The Digital Library is open 24/7 for eBooks and eAudiobooks, Streaming Movies and TV, and eMagazines. Need help getting started with your Digital Library? Ask us!
All patrons are welcomed (but not required) to wear face masks.
Looking for a good book for kids? Check out our online collection of Kids' booklists!
Become a library supporter. A gift to Evanston Public Library is a gift that benefits the entire Evanston community. Make a donation to support collection building, digital content, programs, and more. Thank you!
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 | View in browser
 We are 150 years old! Fireworks! Library love!
Celebrate our 150 Years by getting a free paperback book for your child! The Summer Reading Challenge is for kids, birth to rising 5th graders. Come to the Main Library, Robert Crown Branch Library, or meet us outdoors at parks and events around Evanston this summer and:
- Pick up an activity card. No need to register this year!
- Complete 5 of the 6 activities on the sheet. One of the activities is watching our wonderful Little Book Video that kicks off our reading program! See...your kids are on their way.
- One of the challenges is to read a book from our 101 Great Books for Kids list. Books range from simple picture books to novels and nonfiction for young and older.
- Turn in your finished card at either Evanston Library location and receive a free book!
- Compete a second card and get a prize, too.
All participants will be entered into weekly prize drawings and a Grand Prize drawing at the end of the Challenge! We even have special activity cards for our very youngest patrons, infants through age 3.
Get a Museum Adventure Pass! Take the kids to all the museums, zoos and gardens they were too busy to visit during the year! Get a pass from Museum Adventure or Explore More Illinois! For Evanston Public Library patrons only. One Museum Adventure Pass per family, per week: More information.
District 65 Summer Reading Bingo! Are your kids going for BINGO this year with the District 65 summer reading list? We've got all the lists here to review so you can reserve whichever book is next in your child's quest.
Also, here's the link to the K-2 and 3-5 bingo cards if you need it!
 Nature Tots & Tunes! The Ecology Center and the Library are collaborating on free storytime, song, and live animal programs in various parks this summer. Start summer right for younger kids! This event is later in the afternoon so parents who work outside the home can attend, Thursday, June 22, 5-7 pm, James Park: For more information call the Ecology Center at 847-448-8256.
Family Storytime and Craft (ages 3-7)Join us for stories, songs and a fun craft. Books appropriate for ages 3-7 but all are welcome. Wednesday, July 5, 6:30 pm, Barbara Friedberg Storytelling Room, Main Library: Register.
Summer Saturdays Join us for an outdoor storytime and water play! EPL staff will be at Lee Street Beach for 45 minutes every Saturday, from July 8 to August 19! Books and songs are aimed at ages 3-5. Saturdays, July 8-August 19, 10 am, Lee Street Beach: More Information.
The Young and the Restless-OUTSIDE (ages 0-2) The Young and the Restless will coming to Eiden Park this summer! Bring a blanket and join us for some fun! We'll be there two days a week this summer! This event is weather permitting. Wednesdays and Thursdays, July 12-August 3, 10:15 am, Eiden Park: More Information.
Time to register for July Storytimes!
-
All By Myself (Ages 3-5) A special 4-week storytime for children who are ready to attend a story program without parents and younger siblings. We'll share stories, songs and crafts for these "big kids in training." Mondays, July 10, 11 am, Barbara Friedberg Storytelling Room, Main Library: Register; OR Thursdays, July 13, 1:30 pm; Register.
-
Time for Twos A 4-week storytime filled with songs, picture books, puppets and rhymes for 24 to 36 months with parent, grandparent or caregiver. Tuesdays, July 11, 10:30 am, Barbara Friedberg Storytelling Room, Main Library: Register.
 Minecraft Scavenger Hunt This month's scavenger hunt is all about Minecraft! Find all the images to get entered into a raffle for the chance to win a fun prize! Ends June 30, Main Library: More Information.
MakerKids: Seed Starting Workshop Join us for this seed starting workshop to learn the basics of starting and maintaining your own edible garden. Participants will have the opportunity to get their hands in the soil to start their own seedlings. For Evanston residents only please. Thursday, June 22, 2 pm, Barbara Friedberg Storytelling Room, Main Library: Register.
Instrument Petting Zoo (all ages) Join members of Sigma Alpha Iota Evanston Alumnae as they share their instruments and love of music with us! Children and their families will learn about the instruments of the orchestra and get a chance to try them out. Children who stay and try them all will earn a prize! Sunday, June 25, 2 pm, Community Meeting Room, Main Library: More Information.
Black Family Game Night-Juneteenth Edition Join us for an evening of food, fun and games in celebration of Juneteenth! Come and enjoy catering from some of Evanston’s Black-owned restaurants and participate in family-friendly competitions of Uno, Spades, Trivia, Black Card Revoked and other games! Friday, June 30, 5 pm, Rooms B/C, Robert Crown Branch Library: Register.
