It's Summer Reading Time!

School is officially out and summer is here! That means we are getting ready for the Summer Reading Program at the Homer Community Library. This year's theme is "A Midsummer Knight's Read" and we will be having a lot of fun with knights, dragons, castles and princesses. We have a local resident building some mini catapults for us and we will learn about castle design and defense along with many other medieval facts. Don't worry - it won't all be facts - there will be plenty of fantasy! We will read about fighting dragons (and maybe even practice on one of our own) and make some edible magic wands. Even if you can't participate in the activities you can still complete a reading log. Summer is the perfect time to read for fun. This summer's program will run on Tuesdays at 1pm from June 7th - July 12th. Any student in the Heritage School district entering K - 5th grade is eligible to participate. You can register at the Homer Community Library starting now! Call us at 217-896-2121 for more information.

Pet Care and Gardening is Hot at the Library

This is the time of year when many families start planting gardens and when younger children beg for a new pet. If either of these situations apply to your family, the Homer Community Library can help!

We have recently purchased a wonderful series of Pet Care for Kids books in the memory of Gertrude Brown, a long-time teacher and pet lover in our community. These books are aimed at younger kids - up to about 3rd grade and explain the basics of caring for different pets. We have books on caring for cats, dogs, fish, parakeets, hamsters, lizards and turtles. Rabbits seem to be a popular pet this year so we have also purchased an Animal Planet book on caring for your rabbit. We also have various other pet care books for all ages - juniors through adults.

We also have added a few new books on gardening for kids thanks to a generous donation from the C-U Herb Society. We have books on growing plants for fun and food and books that explain the different uses of herbs to children. We also have many wonderful books on gardening with and using herbs for cooking and crafts in our adult non-fiction section.

With school coming to a close, this is the perfect time of year to visit the library and keep your family both entertained and educated through the summer.

Is Your Child Struggling In School?

If your child is struggling in school, you are invited to attend one of seven free workshops being offered in Illinois to explain how Response to Intervention strategies can result in improved outcomes fr students with and without disabilities. The Champaign Public Library is hosting a workshop on Sat., August 13, 2011 from 10am-noon at the Champaign Public Library, 200 W. Green St., Champaign. Here is a link to the complete flier listing all seven locations: http://www.fmptic.org/download/rti_flyer.pdf

Registration is required. Contact Family Matters at 866-436-7842 or at www.fmptic.org/family-matters-trainings.htm

May is a Manic Month for New Releases!

May is a big month for new releases so I am in a buying frenzy! Here is some of what's new on our shelves:
10th Anniversary by James Patterson
Buried Prey by John Sandford
Ella's Wish by Jerry Eicher
Love You More by Lisa Gardner
44 Charles St. by Danielle Steel
Eve by Iris Johansen
Fatal Error by J.A. Jance

For Juniors and Young Adults, we have filled out our selection of junior sports novels by Tim Green, including his newest release, Best of the Best. We have also completed the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull and the first of his new Beyonders series, we have the newest books in both the 49 Clues series as well as the Ranger's Apprentice series along with the latest books by Rick Riordan, Cassandra Clare, Scott Westerfeld and Anthony Horowitz.

We just got in a great new set of books on pet care for younger children as well as some nice picture books, including the newest Elephant and Piggie book by Mo Willems - we will be getting many more of these of the next several months..

We have also added some new DVDs to our collection including; Tangled, Harry Potter Deathly Hallows part 1, Black Swan and The King's Speech.

Summer is almost here - don't forget that your local library is a great place to find some entertainment!