Children's Services
Spring Programs / Child Friendly Links /

The Caterpillars are here! Stop by the Children's Room to see our caterpillars as we eagerly await their transformation into butterflies!


Visit the library's new kids' weblog for the latest on upcoming events, new materials, and ideas for great reading, viewing and listening!  


See a selection of new books that are appearing in Children's Services this month!               

Spring Programs!


READ on the ROOF!
Tuesday, May 13th from 9-5

Who? YOU on the lawn; Librarians, teachers, police officers and more on the
           roof!

What? Stories & Surprise

Why? Because we had HUNDREDS of kids participate in TV Turn Off Week,
           we're celebrating READING and all the other things you can do when
           you are not watching TV!

Activities Include:
10 AM - Storytime
11 AM - Sidewalk Art
12 PM - Butterfly Release and Picnic
12:30 - 4:30 PM
    Storytimes
    Read-Alouds
    Bubble Blast
    Roosevelt Musicians
    and other special guest!


Butterfly Release
May 10th & May 13th - Tentative

Once again this year, the Children’s Room will be home to dozens of caterpillars as we watch them turn into butterflies. Look for our library caterpillars to arrive in mid April. Be sure to come in often to watch the fascinating change! Tentative Butterfly Release picnic/storytimes - May 7th and 10th  – watch the weblog for details!

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Child Friendly Links


Try the Tumblebooks Library! It's available from home any time,
and features stories, games, puzzles, and even language learning! It's a great alternative to computer games for young children, and has books for kids through 6th grade in an electronic format. We'd love to hear what you think! Picture book stories are available in formats to sit back and listen or read along at your own speed.
 

Books of the World - Looking for books in another language, or books telling a story in 2 or more languages? The International Children's Digital Library is a library that provides free access to children's books from around the world, ensuring access to books from many cultures and in diverse languages. The site is free, but you will need to download books to read. Because of copyright constraints, the selection of books is somewhat uneven, but this is a great resource.

If you are looking for great books to read, authors just like your favorites, or books that feature specific plot themes, check out Novelist K-8, available in the library or from home.

Great Kids' Links! Check out book lists, search sites, references, and more!


Improve your internet search skills! Click on the Search Challenge picture to try the Soccer Challenges, Snippet Sleuth, and more great challenges designed by a team from the Illinois Math and Science Academy to help improve information fluency. Digital Information Fluency (DIF) is the ability to find, evaluate and use digital information effectively, efficiently and ethically. Check out the home page of the 21st Century Information Fluency Project!

Click here for links to Children's Award Winners, web sites for kids, and more.
 

For Parents and Teachers
Assignment Alert for teachers


Look for pictures on our photo page, or see them all in our online photo albums! (Click "browse all albums" at the bottom of photo shown.)


Photo Release All library patrons consent to the use of their photographs taken at the library or during library events unless they specifically inform staff of an objection to such use.


Internet Safety Awareness - Click here for information about keeping your kids safe online.

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Reading Olympics 2007-2008

Fall 2007

The Ghost of Fossil Glen by Cynthia C. DeFelice view title in Catalog
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen view title in Catalog
Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes view title in Catalog
Love, Ruby Lavender by Debbie Wiles view title in Catalog
The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn view title in Catalog
Poppy by Avi view title in Catalog
Running Out of Time by Margaret Haddix view title in Catalog
Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach view title in Catalog
Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel view title in Catalog

Spring 2008

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer view title in Catalog
Earthquake Terror by Peg Kehret view title in Catalog
Ella Enchanted by Gail C. Levine view title in Catalog
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan view title in Catalog
Far North by Will Hobbs view title in Catalog
The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis view title in Catalog
Worth by A. Lafaye view title in Catalog
Stand Tall by Joan Bauer view title in Catalog
Yolanda's Genius by Carol Fenner view title in Catalog

The Oak Park and River Forest Reading Olympics program is open to all fifth graders in the Oak Park Elementary Schools, Roosevelt Middle School in River Forest, and several private schools in the two communities. In this voluntary program, students form teams of three students and read a set list of 12 books. School and then area competitions are held in which the teams are asked questions about the books on the list. Students must answer with the title and author of the correct book. One competition is held in the fall and a second in winter. A final competition is held that consists of questions on all 24 of the books read in the first two competitions. The winning team members of this third competition have their names inscribed on plaques which hang in the Oak Park and River Forest Public Libraries.

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For information about Children's programs, please contact ellen.cutter(@)riverforestlibrary.org.

Last revised: 4/30/08