I love this time of year - April's when our local schools display their wonderful art at the Library. It makes our Library so colorful and I love seeing all of the students' creations. You should definitely visit the library sometime in the next couple of weeks while the art's up. And if seeing all [...]
The perfect read for March Madness! If you are a basketball fan, this is the book for you. Attucks!: Oscar Robertson and the Basketball Team that Awakened a City by Phillip Hoose (2018; 212 pages) tells the true story of the all-black basketball team at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis that broke the color barrier [...]
Did you know that reading fiction increases empathy and emotional intelligence? According to research, reading fiction can help children put themselves in other people's shoes. And I think encouraging empathy for all types of people can make the world a better place. Want a place to start? Here are some great children's books featuring Muslim [...]
A great contemporary graphic novel for fans of Smile. Jordan Banks loves art and would give anything to go to the art school of his dreams, but his parents think the key to his success will be attending an elite private school on scholarship. Not only is Jordan the new kid, but he's the new [...]
Have you checked out one of our Lucky Duck books yet? This is a special collection of bestsellers and popular books with long hold lists to help you get your hands on the books you want faster. Lucky Duck books check out for 7 days and don't take holds or renewals so they can be [...]
February is Black History Month and your library has you covered. Here are five new books from African American authors that you can find on our shelves or place a hold on today! Hands Up! by Breanna McDaniel, illustrated by Shane Evans (2019). This picture book takes the charged phrase "hands up" and recasts it [...]
A fun escape from the winter doldrums. The temperature's about to plunge again (goodbye, Fake Spring!), so if you need a fun read set in sunny LA to bring you out of the winter doldrums, may I recommend The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (2018; 325 pages)? Nik is at a baseball game with her boyfriend [...]
Is there anything better than when a great book gets turned into a (hopefully great) movie? How about when you grab the book from your library early before there's a long holds list? If you want to get a jump on some of the books being turned into movies and TV shows this year, here's [...]
Several of us from your library have been attending the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting in Seattle this weekend. One of the highlights of the conference for me is the announcement of the Youth Media Awards winners. I'm so pleased to share with you this year's winners: 2019 Newbery Medal Merci Suarez Changes Gears by [...]
The idiom “child’s play” suggests a simplicity and frivolity that does not do justice to the important work that takes place when children play. Decades of early childhood research show that play is essential for healthy child development; building fine motor skills, developing spatial awareness, understanding symbols and abstract concepts. Neuroscience confirms that when young [...]
