![Librarians Amanda and Eti took a photo with authors Peter H. Reynolds and Marc Colagiovanni at Avoca West](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2024-03/AvocaWestVisit-Peter-Marc-beasties.jpg?itok=ZCj23Sw1)
Spreading Book Joy
Read on to learn about some of our March school visits!
![Just a Few women of Note. who do oyu recognize?](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2024-02/women%20in%20history.jpg?itok=cypju2bG)
Remember the Ladies
For much of history, women have lived and worked in the background. Famous figures like Florence Nightingale, Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Rosa Parks dot the historical landscape.
![Librarians Eti and Diane take a photo with Romona Elementary School students in the school auditorium. Librarians Sarah Jo and Eti pose with the library beasties on a school stage.](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2024-02/WRAD%20School%20visits.png?itok=qozbu0_Q)
World Read Aloud Day
![5 video game covers: Spider Man 2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon, Resident Evil 4, and Pikmin 4 arranged on a green and yellow background.](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2024-02/Top%2010%20Video%20Games%20of%202023%20blog%20image.png?itok=Qkh4oJjO)
Top 10 Video Games of 2023
2023 was an incredible year for video games and many of the year's biggest titles are available at the library. Here is a little about my three favorite games of the year and I included a list of what I consider the 10 best titles from 2023 you can find at the library.
![Black background with yellow text reading "Black History Month"](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2024-01/6847172255_592cb7602f_b.jpg?itok=W8Wf3WGQ)
Celebrating Black History Month: Recommendations for Youth and Families
![Year of the Dragon](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2024-01/Chinese_new_year_dragon.jpg?itok=61btegXg)
The Year of the Dragon
Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy New Year!
The Lunar New Year is upon us—that’s the time when the lunar calendar makes a new beginning. China, Korea, Vietnam, and most other East Asian countries celebrate the New Year on the second new moon after winter solstice.
![Celebrations](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2023-12/Celebration%20fireworks.jpg?itok=R99j7w9m)
Your Celebration Here
With January, we start a whole new round of holidays — and there's plenty of room for more! In fact, whole months are free for the naming.
![twelve colorful picture book covers in a grid](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2023-12/Great%20Gift%20Books%20blog%20jpg.jpg?itok=XtcAu6Zv)
Great Gift Books for Kids
Whether you’re shopping for your own child or hoping to find a great match for a kid you barely know, the books on this year’s list offer something special.
![A brick building with a tree in front and text that reads Mitchell Museum of the American Indian](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2023-10/Mitchell%20Museum.jpg?itok=nKKqGmWe)
Discover the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
Did you know that a leading museum that focuses exclusively on Indigenous peoples' heritage is right in our neighborhood and is available with a free family Museum Adventure Pass?
![Christopher Columbus, Where Are You!?](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2023-09/Christopher_Columbus_statue_base%2C_Newark_New_Jersey_0.jpg?itok=XyjR-aDD)
What Happened to Columbus Day?
In recent years, Columbus Day has become a hotly contested holiday. It’s beloved by many traditionalists, but others bemoan its links to colonialism.
Yet Columbus Day was never a simple day.
![uppercase letters against a starburst background spell I AM FREE TO READ](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2023-10/Free%20to%20Read%202023%20SM%20square%2001-01.png?itok=NcE5h3c7)
5 Easy Ways to Protect Your Freedom to Read
Between January and August 2023, The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom reported 695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles.
![Mother Goose Songs, mouse in front of clock](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2023-09/YSmothergoosesongs_1.jpg?itok=RJ4-nM-n)
One Interesting Thing About Mother Goose
One interesting thing about Mother Goose is that she’s alive and well! Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes are still popular around the world and for good reason. They develop a child’s ear for language and that is the cornerstone of literacy.
![A festival inMexico](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2023-09/Mexicans_Festival.jpg?itok=ScilXPkC)
Hispanic American Heritage Month
September is a month of new beginnings for lots of our southern neighbors. Independence Day celebrations include parades, flag ceremonies, and favorite foods like beleades, pupusas, and ceviche.
![schoolhouse](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2023-09/District_63_schoolhouse-inside_0.jpg?itok=NMWWOUvz)
The Good Old School Calendar
The school year is revving up again—but why now? The truth is more complicated than you might think.