May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! To celebrate, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite books from Asian American and Pacific Islander authors for kids, teens, and adults, showcasing a wealth of stories and experiences. Read on for our picks.
Improv at the Library!
The public library might not be the first place people think of when they hear the words ‘improv comedy’. However, in Henrico County, that is exactly where folks can go to learn more about improv, and even give it a try! Improv programs have been happening at Libbie Mill Library since it opened in 2015, but recently, these programs have made the shift to an online environment. Until the end of the summer, middle and high school-age teens can join monthly virtual programs dedicated to easy improv gameplay with their peers.
Love Against the Odds
Romeo and Juliet. Heloise and Abelard. Anna Karenina and Vronsky. Some of the most stirring romances in history and fiction walk the tightrope between tradition and modernity, duty and passion, family and society, self and other. These fantastic romances ask the question: can you be remain connected to your family AND follow your heart? Keep reading to find your next romantic read.
Gardening for Well-Being
Spring is here, which for many people means gardening! Gardening offers benefits not only for people and communities but for the earth, animals, and insects, too. Gardening can mean much more than just reaping a harvest; it can provide health and well-being for everyone and everything involved! Explore the following titles to learn more about the positive impacts of gardening.
International Cookbooks to Refresh Your Table
The arrival of spring brings a refreshing feeling of renewal, inspiring more than just a traditional spring cleaning. With new warmth and new life blooming outside, invite new and exciting dishes into your home during mealtimes with some of our favorite international cookbooks.
Create Your Own Costumes!
Bridgerton made quite a splash this winter with its colorful interpretations of Regency dress! Costuming and cosplay, inspired by books, television shows, movies, or even a fantastic podcast, are fun ways to enjoy your favorite media, interact with other fans, and exercise your creativity. We’ve pulled together a list of some of our favorite resources to help you create the costume of your dreams.
Listen, Learn, and Limber Up
Picture books are more than colorful images paired with words. Great picture books insist that the reader and the listener actively play and talk. Learning is made dynamic when you add dancing, imagination, and verbal responses. Movement makes literacy fun!
Espionage Old & New
People are fascinated spy fiction and non-fiction for many reasons. Some are taken with the notion that there are comprehensible, coordinated plots that affect world events. Others enjoy learning about how mixed motivations, conflicting interests, and human error conspire to produce outcomes no one could predict. Still others like the spy tale as a container for a study of human personalities and morality. Here are some riveting spy novels for every reader.
Audiobooks for Tweens
One of our favorite ways to experience books is to listen to them. Audiobooks allow a full, immersive experience with different voices for characters, multiple narrators, sound effects, the works! You can customize listening speed, listen on the go, and find narrators you enjoy, who inspire you to keep listening. Some wonderful audiobooks happen to be for the tween crowd. These audiobooks are targeted at ages 8-12 and include adventure, fantasy, ghost stories and more. Read on for our picks – all of which are available through our digital collections for easy streaming.