Summer Vacation Reads from the Ottawa Public Library

The Ottawa Public Library is back to share some of their favourite books for children with us. This month’s post is by Kristina Roudiy, Children’s Program Assistant at the Ottawa Public Library.

Clicking on the title will hyperlink you to the OPL Catalogue page where you can see if the book is available at your local branch, or you can put it on hold and then pick it up at your home branch when it is ready for you!

Picture book : And then Then comes Comes Summer / Tom Brenner 

For the whole family. This picture book, with colourful acrylic paint illustrations and great vocabulary, is a celebration of the Summer summer season and of all its outdoor fun : biking, trips to the lake, ice cream treats, games of hide-and-seek, lemonade stand, bugs, fireworks, and more!

Picture book : How to code a sandcastle / Josh Funk

For ages 4-6. Pearl is spending her Summer summer at the beach. Her attempts to build a sandcastle have, so far, been unsuccessful, so she decides to involve her robot Pascal, giving him step-by-step instructions. Unfortunately, the incoming tide gets in the way of their perfect castle... but all the better chance for the pair to repeat the sequences and to end up building a whole kingdom instead! A smart introduction to coding and programming basics, through a funny story.

Chapter book : Amelia Bedelia Makes a Splash / Herman Parish

For ages 6-9. In this 11th book in the series, Amelia finds herself attending an all-girls camp that her mother also used to go to. Even though the camp is old-fashioned and can't compete with the computer camp that her cousin Jason is attending on the other side of the lake, Amelia is determined to have a good time. She will take on the challenge of swimming in freezing water and learn survival skills! Amelia Bedelia's adventures will surely appeal to fans of "Judy Moody" and "Ivy & Bean.".

Graphic novel : Mighty Jack / Ben Hatke

For ages 9-12. This is volume 1... theThe sequel is called "Mighty Jack and the Goblin King." In this modern-day reimagining of "Jack and the Beanstalk,", Jack is the oldest child of a divorced single mom doing her best to keep the family fed. Contrary to most children, Jack does not look forward to Summer summertime, because that's when he has to look after his autistic sister, Maddy, while their mother juggles two jobs. Maddy never speaks...that is, until the day they visit a flea market and she insists on buying some mysterious seeds. What starts as a normal garden behind the house quickly grows into a wild, magical jungle with biting pumpkins and... a dragon! Soon, Jack has to involve their home-schooled neighbour Lilly, whose sword-wielding hobby might come in handy.

Chapter book : Dingus / Andrew Larson

For middle-grade readers. Soon-to-be-6th-grader Henry lives with his stay-at-home father and his toddler brother Sam. When school ends, Henry's best friend Max goes away to chess camp, while Henry stays home for a "staycation.". Henry thinks his Summer summer vacation will be quite boring, until he finds out that he gets to dog-sit his grandfather's dog daily. But will Henry manage not to make a fool (or dingus) of himself? A believable story about growing up and becoming responsible... a fun Summer summer read.

Graphic novel : The Time Museum / Matthew Loux

For ages 10-13. In this graphic novel packed with time-travel adventures and goofiness, we meet Delia Bean, a girl who loves science and history. When Uncle Lyndon invites Delia's family over for a Summer summer visit, she discovers that he's actually a curator at the Earth Time Museum and that she could apply for a prestigious Summer job there if she wins the internship competition. Little does she know that she will get to meet to young people from all of human history, including a girl from 23rd-century Japan and a boy from the Roman era, and will have to defend the Time Museum itself!

Ottawa and Area Farmers' Markets

For as many Saturdays as we can during the summer months, my family and I head to the Carp Farmer’s Market for fresh vegetables, meats and to walk around to take a look at all the artisans and treats. I love that more and more Farmer’s Markets are popping up throughout Ottawa and area, so thought I would create a list of some (click on the name to be redirected to the market website for more information. If you have a local farmers' market to add, please leave a comment and let us know.

Almonte Farmers’ Market
Located in the parking lot of the Almonte Public Library (beside the Beer Store), this market is open Saturdays from 8:30am to 12:30pm from May to October.

