The first step in managing our emotions is the ability to recognize and name them. Picture books can be a great tool to help children build their emotional self-awareness, especially when they have a caring adult who will talk with them about what they are reading. When considering which books to read to explore different emotions, there is an important thing to keep in mind. In a study completed by the Institute of Child Study at the University of Toronto, it was found that picture books that feature human characters, rather than anthropomorphized ones, help children develop empathy. That is not to say that books featuring animal characters do not help children, they are just not as effective in building these skills as those featuring human characters. New to the library are several picture books that explore emotions that feature human characters.
My Zoo: A Book of Feelings helps readers identify the emotions they are feeling and be present with them. From angry lions to calm sloths and sad pandas to happy puppies, everyone has a zoo of emotions inside. This clever and colorful picture book invites kids to look inside themselves and get to know their own lion, tiger, bear, sloth, zebra, turtle, and dog and just how wonderfully captivating and instructive those emotions and feelings can be.
Learn about animal behavior and how they communicate their emotions in this Let’s Learn clip from PBS. Next listen to this song Revealing Emotions from Sesame Street that puts a face to all the emotions that we feel. And finally dive into the All About Emotions resource kit from PBS kids including an emotion wheel, and various games.
Doing something for the first time is hard; especially learning to ride a bike. The fear of falling and the resulting injuries when you do are nearly enough to scare you out of trying again. But with just a little courage and determination, we learn that to do anything well, you need to try again! This familiar story of falling down and getting back up is perfect for brave go-getters who may be just learning to ride a bike of their own.
If you want to learn more about bicycles, what a bike mechanic does, how to change a tire, and take bikes out for a ride check out this video segment from KidVision.
Then listen to this song from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood that helps remind kids that practicing difficult tasks helps you get better. A similar song from Sesame Street offers strategies for succeeding at difficult tasks.
This title masterfully explores the pressure children often feel to be perfect all the time and helps them realize that it’s okay to share frustrating, and at times, not-so-nice thoughts and seek comfort from adults to help them manage those feelings. It explores key social emotional skills that kids need to navigate complicated feelings and shares an important lesson: that there’s room for ALL of our feelings, even the scary ones.
By using stories and videos showing familiar PBS KIDS characters working through their own mad feelings, you can provide strategies that children can build on as they grow and learn and develop the self-control needed to handle frustrating situations appropriately. Check out this collection of resources from PBS Learning Media.
Colbie Caillat and Common team up with Elmo to exercise the belly breathing strategy for keeping calm in this tune from Sesame Street.
Did you know that the library is prepared for your holiday baking needs with more than just cookbooks – that we now have baking pans and tools available for checkout? I have to admit that I’ve made use of this collection a few times already (and my coworkers seem happy with the results!). If you just need a dino pan for your kid’s birthday but don’t need to make a dino cake every week, don’t shell out for your own cake pan, just borrow one. Aren’t planning on making yule log cakes all year round? We’ve got a yule log pan for that! Below, I’ll highlight a couple of the pans we have, the recipes I made in them, and my absolute favorite baking book. If you want to see all the pans we have, they’re in the catalog here!
King Arthur Baking (previously King Arthur Flour) is my absolute number-one go-to for baking recipes. They have tons of recipes on their website as well, but this way, I won’t use up all the paper in the printer with all the wonderful recipes I find. It also has general baking information like ingredient substitutions (including making things gluten-free) and various tips and tricks for when something just isn’t working. I mean, it’s over 500 pages! You can’t go wrong.
Halloween is just days away! In need of a scare and don’t want to get it from the news? Here’s a list of five new, unique spooky films that we’ve added to our movie collection that might not be on your radar.
Watcher
Watcher follows a young couple, Julia and Francis, as they settle into their new apartment. Julia copes with loneliness as she’s practicing her new country’s language. Then, Julie begins to notice a man watching her apartment through his windows. Feeling unsettled, Julie investigates and begins to see more and more of this unknown man. At the same time, there are reports that a serial killer, dubbed “the Spider” is on the loose. Could the watcher be the serial killer, Julia wonders? Julia tells her partner, her friends, and the police her fears as things slowly get creepier and creepier. No one believes Julia, causing even higher feelings of isolation and panic. This film perfectly captures what anxiety feels like and really showcases why we need to believe women.
