A national program that delivers free books and CDs on Jewish culture has finally arrived in South Palm Beach County.

The PJ Library – that refers to “pajamas” – will now be available in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach, following programs in North Palm Beach,
Broward and Miami-Dade.

Here’s how it works: Parents raising a Jewish child age 6 months to 8 years sign up online. Every month – for free – they’ll receive a high-quality age-appropriate children’s book or CD to keep about Jewish culture, traditions and values.

Some recent titles in the program include Good Night Israel by Mark Jasper, Dinosaur on Passover by Diane Levin, The Longest Night by Laurel Snyder and the Shalom Sesame DVD series (Shabbat Shalom Grover!).

Parents we know in Miami-Dade and Broward treasure their subscriptions.

Nationally, PJ Library sends out more than 111,000 books a month.

To launch the South Palm Beach program, sample books will be mailed to almost 50,000 local homes in mid-April.

A group of local mothers worked to bring the program – a partnership of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which sponsors the program nationally, and
the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Union for Reform Judaism, Leon and Toby Cooperman Family Foundation, as well as local program contributors Barbara Extein, Anne & Norman Jacobson, Larry Phillips, Dorothy Seaman and the Jewish Women’s Foundation of  South Palm Beach County.

Joanna Drowos, a physician and mother of two preschoolers who helped advocate for the local program, said in a press release: “PJ Library provides families with a perfect platform to spend time together, combining Jewish learning and values with a love of reading.”

TO LEARN MORE

Sign up at PJLibrary.org

Like PJLibrarySouthPalmBeach on Facebook

- CHARLENE PACENTI

It’s time to start making plans for summer, as the local day camps are finalizing their schedules.

Boca Raton offers so many options that fit a wide range of activities, schedules and prices. Where to begin?

If you have little ones entering preschool in the fall, you might see whether the school offers a summer program. That can be a good way to ease them into the new environment.

For older kids, there are options tailored to almost every interest. Do you want an enriching experience, where they hone a sports skill or a talent in performing? Or do you want a strictly recreational summer? Get the rundown on several options in our Summer Camp Guide.

The IMPACT exhibit showcases American fashion designers. (BOCAPARENT.COM)

If you’ve got a young fashionista in the house, put the Boca Raton Museum of Art’s latest exhibit on your calendar.

The show is called “IMPACT: 50 Years of the CFDA” (Council of Fashion Designers of America), showcasing American design. There are stunning designs from Zac Posen, Oscar de la Renta, Vera Wang and many more.

Feather jacket, skirt and turban by Norma Kamali. (MFIT/CFDA)

Ball gown by Oscar de la Renta from 2012. (MFIT/CFDA)

Each living designer participating in the exhibit selected a piece they felt best represents their impact on the fashion world, according to the museum.

Included is the red and black Narciso Rodriguez design that First Lady Michelle Obama wore on election night in 2008, as well as some imaginative gowns with feathers from Norma Kamali and Thom Browne.

Two other exhibits accompany IMPACT on the museum’s first floor. “Draw and Shoot” is a collection of fashion drawings and photos, including some from Helmut Newton and Richard Avedon.

Behind the IMPACT show is “Jody Culkin: Refashioned,” colorful and quirky artworks inspired by clothes and accessories. There’s a metal purse made into a fountain. A sheer burka.

It’s a great mother-daughter (or grandmother-granddaughter) outing, though interesting enough for dads and sons, too. There is a menswear section, as well.

The show runs through April 21. The museum, on the north end of Mizner Park, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $15 for adults; $8 for students; free for kids 12 and younger. Learn more at bocamuseum.org.

- CHARLENE PACENTI

The new library, as of Jan. 23, 2013. (KL Construction)

The new downtown library is coming along, expected to be completed by this summer.

At 42,000 square feet, it will be about the same size as the new Spanish River Library that opened in January 2008.

Interior rendering of the new library. (PGAL)

The city’s library services manager, Tom Sloan, said it will open with about the same number of books (125,000), DVDs and other materials as the old library, but will have many new features, including:

• A community meeting room and adjacent patio
• 70 public access computers and robust wi-fi
• A youth learning center
• A teen room
• 10 private study and tutoring rooms

The library is being built at Northwest Second Avenue and Fourth Street (just north of the old one) with funds from a $19.8 million bond issue approved by
voters in March 2003 for the construction of both libraries. The Friends of the Boca Raton Library have donated $250,000 for the downtown project, and The Rotary Club of Boca Raton has donated $50,000 for enhancements to the new Youth Services Center, Sloan said.

Exterior rendering of new library. (PGAL)

The current downtown library is more than 50 years old.

Follow construction progress and get more info at bocalibary.org.

– CHARLENE PACENTI

If Nickelodeon’s Victorious is on a constant loop on your family room TV, you may be interested to know that Ariana Grande’s house in Boca is for sale.

The 19-year-old actress, who plays Cat on the show, was born and raised here and went to school at North Broward Prep in Coconut Creek. Her parents bought the house in 2004, according to a press release from Coldwell Banker, whose agent Lisa Byrne has the listing.

Grande and her family have moved to California, as Ariana begins work on a Victorious spinoff, Cat & Sam. (Yes, that would be the Sam from iCarly).

The 7,590-square-foot house is listed at $2.49 million. It’s in the gated Les Jardins neighborhood near Yamato and Jog roads. Notable features: a theater room, recording studio and astronomical observatory, complete with telescope.

See photos here.

- CHARLENE PACENTI