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Tis the season: Support the Library!
Tuesday, December 20, 2022 | View in browser
Tomorrow, Wednesday, December 21, is the Winter Solstice! It is the shortest day of the year. After the Solstice, the days start getting longer, however imperceptibly. There are many beautiful traditions from different lands and cultures that celebrate the Winter Solstice:
- Ancient Celts, Modern Neopagans and Wiccans celebrate Yule with the lighting of the sun candle or the burning of the Yule log.
- The Dōngzhi Festival is the solstice celebration in China. Everyone eats small colorful rice balls called the Tangyuan in a sweet soup, an expression of family unity.
- The Toji Festival in Japan involves folks lighting bonfires to encourage the sun’s return; huge bonfires burn on Mount Fuji each December 22. Another widespread practice is to take warm baths scented with yuzu, a citrus fruit, which fosters good health. Let's all try that!
Celebrate with Your Kids:
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Start with a book! Check out our Winter Solstice book list!
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Celebrate the Light! Have a bonfire in your backyard, eat by candlelight, take a lantern walk to the local park, set up luminarias or roll beeswax candles together!
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Make the Most of the Daylight We Have! The solstice is a time to be in touch with nature. Lovelace Park has a fun sledding hill and a great walkway winding past a pond surrounded by gorgeous red pines. Or go to Emily Oaks Nature Center in Skokie for a great walk in the woods. Hike dunes in winter and see Evanston's iconic lighthouse at Lighthouse Landing Park with the accessible Noah's Playground for Everyone nearby!
Evanston Public Library's Main and Robert Crown Branch Libraries have created fun programs to keep your kids happy and busy during Winter Break including these great take home projects:
How I Wonder Winter Reading Challenge (Ages 5 and up)! Pick up your Winter Reading Challenge sheet now at the Main Library or the Robert Crown Branch Library. Then swing by the library again to submit your completed challenge sheet and get a free book of your kids' choice! More information. One of the challenges is to read a book about an owl, so check out our brand new Owl Booklist!
Twinkle Twinkle Winter Reading Challenge (Ages 5 and under)! We're not leaving the little ones out! We've got a fun reading challenge for infants through preschoolers too. Our younger patrons can come get a Twinkle Twinkle challenge sheet and, once it's completed, turn it in for a brand new age appropriate book! More information.
Winter Storywalk in the Main Dempster Mile! Swing by the Robert Crown Branch Library to pick up a raffle sheet and then visit the 12 participating stores including Booked, Stumble and Relish, and Ten Thousand Villages, each with a part of the original Winter story. When finished, bring your raffle entry back to the library. You might win a $50 gift certificate to one of the stores! Running now through January 7: More information.
Gingerbread Garland Craft! Pick up this fun felt craft kit for the holiday season at Robert Crown Branch Library. Kit includes a gingerbread recipe to make your own at home! While supplies last. Available now through December 24: More information.
Make Your Own Storyboard Kit (All ages) Share your story with us! Stop by the Robert Crown Library Branch and pick up a simple Storyboard packet. While supplies last. Kits available starting Tuesday, December 27: More information.
Get a Museum Pass! Winter Break is a great time to check out a new museum, garden, zoo, or other fun and local cultural venue with a pass from Museum Adventure or Explore More Illinois! More information.
Short and Sweet: Mouse and Douglas Fir (Ages 2-7): Pine Cone Craft kits are available at the Main Library and Robert Crown Branch Library so you can listen to the story and then make a fun pinecone craft! Great for sharing with cousins, too! Through the month of December, while supplies last. More information.
101 Great Books Storytime (All Ages) Come hear a few favorite read aloud books from Evanston Public Library's 101 Great Books for Kids of 2022 list, which features books for kids 3-10+! Thursday, December 22, 10:30 am, Main Library: More information; OR Wednesday, December 28, 2 pm, Robert Crown Branch Library: More information.
Family Storytime and Craft: Mittens (Ages 3-7) Join us for stories, songs and a fun craft. Books appropriate for ages 3-7 but all are welcome. Wednesday, January 4, 6:30 pm, Barbara Friedberg Storytelling Room, Main Library: Register
Don't forget our Fun Storytelling Videos for young kids!
Video Game Marathon (Grades 3-8) Visit the Robert Crown Branch and participate in some video game fun! Kids will be able to play Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros! Tuesday, December 27, 2 pm, Robert Crown Multipurpose Room, Robert Crown Branch Library: More information.
