Bingo!

Who wants a free book? These kids do! Here is up-to-the-minute photos of our Be Creative Bingo for books that's taking place at this very minute at the library. Even though our summer reading program is now halfway through, we still have lots more fun in store at the library for kids of all ages this summer.

Come by to take a look at our summer reading brochure to find out about our upcoming events in July such as our Harry Potter Theater night and our second Campfire Storytime of the summer.

And speaking of summer reading...you might be interested to know that our superstar summer readers have logged over 46,000 minutes of reading so far. Great work, everyone! Keep up the fantastic reading and you just might have a chance to be one of our Top 50 or Top 20 summer readers!

Find Age-Appropriate Comics for Kids Online!

At Kidjutsu you can browse web comics by age rating, theme, and more! It's free, the comics easy to browse (by age rating, theme, and more)and the reader makes it simple to click through the panels. There's plenty of manga, but there's also options for the superhero set and even (gasp) educational fare. Enjoy!

Create an Online Masterpiece!

Now your kids can make a masterpiece the no-mess way: online! Visit this 2009 winner of the Webby Awards to make a Jackson Pollock-esque work of art using only a mouse. If your kids can't get enough of do-it-yourself web art then there's also Dreezle which has a variety of curious-looking toolbars that kids can play around with.

Take the Express Lane at the Library!

Would you like to beat the summer reading checkout line after storytime? Do you want to doublecheck your holds or see at a glance how many things you have checked out? Our teens aren't the only ones who get to express themselves at the library this summer. You can too by checking out your books at our Express Lane station and beating the crowd! Look for the Youth Services Express Lane station across from the elevator. All you need is your library card and the account pin number you've created. If you haven't created one, you'll do so the first time you use Express Lane.

Check out Express Lane today! Remember that you can find a station upstairs by the circulation desk as well as downstairs in Youth Services.

Is there a Van Gogh in the House?

This Monday our artists answered our call for Mural Madness! With the help of our creative volunteers our storytime room got a makeover a la Monet, Van Gogh, and Munch. Come to the library and check out the work of our talented young artists!

Don't feel bad if you missed out on the fun. The library has many more Be Creative programs coming your way. This week our teens flex their artistic skills by putting their own stamp on the official teen space scrapbook and next week our Kids DIY Club works on beaded bracelets. Join us on Monday, June 15 at 2:00 p.m. to participate! The Forest Park Teens scrapbook party is on Thursday, June 11 and is designed for kids ages 12 and up. The Kids DIY Club program is designed for kids ages 8-12.

Don't Forget! Summer Reading Sign-up Begins Tomorrow!

Summer Reading 2009 begins tomorrow! Summer reading registration will kick off at the Forest Park Library from 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Saturday, June 6 with ice cream and face-painting from 12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.

We have a summer reading program for every age level, including programs geared towards babies and pre-readers. If you have any questions about any of these programs or our summer lineup of fun activities, please come by and ask one of our Youth Services staff members who will be happy to help you.

Will you be stopping by Summerfest? Don't miss award-winning children's performer Dave Rudolf who will be performing on the Kids' Stage at Beloit and Madison at 3:00 p.m. sharp.

Have fun this weekend and don't forget to sign up for summer reading!

No More Waiting!

The Youth Services Department will be offering Express Lane checkout services beginning June 1. Starting Monday, library visitors will be able to check out their own books using the Express Lane station. All you will need will be a library card and the pin number you chose for your account. If you have never checked your library account online and haven't chosen a pin number for yourself, you will be given the chance to create one the first time you use our Express Lane station.

Instructions will be provided at the check out station and library visitors should feel free to go to their librarians with any questions about the new service.