Does October put you in the mood for something witchy? If so, you're in luck! Check out one of these teen novels and let it cast a spell over you. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (2011). Also available as an e-book and downloadable audiobook in the Indiana Digital Library. Twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue, an American-born albino [...]
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danworth (recommended by Abby) This is a perfect book to sink your teeth into this spooky season: a creepy, queer, absorbing metafiction about a haunted boarding school. Dual narratives - one in the early 1900s at the Rhode Island boarding school and one in modern day Hollywood - weave [...]
Ada Lovelace is known as a computer pioneer extraordinaire and the first ever computer programmer. She is celebrated for her efforts in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Here is a little bit more about Ada Lovelace. She was born on December 10, 1815 and was the daughter of the Romantic Poet Lord Byron. Her [...]
Today, October 1oth, is Indigenous People's Day! It is important that we as a nation take the time to acknowledge and honor the native people who founded our land. Historically, classrooms across America have not taught about indigenous cultures, prominent Native American leaders, or any of their values and traditions. Instead, Columbus Day has been [...]
October is an exciting month for many of us. The weather has changed, leaves are starting to turn, and the spooky feeling of Halloween is in the air. Did you know that October is also National Italian-American Heritage Month? This celebration was established in 1989 by a proclamation from both Congress and President George H. [...]
Hispanic Heritage Month continues through October 15 and National Coming Out Day is next week on October 11, so there's no better time to pick up a book by a Latine LGBTQ+ author. Here are 15 books from our collection to choose from. Read with Pride! Teen: Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro (2018). [...]
Fall Break lasts for 2 weeks, and that is a long time to keep your family entertained! Check out these items from out Library of Things Collection at the Galena Branch if you need some inspiration on how to bust that boredom. Building Toys are a great way to spark creativity without screens! We have [...]
Happy Bi Visibility Day! Today we raise bi awareness and challenge bisexual and biromantic erasure. If you want to know more about what being bi means, check out the Bisexual Resource Center. And then celebrate Bi Visibility Day by checking out one of these books! Nonfiction: Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality [...]
Self-care. We hear this term quite a bit, but sometimes it's hard for people to understand what it means, or that it's not important, but it does matter to your health. Self-care is doing things to take care of your body and mind. You can do that by engaging in activities that reduce stress and [...]
Dive into these books about Black mermaids! Picture Books The Little Mermaid by Jerry Pinkney Mermaid Kenzie: Protector of the Deeps by Charlotte Watson Sherman, illustrated by Geneva Bowers Oona by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa Oona and the Shark by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa Sukey and the Mermaid by Robert D. [...]