Posted in Non-Fiction, picture books

Get ready for Women’s History Month with Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery, by Jane Kurtz/Illustrated by Giselle Potter, (Feb. 2026, Beach Lane Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781665955546

Ages 4-8

This picture book biography of one of the first female paleontologists, Mary Morland, asks thought-provoking questions of the reader. Mary, born “in a time of ribbons and lace”, preferred exploring outside to sitting inside like a “prim little miss”. When her mother died and her father sent her to live with childless friends, she turned to studying and journaling the world around her, ultimately marrying a fellow student of her mentor. Kurtz’s questions ask the reader to put themselves in Morland’s place and think about what they would do in her positions: would they feel sad if their father sent them off to live with friends after losing their mother? Would a scientific-minded child spend their days thinking about clothes, or giggling about being empty-headed? Much of the story centers on Mary being the silent partner, a woman in a man’s world to the point where her own husband didn’t credit her with illustrating his fossil collections, but she never emerges as a shrinking flower or a victim. Mary Morland takes up space in her world, whether helping her husband with his teaching or passing her love of fossils and science to her own children. Potter’s watercolor illustrations have a vintage feel and place the reader in the time frame. Back matter includes an author’s note, additional resources, and sources. A great choice for picture book biographies and STEM/STEAM collections, and an excellent choice for Women’s History Month.

Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery has starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.

 

The Oxford Museum of Natural History has an online exhibition dedicated to Mary Morland. The History of Scientific Women webpage has a profile on Morland, as does the Geological Society of London.

★ “A delightful STEAM biography that spotlights a female scientist who deserves to be better known.” – Kirkus (starred)
 
★ “Wry interrogative narration energizes this engaging portrait.” – Publishers Weekly (starred)
Jane Kurtz was born in Portland, Oregon, but spent most of her childhood in Ethiopia. Jane speaks about being an author at schools and conferences and is the volunteer director of the bilingual book project at Open Hearts Big Dreams . She is the author of many books for children, including The Bone Wars, illustrated by Alexander Vidal; What Do They Do with All that Poo?, illustrated by Allison Black; The Clues Are In the Poo: The Story of Dinosaur Scientist Karen Chin, illustrated by Francisco Riolobos; Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros, illustrated by Claire Messer; Oh Give Me A Home: A Mostly True Story in Verse; and the American Girl book Lanie. To learn more, visit janekurtz.com.
Giselle Potter has illustrated many books, including Once Upon a Fairy Tale House by Mary Lyn Ray, Try It! by Mara Rockliff, All by Himself? by Elana K. Arnold, and Kate and the Beanstalk by Mary Pope Osborne, as well as her own Tell Me What to Dream About, This Is My Dollhouse, and The Year I Didn’t Go to School, about traveling through Italy with her parents’ puppet troupe when she was eight. She lives in Rosendale, New York, with her husband and two daughters. Visit her at GisellePotter.com.
Posted in Uncategorized

Read Black KidLit: Black Hair Can by Sylvia Rodriguez

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Black Hair Can: The Roots of Our Roots, by Sylvia Rodriguez, (Sept. 2025, Charlesbridge Publishing), $17.99, ISBN: 9781623545901

Ages 4-8

Black hair is a symbol of identity and a strong tie to Black culture. Here, Rodriguez observes the history of Black hair: a connection to history and a way to honor ancestors; a sign of social status; “a symbol of power, pride, and freedom”. Beautiful and bold digital illustrated spreads feature faces from the African diaspora, sporting hairstyles including dreadlocks, Bantu knots, Fulani braids, and natural Afros. A haunting spread shows a group of enslaved Africans, their hair shorn, the passage reading, “Black hair can be individual and still taken away”. Rodriguez closes with a description of the Crown Act, a campaign to keep women safe from discrimination over their hair’s style or texture. Back matter includes information about the Crown Act and more detail about each of the featured hairstyles. A moving and strong choice for collections.

