Celebrate Teen Read Week

Each year the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) encourages teens to spend time reading just for the fun of it. Teens have so many options for entertainment these days, but research shows that teens who read for fun have better test scores and are more likely to succeed in the workforce.

Teen Read Week is a national initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, and educators. This year's theme is Read Beyond Reality, which encourages teens to read something out of this world!

Teens at the Wauconda Area Library can participate by:

Reading and reviewing their favorite or not-so-favorite books. Review slips will be entered into a drawing for a Barnes & Noble gift card.

Dropping in daily to match the characters with books, movies and graphic novels. Participants will be entered into drawings for small prizes.

Visiting the library on Tuesday, October 20 at 3:30 p.m. to meet the 2008 Illinois Author of the Year, Simone Elkeles.

• Author of popular titles like, How to Ruin a Summer Vacation and Perfect Chemistry, Simone will answer questions about her books, her writing and research process, and how students can improve their own writing. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Simone grew up in the Chicago suburbs and was a reluctant reader as a teen.

She currently has four published books. Leaving Paradise is a finalist for the 2010 Abraham Lincoln Book Award.

Congratulations to Cotton Creek School, winner of the Library Card Sign-Up Contest!

To celebrate National Library Card Sign-Up Month during September, the Wauconda Area Library partnered with the Wauconda School District 118 to promote library card registration among all the district's schools. The goal was to register 100% of the district's students. The school that came closest to that goal was Cotton Creek School with 89% participation! Robert Crown Elementary School was a close second at 82% participation.

Cotton Creek students won a pizza party for the entire school - thanks to the Wauconda Rotary Club, the Wauconda Lions Club and the American Legion! The pizza party will be held at Cotton Creek School on Thursday, October 15 at 2:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

The Save Illinois Libraries Campaign Needs You!

Tell Illinois legislators we are passionate about keeping libraries funded by using ILA's CapWiz page to send a letter asking our legislators to commit to a pledge supporting library funding in the state budget.

Then, use SaveIllinoisLibraries.com to tell your stories, get tips on ways to take action on this issue, and use the website badge to show your support.