The opening ceremony for the 2020 Olympic Games will be held tomorrow in Tokyo, Japan. We may not be able to physically travel to Japan right now, but we can armchair travel there through one of these books set in Tokyo. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (272 pages; 2020). In a small [...]
If the coming of the Tokyo Olympics has you in the mood to read about sports, I've got you covered today. I've paired books with some of the events you'll be seeing over the next couple of weeks as the Tokyo Olympic Games airs. Did I miss your favorite event? Let me know in comments! [...]
I know it might seem too early to be thinking about Back to School, but the time is now to request picture books about starting a new school year! Here are some great back to school picture books to share with the young students in your life. I Got the School Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison. [...]
2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the archaeologist who gave adventure a a new name: Directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg teamed up to give us Indiana Jones, who made his debut in Raiders of the Lost Ark. As a young and impressionable viewer Dr. David WestReynolds was blown away by the thrills he saw [...]
When people think of fairy tales, they often think of childhood, but a lot of adults love fairy tales too! No novel-length retellings this time (that's a blog post for a different day), but brief bites of fairy tale flavor for grown-ups. A book I recently read and loved was Veronica Schanoes's short story collection [...]
Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller (2019), 357 pages. (Overdrive/Libby ebook also available) She was known to millions as Emily Doe. After her sexual assault on Stanford's campus, her rapist was convicted, only for the judge to sentence him to a paltry handful of months in jail. At the same time, "Emily Doe" [...]
At this time of year, a lot of people tend to think about American history-- the founding fathers, the revolution, the thirteen colonies. But equally important is the American future-- what will that look like? Some potential answers to that question are found in the short story anthology The People's Future of the United States, [...]
In case you are wondering what the Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award is, do not fear! I am here to fill you in with everything you need to know.What is the Indiana Early Literacy Firefly Award?Each year, a committee is composed of experts in children's literature and children's development to choose five of their favorite [...]
Looking for picture books to build self-esteem and celebrate African American children? Today's book list is for you! Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick C. Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James (2017). Celebrate that amazing feeling of walking out of the barber shop with a fresh haircut that makes you feel like you [...]
Next week a lovely book comes out that I can't wait for you all to be able to read. Appropriately releasing during Pride Month, How We Do Family is the memoir of Trystan Reese, a gay transgender man, about his family. Trystan and his then-boyfriend Biff had only been dating a year when they took [...]
