So we're in the process of going through all of our non-fiction books and rather than me guessing what kinds of books you need, I thought I would go directly to the source.

The staff are super excited to dress up as princesses throughout the summer and do tons of programs based around fantasy and mythology.
Some of the highlights ...
Fairy Gardens for ages 8-12 and 13-18
The Mobile Planetarium for grades k-2 and 3-5
Omnipresent Puppet Theater Presents: Beauty and the Beast
Princess Tea Party (I will be dressed as Merida! She's my favorite!)

Of course its okay to cuddle with family too. :) What are your favorite things to cuddle up with?

Personally...
My favorite book to cuddle up with is ... wow. That's a tough one. Honestly, I like to cuddle up with random fluff that isn't too intense. So whatever is on my kindle at the time. It's a bad answer, but it's an honest one.

My favorite author is Mo Willems. Probably wouldn't "cuddle up" with his books or with him, but he's my favorite author, so that's that. He wrote  all the Pigeon picture books and the Elephant and Piggy easy readers.  I LOVE HIM!

My favorite cuddle up snack? Oooh. That's another hard one, because when you're cuddling up with a snack, expect it to be gone, so one does not exactly cuddle up with potato chips. On the other hand, cuddling up with carrots isn't all that fun either. On of my new obsessions is Chex Mix, so I guess we'll go with that.

My favorite stuffed animal is a dog (I'm ashamed to say I've forgotten his name) but I've had him since I was little and I love him all the same.

My favorite family member to cuddle up with? Wow. That's a dangerous one! HAH! Well, kids don't want to see their parents cuddling up together too much so my husband is out. My son, Jack, is 14 and almost as tall as his very tall dad, so he's out. That leaves my daughter Leila, who is still my peanut, even at 10! We even have a new special cozy blanket that we cuddle up in. YAY!

The new year! What are your plans for the new year? Any resolutions? Let us know!
Also, you've had a whole year to read books! What were your favorite this year?

You have a whole week before school starts again to think about it. Once school starts up again, I'm sure the chaos starts again too. But school is not here yet, so here are a few books for little, middle and high.

instead of making their own resolutions, the four friends assign them to one another-dares like kiss someone you know is wrong for you, find your calling outside your mom's Puerto Rican restaurant, finally learn Spanish, and say yes to everything. But as the year unfolds, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora each test the bonds that hold them together. And amid first loves, heartbreaks, and life-changing decisions, beginning again is never as simple as it seems."

... and so is the stress! Luckily my kids are a little older so I can get them to wrap all the presents, but it's getting harder and harder to find presents for them. ACK. If you celebrate, how do you deal with the stresses of the holiday? In fact, how do you deal with stress in general?

I HIGHLY suggest it, as does my sister and my 10 year old and 14 year old. My daughter says that it is her favorite Raina Telgemeier book (Drama is her second favorite, BTW).
Need to alleviate your post-holiday stresses? Come in and join us on Friday morning for our FAMILY MOVIE MORNING! I keep wanting to call the movie Abdominal, but that would be a completely different movie and this one is not about your abdomen. :) 

That's right. Time to use some common sense. I'm no good at it most times, but today I've been trying. I would totally be that person to saw the wrong part of the branch. Once, years ago, I used a sledge hammer with sandals on ... yup you can guess it. Luckily I did not lose any toes, but I certainly didn't feel good for a while. More recently, I was cutting some thread that I was using for a bracelet. I was trying to cut it taut so that it didn't fray. Somehow I was able to lose all sense of the common kind and I managed to cut my finger. Enough so that it didn't stop bleeding and I had to go to the hospital. Good grief.
Have you ever had a moment where you had forgotten to use common sense?
Some ways to use common sense is by coming to some of our programs! This week we have:
Monday: Young Librarians from 6-7pm
Monday: Chess Club from 6-7pm
Tuesday: Wizards, Heroes and Myths from 4:30-5:30pm
Tuesday: Sip, Swap and Share from 7-8pm
Thursday: Lego Club from 6-7pm
Friday: Teen Pizza Friday from 5-7pm

Whenever Columbus Day comes I always get the "In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue." stuck in my head. Unfortunately, its only been that part, so I had to find out more!
I had to do a little research, because didn't know anything about the rhyme. Then I found out it was a poem and I needed to find out who wrote it and apparently, it was Jean Marzollo!
The reason for the exclamation was because she was in charge of all the I Spy books too. How cool!
Here's more information specifically about the book, In 1492.

