Blog Post
Election Day Reads for Kids
by evelyn
Want to talk to your kids about election day and civic engagement? Look no further than your library!
For a basic primer on voting and democracy, check out Every Vote Matters or School House Rocks: Election Collection.
Help your little ones learn about the people who fought for the right to vote with these great titles. I especially recommend the beautiful and moving book Lillian’s Right to Vote, which is about the Voting Rights Act of 1965. With lovely illustrations and stirring text, this book will help kids learn understand how hard citizens have worked to earn the vote.
For even more books on voting and democracy, take a look at this list!
Blog Post
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Illustrated Edition
by krayla
Harry Potter fans rejoice- yet again! AADL now has copies of the illustrated Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!
Whether you're a loyal fan dating back to the first book in 1997 by J.K. Rowling or are just getting into the wizarding world now, the illustrated editions are pure magic! In the first illustrated edition, Jim Kay brought the world of Harry Potter to life with a hulking portrait of Hagrid, a hectic spread of the Hogwarts Express, and the hand-drawn delights of Diagon Alley. This second illustrated edition is sure to grip readers with the strength of a hippogriff, so check out this book, use Lumos on your lamp, and get reading!
Get even more exclusive Harry Potter content with this Jim Kay interview and try the newest title in the series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!
Blog Post
Reflections on Advent and Wild Creatures of the Woodlands
by mansii
As the air is getting crisp and the branches falling bare, the season of Advent is close upon us; a time to cozy ourselves away and reflect in the quietness of hope and waiting. This year Advent begins on Nov 27th, a few short weeks away, and a beautiful new seasonal resource to AADL's collection is All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings by Michigan author Gayle Boss.
For each day of the month-long anticipation of Christmas, All Creation Waits offers a lovely account of the winter habits of wild creatures of the Northern Hemisphere. As we walk with these creatures through their months of dark and cold, we also catch glimpses of the new beginnings that their waiting usher in. The encouragement to our own lives is more felt than said, with a subtlety that matches the behind-the-scenes magic of winter itself.
Each short daily reflection is paired with a woodcut illustration by artist David Klein. The deep blacks and brilliant whites of the full-page illustrations tell stories in themselves.
Welcoming you into the spirit of the season, don't miss the author talk and book signing for this lovely volume THIS SATURDAY Nov. 12th. Click here for more information on this event.
For additional AADL resources for the Advent season, click here.
Blog Post
On Living prompts reflection
by eapearce
During her time as a hospice chaplain, Kerry Egan did more listening than talking and surprisingly, rarely offered prayers or sermons to those taking leave of this world, unless they were specifically requested (“There's no time to preach or teach," says Egan. "You have to use whatever tools that person already has in their spiritual toolbox to help them come to meaning in their lives."). In her new book, On Living, Egan shares with readers some of the amazing stories that she heard from those finding or making meaning of their life during their final days and hours. She listened as patients shared hope, regret, shame, pride, mystery and revelation.
Patients told her about betrayals, unfinished business, secrets left unshared, great achievements, and heartbreak. But the overarching feeling that she took away from her time at patients’ bedsides was that of love: for children and partners, for friends, for hobbies, love that people gave unconditionally or had but didn’t know how to give at all. In an interview with Terry Gross, Egan said, “I [was] constantly reminded of how much love people have for each other, and the love that’s all around us that we just don’t necessarily take a moment to see.” In the beautiful On Living, Egan offers readers the chance to analyze what is truly important in life through hearing what others have been through, and allows us to use their wisdom to make the most of our own still-transforming lives.
Blog Post
PreK Bits - "O" is for OWLS
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel brought Owl stories to Storytime @ Malletts Creek Branch this week.
Baby Owl was lost and the forest animals helped find Mama in … LITTLE OWL LOST by Chris Haughton
Ms. Rachel led the action rhyme "Dr. Knickerbocker" which can be found on the CD SINGING ALL The WAY HOME by Liz Buchanan.
Banjo Betsy led the song "If You're Happy And You Know It" which can be found on the CD LAURIE BERKNER'S FAVORITE CLASSIC KIDS' SONGS.
All the forest animals tell Baby Owl “You are SO So cute! And fluffy!” but ... Baby Owl knows he’s a “huge scary hunting machine” in … I’M NOT CUTE! by Jonathan Allen.
