Dear Star Wars, Yoda Obi-Wan for Me

If your family was anything like mine when I was a kid, your mother probably made you watch The Wizard of Oz. And if you were anything like me, you probably liked the movie well enough, but the “magic” of seeing the movie transform over to color was lost on you, because… color? Duh. That […]

What’s Better Than an Apple for the Teacher?

Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day, and seriously, who deserves to be appreciated more than teachers? As the wife of a teacher, I can attest to the hours spent out of the classroom that contributes to the well-being of students in the classroom. On any given night, you’ll find my husband, a middle school math […]

Parents: Get Caught Reading and Improve Your Child’s Literacy

By Jenni Buchanan, Reading Rainbow Mom   Dear Parents,   Today I’m going to encourage you to do something a little unusual. Today I’d like you to let your kids “catch” you in the furtive and secret act of… READING!   As an avid reader and the Reading Rainbow Mom, I love ALL the book-themed […]

Inky: Octopus and Escape Artist Extraordinaire

If you haven’t read the recent story of Inky, the octopus who escaped from a New Zealand Aquarium, you are missing out on an amazing true story of escape and intrigue that leaves you with many questions and the desire to find out more.   Inky, a common New Zealand octopus, managed to somehow slip through […]

It’s Take Your Child to Work Day

“My mom gets a latte work done in the coffee shop!”   It sounds a bit communist in its wording, but Take Your Child to Work Day is one of the best ways to introduce your children to what grown-ups ACTUALLY do all day.   When I was a child, I assumed my mother went […]

Do we still need those things called books?

By Lisa Clancy, MSLS   We’re having a month-long celebration of the people who make our libraries run, who help us find the books we need, and who always know how to research topics for reports and term papers. In this 3-part series, we asked librarian extraordinaire Lisa Clancy to answer a few questions about […]

Passover: A Night of Questions

The Jewish holiday of Passover is in full swing now, but just a few days ago, Jewish families everywhere were sitting down to their first Passover Seder. A Seder, which literally means “order”, is the ceremonial meal that tells the story of the Jewish people’s escape from slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago.   […]

Cents and Sensibilities

When it comes to teaching my kids to save, I subscribe to the oldest parental rule in the book: “Do as I say, not as I do.”   I’m the first to admit I’ve never been good with money. My friends were much better at utilizing piggy banks for chore money or tooth-fairy quarters (back […]

Earth Day Lessons: A Trashion Show

Earlier this year, my daughter participated in her school’s fourth annual Trashion show, where students were invited to create some sort of wearable ensemble made from reclaimed and/or recyclable materials to promote recycling and sustainable lifestyles.  Students who participated in the school’s annual event were not only able to showcase their creative talents, but were […]

Do we still need librarians if we have Google?

By Lisa Clancy, MSLS   We’re having a month-long celebration of the people who make our libraries run, who help us find the books we need, and who always know how to research topics for reports and term papers. In this 3-part series, we asked librarian extraordinaire Lisa Clancy to answer a few questions about […]