February marks the beginning of Black History Month. I have likely mentioned this in previous columns, but I like to challenge myself to be intentional about reading books by Black authors every February. I snagged a few of the books on my list from the Black History Month display in the Children’s Department. If Young […]
Another year has come and gone, which means it’s time for my favorite tradition: the end-of-year round up. Every December, I reflect on the best books I read that year. I am not sure that my favorite books have any connecting thread aside from me loving them. In 2024, I loved picture books that had […]
Every so often, an adult will sheepishly tell me that they “still read picture books.” To that I say: a good book is a good book! Read with abandon! You can find some of the most beautiful art and the most touching stories in picture books. I am hoping my review this month will aid […]
I try to make it a point to read a handful of the National Book Award winners and finalists each year. When Katherine Marsh’s newest novel The Lost Year came across my desk emblazoned with a silver finalist medal, I knew I had to add it to my to-read list. The Lost Year begins, and […]
The Summer Reading Program at Joplin Public Library comes to a close this weekend. What a summer! Altogether, we had almost 1,500 participants in the reading challenge. In the Children’s Department alone, we hosted almost 120 programs. Our theme this summer was “Adventure Begins at Your Library.” My last review was about an adventure-based picture […]
By the time this review is published, Summer Reading will have begun at the Joplin Public Library. The Summer Reading Program is a free, all ages reading challenge that runs from May 28th through July 21. Participants can keep track of their reading during that time on a paper log or online (www.joplinpubliclibrary.org/summer-reading) and win […]
At the start of the COVID lockdown, my then-four year old spent every day either jumping on his trampoline or measuring things. He wanted to know how long the biggest animals were and to measure them in our yard. We measured the length of a gray whale (90 feet or three school buses). We are […]
Happy February! As we close out Black History Month, I would like to share one of my most recent favorite picture books, which happens to be written by, illustrated by, and about exceptional Black authors. There Was a Party for Langston, King O’ Letters is the debut picture book by award-winning young adult author Jason […]
I am a lover of lists, so the end of the year is an exciting time for me. I want to see everyone’s favorite media in list form all month long, and I will absolutely not pressure myself to read every book on every top 10 list published by every review site, magazine, and newspaper! […]
J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan has been told and retold many times over the years, both in print and on screen. Some iterations have been better than others, to be sure (personally, Robin Williams’ Hook is the peak and the animated Disney classic is much further down on the ladder). As an adult, however, my perception […]
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