Here are more of Ms. Rachel’s favorite owl stories:
OWL BABIES by Martin Waddell … also In SPANISH language and in FRENCH language. The illustrations are among my all time favorites.
OWL MOON … 1988 Caldecott Award Winner.
OWL SEES OWL … a book regarding reflection.
HOOT OWL: Master Of Disguise … a book regarding dinner plans.
NIGHT OWL … a book of sound effects.
TOO TALL HOUSES … a competitive housing project between Owl and Rabbit.
WINTER’S COMING: A Story Of Seasonal Change … winter is coming.
I ENJOY Owls!
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #619 Spotlight on UK Mystery Debuts
by muffy
Referencing the New Testament parable, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep * by Joanna Cannon is set during the scorching summer of 1976 when 10 year-olds Grace and Tilly take it upon themselves to look for their neighbor, friendly Mrs. Creasy who disappears without a trace.
As the girls go door to door in search of clues (and God), the neighborhood starts to give up its secrets. "In a masterfully constructed plot, Grace—who sniffs out the lies told by her adult neighbors—learns a lesson about loyalty and true friendship, as secrets born of shame are gradually revealed. This understated, somewhat quirky debut novel is remarkable for its structure, characterizations, pitch-perfect prose, touches of humor, and humanity. Cannon, a psychiatrist, is an author to watch." (Booklist) Will appeal to fans of the Flavia de Luce series by Alan C. Bradley.
The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine, is an atmospheric psychological mystery set on Muirlan Island in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, where Londoner Hetty Deveraux hopes to turn Muirlan House, inherited from a distant relative, into a luxury inn. The shocking discovery of the century-old remains of a murder victim plunges her into an investigation of Theo Blake, the acclaimed painter and his troubled marriage to Beatrice who vanished from the island in 1910.
"Maine skillfully balances a Daphne du Maurier atmosphere with a Barbara Vine–like psychological mystery as she guides the reader back and forth on these storylines... The setting emerges as the strongest personality in this compelling story, evoking passion in the characters as fierce as the storms which always lurk on the horizon." (Kirkus Reviews)
I Let You Go * * by Clare Mackintosh, "a twisty, psychological thriller with an astonishing intensity” ~ (U.K) Daily Mail opens with the hit-and-run death of 5 year-old Jacob on a rainy afternoon in Bristol. Shortly afterward, Jacob's mother disappears.
Wrecked with guilt, sculptor Jenna Gray relocates to the isolated Welsh village of Penfach. Back in Bristol, Det. Insp. Ray Stevens and detective constable, Kate Evans are frustrated with the lack of results in their investigations but push on despite official orders. Their persistent efforts eventually pay off.
"Mackintosh, a former police detective and journalist, weaves a complex tale out of seemingly straightforward circumstances." (Publishers Weekly). "But her real skill is in the way she incorporates jaw-dropping, yet plausible, plot twists into the already complex story-line." (Kirkus Reviews). A new author to watch for fans of Tana French, Paula Hawkins, S.J. Watson and A.S.A. Harrison. I particularly enjoyed the audio format, beautifully read by Nicola Barber and Steven Crossley.
* = starred review
* * = 2 starred reviews
Blog Post
Why homemade baby food?
by ballybeg
Well, because it is way cheaper and more fun than buying food in a jar. You can control the quality, use the freshest ingredients, focus on the best nutrition, and introduce a bit of adventure into your baby’s eating. It is not that time-consuming either! Not every busy parent will opt to spend more time in the kitchen, when they could be doing other things with baby, but for those who are so inclined, we have many choices to provide inspiration and technique to the preparation of homemade baby food. These four books are a sampling.
Around the world in 80 purees : easy recipes for global baby food I think the title is misleading because this book is about way more than purees. The recipes in here could be used for the big guys too, and then can be pureed for the baby. Very international cuisine represented, with interesting ingredients and spices. Turn your young eater into a gourmet.
Natural baby food : over 150 wholesome, nutritious recipes for your baby and toddler Lots of ideas for first solids, and lots of solid advice for how and when to begin feeding.
The amazing make-ahead baby food book : make three months of homemade purees in three hours The baby food factory in your kitchen. For the busiest of parents who still want the savings and quality control, but also some time-saving convenience.
