Web Wednesday-Animals!

For this week’s Web Wednesday we’ve gathered a few cool websites for the animal lovers.

San Diego Zoo Kids

San Diego’s website is super fun. It’s colorful and delightfully animated. It’s a great balance of educational and fun.You can:

Get an inside look at zoo careers and what it takes to get that job

All about amphibians, birds, arthropods (insects, crustaceans arachnids, etc), mammals and reptiles

Fun games, many of which are available in the app store for download on your device

Activities & crafts

Live animal cams

Animal Diversity Web

Animal Diversity Web, an online database and encyclopedia of animal natural history, is best for older students, or young biology buffs. It’s less visually pleasing, but is full of interesting information. You can:

Learn how scientific animal names are created

Explore various animal anatomies

Check out photos of scientific specimens

National Aquarium

You have to love an aquarium! While this website has a lot of things you won’t be able to take part in unless you visit (exhibitions, programs, etc) there is still plenty of information, and exciting things to look at. Our favorite is the Blue Blubber Jelly cam! You can:

Learn about animal rescue and how the National Aquarium has taken part

Watch live cams. Jellyfish! Sharks! Coral Reefs!

Explore different animal facts and conservation facts

Click the video to see the mesmerizing jellies.

Web Wednesday

Halloween might be over, but learning about witches is interesting all year round! Recommended by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) for its educational value, you have to check out the Salem Witch Museum website: https://salemwitchmuseum.com/

The website features interesting facts about the infamous Salem Witch Trials, including videos answering kids’ most common questions about the horrible historical events. The museum itself is housed in an impressive building, complete with somewhat creepy reenactment scenes. It would no doubt make for an interesting, if not, disturbing visit. But, since Massachusetts isn't around the corner, take a look at their website to learn about a piece of our country's earliest horrors.

It’s a must check out for your elementary/middle schooler. While a good portion of the website focuses on information that would be necessary for an actual visit, children will find it to be a reputable and worthwhile reference for school projects, or just to satisfy their curiosity. All photos are property of the Salem Witch Museum.

August is American Artist Appreciation Month

Do you love art? I do! Painting is one of my favorite hobbies and I love to visit art museums to gaze upon masterpieces. Many of us who appreciate art may be familiar with the works of famous European artists such as Picasso, Michelangelo or Monet, but not as learned when it comes to American artists. August is a special month for us to celebrate Americans who have dedicated their lives to creating art. There is a plethora of amazing American artwork and so many great resources for you and your family to explore!

The Penfield House Image from http://www.penfieldhouse.com/photos.htm

One of the best ways to introduce your children to art is through up close and personal interaction with art! The state of Ohio has many wonderful public facilities that are perfect for a weekend visit. The Cleveland Museum of Art is world renowned and free! You even can view some of Cleveland's American painting and sculpture collection online here without having to trek downtown. Another great museum is the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. Butler also offers free admission. Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed and built two homes in Ohio that are open for public visitation. Schedule a tour of The Westcott House in Springfield, Ohio or reserve a weekend at The Penfield House in Lake County, Ohio.

You can search in the Google Art Project collections for American art for a more comprehensive look at various museum collections without ever having to leave your house. 

 "If I could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint."  Edward Hopper

Early Sunday Morning by Edward Hopper 
Image from the Whitney Museum of American Art http://whitney.org/Collection/EdwardHopper/31426

Yahoo has compiled 10 kid-friendly ways to celebrate American Artist Appreciation month. Suggestions such as sketching from nature in the style of John James Audubon, or designing a building based upon the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, are stellar ways to explore American creativity with your kids, no matter what their age.

Douglas's Squirrel by John James Audubon  Image from http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/asset-viewer/douglas-s-squirrel/kQG47w7S_oy9Fw

The Artcyclopedia site provides an American Art index that allows you to browse by time period. You can learn where each artist has works housed and view pictures from image archives. 

For younger kids print out some art coloring pages depicting American art and artists from Enchanted Learning for an easy educational opportunity. 

 

Of course, you can visit the library for wonderful books highlighting the work of American artists. Check out Super Simple American Art: Fun and Easy Art from Around the World or Super Simple Native American Art: Fun and Easy Art from Around the World by Alex Kuskowski to get creative at home. Though not specifically focused on American art, older readers will be intrigued flipping through An Eye for an Eye: Focusing on Great Artists and Their Work from the National Gallery of Art. Reading about American artists in a biography format is another fun way to learn about American art. I recommend Georgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O' Keeffe Painted What She Pleased by Amy Novesky, a great picture book biography perfect for introducing O'Keeffe to young minds. 
We can't forget that comic books, though not considered fine art, display amazing artistic and creative talent too! You can read about the creators of Superman (who were from Cleveland, Ohio) in Boys of Steel: The Creator of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman.

Have fun celebrating American Artist Appreciation month! Happy creating!

