Inside Scoop: Gearing Up For Summer

So we’re coming up on the first long holiday weekend of the season. For me that means I have one extra day with my foster kiddos,  a panic inducing thought because I’m taking care of three male teens – 16, 17 and 18. Yikes. What the heck does a middle-aged woman like me do to keep these guys entertained? The solution can be found within my badly worded question, because “entertaining” them should really not be my goal. Better for me to ask: what can I set up that will allow them to entertain themselves? Whew! That sounds much more do-able. And fun.

For all you parents, guardians, nannies, aunties, uncles and grandparents out there looking ahead to a summer of endless days filled with sun-charged children, the Handy Dad series has a new book to the rescue.  Todd Davis, TV host and extreme sports athlete, has written a book that we can all use to get our kids out of the house and into some real world adventures. Handy Dad in the Great Outdoors: More Than 30 Super-cool Projects and Activities for Dads and Kids, gives the low-down on everything from choosing the best campsite to geo-caching, including making daisy chains and playing flashlight tag.

Many of these activities can be done in the backyard or local park, and the detailed instructions and full color photos will make just about everybody feel capable of leading the summer fun. And remember: it’s not your job as elder to make their fun, or have their fun for them, but to guide them so they can make their own fun. Don’t forget to check out other books filled with exciting projects for the whole family:

Handy Dad: 25 Awesome Projects for Dads and Kids, by Todd Davis; Be the Coolest Dad on the Block: All of the Tricks, Games, Puzzles and Jokes You Need to Impress Your Kids, by Simon Rose; The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science: 64 Daring Experiments for Young Scientists, by Sean Connolly; Tree Houses and Other Cool Stuff: 50 Projects You Can Build, by David Stiles. And lastly, a book to help you conquer those parenting fears that keep you and your kids from living full-out: Free-Range Kids, How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry) by Lenore Skenazy. — Erin

Kid’s Corner: Mice Thrice

Mice thrice are extra nice.  Three new chapter books each featuring a mouse tale!

   

 

 

 

The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy
A community of mice and a cheese-loving cat form an unlikely alliance at London’s Cheshire Cheese, an inn where Charles Dickens finds inspiration and Queen Victoria makes an unexpected appearance.

 

Mousenet by Prudence E. Breitrose
Sent to live with her chef father and his wife in Oregon after having stayed with her inventor uncle and scientist mother in Cincinnati, ten-year-old misfit Megan is lonely until she starts working with some computer-savvy mice to try to save Mouse Nation–and the planet.

Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck

In 1887, the social-climbing Cranstons voyage from New York to London, where they hope to find a husband for their awkward older daughter, secretly accompanied by Helena and her mouse siblings, for whom the journey is both terrifying and wondrous as they meet an array of titled humans despite their best efforts at remaining hidden.
Ginny W., Youth Services

What I’m Reading Now: The Drama Years – Do They Ever End?

The “drama years” – that really could describe just about any period in one’s life. It’s all a matter of perspective. But in this case it refers to a new book by Haley Kilpatrick and Whitney Joiner titled The Drama Years: Real Girls Talk About Surviving Middle School – Bullies, Brands, Body Image, and More.

If you are over the age of 25 the experience of Middle School in the 201x’s is nothing like you remember. While we may all recall the anxieties, insecurities, and difficulties of those years the pressures on current tweeners is unprecedented. In addition to all the normal stresses, these tweens are on the front-lines trying to survive the new world of sexting, internet predators, digital bullying and more. As adults it is hard not to get caught up in the drama of it all. But what these kids need more than ever are elders who understand what they are really going through so we can provide them practical advice, thoughtful guidance and loving support when it gets hard.

Haley Kilpatrick is the founder and Executive Director of Girl Talk, a national nonprofit organization through which high school girls mentor middle school girls to help deal with the trials and triumphs of the “tween” and early teen years. This book is filled with insights from actual tweens and their high school mentors and is a must-read for teachers, counselors, health-professionals, friends, moms, dads, grandparents and anyone who works with, or cares about this age group.

Another great book, filled with practical advice based on 40 years of parenting, teaching, and counseling experience, is Taking Charge: Caring Discipline That Works at Home and at School, by JoAnne Nordling. Nordling is co-founder of the Parent Support Center in Portland, OR. The advice and methods presented in this book are based on kindness and respect for children, and are designed to correct misbehaviors rather than punish “bad children”. The techniques work for children aged 2 to 20, helping you set healthy limits and curb self-indulgent behaviors, while enriching your adult-child relationship and nurturing the development of responsible, confident, caring youth. This book is for anyone who is in a position to love, care for and guide children. –Erin

Kid’s Corner: Family Read-aloud

As parents and librarians we know that reading is the single most important activity we can do to help our children learn to read.

BUT, what about when our little ones become readers? Should we still read to them?

Yes, Yes, Yes!  Everyone enjoys being read to. Why not make family time read-aloud time?

                                                                                   

The Read-Aloud Handbook  by Jim Trelease 

This is a fantastic resource to guide you in choosing books to read aloud to your children. This book includes suggestions of age-appropriate books as well as current research on reading. This is a “must read” for all parents.

                                 

My family’s all-time favorite read-aloud is My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet.

 Elmer Elevator runs away to Wild Island to rescue a small dragon. Armed with ribbons, chewing gum, lollipops, a toothbrush and rubber bands, Elmer has lots of adventures. This is the first in a trilogy that children ready to listen to short chapter books will surely enjoy. Sweet, clever and charming, this is a timeless classic.

By Beverly, Youth Services

Blurbs from the Branch – Fun with the Family in Oregon

Now that the weather is warming up a bit, I find myself wanting to get outdoors with the family and enjoy all that Oregon has to offer. Recently while researching kid-friendly day hikes, I came across a new book in the Bethany Library parenting section. As soon as I opened Fun with the Family in Oregon, I knew I’d found exactly what I needed. Organized by region, this guide is filled with everything a parent could ask for including places to eat and sleep, fun shops, cost of admission to different destinations, and recommended age ranges for featured attractions, hikes and parks. The guide also includes fun trivia facts, featured town events such as the annual Dog Show in Cannon Beach or the Fall Kite Festival in Lincoln City, and everything from swimming pools to picnicking spots. It didn’t take long for our family to fill up our summer vacation wish list.

Of course, I’ve since found other family trip guides in the parenting section including Out & About with Kids Portland and Frommer’s National Parks with Kids. Now the only question remaining is can we fit everything in before the fall rains return.

-Shannon

Photo of North Falls at Silver Falls State Park by Shannon Caster.