November is officially recognized as Native American Heritage Month. The aim is to provide a platform for Native people in the United States of America to share their culture, traditions, crafts, and ways and concepts of life. It is not only a month to celebrate these cultures, but also to bring awareness to the concerns… Read More
Staff Picks: “1919: The Year That Changed America”
1919 was a big year for the United States of America. The country experienced several earth-shattering events in only twelve months time: The Great Molasses Flood. The Black Sox Scandal. The First Red Scare. Labor Movement Strikes. Suffrage. Red Summer. Prohibition. Each of these events would have been monumental in isolation. In reality, they intersected… Read More
Staff Picks: When Aidan Became a Brother
The gorgeously illustrated picture book, When Aidan Became a Brother, is about understanding and appreciating oneself and making space for others to feel unconditional love and support. “When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl.” He hated the sound of his name and he would “accidentally-on-purpose” rip and stain his clothes. Not everybody… Read More
Staff Picks: Missing Game of Thrones? Try Vikings and The Last Kingdom
With the end of the Game of Thrones television series, there’s a big dragon-shaped hole left in our collective Sunday nights. Luckily, there have been a couple of television series ready to take up the mantle for your viewing parties! Vikings Vikings, the first scripted series from the History Channel, follows the mythical Viking warrior… Read More
Staff Picks: “Arctic Solitaire”
Some photographers will do anything for a great shot. Ask Paul Souders. Over four summers from 2012 to 2015, Souders explored the Hudson Bay region of Canada, hoping to take the perfect picture of a polar bear. He traversed the area by himself in a small C-Dory fishing boat and an inflatable dinghy. Despite dangerous… Read More
Staff Picks: A Heart in a Body in the World
As hard as it may be to believe, 16-year-old Annabelle begins a 2,700-mile cross-country run with zero planning or foresight. She just knows that she needs to start, and she cannot stop until her heart gives her permission. Her life has imploded and running is the only thing that keeps her going. She has so… Read More
Staff Picks: “Educated”
How does someone who grew up with no education end up with a Ph.D. from Cambridge? Tara Westover’s memoir Educated recounts her incredible journey from an isolated life in the mountains of Idaho to a scholar at Harvard and Cambridge. Born to extremely conservative Mormon parents who did not believe in public education (or really… Read More
Staff Picks: “I’m Just No Good At Rhyming”
What happens when Chris Harris, a producer known for his work on the T.V. show How I Met Your Mother, decides to take a stab at writing children’s literature? The answer is a book of poetry that will leave readers of all ages (even self-proclaimed “not poetry people”) laughing out loud. The full title gives… Read More
Staff Picks: “All the Answers”
Long before Jeopardy!, there was Quiz Kids, a trivia program for children that debuted on the radio in the 1940s. One of its stars was Chicago’s Joel Kupperman, who became a regular contestant at age six and charmed listeners with his precocious math skills. He received thousands of fan letters every week and bantered with… Read More
Staff Picks: “The Power”
What would happen if suddenly every woman on the planet had the power to electrocute others with the flick of her fingers? Naomi Alderman takes you on a terrifying ride that digs deep into human nature and how a sudden shift in the power dynamics between men and women can transform society. Set in… Read More
