Category: Nonfiction

Posted in Award Winners, Fiction, Kids 0-5, Kids 5-12, Nonfiction, Teen & Young Adult, Uncategorized

Children’s Award Books

Posted on by Bree

The American Library Association recently announced the winners of the 2020 Youth Media Awards. Materials for children and teens were selected by committees of literature and media specialists under different categories for their excellence. Below is a list of some of the notable award recipients. Be sure to click on the titles of those that interest you to reserve your own copy through our catalog.

John Newbery Medal

New Kid by Jerry Craft

The John Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. This year’s winner is New Kid, written and illustrated by Jerry Craft. This is a graphic novel about a boy of color who begins attending a prestigious school in an upscale neighborhood, with a mostly white student body. He finds himself struggling to belong in his new school, as well as in his own neighborhood with old friends.

Four Newbery Honor Books were also named this year:

Randolph Caldecott Medal

The Undefeated illustrated by Kadir Nelson

The Randolph Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the ALSC to the artist of the most distinguished illustrated American children’s book. This year’s winner is The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Kwame Alexander. This is a beautifully illustrated poetic picture book about the trials and tribulations of black Americans.

There were also three Caldecott Honor Books named this year:

Michael L. Printz Award

Dig by A. S. King

The Michael L. Printz Award is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association and sponsored by Booklist. It is awarded annually to a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. This year’s winner is Dig, written by A.S. King. This is a surreal story of white privilege and a legacy of hate as experienced by five teenage cousins in a dysfunctional family.

Four Printz Honor Books were also named this year:

Pura Belpré Awards

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln illustrated by Rafael López

Pura Belpré Awards are awarded annually by the ALSC and REFORMA. They are awarded to a Latinx writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latinx cultural experience.

The Pura Belpré Author Award winner this year is Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, written by Carlos Hernandez. This is a story about Sal, a thirteen-year-old magician, who teams up with Gabi, the student council president. Together, they try to uncover the mystery of how Sal breaks the universe.

The Pura Belpré Illustrator Award winner for this year is Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln, illustrated by Rafael López and written by Margarita Engle. This is a delightfully illustrated picture book about the life of the Venezuelen born pianist Teresa Carreño, who by the age of nine, played the piano for President Lincoln at the White House.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard

The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually by the ALSC to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational book published in the United States in English during the preceding year. The winner is Fry Bread Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, written by Kevin Noble Maillard and illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. This book shares the story of fry bread as a tradition for Native Americans across tribes and time. A recipe is included, along with an author’s note with more information on the history and cultural ties to fry bread.

Coretta Scott King Awards

The Coretta Scott King Awards are awarded annually by the ALA’s Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table. They are awarded to African-American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The King Author Book winner for this year is New Kid, written by Jerry Craft. The King Illustrator Book winner is The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson and written by Kwame Alexander. New Kid also won the Newbery Medal and Undefeated also won the Caldecott Medal this year, scroll up for a summary for each of these.

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Posted in Adult, Award Winners, Fiction, Nonfiction, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: 1970 Pulitzer Prizes

Posted on by Anneliese

It’s hard to believe that 1970 is already half a century in the past! So I thought, for this Throwback Thursday, I would share with you the winners of the Pulitzer Prizes in poetry and fiction from fifty years ago. While we don’t have the individual book that won in poetry (Untitled Subjects), many of the poems from this book are contained in the author’s selected poems, which I have linked below.

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Poetry: Untitled Subjects by Richard Howard (contained in this book)

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Fiction: Collected Stories by Jean Stafford

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Posted in Kids 5-12, Nonfiction, Teen & Young Adult, Uncategorized

Bakers Gonna Bake

Posted on by Bree

Create warm memories with the kids in your life while baking a delicious treat together!  Baking is a fun and relaxing activity that also provides kids with experiences in measuring, reading/following directions, and developing fine motor skills. Kids will also have opportunities to express their creativity. The following baking books from our collection are great options for kids of all ages. In addition to delicious recipes, they include information on kitchen safety and hygiene, guides to cooking equipment, and cooking skill levels are listed on each recipe. Be sure to read through the entire recipe and organize your supplies and ingredients before getting started. Have fun and enjoy your delicious creation!