Beechwood Farmers’ Market (Vanier / New Edinburgh)
Located at 43 Cecile Street, behind the Beechwood Fire Hall in Optimist Park, the Beechwood Market. They are proud to have a great selection from local producers, organic producers, bakers, crafters and more. This market is open Saturdays 9 am to 2pm until October 27, 2017.

Carleton Place Farmers’ Market
Located at Market Square (corner of Beckwith and Lake Avenue), this covered market is open Saturdays 8:30 am to 12:30 pm until fall.

Carp Farmers’ Market
Located at the Carp Fairgrounds, about 10km from the Carp Road exit on the 417. Open Saturdays 8 am to 1 pm starting in May through to October. They also have an Easter Market, Christmas Market as well as their popular Garlic Festival in August.

Cumberland Farmers’ Market
Located at the R.J. Kennedy Community Centre on 1115 Dunning Road (Cumberland Arena), between Orleans and Rockland. Open Saturdays 8am to 1pm from June and into the fall. This market also hosts the Spring Market in April, the Harvest Market in late September and the Christmas Market in December.

Kanata Farmers’ Market
Open every Saturday from May to October, the Kanata Farmers’ Market is located at 420 Hazeldean Road, in the parking lot in front of Shoppers Drug Mart. Open Saturdays 9am to 3pm from May to October. You will find baked goods, fruits and vegetables, honey and garlic – and much more at this west end market.

Kemptville Farmers’ Market
Located at 200 Sanders Street at the B & H parking lot in Kemptville (just south of Ottawa). Sunday from 12 noon to 4pm from May to October. The Kemptville Market has a Christmas in July market on July 22nd that will feature gift ideas for Christmas – and Santa will even make a visit!

Log Farm
Located at 670 Cedarview Road (between Hunt Club and Fallowfield roads). Open Saturdays from 9am to 2pm from May until October. This market has a wide variety of vendors including meats, fruits and vegetables and desserts!

Metcalfe Farmers' Market
Located at the Metcalfe Fairgrounds, southeast of Ottawa. Open Saturdays 9am to 1pm from May to the fall. This market has 25 years experience of promoting and selling locally produced products.

North Gower Farmers’ Market
Known for “country flavour in the city” this market is located at 2397 Roger Stevens Drive, just west of North Gower. Look for the big red barn. Open Saturdays from 8:30am to 1pm from May to the beginning of October.

Old Chelsea Market
Located in the heart of the village at 212 Old Chelsea Rd (the grounds at St. Stephen’s Church), this outdoor market features homemade, original, home grown produce and products, including certified organics. The Old Chelsea Market is open on Thursdays from 4pm to 8pm from the end of May to mid-October.

Old Aylmer Market (Marché Vieux Aylmer)
This market is located in the Memorial Park at the corner of Broad and Main Street. It’s open every Sunday from the beginning of June to the end of September from 10am to 3pm and features a variety of locally produced produce as well as almonds and nuts, honey and homemade items, including Alpaca products.

Ottawa East’s Farmers’ Market
Located at 210 Main Street every Saturday from 9am to 3pm from June to October, this market connects local producers within 160 km with the community, including organic goods. There is also face painters, kid’s crafts and more!

Orléans Market
Open Thursdays from May to October from 12 to 6pm, this market is located at the Ray Friel Centre and features the best in local food!

Ottawa Farmers’ Market (Lansdowne Park)
Located at Lansdowne Park in Aberdeen Square every Sunday from 10am to 3pm, the Ottawa Farmers’ Market features local farmers, artisans and artists as well as arts and crafts.

Ottawa Organic Farmers' Market
The Ottawa Organic Farmers' Market runs year-round on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm and features Certified Organic meat, bread, vegetables, fruits, olive oil and much more! Located at 1644 Bank Street (near Heron).

Riverside South
One of the newest farmers' markets in Ottawa, the Riverside South market operates June through October on Sundays from 10am to 2pm. This market is located at the OC Transpo Riverview Park and Ride – right near Summerhill Park!

Stittsville Farmers’ Market @The Barn
This cute little market is located in an old barn and is open Sundays 10am to 2pm at Village Square Park at the corner of Stittsville Main and Abbott. Vendors are cash only and include homemade bread, fruits, vegetables and more!

