Your Family, Your Library

Your Family, Your Library is a podcast produced by Skokie Public Library. Our Youth Services staff chat about their experiences as parents and recommend library resources for caregivers looking for support!

Meet the Team

Learn more about our co-hosts and the behind-the-scenes staff who bring you this monthly series.

Katie Fox, Co-Host

Katie is a Youth Services librarian who enjoys books, good coffee (and lots of it) and riding around town on her pink bike.

Caitlin Savage, Co-Host

Caitlin  is a Youth Services librarian and book devotee who aspires to live up to the gold librarian standard of cozy cardigans, sassy glasses, and hard candies.

Amber Hayes, Producer

Amber is the Communications Coordinator, which means she's on the internet a lot. When she's not reading a bunch of romance or fantasy books, she can be found yelling about soccer.

Paul Knutson, Audio Engineer

Paul is the staff videographer and podcast engineer for Skokie Public Library. When he isn't yelling "action", he's likely telling corny jokes, or speaking in quotes.

Listen to the Show

Show Notes

Find links and information referenced in each month's episode. 

Climate Change and Climate Anxiety

• Holiday Boutique
• CreativeBug
• Teen Climate Cafe (Tuesday, December 5)
• Articles
  • The Uninhabitable Earth (New York Magazine)
    • Book
  • Community Power Drives Climate Solution (Project Drawdown)
  15-Minute Cities Climate Solution (NPR)
  Here's How Americans Feel about Climate Change (NPR)
  What Do Climate Scientists Tell Their Kids about the Future? (Scientific American)
• Sustainability in Skokie
• Collective Resource Compost Cooperative
• Green Bexley
• Science Moms
• Girls in STEM at the Museum of Science and Industry
• Book Recommendations for Kids
• Book Recommendations for Adults
• Transcript

Bedtime Challenges and Reading Instruction

• Library Resources
  • Picture Books on Issues
  • Halloween Costume Parade (Tuesday, October 31, 10:30 am)
  • Family Book Club: Haylee and Comet (Thursday, November 30, 6:30 pm)
    Grow a Reader 
  • TumbleBook Library for Kids
  • Wonderbook Collection
  • World Languages at the Library
  • Storytimes
• Information on Literacy in the United States
  • The Right to Read Film
  • The Science of Reading: The Basics (National Center on Improving Literacy)
  • Sold a Story (American Public Media Report)
  • National Achievement-Level Results (National Assessment of Educational Progress)
  • Literacy Gap Map (Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy)
• New York Times: Connections
• Waffle Game
• Book Recommendations: Bedtime Challenges
• Book Recommendations: Reading Instruction
• Transcript

How to Be a Friend

• Bilingual Storytime and Craft: Spanish (Tuesday, September 26, 1:30 pm)
• Nature Play (Mondays at 10:30 am)
• Together Time (Wednesdays at 10:30 am)
• Book Recommendations
• Friendship Picture Books at the Library
• 5 Easy Tips for Making Friends as an Adult (NPR)
• How to Show Your Friends You Love Them, According to a Friendship Expert (NPR)
• Making Friends is Easy When You're Young, But It Can Be Harder as You Age (NPR)
• Why a Stranger's Hello Can Do More than Just Brighten Your Day (NPR)
• Transcript

Post-Pandemic School

• Absent Parents Book List
• Back-to-School Reads
• Book Recommendations
• First Day of School and Adjusting to Preschool for Ages 3-5
• Picky Eaters Book List
• Picture Books about School
• Scholastic Teachables
• Tutor.com
• Transcript

It Takes a Village

• Library
  • Book Recommendations
  • Resources for Families
  • Grow a Reader
  • Transcript
• Early Childhood Resources
  • Niles Township Early Childhood Alliance
  • Contact the ECA
  • Angelo Millitello Emergency Funds
  • Say Yes to Childcare
• Articles
  • Mounting Evidence of Advantages for Children with Working Mothers (New York Times)
  • What Research Says about Being a Stay-at-Home Mom (Very Well Family)
  • Yes, Being a Working Mom is Good for Your Kids. Here's Why (Fortune)
  • In Illinois Child Care Costs Eclipse Rent in Making it One of the Least Affordable States (Chalkbeat Chicago)
  • In Illinois, Can Families Afford Child Care (Child Care Aware)
  • The Summer Care Gap (New America)
  • Case Study: Care in Illinois (New America)

Summer Fun

• Legally Blonde Jr.: Teen Summer on Broadway (Monday, July 3, 2 pm)
• Legally Blonde Jr.: Teen Summer on Broadway (Monday, July 3, 6:30 pm)
• Mexican Folk Dance: A Performance and Lesson (Friday, July 7)
• Early Childhood Alliance Summer Guide
• Summer learning loss: What is it, and what can we do about it? (Brookings Institution)
• Summer learning loss: What we know and what we’re learning (NWEA)
• Rethinking summer slide: The more you gain, the more you lose (Kappan)
• Cosmic Kids Yoga (YouTube)
• Write. Right. Rite. With Jason Reynolds (YouTube)
• Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems! (YouTube)
• Summer Reading at Skokie Public Library
• Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
• West Ridge Nature Park
• The Grove in Glenview
• Booklists: 
  • Summer Fun Book Recommendations
  • Outdoor Adventures for Kids
  • Get Out of the House  
  • Adventures for Your Imagination (for kids)
  • Adventures for Your Senses (for kids) 
  • Adventures for a Rainy Day (for kids) 
  • Adventures in Storytelling (for kids) 
  • Family Audiobooks 
  • Family Audiobooks for Younger Kids 
• Transcript

Social Anxiety

• Weekend Storytime (Saturday, May 27)
• Family Book Club: The Elephants Come Home (Wednesday, May 31)
• Book Recommendations
• Summer Reads for Kids
• 10 Tips for Parenting Anxious Kids (Child Mind Institute) 
• Parenting Anxious Kids (Child Mind Institute)  
• What is Social Anxiety (Child Mind Institute) 
• Transcript

Big Feelings

• Library Dance Party (every Tuesday)
• Campfire Fun (Friday, May 5)
• Book Recommendations
• Transcript