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What to read next: Recommendations for kids by kids
Posted in kids, Parents and Teachers on February 12, 2019 at 6:00 am
By Rachel Edmondson In my years of helping kids find books to read, one thing has remained the same—kids always want to read the same books their friends are reading. Often, a new title has gained traction. It’s also not uncommon for older series to suddenly come into popularity again, based on word of mouth. […]
Tags: book list, book recommendations, books, children, kids, kids books, reading, recommendations, tweens
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with family, food, and festivities
Posted in Explore and Discover on February 5, 2019 at 6:00 am
By Susan Goertz Congratulations! You made it to 2019. I hope the year so far is treating you kindly. If your resolutions are starting to fall by the wayside, or the glum weather is getting to you, don’t worry. There is another chance for a fresh start—the Lunar New Year! As you know, the modern […]
Tags: Chinese Chunjie, Chinese New Year, cookbooks, cooking, dragon dance, family, hoopla, kids, kids books, Korean Seollal, Lunar New Year, new year, Nian, parents, picture books, reading, Spring Festival, Tibetan Losar, tradition, Vietnamese Tet
Easy Reader Nonfiction coming soon to the Easy Reader shelves
Posted in Parents and Teachers on January 29, 2019 at 6:00 am
By Sheri Boggs Big changes are afoot in our Easy Reader section! Elephant & Piggie, Daniel Tiger, Amelia Bedelia, Little Bear, Frog and Toad, and Fancy Nancy will soon be making room for true stories about otters, astronauts, WWE stars, and more as we launch our newest collection: Easy Reader Nonfiction. While we’ve always had […]
Tags: books, early learning, easy reader books, easy reader nonfiction, easy readers, informational reading, just right books, kids, learning to read, new readers, nonfiction, parents, reading, teachers
Let’s play: Indoor winter fun at the library
Posted in Explore and Discover, kids, Parents and Teachers on January 24, 2019 at 10:00 am
By Gwendolyn Haley The library is a great place to visit in the winter! No really, it’s true! Every week, we have Play & Learn Storytimes for families with children ages 0–5. For older kids, we have regularly scheduled LEGO Clubs, STEM programs, and other activities. And even when we don’t have a formal program […]
Tags: activities, blocks, building blocks, creativity, imagination, Imagination Playground, indoor play, kids, learning, LEGO, library, parents, play, play games, puzzles, scavenger hunt, STEM, storytime
The evolution of the legend of Arthur
Posted in Explore and Discover on January 22, 2019 at 6:00 am
By Caitlin Wheeler A young boy grows up poor, not looked after by his foster parents. Abused, neglected, and destitute, he expects little from life, and life expects little from him. Until one day, everything changes. The child in servant’s clothes now wears a crown, and his childhood among the people turns out to have […]
Tags: adults, adventure, Arthurian, books, Britton, Guinevere, heros, kids, King Arthur, knights, knights of the round table, Lancelot, legend, legend of Arthur, magic, Merlin, monsters, Morgaine, Morgan le Fay, Morgause, myth, Nimue, reading, round table, Saxon, tales, tweens, Welsh, YA
Independent spirit: Films that offer fresh perspectives
Posted in Explore and Discover on January 9, 2019 at 6:00 am
By Melissa Rhoades Independence is a major theme in the American consciousness. We’re taught from an early age to admire historic figures that bucked the system in order to forge new paths. Most of us like to consider ourselves independent, too. Yet most Americans don’t watch independent films. This is a shame since indie movies […]
Tags: DVDs, films, foreign films, hoopla, independent films, movies
A twist on the New Year’s resolution
Posted in Explore and Discover on January 3, 2019 at 6:00 am
by Dana Mannino “Do one thing every day that scares you.” I first met this quote on a refrigerator magnet. Since then, I’ve seen it online attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, Kurt Vonnegut, and several more historical figures. The website Quote Investigator says that it actually comes from a 1997 article by journalist Mary Schmich, but […]
Tags: fear, Gale, gale courses, karaoke, nature, New Year's resolutions, politics, reading, reading diversely, reading resolutions, resolutions, setting boundaries
Reduce your browsing vulnerability
Posted in Explore and Discover on December 27, 2018 at 6:00 am
By Patrick Hakes Along with the richness of the information available on the Internet are many opportunities for criminals to gain access to your computer and thus your personal information. Most of the methods used to gain access to your computer involve you as an active participant. Actions you can take to help malicious software […]
Tags: computers, criminals, cyber safety, cyberattack, digital devices, hackers, hacks, identity theft, malicious software, malware, online security, PC, safe computing, scammers, virus, Windows
Storytime music to get your preschooler moving
Posted in kids, Parents and Teachers on December 18, 2018 at 6:00 am
By Rachel Edmondson Cold Spokane winters can leave us longing for the days when we can send the kids outside to run around and get some energy out. When the weather isn’t cooperating, music can be a great way to channel kids’ extra energy and help them get a little exercise at the same time. […]
Tags: dance, early learner, early learners, early learning, kids, kids music, music, musicians, parenting, parents, play, preschool, preschooler, storytime, storytimes, young learners
Gifts of experience for less stress and more joy this holiday season
Posted in Explore and Discover on December 11, 2018 at 6:00 am
By Abra Cole The holiday season is here again! I love the smells of goodies baking in the oven, the peacefulness of the fluffy snow falling outside, and the excited sounds of kids clamoring to get the best spot by the Christmas tree and all the gifts. Usually at our house, that last one is […]
Tags: adults, adventure, books, classes, community, concerts, cooking, crafts, DIY, events, experiences, family gifts, food, games, gardening, gift of experience, gifts, hobbies, holiday gift guide, holiday gifts, holidays, kids, microadventure, microadventures, parents, sporting events, teens, travel, tweens