Westboro Farmers' Market
The Westboro Farmers' Market is located in the Byron Linear Park between Golden, Bryon, and Richmond Avenues. The market runs from May to October – every Saturday from 9:30am to 3pm and hosts over 50 local farmers, producers, bakers, and more!

Wakefield Market
Open Saturdays, 9am to 1pm from May to October, at the Centre Wakefield La Pêche, 38 Chemin de la Vallée de Wakefield this market has everything you need to fill your pantry. This market also features artwork and other unique vendors.

Summer Fairs in the Ottawa Area

One thing my family looks forward to during the summer are all the community and small town fairs that happen each year in Ottawa and the surrounding areas. With that in mind here is a list of where and when you can plan on heading out for some cotton candy, demolition derbies, carousels, concerts, live entertainment, and more!

July 13-15: Almonte Fair
Highlights include: Chili cook off, Zip-E the clown and Team T&J

July 27-29: Beachburg Fair
Demolition Derby, DJ Dancy Party, Buck-a-Roo Breakfast, and an ATV Poker Run

August 8-11: Navan Fair
Concerts with George Canyon, Chad Brownlee and more, PC Superdogs, Little Ray’s Reptiles and more!

August 8-11: Arnprior Fair
Miniature horse show, agricultural showcases, midway and more!

August 16-25: The Capital Fair
Monster Truck Show, Youth Talent search, birds of prey show, Soper Creek Wildlife

August 23-25: Chesterville Fair 
Homecrafts, Agiculture and Family Fun!

September 5-8: Russell Fair
Classic Auto & Bike Show, Craft and Merchant Market, Strongman Competition, Sheep shoes

September 19-22: Richmond Fair 
Emerson Drive concert, demolition derby, agricultural showcase

September 26-29: Carp Fair 
Superdogs “Canadogs,” agriculture shows, family circle tent, antiques area

October 3-6: Metcalfe Fair
Agriculture exhibitions, heavy horse pull, demolition derby, truck pull

The Fail-Proof Travel List When Travelling with Kids

My name is Antonia Cetin. I am an educator and the author of “You’ve Got This, Mom! A Mother’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving in Today’s Modern World.” Having travelled with my son to at least 17 countries from the age of 3 to 12, I’ve picked up a few tricks along the way. In this blog, you will find my fail-proof travel list of things you absolutely have to have, things I would recommend, and a few things that will make your experience that much better.

Here are the things you absolutely need to travel with your kids:

• Passports - yours and theirs! Make sure they are valid for 6 months after travel.

• Child Travel Consent letter if only one parent is travelling. You can get a downloadable form provided by Global Affairs Canada on-line.

• Tickets

• Money - credit card and some cash. Find out ahead of time how useful the credit card will be, what kind of ATMs there are, and if it’s better to get cash here or there.

• If you are travelling with a baby, you will need to have a fully equipped diaper bag with all of the goodies you never leave home without: bottles, diapers, cleaners, extra clothes. You need to bring at least enough to get you to the first store at your destination. Be prepared that the products at your destination will not be exactly the same as back home and decide ahead of time if you are going to just make do with what you find or if you really need to bring enough for the whole trip and how much that would be.

Things I would highly recommend to bring in case you need them while you are there:

• Certified pure essential oils - You have no idea how many times my Home Essential kit of the basic 10 essential oils has come in handy on a trip! Clean those airplane surfaces with On Guard. Infection? Melaleuca. Strep throat? On Guard and “flu bomb.” Gastritis or Montezuma’s? Digestzen. Cold? Breathe. Rash? Lavender. And, the list goes on. When you are in a place far from home and you don’t know how the medical facilities work, and you really don’t want to have to try them out no matter how good you hear they are, essential oils are a godsend! They fit right into your carry-on and away you go. At airport security, being in 15 ml bottles and fitting into one of the little plastic baggies provided, they pass no problem. In all of my travels, no airport official has done more than give them a cursory look. (For more information about essential oils, you can contact me at antoniacetin.com or on my facebook page: @youvegotthismom)

If you forget anything else for your trip, you will most likely be able to find what you need at your travel destination, even if it is more costly than back home.

