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“You’re standing on a planet with molten lava in the middle. Your heart is beating without you asking. There’s a moon in the sky and bugs that glow. This whole thing is absurdly beautiful — don’t forget to notice.” ~ Jasmine Wilder, thetinyjoyproject, Instagram

Mark your calendars, friends: April 22 is Earth Day, and your assignment is to notice — to go outside, take a deep breath, and hug a tree that is deeply and wondrously rooted in this spinning rock of ours.

While you’re out, you might as well stop by and see us at Smiley Library, perhaps sometime this week, National Library Week, or its culmination next Saturday, April 25, for Smiley Library’s annual Library Days celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The theme of Library Days this year is “Find Your Joy,” so we invite you to come in and look for something that may bring you joy — like an earth-inspired item! Whether about a tree, a flower, a river or a rock, or just one of us creatures, there is, naturally — ‘nature-ally’ — something for everyone at the library!

I love the cover photo of our first featured book — just looking at it brings a relaxing sigh . . .  “When the Forest Breathes: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World.” Author Suzanne Simard, a professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia, has crafted both a memoir and an account of the implementation of her Mother Tree Project, a campaign of forest ecology research conducted across multiple sites in Canada. Simard reflects on the importance of honoring the ebb and flow of human life cycles within her own family, such as the coming-of-age of her daughter and the end of life of her mother, and weaves this theme in with the natural life cycle of forests.

Simard stresses that preserving forests’ natural cycles of death and renewal is key to their longevity. Of vital importance to the Earth’s fragile ecosystems, forests continue to be disrupted by industrial logging companies, which harvest trees by clear-cutting, a technique, that Simard iterates, releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, destroys wildlife habitats, and increases the risk of wildfires and floods.

This next book fascinates me, “How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature’s Revolutionaries” by biologist David George Haskell. The floral world is “late-blooming,” so to speak, in the history of the evolution of Earth, having done so after many complex animals in the fossil record some 150–200 million years ago. Quickly diversifying, plants became “champion relationship-builders,” as insects, birds, and other animals came to rely on them for food and shelter. The flexibility of plant genetics is vital to us too! They enabled the development of important crops that supported agrarian civilizations, like wheat, oats, potato, and cotton. Now that’s Flower Power!

We also highly recommend these additional works:

“Amazon: A River’s Journey from the Andes to the Atlantic” by Thomas P. Peschak

The rich photography here traces National Geographic explorer Peschak’s unprecedented expedition of the world’s greatest river: the Amazon. A web of more than 1,000 streams and tributaries collectively spawning an enormous water world larger than the continental United States, it is home to thousands of species of fish, aquatic reptiles, mammals, and birds–most found nowhere else on Earth.

 

“The Oldest Rocks on Earth: A Search for the Origins of our World” by Simon Lamb

Geologist Lamb’s research in remote southern Africa looks at some of the oldest known rocks — some more than 3.5 billion years old, unearthing a violent world of natural disasters and climate change in the deep ocean, along ancient shorelines, and amid rising mountains. In so doing, he shows how geologists work and think, and how they read rocks and decipher what they tell us of the past, and the future.

 

“Lost Animals, Disappearing Worlds: Stories of Extinction” by Barbara Allen

This book presents thirty-one extinct species through personal portraits to say, we see that you have been here — we notice. The intimate approach not only highlights each particular species but also explores the profound, broader implications of losing a species forever.

 

P.S. For an extensive list of books on Earth care for adults, teens, and children, please visit out 2024 blog post, Celebrate Earth Day every day.

Teresa Letizia is a photo-documented tree-hugger, as well as a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library, 125 W. Vine St., Redlands.

With spring upon us, we look forward to reading outside, in the sun, or curled up on the porch watching the sun set in the distance. Here is a list of books to read to your littles throughout the month. You will find all of these books in the New Book section of the Young Readers’ Room.

First up is a favorite online sensation, Ms. Rachel, and her newest book, Ms. Rachel and Bean and the Bedtime Routine – Encouraging a Calm and Comforting Good Night, written by Ms. Rachel and Mr. Aron, and illustrated by Monique Dong. Ms. Rachel has such a gentle way online, and in her books, to help children cope and deal with situations ranging from friendship to bedtime. This story will help your youngsters speed up the routine and jump right into bed (that’s the plan!). If you would like to see more of Ms. Rachel, you can check out her website at: MsRachel.com.