Baking Class: 50 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Bake! by Deanna F. Cook

This is a really well-illustrated book with photos paired with each step of the recipes. It also includes an illustrated baking vocabulary section and photos to inspire different ways to decorate your baked creations. There are also sidebar tips with the recipes. One of the tips makes the connection between baking and chemistry, and others include creative ways to alter the recipes. Included in this book are recipes for cookies, muffins, cakes, pies, toaster-oven tarts, garlic bread sticks, and brownie pizza.

The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs by America’s Test Kitchen

This baking book includes loads of information and pictures for over 100 recipes. The very detailed instructions make these recipes easy to follow. There are a variety of sweet and savory recipes for a variety of skill levels. There are many recipes for cookies, cakes, muffins, and bars. There are also recipes for empanadas, pizza rolls, Brazilian cheese bread, and soft pretzels.

Good Housekeeping Kids Bake!: 100+ Sweet and Savory Recipes by Susan Westmoreland

The beginning of this book provides information on basic ingredients, how to measure accurately, nutrition info, baker’s lingo, and a guide to equivalent measurements. There are recipes for a variety of cookies, bars, brownies, cakes, pies, muffins, and pizzas. There is a statement from Good Housekeeping that gives a “Triple Test Promise”, which means each recipe in this book has been tested at least three times and is determined to be delicious, family-friendly, healthful, and easy to make.

Bake It: 150 Favorite Recipes From Best Loved DK Cookbooks by DK Publishing, Inc.

There is something for everyone in this book that is loaded with 150 recipes for cakes, muffins, pies, tarts, cookies, and breads. There are even some delicious no-bake recipes. A photo guide for baking equipment, and step-by-step instructions with photos for baking techniques are also included in this baking book that is designed for a variety of skill levels.

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Posted in Adult, Nonfiction

Book Recommendations From Our Winter 2020 Maker-in-Residence!

Posted on by Anneliese

This winter, local artist Erica Jane Huntzinger is going to be the Maker-in-Residence at Mead Public Library! That means lots of art events in January and February. In addition, she’ll be creating a mixed-media wall mural for our makerspace – and you can watch that mural being created every Wednesday from 4-7! You can find more information about all the Maker-in-Residence events here.

So for this blog post, I thought I would ask Erica for some book recommendations in the arts! Below, you’ll find a variety of books that have influenced how she thinks about art, creation and creativity.

Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel

This book is the true account of five female artists – Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler.

“Set amid the most turbulent social and political period of modern times, Ninth Street Women is the impassioned, wild, sometimes tragic, always exhilarating chronicle of five women who dared to enter the male-dominated world of twentieth-century abstract painting–not as muses but as artists. From their cold-water lofts, where they worked, drank, fought, and loved, these pioneers burst open the door to the art world for themselves and countless others to come.” (from the dust jacket)

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Posted in Adult, Award Winners, Fiction, Nonfiction, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: The New Year (1968)

Posted on by Anneliese

It’s the new year, and so we’re looking at the novel… The New Year! Before reading this, I hadn’t read anything by Pearl S. Buck before. In fact, I knew very little about her. She was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature (in 1938)! She had also won a Pulitzer Prize in 1932 for her novel The Good Earth, which we also have at the library. The New Year is one of her later novels; she died in 1973.

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The New Year by Pearl S. Buck

I decided that I specifically would not look up any information about this book before reading it – the copy I got from the Cedarburg Public Library is old enough that it’s been rebound, so there’s not even a blurb on the back. It’s so rare today to go into a book completely blind that I thought I would grab the chance. I’m glad I did – the book gets off to quite a start. If you also want to go in blind, request it now instead of clicking the “read more” button!

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Posted in DIY & How To, Kids 0-5, Kids 5-12, Uncategorized

Make Something!

Posted on by Bree

When the weather outside is cold and dreary, and the fun holiday events are over, kids may begin feeling a bit bored. Why not create a masterpiece or build something out of supplies you likely already have? Winter is a great time to try a new hobby or to expand on your skills. We have a wide variety of children’s books full of ideas and how-tos that are sure to pique the interest of kids fighting the inevitable boredom that comes from being cooped up inside on these cold days. I recommend the following books to keep kids busy and entertained.

