Lawrence Kids Summer, 2019
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Lawrence Kids Summer, 2019
Season’s Readings
08
Seasonal Essentials - The Taylor Family
10
Friends, Fun & Free Food
16
The Boys & Girls of Summer
24
Get Outside: Wildflowers
36
cover and table of contents photos: Amber Yoshida a project of Four Birds Media info@lawrencekidsmagazine.com (785) 766-5669 / lawrencekidsmagazine.com Thank you for reading.
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You can’t swim all day, so the librarians @ the Lawrence Public Library have a list of great Summer reads! FICTION Cody and the Fountain of Happiness by Tricia Springstubb. For whimsical Cody, many things are beautiful, especially ants who say hello by rubbing feelers. But nothing is as beautiful as the first day of summer vacation, and Cody doesn’t want to waste one minute of it. Meanwhile, teenage brother Wyatt is moping over a girl, Mom is stressed about her new job as Head of Shoes, Dad is off hauling chairs in his long-distance truck, and even camp has been closed for the summer. What to do? Ages 6-10 A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee.When James and Eamon go to a week of Nature Camp and stay at Eamon’s grandparents’ house, it appears that their free time spent staying inside, eating waffles, and playing video games is way more interesting than nature, but who knew what they were really picking up? This is a Caldecott Honor book. Ages 4-6. Three Bird Summer by Sarah St. Antoine. Adam and his parents have always spent their summers at his grandmother’s rustic cabin on Three Bird Lake. But this year will be differentbecause this year, the lake will belong just to Adam. Then Adam meets Alice, the girl next door. She’s frank, funny, and eager for adventure. And when Adam’s grandma starts to leave strange notes in his room that hint at a hidden treasure at the lake and a love from long ago, Alice is the one person he can rely on to help solve the mysteries of Three Bird Lake. Ages 8-10.
NONFICTION Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems collected by Paul B. Janeczko with Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet. It only takes a few words, if they’re the right words, to create a strong image. The thirty-six poems in this collection remind readers young and old that a few perfect words and pictures can make the world glow. Ages 6-9. Field Trips with Jim Arnosky: Bug Hunting, Animal Tracking, Bird Watching, Shore Walking With Jim Arnosky With the celebrated author, naturalist, and artist as your guide, an ordinary hike becomes an eye-opening experience. He’ll help you spot a hawk soaring far overhead, note the details of a dragonfly up close, and identify the tracks you find. All ages. Muddy Boots by Liza Gardner Walsh. Muddy Boots is for kids and families who value outdoor exploration and unfettered time in nature, featuring mud play, forts, animal tracking and forest wisdom, foraging, insects and worms, bird watching and bird feeding, and many small things for kids to make. The activities encourage all hands to get dirty as they explore the world around them. All ages.
BASEBALL Legends: the Best Players, Games and Teams in Baseball by Howard Bryant. This is a storyteller’s journey through baseball. Accessible chapters, iconic photos, Top Ten lists for kids to chew on and debate, and a Timeline of the 40 Most Important Moments in Baseball History, this collection covers some of the greatest players from Babe Ruth to Hank Aaron; the greatest teams to take the field; the greatest social triggers, such as Jackie Robinson’s breaking of the color barrier. Ages 8 and up. Baseball is… by Louise Borden, illustrated by Raul Colon.Revel in the fun of this all-American game! Perfect for all ages, Baseball Is... captures the spirit of this cherished pastime in brief poetic description, honoring its legendary past, and eagerly anticipating the future of the sport that is “stitched into our history.” Dirt on Their Skirts by Doreen Rappaport. You had to be really, really good to play in the 1946 championship game between the Racine Belles and the Rockford Peaches. Margaret thrills to every crack of the bat. Someday she hopes to join her heroes like Sophie “the Flash” Kurys and Betty “Moe” Trezza. Based on written accounts and on the memories of the players themselves. Ages 5-8
Seasonal Essentials
Jay & Kristl Taylor are Lawrence townies raising two townies of their own. With Isabelle and Avlyn, the family of four makes the most of the season. photos by Amber Yoshida
The Taylor’s Summer Essentials...