Cozy Creations (Grades 4 and up) Get your hygge on with the ultimate winter craft-needle felting with wool. Make your own little animal! Tuesday, January 3, 11 am, Community Meeting Room, Main Library: Register.
Mario Kart Tournament (Grades 3-5) Come show off your skills, race your friends, and see who is the Mario Kart champion on the Switch! Winners will receive a prize. Wednesday, January 4, 3 pm, Robert Crown Multipurpose Room, Robert Crown Branch Library: Register.
Northwestern's Dolphin Show Presents Matilda (Grades K and up) Participants will get a chance to see a performance, play theater games, and do activities based on the book. Saturday, January 7, 1 pm, Community Meeting Room, Main Library: Register.
Graphic Novel Book Club for Kids! (Grades 3-5) This month we will be discussing Michael Rex's bizarre sci-fi graphic novel, Your Pal Fred. Stop by the children's desk to pick up a copy to read beforehand. Saturday, January 7, 11 am, Barbara Friedberg Storytelling Room, Main Library: Register.
Word Rangers Writer's Club (Grades 3-5) Do you like to write stories, poetry, songs, or other forms of creative writing? If so, this club is for you! Come to the library to discuss writing, find new story inspiration, grow your creative writing skills, and meet others who share a passion for writing! Sunday, January 8, 2 pm, Barbara Friedberg Storytelling Room, Main Library: Register.
Winter Break is a great time to do some cooking, crafting, and letter writing as gifts or just for fun, so check out these booklists for wonderful ideas:
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Paint and Create Booklist is inspiration for child artists everywhere!
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Cooking for Kids has both cookbooks and books about food--or come browse our amazing selection of kids' cookbooks under the call number x641.5!
- Time to write some letters or cards to friends near and far! Check out our Letter Writing Booklist to get some ideas and encouragement.
Best Picture Books for your Kids! Did you miss our Best Picture Books Presentation with Brian Wilson & Betsy Bird earlier this month? Great news:
Role Playing Games Interest Survey (Ages 9-11) Is your child interested in learning the skills to play Dungeons and Dragons and other Role Playing Games? If so, fill out this Interest Form! This form does not constitute registration! We will contact participants with further information soon.
Dedicated To The Dream. Looking for hands-on, kid-friendly activities to help your family talk and learn about race together? Learn more or register for the "Getting Started" workshop.
Christmas is celebrated December 25, whether you celebrate the birth of Christ or just enjoy Christmas trees, presents and delicious food! Happy Christmas to everyone who celebrates and in whatever way you celebrate! Some fun ideas:
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Make Ponche Navideño, a traditional Christmas punch with your kids for Christmas Day! Made with lots of fruit, this is a delicious holiday treat from Mexico that can be made without rum.
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Craft! Take a look at this DIY gift wrapping tutorial on how to wrap presents in a way that is kinder to the earth.
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Share with the birds, squirrels and chipmunks that live in your area! Decorate an outdoor tree with edible ornaments for the animals including peanut butter (or suet) on pine cones rolled in birdseed and using half an orange peel as a natural cup for bird seed. Don't forget making garland from raw cranberries and popcorn! More information.
Kwanzaa lasts from December 26-January 1 celebrating family, culture, community, and the harvest. The word “Kwanzaa” itself comes from the Kiswahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning “first fruits [of the harvest].” The festival lasts for seven days and on each day, we celebrate a traditional community value, including Unity, Creativity, and Cooperative Economics. Join the celebration:
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Kinara Lighting! The lighting of the Kwanzaa Kinara will take place Monday, December 26, 11 am, Fountain Square: More information.
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Kwanzaa Festival and Storytelling Event! This event is free to the public. Swing by and check out the library's craft table! Plus there will be drumming and more activities. Monday, December 26, 1-4 pm, Robert Crown Community Center: More information.
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Read more! Check out our Kwanzaa Booklist.
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Craft! Make this festive Kwanzaa paper chain and share it with a friend for their decorations!
Evanston Public Library thanks you for supporting the library by checking out books and movies, coming to programs, volunteering, donating, attending webinars, helping local friends find great library services, and any other way you supported us this year. Some fun ideas for parents and kids to celebrate New Year's Eve:
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Read! Find a great book in our New Year's Booklist!
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New Year's Eve Drop In Craft (All ages) Get ready for your New Year's Eve celebration by making this fun craft at the Main Library! Available beginning December 27, while supplies last, Main Library: More information.
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