Category: Genre

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, Fiction, Uncategorized

Why Did I Wait So Long?

Posted on by Anneliese

One of the biggest advantages of reading older books is being able to avoid waitlists; like most people, I don’t really like waiting for things. But sometimes, when I read an older book, I start thinking the opposite: why did I wait so long to read this? So I decided to collect some of the older books that I waited too long to read – and encourage everyone else to read them too.

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Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

I could not tell you why I hadn’t read this book before, but I can tell you that it is a classic for a reason – the story itself is still relevant today, but its depth makes it timeless as well. A police shooting involving an unarmed black man and the ensuing reaction in the larger community? Conflicts between political organizations arguing about whether class or race is a more important way to define (and divide) people? If you read a one-page summary of the plot of this book, you might believe it had been written in the past few years.

But even those events in the book are only parts of the greater whole: an examination on the role and construction of a person’s identity and sense of self. And did I mention that the prose is so beautiful that I found myself reading it out loud in my head, paragraph by paragraph? If you haven’t read it (or disliked it because you were forced to read it for school), give it a shot. It is one of the greatest American novels of all time.

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Posted in Contemporary, Fantasy, Film, Horror

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Posted on by Zachary

I love Christmas, but usually, by this time of the year, I’m done with all the cute and cuddly stuff. Or at least that’s my excuse for why most of my favorite Christmas movies are spooky. If you’re looking for a festive movie that’s lower in sugary sweetness, give these a shot.

Krampus

From the opening montage alone, Krampus won my heart. Seeing people deck each over a toy during Black Friday sets the tone of Krampus. This is a movie that borrows the moralistic slasher rules of older horror movies, like Friday the 13th, and applies that framework to Christmas. Being greedy and only wanting presents? Watch out for Krampus. Bullying your cousin? Watch out for Krampus. It’s refreshing to have a Christmas movie that brings up that the holiday isn’t very jolly anymore and gives us a better reason than coal to be good.

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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 Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels & Memoirs, Kids 5-12, Science Fiction, Uncategorized

Graphic Novels for Kids Part 2

Posted on by Bree

Last month, I gave recommendations of graphic novels for early readers. This month, I have graphic novel recommendations with more complex storylines that are best suited for kids ages 8-12 years old. Though they are certainly not limited to these ages – teens and adults may enjoy them too! Fluency and reading stamina are more established for this age group. While these readers may be at a higher reading level, some may still be reluctant to read traditional chapter books – or they may simply enjoy the visual appeal of graphic novels. In either case, graphic novels are a great option! The full-length stories in the following graphic novels are longer and have more challenging vocabulary, but still have sequenced pictures paired with the text to allow readers to easily follow the plot of the story.

5 Worlds Book 1: The Sand Warrior by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel

This fast paced and engaging sci-fi/fantasy story, with beautiful illustrations is the first book in the series. War erupts and Oona Lee – a clumsy sand dancer, with the aid of an athlete, and a boy from the slums team up on a quest to save their world. Oona learns a lot about herself during their quest and gains control over her powers, leading to victory…for now.

Hilo Book 1: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick

The Boy Who Crashed to Earth is the first book in the science fiction Hilo series. DJ comes from a family of high-achievers, while he feels like he isn’t good at anything. His life changes when he meets Hilo, the loveable robot from an unknown origin, who falls to Earth. DJ and his friend Gina must help Hilo figure out his identity and save the world in this funny and action-packed story.

Amulet Book 1: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi

The Stonekeeper is the first book in the sci-fi/fantasy Amulet series. This story is a bit dark and intense at times, but exciting and fast-paced. Emily and Navin lose their father in a tragic accident, and then a while later they move with their mother to their great-grandfather’s abandoned house for a fresh start. Things take a strange turn pretty quickly when their mother disappears. The children track her down in an underground world full of strange creatures. An epic adventure ensues as they bravely battle to rescue their mother.

Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson

Phoebe releases the unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, from a magic spell and is granted one wish. She wishes to become best friends! Readers will enjoy this witty story of the friendship between an awkward girl and an arrogant unicorn. This book has simple but expressive illustrations and is the first book in this lighthearted series.