If you’ve played the group card games Mafia or Werewolf, then you already know what the game Bodies Bodies Bodies is. If not, no worries. This movie follows a group of friends who are together for a weekend. They’re staying at a huge place and have a lot of substances. So, logically, they decide it’s smart to play a game of Bodies, Bodies, Bodies. The game is supposed to be simple: someone is assigned the “killer” role and then the rest of the group has to figure out who that is before they get killed. While the friends envision the game being fun and safe, things get dicey when the literal bodies start piling. Of course, drama, scares, and laughs follow you through this horror/mystery/comedy film. Think And Then There Were None meets Mean Girls.
Oddly enough, this film was made in 1975 but only just got a physical release. The film was directed by George A. Romero, the mind behind Night of the Living Dead, Creepshow, The Crazies, and more. The Amusement Park was intended to be for the Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania as a teaching tool for elder abuse. After having a premiere at the American Film Festival in 1975, the movie was shelved when completed and literally went missing. The film was deemed lost until a 16MM print was, at long last, discovered. The DVD and streaming were released this year, which is why it’s still new in my book.
The story itself is about how scary aging can be. This thriller is unique in both its movie and history. Hopefully, it leaves viewers with a reminder to treat their elders with care.
Now to go in total opposite directions, we have a film about children. The Innocents debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and has been getting great reviews since. No one says much about what you’ll see, just that you should see it. The movie is a supernatural thriller from Norway with a fairly simple-sounding plot: a group of children in Norway learns about their superpowers when adults aren’t looking. The film promises, according to IMDB, that “playtime takes a dangerous turn”.
Hopefully, you’ll fall for this movie. (Hahahaha!) Two adventure-seeking friends decide to climb a decommissioned 2,000-foot TV tower in the desert to reconnect and reflect on where they are in life and how to be better. Because that’s smart. As you would expect, this doesn’t work out flawlessly and the two end up stuck on the tower. Water is in low supply and their cell phones won’t work. Yes, this sounds horrifying to me on multiple levels.
Can you guess how many books are on the Library shelves? I’ll give you a hint, it’s more than 100 (the most common answer from storytime friends). While that number is in constant flux as we add new and remove old items, as of writing, we currently have 209,707.
New to the Library this month are four titles that may not help your child count to all the way to 209,707, but will help give them a head start. Did you know that early math skills are as predictive of later reading achievement as are early reading skills ?(Duncan et al., 2007) So reading books to your children that build early math skills is also helping them improve their literacy skills! It’s a win-win!
Add these titles to your pile of bedtime stories and afterwards explore the related PBS Learning Media activities to extend your child’s learning.
My favorite books to read with children can be sung. Singing is one of the five early literacy practices that when used helps kids differentiate the smaller sounds in words, helping them to understand what they are hearing. 12 Days of Kindness can be sung to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas, and for this reason would be a great addition to your holiday bookshelf. The text explores the many ways to be kind- from a smile or encouraging word to shared snacks- and discovers that one act of kindness inspires another. This joyous read celebrates how small acts of kindness can be practiced at any age.
You may also enjoy this read aloud of the story Zero Local: Next Stop Kindness by Ethan and Vita Murrow on PBS’s Let’s Learn. Or take a listen to one of my favorite Sesame Street songs, Try a Little Kindness, sung by Tori Kelly and your favorite Sesame Street characters.
We’re back to the regular format of one fiction book and one non-fiction book this month! This time, we have a new entry in a popular series: Colleen Hoover’s new book is due to come out next month. The non-fiction book is another memoir – it seems like people can’t get enough of reading about people overcoming their past difficulties, especially if it comes with some Hollywood/celebrity drama!
Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising a beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in, and taking over her father’s beekeeping business.
Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start.
And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can trust him completely…
Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in him, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.
As summer winds down to a close and the cold weather comes creeping in, a few new picture books give us the warm reminder that we can always transport ourselves to somewhere greener through our imagination and a finely illustrated and well-written book. New to the Library this month are seven titles that stand out for not only being beautiful depictions of nature, but also for illustrating the interconnection between all living things. PBS Learning Media activities have been paired with each picture book to extend learning to home, your backyard, and your neighborhood.
