Despite being a big city, Chicago is home to many types of natural areas from prairie grasslands and woods to wetlands and dunes, and since the days of the renowned Jens Jensen, the city has had an interest in promoting native biodiversity. This means that throughout our parks and nature areas you can find plants native to our…
5 Books to Read After You Read “Reading Lolita in Tehran”
While Azar Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran has become a modern classic in its own right, there are plenty of other books detailing the lives of women in revolutionary Iran. For those not familiar with Nafisi's story, she was an English professor in Tehran who held private, secret seminars for a selected group of students on…
Classic Comedy: Laughs That Last
By Kate
The classics are always the best. There might be newer entertainment that makes you laugh, but there are still none better than The Simpsons, The Onion and "Weird Al" Yankovic. You may not love all of them, but chances are good that at least one of them has been providing you with chuckles, giggles or…
Bright Lights, Big City, Great Books
By Laura
Neon signs—they put the bright lights in our big city. Garish and brassy, they beckon with color and light and martinis and stars. Subtle they are not. But still, I love them. Back in March, though, Preservation Chicago named neon signs one of the most endangered “architectural treasures” in Chicago. Since May is Preservation Month, it’s…
Asian-Pacific Heritage Month Graphic Novel Spotlight
By mangman
In honor of Asian-Pacific Heritage Month we are putting the spotlight on a few Asian American graphic novelists who create write and draw for kids and teens. Gene Luen Yang Gene Luen Yang is one of the more prolific graphic novelists working today to create books for kids and teens. He often takes on both writing and…
Wentworth Avenue: Streets of Chicago
By Lyle
Chicago’s Wentworth Avenue runs south from 16th Street all of the way to the far southern suburbs. It is one of several south side streets that do not continue to the Loop. Wentworth is mostly in line with Wells Street in the Loop, but Wells Street continues south, jogs a bit and runs parallel to…
How to Camp . . . with Kids
By Shilo
When I was a kid, summer was all about road trips and camping with our aunts, uncles and cousins. All the kids loved the fact that we could run around and get as dirty as we wanted — and sleeping under the stars was the best. When I became a mom, I couldn't wait to…
4 New Books Featuring Chicago
I've discovered four new books that have either come out in May or will come out in May that feature Chicago prominently. One is nonfiction, but the others are flights of imagination. You do not want to miss any of them. Aleksandar Hemon has written his first comedic novel: The Making of Zombie Wars. Joshua seems…
What Does Memorial Day Mean to Kids?
By sgissy
Kids may think that Memorial Day is only about a day off from school, barbecues and parades, but with these picture books, you can introduce the meaning of this special holiday that honors people who have died in service to our country. In Memorial Day Surprise, Pablo is watching for a surprise his mother told him would appear…
Asparagus or Snap Peas—or Both?
By Mary
When that first warm day in spring arrives and everyone's thoughts go to grilling and spending time at the lake, I am always thinking about the farmers market! I can't wait for all of those beautiful fruits and vegetables to start popping up at the local markets. This year I have been preparing by reading…
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