Banned Books Week 2021 (Sept 26-Oct 2)
Since 1982, Banned Books Week has served as a week-long celebration of the freedom to read. This year's theme is, "Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us." Books have been challenged throughout the years for a number of reasons including: LGBTQIA+ content, an emphasis on social justice, is anti-racism, and according to the American Library Association, "caused nightmares." These were the Top Ten Challenged Books in 2020: George by Alex Gino. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds.All American Boys by Jason…
Love the Fall? Try These Easy Drink Recipes for Chilly Days (and Nights)!
Love fall drinks that warm you up? Try these five recipes now, or any time of the year! Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate: Milk (any kind you like.) Heavy/double cream Chocolate (milk, dark, or semi-sweet.) Drinking cocoa powder (use your favourite!) Pumpkin puree Vanilla extract Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves Hot Pumpkin Nog (Dairy-Free!) 1 ½ cups of non-dairy milk 1 large egg + 1 yolk 3 tbs sugar ⅛ tsp pumpkin pie spice ⅛ tsp cinnamon ⅛ tsp Kosher salt ¼ tsp pure vanilla…
Latinx Heritage Month Book Recommendations
Today marks the start of Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15-10/15). According to the National Hispanic Heritage Month website, The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402. In honor of this special month-long celebration, here are ten books written by Latinx authors: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire…
New YA Releases in September
If you enjoy staying on top of new releases, here are ten books coming out in September! 1) Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz: In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys in a border town fell in love. Now, they must discover what it means to stay in love and build a relationship in a world that seems to challenge their very existence. Ari has spent all of high school burying who he really is, staying silent and invisible. He expected his senior year to be the same. But something in him cracked open when he fell…
Reading Challenges to Try!
One fun way to discover new books is to complete reading challenges. Here are a few challenges to try: Find a book with titles that start with the first letter of your first name and/or last name. Pick a state, city, or country of your choice, and find books to read set in that place. Search for books with a specific cover, ie: flowers, food, a rainbow, hands, an animal, etc. Try reading books of another genre or format. For example, if you usually read fantasy, try a mystery or historical fiction. Or, if you usually read traditional novels, try a graphic novel or…
August New Releases!
This poster was created by Eileen, one of our awesome TLVP summer interns. Put any, or all of these books on hold for pick up by visiting our library catalog.
All About Food!
I love to eat, and I love to read about food and eating! There are lots of delicious YA novels that center around food, cooking and baking. Here are a few I recommend! They just might inspire you to try something new too! A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey: "For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela's role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything-including Lila…
Heading to College this Fall?
If you're starting college soon and are wondering what it might be like, here are some recommended reads: AMERICAN PANDA BY GLORIA CHAO: At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents' master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies. With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can't bring herself to tell them the truth--that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls…
It's Disability Pride Month!
“I wish for a world that views disability, mental or physical, not as a hindrance but as unique attributes that can be seen as powerful assets if given the right opportunities.” -Oliver Sacks July is Disability Pride Month, which only officially started in 2015. This year marks the 31st anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but more progress lies ahead! Disability can be physical or mental, common or rare, visible or invisible, or learning disabilities. Most disabilities are invisible! Are you interested in learning more about living…
Keep Cool and Read On!
Reading indoors is one of my favorite ways to stay cool on hot and humid days. Here are six books to check out that are set during the summer! A MAP TO THE SUN BY SLOANE LEONG: One summer day, Ren meets Luna at a beachside basketball court and a friendship is born. But when Luna moves to back to Oahu, Ren's messages to her friend go unanswered. Years go by. Then Luna returns, hoping to rekindle their friendship. Ren is hesitant. She's dealing with a lot, including family troubles, dropping grades, and the newly formed women's basketball team at their high school. With Ren's…
Celebrating Pride in 2021!
June is Pride Month and one way I celebrate each year, is by reading books written by and for LGBTQ+ folks (like myself!). Here are five teen books I've read and loved, and three I can't wait to check out! Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: Felix Love has never been in love, painful irony that it is. He desperately wants to know why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. He is proud of his identity, but fears that he's one marginalization too many-- Black, queer, and transgender. When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages--…
Get Into This AAPI Heritage Month Booklist!
