Presidents' Day 2023

I hope you all enjoyed your day out of school yesterday in honor of Presidents' Day.  Stop by the library this week to check out a book on your favorite man to hold the highest office in the land (and, really, the world).  You can find books on an individual president in the biography section by looking for the first three letters of his name, or find a book about all the presidents, vice-presidents or first ladies in the collective biographies section (920s).  

Speaking of favorites...who are your top 3 favorite presidents?  Leave a comment below.

A few of my favorite earlier presidents are Andrew Jackson (a self-made Tennessean not without his flaws, but still a favorite of mine), Abraham Lincoln, and Theordore Roosevelt. 

Celebrating Black History Month 2023

Did you know that each U.S. President since 1976 has recognized February as Black History Month? Though some variation of it had been celebrated for decades prior to that, it was President Gerald Ford who first officially designated the month and urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”.

Today, many other countries around the world also set aside a month to celebrate Black History.

Stop by the library to check out some books about the many great Americans we celebrate and the moments that helped shape the Civil Rights Movement.

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Here are some call numbers to look for if you would like to find something related to Black History and/or the Civil Rights Movement.

303

305

323

342

344

363

370

920

940

970

and, of course, for biographies look in the biography section under the first three letters of the famous person's last name. So, a book about Martin Luther King, Jr. would be 92 KIN.

And the Winner Is...

The American Library Association announced the winners of this year's Youth Media Awards.  The winner of the prestigious John Newbery Medal is...(drumroll, please...)

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson 

Freewater is a "lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children’s escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.

Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp.

In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home.

Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage."  - description from Amazon

A copy of the book has been ordered and is on its way.  Be sure to stop by the library to check it out - or check out one of the many past Newbery winners we currently have on display.

For a complete list of YMA winners, please visit here.