01. Exploring the KU Natural History Museum (family pass $40 & free air conditioning) 02. Ingredient shopping at the Lawrence Farmers Market, then making a family meal 03. Studying history at the Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum 04. Strawberry picking at Wohletz Strawberry Farm – perfect for snacks and deserts! 05. Kaw Valley Farm Tour for fresh air and farm animals! 06. Burning some energy at Lawrence Gymnastic Academy open gym & Rock Chalk Park 07. Painting new creations at Sunfire Ceramics 08. Strolling the Maple Leaf Festival (Baldwin) 09. Spending days at Clinton Lake beach/park/trails/camping 10. Theatre Lawrence for great performances 11. Lawrence Public Library: for Free Lunch (Fuel Up 4 Summer)
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Friends, Fun & Free Food How the Fuel Up 4 Summer Program Brings Everyone to the Table photos by Amber Yoshida
For 7 year-old Jacob Slagle, lunch is one of his favorite parts of the day. “I love it,” he says between bites of chicken nuggets. “The food is good and I like playing at the library.” Jacob and Rebecca, his younger sister, along with dozens of other Lawrence kids eat lunch almost every day, for free, at the Lawrence Public Library. Fuel Up 4 Summer is a program that provides free meals to all children between the ages of 1 and 18. No proof of income or age is required and kids don’t need to register or get any tickets. Kids simply stand in line and get a healthy meal. The program runs from June 4 – August 3 and is hosted at a various locations around town. For a complete list of locations and serving times (breakfast and lunch), please visit the Health Department website. “Dating back to 1997, K-State Research and Extension – Douglas County facilitated a round-table discussion with community leaders and stakeholders to prioritize the number one critical health issue facing limited income families,” says Susan Farley, Nutrition, Health and Safety Educator K-State Research and Extension for Douglas County. “Unanimously, providing food for children during the summer months when families are forced to make their food dollars stretch even further was the number one health concern.” Laurie Slagle, Jacob and Rebecca’s mom, says the program provides both financial and logistical relief. “For sure not having to budget for lunch during the week is a blessing,” she says. “But the added value of not having to plan the meal, and then clean up the mess, is so great. My kids look forward to lunch every day because they know they get to see some friends, run around on the grass and play in the library. It’s really a highlight of the day. I tell all our friends about the program and most don’t believe me.” Susan Farley says the program strives to meet one simple goal: give kids access to healthy meals while school is out of session. “Following the community conversation, K-State Research and Extension – Douglas County convened the coalition of nine organizations, named the Lawrence Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, with the proposal to initiate a summer lunch program, funded through the Kansas State Board of Education Nutrition Services,” Farley says. “In April of 1997, the Lawrence Public School Board approved
a one-year agreement to participate in a partnership with the K-State Research and Extension and the Lawrence Parks and Recreation to provide a summer food program for children in Lawrence. During the months of June and July of 1997, a total of 1,391 breakfasts were provided at 1 location and 9,270 lunches were served at 5 locations in Lawrence. In the 21 years since that first summer, the program has grown exponentially. Now known as Fuel Up 4 Summer, the program has expanded their reach, which includes providing lunches 2 times a week in Lecompton (started in 2016). In 2018, a total of 7,007 breakfasts were provided at 5 sites, 41,576 lunches were served at 11 sites, and 372 dinners were served at 1 location. “Fuel Up 4 Summer helps families keep children fed throughout the summer, so they can return to school ready to learn and succeed in the fall,” Farley says. “The result of families not having enough income to provide healthy food creates childhood hunger and a lack of nutritionally balanced meals, and childhood obesity, leading to highrisk health behaviors among children and adults.” Lindsey Nettles brings her three kids to the library lunch location a few times a week. For her, the meals are a big help. “Having these lunches provided really makes a difference,” she explains. “These three kids would eat us out of our house