Author – Spokane County Library District

Reading with children: Identity, voices, and shared memories

Posted in kids, Parents and Teachers on October 31, 2017 at 6:00 am

by Gwendolyn Haley I hear my grandfather’s voice when I read The Tale of Peter Rabbit. He did not read to me regularly. We lived very far away from him and only saw those grandparents once or twice a year. But when he read that story to me, it was magical. I have read the […]

Sharing your harvest’s bounty at library produce swaps

Posted in Explore and Discover on August 8, 2017 at 6:00 am

by Gwendolyn Haley My eyes are bigger than my freezer and pantry. Every year, I plant a little garden, only to be overwhelmed when everything starts to ripen at once. My family starts to groan and say, “No more… beans, tomatoes, squash” and so on. Each spring, I underestimate just how much produce will come […]

Consumer Reports saves the day (and my laundry)

Posted in Explore and Discover on March 21, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley It was like a scene from a horror movie. I was alone in the house when a loud banging and clanging started from the depths of the basement—as if something were trying to break free. I walked down the stairs to investigate. As I looked into the laundry room, all I could […]

Reluctant readers, the right books, and Minecraft

Posted in Explore and Discover, kids, Parents and Teachers on January 3, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley Do you have a kid who is a reluctant reader? When kids complain that reading is boring, they are probably just reading the wrong book. . . for them. Reluctant readers often will try books about things that they already love. If you have a Minecrafter in your house, you may have checked […]

3D printing: if you can design it, we can print it

Posted in Explore and Discover, For You, News on December 14, 2016 at 9:30 am

By Gwendolyn Haley UPDATED FROM PREVIOUS POST 3D printing pops up in my newsfeed with increased regularity. Maybe you’ve seen some of the coverage too? Museums are using 3D printing to create replicas of priceless ancient artifacts for study and to allow people with visual impairments to experience masterpieces firsthand. Individuals and other o […]

Talking about preschool STEM

Posted in Parents and Teachers on November 1, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley STEM is a hot topic right now. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields are the fastest growing sector of the economy, and businesses in Washington state are among the leading employers in these fields. As a parent, I want to make sure that my daughters are aware of all the opportunities […]

Celebrating Grandparents

Posted in Explore and Discover, kids, Teens on September 1, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley Both my husband and I grew up living hours away from our grandparents, and consequently only saw them once or twice a year at most. When we started our family, we lived five hours away from our own parents, so our children were also on track to only see their grandparents a […]

Go for the gold in reading

Posted in Explore and Discover on June 30, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley We are getting ready for the Olympics in my house. While we aren’t usually a sports family, I have been known to force my family to watch swimming events all day long. Next month, the eyes of the world will turn to Rio for the XXXI Olympiad. One way to prepare for […]

Family mystery solved at the library

Posted in Explore and Discover on May 12, 2016 at 6:00 am

by Gwendolyn Haley Recently, my father and I were trying to solve a family mystery. He is the sole surviving grandchild on his mother’s side. So if he doesn’t remember something about the family, there is no one left to ask who would know. In our collective family knowledge, we were aware that his grandfather […]

Middle school math is KILLING me

Posted in For You, Parents and Teachers on March 24, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley Middle School Math is KILLING me. It started when our oldest daughter hit 7th grade and started Algebra. During the first open house of middle school, the wise and kind math teacher warned all the parents that “this first semester is a killer.” Truth. I spent one harried evening working on a […]

Author: Gwendolyn Haley