Accessibility Tools
I first read Maus when I was in 7th grade and I can recall the experience almost like it was yesterday. The book was created by Art Spiegelman and has been nominated for over 10 national and international book awards. In the graphic novel, Spiegelman retells the account of his father, Vladek Spiegelman, a Polish Jew who […]
Continue reading
The past is a fearsome ghost hanging over Sethe’s life. It is 1873, slavery has been abolished, and while she now lives a safe and seemingly peaceful life, she remains haunted by a dark act she committed 20 years ago. She has stayed sane by “beating back the past” , but the horrendous legacy of […]
Continue reading
Based on a true story, And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, with illustrations by Henry Cole, is a heartwarming children’s book about companionship and family. Two penguins, Roy and Silo, in New York City’s Central Park Zoo, meet and become a family of two. They see the other penguin couples laying eggs […]
Continue reading
I don’t remember much about my high school English classes (it was a long time ago), but I do remember studying The Canterbury Tales. That work, by Geoffrey Chaucer, sparked in me a lifelong interest in the history of the English language and medieval history. It is a piece of literature that continues to […]
Continue reading
Eleanor and Park is an ultimately hopeful Young Adult novel grounded in some harsh realities that probably won’t feel unfamiliar to many teen readers. The characters face bullying, domestic abuse, and racism. The book still manages to feel light and romantic in spite of the obstacles the characters are facing and illustrates that change is possible […]
Continue reading
This week’s picture book is by celebrated author Matt de la Peña, who has written numerous young adult and some children’s titles. Last summer, Mesa County Libraries welcomed de la Peña to our Central location, where he gave a great teen writing workshop and presentation. While he is best known for longer books aimed at a somewhat older […]
Continue reading
We are celebrating Banned Books Week this entire week from September 28 through October 2! What is Banned Books Week? It is an annual celebration of the freedom to read! Libraries, schools, and bookstores across the country and across the world highlight titles that have been frequently challenged or banned. In 2015 the week is focused […]
Continue reading
In 1776 the Dominguez-Escalante expedition traveled through the Canyon Pintado region just south of Rangely, Colorado. The goal of the expedition was to find an easy route to California. However, the individuals on that expedition were far from being the first human inhabitants of the area. The Fremont Culture and later the Ute people had […]
Continue reading
In 1995, the fading farm town of Mount Holly, Indiana, has an air of mourning. Shops are empty. Factory farms have muscled out people like Jim Falls, a struggling chicken farmer. A Korean-War veteran with old age ailments, he fights to survive each day while raising his biracial teenage grandson Quentin. With an off-putting weirdness, […]
Continue reading
On an island of music, the Drum Dream Girl imagines playing the drums – but she is told over and over again that only boys can play. Drum Dream Girl hears the rhythm wherever she goes and taps along, until finally her music is heard in public and celebrated by all. Margarita Engle’s Drum Dream Girl […]
Continue reading