Fierce ... loving ... happy ... hugs. Today is apparently "Hug Holiday" ... not to be confused with "National Hug Day" which is January 21.

Hugging is a simple way to express many different types of affection, from friendly, to intimate, to familial. It’s an action largely limited to primates — while we can find instances of other animals in positions that resemble hugging, there aren’t any other species that do it so frequently, and for so many reasons — and so, in many ways, hugging sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. It’s not just a differentiator, though: studies show that hugging releases oxytocin, known as the “cuddle hormone,” which can help to strengthen social bonds. So, on June 29, we celebrate Hug Holiday. Get your hug on today! (from National Today)

I miss hugs. I'm a very physical, emotional person. I'm lucky that my daughter and my husband give hugs, otherwise I'd be totally lost. (My son gives "love taps", but that's what you do at 15, right)

Need some hugs? WebMD has some suggestions of what is safe to do.

BTW, keep an eye on our summer reading info everyone. Our start up is next Monday!

We're trying something new this summer. Since we aren't going to have paper brochures, we decided to go with something called "Padlet". We'll be putting all our programs up here and, of course, they are in our calendar here.

Our mascot has been waiting for the perfect time to really stand out and we decided what better time than summer when the theme is "Imagine Your Story"?
Spark will make his way around the library inside and outside and all around Chili. Just keep your eyes open for finding out when and where you might catch him! :)

I'm not sure where it will be or when it will be up next, but the Rochester Museum and Science Center has a traveling exhibit called "Take it Down! Organizing Against Racism."

About the Exhibit: 
What is racism and how can it hide in plain sight? Explore the story of one local carousel panel and join in the meaningful dialogue it encourages on individual, institutional and structural racism.

In 2016, a panel featuring racial "pickaninny" artwork was removed from the Dentzel Carousel at Ontario Beach Park in Rochester, NY, after being on display for over 100 years. This issue generated controversy in our community and activists have created an exhibit around the piece to show how pickaninny art perpetuates racism by denying the humanity of black children.
Presented in partnership with the City of Rochester, this exhibit is an important opportunity to learn from the past and work together to promote social justice for all. Join in the conversation by viewing the panel at one of its future community locations or participate in one of the partner programs. 

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, Khan-Cullors, Patrisse,bandele, asha;
A memoir by the co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement explains the movement's position of love, humanity, and justice, challenging perspectives that have negatively labeled the movement's activists while calling for essential political changes.

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, Kendi, Ibram X.;
A comprehensive history of anti-black racism focuses on the lives of five major players in American history, including Cotton Mather and Thomas Jefferson, and highlights the debates that took place between assimilationists and segregationists and between racists and antiracists.

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, Rothstein, Richard
This "powerful and disturbing history" exposes how American governments deliberately imposed racial segregation on metropolitan areas nationwide.

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Alexander, Michelle
Once in a great while a book comes along that changes the way we see the world and helps to fuel a nationwide social movement. The New Jim Crow is such a book. Praised by Harvard Law professor Lani Guinier as "brave and bold," this book directly challenges the notion that the election of Barack Obama signals a new era of colorblindness. With dazzling candor, legal scholar Michelle Alexander argues that "we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it." By targeting black men through the War on Drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control—relegating millions to a permanent second-class status—even as it formally adheres to the principle of colorblindness. In the words of Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, this book is a "call to action."

Check out the United Nations website. They have a great section specifically on fighting racism. Check it out here. How will you fight racism? Remember, it begins with you. <3

On The Come Up , Thomas, Angie
This novel is about a teen girl whose dreams of a career in rap music turn into a desperate necessity when her family home burns down. This is Empire for teens.

Dear Martin , Stone, Nic
Writing letters to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., seventeen-year-old college-bound Justyce McAllister struggles to face the reality of race relations today and how they are shaping him.

