Winter Reading

Stop by to get your Winter Reading Log at the Youth Services desk! 

We have changed things up a bit this year for winter reading. PreK-5th grade will have the opportunity to read, visit museums, and attend programs to work towards completing their winter reading log. Each completed log will count as a raffle ticket to our Grand Prize Drawing which includes Barnes & Noble Gift Cards, Starbucks Gift Cards, 2 Tickets to the Penguin Encounter at Shedd Aquarium, and a One Year Family Pass to the DuPage Children's Museum. Teens, grades 6 & up will have the additional opportunities to enter their raffle with the completion of the reading log that include museum visits, volunteering, attending programs, and submitting a book review for our blog. 

Ask Youth Services Staff for more details! 

Winter Reading runs until March 4th!

Community Service Hours

The Teen Volunteers page has been updated with dates for November & December. Check it out and call us today to register!

We are still looking for volunteers for our Halloween Party on Saturday, October 29th! Volunteers will help set up, run games, assist with simple crafts, and clean up. Volunteers must be 6th grade and up. Call us today! 

Teen Advisory Group

TAG is your voice in your library community!

Calling all teens, 7th Grade & Up! This leadership role offers community service hours where teens have a chance to have a voice in the library. At TAG we will work together on ways to improve the library for teens with programming ideas, community service opportunities, and much more.

The first meeting is Monday, September 19th at 6pm. 

Brook Forest's Early Civilizations Exhibition!

Librarians at the Oak Brook Library are quite impressed by these miniature settlements--all made by Brook Forest's 5th grade students! Please stop in and check out these exhibitions of early civilization dioramas. These dioramas are informational, and as you will see below, quite artistic. 

Don't believe us? Take an early peek:

Stop by Youth Services to take a look at these amazing projects! We know we've loved looking at them. You will, too!

MD

Police Storytime

On Thursday, May 16th. We had Officer Huff, from the Oak Brook Police Department, come in to do a special storytime for police week!
She read us a story about safety and one about how being kind is the best superhero power ever! The children and parents really enjoyed this special event!

Thank you, Officer Huff!!

Most Memorable Moments Spent at the Oak Brook Public Library

As my last day as a Youth Services Assistant at the library approaches, I've been reminiscing on the many programs and opportunities that I was able to either develop or partake in during my time spent at the library.

Storytime Children's Favorite Storytime Books (In no particular order) 
The Very Lazy Ladybug by Isobel Finn
A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Little Miss Liberty by Chris Robertson

Most Memorable Storytime 
My Statue of Liberty Storytime rocked the house earlier this year! I couldn't believe how excited both my toddler and preschool storytime kids loved jamming to Neil Diamond's "America" and creating torches and foam crowns. This made this "New York Girl's" heart swell with pride.

Most Memorable Storytime Moments 
When children didn't want to go home at the end of storytime because they were having so much fun.

When little ones would jump for joy at the chance to put a flannelboard piece on the board to complete our flannelboard rhyme or tale.

When shy children would finally feel comfortable coming up to the flannelboard and talking to Miss Jennifer about the books.

Favorite Youth Services Assistant Duties 
Creating programming for toddler and preschool-age children and (of course, conducting these programs!) There is never anything more exhilarating then seeing a child so engrossed with a story, simple craft, and soapy bubbles.

Writing this blog. As you can see by my incredibly wordy blog posts, I love to write.

Reading picture books and YA novels.

Lessons I Learned from Storytime 
Don't always rely on classic children's music for movement activities. Let children listen to a variety of musical genres including disco, ethnic music, oldies, marching band music, etc. By using different forms of musical expression you will be developing their musicality and interest in music (instead of pigeon-holing them in kid's only tunes.

Use props to add interest to your program. Props will add a lively flair to any storytime. Some of my favorite props were streamers, scarves, and children's musical instruments.

Just because a storytime worked for one person doesn't mean it will work for you. There have been a few storytime activities that looked great on paper, but just didn't jive with the kids. Storytime is a continuing learning experience and when you find the perfect combination stick with it.

When in doubt go Disney. Disney songs are always a hit. They are perfect for transitioning to other activities and provide great background music for craft time.

Transitioning is key. Make sure you have at least one opening and closing song you sing every week. By using an opening and closing song, you are teaching the children to understand the beginning and ending of storytime (temporal concepts).

