Kids

It's one of our favorite days of the year!  Here are the winners of the 2022 Youth Media Awards!  Access the full list of winners and honors here.  And don't forget to take part in our Newbery 100 Reading Challenge via Beanstack, which kicks off today!  Help us celebrate the 100th anniversary of the most prestigious award in children's literature!

NEWBERY MEDAL
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera (ebook & audiobook on Overdrive)

January is National Skating Month!  It's the perfect chance to give ice skating a try at the Pelham Civic Complex.  It's also a great time to read these books!

We're still in the first month of a new year, which means we're all still in "fresh start" mode.  For many folks, that means resolutions such as "read more books."  The newest novel from Gordon Korman is the perfect book for times such as these.

Operation Do-Over (01/18/22)
Mason and Ty were once the very best of friends, like two nerdy sides of the same coin . . . until seventh grade, when Ava Petrakis came along. Now Mason can trace everything bad in his life to that terrible fight they had over the new girl. The one thing he’d give anything for is a do-over. But that can’t happen in real life—can it?

As a science kid, Mason knows do-overs are impossible, so he can’t believe it when he wakes up from a freak accident and finds himself magically transported back to seventh grade. His parents aren’t yet divorced and his beloved sheepdog is still alive. Best of all, he and Ty haven’t had their falling-out yet.

One of my favorite books of 2021 is a perfect read for this long weekend, which includes Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Threads of Peace: How Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Changed the World by Uma Krishnaswami (08/17/21)
A lawyer and activist, tiny of stature with giant ideas, in British-ruled India at the beginning of the 20th century.  A minister from Georgia with a thunderous voice and hopes for peace at the height of the civil rights movement in America.  Born more than a half-century apart, with seemingly little in common except one shared wish, both would go on to be icons of peaceful resistance and human decency. Both preached love for all human beings, regardless of race or religion. Both believed that freedom and justice were won by not one, but many. Both met their ends in the most unpeaceful of ways—assassination.

PICTURE BOOKS
Grandpa Across the Ocean by Hyewon Yum (ebook on Hoopla)
My Tree by Hope Lim

I can finally, finally, FINALLY tell our avid Who HQ readers the good news!  After numerous publishing delays due to the pandemic, the graphic novel adaptations of several popular Who HQ biographies have arrived!

Who Sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott?: Rosa Parks by Insha Fitzpatrick & Abelle Hayford
Who Was the First Man on the Moon?: Neil Armstrong by Nathan Page & Drew Shannon
Who Was the Girl Warrior of France?: Joan of Arc by Sarah Winifred Searle & Maria Capelle Franz
Who Was the Voice of the People?: Cesar Chavez by Terry Blas & Mar Julia

Gary Paulsen was the author of more than 200 books, including 1988 Newbery Honor Hatchet and 1986 Newbery Honor Dogsong.  He died on October 13, 2021 at the age of 82 and generations of readers mourned.  But his story isn’t over!  His legacy continues!  The survival story master has a new novel out this week.

They have arrived!  The official lists of our favorite books published in 2021 are now available on our website.  You'll also see many of them highlighted on our social media pages and in the department.  It is always SO HARD to choose which titles make the cut, especially since we haven't been able to read everything yet.  I know that I still have quite a large stack of 2021 titles in my to-read pile.  So if YOUR fave isn't included, we're sorry!  All of the lists are loaded on my Katie Jane's Corner page, and there are links in this blog.  But, while I have your attention, I wanted to highlight a couple of book-specific programs we have coming up.

KJ's Reader Getaways
I'm resuming my monthly program for adults who love kid lit.  We'll meet at OHenry's on Friday, January 14, 2022 at 4 p.m. to talk books and enjoy a tasty treat, courtesy of the library.  No registration is required.

We have some delicious programs coming up for teens and tweens!

Ultimate Donut Showdown
Teens sample and vote for the best donut in town on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at 6:30 pm.  Open to grades 7-12.  Sign up online or by phone (205-444-7826).

Candy Sushi
Tweens use candy ingredients to make a sushi roll on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 4 pm.  Open to grades 4-6.  Sign up online or by phone (205-444-7830).

Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López’s highly anticipated companion to their #1 New York Times bestseller The Day You Begin illuminates the power in each of us to face challenges with confidence.  It's the perfect book to start a new year!