All American Boys , Reynolds, Jason
In this New York Times bestselling novel, two teens--one black, one white--grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community, and, ultimately, the country bitterly divided by racial tension.

A bag of chips. That's all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad's pleadings that he's stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad's resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad's every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement?

There were witnesses: Quinn Collins--a varsity basketball player and Rashad's classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan--and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team--half of whom are Rashad's best friends--start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.

Piecing Me Together , Watson, Renée
Tired of being singled out at her mostly-white private school as someone who needs support, high school junior Jade would rather participate in the school's amazing Study Abroad program than join Women to Women, a mentorship program for at-risk girls.

Long Way Down , Reynolds, Jason
This fiercely stunning novel by "New York Times"-bestselling author Reynolds takes place in 60 potent seconds--the time it takes a kid to decide whether or not he's going to murder the guy who shot and killed his brother.

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks , Reynolds, Jason
Jason Reynolds conjures ten tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings, and weaves them into one funny, poignant look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life.

We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding Our Racial Divide, Anderson, Carol
"This ... young adult adaptation brings her ideas to a new audience. When America achieves milestones of progress toward full and equal black participation in democracy, the systemic response is a consistent racist backlash that rolls back those wins.
We Are Not Yet Equal examines five of these moments: The end of the Civil War and Reconstruction was greeted with Jim Crow laws; the promise of new opportunities in the North during the Great Migration was limited when blacks were physically blocked from moving away from the South; the Supreme Court's landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision was met with the shutting down of public schools throughout the South; the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 led to laws that disenfranchised millions of African American voters and a War on Drugs that dis-proportionally targeted blacks; and the election of President Obama led to an outburst of violence including the death of black teen Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri as well as the election of Donald Trump. This YA adaptation will be written in an approachable narrative style that provides teen readers with additional context to these historic moments, photographs and archival images, and additional back matter and resources for teens.

This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do The Work, Jewell, Tiffany
This book is written for the young person who doesn't know how to speak up to the racist adults in their life. For the 14 year old who sees injustice at school and isn't able to understand the role racism plays in separating them from their friends. For the kid who spends years trying to fit into the dominant culture and loses themselves for a little while. It's for all of the Black and Brown children who have been harmed (physically and emotionally) because no one stood up for them or they couldn't stand up for themselves; because the colour of their skin, the texture of their hair, their names made white folx feel scared and threatened. It is written so children and young adults will feel empowered to stand up to the adults who continue to close doors in their faces. This book will give them the language and ability to understand racism and a drive to undo it. In short, it is for everyone.

Things That Make White People Uncomfortable (Adapted for Young Adults), Bennett, Michael
Presents a young readers adaptation of the book that uses humor to discuss racism and violence, denounce the NFL's abuses, and encourage black athletes in the NCAA and NFL to speak out against injustice both on and off the field.

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Young Readers’ Edition: Everything American History Textbooks Get Wrong, Stefoff, RebeccaEssential reading in our age of fake news and slippery, sloppy history, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Young Readers' Edition cuts through the mindless optimism and outright lies found in most textbooks that are often not even really written by their "authors." Loewen is, as historian Carol Kammen has said, the history teacher we all should have had. Beginning with pre-Columbian history and then covering characters and events as diverse as the first Thanksgiving, Helen Keller, the My Lai massacre, 9/11, and the Iraq War, Loewen's lively, provocative telling of American history is a "counter-textbook that retells the story of the American past" (The Nation).

This streamlined young readers' edition is rich in vivid details and quotations from primary sources that poke holes in the textbook versions of history and help students develop a deeper understanding of our world. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Young Readers' Edition brings this classic text to a new generation of readers (and their parents and teachers) who will welcome and value its honesty, its humor, and its integrity.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning, Reynolds, Jason, Kendi, Ibram X.;
The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. This remarkable reimagining of Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning reveals the history of racist ideas in America, and inspires hope for an antiracist future. It takes you on a race journey from then to now, shows you why we feel how we feel, and why the poison of racism lingers. It also proves that while racist ideas have always been easy to fabricate and distribute, they can also be discredited.