Maker Kids: Making Music (grades 3-5) Learn chords, notes and how to strum on a stringed instrument! Kids will then create a cardboard representation of the Woodrow to practice their finger placement and strum technique. For Evanston residents only please. Thursday, July 6, 3 pm, Barbara Friedberg Storytelling Room, Main Library: Register.
Graphic Novel Book Club for Kids (grades 3-5) You love graphic novels, now come talk about them! This month we will be discussing Jeremy Tankard's graphic novel, Yorick and Bones. Stop by the children's desk to pick up a copy to read beforehand. Must be an Evanston resident or attend school in District 65 to participate. Sunday, July 9, 2 pm, Barbara Friedberg Storytelling Room, Main Library: Register.
MakerKids: Simple Science and STEAM (grades K-2) Young, budding scientists and engineers are invited to join us. Kids get to do some short science experiments and STEAM challenges! Wednesday, July 12, 3 pm, Barbara Friedberg Storytelling Room, Main Library: Register.
Bad Art Night Create art in a completely judgment free space. Want a space to be creative but not feel forced to make a masterpiece? Join us for bad art! Bring the creativity, we'll supply the art supplies. Take your artwork home or leave it for us to display, your choice! Thursday, July 13, 5 pm, Multipurpose Room, Robert Crown Branch Library: More Information.
 The Summer Solstice, June 21, marks the day when the North Pole is the closest to the sun during the year. For us in the Northern hemisphere, this is the longest day of the year, the most sunlight! Scandinavians call this holiday Midsommer and the Celts of Northern Europe also celebrated it as well as some modern Neo-pagans. Here are some things you can do to celebrate the start of the summer:
-
Read: enjoy our Summer booklist!
-
Make Something Special to celebrate the sun! This handprint sun craft is a great way to celebrate all of the sunshine we get on the Summer Solstice.
-
Eat your meals outdoors! Invite friends and make a summer "thrill list" of things you want to do this summer.
- Make a flower crown!
 Pride Month is a celebration of our LGBTQIA+ community! Celebrated every June, Pride Month is a great time to show your family's support for LGBTQIA+ friends, family, community members and library employees! Join us as we celebrate our diverse community:
First, use these booklists to find a great book for your child:
Then, come to Drag Queen Storytime! Celebrate PRIDE month, by joining us for a fun filled family story time with the fabulous Coco Sho'Nell! Saturday, June 24, 11 am, Reading Garden, Robert Crown Branch Library: More Information.
Plan ahead for this party with Evanston Pride:
 Independence Day commemorates the day in 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Second Continental Congress! The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate how far we've come as a country and dream about how we can make it a better place. This is the also the 100th anniversary of Evanston's Fourth of July festivities with a theme of Community United Cannot Be Divided so there are lots of great activities! That evening we’ll gather at the lakefront for the 7 pm live band concert then the celebration culminates with our grand fireworks display. Here are a few things you can do to celebrate:
-
Participate in some, or all, of the activities planned by the Fourth of July Association.
-
Make a Delicious Treat This flag-shaped dessert is easy to make and looks as good as it tastes!
-
Paint Make this simple thumbprint star painting! It looks great and is super easy! Decorate your or your friends and families' homes.
Everyone is also welcome to the Haitian Fourth of July Celebration for Caribbean food, live music, Haitian arts and crafts. Fun for the whole family! Tuesday, July 4, 2-10 pm, James Park.
For Parents Only: This July 4 is the anniversary of a mass killing in Highland Park which resulted in the cancellation of our Fourth of July festivities. If needed, PBS has some great advice about how to talk to kids about gun violence. If this shooting comes up in the family i.e. what did we do last year? this conversation with a child psychologist could help prepare you. May you all have a safe and secure celebration.
 Eid al-Adha is a Muslim holiday that celebrates the faith of the prophet Ibrahim, (or Abraham), the father of many nations. The celebration begins at sunset on Wednesday, June 28. Eid al-Adha is one of two Eids (festivals) in the Muslim calendar and this one is the bigger one! This holiday is usually celebrated by feasting with family and friends. Here are a few things you can do to honor the holiday:
-
Read! Check out our Brand New Muslim booklist!
-
Learn More This short video from PBS kids is a great explanation about the holiday and the ways it is celebrated.
-
Make Some Treats! Although meaty dishes are usually at the center of Eid Al-Adha celebrations, the desserts are also essential. This pistachio baklava is a delicious treat.
 Congratulations to all the kids graduating this month! Are all your kids older than rising 5th graders? Sign up for our Teen newsletter! Do you or your kids speak Spanish? Sign up for our Spanish language newsletter. You can also unsubscribe from this newsletter, if you like. All at this link: put in your email address, and then uncheck the newsletters you don't want and check the ones you do want.
|
