Written by James Van Praagh, a renowned and beloved medium, Growing Up in Heaven offers a clear, accurate and  insightful view about children who pass away at an early age.

Due to his gifted skills to communicate with the souls who have crossed over to heaven, James Van Praagh has relayed the messages from these children to their parents as well as other parents who have lost their child (when that child is still young) to understand:  after leaving behind the body in this world, that soul still lives on, studies, then advances to the higher level together with other loving souls such as grandparents and relatives who crossed over before that soul.  That soul will be protected by these loving souls, will never feel lonely, and will be guided by the Master Spirits in order to evolve to the next higher level.  This understanding will help parents to reduce the pain of losing a child when that child is very young. 

The author also shows parents how to communicate with the soul of their young child by using a method called "automatic handwriting."  The parent will need to make an appointment with the soul; on the day and at the exact time of the apointment, the parent will need to go into a quiet room, turn off the TV and the phones, sit down with a paper and a pen on the table.  The parent will need to relax the body and allow the hand to freely move.  After the session is over, the parent will know that the message truly comes from the soul of the child who passed away.

James Van Praagh also reveals that there are four types of soul:  Young Sould, Old Soul, (James emphasizes that it has nothing to do with age), Mature Soul, and Angel Soul. 

Young Soul:  lives heavily on feelings, loves to harm/vex others, and depends heavily on materials. 

Old Soul:  still lives and depends on materials but orients himself/herself more towards a spiritual life.  This person loves to research and study about spiritual life, begins to guide other people, and loves to serve other human beings.

Mature Soul:  this person is normally a master, a philosopher, someone who guides the society/a big crowd to advance spiritually to the higher level.

Angel Soul:  Someone whose voice, opinions, or actions influences the whole world (e.g. The Pope, The Dalai Lama).  Their activities always aim at serving mankind and the whole world.  From the time of birth, these souls already cultivate to walk the path of a Spiritual Leader.

In summary, this book is very essential in order to help us understand life on the other side.  It is a very efficacious guide for both parent and child. It provides healing to the grieving parents who never stop thinking about their departed young children.  It is an account of true stories and uplifting messages of love.

June is National Safety Month! Learn the tips and best practices on how to stay safe by checking out the following titles!

Safety by Liz Gogerly

Play it Safe Online by Phyllis Cornwall

Learn how to avoid certain hazzards and dangers online. This book provides tips and advice on how to remain safe online such as not posting certain pictures, how to limit personal information, choosing secure sites and more.

Traffic Safety by Nancy Loewen

Traveling this summer? This book will help you discover common transportation hazards and learn how to avoid or handle them.

Safety at Home by Mary Lee Knowlton

This book provides helpful tips and advice for kids on how to stay safe at home. Learn how to avoid common home-related accidents and injuries by reading this book.

Say No and Go: Stranger Safety by Jill Donahue

Even though your neighborhood might appear safe, dangerous incidents may randomly occur. This book will help you know what they are and how to handle them. Learn how to effectively know your neighbors, watch out for strangers and dealing with people at the doorstep.

For more recommendations, please see a Youth Services Librarian at your library.

Being a parent is hard work! There are joys and tribulations and endless questions about the effectiveness of parenting skills. Well, now in the book To What Miserable Wretches Have I Been Born?, Suzanne Weber gives voice to the little ones who let parents know what they think about the things parents do. Find out their thoughts about that first visit to the doctor or that first trip to see Santa Claus! How do they feel about attending those mommy and me classes or when you decide that they're ready for that big girl or big boy bed. I laughed out loud reading these poems and I'm sure you will too. There is some colorful language so may not appeal to everyone. Here is one poem called "Cry Guide," being read by the author. Enjoy!

Top 5 Reasons to Enroll Your Child into Our Summer Reading Celebration!

1. The number of books read during the summer is consistently related to academic gains. (Bridging the Summer Reading Gap, 2003)

2. Children who read six or more books over the summer gained more in reading achievement than children who did not.  (Bridging the Summer Reading Gap, 2003)

3. One to three months of academic growth can be lost over the summer. (National Summer Learning Association)

4. Students who do not engage in educational activities during the summer typically score lower on tests at the end of summer than they did at the beginning. (Summer Learning Loss: The Problem and Some Solutions).

5. Libraries contribute to the intellectual growth of children during the summer.  (Making the Case for Library Services to Children and Teens, State Library of North Carolina)

You can start to sign up for the Summer Reading Celebration June 1.