Whirlers, helicopters- did you have a name for maple seeds when you were a child? The way they spin as they fall freely through the air is a sure sign that the warm season is in full swing. Follow the life-cycle of a maple seed as it falls from the tree, and travels about before being planted in this beautiful wordless picture book from Deborah Kerble. The gentle illustrations are bound together with a thread of wind that entwines each of the pages as you create the dialogue with your imagination. A back page of maple seed facts inspires young explorers to conduct their own experiments with seeds.
Curious about the way seeds travel? Explore with this video Seeds on the Move with Meghan from Growing Great, and compare the shapes and sizes of seeds and how this might affect how they move. Next play Seed Racer from Plum Landing and help an extraterrestrial collect and plant seeds on the mountain to help keep the ecosystem healthy. The game is interspersed with facts about seeds, so have fun playing while learning!
Take a look at the list of books I have been reading lately. They each feature woman or girl protagonists who are in possession of indomitable spirits and a penchant for solving mysteries. While the books take place anywhere from 1815-1950, they are mostly set in Victorian England, and sometimes the old girl herself makes an appearance. The mysteries are usually murders, and in the cozy tradition, happen “off-screen” and are somewhat sanitary, as far as murders go. Each book listed is the first in a series, often with new titles still being published.
The Body in the Garden (2020) by Katherine Shellman Protagonist: Lily Adler Setting: 1815 Edwardian London Books in the series: three Queen Victoria appearance: she wouldn’t be born for four more years Lily Adler is unconventional because she is a young widow who prefers solving the mysteries of upper-crust London social circles she belongs to, rather than searching for a second husband. Completely cozy series with charming protagonists and ongoing story threads that connect book to book. The mysteries are complex, satisfying, and comfy like a warm bath. Available on Hoopla in audio and e-book formats
Etiquette & Espionage (2013) by Gail Carriger Protagonist: Saphronia Angelina Temminnick, age 14 Setting: 1851 Victorian London Books in the Finishing School series: four Queen Victoria appearance: yes Yes, I’ve written about Gail Carriger in the past, and I will write about her again. This book is ridiculous in the best ways possible and the world needs to know. In this awesome steampunk version of Victorian England, vampires and werewolves are real and figure into parliamentary politics and society functions just like their human counterparts. Schools float in the sky. Pets are made of clockwork. Tea cakes are consumed with abandon. I loved getting to know the complex cast of characters over the four-book run, and then delighted in meeting them again in some of Carriger’s later work. The audio version is a particular joy if you enjoy the plummy tones of English society women. And I must ask, who among us does not? Available on Libby in audio and e-book formats
Crocodile on the Sandbank(1975) by Elizabeth Peters Protagonist: Amelia Peabody Setting: 1884 England Books in the series: twenty Queen Victoria appearance: no, but expect to encounter real-life historical figures such as famous archaeologist Howard Carter. This is the oldest series on my list, and while I am certain there are books about Victorian ladies striking out to fulfill their unconventional dreams published prior to this, Peters is for sure an OG refiner of the trope. Tropes include: unconventional lady inherits a fortune; has unbendable will; is the smartest person in the room; attracts an irascible male counterpart; is brave and resourceful to an almost sociopathic degree. One of the fun things about the Amelia Peabody books is that she ages from book to book as opposed to being rooted in a static, unchanging timespan. This beloved series is great for those who like a bit of ancient Egyptian history with their cozy mysteries. Available on Libby in audio and e-book formats and on Hoopla in audiobook format
A Curious Beginning(2015) by Deanna Raybourn Protagonist: Veronica Speedwell Setting: 1887 Victorian London Books in the series: seven with the eighth publishing in 2023 Queen Victoria appearance: yes Oh, Veronica, how I adore her. If I had to choose a favorite character on this list it would be a toss-up between Veronica here and Gail Carriger’s Saphronia. Not only is Ms. Speedwell smart, tenacious, cunning, and ribald, she has a libido and a hilarious approach to men and love. Her handsome male counterpart, Stoker, provides a terrific foil to Veronica’s outrageous (at the time) actions and statements. The mysteries are extremely well-constructed and the running storyline is compelling. The audio production is so good I’ve listened through the series twice. Available on Libby in audio and e-book formats and on Hoopla in audiobook format
