird watching!! You can start by looking and listening around your home. This is the season of nest building, egg laying, and baby birds chirping. Find out what kind of nest you see and what you can do to help our feathered friends in the area. In the process, you can enjoy nature and breathe in the fresh air! My favorite local webpage is the Will County Forest Preserve site…so much information is available about our surrounding area:

Reconnectwithnature.org

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has this cool guide to hear different songs of birds that are common to us too:

Q: Why did the little bird get in trouble at school?
A: Because he was caught tweeting on a test.

Here are a few of the books we have available in the library:

Don’t forget we have magazines, like Ranger Rick, with information too!

If you prefer e-books, here are search results from Hoopla:

The Audubon Society is a wonderful website to learn about all kinds of birds and some beginning birdwatching tips:

The following Audubon articles introduce you to birds in a greater area- the Great Lakes. You can compare the information with the more local Will County website to really become an expert!

The Happy Birder is another site that has great activities and resources to get started with birdwatching and learning about the great outdoors:

Remember to stop, look up, and listen to start this adventure with our neighbors in nature. Gather some background knowledge, a few simple supplies, and then head outdoors to begin your birding experience…

and Happy Birdwatching!

April is…. Awesome!

April 19, 2021 - New Lenox Library

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:

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!