Books, places, and books that take you places
September 15th to October 15th has been designated National Hispanic Heritage Month. Here, in Central California, there is much to celebrate. The Rebozo Revival is one of the exciting events being held this week. This five-day celebration was founded by rebozo expert Lourdes Sevilla. She has brought four master weavers from Mexico to exhibit their […]
Little ones love to listen to stories over and over. There are times, I admit, that I have wanted to hide a book rather than read it for the 14th ( or 40th) time in a day. Here are some board book series to mix in with old favorites. All Aboard! California: A Landscape Primer by […]
There’s always reason to celebrate when a new book by U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate and author Margarita Engle is released. We are doubly fortunate this week because two new books have become available! Forest World (Atheneum Books for Young Readers) is her latest middle grade verse novel which follows the journey Cuban-born but U.S. raised Edver […]
I think most people in the continental United States will be taking a field trip on Monday, August 21st. Of course, everyone will be looking up (with protective eye gear) at the solar eclipse. (poster made by Rainbow Symphony) Yes, I’ll be one of the multitude heading to the total eclipse band in Central Oregon […]
My husband and I have dreamed for years of visiting Cuba. High on our list of things to see are the classic 1950’s automobiles that continue to rule the roads. So, I was thrilled to read All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle and illustrated by Mike Curato. The story begins as […]
Most of us have stories to share but struggle when trying to write them down. Writing isn’t easy. And, if you have dealt with writer’s block, ideas that turn out to not be original, and rejection, then I have a book for you written, illustrated, and published here in Central California. Pen the […]
According to my calendar (and Google), summer began on June 20th and will end on September 22nd. This means, by my calculations, that today should be considered midsummer. When I was a child, school always began after Labor Day. Around here, many schools will be starting this week with temperatures in the 100’s! It just […]
When I was nearly ten years old, my mother was pregnant with her fifth child. She went into labor when my father was out of town so his secretary whisked her to the hospital. My older brother, Bob, was left in charge. His way of caring for us was to lock us in our […]
Our Little Free Library in Cayucos is finally up and open for business! For any of you unfamiliar with the Little Free Libraries, they are shelters for books where people can take a book and leave a book for others to read. This remarkable concept was begun in Wisconsin by Todd Bol who set up […]
I love the alphabet and throughout my careers as a reading specialist, kindergarten teacher, children’s librarian, and mother of 4, I have read my fair share of alphabet books. I think alphabetical order is a wonderful way to organize information which is what drew me to the A-to-Z Blog Challenge 3 years ago. […]
Welcome to the Z edition of the A to Z Blog Challenge featuring Library Love. Z is for Zzzzzz. People always seem to catch a few zzzzz’s in the library. Perhaps it is because libraries are calm and quiet. Perhaps it is because a boring text is being read. I know that I fell asleep […]
We’ve arrived at the letter Y on our Library Love journey through the alphabet. Y is for Young Adult Library Services Did you know that many libraries have young adult sections? Young adult patrons are defined as teens between the ages of 12 and 18. Many libraries hire librarians and staff who are specially trained […]
Welcome to today’s edition of the A to Z Blog Challenge featuring Library Love. I must admit, I had a hard time coming up with a library something featuring the letter X. Then, I remembered that “X marks the spot” for Indiana Jones in the Library of Alexandria. (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) […]
Welcome to today’s A to Z Blog Challenge post featuring the letter W. I’d like to share a who, a what, and some wheres in the library world. WHO The World’s Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne (Gotham Books:2013) This book was given to me as a birthday present by one of my dearest friends who […]
Librarians are not shy and meek characters. They are on the forefront of protecting our rights. They fight against censorship and work to make sure that everybody has access to the books and materials they need. Librarians face challenges here but they are nothing like those faced in some other parts of the world. One […]