JessiSince 1992, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May to acknowledge the accomplishments and contributions of the AAPI communities to the United States. With the unacceptable rise in anti-Asian violence both here and abroad, it is especially vital for us to bring well-deserved attention to these amazing books written by AAPI writers of the past and present. Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner: Zauner, a biracial Korean American musician otherwise known as Japanese Breakfast, shares her moving and witty story of growing up Asian in Eugene, OR…
YA Verse Novels for National Poetry Month
Happy National Poetry Month! If you also like poetry, or novels-in-verse, check out any, or all of these five books! APPLE: SKIN TO THE CORE BY ERIC GANSWORTH: "The term "Apple" is a slur in Native communities across the country. It's for someone supposedly "red on the outside, white on the inside." Eric Gansworth is telling his story in Apple (Skin to the Core). The story of his family, of Onondaga among Tuscaroras, of Native folks everywhere. From the horrible legacy of the government boarding schools, to a boy watching his siblings leave and return and leave again, to a young…
Three Memoirs & Biographies to Read for Women's History Month
JessiMarch is a very special month, especially for me. We celebrate International Women’s Day on the 8th, and Women’s History Month for all thirty-one days. Additionally, my kind and loving mother was born in March. As a staunch queer and intersectional feminist librarian, and former women and gender studies major in college, I am forever passionate about centering ALL women’s stories and experiences. If you, too, are itching to read about the fascinating lives of three incredible women of…
Young Women's Stories of Past and Present
Yesterday, March 8th was International Women's Day and March itself is Women's History Month. While a Women & Gender Studies major in college, I learned all about how women's lives and experiences have NOT been front and center in literature, the news, history, media, etc. for far too long. Especially Women of Color (WoC) and queer and trans women. Therefore, I present to you five of my favorite novels about young women and their quest to better understand themselves and the world around them in the past and present. Displacement by Kiku…
Cozy Up with These Wintry Tales
JessiIt's early February and we finally got hit with our first snowstorm. It's the perfect time to wrap yourself up in a cozy blanket, sip a hot drink and crack open a book that will transport you to magical land, or scenic wintry destinations. Here are five picks to get you started! Beartown: A Novel by Fredrik Backman A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, the junior ice hockey team of Beartown is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys, and…
2021 New Year's Resolutions: Yay or Nay?
I'm so grateful 2020 is FINALLY over and I'm sure many of you are too. At the end of each year I set a minimum of five resolutions or goals for the next year. This year, I hope to: Get my driver's license Read fifty books Move into a new apartment Bake at least once a month, and... Try watercolor painting, again. Setting goals can be fun. They can help motivate you, keep you focused and feel a sense of accomplishment. They can also be torturous! In Mia Garcia's novel, The Resolutions, four high school seniors and best friends assign each other dares, instead of resolutions on…
Wintertime Teen Reads
There's nothing like curling up with a good book when it's cold and snowy outside. If you enjoy stories set during the winter, be sure to check out any, or all of these! Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: In a story told in the alternating voices of Dash and Lily, two sixteen-year-olds carry on a wintry scavenger hunt at Christmastime in New York, neither knowing quite what--or who--they will find. Let it Snow by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson: In three intertwining short stories, several high school couples…
A Few Thoughts on Gratitude
We are all going through a really rough time right now. Life is overwhelming and scary. Many of us won't get to celebrate Thanksgiving with our loved ones. Many of us have been directly affected by COVID-19. Many of us miss spending time with our friends and family, traveling, eating at a restaurant or cafe, and feeling safer. Nevertheless, we can still feel and express gratitude, or be thankful for what we DO have. I am grateful to have discovered and read these five books this year. They gave me hope and made me laugh, a lot. Want to check them out? Click on the…
Enemies-to-Lovers: Swoon Over these Romance Novels
JessiReading romance novels has helped bring me joy during this pandemic. I especially seek out those that fall under the popular trope, enemies-to-lovers. The six titles listed below are witty, fun, and sexy—and will hopefully give you a good laugh, too! Enjoy and stay safe! The Right Swipe: A Novel by Alisha Rai Rhiannon Hunter was ghosted by Samson Lima after letting herself fall for his charms after one amazing date. When he resurfaces, aligned with her biggest business rival and asking for a secomd chance, Rhiannon has to decide if her walls stay up, or if she should risk merging hearts!…