Upcoming Preschool Fairs in Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Elgin

If you have a child who might be ready for preschool next fall, now is the time to look into your options. The Go West Preschool and Daycare Guide is a great place to start. But you'll want to meet preschool owners and staff in person, and for that reason, area Preschool Fairs are a good next step. Plus, you'll likely learn about some upcoming open houses where you can visit and tour the preschool, often with your little one in hand.

Here are a few upcoming Preschool Fairs. If you know of more, please include in the comments section!

A loft at the 5-Star Learning Ranch in Batavia, a Go West sponsor.WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7:

The annual Preschool Fair at the Batavia Public Library is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to drop-in and speak with representatives of preschools in both Batavia and Geneva. It will be held Wednesday, Nov. 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. You can drop in anytime during those hours; no registration is required. (Note: I attended this fair two years ago, and it was very helpful. Plenty of parents do bring their kids, although if you really want to focus, it's best to leave them at home or bring another caregiver to help keep track of them.)

THURSDAY, NOV. 8:

The St. Charles Public Library's Preschool Forum will feature representatives from St. Charles preschools speaking about the unique qualities of their school. After the presentation, each preschool will be availble to answer questions. This event will be held on Thursday, Nov. 8, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It is an adults-only event; no children please. Also, you MUST register in advance for this event by noon on Thursday. Call 630-584-9390 for details.

JANUARY 2013:

The Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin will host its annual Preschool & Childcare Information Fair on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, from 10 a.m. to noon. Drop-in to speak with representatives from area preschool and daycare centers.

SPRING 2013:

The West Chicago Public Library held a Preschool/Day Camp Open House in the spring of 2012. I'll add it to the Go West Calendar and share details here once they are finalized for next year.

Getting Ready for 'The Hunger Games'

Confession time: I'm love to read, but I'm a snob about books. I learn toward the classics, and in fact, when I'm looking for something "new" to tackle, I often get out my crumpled list of "101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers," that a high school teacher gave me in the late '80s. Current, I'm not.

The Gail Borden Public Library has a 'Hunger Games' display in its lobby in preparation for its Survival Training Camp on March 22. Photo by Tara Burghart.So when one of the women in my book club suggested last fall that we read "The Hunger Games," I rolled my eyes. (Only internally though. I'm a polite snob.) But I was soon hooked by the tale of 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen and her struggle to survive the horrifying games in which boys and girls are forced to fight each other to the death, set in a not-too-distant future in which the United States has collapsed. Yep, I read the other two books in the trilogy, too.

The movie version of the first book is coming out Friday, March 23, and a number of events are scheduled leading up to its release. Here are a few in Chicago's far western suburbs -- although these are all aimed at the teens in your life. Sorry moms, you'll have to practice your archery skills in your backyard.

GENEVA: The Geneva Public Library is hosting a "Capitol Ball" on Friday, March 16, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. You must be a teen to attend, and costumes are required. There will be challenges, games and treats fancy enough to please those in the Capitol. (This sounds beter than my prom!) Pre-registration is required; you can do that via the library's March calendar.

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Did Your Favorite Children's Book Make the '100 Greatest' List?

I was a real bookworm as a child, and I remember how happy I was when my mom would give me a hardcover book for Christmas or my birthday. One of those thick, beautifully illustrated versions of a classic like "Jane Eyre" or "Little Women," sometimes even with "gold"-leaf pages!

"Frog and Toad Are Friends" was No. 10 on the list.So when my daughter was born, I was quick to propose a tradition. Each Christmas, we have given her a special hardcover children's classic, even if it would be at least a few years before she could enjoy them. So far, she's received an 80th anniversary edition of "Winnie the Pooh" and the books that led up to it; the 50th anniversary edition of "Eloise"; "A Bear Called Paddington" and a copy of "Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales." (That year, the tradition took a Christmas break and came around in time for Easter instead!)

Well, I shouldn't have any trouble coming up with ideas for our Christmas tradition for the next few decades, thanks to a new list.

Scholastic Parent & Child magazine has released its list of the "100 Greatest Books for Kids." The editors said they had been thinking about doing such a list for a long time, but this year seemed like a good fit because it marks the 15th anniversary of the National Education Association's Read Across America Day, which will take place March 2. To get started, the magazine asked a group of literacy experts, educators and parents for suggestions, which resulted in about 500 nominees: 

"We used a variety of criteria to narrow down to 100 and then rank our titles, including diversity of genre, topic, format, ages and stages, authorship, and cultural representation. Factors such as literary and/or illustration excellence, popularity, and longevity or innovative freshness were all qualities of books in the final round."

Among some of my favorite that made the cut? "Anne of Green Gables," "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!" and "The Diary of a Young Girl." I was disappointed the "Little House" books weren't on the list.

The big question of course was what would rank No. 1? I won't spoil the surprise for you. You can take a look at the list here -- arranged in cool interactive bookshelf that allows you to break down the books by age, genre and more.

But once you take a look, come back here and let us know: Are your favorites on the list? What about your children's personal favorite books? Are any of these titles new to you (some of them certainly are to me) and will you be inspired to introduce them to your children? And what did you think of the book that nabbed the No. 1 spot?

November's Early Literacy Activities Calendar

As always, thank you to the wonderful folks in the Youth Services Department at the West Chicago Public Library for sharing their monthly Early Literacy Activities Calendar with us.

Photo by catd_mitchell on Flickr.Nov. 1: Make up silly rhyming words together.

Nov. 2: Attend a library storytime together.

Nov. 3: Look at trees outside. Talk about how the leaves change.

Nov. 4: Make a list of your child's favorite books or stories together.

Nov. 5: Begin reading a book upside down and let your child correct you.

Nov. 6: Take a counting walk, picking something to count (cars, trees, houses, etc.)

Nov. 7: Turn off the television and play a board game together.

Nov. 8: Stack up pillows inside and read together.

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August's Early Literacy Activities Calendar

Thanks to the great folks in the Youth Department at the West Chicago Public Library for sharing this montly calendar, full of easy and creative ways to promote a love of reading and words in young children.

Photo by catd_mitchell on Flickr.Aug. 1: Take a counting walk -- trees, houses, etc. -- and count them.

Aug. 2: At the end of the day, create a story together about what you did.

Aug. 3: Read a book together, running your fingers along the words as you read.

Aug. 4: Lie on your backs outside and name the shapes you see in the clouds.

Aug. 5: Give you child a pail of water and a paintbrush and paint letters on the sidewalk.

Aug. 6: Read a book about the beach, naming the items in the pictures.

Aug. 7: Blow some bubbles together.

Aug. 8: While out driving, read billboards and storefront signs.

Aug. 9: Visit the library together with your child.

Aug. 10: Read a rhyming book together.

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