• Lists

    Four on Friday: Tails & Tales

    whale tail

    This summer’s theme for many public libraries’ summer reading programs is Tails & Tales from the Collaborative Summer Library Program. Hence, my inspiration for today’s post – four titles all about tails! These are really interactive titles that work for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school age – it just depends…

  • Lifestyle

    RIP Patricia Reilly Giff

    writing

    Patricia Reilly Giff was an author I grew up with. Her early chapter book series The Kids of Polk Street School were a staple of my checkout pile. Later, as I grew up, I graduated to Giff’s other works. These middle grade books took on a more serious note and…

  • Reviews

    Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea

    ocean

    Synopsis: “For fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and Ali Benjamin comes a poignant yet hopeful novel about a girl navigating grief, trauma, and friendship, from Ashley Herring Blake, the award-winning author of Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World. Hazel Bly used to live in the perfect house with the perfect family…

  • Lifestyle

    It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 6/28/2021

    bookmark

    What I Read I honestly can’t remember what I’ve read this week! It was so busy with the start of Summer Reading at work and my parents visiting this weekend that I didn’t have a lot of time for reading. I’m about halfway through Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue…

  • Lists

    9 More Middle Grade Novels in Verse

    poetry

    What I love most about novels in verse is the power that words have. In fact, this is an update to a previous middle grade novels in verse book list I created back in 2019. With such few words on the page, authors must choose every word even more carefully.…

  • Lifestyle

    Director’s Thoughts – 6/25/2021

    schedule

    It’s been almost six months since I’ve written a Director’s Thoughts post. As you can imagine, life has continued to throw us curveballs and I’m happy to say that I’m still standing at the plate (how’s that for a sports metaphor?) We officially started our Summer Reading Program on Monday…

  • Lists

    16 Chapter Books for 1st – 3rd Graders

    With our Summer Reading Program at work nearing the end of it’s first week, it’s been great to see families in the library again! And I’m reminded of how difficult it can be to find books for early elementary school kids. I find that this age group more than any…

  • Lists

    National Typewriter Day

    As I searched for a topic to write for today, I was excited to see that there is a National Typewriter Day! It would be a safe bet to say that there are many people who have never used a typewriter before. But the library where I work, has no…

  • Lists

    Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Wishes

    Top Ten Tuesday

    Happy Birthday, Jana! The fearless leader of the Top Ten Tuesday community is celebrating her birthday today! And kindly offered to share with the rest of us! Here’s a list of ten titles on my current wishlist – a little bit of everything from picture books to young adult titles.…