Author – Spokane County Library District

Screen time for small kids: education or entertainment?

Posted in kids, Parents and Teachers on May 8, 2018 at 6:00 am

by Rachel Edmondson I want to start this post with a promise and a disclaimer. First, I promise I am not going to tell you to never ever let your kids watch TV, play a video game, or use a tablet. Second, I’m also not going to give you concrete answers on how you should […]

Beat cabin fever with these creative and (mostly) free activities

Posted in kids, Parents and Teachers on February 20, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson If your family is like mine, then February is peak cabin fever season. While we still bundle up and go outside occasionally, we don’t last long when the weather is so chilly. This leaves a lot of time spent inside trying to keep ourselves entertained. While we love reading books, watching movies, […]

Social-emotional picture books to help your kids get through the holidays

Posted in Parents and Teachers on December 12, 2017 at 6:00 am

by Rachel Edmondson The holiday season is often fraught with emotions. Many adults find themselves stressed, excited, joyous, and sad—sometimes all in the same day! It’s helpful to remember that the children in our lives are often dealing with the same strong emotions. While having a vacation from school, receiving gifts, attending celebrations […]

1942: A 75-year retrospective on books

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 5, 2017 at 6:00 am

by Rachel Edmondson Spokane County Library District is commemorating its 75th anniversary this year. We’re celebrating this fall! We’ve collected stories and poems from local writers to create a community anthology, coming out in November. We have two musical celebrations at our libraries: in October, Unstrung featuring cellist Karen Hawkins an […]

KERNEL at the Fairwood Farmers’ Market: making nutrition and exercise fun and delicious

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

By Rachel Edmondson My family loves to go to farmers’ markets. We love fresh, local produce, and we find it’s even more appealing when you are face to face with the people who grew it. Of course, farmers’ markets have a lot more than just produce—artisan foods, fresh meat, crafts, and brews—something for everyone. Last […]

Weird animals for aspiring zoologists and the curious

Posted in Explore and Discover, kids on April 11, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson Like many kids, my girls love animals. But one of my daughters is especially fascinated and passionate about wild creatures. I think some of her interest began with the PBS show The Wild Kratts. From the first time she watched, she was hooked. So far we’ve learned about pandas, tigers, polar bears, […]

Fractured fairy tales: re-inventing imagined worlds

Posted in Explore and Discover on February 14, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson It’s that time of year again when thoughts turn to true love and finding happily-ever-after. Most of the time, life is not a fairy tale. Unless, of course, you’re reading the original fairy tales, which are darker and more gruesome than the Disneyesque versions. Sometimes real life feels a bit too similar […]

Young Adult novels with adult reader appeal

Posted in Explore and Discover on September 27, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson In recent years, Young Adult (YA) literature has become increasingly popular, and studies have shown that a surprising number of YA readers are adults. According to a 2012 study, 55% of buyers purchasing YA literature are 18 or older. Also, 78% of these buyers indicate that they are purchasing the books for […]

Tags: adults, booklists, books, teens, tweens, YA, young adult

Ultimate Gilmore Girls fandom

Posted in Explore and Discover on August 23, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson With two young kids in the house, I don’t end up watching a lot of TV. By the time the kids are asleep and I’ve gotten a few things done around the house, I rarely choose television over my bed (what can I say, I’m a woman who likes her sleep!). But […]

Kids music for road trips

Posted in Explore and Discover, Parents and Teachers on June 23, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson Summer has arrived, and with it comes more time spent in the car. At least, that’s the case for my family. Whether it’s driving to swim lessons or taking a road trip, music can be a great way to make time in the car more fun. Of course, if you have the […]