Through a gripping, fast-paced, and energizing narrative written by beloved award-winner Jason Reynolds, this book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas--and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.

We have been exploring our collection finding titles to support anti-racism and we've also added to our collection. Here are some titles that we are adding to our collections for kids. Some we have and some are on their way. Have a look!
Don't worry. Tomorrow I'll post all our teen books, then Friday I'll post our adult books. Don't want to totally boggle your minds with all the awesome titles we're getting. :)
Any books that you've read recently supporting anti-racism? Let us know!
Curious about the term "anti-racist" vs non-racist? Check out this article in the Smithonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Pretty fascinating.

AntiRacist Baby by Kendi, Ibram X.
Take your first steps with Antiracist Baby! Or rather, follow Antiracist Baby's nine easy steps for building a more equitable world.

With bold art and thoughtful yet playful text, Antiracist Baby introduces the youngest readers and the grown-ups in their lives to the concept and power of antiracism. Providing the language necessary to begin critical conversations at the earliest age, Antiracist Baby is the perfect gift for readers of all ages dedicated to forming a just society.

I Am Enough by Byers, Grace
This is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another-from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo.

We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.

Finding Langston , Cline-Ransome, Lesa
Discovering a book of Langston Hughes' poetry in the library helps Langston cope with the loss of his mother, relocating from Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and being bullied.

As Brave As You , Reynolds, Jason
Genie and his brother, Ernie, leave Brooklyn for the first time to spend the summer with their grandparents in Virginia -- in the country! When he figures out that Grandpop is blind, Genie thinks he's the bravest guy ever. But he never leaves the house. Then Ernie won't learn how to shoot. Is bravery only about proving something? What about owning up to what you won't do?

Some Places More Than Others , Watson, Renée
A heartwarming and inspiring middle grade novel about finding deep roots and exploring the past, the present, and the places that make us who we are. 'Some of the places I am still getting to know, some of these places I have known all my life. All of these places made me, are making me.' All Amara wants for her birthday is to visit her father's family in New York City - Harlem. She can't wait to finally meet her Grandpa Earl and cousins in person, and to stay in the brownstone where her father grew up. Maybe this will help her understand her family - and herself - in a new way. But New York City is not exactly what Amara thought it would be. It's noisy, crowded, confusing, and her cousins can be mean. Plus her father is too busy working to spend time with her and too angry to fix his relationship with Grandpa Earl. Amara can't help wondering, even if she does discover more about where she came from, will it help her know where she belongs?

Black Brother, Black Brother , Rhodes, Jewell Parker
A powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are forced to navigate the world, all while training for a fencing competition.
Donte wishes he were invisible. As one of the few black boys at Middlefield Prep, he feels as if he is constantly swimming in whiteness. Most of the students don't look like him. They don't like him either. Dubbed the "Black Brother," Donte's teachers and classmates make it clear they wish he were more like his lighter skinned brother, Trey. Quiet, obedient.

When an incident with "King" Alan leads to Donte's arrest and suspension, he knows the only way to get even is to beat the king of the school at his own game: fencing. With the help of a former Olympic fencer, Donte embarks on a journey to carve out a spot on Middlefield Prep's fencing team and maybe learn something about himself along the way.

The Season of Styx Malone , Magoon, Kekla
Meet Caleb and Bobby Gene, two brothers embarking on a madcap, heartwarming, one-thing-leads-to-another adventure in which friendships are forged, loyalties are tested . . . and miracles just might happen.

Caleb Franklin and his big brother Bobby Gene are excited to have adventures in the woods behind their house. But Caleb dreams of venturing beyond their ordinary small town.