Enjoy every moment of storytime and don't worry about being perfect or making a mistake. The kids will love you even if you stumbled over a word in a story or clapped your hands instead of stomped your feet during "If You're Happy and You Know It" (mind you, this never happened to me (smile). Just remember to always be yourself!

Never underestimate the power of bubbles. These soapy little wonders are like magic to toddlers and preschoolers. They can imagine they are dinosaurs stomping on the bubbles, you can describe the "rainbow colors" seen in the bubbles, and the children can catch the bubbles in their hands like world-class baseball stars.

Very young children (toddlers) can definitely make beautiful crafts. During their first storytime crafts you may want to leave extra time such as (15 minutes or more) for a craft. Simple 2 to 3 piece pasting projects work best. Try to describe to the children that glue sticks are just like big, sticky crayons. Show your children how to gently rub the glue onto the paper. Remember, you  may even have to take their hands (with the glue stick) and help them glide it across the paper the first few times. This will make the entire gluing concept easier to understand. I promise with a little patience and plenty of practice your kids will be crafting dynamos.

Things Miss Jennifer Would Like Her Storytime Kids to Know 
Never lose that wonderful carefree spirit of childhood, you are perfect the way you are.

Reach for the stars and follow your dreams.

Reading is the key to knowledge.

Miss Jennifer will never forget you. How could she forget how awesome you all were and are?

Most Memorable Storytime/Literacy Quotes
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more place you'll go." - Dr. Seuss, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!"


"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all." - Jacqueline Kennedy

"Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read." - Marilyn Jager Adams

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents." - Emilie Buchwald

(Source: http://www.readingrockets.org/books/fun/quotable/)

Thank You Oak Brook and the Many Library Patrons for Making My Time Spent at the Library Extraordinary!

I would like to thank the Village of Oak Brook for allowing me the chance to spend over two years devising programming, blogging, doing research and finding quality literature for the juvenile, teens and adult patrons of Oak Brook. 


Through my work in the Youth Services Department, I was able to deepen children's knowledge and wonder of the written word through movement activities, flannelboards, and games which brought books to life during my toddler and preschool storytimes. Every moment spent working with the children was pure joy and will be greatly missed as my journey into an Early Childhood teaching career begins. 


I would like to thank the library director, Sue Madorin, for encouraging me to pursue my early childhood education career by taking online courses. 


There have been many organizations within the village that have been such a pleasure to work with and have made my Youth Services programs come to life including the Oak Brook Fire Department, Oak Brook Park District and the Oak Brook Garden Club. 


I would like to thank Bob Robertson of the Oak Brook Fire Department for his exceptional storytelling and safety demonstration during my Fireman Storytime. Fireman Robertson has a true gift for gearing educational content to audiences of every age, which made this storytime both enjoyable and memorable to myself and our youngest patrons. 


To Trupti Vyas of the Oak Brook Park District  who brought the magical beauty and dance of India to the library through her Passport to India presentation. Ms. Vyas's effervescence and knowledge of her culture brought depth and meaning to this spellbinding program. 


The last organization I would like to thank is the Oak Brook Garden Club whose members put together a hands-on gardening program that made the children want to learn about the loveliness of nature. These organizations and individuals exemplify the high-quality of Oak Brook employees and clubs. 


To the children of my storytimes and of Oak Brook, Miss Jennifer was so honored to be able to create programming and choose books and crafts which increased your love of reading and helped develop your creativity. 


I will always remember your laughter, sweet words and adorable faces which were the highlight of my days. Without you, there would be no need for a Youth Services Department at all. You are all such an inspiration and I will miss all of you greatly.


Lastly, I would like to thank all the storytime parents and those who supported me through my student teaching and college coursework. I am so grateful that you gave me the opportunity to sing, read, and encourage your children to love literature as much as I do. Your support meant the world to me and pushed me to be the best "student teacher" and storytime leader I could be. 


I would like to announce that I have decided to enter the exciting field of Early Childhood Education by becoming the Lead Toddler/Twos Teacher at a center in the Chicagoland area. This position is a dream come true because it will allow me to interact with children all day long! 


I will be able to sing silly songs, dance upbeat dances, and play with finger paints to my hearts content while educating the doctors, lawyers, and teachers of the future. 


Thank You!
Jennifer Hatcher 
Oak Brook Public Library Youth Services Assistant