Jean-Michel Basquiat’s trajectory in the art world was meteoric – but so was his fall. In just a few years, he went from a teenager spray painting graffiti to world famous artist. He died when he was only 27 years old. His legacy was, until recently, overshadowed by Andy Warhol (his mentor) & Pablo Picasso, but the world is re-discovering Basquiat and on the heels of that rediscovery, a flurry of new works have been published. Here are 5 we recommend.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Continue reading “Bakers Gonna Bake”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.
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+.
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.
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+.
Continue reading “Make Something!”The colder and snowier it gets, the cozier a book, a blanket, and a mug of cocoa look. Can’t decide what to read while you hunker down? Here are nine ideas to get you started on your Winter Break reading lists.
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.
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.
Continue reading “Why Did I Wait So Long?”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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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”If you’ve ever said, “I wish I read more, but I just don’t have time any more!” allow us here at the library to introduce you to the secret shortcut to sounding well-read.
“Ah yes,” you’ll say knowingly, “I read an early version of that story! It’s striking how Novik can build such a complete world in so few pages. And it’s so sad that Toni Morrison died – have you read her retrospective on Beloved?”
Essays and short stories are shortcuts into the literary world for busy people like you. Generally sitting between 15-30 pages, they’re easily read in small scraps of free time – waiting for an appointment, before bed, or over lunch. Because they have such a small window to accomplish so much, they are often more tightly edited than their novel-length counter parts. And if one isn’t quite to your taste, there’s probably an entirely different story just a few pages away.
Here are several of the best collections published this year.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
Continue reading “Graphic Novels for Early Readers”Since 2000, 9 Oscar winners have been films based on books. As this year’s run up to the Oscars begins, check out these 6 books that are headed to the big screen – just in time for awards season attention.
A former investigator and attorney chronicles the life of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, a mafia hitman who claimed to have murdered Jimmy Hoffa. A World War II vet who learned kill in the Army, he worked for the Bufalino crime family after he returned to the United States. His story spans roughly a quarter century of organized crime, and provides a unique insider’s look into that underworld. Martin Scorsese, Robert DiNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci team up for the film.
Continue reading “Oscar Bait Books”
Mead Public Library Blog 