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Teens, I’m aware that many of you will be heading back to school in the very near future. I’m excited for you! But, I’m also sad. I will miss seeing you at the library when your busy back-to-school lives take over. My first instinct is to encourage you to quit school, reject all of your extracurricular obligations, and free up your schedule for more library visits. Unfortunately, such a suggestion is slightly out of alignment with my professional conscience, so that is NOT my advice to you today. Go to school, everybody!

Before I get to my real (unsolicited) advice for you, allow me a moment to reminisce about this summer. So many of you participated in our 2026 “Plant a Seed, Read!” Summer Reading Program and it was so much fun. You made stuff in our Teen Makers’ Labs, read in our Teen Summer Book Club, played in our Smiley Gamers’ Society Video Game Tournament, created in our Teen Summer Reading Challenge, wrote in our Teen Writers’ Club, earned community service with our Teen Volunteer Summer Squad, and more. We’ve loved having you around!

Here’s my advice: you should keep coming to the library. The library is open year-round! The library is a wonderful place to study! Nothing will get you in the zone better than these 128-year-old walls. Think of all the scholars who have sat at these tables! Brain vapors abound.

We have air conditioning!

We offer free things all the time: books, video games, eBooks, magazines, and more for checkout, access to reliable databases for homework, events, activities, and clubs to get your creative juices flowing, and more. Our goal in life is to support you in meaningful ways that honor your individuality and show off your importance to our library community. We hope that every time you enter, you feel simultaneously energized and valued and inspired.

Is this asking too much from 128-year-old walls? We don’t think so. So, keep coming to the library (AFTER school…no need to quit school, let me reiterate). Check the teens’ page of our website for all of our upcoming events (www.akspl.org/teens) or follow us on Instagram at akspl_teens.

And what is an (unsolicited) advice column from a librarian without a book recommendation? Here goes…

My latest favorite is a Young Adult title that may already be on your radar: “Better Than the Movies,” by Lynn Painter. The book was published in 2021, but it’s consistently checked out so I’m just finally getting my hands on it. If you love rom-coms (like the protagonist of this book), you will fall head over heels for this book. Liz (the aforementioned protagonist) loves love stories. It’s something she inherited from her mom, the biggest rom-com fan of all time. After her mom dies, it’s the one thing that keeps Liz feeling connected—watching all of her mom’s favorite movies feels like a hug…and kind of becomes Liz’s personality.

So imagine twelfth-grade Liz’s excitement when her real life starts morphing into one of the movies she’s so obsessed with. Her fifth-grade crush moves back to town and she’s convinced this is her shot at a happy ending. But she’ll need help from her insufferable neighbor to get the romance rolling. Liz can scheme with the best of them, but will she become the leading lady in the love story she’s always dreamed of?

Of course, I can’t tell you. One, because I haven’t finished the book. And two, because I want you to have yet another reason to come to the library. See you here (after school, of course)!

Kristina Naftzger is a Youth Services librarian at A.K. Smiley Public Library, where she genuinely enjoys being around her patrons.

Summer’s longer days offer an opportunity to make time for activities we often set aside. For me, the extra daylight is an opportunity for one of my favorite hobbies, reading books about art. My interests range from my newest fascination–the subject of color–to learning how to analyze art, and exploring the history of images. Whether you enjoy books on art or simply want to discover some of the newest titles at A.K. Smiley Public Library, I hope these selections encourage you to pick up a book on a topic you love.

Kory Stamper’s True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color – from Azure to Zinc Pink, explores how the color definitions in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary came to be. Stamper introduces scientist I.H. Godlove who helped revise the dictionary, and with the assistance of his wife Margaret, developed its distinctive color entries. Along the way, Stamper combines humor and engaging storytelling with the history of color science, psychology, and manufacturing in the twentieth century. Readers will also discover fascinating historical tidbits, such as the National Bureau of Standards’ Colorimetry Station, which began developing color-based grading standards for products–including butter and margarine–in 1912. True Color will appeal to readers who enjoy history, language, and the stories behind everyday objects.

