What's New

Since the world continues to spin on its axis, poetry month has arrived once more and once more do we explore new works of poetry. Poetry gives us a way to look at the world and the culture we find ourselves in. By reading poetry, we get a chance to hear things, not only new perspectives, but help to gain insights into ourselves that we might not have had the language to get to ourselves.

Doggerel is the latest work by the acclaimed Reginald Dwayne Betts. Betts, a formerly incarcerated person seeking to improve an unfair system, continues his work in this stellar volume. Betts is able to give us insight into the necessary attributes to survive in the prison system as a teenager. It is juxtaposed against the childhood his own children are going through, and how having an attendant father is a much different experience. Dogs feature heavily throughout, as they are the personification of companionship without judgement. Loyal and fierce, dogs show us how to love without ego. Betts’ work is another great example of how much we can learn by just listening to those we often render voiceless.

Tiana Clark’s Scorched Earth is about what comes after the end. After her divorce, Clark must face new realities and old wounds. On this journey of understanding, Clark explores not only herself but the idea of Black joy throughout history. Looking at how black bodies were abused in the past, Clark seeks to understand her own current situation and how self-acceptance is a form of rebellion. She also attempts to rectify her own Christian upbringing with her queerness and disconnection from a higher power. An exploration of black joy and sorrow, the work is an example of how healing can be a radical act.

Esther Lin’s Cold Thief Place is about a woman growing up undocumented in America after being born in Brazil to parents who immigrated from China. Esther’s parents found solace and a sense of community through Christianity but this in turn created an abusive dynamic for their children. Esther herself is pushed into a marriage for a green card mirroring her own parents’ relationship. The work also shows the sympathy of a child for their parents, not just seeing them as caretakers but the humans they are and the circumstances they faced on their own journeys. It is a brilliant work that strives to teach us that a status does not erase the person it is attached to.

Winter of Worship is the newest collection by Kayleb Rae Candrilli. Candrilli looks back at his life, reconciling his current identity with the identity he once held. Having experienced the loss of his father and multiple friends over the years, Candrilli holds their memories close and laments their continued absence. The author describes their recent journeys through the pandemic and the ever-increasing destruction caused by climate change and social upheaval. Candrilli seeks to enjoy the nostalgia of the past while remaining true to the events as they occurred.

Poetry month continues on so please enjoy these books and many more at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

Have you been keeping up with the Big Bear eagles and their eaglets? They are currently being live-streamed by the Circulation Desk at A.K. Smiley Public Library. The non-profit Friends of Big Bear Valley provides the internet live-feed. Come in soon to see how they are growing and interacting. There is an accompanying display about birds, birdwatching, and related books that are available for check out.

Some new books are also waiting for you to expand your ornithological curiosity. “Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and Canada West,” and “Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and Canada East,” are both authored by Ted Floyd, editor of Birding magazine and published by National Geographic. These are both good resources to identify and learn more about our avian friends.

“The Owl Handbook: Investigating the Lives, Habits, and Importance of these Enigmatic Birds,” is also another selection if you would like to learn about different species of owls. Author and bird enthusiast John Shewey shares all kinds of interesting information and his impressive photographs vividly capture the uniqueness and beauty of these birds of prey.

“Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature Just Outside Your Door,” by conservation biologist Thor Hanson highlights nature right where we live. His book is in three sections: “Seeing,” “Exploring,” and “Restoring.” There is so much interesting information on not only birds, but many other creatures and plants from down in the soil to up to the treetops that you don’t need a livestream camera to discover.

Come satisfy your “natural” curiosity at A.K. Smiley Public Library and learn about the birds, the bees, and so much more!

Teens, it’s easy to think the things that happen in our lifetimes have never happened before…that the events we experience personally or collectively are ours alone, totally unique to our time, and hazardously unmapped. While it’s true that names, dates, and details change, several Young Adult nonfiction books I’ve read lately have convinced me of another weird truth: so many current events are iterations of things from the past. When you peek behind the 21st century costumes, you sometimes find a lot that looks uncannily familiar.

Before we jump into this week’s titles, I encourage you to talk to your parents about the books you read to decide what may be a good fit for you. I understand and honor that not every book is for every reader, and recognize how important it is for you and your family to make informed decisions about all the media you consume, including library books. With that, let’s get into it!

“America Redux: Visual Stories from Our Dynamic History” by Ariel Aberg-Riger is nothing like your history textbook. To tell you the truth, it’s unlike any book I’ve seen before. It approaches major topics in American history from a non-linear standpoint, one that explores the idea that time is cyclical, “a continual, ever-evolving relationship, not a series of isolated, fixed points on a line.”

What starts as a mind-bending premise (but one that is rooted in Native American, African, Chinese, Indian, Celtic, and Mayan philosophies), reveals that there are dots to be connected in American history. Aberg-Riger does this through visual storytelling; she uses a series of riveting collaged illustrations—that include historical photos, documents, maps, and hand-lettered text—to dunk you into an unblinking look at American history, suggesting connections you may not have previously considered.

This can’t be sugar-coated…many of the events the author explores are emotionally difficult to process. But looking at them through the author’s eyes did not leave me in despair. They actually gave me hope, illustrating the ways we have collectively clawed through challenging and divisive times before, the ways we are resilient, and ultimately, the truth that power resides in the people.