Pete the Cat’s Cool New Ride, written and illustrated by Kimberly & James Dean, will have kids (and adults) ready to go out for a spin around the neighborhood, even if they don’t have a car as cool as Pete’s! Pages filled with rhyming text and bright, bold illustrations continue the turning of pages and the solution to Pete’s crowded car situation. Sometimes friends have such a special place in our lives that we make extraordinary decisions to include them in every moment possible.

Timothy Knapman wrote Oh No! Dinosaurs in the Supermarket with Sarah Warburton as the illustrator. Kids will enjoy hunting through the pages as the dinosaurs seem to disappear while the adults are searching for them. I’ve yet to witness any sort of dinosaur in any grocery store, but then I’m not looking for them through the eyes of a child! Beware on your next grocery outing!

A Cure for the Hiccups, written by Jennifer E. Smith and Brandon James Scott, is a tale that most of us will probably try the next time those pesky hiccups appear. Max has developed the worst case of hiccups that she can remember. She is not one to sit around and mope while the hiccups stick around…no…Max is on the move until Grandma has a cure for Max to try out. Page after page has Max quite busy, all the while fretting over the ‘what if’ questions like ‘what if the hiccups never go away?’ thoughts. Spoiler alert: there is a solution and a quiet ending to this tale.

Check out any or all of these April suggestions and let the Youth Services Crew know which one was your favorite!

~ Pamela Martinez, Senior Librarian, Youth Services

This year is speeding by at quite the rapid pace. Before we know it, the weather will be cooler, and the Halloween decorations will be up. Unless of course you are like me and leave them up year-round. So, let’s take a moment to slow down, rest, and enjoy some poetry during National Poetry Month. Consider it a check point before you move on to the next event.

Death of the First Idea by Rickey Laurentiis is a work about when the self is in opposition to the world around it. Spanning history from ancient Greece to the Jim Crow era, to the current conflicts in the Middle East, Laurentiis shows that societies have a tendency to ostracize or even commit violence against those it may find undesirable. We live in a world that upholds individuality but only if that individual displays the preferred traits. She even reflects on her hometown of New Orleans and in the explorations, describes both the joyous and detrimental experiences she found there. With grace and wit, Laurentiis writes beautifully about how she faces a world that refuses to face her.

Cynthia Cheung’s work, Common Disaster, is an interesting look at the Covid-19 pandemic through the eyes of a physician. Cheung displays her feelings of watching those she was meant to heal, lose their lives in the sea of misinformation. She records how a devastating diagnosis can create a ripple effect, not just for the patient, but for their family as well. Though loss is an inevitable part of life, Cheung urges us towards remembrance. That through remembrance we can create space to honor those that came before and carry on their legacies. That life and grief are not exclusive to human beings but to the whole world we live on. She illustrates that in a world in which tragedy is an everyday occurrence, there still exists a thread that connects us all.

The latest work from Bianca Stone, The Near and Distant World, is a philosophical examination of the self. Much like the self, the work shows an immense range in styles and has the ability to be multifaceted. Stone shows how the self persists during global pandemics, wars, and the creation of life. In her quest for examination, Stone even delves into the inexactitude of language, how words can only get so close to the truth but never quite reach it. This is a deeply introspective work that allows the imperfections of the self to not just be displayed but celebrated.

Enjoy these works of poetry and maybe try to write some of your own this month!

–Ciara Lightner is a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

 

 

 

Did you know that A.K. Smiley Library is more than just books? We also have online databases one can access with their library card number and PIN. We are very excited to announce that we now have Learning Express Library Complete! This database has resources for everyone. Students who need to study for the SAT can take a practice test online. Adults who are looking for career exams like Civil Service or Cosmetology can find study guides and practice tests. There are even resources for 4th-8th graders such as math and language skills improvement. All of these tests/exams are the most current versions. For computer help Learning Express Library Complete offers an online session for computer basics. All patrons need to do is create a user name and password.

