The winners of the 2021 National Book Awards will be announced in just a few days. This year, there are 25 finalists in five categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translated literature and young people’s literature. Since the National Book Awards began in 1950, hundreds of authors have been honored for their exceptional books. And many are […]
Books
Just Picture It! Hopeful Titles to Help Your Kids Be Optimistic
We all know it feels better to be optimistic than pessimistic, but optimism goes deeper than that. Researchers have found that a positive outlook is linked to resilience, better physical health and even a longer life. In children, optimism leads to more positive interactions in school and decreases the risk of depression. One way to […]
10 Books for Native American Heritage Month
It’s National Native American Heritage Month! November is a great time to pick up a book by or about Indigenous people. Whether you’re introducing a young reader to the Navajo Code Talkers or looking for literature by today’s most prolific Indigenous writers, you’ll find plenty of options at your library. These are just a few […]
DA101: Intro to Dark Academia
Welcome, students. Please take your seats. No talking. Keep your hands visible at all times. Syllabus Dark Academia is a genre of literature that is having a moment right now. It typically features an elite group of students selected out as special in some way. Something wicked, nefarious or unfortunate tends to happen. Perhaps it’s […]
Books To Read While Curled Up With a Pumpkin Spice Latte
The changing of the leaves reminds us that the seasons are changing. The leaves begin to fall, the nights become cooler, and most importantly, all our favorite coffee spots start to offer our favorite drink: the Pumpkin Spiced Latte. This tradition is quite new and dates to 2003 when Starbucks released the first Pumpkin Spiced […]
October 17 is Black Poetry Day!
Black Poetry Day commemorates the birthday of Jupiter Hammon, the first published African-American poet. His first work, the religious poem “An Evening Thought,” was published in 1760 and is still reprinted today. Black Poetry Day celebrates the rich history of Black poets from Hammon and Phillis Wheatley in the 1700s; through Langston Hughes and the […]
Celebrate Banned Books Week with These 5 Titles
Banned Books Week begins on September 26th to serve as our yearly reminder that books and book series are challenged and sometimes entirely removed from schools and libraries nationwide. These stories come under fire for various reasons, including uncomfortable subject matter, vulgar language, or even public statements from the authors. New and old books are challenged each […]
Celebrate Welcoming Week Through Reading
Welcoming Week (Sept 10-19th, 2021) is a time for communities and neighbors to come together to help everyone, regardless of background, to feel seen, respected, and welcomed. I can relate to feeling unwelcome in many spaces because of the way I look. Strangers often ask me where I’m “really from” or what nationality I am […]
National Hispanic Heritage Month
Every year the United States celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th. This is a time when people across the nation honor Hispanic and Latino Americans’ cultures, heritage, contributions, and accomplishments. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month helps our country show our recognition and support for Latinos’ work in helping the United States […]
Five Quick Books to Read During Pride Month
It’s that time of the week again! Week two of my Pride Reading Challenge has wrapped up, and I thoroughly enjoyed all five books I read. This week I tackled the rest of the graphic novels on my TBR as well as some of the shorter books. It was a very busy week, so these were […]