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2017 Newbery Medal Winner: The Girl Who Drank the Moon
A story can tell the truth, she knew, but a story can also lie. Stories can bend and twist and obfuscate. Controlling stories is power indeed.Deep in the bog lies the Protectorate, an isolated city...
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New Year, New Series: Juvenile Graphic Novels
Following Jana's New Year, New Series bandwagon, I've put together a list of firsts in a series. Something other than our pillars of comics; Batman and Avengers and etc. Granted, most of these series...
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Storytime Anytime-Giraffes
So am I the only one impatiently waiting for April the Giraffe from Animal Adventure Park to give birth? I mean I have been watching YouTube for weeks now and all she does is pace around her stall and...
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The Federal Budget and Your Library
There have been a few things happening on a governmental level that affect the funding of the Portland District Library. Because it's sometimes difficult to translate what's being said in bills and...
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Tax Captures and the Library
Last week I shared some information about how the proposed federal budget would affect the Portland District Library, and this week, I'm going to focus on something a little closer to home--property...
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New Year, New Series: Teen & Adult Graphic Novels
Continuing to follow up on New Year, New Series today with teen and adult pickings. A few of theses are a little newer to trade paperback print, so getting further into the series may take a while,...
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New Year, New Series...Nora Roberts not just Romance
                          Vampires, witches, sorcerers, werewolves!!!    You name it Roberts does it.  When you think Nora Roberts you think romance, maybe you think J.D. Robb...
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Book Review: A Man Called Ove
It is always exciting when a book that has been praised by both readers and critics actually lives up to the hype. I probably should not say this as a librarian, but books can sometimes be a lot like...
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#SaveIMLS
Recently, I attended my first National Library Legislative Day to learn how to advocate for our libraries. Â We started the day listening to Hina Shamsi, the Director of the National Security Project...
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Beginning Chapter Books
Recently I have had a number of kindergarten and first grade teachers, as well as parents, asking me for recommendations of beginning chapter books. You know, something other than Junie B. Jones or...
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STEM kits are here!
Hopefully you've heard by now that we applied for and received a grant from the Library of Michigan to purchase STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) kits for the library. I really felt it was...
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Christian Books and Movies
Christian Books and MoviesHeaven is for RealWhen Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren’t expecting, though, was...
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Falling into Autumn
Burning leaves, apple picking, football games, and cooler weather. Fall is finally here!!! Personally, I would be perfectly content to live somewhere where it is fall year round. Without getting into...
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Best Graphic Novels of 2017
With me leaving the library at the end of this year, I'm putting together a Best of 2017 list. I'll only be covering two books per category, but that shouldn't stop you from coming in and finding out...
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Ready for Ready Player One
If you have teenagers you can commiserate with how difficult it can be to get some of them to read for pleasure. My fourteen year old son does enjoy reading, but he is incredibly picky. I don't think...
View ArticleFor the love of Disney Music
For the love of Disney Music!Disney Music has touched my life as far back as I can remember. Starting with Winnie the Pooh himself. As a little girl I received the nickname Pooh. Apparently everyone...
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The Serpent King: It Isn't Really About Snakes!
Recently, I attended Spring Institute, which is a yearly conference for Michigan youth librarians. One of the key note speeches was given by Jeff Zentner, who spoke about his burgeoning career as a...
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Adventures in Angst
So, this past year I was one of ten Michigan Librarians serving on the Thumbs Up committee. Most of you have probably never heard of the Thumbs Up, but it is an award given by the Michigan Library...
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Novels in Verse
If you are familiar at all with juvenile or young adult fiction you may have noticed that novels written in verse are a current trend. For those of you not as acquainted with youth literature a novel...
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It's the most wonderful time of the year!
Ha! You thought that this post was going to be about Christmas didn't you? Nope, the best time of the year is most definitely Halloween!! My love of October and everything spookalicious that the month...
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