What's New

“Gardening is medicine for our spirit, mind, and body. When we grow a garden that is in tune with the elements and the earth’s ebbs and flows, we’re cultivating more than meets the eye.”  Juliet Blankespoor

It’s not too late in the season to start growing your own fresh veggies and herbs! In her latest book, “Raised Bed Gardening,” CaliKim shows you how to build, fill, and plant a raised bed garden. Her detailed instructions, helpful tips, and photos make this book a good choice for new gardeners.

A profusion of gorgeous flowers in bold colors await you inside “The Flower Yard” by Arthur Parkinson. Every bloom within this book, from tulips and hyacinths to sweet peas, dahlias, and sunflowers, were grown in a mass of large containers. This is a wonderful book for armchair gardeners as well as for those looking for fresh inspiration.

“The Healing Garden” by Juliet Blankespoor is your entrance into the world of herbal plants. Juliet assists curious gardeners to learn about choosing, growing, harvesting, drying, and using herbs in medicinal and culinary recipes. Juliet profiles 32 easy-to-grow plants including yarrow, hibiscus, calendula, and bee balm.

“How to Garden When You Rent” by Matthew Pottage encourages gardeners living in temporary dwellings to beautify their outdoor surroundings. Any sized space, be it a balcony or a backyard, can benefit from Matthew’s creative ideas and projects. Before you begin, be sure to check with your landlord first.

 

 

Writers are always looking ahead at what might next impact us as a species. As the world undergoes climate changes, authors have begun to look at what the world may look like to those who survive those events. These three works focus on our world sometime in the near future, dictated by different occurrences of disasters, but connected by one theme: familial ties.

“Milk Teeth” by Helene Bukowski is the story of outsiders clinging to each other in a world that grows hotter every day. Skalde and her mother, Edith, are barely tolerated in their territory, a community of farms that is isolated by a thick fog from the rest of the world. Edith is from outside and as such is seen as an intruder and this distinction extends to Skalde. One day the fog dissipates and an ever-increasing heat replaces it. As conditions worsen and food becomes scarce and paranoia increases, Meisis, a young child, appears seemingly from thin air. Skalde takes Meisis in and faces an ever increasingly hostile community. Exploring family, community, and identity, “Milk Teeth” is a look at what happens when the rest of the world disappears and family is all you have left.

Premee Mohamed tackles generational trauma and climate disaster in her latest work entitled, “The Annual Migration of Clouds.” The survivors of a world, in which climate disasters such as earthquakes and dust storms have wreaked havoc, find themselves facing a new component. Cad, a parasitic fungus, begins to infect what remains of the human population. Able to alter the minds of its victims, Cad is passed genetically, from parent to child. Reid, a child born with Cad, ruminates on her future and the future of her community. She earns a spot in one of the last remaining bastions of modern human society, but is scared of what her leaving will mean for her and for her mother, a carrier of Cad as well. Relying on the kindness of the community, Reid must decide if the unknown is worth it. Hopeful even in the darkest moments, Mohamed’s latest work speaks to the family we carry with us always.

“The High House” by Jessie Greengrass take place during a time when water has overrun the land. The story oscillates between Caro, stepdaughter to Francesca, the owner of the High House, and Sal, the granddaughter of Grandy, its caretaker. Both Caro and Sal see the house as interruption to their everyday lives, but miss the truth of it. The High House is essentially an ark, built and fortified by Francesca, a climate scientist, in order to protect the survivors of the coming climate disaster. When the disaster comes, Sal and Caro are thrown together and must navigate the remains of the world together while caring for those left behind. Greengrass shows us what remains when the rest of the world is washed away.

Even though these books represent some of the worst-case scenarios for our world, each is hopeful that we will make the most out of what is left.

Teens, several months ago, I wrote a ground-breaking mullet-inspired (yes, the hairstyle) article about Young Adult resources at A.K. Smiley Public Library. It was a business up front, party in the back situation, in which I described some academic databases the library offers (the business), followed by a couple thrilling book recommendations (the party).

This month, I am shunning all business and just want to focus on the party, but I’m not sure what kind of haircut metaphor applies. A French braid? No, too stuffy. A flat-top fade? Too disciplined. A comb-over with a pony tail? Yes! That is the most party-ready hairstyle imaginable. Please read on to experience the world’s premier comb-over-with-a-pony-tail inspired article—a.k.a. an absolute party—in which we consider some very cool library resources that await your discovery.