What you should try to remember for each traveller:

• At least one change of clothes and enough socks and underwear so you don’t have to wash it every day.

• One very warm sweater or jacket for those cooler evenings.

• A second pair of good walking shoes so you don’t have to wear the same pair every day - wearing the same shoes day after day can be hard on your feet and back.

• Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, deodorant. All liquids in quantities of less than 100ml.

A few extras that make travel so much easier and more fun!

• At least one device for Facetime which you can use anywhere there is free WiFi to stay in touch with people back home; and for facebook to share the joys of your travels. If you bring your own device, check with your provider ahead of time how your data works. Charges can be crazy expensive for the shortest communications or searches. Find out how to use your device at no cost! (Maybe this can be another blog!)

• Downloaded books from the public library for your kids and yourself - right onto your device. No need to lug around books! While travelling is the one time when I appreciate not having the paper copy in my hand.

• A favourite stuffy, blankie or toy. Definitely a compact game and a deck of cards for the long waits at the airport and for other transportation.

As an experienced traveller, I would also recommend leaving some space for those souvenirs your child will just have to have and then that you will just have to carry around for the remainder of your trip!

Everything else is gravy!

Do you have other ideas for the best ever travel list? Let me know on my website antoniacetin.com or on my Facebook Page: @youvegotthismom.

My child's been bitten by a tick: now what?

**This article was inspired after a friend of mine went through the process of discovering a tick on her child, and the subsequent steps she had to take. I then contacted Dr. Gina Neto, head of Emergency Medicine at CHEO. All information below is from my conversations with Dr. Neto, Christine, and the Public Health Agency of Canada, with sources referenced throughout. I acknowledge there is conflicting advice/evidence when it comes to tick bites and prevention/treatment of Lyme disease - at the end of this article I have included a list of guidelines and resources for parents to review. I also validate that YOU, as parent, need to make the right choice for your child.

It was after a swim in the pool when Christine Karpinski found the tick embedded in the back of her son's neck. During the long drive from Toronto earlier that day, the family had made a pit stop at the Odessa ONroute service centre. Looking for an opportunity to stretch their legs, they headed out to play a bit of geocaching in the treed area behind the highway stop. This is where Christine's five year-old son picked up the black-legged tick, which is the species that can carry the Lyme bacteria.

"It's been a stressful few days," says Christine. Once they had removed the tick (using tick tweezers from MEC,) they headed over to the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) emergency department to inquire about potential treatment and testing.

According to Dr. Manisha Kulkarni, 1 in 3 ticks in the west end of Ottawa is carrying the Lyme disease bacteria. There has been a 145% increase in the tick population in this city between 2016 and 2017 and this number is expected to rise. In the Odessa area where Christine's son got the tick bite, there is a 40-45% chance that the bug is carrying Lyme.

By now, most folks have learned about ways to protect themselves against tick bites, but it's always helpful to review the proper methods for removal (tick keys or tick tweezers are best, but in a pinch you can use flat-edged tweezers.) It's important not to stress the tick, so no dousing it in oils or other substances, and no squeezing or twisting the body. Grip firmly at the base and pull.

Once the tick was removed, Christine's journey into the murky world of ticks and Lyme disease began. Upon arrival at CHEO, Christine learned that not only would her son not be a good candidate for preventative antibiotics, but that the tick itself could not be sent away for testing.

"There is a role for preventative antibiotics (which is different from treatment,) if the tick was engorged (attached for > 36 hours) and the child is more than 8 years old," says Dr. Gina Neto, head of Emergency Medicine at CHEO. In kids under eight years of age, it’s still controversial** as to whether or not there’s a benefit in doing preventative antibiotics, mainly because it's not been well studied and carries potential risks.

Preventative antibiotics need to be administered within 72 hours to be effective. This means that many tick bites could be treated by a primary care physician, as long as the patient has access to timely care.

However, CHEO knows that sometimes seeing your family doctor is not practical. "We understand if families come to the emergency department," says Dr. Neto. "We accept that and we know that they’re worried." (Another alternative would be a visit to your local urgent care clinic as opposed to emerg.)

