Thing 1 and Thing 2 in July

Thing 1: Our July Summer Reading Contest
Do you want to see this fantastic sculpture in person? Just “Read around Chicago” and visit Millennium Park. Artist Anish Kapoor officially named it Cloud Gate, but we like to call it “The Bean.”

In honor of the BEAN, we’re conducting a “Guess How Many Beans are in the Jar Contest.” We want all you human BEINGS to put on your thinking BEANIES and guess how many BEANS are in the jar? The winner will receive a prize worth more than a HILL OF BEANS. So when you check in for Summer Reading, check out our giant jar of beans and submit your guess. Who knows, you could be the winner!

Thing 2: July Food Pantry Donations
You can bring your donations for the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry right to the library! Please bring food and household items to the collection boxes in Youth Services and gift certificates and cash donations to Circulation. Here’s a list of critically needed items: baby food jars (urgent need!), peanut butter and jelly, hot and cold cereal, rice and pasta, spaghetti sauce, canned tuna, canned vegetables, flour and sugar, dried beans (pinto and northern), bar soap, diapers, diaper wipes, laundry detergent, coffee and tea, paper goods, toilet paper, Kleenex, certificates from Jewel and Dominick’s. Thank you.

Passport to Adventure

The Passport to Adventure Program is designed for children between the ages of 4 and 12 and sponsored by the Kane-DuPage Regional Museum Association. Pick up your passport at the Youth Services desk!

The Program begins each year on Memorial Day and runs through Labor Day. The passport lists over 50 participating museums, nature centers and historical sites in the western suburbs. Many sites have designed special activities for children who participate in the program.
Fill your passport with as many stamps as you can!

After visiting five sites, participants who return their passport to the location stamped on the front page of their booklet receive a Certificate noting their accomplishment. Visiting seven sites earns the Certificate and an additional Incentive Prize determined by each museum.

Keep your passport as a reference guide for fun places to visit throughout the year.

Summer Activities

Chess practice with Jim Egerton of Chess-Now, Ltd, and Computer Take-Apart with the Professional Nerds are just 2 of the programs offered in Youth Services for kids this summer.

Check our online calendar, our library newsletter, or the Youth Services program flyers for upcoming activities for all ages!

Summer Reading!

Have you registred for Summer Reading yet? Join the 1,454 kids from birth through entering 8th grade that have already registered at the Youth Services reference desk. This year's theme is READ Around Chicaogo. You will earn rewards for time spent reading when you reach 3, 8, 15, 36, 72 & 100 hours. Once you reach your goal of 20 hours or more you will be able to pick-out a free papberback book, starting July 20th.

If you have already registered, June 15th, is the first day you may bring your reading logs back in to report how much time you have read and earn rewards.

Better than Broadway

Would you like to see a show on Broadway? I know I would, but New York City is rather far away, and the cost of theatre tickets tends to stretch (even break) the budget.

May I suggest a more reasonable alternative to that trip to the Great White Way? On Saturday, June 20, at 2:00 p.m., treat yourself to this summer’s magnificent show presented by the Glen Ellyn Public Library’s Children’s Theatre Troupe. Our highly talented cast consists of fourth through sixth grade girls and boys.

This season’s review includes vignettes from James Marshall’s George and Martha books, an adaption of Kevin O’Malley’s Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share, a remake of Sleeping Beauty, an original work entitled Pitiful, Pale, Pooped People, and some additional entertaining surprises.

The director guarantees that this show will delight audiences of all ages. You only have to travel to the library. Are you still worried about the ticket prices? Don’t be – they’re free!

New Early Childhood Librarian

Robin Currie is our new Early Childhood Librarian in Youth Services. She will be assisting with Jumpstart and Next Step storytimes this summer, when she is not on her mission trip to South Africa. Follow her South African adventures at http://www.rcsouthafrica2009.blogspot.com/.

SHIVER ME TIMBERS

YO-HO-HO

X MARKS THE SPOT

Are you interested in pirates? Then check out call number j910.45. If you want to learn about a pirate’s life, try A Day in the Life of a Pirate by Helbrough (j910.45 Hel), or You Wouldn’t Want to be a Pirate’s Prisoner (j910.45 Mal).

Did you know there were women pirates? A brand new book will be on the shelves soon, called Sea Queens: Women Pirates Around the World by Jane Yolen. We also have biographies on Blackbeard (jbiog Teach, E. – his real name), Captain Kidd (jbiog Kidd, W.), and Henry Morgan (jbiog Morgan, H.)

For the younger crowd, we have an equally good selection. Try How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long (jp Long) and its companion Pirates Don’t Change Diapers (jp Long),

or Peg Leg Peke by Brie Spangler (jp Spangler).

DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR SUMMER READING!