From color, we move to the art of looking. In How to Art, Kate Bryan brings comfort to readers who may feel that art appreciation is for experts or for those who studied art. Bryan encourages readers to approach art on their own terms. While there is no correct way to experience, discuss, or enjoy art, Bryan provides practical guidance for anyone unsure where to begin. Apart from viewing art, she also explores a range of topics including how artwork is priced, the different types of museums and galleries, caring for an art collection, and how to write an artist statement. Readers looking for an accessible and engaging introduction to the art world will enjoy How to Art.

Finally, Illustration: A Concise History by Andrew Hall, traces the evolution of illustration from the Industrial Revolution to the post-digital age. Filled with vibrant examples, chapters are organized chronologically and feature the work of influential artists such as French painter and sculptor Honoré Daumier, and Iraqi-British architect and artist Zaha Hadid. Hall also examines 11 commercial genres–including editorial, scientific and medical, and children’s literature illustration. Each feature on the commercial genre provides a brief history, career advice, and profiles of notable illustrators. Those interested in the history of illustration and its current practice will find this well-researched reference work to be an informative and accessible introduction to the field.

Take advantage of the longer days in summer and check out a new book at A.K. Smiley Public Library!

Celina Lozano is a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

There is something about this time of year that makes me want to stay up late and read a scary book with just the moon and stars as company. The quiet, darkness, and being alone is the perfect situation for reading a book that may make you question every noise you hear.

My first selection is “The Place Where They Buried Your Heart,” by Christina Henry. Jessie Campanelli is grounded and her little brother Paul is getting on her last nerve. In an act of sibling irritation, Jessie dares Paul to go inside an abandoned house in their neighborhood for 30 minutes. Paul agrees. This house isn’t like any ordinary abandoned house; this house is hungry and has just been given its next meal. Readers who enjoy older Stephen King novels and small-town horror may want to check out this book.

Speaking of Stephen King, Mr. King wrote the introduction for the next book in my scary summertime selections, which he highly recommends, “I Know a Place,” by Nat Cassidy. Cassidy’s latest novel is actually a collection of 13 short stories. The stories range from a gas station rest stop that is eerily empty, a creepy ventriloquist doll, to a not so silent yoga retreat.

Since I have mentioned Stephen King twice already, I might as well mention the master of horror a third time. “Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King,” written by Caroline Bicks and authorized by King himself, is an exploration of King’s early works of fiction. A fascinating and exploratory read that Stephen King fans will not want to miss.

My spooky summer selections somehow turned into an article about Stephen King. If you are not a fan of Stephen King, A.K. Smiley Public Library has many other horror novels that might keep you up at night.

Shannon Harris is a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library who loves horror.

Within people’s souls I like to imagine there is a concrete path, a sidewalk, where you will find the indentations of little paws, pressed softly but confidently into the promenade. There must be some little gremlins, who could not read a word of English, who ignored all the “WET CONCRETE” signs and strolled right onto the not quite dry cement, leaving permanent reminders that they were once there. As I pass my first Fourth of July without our family dog, a massive boxer named Prince Charming (PC for short), I cherish these glimpses of my dearly departed friends. For PC, his paw prints would lie in a quiet space, away from all the noise, the terror of the loud booms, and screeches. For all my worry I have found three new books here at A.K. Smiley Public Library that walk through the love that we feel for our animal companions and that have been helpful with those complex feelings.

“The Best Dog in the World,” edited by Alice Hoffman, is an anthology by some of the best writers of our time about their canine companions. Written with the utmost reverence for their furry friends, each essay swells with adoration. If one is as sensitive as I am to the peculiarities of animals, then tears are sure to surge. For the soft hearted, fear not, not all stories amount to tragic goodbyes or heartbreak; some are funny; some are adventures; all stories are about a deep love for dogs. The various authors draw a smile, tears, a laugh all sickly and saccharine with affection. Each human-canine relationship is different, each dog their own unique being, yet in reading these stories one finds reverberations of their own furry friends, tales that are not all that different but not quite the same. If you have a dog, have ever had one, or plan to ever have one, I highly recommend this read.

