In this week’s O’Fallon Weekly, Teri Rankin, Youth Services Manager wrote, “The library is a great place to go this summer to find a good book or movie or enjoy an activity or craft project.” Not only is it a good escape from the heat, our shelves are stocked with great summer books and our calendar is packed with a variety of programs for all ages, Teri said.
For children, we have a wide range of entertaining activities; adults can attend classes in personal growth or healthy meal planning this weekend, or join one of our ongoing monthly activities such as Monday Meditations or the O’Fallon Writing Group on July 7.
Teri said, “We have craft days for all ages and reading/activity groups for 3-year-olds through 8th graders.” Kids can join one of our many monthly activities such as Lego Club, chess, ECO, Fun and Furry, and Quadricorns Book Club.
In addition, Teri said there is still time to join our Summer Reading Program and earn prizes. Kids can select erasers and other small prizes, seashells, food coupons, and free books. Adults and teens can earn restaurant coupons and enter drawings for other cool prizes. “If you are reading, you may as well let us help you reward yourself for time well spent!” Teri said. Click here to learn more.
There’s no shortage of titles to choose from, Teri said, and she listed a few suggestions for a lazy summer day of reading:
For Preschool (Picture Books)
Don’t Blink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal – An interactive bedtime story that gives young readers a chance to avoid bedtime, provided they don’t blink, but for every blink, a page turns, bringing the end of the story and sleep closer.
Dude! by Aaron Reynolds – A platypus and a beaver who love surfing encounter a shark — with unexpected results.
The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld – When Taylor’s block castle is destroyed, all the animals think they know just what to do, but only the rabbit quietly listens to how Taylor is feeling.
For Elementary Students
Bob by Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead – Visiting her grandmother in Australia, Livy, who is ten, is reminded of the promise she made five years before to Bob, a strange, green creature who cannot recall who or what he is.
The Creature of the Pines (Unicorn Rescue Society, Bk. 1) by Adam Gidwitz – After encountering a Jersey Devil while on a field trip to the Pine Barrens, Elliot and his new friend Uchenna help their weird teacher Professor Fauna rescue the mythological creature from a pair of greedy billionaire brothers.
For Middle School Students
Al Capone Throws Me a Curve by Gennifer Choldenko – Moose Flanagan lives on a famous island in California: Alcatraz, home to some of the most dangerous prisoners in the United States in the 1930s. It’s the summer before he starts high school, and Moose is going to play a lot of baseball and win a spot on the high school team. But he still needs to watch his special older sister, Natalie–and then the warden asks Moose to look after his two-faced, danger-loving daughter, Piper. In the cell house, there are rumors that the cons will a strike, and that Moose’s father might step up to a new job. Moose is worried: What will this mean for their family, especially for Natalie, who’s had some scary run-ins with prisoners? Then the unthinkable happens: Natalie winds up someplace she should never, ever go. And Moose has to rescue her.
Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard – Fifth grader Robbie is determined to stay out of trouble so that she does not worry her grandfather whose memory is failing and to make sure that she and her grandfather stay together as he is the only family she has left.
You Go First by Erin Entranda Kelly – Charlotte, twelve, and Ben, eleven, are highly-skilled competitors at online Scrabble and that connection helps both as they face family issues and the turmoil of middle school.
As Teri said, reading really does take you everywhere!
As always, we offer our thanks to the O’Fallon Weekly, on newsstands and online each Wednesday.
The O'Fallon Public Library News 