Books, Movies, and Other Media    Early Childhood   Education
    Gifted/Special Needs    Health and Fitness    Miscellaneous

Books, Movies, and Other Media
ALA Notables List - The current list of notable and award-winning children's books as selected by children's librarians around the country.

Common Sense Media - Reviews of movies, books, games, music and websites as well as recommended offerings.

Family Movie Guide - Reviews of movies, along with comments on sexual, violent, language contents and suggested age ranges. From The New York Times.

GetNetWise - Information and resources for parents and others who want to learn more about keeping children safe online. A public service provided by a number of internet, media, and computer companies.

Great Web Sites for Kids - Links to hundreds of useful and fun websites arranged by subject.  From the American Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children.

The Horn Book’s Children’s Classics - A comprehensive list of both classic and recent books that every parent and child should know.

KidsReads.com - Book reviews, author profiles and interviews, news and more.

The Movie Mom - A service of Yahoo!, this site offers descriptions, MPAA ratings, and “grades” for current movies.

NetSafeKids - Ideas and information on keeping your children safe online. From the National Academy of Sciences

Early Childhood / Babies
Fussy Baby Network - Resources for parents provided by the Erikson Institute. 

Illinois Early Learning Project Tip sheets on a range of topics focusing on the physical and mental development of young children. From the Illinois State Board of Education

Zero to Three – Parents - From a national advocacy group focusing on the first years of a child’s life, the Parents section offers tips, research information and ideas for helping your baby develop.

Education
Afterschool Alliance - "A nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children."

Families at Scholastic.com - Articles and links to resources of interest to parents of preschools and school-age children.

Helping Your Child Series - A collection of booklets provided by the US Department of Education on a wide range of topics, including science, reader, stages of development, and more.

Illinois School Report Cards – eReport Card Site - Search for school report cards throughout the state of Illinois. Also in Spanish.

Illinois Standard Achievement Tests - Interactive sample tests for grades 3 through 8. From the Illinois State Board of Education

Kids Can Learn! - A clearing house for links to a variety of educational online resources and websites. From the Indiana University School of Education.

Kids, School, & You -  Product reviews and educational advice, study tools, and homeschooling resources from Discovery School.com.

National Education Association – Parents and Community - Articles and other resources focusing on parent involvement in their children’s education.

Your Guide to Illinois Schools - A parent handbook developed by the Illinois State Board of Education and other state agencies.  Provides information about the Illinois (and US) school system. Also available in Arabic, Bosnian, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. 

Gifted / Special Needs
Exceptional Parent magazine - Online edition of award-winning print publication

Family Resource Center on Disabilities - A Chicago-based group of parents, volunteers, and other interested in the needs of children with disabilities.

Illinois Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities - Provides free listing for providers of resources and services to children with disabilities.

LD Online - A collection of information, resources, and interactive opportunities for parents, teachers and others working with children with learning disabilities. From WETA in Washington, DC and the Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities.

National Center for Learning Disabilities - Resources, information, and interactive opportunities for parents, educators and individuals with learning disabilities.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities / NICHCY - A federal clearing house of information about children with disabilities. Includes a special section listing resources by state – Illinois State resources available at http://www.nichcy.org/stateshe/il.htm

Health and Fitness
American Academy of Pediatrics – Parenting Corner - News and information on kids health from the national association of children’s doctors.

KidsHealth - Articles and links to resources focusing on children's physical and mental health.

Mental Health Topics – Children and Families - A collection of articles, games and activities from the US department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Miscellaneous - Sites offering a rich collection of links to varied information.
ALA Sites for Parents, Caregivers, Teachers and Others - Links for those who live with and/or work with children from preK through middle school.

Blue Web'n - Nearly 2000 links to educational websites organized by grade level, subject matter, and type of resource. A project of SBC.

Child & Family Web Guide - Links to sites focusing on children and family issues. Provided by Tufts University.

KidSpace - Internet Public Library - Links to a wide range of educational and fun sites for kids, teachers and parents. From the University of Michigan.

Things to Do in Illinois - Search by location, event or use the calendar to find just the right outing.