Family Movie Time

Here in the Children's Room we provide a wide variety of DVDs. For the preschool set we have Sesame Street or WordWorld. For our superhero fans we have Batman. For our young ladies we have Angelina Ballerina or Disney Princesses. But, when it comes time for the whole family to sit down for a movie night what do you watch? In my family we have a good spread between children and the challenge has always been to entertain my teenage son and his youngest sister. So Will Ferrell in Elf works, but Will Ferrell in Anchorman does not! I think the tone of a movie is very important--is it funny, but not cynical or is it action-packed but not intensely violent. Ratings are not always completely reliable and families have to determine their own tolerance for strong language or adult situations. Movies that feature young characters who are realistic and face real situations also pique my interest. Many parents like to consult www.commonsensemedia.org for advice. In the end, knowing your audience is key, but to get you started here are some of my favorite family movies.
Newer Titles: Soul Surfer, Gnomeo & Juliet, Flipped
Recent Titles: Enchanted, Transformers, The Game Plan, Millions, Night at the Museum, Kung Fu Panda
Older Titles: The Princess Bride, Shrek, Born Free, The Goonies, School of Rock, Iron Giant, The Karate Kid (original), It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World

Boys and Reading

Last month Miss Katie and I had the opportunity to hear librarian Michael Sullivan's presentation "Connecting Boys with Books." Sullivan spoke about troubling statistics that show boys' interest and proficiency in reading drops off in elementary school. By 11th grade the average boy is three years behind the average girl in terms of reading level. Sullivan believes elementary-age boys become discouraged about reading and therefore do it less and less. He cited brain research that shows boys' brains develop more slowly than girls in their early years, until they catch up at the age of about 14, and says this could explain the reading level gap. Sullivan also highlighted research that shows it is the amount of reading--time spent with text--that makes a child a better reader, not the level or type of book. So, whether a boy enjoys reading comics, dinosaur books, or books about trains, just make sure he reads a lot of them!

Sullivan encouraged librarians, parents, teachers, and all adults who care about kids to do everything they can to keep boys excited about reading. Here are some of Michael Sullivan's recommendations for boys and reading:

• Surround boys with light, fun books that they enjoy reading.
• Never stop reading aloud to boys! Exposure to narrative helps with their comprehension.
• Give boys access to audio books! Many are auditory learners.
• Don't pay attention to the reading level of the books they are choosing. What matters is that they are reading! Developing the habit of reading is the most important thing.

For tons of resources about boys and books, including reading lists of books many boys enjoy, check out Michael Sullivan's website: http://www.talestoldtall.com

Stories with Santa Photos

We had a jolly time with Santa Claus today at RFPL! After Christmas crafts and storytime, Santa spent time with each child.

To view and download photos from your visit with Santa, here is a link to our Kodak Gallery album: http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/landingPageSwitchboard.jsp?token=G190457051507:338897051507&rsvpLink=%2Fsite%2Frest%2Fv1.0%2Fgroup%2Fmetadata%2FG190457051507%3A338897051507&sourceId=179909816903&cm_mmc=Share-_-Event-_-shareCopyLink

New Graphic Novels!

Do you love comics and graphic novels? We have lots of great, new graphic novels at River Forest Public Library. Here are a couple of our favorites!

Squish: Super Amoeba
by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

This new series is brought to you by the makers of Babymouse. In Squish: Super Amoeba, Squish has to figure out how to save his friend Peggy (a paramecium) from Lynwood (a bully amoeba). Squish is inspired by his favorite comic book hero to stand up to Lynwood to save Peggy from danger.


Chi’s Sweet Home, Volume 1
By Konami Kanata

This hilarious graphic novel tells the tale of a lost kitten who finds a home. Don’t be fooled by this book’s cover or Chi’s cute looks—Chi’s finds all kinds of mischief and adventures as she learns about her new home and owners.

Comment here, or stop by the Children’s Room and let us know which new graphic novels are your favorite!

From the Turkey's Perspective...

Three funny selections to read aloud as Thanksgiving (a.k.a. Turkey Day) draws near:

Beauty and the Beaks: A Turkey's Cautionary Tale by Mary Jane Auch
Lance the turkey is proud to be invited to the farmer's Thanksgiving Day feast until he learns that he's the main course! How will he hide? Beauty the hen and her pals at the Chic Hen Salon come to Lance's rescue with the perfect plan.

Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr
It's that time of year when Turkey must do a mad dash around the barnyard to save his skin! Will he be able to elude the farmer this time?

Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
This turkey desperately tries a series of hilarious disguises to escape his fate. He dresses up as a cow, a pig, a rooster--all to no avail! Finally, he has a "Eureka!" moment and tries one last disguise...

And one more--but from a mouse's perspective...

One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale by Judy Cox
As the family takes a post-turkey snooze, mouse decides to make his own feast from the leftovers--taking just one of everything. How will mouse balance his growing mountain of Thanksgiving food?

eReaders for Children's Books!

Join us this Wednesday for eReaders for Children's Books. In this hands on program, kids and parents can try out eReaders in the RFPL Children's Room. We have iPads, Nooks, Kindles, and Sony Readers loaded with children's books and apps waiting for you to explore.

You can also find out about our eBook and digital collection available through Media on Demand.

This program runs Wednesday 11/9, 11/16 and 11/30 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.!

Celebrating Halloween

Our annual Family Fireside Halloween brought us together to...

make Halloween-inspired crafts like this ghost wind sock...

play games such as toss-the-hula-hoop-on-the-pumpkin...

and read a story or two with a princess!

We also had fun at a Trick-or-Treat Storytime...

attended by superheroes...

a mouse and a dinosaur and...

a firefighter!

We hope you had a happy Halloween!