Katie H

Science Theatre—Fun with Liquid Nitrogen!

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Visit the library on October 18 at 1:30pm for special presentation Science Theatre—Fun with Liquid Nitrogen!

Have you ever wondered what happens to everyday materials when they get REALLY cold?  Let’s explore the fascinating world of ultra-cold experiments by dunking different objects (balloon, banana, racquetball, etc.) into liquid nitrogen!

Join Dr. Erik Hendrickson, UWEC Physics & Astronomy Professor, for an exciting afternoon of scientific discovery.

Recommended for grades 1-8 and parents/caregivers.

This event is a part of Wisconsin Science Festival. Stay downtown for additional festival events happening at Pablo Center and Children’s Museum:

11:00am-1:00pm: Pablo Center Ready, Set, Science: Family Science Fest Expo!

Staff, robotics teams, and community organizations share their passion for science through exploration stations in the lobby. From robots to art and so much more!

2:30-4:00pm Children’s Museum of Eau Claire

Explore hands-on science experiments and sustainability-focused activities. Science Festival activities are available for free in the museum lobby.

Kelly K

Oct 19: See Author Lori M. Lee!

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Discover the Magic of Hmong Mythology with Author Lori M. Lee!

Join us on Saturday, October 19, from 4-5 p.m. in the Riverview Room for a captivating event with Lori M. Lee, author of the award-winning Pahua and the Soul Stealer. As part of the Chippewa Valley Book Festival, this family-friendly event will explore Hmong mythology and culture, as Lori shares how these rich traditions inspire her beloved fantasy books for young readers.

Lori’s Pahua and the Soul Stealer, a Rick Riordan Presents title, follows 11-year-old Pahua Moua, a Hmong girl with the ability to see spirits. After she accidentally releases an angry spirit, her brother falls into a mysterious coma. With the help of a warrior shaman, Pahua embarks on a journey through the spirit world to save him, discovering her own strength and the deep connections to her culture along the way.

Don’t miss this chance to meet the author behind these magical tales, dive into unfamiliar stories, and see how mythology from around the world connects us all. Stick around after the presentation for a Q&A and book signing!

Registration is required, so make sure to sign up soon! For more information or to register, visit www.ecpubliclibrary.info.

To learn more about the Chippewa Valley Book Festival and other events, visit www.cvbookfest.org.

LORI M. LEE is the author of speculative novels and short stories. Her books include the award-winning Pahua and the Soul Stealer and its sequel Pahua and the Dragon’s Secret. Also, Forest of Souls, Broken Web, Calling of Light, and more. She’s also a contributor to the anthologies A Thousand Beginnings; Endings; and Color Outside the Lines. She considers herself a unicorn fan, enjoys binging TV shows, and loves to write about magic, manipulation, and mayhem.

Katie H

Young Artists Gallery Now Open!

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The Young Artists Gallery is a space for young artists (ages birth-18) to display their original artwork in the library. Selected artists may submit 3-4 works measuring approximately 9” x 12” that are suitable for hanging.

Interested in displaying your work in the gallery? Fill out the Artist Submission Form, and your name will be entered into a lottery system, with three artists randomly selected to display each month through May 2025.

For more information about the gallery and what can be displayed, click here.

Visit the gallery located in the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation Tween Lounge (within the Youth Services area) to view pieces from this month’s artists, Desmond (age 3), Marlee (8), and Owen (9)!

 

 

 

 

Jerissa

We Want to Hear from You

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On behalf of the Youth Services staff at the library, THANK YOU to all of the children, teens, and families who participated in “Summer at the Library.” More than 2,000 youth, ages 0-18, participated in our reading program and more than 5,700 people attended more than 100 library events between June 1 – August 15! Your support and engagement in the public library help make programs like these possible. Please consider sharing your thoughts about “Summer at the Library” with us by completing this this brief survey. Your feedback will help us continue to improve our summer programs and events. Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you back at the library for events, activities, and great books all year long!

https://www.ecpubliclibrary.info/kids/summer-survey/ 

Jerissa

Supporting Your Child’s Reading Development

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Parents and caregivers, do you want to help your child get ready for and succeed at reading but aren’t sure where to start? We’ve got you covered! Join us at the library for two evenings of discussions with UW-Eau Claire professors about science-based strategies for supporting your child’s reading development at home.

The first session: Early Literacy

  • Monday, June 24, from 6-7:30 p.m. | Carnegie Room (on the first floor)
  • How to support your child’s early literacy skills between the ages of 0-6 years
  • Led by Dr. Angela Jones and her student researchers

Dr. Angela Jones and her student researchers will discuss their model “Read with TLC,” a comprehensive resource designed to help you engage in activities that will effectively prepare your child for reading.

The second session: Emergent Reading

  • Wednesday, June 26, from 6-7:30 p.m. | Riverview Room (on the third floor)
  • How to support your child’s emergent reading skills between grades K-5
  • Led by Dr. Susan Tily and her student researchers

Registration is not required for either session. If you are an early childhood educator, completion certificates are available upon request for continuing education purposes.

“We provide practical strategies, engaging activities, and tips for cultivating a love for language and literacy in young children,” Dr. Jones says. “Whether through playful interactions, immersive experiences, or purposeful interventions, you play a pivotal role in fostering your child’s literacy skills.” We hope you will join us!

March 17–22: Spring Break Week Activities
Alisha

Spend Spring Break at the Library!

