Library Media Center

FOR PARENTS

This site is designed to bring aspects of the public library to your home.  There are links representing books, museums, reference sites for looking up answers to questions, and more.  These sources are free of charge and are also accessible from any computer with an internet connection.

A WORD FROM OUR LIBRARIAN...

Reading is FUNDAMENTAL.  The Cooke School Library has a wide selection of books for all grades, K-5.  I encourage all the students to browse our collection of paperbacks, hardbacks, and books on tape.  They will find easy readers, picture books and award winners, fiction, and non-fiction.  The library receives two magazine subscriptions also.

Every class visits the library once a week for book checkout.  Teachers decide the number of books that the students may checkout, with a limit of two.  Books are due one week later.  It the child is not done with the book and wants to keep it longer, he/she needs to return it and check it out again.  There are no overdue fines but students will not be permitted to checkout again until all books are returned.  Parents are also welcome to visit the library and borrow books.

During the year, I encourage the studetns to participate in the Illinois State reading award voting.  For grades K-3, it is called the Monarch Award.  For grades 4-5, the award is named after author, Rebecca Caudill.  There are 20 titles on each list.  The students have to read a required number of books off the list and then may vote for their favorite in February.  This is a way for them to read some excellent books and to have a voice in the choosing of the award winning children's books for the state of Illinois.  Please click on the link on this website for more information.

Reading is a useful skill as well as a lifetime pleasure and I look forward to sharing some of my favorites with your children.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Evenhouse

Parent volunteers welcomed.

Have your child read to you...read to your child/children...let them read to themselves...let them see you read...just read.

 

CLMC EVENTS

Bookmobile Schedule

 

OTHER LIBRARY LINKS

Waukegan Public Library (Kids home page)

Waukegan Public Library (Main home page)

Internet Public Library

Here is a link to all your general reference needs including links to dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, homework help, and more.  The IPL is a non-profit organization that has created a virtual library. The Kid Space section has a plethora of topics with TONS AND TONS of links to subjects that are pertinent to what you are teaching in the classroom. The links have been carefully screened, and all are kid-friendly to use. This is a must see page for links.

Morton Grove Public Library

This kids link list is pretty good. It is updated often.  The links follow subject headings using the Dewey Decimal System

Library of Congress for Families

Mid-Continent Public Library

Grade Appropriate Suggested Reading Lists

These are some titles and authors that are highly recommended by Cooke staff.  Please feel free to vary from this list.

International Children's Digital Library

This site offers books read aloud, online, in many different languages.

Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County

This site offers a number of different online books read aloud. Additionally, you can link to TUMBLEBOOKS through this link, a site that offers books read on-line.

The Word Pool

This is a children's book site for parents, teachers, and writers.

Storyline Online

An on-line, streaming video featuring SAG (Screen Actor's Guild) members reading children's books aloud.  Each book includes accompanying activities and lesson ideas.

Paper Tigers

A multi-cultural website offering books with a focus on the Pacific Rim and South Asia.  It includes book-related resources, interviews of authors and illustrators, and much more.

Story Place

This is a bilingual website for kids.  You can listen to online stories in either English or Spanish, explore interactive online activities and games, and print take - home activities and age appropriate reading lists.

KidsClick

Web searches for kids by librarians

New York Public Library -- Kids

Great links from a great library.

Mycapstonelibrary.com

This site has 20 audio books on it, read aloud.  There are additional features the site such as highlighting each word as the story is read as well as word definitions right on the page!

Into the Book

This site is designed for teaching reading strategies for teachers and students.  Every child    gets a free login.  It is a beneficial site for teaching reading skills that are essential for all students, no matter the grade.

AWARD WINNING CHILDREN'S BOOKS

The following links contain books that won or were nominated for awards.  Our library has many of these books available for reading, as does the Waukegan Public Library.

Caldecott Books

Honors the best children's picture book of the year.

Monarch Books

Illinois' K-3 Children's Choice Award

Newberry Books

Honors the author making the biggest contribution to American Literature for children.

Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award

Honors outstanding, Illinois literature for young people, nominated by students grades 4-8

Coretta Scott King Book Awards

Given to African-American authors and illustrators for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions that promote understanding and appreciation of the culture of all people and their contribution to the realization of the American dream.