IN 1492
In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
He had three ships and left from Spain;
He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.
He sailed by night; he sailed by day;
He used the stars to find his way.
A compass also helped him know
How to find the way to go.
Ninety sailors were on board;
Some men worked while others snored.
Then the workers went to sleep;
And others watched the ocean deep.
Day after day they looked for land;
They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand.
October 12 their dream came true,
You never saw a happier crew!
“Indians! Indians!” Columbus cried;
His heart was filled with joyful pride.
But “India” the land was not;
It was the Bahamas, and it was hot.
The Arakawa natives were very nice;
They gave the sailors food and spice.
Columbus sailed on to find some gold
To bring back home, as he’d been told.
He made the trip again and again,
Trading gold to bring to Spain.
The first American? No, not quite.
But Columbus was brave, and he was bright.

Oh, it looks so divine! If only there was one in my hand. Of course, there's probably a million-billion calories in them ... but the combination of coffee and sugary goodness? I could totally use that now. The tea (while delicious) is not working at getting me pumped up and ready to go!
So I'm trying to be health conscious and I cannot even tell you the last time that I've had a glorious frappe, however this recipe might give me cause to have one!
BTW, I might be okay if one appeared in my hand since Monday is my long day! :) (HAH) This evening we have Young Librarians, and we will be making fall art to display in the children's room! I need to be pumped and ready to go!
Skinny Caramel Frappuccino
This caramel frappuccino is too good to be true! It's cold, creamy, rich, and satisfying, plus it's only 50 calories per serving.

Yield: 24 ounces
Prep Time 1 minute
Total Time 1 minute Ingredients

• 3 cups ice cubes (3 big handfuls of cubed ice, not crushed ice)
• 1 cup cold strong coffee, previously brewed and chilled
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or your favorite milk)
• sugar-free sweetener (white stevia powder, liquid vanilla stevia drops, Splenda, or your favorite), to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
• 2 tablespoons fat free whipped topping, for garnishing
• 1 tablespoon sugarfree caramel sauce, for garnishing

Instructions

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in the canister of a blender and blend until smooth, creamy, fluffy, frothy, and combined, less than 1 minute. Taste, and if necessary, adjust with a splash more coffee, milk, dash of sweetener, or a few ice cubes.
2. Garnish with whipped topping and caramel sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes
Tip: Make the full batch and place un-garnished extra portion of frappuccino in a freezer-safe mug. Later on, simply let it unthaw a bit, either 30 minutes at room temp or about 1 minute in the microwave.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 57 Total Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 1mg Sodium: 45mg Carbohydrates: 13g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 10g Protein: 1g

Halloween costumes! I have to think about four costumes ... well maybe three. Jack, my 14 year old, is probably too old to think about costumes, you think? My daughter, Leila, who is 10, is super excited and wants to be one of the characters from the anime Fairy Tale. How I'm going to do that, I don't know. So that's two down, two to go. The rest are for me. :)
I need to dress up for the Halloween party on October 26 at the library and I need a costume for a 5k that I'm running called "Scare Away Brain Cancer" earlier in the month.
I have a little idea what I could do for the Halloween party. I have two pajama onesies. A dragon one and a unicorn one. Which one do you think I should be?
As for the 5k, I'm thinking about being Minnie Mouse. That's a little harder because you want to wear something that you can actually run comfortably in, but that is obvious enough to tell what you are. This could be a safe one. :)
So what are you going to be for Halloween? This goes for kids, teens and adults! Let me know! I will of course, make sure to post pictures of said costumes as soon as I wear them. Promise.

 The Top 11 Challenged Books of 2018 are:

1. George by Alex Gino
   Reasons: banned, challenged, and relocated because it was believed to encourage children to clear browser history and change their bodies using hormones, and for mentioning “dirty magazines,” describing male anatomy, “creating confusion,” and including a transgender character
   
2. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
   Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ content, and for political and religious viewpoints
3. Captain Underpants series written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey
   Reasons: series was challenged because it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot was challenged for including a same-sex couple
4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
   Reasons: banned and challenged because it was deemed “anti-cop,” and for profanity, drug use, and sexual references
5. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
   Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ characters and themes
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
   Reasons: banned, challenged, and restricted for addressing teen suicide
7. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
   Reasons: banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and certain illustrations
8. Skippyjon Jones series written and illustrated by Judy Schachner
   Reason: challenged for depicting stereotypes of Mexican culture
9. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: banned and challenged for sexual references, profanity, violence, gambling, and underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint
10. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten
    Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content
11. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
    Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content