Then Caleb and Bobby Gene meet new neighbor Styx Malone. Styx is sixteen and oozes cool. Styx promises the brothers that together, the three of them can pull off the Great Escalator Trade--exchanging one small thing for something better until they achieve their wildest dream. But as the trades get bigger, the brothers soon find themselves in over their heads. Styx has secrets--secrets so big they could ruin everything.

One Crazy Summer , Williams-Garcia, RitaEleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, as usual, and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past.

When the girls arrive in Oakland in the summer of 1968, Cecile wants nothing to do with them. She makes them eat Chinese takeout dinners, forbids them to enter her kitchen, and never explains the strange visitors with Afros and black berets who knock on her door. Rather than spend time with them, Cecile sends Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers, where the girls get a radical new education.

Love Will See You Through: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Six Guiding Beliefs (as told by his niece), Watkins, Angela Farris
The niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. reveals six timeless and universal principles that encompass the civil rights leader's greatest legacy: Love will see you through.

Growing up as the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., Angela Farris Watkins witnessed firsthand the principles and values that "Uncle M.L." practiced and lived by throughout his fight for equality. Drawing from experiences and episodes both personal and well-known, Dr. Watkins artfully details the guiding beliefs of one of the greatest men in history. Including "have courage" and "love your enemies," these six hallmarks of virtue and nonviolence reinforce the truth that "the universe honors love" and will inspire readers of all ages.

On the Playground: Our First Talk About Prejudice (The World Around Us), Roberts, Dr. Jillian
Using illustrations, full-color photographs and straightforward text, this nonfiction picture book introduces the topic of prejudice to young readers.

Young Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present, Wilson, Jamia
This book brings together 52 icons of colour from the past and present in a celebration of achievement.

Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America, Easton, Emily
America has been molded and shaped by those who have taken a stand and said they have had enough. In this dynamic picture book, stand alongside the nation's most iconic civil and human rights leaders, whose brave actions rewrote history.
Join Samuel Adams as he masterminds the Boston Tea Party, Ruby Bridges on her march to school, Colin Kaepernick as he takes a knee, and the multitude of other American activists whose peaceful protests have ushered in lasting change.

Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World
Hudson, Cheryl

Harriet Tubman guided the way.
Rosa Parks sat for equality.
Aretha Franklin sang from the soul.
Serena Williams bested the competition.
Michelle Obama transformed the White House.

Black women everywhere have changed the world. Published in partnership with curators from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, this illustrated biography compilation captures the iconic moments of fifty African American women whose heroism and bravery rewrote the American story for the better.
They were fearless. They were bold. They were game changers.

Woke: A Young Poet's Call to Justice, Browne, Mahogany L.
Woke: A Young Poet's Guide to Justice is a collection of poems to inspire kids to stay woke and become a new generation of activists.

Historically poets have been on the forefront of social movements. Woke is a collection of poems by women that reflects the joy and passion in the fight for social justice, tackling topics from discrimination to empathy, and acceptance to speaking out.

Brown Girl Dreaming, Woodson, Jacqueline
In vivid poems that reflect the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, an award-winning author shares what it was like to grow up in the 1960s and 1970s in both the North and the South.

If you are in Churchville-Chili, your last day of school is almost here! June 18 will be here before you know it. Today is the last day for my kids in Rush-Henrietta and I know that my son (finishing 9th grade) was racing to finish everything up today, while my daughter (finishing 5th grade) was excitedly waiting for her last class meeting.
This was a hard couple of months and I know that my kids did not enjoy it. I'm sure most of you guys didn't enjoy it too much either. Doing everything virtually is incredibly hard and unsatisfying when you can't discuss things as easily with your teachers. I know that for me, as an adult, it has been very hard to try and do everything virtually as well. However, that's how it is unfortunately.
The reason I started the post this way is because this summer is going to be very different from the way it was in the past. We are going to be almost (if not completely) virtual this summer, even after we open the library (which I do not know when we will be opening, sorry everyone). We will be doing some Zoom crafts where you will pick up supplies at the library and then join us on Zoom to complete them together. We'll also continue to do virtual storytime. Plus we plan on having some Zoom 4H programs. We are especially excited about our virtual Teen Pizza Fridays, where you pick up the supplies at the library and make your pizza at home while playing different games together with other teens. We're hoping it'll be a blast. We KNOW it will be a blast. :)