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Astrid has always done everything with her best friend Nicole, until Astrid decides to sign up for roller derby camp and Nicole signs up for dance camp instead. Astrid has to learn how to be strong on her own, and push through insecurities and self-doubt. This is a great story about perseverance, changing friendships, and becoming your own person at a vulnerable point in life.

Continue reading “Graphic Novels for Kids Part 2” →
Posted in Adult, Fiction, Uncategorized

Get On The Waitlist! (Or Not…)

Posted on by Anneliese

Did you know that Mead Public Library subscribes to a service that can give you book recommendations? It’s called Novelist, and it will let you enter the title of a book and then suggest “read-alikes” for that book! To give you an idea of what it can do for you, I’ve put a list of the current Top 5 Books in the Monarch System!

These are the five books with the longest waitlists in our library system. Under each one, you can see five more books that Novelist recommends. So get on these waitlists now – and then check out those other books while you wait!

It’s also always a good idea to check out our Lucky Day display when you stop by the library – we have special non-waitlist copies of new books and DVDs that are set aside for this display, so you might be able to skip the line if you’re lucky! (But read or watch it fast – they also can’t be renewed.)

Blue Moon by Lee Child

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Posted in Film, Horror, Science Fiction

Oops. One of These Days I’ll Watch That…

Posted on by Zachary

I consider myself a movie fan, but there are just so many movies released every year! There are quite a few movies that I keep meaning to watch, but I just haven’t gotten around to them. Here are the top five I feel the guiltiest about not having seen.

The Terminator

With the new Terminator movie coming out, I felt it would be appropriate to mention how I haven’t seen the original Terminator. It sounds like a sci-fi action movie that I would like, but I tend to not rush after time travel movies. I have seen Terminator 2 and Terminator Genisys, though. I’m aware one of those is way better than the other. The 11th Doctor deserved better than that movie.

Continue reading “Oops. One of These Days I’ll Watch That…” →
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 Fiction, Graphic Novels & Memoirs, Kids 5-12, Uncategorized

Graphic Novels for Early Readers

Posted on by Bree

Graphic novels provide fun, visually stimulating reading options for children of all ages and reading abilities. They are an especially great option for reluctant readers and new readers. Graphic novels are full-length stories that pair a limited amount of text with sequenced pictures. This format helps new readers to more easily follow the plot of the story and to help build the reading stamina needed to read chapter books with more text. We have a large collection of graphic novels in our children’s library that cover a variety of genres. This month, I have some recommendations for early readers.

A Good Team by Heather Ayris Burnell

This is the second book in the early reader series about the friendship between Unicorn and Yeti. These two friends have different abilities and enjoy different activities, but find ways to modify their activities so they can both participate in the fun. Humorous text and bold illustrations add to the appeal of this collection of three short stories.

Do You Like My Bike? by Norman Feuti

This is the first book in the Hello, Hedgehog early reader series. There are three humorous short stories about Hedgehog and his bike, and his friendship with Harry. The stories are relatable for young readers and show great examples of a supportive friendship.

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Posted in Adult, Fiction, Horror

My Coworker Aleah Picks Some Horror Books!

Posted on by Anneliese

It’s almost time for Halloween, which means there should probably be a post about horror books. But there’s a problem – I don’t really read horror books! (The last one I can remember reading is Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas, which I did enjoy… but it’s just not my genre.)

So instead, I decided to ask my coworker Aleah because she reads a lot of horror books! Below are five picks from her – books that she’s read and enjoyed, books that she thinks you should check out for a spooky, scary Halloween read.

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The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King

“From a master of the short story, a collection that includes stories never before in print, never published in America, never collected and brand new- with the magnificent bones of interstitial autobiographical comments on when, why and how Stephen King came to write each story” – from the publisher

Why you should read it: Each story was different and had its own creepy twist to it. And it’s Stephen King! His short story books are always the best.

Continue reading “My Coworker Aleah Picks Some Horror Books!” →