A Study in Scarlet Women (2016) by Sherry Thomas Protagonist: Charlotte Holmes Setting: Late 19th century London Books in the series: six with a seventh publishing in 2023 Queen Victoria appearance: unsure, I have not read the whole series. One cannot throw a stone in a library without hitting a Sherlock Holmes adaptation (do not throw stones in the library plz). Along with Big Bird, Han Solo, and Frankestein, Sherlock Holmes is one of the most recognizable and enduring fictional characters in the western world. We collectively cannot get enough of this prickly, seemingly omnipotent detective. My favorite adaptations gender swap the Holmes and/or Watson character (looking at you CBS’s Elementary) so naturally, I was drawn to The Lady Sherlock series. Part of the fun is recognizing the beats lifted from the source material and how they change from one interpretation to the next. Don’t fret if this Holmes adaptation does not appeal. There are a LOT more where that came from. Available on Libby in audio and e-book formats and on Hoopla in audiobook format
The Widows of Malabar Hill (2018) by Sujata Massey Protagonist: Perveen Mistry Setting: 1920 Bombay Books in the series: three with a fourth publishing in 2023 Queen Victoria appearance: she had been dead for nineteen years in 1920 This is the farthest afield of the series on this list. Our protagonist, Perveen, is one of the first female lawyers in India. Given that Indian patriarchy persists to this day, her arrival to the legal scene was not met with great enthusiasm and often open contempt. I loved this book because I got to learn about Indian history, religions common to India, and the British Raj. The mystery itself is intriguing and the writing was beautiful. Available on Libby in audio and e-book formats and on Hoopla in audiobook format
Cocaine Blues (1989) by Kerry Greenwood Protagonist: Phryne Fisher Setting: late 1920s Melbourne Books in the series: twenty two Queen Victoria appearance: nope! Many are by now familiar with Phryne Fisher from the excellent Australian television series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Phyrne is the role model of our dreams. She drinks, dances, has adult dalliances to relieve stress, and carries a gold plated pistol. She’s basically the coolest lady ever. And she’s rich so she can get away with such shocking behavior for a woman of her station. This series gives golden age of detective fiction by taking us from squalid back alleys to glimmering cruise ships to speakeasies and beyond. Phryne might be the most glamorous unconventional lady on the list, and I think she would get on like a house on fire with Veronica Speedwell. Available on Libby and Hoopla in e-book format
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie(2009) by Alan Bradley Protagonist: Flavia DeLuce, age 11 Setting: 1950 England Books in the series: ten Queen Victoria appearance: of course not, but I believe Churchill shows up sometime down the line Eleven year old Flavia De Luce has grown up feril in Buckshaw, a crumbling family estate in a quintessentially bucolic English village. Her mother has been missing for years and her father is coping with the loss as well as his WWII experience in the stiff-upper-lip English way. Flavia is a precocious chemistry genius (one might even say mad scientist) who uses her innate curiosity and desire to impress the police Inspector Hewitt to solve baffling murders in the are. Flavia is an appealing character for many reasons, but I love that although she is a chemistry genius she often overlooks aspects of the case that any regular 11-year-old would miss. The forensic descriptions of Flavia’s observations are a little intense, but that’s part of the fun. I do NOT recommend the audio version of this series as the narration did not align with how I characterized Flavia’s voice in my own head at all. Too wistful, I think. Flavia is NOT wistful. Available on Libby in audio and e-book format
If your reading whims differ greatly, not to fret. Mead Library has this rad book recommendation tool called Your Next Five Books. Take five minutes to fill out & submit and within a few days you will receive a personally tailored list of books based on your favorites. Not digging email as a way to reach out? Call us at 920-459-3400 option 4 to speak to a real live librarian. We can help with book picks, troubleshooting Libby and Hoopla, book requests, you name it. Anything to help you find a book you will love.
Fun fact: when I’m out and about and see anything that features an “A” and “24”, I feel a jolt of excitement. No matter where I am, I’ll whip out my phone and snap a photo of this occasion. The picture gets put on my Instagram where I tag the account @a24. I enjoy that I’m far from the only cinephile that does this.
Mead’s very own A24!
This, my friends, is the power of A24!
Let me explain.
A24 is, at its simplest form, a film company. The company does both production and distribution of films. (Fun history: This wasn’t always the case; A24 started off as just a distribution company.) I believe that A24 is important, even crucial, to the world of cinema. A24 excels at bringing diverse movies into the world. They work hard to have diverse casting, strong female leads, debuting directors, and so many different kinds of stories. A24 has a lineup of movies that spans across literally all genres! Honestly, the most common theme with A24’s movies is that they’re probably going to be hella unique. While I don’t love every A24 movie made, I will happily try out any film their logo is on.
