Have fun with SUMMER READING

Looking for summer reading ideas? Please check out our suggestions on this libguide.

And be sure to catch up on reviews in 2022 as we Continue the Conversation. 

Enjoy!!! Happy Reading!!

Youth Media Awards Announced ...

The ALA just announced the Youth Media Awards and the Full List is available through School Library Journal.  Firekeeper's Daughter received multiple awards and here is the list for the

Alex Awards

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

The Library of the Dead by T.L Huchu

How Lucky by Will Leitch

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Malice  by Heather Walter

Lore Olympus, Vol. 1 by Rachel Smythe

Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever by Kareem Rosser

Summer reading ideas ...

Looking for summer reading ideas? Please check out our suggestions on this libguide.

And be sure to catch up on reviews in 2021 as we Continue the Conversation. 

Enjoy!!! Happy Reading!! 

Best Books of 2020

Here (in no particular order) is our annual compilation of some of the “Best of the Year” lists:

100 notable books of the year from The New York Times: There is also a top ten list on their site and links for children’s books. Once again, remember that you can access these and other articles from The New York Times by following directions on the library’s ClassLinks page. If you set up your account a year ago, you may need to renew – see a librarian with any questions.

Best of 2020 from School Library Journal; Looking specifically for Young Adults, several titles are on my “to read” list, including: Clap When You Land and Sanctuary. I have already reviewed others on the list like Jennifer Niven’s Breathless.

Plus professional choices from Publishers Weekly OR Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus helpfully shows best fiction by a variety of categories (e.g., get your book group talking; read during the pandemic; debut authors). The mystery and thrillers I have enjoyed: All the Devils are Here, Dead Land, and One by One. Separate lists are provided for non-fiction and once again across several categories for best teen books.

And Goodreads has released its Choice Awards across several categories for 2020: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2020   This is always a “go to” list since reader votes and word of mouth have built interest.   

LibraryReads: Primarily for public libraries, listed top favorites for 2020: https://libraryreads.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Voter-Favorites-2020-Flyer.pdf   

Name a publication and you are likely to find a best book list. For example, The Washington Post offers several lists, but I really liked their columnists’ take (published later in the month) on what each had read or watched during the pandemic – it is very fun and eclectic (Great British Baking Show, anyone?). The Wall Street Journal has a best of 2020 list for books as well as for music, television and more.

National Public Radio lists 1000s of titles (from 2020 and earlier years) and shows their covers in a fun, interactive way. Have fun exploring the list of titles selected for PBS’ Now Read This book club.  In the process, please do not forget to consult the Indie Next List - recommendations from independent booksellers.

More ideas from National Book Awards or local public libraries like Chicago Public Library offer recommendations -- with suggestions for all ages. And from organizations like The Greater Good Science Center or Teaching for Change’s Social Justice Books for all ages and from individuals (BarackObama, Bill Gates – and avid readers amongst your own friends and family).

There is plenty of overlap and some delightful selections on these lists. Ah, so many books and so little time. Enjoy!!! Happy Reading!! Catch up on reviews in the New Year as we Continue the Conversation.

Reading Suggestions for ALL Ages

Looking for something fun to read?  Check out our summary of the Best Book recommendations from The New York Times, GoodReads, and professional reviewers.

 

Our Stress Relief Strategies has more ideas on apps, videos and fun exercises.  For more book reviews of all kinds, click here. 

It's How We Play the Game by Ed Stack

IT'S HOW WE PLAY THE GAME by Ed Stack is the story of the founding and growth of DICK’S Sporting Goods company. Stack begins with tales of how the company was founded in Binghamton, New York with $300 from his dad’s grandmother’s cookie jar.  Throughout, he stresses the importance of family and the impact that family members had on each other.  For example, he writes about his father’s love of sport and how he encouraged Ed to really study and analyze the game of baseball. The idea of taking care of the local community was also always important and Stack says, “[my dad] was making a difference … before I knew it was happening … my dad understood the transcendence of sports – that they can channel kids’ energies, give them focus and goals, keep them out of trouble, reshape their lives.  … He was willing to reach into his own pocket.” Stack has carried forward that legacy and frankly, shocked me with some of the statistics he cited: “In the 1999-2000 school year, 11.3 percent of public high schools in the United States did not offer interscholastic sports. By ten years later, 22 percent of public high schools – more than one in five – no longer fielded sports teams.” Of those that did, forty percent required fees from the players and their families. To raise awareness, Stack began a number of programs including the Sports Matters Initiative. This book chronicles those efforts as well as changes in the business, such as decisions to expand, and DICK’S principled relationships with landlords like Wegman’s and suppliers like Callaway. In addition, you may have read recently in The New York Times or USA Today about how DICK’S destroyed about $5 million in inventory of assault style guns in response to the shooting in Parkland, Florida. The thinking and strategy behind implementing that decision is included in this text, too. Recommended by Adam Silver, Phil Knight, Mark Kelly and others, IT'S HOW WE PLAY THE GAME is definitely worth a read, particularly in light of the shift from shareholder to stakeholder perspective amongst US businesses, as evidenced by the change in Business Roundtable’s mission statement.