First, let’s talk about drivers’ licenses. Do you want one? Do you need one? Do you dream of getting one? If you are nervous about the written portion of the driver’s test, oh teens, buckle your seatbelts and start here! The Library recently partnered with Driving-Tests.org to provide free unlimited access to the official California driver’s manual, online practice tests for car, motorcycle and commercial driver’s licenses, an exam simulator, and more. Start taking the practice tests when you are 12 and have nothing to fear…you’ll be a pro by your sixteenth birthday!

Teens, of course I am joking. Even if you’re already 16 (or even older), this free resource is sure to help you master the rules of the road so you can tackle your written driver’s test with confidence. Take this resource for a spin from the Teens’ page of the A.K. Smiley Public Library website at www.akspl.org/teens, no login required. And what could feel like a bigger party than being a safe and informed driver? Very comb-over-with-a-pony-tail worthy.

Okay, okay, I hear you. You don’t want this party to end. Well you’re in luck. The Library currently offers another digital resource that you may want to check out immediately. SkillShare is an awesome online platform that provides access to thousands of creative courses, taught by industry experts, on all kinds of topics, ranging from animation to creative writing to graphic design to web development. Usually, access to this resource costs money. This is where the comb-over-with-a-ponytail comes in. Right now, if you use the link from the eDatabases page on the A.K. Smiley Public Library website (www.akspl.org/elibrary/#edatabases), you may activate your prepaid account for three months TOTALLY FREE.

As I mentioned, there are thousands of fun and potentially career-boosting courses to choose from. Here is just a tiny sampling of classes that caught my eye: DJing for Beginners, Pet Portraits, Write Your Own Screenplay, Art Journaling, Social Media Marketing: Top Tips for Growing Your Followers and Going Viral, Indie Filmmaking, Stop Motion for Beginners, and more. If you’ve ever dreamed of producing a stop-motion indie documentary about your surprisingly successful side gig selling still-life portraits of your Chihuahua, this is the resource for you.

Teens, don’t adjust your comb-over-with-a-ponytail just yet. I have one more party to share with you. The Calm Room, produced by the Rosen Teen Health and Wellness team, is pretty much what it sounds like…a virtual place to visit when you need to relax. A puppy play room cam? Yes, they’ve got it. Soothing fireplace sounds? Sure. Peaceful forest walk videos? Of course. Links to mindfulness and meditation apps and support hotlines? Affirmative. Wait, you don’t think this sounds like a party? Teens, please think with your comb-over. Sometimes the only party you need is a quiet one that allows you to re-center and catch your breath. You can access The Calm Room—and all the serenity it has to offer—from www.akspl.org/teens.

There you have it. You may now comb out your comb-over, release your pony tail, and start reveling in these digital resources immediately. And if you’re on Instagram and your parents approve, follow us at akspl_teens for all the late-breaking YA library news and events. We promise to keep the comb-over-with-a-ponytail content coming.

New books are added to the collections of A.K. Smiley Public Library every day. Here’s a random sampling of a few of the new non-fiction books with a glimpse into what is between the book covers.

Exotic butterflies, Belize, wildlife sanctuary, nature, Mayan civilization, ecotourism, living in a rainforest, human connections, a butterfly farm, and the effects of a hurricane and a pandemic. All of these subjects are contained in journalist Diana Marcum’s memoir, “The Fallen Stones: Chasing Butterflies, Discovering Mayan Secrets, and Looking for Hope along the Way.” The author’s vivid descriptions and sense of humor make this a memorable narrative.

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, motivation, inventiveness, determination, discrimination, success, and a Pepsi executive are all topics covered in “Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive.” Richard P. Montañez’s personal journey is quite an inspiring story.

Archaeology, 3 million years, six continents, explorers, ancient cities, secret codes, treasures, tombs, looters, history, and curses. National Geographic’s “Lost Cities, Ancient Tombs: 100 Discoveries that Changed the World” explores these subjects and more in a little over 500 pages with color photographs. This book will undoubtedly evoke curiosity to learn more about some of these histories of the human journey.