The logo! It’s so pretty!
To me, it’s crucial to support a group promoting fresh story ideas and diversity. I hope this is important to you, too.
To watch a plethora of A24 films, check out Mead’s wicked video collection or Kanopy, a library provided movie streaming service. Both are amazing, free options! Not sure where to begin in the A24 catalog? Check out my list of recommended A24 films below!
Eighth Grade Want to relive the horror of eighth grade? Me either. Still, this film perfectly captures the awkwardness, humor, and heart of an eighth grade girl.
Ex Machina Would you go on a work trip to see the newest technology breakthroughs if you had to sign a non-disclosure agreement? Our main character says sure. Things get complicated when he meets the almost human AI, Ava.
Moonlight Best picture winner following an African-American boy growing up.
Under the Silver Lake A modern Hollywood mystery with Andrew Garfield learning some weird sh*t after his neighbor disappears.
The Farewell A girl joins her family in China for a fake wedding to say goodbye to her dying Grandma. Grandma doesn’t know this is the reason for this shin-dig. Based on a true story. And I thought my family had drama!
Swiss Army Man Is Harry Potter dead to you? Well, is this film, he literally is. Danielle Radcliff plays a zealous corpse that helps pass the time when a man marooned on an island bonds with him. Yes, it’s as bizarre as it sounds.
The Florida Project A coming-of-age tale that takes place at a purple hotel right by Disneyworld. Features Willem Dafoe in not enough scenes.
Saint Maud Creepy vibes meets religion meets hospice in this psychological thriller. Spooky vibes = perfect for fall.
The Lobster In this film’s world, if you don’t find a significant other, you’re going to be made into an animal of your choice. Our main character selects a lobster in case this is will be his fate. This is just the start of this film. And I thought online dating was brutal.
Everything Everywhere All at Once Imagine a superhero multiverse movie with, well, a little bit of everything. Seriously, there’s even bagels.
I had to restrain from listing even more titles in my excitement of gushing about these films. All of A24’s films are so different from each other that I feel comfortable saying there’s something for everyone. Now what are you waiting for? Go to our catalog!Download canopy! Watch new films!
We’re back to the regular format of one fiction book and one non-fiction book this month! This time, we have a new entry in a popular series: Colleen Hoover’s new book is due to come out next month. The non-fiction book is another memoir – it seems like people can’t get enough of reading about people overcoming their past difficulties, especially if it comes with some Hollywood/celebrity drama!
Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date.
But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life.
Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).
Change happens regardless of the season. But in Fall, a new school year is guaranteed to cause some shake-ups and anxiety both for children and caregivers. Many children will be subject to new routines, including heading to school or daycare for the first time, and navigating the difficult emotions that come with separation from their caregiver. Other children may be moving to a new city, or switching schools; or maybe their friends have moved or will be attending a different school and they are struggling with ways to stay connected. While not traditionally thought of as grief, these are moments of loss that require gentle reassurance that change is normal, and that it takes time to adjust and get used to new things.
There are a few stand-out titles new to the Library this month that explore the theme of change and connection. We’ve paired them with exceptional resources from PBS LearningMedia to help extend your learning.
In this heartfelt picture book, a child imagines ways to connect with a grandmother who lives far way. Whether by rocket ship or jet pack, train or in a plane, any journey is worth it to see someone you love.
With inviting and accessible text by Pat Zietlow Miller paired with inventive art from the critically-acclaimed illustrator Suzy Lee, this picture book reminds us that, no matter the physical distance between us, the people we care about are never far from our hearts. The book features clever and innovative die-cuts throughout, adding a creative, thoughtful and discussion-worthy novelty aspect to this layered and deeply emotional story.
Explore some of the ways we can keep in touch with Penny and KidVision VPK kids and join them on their Post Office Field Trip to learn about the journey of a letter. Martha’s Email from Martha Speaks series, explores how email works when Helen helps her grandmother set up an email account
And in this video, I Really Want to See You from Let’s Learn, Maria Begg-Roberson and her son, Miller, read I Really Want to See You, Grandma! by Tarō Gomi. After the story, they lead viewers in a craft to send to someone they love and miss.
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