Great Books for Young Readers

        Each year the Pacific Northwest Library Association nominates several titles to be considered for the Young Reader’s Choice Award Medal. The books are selected on the basis of popularity in school and public libraries throughout the Pacific Northwest. Young readers are encouraged to read at least two of the titles, and to vote for their favorite. Voting takes place in the spring. Ballot boxes may be set up at schools, or students may vote in many public library locations.

        The Junior Division nominees for grades 4–6 are Happenstance Found by P.W. Catanese; Watching Jimmy by Nancy Hartry; Scat by Carl Hiaasen; The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly; Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin; 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass; When the Cherry Blossoms Fell by Jennifer Maruno; Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow by James Rollins; and Three Cups of Tea (The Young Reader’s Edition) by Sarah L. Thomson.

        The Intermediate Division nominees for grades 7–9 are Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman; The Maze Runner by James Dashner; Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George; The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks; Peace, Love and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle; The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade; Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld; and Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede.

        For a list of the Senior Division (grades 10–12) titles, visit treasurevalleyteen.com. For general information about the Young Reader’s Choice Awards, visit www.pnla.org/yrca.

Tree House Tips 

            Building tree houses and tree swings are wonderful ways for your family to enjoy what a tree has to offer. CLIF Kid, maker of organic snacks for active kids, and Jonathan Fairoaks, founder of Living Tree, share tips on how to prepare for building and enjoying a tree house or tree swing:

•    A tree house, plus the kids who play in it, can be a lot of weight for your tree. When constructing a tree house, the size and type of tree must be taken into consideration. Even with the largest trees, keep houses under 3,600 pounds to avoid damage.

•    Trees can move and grow a lot after a tree house is built. When building a tree house, it’s important to accommodate for a tree’s growth. Keep platforms and supports 2–3” from branches and trunks and follow a building plan that suspends your tree house securely within the tree’s branches so that it can move independently of the tree.

•    The best trees to use for tree houses are oaks, maples, beeches, and sycamores because they all have long lifetimes and strong branches to support a tree house.

•    Bark is like a tree’s skin, protecting it from diseases and bugs. When building a tree house, avoid damaging the tree’s bark by using fixtures specially designed for tree houses.

    If you are a tree house beginner, Living Tree recommends Peter Nelson’s book Home Tree Home: Principles of Treehouse Construction and Other Tall Tales. For other tips, visit livingtreeonline.com.

Preserve Your Harvest

            The summer gardening season is wrapping up. If you are like many gardeners, you are seeing the “fruits of your labor” in their final ripe stages. The University of Idaho Extension and the Advanced Food Safety volunteers will be offering evening classes on the latest, safest methods for turning the harvest into dried fruits and vegetables, jams, jellies, pickles, and salsas.

        Pre-registration is required one week before each class. All classes are held at the U of I Extension Office on Glenwood Street, from 7–9:30pm and cost $10 (except Pressure Canning). For registration and information call 287-5900, or visit http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/ada.

September 7 - Jam, Jellies & Fruit Spreads

September 8 - Pickling Basics

September 14 - Canning Basics

September 20 - Tomato Products & Salsa

September 21 - Hands-on Pressure Canning, 6–9:30pm, $35

September 27 - Dehydration: Drying Fruits & Vegetables

Back-to-School Bike Safety Tips

        Many area students ride their bicycles to school. Here are a few bike safety reminders provided by KidsHealth, www.kidshealth.org. It is also important for drivers to be aware, and on the lookout for young cyclists in school zones.

•   Always wear a properly fitted bike helmet, for suggestions visit kidshealth.org.
•   Stop at all stop signs and obey traffic lights just as cars do. Yield to pedestrians, stop at red lights, and be especially careful of intersections.
•   Always ride in the same direction as cars do. Never ride against traffic.
•   Try to use bike lanes or designated bike routes whenever you can—not the sidewalk.
•   Always stop and check for traffic in both directions when leaving a driveway, an alley, or a curb.
•   Watch traffic closely for turning cars or cars leaving driveways.
•   Don’t ride too close to parked cars—doors can open suddenly.
•   Walk a bike across busy intersections using the crosswalk and following traffic signals.
•   When riding in a group, always ride single file on the street.
•   When passing other bikers or people on the street, always pass to their left and call out “On your left!” so they’ll watch for you.
•   Never hitch a ride on a moving vehicle.
•   Never change directions or lanes without first looking behind you, and always use the correct hand signals; view them at kidshealth.org.

Creative Fun in a Game                   

            Arrange colorful cubes in different designs with Pixy Cubes. Each cube is colored green, red, yellow, and blue, either as solids, halves, or in two variations of crescent shapes. You can race for speed, challenge your memory, or simply create pictures and designs as a pastime.

        Pixy Cubes also contains Design Cards that players can use as a layout. Some cards show the sides of the cubes while others are plain. The levels of difficulty vary. With or without the models, the possibilities are just about endless. With so many options in travel-friendly packaging, Pixy Cubes is perfect for an afternoon for fun, either on the road or at home.

        To find a local retail outlet, visit www.blueorangegames.com, Pixy Cubes are also available at www.amazon.com.

Gluten-Free Recipes on the Cheap

            In today’s economy, everyone is looking for a way to save, especially those who have to stick to a special (and often-times expensive) diet. In Gluten-Free on a Shoestring: 125 Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap, author Nicole Hunn shows readers how to effortlessly plan gluten-free, home-cooked meals on a budget. Offering strategies for finding the best online coupons, tips for making a weekly grocery checklist, and information on the best places to shop for cheap gluten-free items, Hunn makes saving money fast and easy.

        The recipes included are easy to prepare, explained in a friendly manner, and reflect a variety of delicious options.