Themed Bookshelves

Pirates may not have buried much treasure on deserted islands, cried “argh” when displeased, or forced their captives to walk the plank. (Argh!) But some pirate lore seems to be based on fact. Pirates actually had parrots for pets, wore eye patches, and flew the Jolly Roger. (Blimey!) To celebrate… Read More

Ice cream has been a favorite food in the United States at least since the 1740s, which is probably why July is National Ice Cream Month! In the 19th Century, an ice cream maker was invented that allowed you to hand-crank the ice cream inside a bucket of ice,… Read More

  Learn about the meaning behind the other colors of the Pride flag in Our Rainbow by Little Bee Books, and celebrate Pride Month with these great titles about important moments and people in LGBTQ history. Read More

When we think about cheetahs, the idea of these wild cats forming friendships with dogs seems extremely unlikely. But cheetahs can become anxious, particularly when interacting with humans in a zoo environment. Read More

The average car releases almost a pound of carbon dioxide into the air every mile it’s driven. If you drove 365 fewer miles per year, that would be equivalent to planting four trees and having them absorb CO2 for ten years! Read More

  A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry often made up of 17 syllables spread across three lines. The first and third lines typically have five syllables, while the second line has seven syllables. Read More

Follow this link to learn more about International Women’s Day: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ Help celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day with these great books about female pioneers in science, sports, politics and the arts. Read More

Did you know that Mae Jemison was the first black woman to travel in space? Celebrate black history month by reading about black pioneers and visionaries in politics, science, sports and the arts. Read More

By the 18th Century, printed Valentine’s Day cards were available for purchase,* but we still like handmade cards the best. The books, below, have clever ideas and fun crafts to help make your Valentine’s Day extra special. Read More

Did you know that the first jack-o’-lanterns were carved from turnips, not pumpkins? In Ireland and Scotland people hollowed out turnips and gave them creepy faces to celebrate the feast of All Hallows’ Eve. Centuries later, when immigrants from the UK arrived in North America, they discovered that the native pumpkin made a much better jack-o’-lantern, because it was larger and softer than a turnip! Read More