TAG: family

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 […]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ever louder bumps in the night: Scares for all ages

Posted in Explore and Discover on October 24, 2017 at 6:00 am

by Susan Goertz As a chill grips the autumn air and the chlorophyll leaches from the leaves, my mind turns toward the spooky. Nothing to get your heart racing and the cold sweat pouring on a crisp night like a good scary story. Horror is a very broad genre. There are a lot of options […]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Great American Eclipse of 2017

Posted in Explore and Discover on August 17, 2017 at 6:00 am

by Nathaniel Youmans Shortly after 10am on Monday, August 21, 2017, a terrific spectacle of light and darkness will leave millions of people suspended in awe. It has happened before (most recently through the Pacific Northwest states back in 1979), but on this morning many will witness the first total solar eclipse since 1918 to […]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dance like You’ve Got Ants in Your Pants: Q&A with Eric Herman

Posted in kids, News on June 29, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge We’re ready for comedy, creativity, audience participation, and outrageously amusing songs this summer. And we hope you are too! Eric Herman performs his cool tunes at our libraries, July 17–21. I reached out to Eric with a few questions and learned a bit about how Siri, poets, and kids influence his music. I […]

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Enraptured by raptors: West Valley Outdoor Learning Center

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

Guest Blog By Kim Brinkmann “I had no idea this place even existed!” This phrase is commonly expressed by first-time guests of the West Valley Outdoor Learning Center. The Outdoor Learning Center is tucked back in a corner on the grounds of Pasadena Park Elementary School, hidden among the towering cottonwoods, cedars, and aspens. It […]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Books to help kids with the idea of a new sibling

Posted in kids, Parents and Teachers on May 16, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Melanie Boerner After six years with our only child, my husband and I are expecting another in August. My son approached me the other day and asked, “Are you going to love the baby and stop loving me?” This, of course, broke my heart and had me, already a ball of hormones, in tears. […]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Community gardening: a delicious pursuit to feed the hungry and the soul

Posted in Explore and Discover on April 25, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge I met with Teresa Sadler of Pumpkin Patch Community Garden to talk about the garden and learn her take on gardening, especially as a community. Originally a pumpkin patch and then a parking lot and staging site for the construction company that built the bridge over the river, the community garden was […]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Q&A with Jeff Yeager, The Ultimate Cheapskate

Posted in Explore and Discover on March 28, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge We’re keeping it frugal with Jeff Yeager, The Ultimate Cheapskate. In April during Money Smart Week, Yeager presents “Finding Wholesale Happiness in a Retail World” at three locations (see locations, days, and times below), offering practical advice about how to live a happier, healthier, and fuller life—only if you are not wi […]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Easy Pinterest recipes for busy adults

Posted in Explore and Discover on March 7, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Melanie Boerner Do you get home from a busy day and just can’t bring yourself to make a meal for the family? I feel this way most weekdays! I don’t think it is just me—I bet lots of busy parents do, too. On the weekend, I can whip up an elaborate meal with the […]

Tags: , , , , ,

Another world: Picture books about refugee and immigrant experiences

Posted in kids, Parents and Teachers on February 28, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs Imagine your home—the furniture, the walls, the books, the art, the smells, the landscape where you live. Imagine what it would be like if war came and things got so bad you had to leave. Imagine leaving your belongings and your pets, your friends and your neighborhood. Imagine traveling day and night, […]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,