Our family trip to California was planned way before our son chose Walt Disney for his school report. Secretly, though, I was hoping we might get some good information about Walt, or Disneyland, or both, at the park. HA! The "In Walt's Footsteps" tour cost $59 and my husband declared this ridiculous. So we gathered a little “free” historical information and came home to finish the report. Who knew I would find just the right article in a library database Kids InfoBits. From reading this article, both my son and I had new ideas on how to improve his report. Lesson for Mom: When reports are due, Kids InfoBits is a parent’s paradise. It's designed for kids in kindergarten through about fifth grade.

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The Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market kicks off Wednesday market days this week on May 2nd with a special Live broadcast of the Martin Bandyke Show from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the market. Following Martin's live broadcast Whole Foods Market will feature a tasting of locally grown produce from 10:30 a.m. to noon. So come on down Wednesday to the best Farmer's Market anywhere.

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Frustrated that you could never get to those unbelieveable low airfares advertized by the airlines? You are not alone.

Michelle Higgins's recent article in the New York Times "If It’s Good, Is It Too Good to Be True?" explains why.

The real bonus of the article is its tips on great websites that help consumers navigate through the maze of advertized come-ons and "special fares". She especially likes Airfarewatchdog.com which scours the Internet for the best bargains; FareCompare.com shows the lowest prices offered by month for the next 11 months between 77,000 North American and 200,000 international cities; and Farecast.com which predicts domestic ticket prices for air travelers. Happy Clicking.

The internet is a challenge and there are web sites that provide safety tips for parents raising kids to use the internet wisely. The following web site is from the American Library Services for Children (ALSC). GetNetWise offers "web sites for kids", "Tools for Families", and an "Online Safety Guide".

The flowers are sprouting! Spring is here! And now that the ice has melted, Michigan's potholes are also once again in full bloom…and along with the potholes come the sounds of spring: thumping, squeaking, and knocking from someplace inside my (and probably your) car.

If you're more competent than I am and you're looking for a repair guide to help you dis-thump, un-squeak, or de-knock, try using the Chilton Library Auto Repair database on the AADL's Research Databases Page. You'll find repair guides for cars and even lists of manufacturer bulletins to see if you can get that leaky sunroof fixed for free.

WARNING! Don't go here if you are not, or do not intend to be, an involved Dad. The graphics are not intended for adults with no children.

If you are an expecting or new Dad, Daddy Brad and Daddy Clay will lead you through the pride and pitfalls of "Building a Good Dad" on their blog. Go to DadLabs.Com. If you are in range of a new birth, diaper pails, breast-feeding, or food faces, to name a few .... these real-life Dads have "Dadvice" for you. They are PROS. The evidence is lab coats WITH company logo on the chest, AND they wear goggles when necessary.
NOTE: Moms, this site can be a lift for you too. Enjoy!

Parents need all the help they can get! looking for credibility? For blogging parents, the following recommendations were noted in the March 2007 issue of School Library Journal. Parenthacks provides "Sound practical advice served up in straightforward entries that still manage to be smart". Sample articles are "Email for the Underage", "Sleep (ours and theirs)", "Recording your kids promises with a digital camera". Parentography is a recently launched "online forum for families on the go, with excursion ideas, ratings, and family-friendly places".

QUESTION? ... A 6th grader needs information on the agate fossil beds in Nebraska.
ANSWER! ... We found the most information in "InfoTrac Student Edition" database on our RESEARCH page. We used keyword "agate fossils" and got a full-text article from

National Parks, Nov-Dec 1993 v67 n11-12 p42(3)
"Frozen in time: some of the world's most significant deposits of fossils are preserved in U.S. national parks".

Abstract: Fossil beds are found in many US national parks and provide an extraordinary history of millions of years of the US ecosystem. Five national monument locations are described: Hagerman Fossil Beds, ID; Florissant Fossil Beds, CO; John Day Fossil Beds, OR; Agate Fossils Beds, NE; and Fossil Butte, WY.

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Look no further than the Michigan Career Portal for employment and training opportunities in Michigan. This one-stop-shopping site provides hundreds of links to job postings, career guidance, local labor market data and a wide range of services for job seekers who want to make their future here in Michigan.

Preparing for school exams? Is everything checked out at the library? Try Learning Express Library on our website.

If your Library card is registered through "My Account" you have access to the databases from home. Login with your username and password. Choose "Research" file at the top of the page. Choose "Learning Express Library" by name. You will find practice exercises for TOEFL, Civil Service, Citizenship, GRE, SAT, and more. You will also find standardized testing for elementary, middle, and high school ages. Study Up!