This is National Hermit Week, but if you've had enough of keeping to yourself by Thursday, you can celebrate National Splurge Day by going out and doing something indulgent!  Friday is National Juggling Day, and Sunday is the first day of summer.  Sunday is also Father's Day, so don't forget to tell Dad how much you love and appreciate him!

WHAT'S HAPPENING?
At Wednesday's 10:00 a.m. storytime, Marge Woods of the Spring River Park and Zoo will present a program about exotic pets, with some live examples.  The audience is limited to the first 150 attendees, and participants will get a take home activity.   For Wednesday afternoon's 3:30 zoo storytime, participants can bring their favorite toy zoo animal, and they'll make a lion paper bag puppet.  Fathers are honored at Saturday morning's 10:00 storytime, during which participants will make a card and crown for dad.

BOOK TALK
School may be out for the summer, but the visions of recent school-yard shootings are still haunting us.  With all of the violence occurring in schools lately, you may be searching for a way to help your child handle conflict.  The library's Isidro Gonzalez provides this week's book information on that topic.

The choices we make in our actions or in voicing our opinions often create conflict with others whose choices differ from ours.  It is a rare person who has the innate ability to either avoid conflicts or to resolve them in a way that results in a decision which is equitable to all parties concerned.  However, we can develop and strengthen conflict resolution skills.

The Roswell Public Library has a bibliography dealing with conflict resolution.  It is designed for parents, day care providers, teachers, guidance counselors, youth professionals, and for children themselves.  Included are such books as "Teaching Young Children in Violent Times" by Diane E. Levin.  This book provides a conflict resolution guide for anyone working with children from pre-school to third grade.

In "Peace on the Playground," Eileen Lucas introduces the concept of nonviolent resolution of conflicts, including practical tips, hands-on activities, and appropriate role models for guidance and inspiration.  "Stopping Violence by Jory Post is an action-oriented eight-lesson curriculum written for middle school students.  The book teaches these students specific avoidance and prevention strategies.  Philip F. Vincent's "Developing Character in Students" provides real and useful procedures that can be used to help children and youth develop personal, family, and community responsibility.

These and many other books dealing with virtues, such as compassion, courage, honesty, faith, friendship, and sharing, are listed in the Bibliography for Conflict Resolution.   The bibliography and the books are all available at your Roswell Public Library.

DID YOU KNOW?
According to a study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," eating several small meals instead of a few large ones becomes even more important as people age.  People in their 50s and 60s burn fat from small meals just as efficiently as ever, but they are less able to burn fat from large meals.  As a result, a big meal adds more weight to an older person than to a younger one.  The study advises that we eat more meals of 400 to 500 calories each and fewer of 750 to 1,000 calories apiece.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: "Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine." (unknown)

JUDY ARMSTRONG, 624-7276

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