reading Archives – Page 4 of 17 – Spokane County Library District

Celebrating the Mermaid: From Bubbly, Sweet Creatures to Fearsome Sea Monsters

Posted in Explore and Discover on May 3, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Abra Cole Most people are familiar with the tale of the bright-eyed, bubbly Ariel from Disney’s animated version of The Little Mermaid. However, in most tales, mermaids are not quite so friendly, or aesthetically pleasing. The oldest recorded mermaid story is the Syrian goddess Atargatis, the woman who dove into a lake and was […]

New Read-Along Books for Kids Offer Built-In Audio Along with Page-Turning Fun!

Posted in kids, News on April 25, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs With summer just around the corner, many families are looking for convenient, inexpensive ways to keep the kids entertained and engaged. That’s why we’re excited to share the launch of a new collection that ticks all the boxes. Read-Along books (or simply, Read-Alongs) are regular hardcover children’s books with a sturdy audio […]

Ways to Connect with Poems & Celebrate National Poetry Month this April

Posted in Explore and Discover on April 5, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Melissa Rhoades Since 1996, April has been designated as National Poetry Month to recognize and honor this long-lived and varied artform. Poems can be emotional expressions, political statements, a spiritual practice, a way to convey narrative, a whimsical play with language, and many other things. Likewise, poems can fulfill specific rhythms, s […]

World Languages at the Library: A Multitude of Experiences & Opportunities

Posted in Explore and Discover on March 29, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Dana Mannino Did you know that the library has books in languages other than English? Currently, our largest non-English collection is in Spanish. We are actively building a collection in Russian and looking ahead to grow our collection in Marshallese and Arabic as well. These are the most common non-English languages spoken in the […]

Preparing to Get Outdoors: Helpful Books, Guided Hikes & A Spring Essentials List

Posted in Explore and Discover on March 15, 2023 at 5:00 am

By Alison Johnson Around this time of year, I anxiously await getting outdoors with my pup. I have a high energy dog who loves tramping through the mountains and just about anywhere we can find a trail. If I can’t wait, this means we’ll run into mud, ice, snow, rain, and cold. But early spring […]

Inclusivity, Awareness & Literacy: Sensory Storytime & Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Posted in Explore and Discover, Parents and Teachers on March 2, 2023 at 4:30 am

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and prompts us to consider our level of awareness, what is and isn’t in place in our community for inclusion of all people of all abilities, and what we can do as individuals and as a community to be open to and inclusive of everyone. In this guest blog, learn about Sensory Storytime and browse […]

How to Talk with Children About the Holocaust: Expert Tips & Suggested Books

Posted in Parents and Teachers on January 24, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Melissa Rhoades Historic atrocities can feel like they’re not related to our lives today. But historic events were shaped and experienced by regular people like you and me. And regular people like you and me are shaping the future right now. As author Deborah Hopkinson writes in We Must Not Forget, “… it’s up […]

The Season in 5 Senses: Finding Calm, Centered, Peaceful Moments

Posted in Explore and Discover on December 21, 2022 at 6:00 am

For some of us, this is the season of overwhelm. Expectations we have for ourselves or that others have for us can be downright unbearable during the holidays. This year, I propose trying a different approach to the holiday season. Namely, let’s take a step back, give ourselves a little space, and try to find more meaning in doing less. If you ha […]

Tags: adults, booklists, books, parents, reading, teens, tweens

A Booklist for Bookworms: 5 Engrossing Titles About Books, Building Community & Mysteries!

Posted in Explore and Discover on December 6, 2022 at 6:00 am

By Alison Johnson Reading a book that revolves around books makes me happy. I am sharing my joy of books about books with other book lovers out there. Here are five books that feature either a fictional author, editor, librarian, bookseller, or a community of readers, and of course… books! I hope you’ll give one […]

Tags: adults, booklists, books, reading, teens

9 Guidelines for Writing Book Reviews & How to Add Yours to Our Catalog

Posted in Explore and Discover on November 22, 2022 at 6:00 am

By Andrea Brumbaugh Not all personal book reviews are created equal. If you have spent any time on Goodreads, you’ve most likely seen some that simply state, “I hated it,” or “I loved it.” If these readers are writing the review for themselves so that they can look back later and see how they felt […]

TAG: reading