From Our Blogs

Book and activity ideas for all ages.

  • June Crafternoon: Macramé Necklace with Beads

    Beads can be used in so many creative ways: art collages, clay tiles and jewelry to name a few. Beads are inexpensive, easy to find and come in so many colors and styles. This month’s Crafternoon is going to incorporate large beads to create an interesting macramé necklace.  Macramé is really just a series of … Read more

  • LGBTQ Resources: Mid-MO and Beyond

      This Pride Month we want to connect you with some of the resources that are available in more than just June. Helping hands and human connections are what you’ll find in this list. … Read more

  • Nonfiction Roundup: June 2023

    Below I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in June. All of the mentioned titles are available to put on hold in our catalog and will also be made available via the library’s Overdrive website on the day of publication in eBook and downloadable audiobook format (as available). For a more extensive list of new nonfiction books coming out this … Read more

  • All Together Now . . . With Bats! 🦇

    Did you know that altruism, defined as the “behavior of an animal that benefits another at its own expense,” has been observed in bat populations, especially the iconic vampire bat? Vampire bats display what scientists call “reciprocity,” which is a fancy term for friendship. For example, vampire bats don’t just take care of other vampire … Read more

  • New DVD List: All Quiet on the Western Front & More

    Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection. “All Quiet on the Western Front” Website / Reviews  This 2022 dramatic film tells the gripping story of a young German soldier on the Western Front of World War I. Teenager Paul Bäumer and his friends voluntarily enlist in the … Read more

  • Beginners Guide to Trans Identities

    Happy Pride Month! We are celebrating, honoring and affirming our transgender folks with a beginners trans booklist. Below are a few books to help you on your journey whether you are questioning yourself or you’re a curious ally. We hope you find this booklist helpful. Our booklist is geared toward teen readers and their caregivers … Read more

  • Reader Review: This Place: 150 Years Retold

    I read “This Place: 150 Years Retold” back in June, and it has stayed with me every day since. It is a graphic short story collection by and about the indigenous peoples of Canada. While their history and struggles are not the same as those who live in the US, it is still a powerful … Read more

  • Chenille Stem Flowers

    The April rain, the April rain Comes slanting down in fitful showers, Then from the furrow shoots the grain, And banks are fledged with nestling flowers. — from “April Rain” by Mathilde Blind Although we didn’t receive the deluge of rain we might have hoped for last month, here’s a charming craft to celebrate the … Read more

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