if we let them. Knowing there is a healthy option available is a big stress relief.” The Fuel Up 4 Summer SFSP is a federally funded, state-administered program. The SFSP reimburses sponsors who serve free healthy meals to children and teens in low-income areas during the summer months when school is not in session. USD 497 sponsors the program in Lawrence and all meals are prepared, delivered, and served by USD 497 Food-service employees. “Our biggest challenge continues to be increasing participation and enhancing the impact of meal programs for area youth,” Farley says. “There are many challenges to participation which we are taking action on, including effective communication to create greater awareness, seeking solutions to address transportation barriers, providing supplemental programming to attract all age groups, and enhancing planning and coordination among community partners.” LK
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TheBoys & Girls of Summer
Lawrence is a Baseball (& Softball!) Town... When Summer Starts, the Action is on the Diamonds. photos by Amber Yoshida
According to Lawrence Parks & Rec, this Summer 1174 boys are participating in baseball and 457 girls are playing city softball (that’s not counting travel/tournament teams). Almost 150 different teams fill the diamonds around town stealing second, hitting cutoff men and slapping balls to the outfield...
“Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets. - Yogi Berra
GET OUTSIDE: WILDFLOWERS Story & Photo by Rebecca Zarazan Dunn
GET OUTSIDE: Wildflowers Summer is here. The days are long and the kids are restless for the relaxed freedom that comes with summertime. It is also a time where the world around us becomes a vibrant spectrum of blazing wildflowers. Wildflowers
Although the wildflowers in the woods have now vanished with the new canopy of tree leavesoffering shade from the sun, now is the time prairie grasses start reaching up toward the sky and prairie wildflower buds start bursting with color. These flowers can be small and dainty, such as the wild strawberry, or strong and tall towers like our state beauty, the wild sunflower. Different colors, shapes, and sizes reveal themselves over the next several weeks and on into autumn. In their coming out, they’ll be celebrated by the bees and butterflies you’ll also find visiting their blooms. Where to Find Them
Just a 10-minute drive north of downtown Lawrence there’s 1,800 acres of public land open from dawn to dusk, every day, free of charge. The University of Kansas Field Station is a place we enjoy seasonally and just the other day we noticed the wildflowers in the fields were starting to bloom. The Lowland Trail (The Suzanne Ecke McColl Nature Reserve) is a short trail friendly to even the littlest of legs. A good place for children to enjoy a variety of habitats, it’s also an excellent place to walk among the fragrant wildflowers. A wildflower is a flower that grows naturally in the wild without human involvement, and summer is their time to shine on the prairies. Go on a flower scavenger hunt; look closely and notice if there are insects visiting a particular flower, run your fingers along the tallgrass, or play in the sunshine! Other places to explore wildflowers are Prairie Nature Park and the Akin Prairie Conservation Easement. Also, keep you’re eyes open for wildflowers along the roadside during your summer vacation travels. Enjoy and let it be!
It’s natural for children to want to touch and explore something they’re interested in, but it’s very important to leave flora and fauna where it is found-- So many animals depend on wildflowers for survival,and explaining this will help them resist the urge to pick wildflowers. Something I’ve been doing to avoid picking is bringing a kid-friendly camera or a sketchbook and coloring pencils along on our adventures. This way, the girls can either take a picture or draw the beloved flower. The picture memento comes home instead of the actual plant. Another idea is to bring along a little squirt bottle and instead of picking a flower, invite the child to say “hello’ and give it a drink of water. This goes for animals too! Be sure to leave all animals in their homes. The exception is if you find an injured animal or abandoned animal. Keep away and contact Operation WildLife immediately at 785-542-3625. Books to Check Out
Flowers are Calling by Rita Gray The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle Wildflowers, Blooms, and Blossoms by Diane Burns Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers by Kathi Appelt