Librarypalooza!

We had a blast with you at Librarypalooza this past weekend! Thanks for coming out to celebrate. Enjoy these pictures of library patrons bowling in the stacks, playing giant checkers, eating ice cream, and generally paloozing in the library after hours!

A young patron bowls in the stacks.

Quietly reading amidst the chaos.

Your beautiful community sculpture.

Your lovely stepping stone creations.

Your RFPL children's staff!

Back row, from left: Miss Sue, Miss Parry, Miss Dorothy, and Miss Latrice

In front, from left: Miss Kimberly, Miss Ellen, and Miss Megan

Check it Out: the sounds of Elizabeth Mitchell

Come check out our selection of new cd's at the River Forest Public Library children's room, including the newest recording from the wonderful Elizabeth Mitchell!

Enjoy this video for her version of the traditional song, Little Bird. This tune can be found on her cd, You Are My Little Bird, J CD MITCHELL.

Fun in the Sun

Thanks for all who came to our Beach Party this past Sunday. We had a blast hanging out, listening to stories, dancing, singing, limbo-ing and playing games. Oh, and of course...eating popsicles!

Can't wait to visit the beach again next winter!

Great Websites for Girls

March is National Women's History Month, and we've got a great selection of books where you can read about the lives of strong women in history and in fiction. Come check them out!

In the meantime, here's a list of websites especially for girls - places for girls to learn, play, connect, and share with other girls.

New Moon Girls : A safe online community and magazine by girls, for girls.
Girls, Inc. : Promotes a girl's right to be herself. Offers articles, club news, games, advice and information.
Braincake : An online community for girls especially interested in math and science.
Readergirlz : An online book community for teen girls.

And for the parents of girls:

Daughters.com : From the editors of New Moon Girls magazine. Offers articles and advice from experts on raising girls.
The Amelia Bloomer Project : Recommended feminist literature from birth through age 18.

Beach Party!

Feeling the need to warm up this March? Come to our Beach Party on Sunday, March 14th! Pull out your summer clothes and join us for stories, games, dancing, and a cool treat.

Ages 4 - 8. Registration is required. Sign up at the children's desk or call 708-366-5205.

Enjoying the RFPL beach party, 2009!

Check it Out: Bookie Woogie

Today I'm sharing with you a delightful book blog, Bookie Woogie. A dad and his three kids read books (picture books and chapter books), review them together, and create some really cool fan art. Great for book recommendations as well as inspiration for your own book discussions, art creations, or family book blog!

The family puts a new review up every Monday. Here's a link to their review of Jeremy Draws a Monster, by Peter McCarty. (Come by and check it out at the RFPL!)

FYI: Online Resources on Bullying

Teachers and parents: the following is a short list of online resources on bullying. If you find these websites or other resources to be helpful, please let us know in your comments!

Stop Bullying Now! The Stop Bullying Now! Campaign is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources. One portion of the website is aimed at kids, with cartoon webisodes, games, and plenty of kid-friendly information about bullying. The other portion is aimed at adults, with information on bullying awareness, prevention, and intervention.

Stop Cyberbullying An interactive resource for anyone seeking information about cyberbullying. Information is tailored to users' age or capacity in which they work with youth.

Not In Our School Not in Our School (NIOS) is a peer-to-peer learning program that uses film and storytelling to encourage safety and inclusion. Visit their website for access to video content of students having open discussions about bullying, bigotry, and harassment in schools. Here's an example of a video in which middle school students and adult facilitators discuss bullying:



For more websites on bullying, visit ALA's hot issues page (you'll need to scroll down a little for a list of websites on bullies).