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day is an important day during which we celebrate our Earth and a remind ourselves to take care of our planet so that generations to come can enjoy a healthy and clean planet.

 The first celebration of Earth Day occurred on April 22nd 1970. Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, at the time a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, was inspired to start an environmental awareness movement after witnessing the destruction of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill in California. Senator Nelson announced the idea for a “national teach-in on the environment” to the national media and promptly recruited a national staff of 85 people to help assist with the "teach-in". 

On April 22nd, 1970 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in huge rallies across the entire county. Many students at various universities and colleges participated in the demonstration as well as many environmental groups that had been operating independently before Earth Day.  These groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories, pesticides, the extinction of wildlife and other concerns realized that they had common goals and could accomplish much by working together.

 The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. For more information on Earth Day, including how you can take action and Earth Day events around the country, check out their website.

To further explore the Earth Day holiday, History.com provides videos about global warming and speeches from environmental advocate Al Gore. 

A great way to celebrate Earth Day is by creating an awesome craft from recycled materials or adventuring outside to enjoy the natural beauty of the outdoors (and you will also be using less electricity!) . You can learn some more facts about Earth Day and also get some fun craft ideas at DLTK-Kids.com.  Tinkerlab has a fun list of 50 Earth Day activities for kids. Hands on as We Grow has compiled a list of 34 recycled and upcycled crafts and activities for children. Disney's Spoonful website has an entire page devoted to supplying you with awesome crafts, activities and recipes to celebrate Earth Day. One of my favorites is their suggested 8 ways that kids can help save the planet! Try making a compost bin using a plastic storage bin as pictured below. 

Image from http://spoonful.com/crafts/decorate-a-compost-bin.

Even the smallest of children can benefit from learning about Earth Day. It is great to establish an awareness of the importance of the environment and your responsibility to help keep it clean at a young age. Take a look at Scholastic's ideas for educational Earth Day activities and lesson plans in the classroom. Even if you aren't a teacher, any parent can gain inspiration for home activities from these awesome suggestions.

If you are in need of some Earth Day inspiration, read some of the amazing environmental quotes put together by Parade for Earth Day. I found the lovely quote from Jane Goodall on their list and thought it truly encapsulated the sort of message that we should be sharing on Earth Day.

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” —Jane Goodall

If you want to become more active with your communities environmental efforts year-round, you can help in a multitude of ways. Some examples could be planting a community garden, making sure local businesses and home have recycling bins and volunteering your time to assist local environmental protection groups. You can learn more about environmental campaigns that you can help with through the Earth Day Network, such as pledging to eat less meat. In Northeastern Ohio the Earth Day Coalition provides workshops, volunteer opportunities and even a student leadership program on environmental education for high school students. Check out their page to see how you can be involved!

Parent Hacks- Cooking with the Family

Ah, cooking. Cooking can be the most delightful of activities, or one of the most frustrating, depending on your expertise in the kitchen. If you are looking for some ways to introduce your children to cooking or perhaps learn some new recipes yourself, today's post is for you! We have compiled plenty of great book recommendations for you (available to take home from the library of course) in addition to some of our most favorite cooking blogs.


Recommended Non-Fiction Titles:

Cool USA Cooking Series by Alex Kuskowski. (Abdo Publishing, 2014).

Image from Abdo Publishing.

Our newest cooking series teaches kids to cook dishes from all across the United States. Each book focuses on a specific region of the country, outlining the individual states included in the region, and then provides various recipes for local cuisine. Recipes span from snacks, entrees to desserts and the titles provide basic cooking tips and a glossary of terms. Not only does this cooking series supply you with tasty meals, it also supplies a wonderful opportunity to explore other American cultures and histories other than your own. You could read a rowdy cowboy story and then whip up a batch of  "Arizona Beef Stew" from Cool Western Cooking. Or how about a jazzy story based in Chicago followed by a "Windy City Hot Dog" from Cool Midwestern Cooking.

Image from amazon.com

There are various other great cooking series available at the library that would make awesome starting points for young chefs. Try the You're the Chef series by Jennifer S. Larson (Millbrook Press, 2013). This cooking series is divided by types of meals, with titles such as Tasty Sandwiches and Yummy Soup and Salad Recipes. You'll find plenty of healthy recipes such as pita pockets filled with black beans and fresh vegetables or homemade veggie burgers.

Image from amazon.com

 The Super Simple series by Nancy Tuminelly (Abdo Publishing, 2013) is a good choice for the youngest of cooking connoisseurs. These recipes are quick, easy and require no baking so time spent in the kitchen is extra safe. Titles in this series include Super Simple Breakfasts and Super Simple Snacks.




Recommended Fiction Titles:

One way to make time in the kitchen more fun is by including cooking-related fiction stories. You can read one of these picture books together while you wait for your dinner to finish in the oven or while munching on the snack you just created.