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The week of March 25th marks Spring Break Week for many of the schools in the Eau Claire community and the library’s Youth Services staff has all the fun things planned!  In addition to storytimes and Dabble Box Open Labs we’ll have special programs scheduled daily.  Can’t make it in for a scheduled program?  Come in to complete a scavenger hunt, play a game, or check out a great read, movie, video game, or activity from the Library of Things to take home.  Reservations can also be made for our Escape Room which will be available at specific times throughout the week.

Special programs for 6th grade and under include a Wings of Fire Celebration, Perler Beads craft program, Family BINGO, and Pokemon Club.  Teens in grades 7th-12th grades are invited to a Teen Switch Tournament, a Taylor Swift Eras Party, and the Teen Late Night.

Check out the full list with more details here!

Jerissa

Learn to Play the Ukulele

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Are you a parent, grandparent, caregiver, or educator of children ages 0-5? Did you know that engaging young children in musical experiences builds connections in their brain and contributes to the development of language and math skills? The impact of music is incredible, and it doesn’t take much to create a musical experience for your children. Your voice will more than suffice, but why not add a little ukulele from time to time?

Give this simple and fun instrument a try during our introductory ukulele mini-series on Saturdays, February 24 and March 16, from 1:30-3 p.m. Learn a few simple cords that will enable you to play a plethora of traditional children’s songs for your kiddos and most certainly transform you into a rock star! Nicole Cook, who has taught music for 25 years, will be leading these classes. Her love of ukulele began in her elementary music classroom, and since then she has taught both group and private lessons.

So join us! No prior ukulele or musical experience is necessary. Bring your own ukulele or use one of ours (while supplies last)! Registration is required and seats are limited. Participants should plan to attend both sessions. Go ahead and register now!

Shannon

We Are Happy to Help!

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Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed at the sheer number of books available in the kids department? There are so many topics, a huge age range, audiobooks, graphic novels, picture books, nonfiction, and on, and on, and on! Where do you begin?! Luckily, there is a very easy answer to that overwhelming question: You begin at the Youth Services Desk.

Youth Services staff members can be found at the Youth Services desk during all open library hours, and at the Teen Desk during select afternoon/evening hours…and we can’t wait to help you find your (or your child’s) next favorite book!

If you are feeling independent, we can point you toward multiple resources—both in our room and online—which feature YS staff members’ book recommendations on a variety of topics. However, we are always very happy to help our customers with personalized recommendations, if you prefer to work with us directly.

If you are not yet at the library, and you’d like to begin your searching online, you can find a multitude of staff-built lists by visiting the Book Suggestions page on our website, or by visiting ECPubLibYouth right in our MORE catalog.

In addition to giving book recommendations, our desk staff offers various other services as well! We will happily provide room directions, give scavenger hunt clues, help you track down answers to questions—we even have diapers if you find yourself without. If you or your children need support (or a high five) while you are at the library, our friendly desk staff is always there to help. So be sure to stop by and say hello the next time you are in the library!

Jill

Here comes Storytime!!

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I don’t know about you, but I am so excited to start our Winter/Spring Storytime series! Storytime at our library is such a joyful time for children and their grownups (and library staff too!). We offer several storytime options for different ages/developmental levels, and we hope you can find a storytime experience just right for your family.

Our storytimes include not only fun stories, but we also mix in music and physical movement to get everyone dancing and having a blast. If you have any questions about storytime at all, please call 715-839-5007 and our Youth Services Staff will be happy to help.

NEW days and times this Winter/Spring? Yes! Take a close look at our all new storytime schedule, and we hope to see you at the library very soon!!

➜ More storytime information HERE!

Shannon

Winter Break Week!

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Winter Break is almost upon us, which means it’s time to head to the library for tons of extra fun! Kids, Teens, and their families are invited to join us during Winter Break Week  (December 26-30) for a flurry of seasonal activities.  

When you visit the library, you’ll find scavenger hunts, craft activities, and games all week long–just stop by the Youth Services desk (Level 1) for details. While you are there, ask about our Winter Library Programs (December 26–February 29)! Sign up for our Family or Teen program to earn a prize! Click here for full info. 

Of course, we also have some special events happening throughout the week. On Tuesday, December 26, join us for a Color Bash! Together, we’ll brighten up the shortest days of the year with some color. Explore light experiments, prisms, and colorful crafts, no registration required. Details here! 

Or if you prefer icy experiments and snowy crafts, visit us on Wednesday, December 27 for the Ice Bowl! Youth Pre-k through grade 6 will enjoy a cool afternoon excavating objects from ice, testing whether salt melts ice faster than vinegar, designing a snowflake, and more. Click here for all the details. 

Teens will also have a chance to get creative during Winter Break Week. Youth in grades 7-12 are invited to join us for a cozy afternoon of macrame and hot cocoa at Knotty & Nice on Wednesday, December 27. Projects are beginner friendly, and registration is required. For information and to register, click here. 

On Thursday, December 28, kids of all ages (and their grown-ups) are invited to stop in and play Family BINGO for fun and small prizes. This event is so popular, it’s offered twice in one day! No registration is required, please click here for times and details. 

Finally, on Friday, December 29, teens in Grades 7-12 will have an opportunity to make art they can eat at Teen Cookie Decorating! Using icing and sprinkles, teens will create a cookie masterpiece in the library’s cozy kitchen. Registration is required by clicking here. 

And, of course, we always offer books, movies, video games, maker kits, and so much more, so stock-up for chilly weather and family time. Be sure to stop down – we’re always happy to see you!