The Arlington Heights Memorial Library is excited to offer Tween LitCrates, a library book box for tweens. It's easy! Let us know your reading preferences and we’ll put together a Tween LitCrate containing a book recommended just for you with some extra special surprises. The goodies are yours to keep, but don’t forget to return the book and the crate!

Find out more info and the next registration date at ahml.info/litcrate.

Do you want to receive a curated list of recommended books? Complete our Youth Book Me form with your reading preferences and we will send you a list of books you might like. We can even put items on hold for you. We can't wait to help you find your next favorite book!

Fill out a Book Me Form today!

Parents, caregivers and adults, learn more about our Book Me service for adults here.

During the month of November, you can pick up an owl pellet dissection kit at the Kids' World desk.

Owls swallow their prey whole and use their gizzards to pack bones, teeth, and fur that they can't digested into a compact ball called a pellet. It may look like poop, but it is more like puke! Owls regurgitate pellets about twice a day.  Scientists who study birds, ornithologists, analyze the pellets to find out more about owls and their ecosystems. Learn more in the book Owl Puke by Jane Hammerslough (J/598.97/HAMMERSLOUGH).​

Kit includes: ​

• ​​​​sterilized owl pellet​

• tweezers​

• dowel​

• paper plate​

• gloves​

• bone charts​

• notecard​

1. Put on your gloves and put out your plate. Work in a ​

place separate from eating and food preparation areas.​

2. Carefully unwrap you pellet and place on plate. ​

3. Examine your pellet, what do you notice?​

4. Use your tweezers and dowel to gently break apart the pellet. You can add a few drops of water to dampen you pellet if you’d like. ​

5. Do you see bones? Fur? Try to identify what you find. ​

Optional: Glue the bones to a notecard in the shape of a skeleton.​

6. When you are finished, discard the pellet remnants, plate, dissection tools and gloves. Wash and sanitize your work surface and your hands.