Super Squishies Slime and Putty: 36 Easy Projects to Make by Tessa Sillars-Powell

This book has step-by-step instructions for 36 different squishy, slime, and putty creations. Not only are they fun to make, but playing with them helps to relieve excess energy and stress. You will likely already have most of the supplies needed for making these. Colorful photos and illustrations add to the appeal of creating projects such as: burger and fries squishies, narwhal squishies, fluffy unicorn milkshake slime, fried egg slime, farting putty, snowman putty, and so many more! These projects are recommended for ages 7+.

Disney Ideas Book by Elizabeth Dowsett

There is bound to be something appealing for any Disney fan in this book that includes more than 100 Disney crafts, activities, and games from classic and modern characters. Create an Aladdin shoebox theater, Inside Out memory spheres, Baymax origami, Ursula bath bombs, princess selfie props, Miguel’s guitar…and the list goes on. There are also several Disney games with detailed instructions on how to play. There are lots of options to keep you busy! The difficulty levels of these projects vary, but there are projects suitable for all ages.

Make This!: Building, Thinking, and Tinkering Projects for the Amazing Maker in You by Ella Schwartz

You get to be a maker with the projects in this book. Most of the materials required are commonly found at home. Scientific facts and prompts are also included to get you thinking about what is happening in each project. You can rescue a dinosaur from ice, create a rainforest in a bottle, prepare a skee-ball challenge, design a Rube Goldberg machine, build a truss bridge, and do so many more fun activities that will keep you thinking. This book is recommended for ages 8+.

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Posted in Adult, Nonfiction, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: What’s Mead Library’s Oldest Cookbook?

Posted on by Anneliese

The holidays are upon us, and for a lot of people (myself included), that means cooking! So I thought I would take a look this time at some of the oldest cookbooks that we have in our collection. Here at Mead, the oldest cookbook I could find is from 1955. Below that, I’ve also got a list of the five oldest cookbooks in our whole Monarch Library System, including four you probably haven’t heard of and one you almost definitely have!

German Cookery by Elizabeth Schuler

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Posted in Adult, Award Winners, Fiction, Nonfiction, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: And the Nobel Prize in Literature Goes To…

Posted on by Anneliese

The 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature was announced recently – along with the 2018 prize, which was skipped last year. The 2019 winner is Peter Handke, and the 2018 winner is Olga Tokarczuk – clicking their names will take you to a list of their works in our catalog. There’s a great deal of controversy surrounding the prize, which you can read more about in the New York Times.

But this is Throwback Thursday, so we’re looking into the past. 70 years ago, the Nobel Prize in Literature was given to novelist William Faulkner “for his powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel.” And since the Nobel Prize is not given for a specific work, I thought I would highlight what would have been his most recent novel when he received the prize in 1949.

Intruder in the Dust by William Faulkner

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Posted in Adult, Fiction, Nonfiction, Throwback Thursday

Throwback Thursday: 1989 and The Satanic Verses

Posted on by Anneliese

Salman Rushdie’s latest novel, Quichotte, just came out last month. Inspired by Cervantes’ Don Quixote, it was a finalist for this year’s Booker Prize.

But twenty years ago, Salman Rushdie had a different novel on the New York Times best-seller list (and the Booker Prize list of finalists). And it’s fitting to look at it now, with Banned Books Week just behind us.

This book ended up banned in multiple countries; there were attacks against various translators (and possibly the stabbing death of its Japanese translator, Hitoshi Igarashi); a $6 million dollar bounty was placed on Salman Rushdie’s head. So just what was so controversial about this book?

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The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie

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Posted in Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, New & Upcoming, Nonfiction, Romance, Science

8 Books to Watch For This Fall

Posted on by Carol

Big names are dominating the fall book press: Margaret Atwood, Bill Bryson, Jon Krakauer and Stephen King are all releasing new titles this season. Here’s what to watch for (and reserve early).

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Over 30 years after the initial release of Atwood’s celebrated dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale, she returns to the Republic of Gilead. Set 15 years after the van doors shut behind Offred, the sequel offers the “testaments” of three more women from Gilead.

Release date: September 10

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