Cooking up a business

If you’re a good and enthusiastic cook or baker, you’ve probably been told “you should sell these!”  And maybe you’ve given it some thought.  We’ve got a new book, Good Food, Great Business, to provide you the know-how to make that thought a reality.  The subtitle, “How to take your artisan food idea from concept to […]

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Atlas of Columbus

In my next life I want to be a cartographer.  More specifically, a cartographer in the time of Columbus, Magellan and de Gama.  In 1992, to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ voyage to what turned out to be the West Indies, Rand McNally published Atlas of Columbus.  This beautiful book is a collection […]

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“1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” to encourage love of reading in early childhood

Mesa County Libraries are launching “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten,” an ambitious effort to encourage a love of reading in young children. Because parents are their child’s first and best teachers, “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” gives parents a framework for reading with their children. Children who read with their parents extensively in the years before kindergarten […]

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Wrapping up Banned Books Week

Libraries are a place with something to offend everyone. They are also places of discovery, wonder, enrichment, and understanding. Throughout this week dedicated to bringing Banned (and Challenged) Books to people’s attention, we have had some heart-warming moments: Listening to a mother tell her child the reasons given for banning Green Eggs and Ham, an […]

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Banned Book Review: Maus

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 […]

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Eleanor and Park – Challenged!

  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 […]

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Picture book of the week: Last Stop on Market Street

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 […]

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