It's Almost here!

Summer Reading is coming soon!

This weekend we'll be getting the prize table set up. We're planning all the programs. And we're getting ready for YOU!

The 2013 Summer Reading Program starts on Monday, June 3 and will run through Saturday, July 27. For those 8 weeks, we'll have tons of programs for children of all ages. Look here for our calendar: June Programs at the Cedar Lake Branch Library.

For every 10 library books that your child reads or you read to your child,  they will receive a prize. If your child reads chapter books, we count every 50 pages as a book. Graphic novels and magazines count as 1 book, as do eBooks and audio books.

There are prizes and programs for teens and adults, too! So remember us this summer! Research shows, and teachers will confirm, that children who are reading over their summer break retain far more of their skills than those who take the summer off. And remember... we don't worry about what kind of books the children are reading for prizes... we just want them to find library books that they will enjoy!

One last thing... we found out after we had our volunteer meeting scheduled that one of the elementary schools had a program for the 5th graders. If you know an 11-17 year old who wants to volunteer this summer but couldn't make the meeting, have them come in and talk to Miss Holly or Miss Linda. We will make sure they have the information they need and get them signed up!

Reading Together - Week 2

Mother Goose on the Loose!

We had 28 children at Mother Goose last week. When you add in parents, that's over 55 people showing up for our youngest age group, birth to 35 months! Wow!

Reading Together is important for this age group as well. There's no better time to let your child know that reading is important and fun. Choose simple books and see where it takes you. Keep in mind that it's ok to put a book down without finishing and there is no rule that says you have to actually read the text. Ask your child questions like, "What do you see?" and "Which puppy is playing with the ball?" Or, if your child is interested in colors, you could point out all the blue things you see together.

This is also an excellent time to introduce some new vocabulary. A board book about colors may have a fruit that is new to your child. There are studies that show that children who share reading experiences with their parents have significantly larger vocabularies when they enter school than those who do not! Books introduce children to many words they will not hear in everyday language.

  Amazing Legos

Check out these creations from our May Amazing Legos program! Every month, children of all ages are given the opportunity to create masterpieces. The Lego creations are on display in the front of the library.

This month, Miss Linda showed the book, Robot Zombie Frankenstein, which is a fun story about two robots that are continually adding bits to themselves, trying to outdo each other. How far will they go? See the cover and reserve a copy here:

Robot zombie Frankenstein: Author: Simon, Annette (Annette Dauphin) Publisher: Somerville, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2012. Edition: 1st U.S. ed.

Upcoming Programs:

TODAY!!! Monday, May 7:  Puppet Pizzazz Mother's Day Fun, all ages, 6:30pm

Thursday, May 10: Toddler Time, ages 2-3 years with a caregiver, 10:30am

Thursday, May 10: Capturing Memories @ Your Library, grades K-6, 4:30pm

Bring 6-8 photographs and make a fun album to save those memories.