A second database AKSPL offers is Ancestry.com library edition. Genealogy has grown in popularity—especially when it comes to true crime cases being solved with it. Ancestry.com is only available inside the Library. There is no remote access at this time. However, one does not need to create an account with them. Bring it up on one of our public computers or a laptop and one can start researching new branches of their family tree.

A third database AKSPL offers is Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints. This is a great research tool for a school pro/con essay assignment. There is remote access – one just needs their library card number. Popular topics that are updated are politics, health and medicine, and society/culture. The articles here are clearly and concisely broken down explaining each side of the pro/con argument. For students needing to cite their research there is a box at the end of the article which shows how to format it in MLA, APA, or the Chicago Manual of Style.

Lastly, for veterans who are looking for resources, AKSPL offers VetNow. All one needs to do is login with their library card number as a remote user. It offers resume assistance, job resources, and a live Veteran Navigator for help with VA benefits. One can also create an account with their own username and password for a more personalized experience.

The best part about all of these databases is that they are available to the public for free! Research should not cost anything. To use these or any of our other databases start by getting a library card. All that is required is a photo ID with current address or photo ID with proof of address if one just moved to the area. A full listing of our databases can be found at: https://www.akspl.org/elibrary/#eDatabases.

Teens, what are you reading these days? Oh, how I wish I could hear you! Tragically, my earshot is no match for the miles between us, so I will have to imagine your response. What? You want to hear about what I’m reading? Would you believe I just happen to have a stack of YA nonfiction sitting next to me right now that I’ve been dying to tell you about? You asked for it…

Gail Jarrow’s “White House Secrets: Medical Lies and Cover-Ups” will have you clutching your red, white, and blue pearls. Did you know eight United States presidents have died while in office? Did you know more than a third were gravely ill at some point during their presidencies? Through no fault of your own, you probably didn’t, as many of these health crises were kept hidden from the American people. But this book pulls back the curtain.

With chapter titles like “Doomed by Dirty Fingers,” “The Hidden Diagnosis,” “The Vanishing President,” “An Image Manipulated,” and more, Jarrow takes us to the concealed bedsides of these ailing leaders. Here’s a tiny taste: President James Garfield was shot by a would-be assassin, but science says it wasn’t actually the bullet that killed him. So, what did? I’m not going to tell you (but this book will)! If you like blood, guts, and uncovering a cover-up as much as I do, you may want to check this one out.

“A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, a Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out” by Nicholas Day is a book about history’s deadliest volcanic eruption. It’s also a book about Mary Shelley and the birth of her novel “Frankenstein.” Don’t see the connection? “A World Without Summer” will show you.

The year was 1815, and in a burst of pyroclastic flow, Mount Tambora in Indonesia erupted, triggering a disruption of the world’s climate that would last for years to come. Against the backdrop of an invisible veil of global atmospheric shock, the brilliant Mary Shelley would experience a summer like no one had ever seen. A summer where rain and thunder seemed never-ending. She would be challenged in a contest to write a horror story…

Agh! I wouldn’t have guessed a book about weather would be impossible to put down, but this one is. You will walk away with a better understanding of the far-reaching and enduring effects of climate shock, and an incredible story to tell at the dinner table.

Fame is a bee.

It has a song—

It has a sting—

Ah, too, it has a wing.

Emily Dickinson

Thus begins Barb Rosenstock’s “American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad That Haunted a Nation.” In Spring of 1848, young sisters Maggie and Kate Fox discover they can communicate with the dead. What follows is a meteoric rise to fame and fortune as the sisters seem to activate a nation-wide obsession with the occult. So-called “mediums” pop up around the country, séances become commonplace, and young women, many of whom had been pushed to the edges of society, suddenly find themselves elevated to positions of power and influence.

But were these “spiritual” encounters a hoax? Were the Fox sisters really able to transcend the boundaries between life and death? Answers will be provided, but of course, not in this article. I am being told by the twin ghosts of Albert and Alfred Smiley that you will have to read this book to find out.

Teens, I hope these nonfiction books, which feature a mix of horror, spirits, and science, will be ones you read and then want to talk about. I promise my ears work much better in person.

Kristina Naftzger is a Youth Services librarian at A.K. Smiley Public Library who loves reading books about fascinating historical things that she can use to sound clever around the dinner table (but will probably forget in a week). She is happy to now have an article to refer back to!