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I’ve always been a bit of a rule breaker (more about that here), and although I believe children need guidance and limits, my slightly rebellious spirit has definitely influenced my parenting style. 

I am the parent who, when a craft project is handed out at a library storytime, steps back and lets my child get to work (stepping in only when the entire contents of an Elmer’s Glue bottle is about to be spilled onto the floor).

Does this mean I have a collection of abstract, purple paper panda bears at home? Yes -- absolutely.

But I take a hands-off approach not only because it gives me a chance to take a few sips my tea (bonus!), but because I firmly believe encouraging creativity is incredibly important.

(I am not alone in this thought – more and more people, parents, and professionals agree).  

Continue Reading "Instructions Not Needed: Encouraging Creativity in Children" →

On this episode, Dave, Tony and Joel discuss two highly-acclaimed films released last year and now available on DVD at the Des Plaines Public Library: Get Out, a horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele and Moonlight, a drama written and directed by Barry Jenkins. Take a listen below:

To hear previous episodes of the Pint & Click Podcast, subscribe with iTunes or visit the Podomatic page to listen and share. Also, if you enjoy the podcast and have a free moment, take a moment to rate and review us on iTunes - it helps others find the podcast more easily!

If you didn’t grow up with computers, you may resent having to learn how to operate one. How about giving it another chance? You might be pleasantly surprised at what you learn.

The Des Plaines Public Library has a new, convenient program for adults with little or no computer experience to learn the basics of how to use a computer.

Continue Reading "Helping Adults Master Technology" →

This summer we went to Massachusetts for a week including a few days on Cape Cod and a few days in and around Boston.

It so happened that Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes was on my son’s summer reading list.

Johnny Tremain is a youth novel about a young man living in Boston before and during the Revolutionary War. He was an apprentice silversmith, had dealings with Paul Revere, and took part in many events that birthed our nation.

The CD audiobook was not available so we downloaded it through Hoopla.

Continue Reading "What I Did on Summer Vacation" →

As a young child I remember when the first Jurassic Park movie came out, and how I was wowed by its fantastic visual effects.

It wasn't until junior high when I read Michael Crichton's novel that I discovered just how vastly different the movie was from the book, a discovery I would later learn was true of most adaptations.

As time went on, I learned to appreciate some of these movies for what they were. My hope is the new Netflix version of Death Note will be no exception.​

Continue Reading "Hollywood’s Remakapalooza" →