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Who’s Ready for Summer Scares 2026?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I know we’re all getting our paleontological/archaeological books ready for Summer Reading (if you’re part of CSLP, that is), but don’t forget about Summer Scares!

If you have readers who like life on the spooky side, Summer Scares is for them (and you, if you enjoy that sort of thing. I do). This year’s picks are phenomenal:

For the grown-ups:

A Botanical Daughter, by Noah Medlock (Titan, 2024)

Never Whistle at Night, ed. Shane Hawk & Theodore C. Van Alst (Vintage, 2023)

Maeve Fly, by CJ Leede (Tor Nightfire, 2023)

For the teens:

What We Harvest, by Ann Fraistat (Delacorte Press, 2022)

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces, by Linda Cheng (Roaring Brook Press, 2023)

Our Shadows Have Claws, ed. Yamile Saied Méndez & Amparo Ortiz (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022)

For the tweens:

Garlic and the Vampire, by Bree Paulsen (Harper, 2021)

It Came from the Trees, by Ally Russell (Delacorte Press, 2023)

This Appearing House, by Ally Malinenko (Harper, 2022)

The guide will be up on the site by March 1, and there will be a series of free webinars with featured authors speaking with committee members throughout March. Who’s excited?

I was considering adding a “Summer Spookies” element for the littles, just so they’re not feeling left out. What do you think? Here are the books I was thinking of:

Poesy the Monster Slayer, by Cory Doctorow/Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller (First Second, 2020)

Take a Breath, Big Red Monster!, by Ed Emberley (LB Kids, 2025)

How I Met My Monster, by Amanda Noll/Illustrated by Howard McWilliam (Flashlight Press, 2019)

What are some of your Summer Scare suggestions? Let’s create virtual displays together!

Posted in Librarianing, programs

#SaturdayLibrarian: The Eternal Dilemma

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

My library is a pretty busy urban library in a bustling neighborhood, but Saturdays carry a different vibe. Folks dribble in throughout the day, but no one wants any kind of organized programming, as witnessed by my constantly shifting programming times that usually come up empty. When we didn’t have Saturday programming on the calendar, folks complained. What’s a #SaturdayLibrarian to do?

The answer: PASSIVE PROGRAMS. We’re normally a much smaller staff on Saturdays than our weekdays, so programming had to be easy and low-stress. One of the children’s librarians and I worked out some ideas that were reasonable and easy.

First, we went for the easy one: the educational toys area. We’d open that up for the first couple of hours of the day, when the moms bring the babies and toddlers in. We can keep an eye on the littles, but really, it’s the moms (and dads) engaging with the kids. We can wander over, talk with the caregivers, engage with the littles, and offer some literacy tips along the way. Boom, one Saturday program down.

Next up, the games and puzzles. We don’t like to put out a lot at once; we have one librarian to keep an eye on the whole room for the whole day. The answer: we rotate out puzzles and easy games (matching games, block puzzles, Mr. Potato Head) for earlier in the day, when the littles are in. After lunch, we put out a handful of board games and change up the puzzles to include a couple of more challenging ones. Enough to engage the older kids, but not so many that we lose control of what’s out in the library and, as a result, ends up lost or broken.

Third, the crafts. The kids here love arts and crafts, so we have a “Craft and Carry” weekly program that is, essentially, a grab-and-go craft that they can do either here in the library or bring home. It doesn’t have to be a staff-led program, since we’re short of staff, but still allows us the ability to engage with the patrons and help anyone having trouble. Having my Cricut has been a big help here; I’m able to cut projects out all week long, bag them up, and hand them out on Saturdays.

The result? Three Saturday programs that people are showing up for, are very happy with, and that don’t give me any more gray hair than I’m already getting. Saturdays have gone from stressful to fun again!

