YA Librarian

Sock Bunnies!

by

Sock bunnies are one of my favorite things to make. You probably have most of the supplies you’ll need around the house, and even sewing beginners should be able to stitch one together. It took me about 35 minutes to create a sock bun in this video, but your mileage may vary. Plan for about an hour. Ready? Grab a sock and collect the other supplies mentioned in the video and get started!

April is National Poetry Month!

by

You can celebrate National Poetry Month by signing up to receive a poem every day this April from Knopf Publishing. (SEND ME POEMS) Poets.org also has a poem-a-day subscription feature (or you can just read a new poem every day on their website). (SEND ME MOAR POEMS) Challenge yourself to write a poem every day this month like the folks who started NaPoWriMo.net (National Poetry Writing Month – like National Novel Writing Month/NaNoWriMo, but for … Read more

Smile Read-alikes

by

Check out our list of read-alikes for Raina Telgemeier’s wildly popular autobiographical graphic novel, “Smile.” This bibliography includes other books by Raina Telgemeier (maybe you missed one!), graphic novel biographies by other authors, and realistic fiction graphic novels. Hope you enjoy them! Click on the image below to see the list of books in the library’s online catalog. Need more books? Check out some of our other booklists for teens here.

Lincoln Award

by

  The Lincoln Award is an Illinois award given to an outstanding book for high school students. Twenty nominees are selected by a panel of librarians, teachers, and students. Each year the Lincoln Award is given to the book on that year’s list of nominees which receives the most student votes. The award is sponsored by AISLE (Association of Illinois School Library Educators).     Lincoln Award Nominees 2024/list Lincoln Award Nominees 2023/list Lincoln Award … Read more

East of Eden – Read It and Rate It

by

East of Eden by John Steinbeck Classic Historical Fiction Review #1 * * Stars (Just ok) Set in the Salinas Valley, California, Steinbeck tells in immense detail the story of two families and how their stories intertwine. The Hamilton family is based off of Steinbeck’s family. This book is hard to read because the details are sometimes “too descriptive,” and it becomes hard to follow. Review #2 * Star (A waste of time!) “East of … Read more

Brain on Fire – Read It and Rate It

by

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan Non-fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) At 24 years old, Susannah Cahalan is an ambitious dedicated reporter for the New York Post. She is seemingly healthy until little things start to go awry and her health starts to deteriorate. Doctors are perplexed at what is wrong and suggest she has mono, but later her seizures prove otherwise. She starts having hallucinations and is admitted to … Read more

School for Good and Evil – Read It and Rate It

by

The School for Good and Evil book #1 by Soman Chainani Adventure Fantasy Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) “The School for Good and Evil” tells the story of Sofie and Agatha. Sofie wishes to be a princess and Agatha wishes to live alone, but when they find themselves at the School for Good and Evil, there seems to be a mistake. Sofie finds herself in the school for Evil and Agatha … Read more

Friendship According to Humphrey – Read It and Rate It

by

Friendship According to Humphrey According to Humphrey series #2 by Betty G. Birney Fantasy Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) “Friendship According to Humphrey” is a must read. The book starts out with Humphrey going back to school and Mrs. Brisbane hinting at a surprise. The surprise turns out to be Og the frog. Humphrey tries to be friendly, but Og is silent. The class in room 26 is writing poems, and … Read more