You are not too old to read a picture book. I know this because you are reading this blog post right now and therefore, presumably, still alive and not too old to read. And if you are a ghost, then it’s pretty wild that you can still access the internet and you’re using your afterlife to read the teen library blog, but if you can do that then you probably can and still should read a picture book. Because, just like their cousins graphic novels, picture books are capable of addressing any and every topic, and the format forces creators to communicate their ideas in the minimum amount of words and pictures. In great picture books, you can tell that every word and image is carefully considered and that there is nothing extraneous. Constraints produce great art, this is a fact, and I can prove it in six books. Continue reading “You Should Read a Picture Book”
Happy Pride!
If you’re looking for a new, queer read, I’ve got a list for you in every color of the rainbow!
We Mostly Come Out at Night
An anthology of short stories ranging in genres from horror to romance; featuring classic and original monsters and creatures. Continue reading “Read the Rainbow”
Happy Juneteenth everyone! This holiday, only recognized widely within the last few years, was established to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans and as a day to celebrate the influence and contributions that Black Americans have made to the culture and history of the United States. The list of Black people who have had an impact on this country is far, far too long to list, but the influence of many of these figures is felt even to this very day. It is especially important in times like these, where racism and violence against the Black community, both individual and institutional, is once again on the rise, that we can take a day to celebrate both all that we have achieved and all the struggles that have been overcome on the way here. With that in mind, we here at DBRL have put together a book list that contains a variety of titles related to the holiday, from stories around reconstruction and the end of slavery to stories centering Black characters in a variety of settings, to the lingering effects of emancipation in the modern day.
You can find our book list at the link here. No matter what draws your eye, we at DBRL hope that you have a wonderful Juneteenth! As a reminder, all of our locations will be closed on June 19th.
“I’m used to people liking me for… what I can do for them. Not for me.”
What’s the story?
“If You’ll Have Me” is a lighthearted look at the early stages of a new relationship and how two souls can become tangled up in each other. Momo is a small person. Not just in stature, but in presentation. She is often quiet when others are loud, avoids being the center of attention, and is shamelessly used by others for academic help and random chores. She’s a people pleaser and falls into the oft-used trope of ‘never been kissed’. PG is a large person. Outside of members of her own family, she towers over other characters. But just like Momo her physical presentation is linked to her personality. She’s known to sleep around, she’s a heartbreaker who doesn’t care what others think. She uses people to get what she wants. Continue reading “Book Review: If You’ll Have Me”
I’m back babes, with another installment of “Is it Worth the Hype” to let you know if you should spend the time on that book that everyone is talking about or if BookTok is unhinged and you should move on to something else on your to-read list. Every book has its readers, but it can be disappointing when a popular book doesn’t hit you the same way it does for everyone else. You can share your hot takes and ALL your feelings with us by filling out our Teen Book Reviews form. Who knows, we may feature your review in an upcoming blog!
Continue reading “Is it Worth the Hype? Volume Three”
Despite the fact that board games have been around for hundreds of years (as we learned in my last post), hundreds of new ones are still released every year. The board game industry is very alive and well. In fact, it’s positively thriving with a market value of over thirteen billion dollars in 2023. Clearly, people like tabletop games. One thing that can be overwhelming, however, is the sheer amount of new games out there. How can you know what game is good when there are so many of them? One way is to give it a play run, which you can do at our Bored Gamer Night here at the library! Another way is to listen to recommendations. I can guarantee that all of the games on this list are so much fun to play and have fantastic themes to boot. They’re the type of games that really stick with you. If you love these games as much as I do, you’ll be sad when they end. Luckily for you, the corresponding book can extend the experience for days on end. Let’s start with one of my favorites: Continue reading “If You Like Board Games- Part 2: Modern Favorites”
“I’m sorry. But you’re hurting my friend.”
What’s the story?
In Utero starts with a brief setup of a large nuclear-looking explosion in the middle of an Australian city then jumps to 12 years later where we meet our (almost) 12-year-old protagonist Hailey. While the cause remains something of a mystery people have moved on and Hailey is being dropped off at an abandoned mall, now housing a daycare, near the site of the explosion. Hailey is much older than most of the other members of the daycare and since the setting is a whole mall it’s pretty easy for her to slip off unnoticed. Which allows her to meet Jen. Jen appears to be an older teenager, but it quickly becomes apparent that Jen isn’t really human as she displays unusual powers while giving Hailey a tour of the decrepit mall. This culminates in Jen introducing Hailey to her real self, which is a car-sized egg. Jen invites Hailey into a sort of mental space, where a lot of the book takes place, and we learn more of Jen’s backstory and that she is not the only strange thing hiding out in the abandoned mall. Continue reading “Book Review: In Utero”
You are in good company. Board games are one of my all-time favorite ways to bond with people. There are so many options. Wanna learn more about someone? There’s a board game for that. Wanna play a game for the next 12 hours straight? There’s a board game for that too! Want something on butterflies? It exists. Dinosaurs? Yup. Zombie kittens? Absolutely. Pretty much anything you can think of has a board game. They’re also beneficial to the brain, which makes me feel good when playing them. If you can’t already tell, I really like board games. But not all games are created equal. For me to truly love a game, I have to want to keep existing with it past when I’m done playing. Essentially, I like games that stick with me in some way, whether because of the theme or the gameplay. Luckily for me, there are often books that can match the general vibe of a game, so I can stay immersed past the gaming experience itself. With these books, the experience of your favorite board games doesn’t have to end with the final move taken. Because of the sheer volume of games I want to talk about, we’re gonna start with just the classics. I couldn’t make a list about board games without talking about…
The most classic board game: Chess
Continue reading “If You Like Board Games – Part 1: The Classics”
At the Daniel Boone Regional Library, since the early winter months, you voted on 16 of our most popular young adult books.
Each week in March, teens voted to narrow down the list of contenders until a single title emerged as the Mid-Missouri teen book champion! Each round of voting entered teens for a chance for cool prizes and we’ll be announcing the winners of the drawing soon!
Thanks to all the teens, teachers, media specialists, and librarians who voted, created brackets and promoted the tournament!
And now without further ado: Continue reading “2024 March Madness Champion Announced!”
For whatever reason, all my books this time feature romances. I say whatever reason, but obviously “romantasy” is huge right now, and publishers are paying attention to that. So if you enjoy romance, read on! And if you don’t, I promise I’ll try to include non-romances next month.
“What Monstrous Gods” by Rosamund Hodge
This fantasy starts with Sleeping Beauty vibes, but quickly dives deep into political and divine machinations. 500 years ago, the sorcerer Ruven placed the entire royal family under an enchanted sleep, and raised up impenetrable briars around the palace. The royal family were the kingdom’s connection to the gods, so now the gods are silent and no longer working miracles through their human saints. Lia was born with magic, and has been raised to kill the sorcerer and break the enchantment. Once she does, the gods will be able to save the kingdom from plague and neighboring enemies. But Lia’s reward for saving the royal family is an unwanted betrothal, and the assignment to travel the kingdom and restore shrines to the old gods. As she travels with her prince fiancé, she learns that the gods aren’t at all what she expected, and that Ruven may have made the right choice in silencing them 500 years ago. At least, that’s what Ruven says, as he’s also traveling with them in the form of an annoyingly attractive ghost that only Lia can see. Lia navigates faith, obedience, lies and love in this compelling standalone fantasy. Continue reading “The Selector’s Selections: March 2024”