Bébé gourmet : 100 French-inspired baby food recipes for raising an adventurous eater I can't resist this one. It aligns perfectly with the book French Kids Eat Everything and might influence the outcome of your child's eating tastes. Arranged for 4, 6, 9, and 12 months and over, it has your baby's introduction to really good food covered. No more fussy eaters!
Blog Post
Eccentric Author Writes Brilliant, Odd Short Stories
by mansii
Fair warning: Joy Williams is a quirky personality. Known for eccentricities such as wearing sunglasses at all hours of the day, both inside and out, for not using e-mail, and for driving across a huge chunk of the US just to pick up some giveaway pews and hull them back across the states in her creaky truck--it's no wonder her stories are deliciously odd too.
Her recently released collection: Ninety-Nine Stories of God is full of snippet-length accounts that hit you in the gut with their understated significance and piercing satire. You'll do a double take and then a triple, hanging on every word. Williams' previous works have been nominated for both the Pulitzer and the National Book award and have been appropriately called Kafkaesque. Those who like a good puzzle will meet their match, as well as those who like to be hit with the weight of a story without needing to understand why. The title proposes that the common theme of this collection is God, but it will be up to you to find him in many of these stories. Williams takes every opportunity to poke at what we think we know with her sense of the comedic element in this finite world.
I will leave you with this short story appropriate for the spooky end of October:
"A woman who adored her mother, and had mourned her death every day for years now, came across some postcards in a store that sold antiques and various other bric-a-brac. The postcards were of unexceptional scenes, but she was drawn to them and purchased several of wild beaches and forest roads. When she got home, she experienced an overwhelming need to send a card to her mother.
What she wrote was not important. It was the need that was important.
She put the card in an envelope and sent it to her mother's last earthly address, a modest farmhouse that had long since been sold and probably sold again.
Within a week she received a letter, the writing on the envelope unmistakably her mother's. Even the green ink her mother had favored was the same.
The woman never opened the letter, nor did she send any other postcards to that address.
The letter, in time, though only rumored to be, caused her children, though grown, much worry."
Blog Post
New Beautiful Fall Picture Books
by manz
I found two cute picture books on the NEW shelf recently and they happen to have the same illustrator. The illustrations are the main reason I grabbed each of these books! The images by Susan Gal are made with charcoal on paper and digital collage and the result is bold colors in broad strokes of oranges and reds that fully illustrate that fall feeling. Looking through these books makes you want to head outside and look all the lush fall colors this October.
Hocus Pocus, It’s Fall! takes the reader on a fall tour and finds things like dried pods, squirrels, red leaves, apples and more fall staples. It’s a darling rhyming story.
With a similar palette, Bella’s Fall Coat is an actual story. Young Bella has a favorite coat, and her Grams urges her throughout the story that it’s time for a new coat, as Bella is getting too big for her old one. “But it’s my favorite,” cries Bella. And out the door she runs to play. As fall turns into winter, it might just be time for a new coat after all, and what should happen to Bella’s old favorite coat? Well, it finds a precious new home. A lovely, lovely book!
Blog Post
PreK BITS - "M" is for Mother ... and "moo", "mouse", "more" and "me" ....
by ryanikoglu
Ms. Rachel's Storytime theme this week was bedtime on the Farm.
GOBBLE GOBBLE MOO TRACTOR ... Everyone is NOT asleep.
Banjo Betsy and Ms. Rachel's action song “Wake Up You Sleepy Heads!” is recorded on the CD SING IT! SAY IT! STAMP IT! SWAY IT! by Peter and Ellen Allard.
We also sang 'Skinnimarink" which is recorded on the CD ONE ELEPHANT DEUX ELEPHANTS by Sharon, Lois and Bram.
In the story MOTHER MOTHER I WANT ANOTHER ... Baby Mouse needs something more.
Can You find the Mama Mouse, the young Mouse, or the “Moo” in these stories?
WHERE’S MOMMY?
MOO!
HERMELIN The DETECTIVE MOUSE
The LITTLE MOUSE, The RED RIPE STRAWBERRY, and The HUNGRY BEAR
ALEXANDER And The WIND-UP MOUSE
LITTLE RABBIT WHO LIKED To SAY MOO
MOO! SAID MORRIS
A LITTLE BIT Of LOVE
MMMmmmmm Good!
Now everybody ... "Go to sleep!"