With a similar note about animal companions, “Ulysses S. Cat: and Other Animals I Have Known,” by Scott Simon, chronicles anecdotes of animals and pets throughout his life. These companions are something between family and friends but never just pets. It seems that for every step of his life, an animal has been by Simon’s side to help him navigate the challenges of life, the joys, the pains. Animals aren’t just there in a scene, they’re not just another prop, they are integral to his story, to the lived experiences and memories he holds. Moments that seem like they flew by too fast but still left an impact. From Homer’s Odyssey, to a quiet home in the suburbs, to the chaos ridden streets of Sarajevo in the 90s, pets find their ways into every scene. A touching book about how for many, animals find their ways into our lives often at just the moment when we need them. I would highly recommend it to sensitive souls like myself who weep at the sight of an opossum mother and her joeys merely existing.

Not quite the best dog in the world but another world quite opposite and yet alike can be found in Susannah Fullerton’s “Great Writers and the Cats who Owned Them.” Fullerton writes of charming stories including some of the most impactful literary writers of history and the little moggies that accompanied them. More than just a list of their most impressive accomplishments, Fullerton offers stories of the writers, their journeys and how their little cats followed along the way. Affection for cats is nothing new, and this book makes that clear. Charming art work of the cats and an even more charming picture of all the different cats’ lives as they found their place. This book highlights the true companionship cats can offer through the lens of literary giants and their own personal felines, a great read for any true cat lover!

Perhaps reading some of these new books will remind one of the animal prints they may find within themselves, snakes slithers, rabbit paws, dog tracks, and so much more. This summer spend some time with your pet, if you have one, enjoy their company, and then stay cool by visiting A.K. Smiley Public Library while our furry friends recharge at home!

Ruth Aguilar is a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library who has two cats (read Monarchs) who reign with an iron fist.

Summer is here! It’s our busiest time of the year here in the Young Readers’ Room, with our Summer Reading Program about halfway finished. We have programs and events for children every Tuesday and Thursday, and for teens every Wednesday throughout the summer. There’s still plenty of time to attend and sign up for our Summer Reading Bingo Challenge! Here are a few books on our new shelf that could check off a few of your bingo boxes.

Emily Winfield Martin is one of my favorite modern children’s book creators. Her stories are so whimsical and wonderful, often welcoming animals and elements of nature to bring magic into everyday life. The Wildest Thing is a story about inner peace and solitude, but it’s about community at the same time: the Wild is all at once a character, an environment, and the animal collective that brings Eleanor the space to become herself. It builds so wonderfully as Eleanor discovers the wild inside of her, gaining confidence and community in wild animal friends. It’s not until she’s fully embraced the wildness inside her that she’s able to find peace, relax, and fall asleep.

This Is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color by Rachel Poliquin is exactly that: a field trip! This book feels like you’re walking through a museum about the color orange, and it really did give me a new appreciation for (what used to be) my least favorite color! The illustrations are so rich and focused. You’ll learn everything from the birthplace of the fruit to the three shades of “International Orange,” which is used in the design of space suits. It’s interesting, beautiful, and teaches in a way that does not patronize, allowing children space to become curious.

Have you ever had a stuffed cat that you cherish? Have you ever had a mess in your room that grew so much it ate the stuffed cat that you cherish? If so, you’re absolutely going to relate to Tulip of Tulip’s Mess by Anden Wilder. Mess is like a pet to Tulip, he follows at her ankles and even sleeps at the foot of her bed. He snacks on everything she drops, and becomes hungrier with each bite… Mess grows and grows, but isn’t a problem for Tulip until he gobbles up her stuffed cat! This is a very sweet story about being a messy person and keeping that mess reasonable and maintained. It doesn’t admonish Mess or require Tulip to change her tendencies, only how to understand and address the point at which a mess becomes overwhelming.

Yuki Ainoya’s Sato the Rabbit: Morning Light is absolutely magical. Sato is a boy who becomes a rabbit – no explanation needed, naturally. He appreciates everyday life, goes on adventures, and makes discoveries all on his own in ways that will inspire you to see extraordinary things in sights you’ve never considered extraordinary. This colorful world created by Ainoya is made up of four different volumes, Morning Light being the most recent. This particular volume is a collection of two stories, both of which focus on light and the power it holds. Consider stirring your coffee with a beam of light, or opening a shell to find a sky full of sunset emerging.

These are just a few of my current favorites from the new book shelf that I hope you will also enjoy! We always look forward to hearing about the books that you’ve read to complete your Summer Reading Challenge. You have until Thursday, August 6 to complete your Bingos — happy summer reading!