Notable Books for Children

Honors books that are worthy, important, distinguished, and outstanding for all age levels from birth through age 14.

Abraham Lincoln Award

Awarded to the book voted most outstanding by participating students in grades 9 - 12.  Sponsored by Illinois School Library Media Association.

Book Spot

This site has links to 15 different Awards for books as well as links to all the major genres of books.  Once these links are clicked on, even more awards are listed by genre.

American Library Association -- Young Adult Library Services Association

Awards and book-lists of young adult and teen books sponsored by the American Library Association.

 

BOOK TALKS

Booktalks Quick and Simple

Find out about books and authors by reading a summary of what the book is about.

 

KID'S BOOK PUBLISHERS

Random House Publishing for Kids

Scholastic for Kids

Simon & Schuster

 

MISCELLANEOUS SITES

Great Sites for Kids

This site contains a number of links that are all child friendly. Virtuallyall topics and subjects are here.  Please take a look!

What's in A Name?

Find out what your name means

Biography.com

Cooke Web Resources

Academic links are found here ranging from money to time to Earth day and more.

Get Caught Reading

Posters showing people supporting a nationwide campaign reminding people, children and adults, how much fun it is to read.

Guys Read

A site designed to help boys find books they like to read.

 

REFERENCE SITES

The World Almanac for Kids Online

Dictionary.com

Thesaurus.com

Merriam-Webster Online

MSN ENCARTA: Online Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Atlas, Homework

Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids

Answers to history questions for K-12 with materials for teachers and parents.

Science Fair Project Guide

All kinds of tips for creating a first class science fair report

Science Fair Project Ideas

Search these links or use the Topic Selection Wizard to help you find the perfect science fair project.

Internet Public Library

Here is a link to all your general reference needs including links to dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, homework help, and more.

Know your States

Practice your geography by placing states in their correct location.

Blackle.com

For all of you "Googlers" out there, and in the spirit of going green,  this is an energy-saving search engine that is powered by Google.

Facthound.com

Useful for grades K and up, this site has references on just about any subject! The site offers you additional links and books you can check out on the subject you are interested in.  It also contains a link to capstonekids.com

Capstonekids.com

Offers students the opportunities to play educational games, explore, enhance education with quizzes on online stories, and more.  A great reference!

Pebblego.com

User name ---- Try (Capital T, lower case ry)
Password ----- It (Capital I, lower case i)

This animal database is great for younger students.  See real video clips and hear real audio of the animals you love.  Search through hundreds of different animals.

 

MUSEUM SITES

Waukegan Historical Society

Chicago Historical Society

A View on Cities

Contains attractions, maps, buildings, facts, history, pictures, and more!

Illinois State Historical Society

The Art Institute of Chicago

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Field Museum

The Museum of Science and Industry

Adler Planetarium

Exploratorium: The museum of science, art and human perception

Smithsonian Institute

 

IMAGES:

New York Public Library Digital Library

Has a fantastic database of drawings, paintings, scanned images, and photographs, without all the ads that Google Images has.

Pics - 4 - Learning

A large selection of copyright friendly pictures that are on subjects that teachers want to use.  Includes a section on natural disasters.

FOR TEACHERS:

Reference Websites:

First School Years

Provides worksheets and resources for parents and teachers of primary children.

Teachers.net

Houses teacher discussion boards and chatrooms, as well as lesson plans, reference ideas, and teaching tools.

Sites for Teachers

Hundreds of educational websites ranked by popularity.  All subjects covered.

Lesson Plans and Websites for Teachers

Offers lesson plans, worksheets, teaching materials, and links to teacher-oriented websites.

Literacy Websites:

http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/literacy_centers%20Final.htm

http://www.teachingheart.net/LC.htm

http://www.literactive.com/Home/index.asp

MAPS Test Practice Site

This site allows students to practice the format of the MAP Test.  You can scroll back and forth to find the answers to the questions.

http://www.pearsonlongman.com/ae/marketing/sfesl/practicereading.html

MAPS Websites using RIT scores:

These links will allow students to remediate skill areas that were identified on MAP testing as low.  If you know your student's RIT scores in the different areas, these are websites to practice at and make progress with.

http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/

http://www.sowashco.k12.mn.us/ro/pages/studentlinks/map/reading.htm