Recommendations from Mindy Bilyeu, Adult Services Librarian
Calm the Chaos: A Fail-proof Road Map for Parenting Even the Most Challenging Kids
By Dayna Abraham (Non-fiction)
A clearly organized, methodical approach to parenting, Dayna has created a road map to help parents find peace and meet their kids where they are when conventional parenting tools have failed. There are five steps to calming the chaos: getting to safety, restoring trust and energy, finding calm in the moment, getting ahead of the moment, and defining family success.
The Secret Book of Flora Lea
By Patti Callahan Henry (Fiction)
When a woman stumbles across a mysterious children's book, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed. In war-torn London in 1939, 14-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War.
The Last Lifeboat
By Hazel Gaynor (Fiction)
Inspired By a true story, a young teacher evacuates children to safety across perilous waters. When a Nazi U-boat torpedoes a ship carrying children to Canada, a single lifeboat is left adrift in the storm-tossed Atlantic. Alice and Lily, strangers to each other—one on land, the other at sea—will quickly become one another’s best hope as their lives are fatefully entwined.
The Seed Keeper
By Diane Wilson (Fiction)
Rosalie grew up in the woods with her father who tells her stories of plants, the stars and the origins of the Dakota people. One morning, her father doesn't return from checking his traps and Rosalie is sent to live with a foster family. Many years later, Rosalie returns to her childhood home where she begins to confront the past in a search for family, identity and a community where she can finally belong.
The Cottingley Secret
By Hazel Gaynor (Fiction)
Two young cousins, Frances and Elsie from Cottingley, England, claim to have photographed fairies and their parents are astonished. But when one of the great novelists of the time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, becomes convinced of the photos' authenticity, the cousins become a national sensation, their discovery offering hope to those longing for something to believe in amid a world ravaged By war.
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The Ten Thousand Doors of January
By Alix E. Harrow (Fiction)
In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book. January Scaller is a ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke and feels much like the artifacts that decorate the halls of the mansion in which they reside: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place. Then she finds a strange book that carries the scent of other worlds and tells a tale of secret doors, love, adventure, and danger.
The Reading List
By Sara Nisha Adams (Fiction)
After losing his beloved wife, Mukesh worries about his granddaughter who hides in her room reading. Aleisha is a bright teenager working at the local library for the summer. She discovers a crumpled-up list of novels that she has never heard of, and she impulsively decides to read every book. Aleisha passes along the reading list to Mukesh and the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls.
Recommended Reads from Katie Ross, Youth Services Supervisor
The Me I Choose to Be
By Natasha Anastasia Tarpley (Picture book)
Tarpley’s lyrical and rhythmic text coupled with beautiful photographs of children reminds each of us of the unlimited potential within. This is a great book to engage children in a conversation about what makes them strong and resilient.
Earth Day
By Margaret McNamara (Juvenile reader)
In this book, part of the Robin Hill School series, Emma’s first-grade class is planning to celebrate Earth Day. While Emma struggles to find an idea, she discovers that many small contributions can make a big impact.
Hello, Crochet Friends
By Jonah Larson (Juvenile biography)
In this biography, Jonah Larson recounts his adoption from Ethiopia and how crochet became his creative outlet. When Jonah was having problems at school, his fifth-grade teacher offered him a chance to channel his energy through crochet. Children may be inspired to find a creative outlet of their own. Basic crochet diagrams and a washcloth pattern are included.
Kids Cook Dinner: 23 Healthy, Budget-Friendly Meals
By Deanna F. Cook (Juvenile Non-fiction) Kids eager to cook will find this a wonderful kitchen companion. Detailed step-by-step photographs, coupled with instructional text, walk kids through each recipe. Instructions for meal prep, money-saving grocery tips and explanations of nutrition labels are provided. Beginners and experienced kid chefs will find much to savor in this latest installment of the Cooking Class series.
We’ve Got the Whole World in Our Hands/Tenemos el Mundo Entero en Las Manos
By Rafael López (Spanish Picture Book)
Lopez draws inspiration from the spiritual tune “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” and writes new verses to show how children around the world can join in friendship. This is a great introduction to diversity for young children.
The Floating Field: How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field
By Scott Riley (Juvenile Non-fiction)
On the small island of Koh Panyee in Thailand, a group of boys loved playing soccer. The only problem was, there wasn’t enough room on the island for a soccer field. With ingenuity and determination, these boys built a floating soccer field. When the boys discovered a chance to compete, they formed the Panyee Football Club. Since 1986, the Panyee Football Club has been a competitive boys’ soccer team.