Candace Fleming’s “The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh” is another title that exposes echoes between our past and present. I went into this book knowing just the basics about Charles Lindbergh…he was a celebrity American aviator whose baby got kidnapped. Fleming fills in all of Lindbergh’s messy details: a person who accomplished incredible mechanical feats for his time, while simultaneously allowing his obsession with eugenics to push him into racist beliefs that would lead to his public downfall. The book opens with a rowdy scene from one of the “America First” rallies Lindbergh headlined in the first half of the 20th century, and it was easy to imagine a similar scene unfolding today, close to one-hundred years later.

Teens, will you allow me a moment to get philosophical? I hope you said yes. These books got me thinking about a phrase from the preamble of our Constitution (you know how it is when you can’t get the preamble of the Constitution out of your head…I’m sure this is a very common phenomenon).

“…in order to form a more perfect Union…”

The delegates included the phrase “more perfect,” acknowledging in our most significant foundational document, that the Union was not, nor may ever be, perfect. How inspired and non-defensive it is to say “more perfect,” allowing room for self-reflection and flaws and evolution. It feels very patriotic to me to look critically at the past to discern a “more perfect” path forward. These books, that shine lights on some troubling times and complicated individuals from our past, remind me to feel deeply grateful you have the right to disagree.

March is Women’s History Month and what better way to celebrate women and how amazing we are than by reading novels written by women. Here are a few new titles that are available for check out at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

Bestselling author of Detransition Baby, Torrey Peters, gives us her latest title, Stag Dance, available for check out today. Stag Dance is comprised of three short stories and one novella, all of which discuss gender and gender identity. The story, Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones, imagines a future where everyone must choose their own gender.

Counterattacks at Thirty by Won-Pyung Sohn is about an office worker name Jihye, who has been silently enduring her semi-hostile work environment for years, until Gyuok is hired. Gyouk is a “rebel” of sorts and recruits Jihye and a few other office workers to commit small protests against the higher-ups they work with. Check out this title and the author’s previous novel, Almond.

33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen takes place on the eve of the Nazi occupation in Brussels. This novel is about the eight residents who live at 33 Place Brugmann and how their lives are about to change forever. Readers of historical fiction will not want to miss this book.

The Moonlight Healers by Elizabeth Becker is a novel about a young woman named Louise Winston who discovers that the women in her family have magical abilities: they can heal with the touch of their hands. Readers of magical realism will not want to miss this enchanting novel about family, life, death, and magic.

Reading is fundamental. Do you know what else is fundamental? Having fun. And do you know what else is fundamental? Crafting – learning to create something you’re proud of. And do you know where you can have all of these experiences at once?

Craft Time!

As of January 2025, with the support of the marvelous and talented Youth Services Department, I have been hosting Craft Time after the last Preschool Story Time of each month. We had so much fun making bear puppets in January and paper butterflies in February. Come join us for our next craft on Tuesday, March 25! Crafts correlate with the story time books read by Miss Pamela and will be suited to the skills of 4-6 year olds, whose creativity we have found impressive and inspiring. Here are a few books that are available to check out in the Young Readers’ Room that will help you and/or your kids get creative in the meantime.

You know when a book lives in the back of your head because it’s just so delightful? Ed Emberley’s Fingerprint Drawing Book is one of those books. Requiring nothing more than paper, an inkpad, a marker, and your own thumb; this is a book that you will enjoy and learn from even if you don’t have a creative bone in your body. It guides you through each step of the process to make everything from a snail to a watermelon to a knight in fingerprinted armor – all smiling, of course. These mini artworks are so easy and so much fun. Once you’ve made one, it’s hard to stop.

If you’re looking for a craft that’s a bit more complicated and a lot more unique, look no further than The Usborne Book of Masks. It’s complete with instructions and templates for creating funny, cute, or scary masks. While some of the masks require more patience (the genuinely freaky Sea Witch, with glitter eyebrows and fish in her hair), there are simpler options as well (Hovering Bees, a face full of flowers surrounded by bees on wires). The diverse options of this book make it the perfect guide for a family craft night.

When I was younger, the American Girl book series changed my life – I was finally able to connect with history by seeing it through the eyes of girls my age. The American Girl craft books and cookbooks are wonderful for having tactile experiences that connect you with the past. Addy’s Craft Book begins each section with a short summary about an area of Addy Walker’s fictional life in 1864, and details how to create a related range of paper and fabric crafts that a girl like Addy would have learned. If you’ve ever wanted to try cross stitch or wondered what a Jacob’s Ladder is, this book can answer your questions.

Star Wars Origami rules the craft section of the Young Readers’ Room – it’s so popular that we have three copies. So much fun, even if you’re not a Star Wars fan – the intricate character designs will keep you busy and engaged. The way this book is formatted, it teaches you the basic paper folds and terms of origami before launching into the projects, which include a wide variety of characters and ships. It’s a great introduction to origami and, of course, to Star Wars origami.

Come by the Young Readers’ Room to check out any or all of these books, or spend some time perusing more options in our delightful craft book section. If you’ve gotten the itch for crafting something fun and book-inspired, don’t miss Story Time on March 25 at the Contemporary Club!