When antibiotics within 72 hours are not advisable (as in Christine's case) or when the window has been missed, then the next step is to watch for symptoms of Lyme disease. These typically include flu-like symptoms, such as body aches, fever and lack of energy. Symptoms generally present between 7 - 14 days, but parents should be vigilant up to 30 days after the bite. Also, the typical "bulls eye" rash that is a possible sign/symptom doesn't show up in all cases - when it does, it usually pops up several days after the bite.

The treatment for Lyme disease** is similar to the treatment a child would receive for an ear infection - a course of amoxicillin, as well as rest and recovery. "[Early stage] Lyme disease isn’t something that makes you really, really sick," says Dr. Neto.

With prompt treatment, patients can avoid more severe symptoms that may arise with second or third-stage Lyme disease. Dr. Neto is quick to point out how rare it is to struggle with long-term Lyme disease symptoms. "It gets portrayed a lot in the media and that’s where people get scared," she says.

And what about testing the tick that has bitten your child? As Christine discovered, that's not so easy. "CHEO doesn't send ticks for testing, nor does OTTAWA Public Health; but our pediatrician was able to send it through a lab requisition to ONTARIO Public Health (sent via gammacare) and then it's being sent to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg," says Christine. Ottawa Public Health does test ticks, but only for surveillance on Lyme disease.

In the end, given the age of Christine's son and the fact that the tick was not engorged (it had been attached for about 4-5 hours,) testing is rather pointless - even if the tick is found to have Lyme disease, the chance of Christine's son developing Lyme is extremely low. This is because of how tick biology works. In most cases, they need to have been feeding for a certain length of time (all guidelines point to 24-36 hours) before they start to pass the Lyme bacteria on to the host. 

Speculation is that individuals who find a tick and have gotten Lyme disease after it was attached for less than 24 hours probably had another nymph attached to them somewhere that they never discovered. Nymphs are the "baby" ticks, and can be as small as a poppy seed. This is a good reason why a nice warm shower and a thorough "tick check" is a great idea before bedtime!

To recap, the following are some of the things to do/watch for if you discover your child has been bitten by a tick:

• Remove the tick with a tick key or special tick tweezers

• Think back and try to figure out when your child could have gotten the tick (if you're camping, this will be easy!)

• Assess whether the tick is "engorged" (see picture below.) This means the body will be fat and round, and not flat. An engorged tick has most likely been feeding for a while, and could require more prompt treatment for your child.

• If your family doctor is accessible, make that your first point of contact. If you do not have a family doctor or think you're running out of time (72 hours) for preventative antibiotics, consider an urgent care clinic or your local emergency department.

• Children under 8 are not usually given preventative antibiotics here in Ottawa. In these cases, you will need to watch for signs or symptoms of Lyme disease, but this needs to be discussed with a physician**

• Your physician will be able to best guide you in your decision about preventative antibiotics OR a course of antibiotics for treatment if signs/symptoms of Lyme have occurred.** That said, you are the parent, and need to make an informed choice based on your research - which is exactly what Christine did!

• You CAN send your tick for testing, but it's not necessary for diagnosis or treatment

A GOOD VISUAL OF WHAT AN ENGORGED TICK LOOKS LIKE

**most prevention and treatment guidelines are conflicting, poorly conducted and often out-of-date. Many Lyme disease advocates argue that current guidance is not accurate. Furthermore, some doctors choose to delay treatment or can outright dismiss claims of Lyme, making it very difficult for patients to navigate the system. Below are some guidelines and a review by the Canadian Pediatric Society, which all state various recommendations based on low-quality evidence:

Canadian Pediatric Society Review

ILADS Guidelines

IDSA Guidelines

NICE Guidelines

In addition, I'd like to draw your attention to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's Lyme Disease and Tick-borne Illnesses Task Force report. This contains some recommendations for improving prevention and care, including a call for a full review of all available guidelines. It is my sincere hope that we move forward as a province to ensure adults and children are getting timely and compassionate care.

Misty Pratt is health researcher, and co-Community Manager for Kids in the Capital. She lives in Orleans and enjoys regular walks in the ravine behind her house, and isn't planning to stop just because of ticks.

Has your child been bitten by a tick? Share your experience with us in the comments below.