With things changing constantly, I decided we would go with a blog, to make it easier for you to stay up-to-date with what's going on. You can check it out here: Summer Reading Blog!
This summer we're also registering and keeping track of reading electronically, firstly to make things safer for you and secondly to save on paper. You can check it out here: Summer Reading Registration!

This summer we'll be doing the same thing (sort of) we did last year. BEADS and brag tags! This year however, we will be pre-bagging all the beads to keep everyone safe. So, unfortunately, you don't get to pick your own beads. :( Hopefully we make good choices for you! So far I've spent quite a few hours bagging beads, so I do hope you join us this summer. :)

As always, if you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at: catherine.kyle@libraryweb.org

I love my best friends to pieces and today is a day that I can celebrate how much I care! What a perfect day for the New York Times to come out with this article: How to Hug During a Pandemic. Made me want to run out and hug them right away.
Also perfect, and I don't know if Miss Jill (one of my besties) knew today was Best Friends Day, but she made craft kits (which we hand out at Chestnut Ridge sometimes during their lunch distribution) containing friendship bracelet directions and floss. PERFECT! Want to make your own friendship bracelet? Check here!

Best friend next door
by Mackler, Carolyn
Two girls who share a birthday and palindromic names struggle with respective parental challenges and loneliness while gradually overcoming their differences to become close friends.

20 best friend tales (DVD)
Twenty best friend stories in one film that includes stories such as Happy Birthday Moon and Wallace's List; and more.

My best friend
by Hutchins, Pat
Despite differences in abilities, two little girls appreciate each other and are best friends.

Making friends
by Gudsnuk, Kristen
Danielle needs a perfect friend, but sometimes making (or creating) one is a lot easier than keeping one!

Yum! Doughnuts! What's your favorite doughnut? My favorite is usually the apple fritter, but Leaf and Bean has blueberry lemon fritters that are DEELISH-OUS! More important ... how do you spell donut? (apparently you're not supposed to spell it this way because it has a red squiggle under it, but that's normally how I do.)
Here are some books about making and eating doughnuts that we have at Chili!

The Amish baking cookbook
by Varozza, Georgia
Georgia Varozza partners with experienced baker Kathleen Kerr to create a cookbook filled with recipes associated with the Plain life: baked goods. This delicious collection, which includes recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, and breads, inspires you who love all things Amish to roll up your sleeves and start baking!

Round is a pancake
by Baranski, Joan Sullivan
All around are round things such as a doughnut, a button, a coin, cookies, and the spots on a wee ladybug as the townspeople prepare a feast for their king.

Okie Dokie Donuts : "open for business!"
by Eliopoulos, Chris
Good morning Welcome to Okie Dokie Donuts. Run by pastry pioneer and cunning culinarian, Big Mama Okie Dokie Donuts is the best little donut shop in town What's her secret? Big Mama rolls in a heaping serving of love into each of her hand-made creations Loyal customers can't get enough of her tantalizing turnovers. But running a donut shop isn't easy Trouble is always poking holes in Big Mama's fun. But as long as our large and lovely heroine has friends and plenty of chocolate icing, nothing can stop Okie Dokie Donuts from reaching the highest levels of becoming a pastry powerhouse.

T. Rex time machine
by Chapman, Jared
Two very hungry dinosaurs discover a time machine and are instantly transported to America in 2018, where they are delighted to find themselves surrounded by food (including pizza and doughnuts), but soon less excited to find themselves surrounded by policemen with guns--so they escape to the time machine, not knowing where it will take them next.