Image from amazon.com

Minette's Feast: The Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat by Susanna Reich. ( Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2012). Follow the famous Julia Child in Paris as she and her cat Minette venture on culinary adventures. Julia is quite the amazing cook, but Minette seems to prefer mouse and bird to Julia's meals. This story is filled with lots of French words and sophisticated cooking terms to explore! Great for kindergarten and early grade school students interested in Parisian fare.

Image from http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/

Soup Day by Melissa Iwai. ( Henry Holt, 2010). A good choice for the toddler and preschool set, this story follows a mother and daughter as they traverse the market purchasing the many vegetables needed to make soup. A recipe to make your own soup is included in the back of the book!

Image from Bookworm.com

Gazpacho for Nacho by Tracey Kyle. (Two Lions, 2014). Nacho loves to eat gazpacho for every meal of the day! Includes a recipe for gazpacho and Spanish glossary in the back of the book. Great for preschool and kindergarten students.








Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. (Chronicle Books, 2005).  In an adorable twist, Little Pea cannot eat his vegetables until he eats up all of his candy! A great choice for picky eaters who may not enjoy their veggies. A story for kids of all ages.

Image from Chronicle Books.

Recommended Websites:

A Beautiful Mess: A very cool website created by two sisters with a huge expanse of yummy recipes to try out for family meals.

Six Sister's Stuff: This website is created by, you guessed it, six sisters who use the blog to keep in touch and share ideas. They have an amazing recipe index, complete with weekly menu plans to make your busy week easier.

Smitten Kitchen: An expansive website full of wit and tasty recipes from a NYC mom.

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Touted as a "guide to quarter-life cooking" this blog is accessible for all ages and even has recipes organized specifically for when you are low on time or money. 

We hope that you have a great time exploring the culinary world with your family! Be sure to stop into the library for more books to inspire your cooking adventures!

February is African American History Month

February is African American History Month in the United States, a celebration that first began as a special week in 1925 and was later expanded to an entire month of recognition of African American contributions in 1976. In the words of President Gerald R. Ford, African American History Month is a time for Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Since 1976, each American president has issued African American History Month proclamations in February. Each year, a theme is chosen for this celebration. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History chooses the annual theme and the 2014 national theme is "Civil Rights in America." 

There is truly an abundance of great educational resources on the web for children to learn about African American History this month. 

Smithsonian Education Black History - A great teaching resource including a virtual history tour and various lessons focusing on important African American individuals throughout American history, such as Sojourner Truth and Ella Fitzgerald.

African American History Month - A government website that provides historical images, online exhibits and collections and teacher resources. Brought to you by various government institutions including The Library of Congress and The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Scholastic Culture and Change: Black History in America - Children can listen to jazz music, explore the Underground Railroad and meet famous African Americans with Scholastic's interactive timeline. 

Scholastic Cyberhunt: African Americans Who Changed Our Nation -  Click on the provided links to visit websites that will help you find the answers to the crossword puzzle while teaching you about important African Americans.

National Geographic Education: The Underground Railroad -  Experience the journey to freedom that many slaves braved in this interactive video that allows children to imagine themselves making important decisions as a slave in 1850s Maryland. 

PBS Kids African American World -  This great site PBS site, in association with National Public Radio (NPR), allows children to play games, make e-cards and read about African American children's interests in their "Kid Talk" section.

Multnomah County Public Library Homework Center: African American - You can find an extensive list of links and resources on the library's homework center site, including specific topics in African American history, such as civil rights and African colonization. 

Kids.gov History Resources - Search this government website just for kids for articles, games and videos about American history and important time periods and events, such as the Civil Rights Movement. 

Arty Factory African Masks- Get creative with your African American history! Learn about African masks on this fun site and then design your own mask.  

Common Sense Media: African American Experience Movies - Check out this list of great movies that span a variety of ages and topics addressing the African American experience for another way to learn this month. 

Of course, there are plenty of amazing books available for children and teens to read and learn about African American history. 

The Coretta Scott King Book Awards - These awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. 

2014 Coretta Scott King Award Winner

Reading Rockers: Favorite Books for Black History Month -  A list of themed books that address African American history as well as universal children's experiences. Suggested age levels provided. 

PBS : Books that Bring the Black Experience to Life - A list for parents to refer to which highlights stellar books for children of all ages. These titles help readers to appreciate black history and focus on both historical accounts of African American life as well as contemporary perspectives. 

A highlighted book for toddlers from the PBS booklist.

Take some time this month to stop into the library and pick up a book to share with your family about African American history. We have many books that will be on display in the Children's Department all month just waiting for you to take home! Be sure to visit some of the above websites and perhaps have a family movie night watching one of the great suggestions from Common Sense Media. You have an entire month ahead of you to share, learn and appreciate the contributions that African Americans have made to this country!