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

Just in Case celebrates the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, by Megan Clendenan/Illustrated by Britany Cicchese, (Oct. 2025, Charlesbridge Publishing), $17.99, ISBN: 9781623544805

Ages 5-8

Located deep in a Norwegian mountain is the key to protecting the planet’s resources: the Svalbard Seed Vault. Just in Case tells the story of the Svalbard vault using clear and easy-to-understand language; Clendenan infuses her straightforward narrative with beautiful language, pairing with Cicchese’s digital landscapes to inspire awe: “Steel doors open and beckon into the belly of a mountain. Inside the air is as cold as the Arctic outside. Walls of ice shine like stars”. Clendenan and Cicchese show people from all over the world coming together to farm, plant, and eat together, thus creating a respect for nature and what the planet provides. Callouts throughout the book provide further context the importance of seeds and the vault’s creation. Frequent use of the phrase, “Just in case”, resonates with readers of all ages who hear – and say – the same phrase for everything from bringing an umbrella on a cloudy day to carrying a purse-sized first aid kit. It’s a phrase that speaks of importance, the need to be prepared, and creates a bridge of understanding. Back matter includes information on the need for seed safety, an author’s note, a bibliography and further resources. If you haven’t purchased this for your shelves yet, please do it now.

With Spring coming, this is the perfect time to discuss Just in Case: the Svalbard Vault’s anniversary is February 26th; Earth Day is April 22nd, and World Food Day is October 16th. If your library has a seed library, display the book with your library’s “seed vault” and encourage folks to add their seeds to the library’s collection. Find Seed Libaries at the Seed Library Network website.

Just in Case has starred reviews from School Library Journal, The Horn Book, and was a Shelf Awareness pick. It is also a 2026 Orbis Pictus Award Winner and is part of the 2026 Children’s Book Council Outstanding Science Trade Books and Children’s Book Council Best STEM Books.

 

Megan Clendenan studied sociology, English, and environmental planning and has worked for nonprofit organizations focused on environmental law, women’s empowerment, mental health, and urban food security. As a children’s book author, she loves writing nonfiction that explores the connections between history, society, and the environment. She is the author of Design Like Nature: Biomimicry for a Healthy Planet, Fresh Air, Clean Water: Our Right to a Healthy Environment, and Cities: How Humans Live Together. She lives near Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family and two fuzzy orange cats. This is her first picture book. To learn more, visit meganclendenan.com. Follow her on Instagram at @meganclendenan.

Brittany Cicchese enjoys capturing emotion above all else, from expressive portraits to moody illustrations. She is the illustrator of The Kitten Story: A Mostly True Tale and No More Señora Mimí. When Brittany isn’t sketching or writing, you can find her working at the library, reading a good fantasy or sci-fi book, or hiking around the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Brittany lives in Denver, Colorado. To learn more, visit www.brittanycicchese.com. Visit her Instagram at @cicchese.art.
Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

A drowsy bedtime adventure: You and I Are Stars and Night

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

You and I Are Stars and Night, by Kate Hosford/Illustrated by Richard Jones, (Feb. 2026, Beach Lane Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781665940382

Ages 3-7

A mother and child go on a playful and loving adventure in this rhyming tale beginning at bath time, where the two set sail on a magical journey with picnics at the shore, playtime with mer-children, and a fantastic flight over a mountain. Rhyming text emphasizes the warm relationship between caregiver and child, each a part that completes the other: “Dive into the ocean spray / and watch the baby mermaids play. / The tides will pull us to and fro. / You and I are ebb and flow”. The adventure concludes as the two return home, curl up with a good bedtime story, and fall asleep. Acrylic and watercolor paintings add a soft, dreamlike quality to the gentle rhyming tale to usher listeners to sleep. A solid addition to bedtime story collections and a great choice for pajama storytimes and bedtime reading.

 

Posted in Intermediate, picture books

Rise, Girl, Rise: A Call to Young Women

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Rise, Girl, Rise: Our Sister-Friend Journey. Together for All, by Gloria Steinem & Leymah Gbowee/Illustrated by Kah Yangni, (Feb. 2026, Orchard Books), $19.99, ISBN: 9781338888942

Ages 4-8

“We come to this place from worlds apart…”: Two women raised on different sides of the world come together to tell their stories as young women and what brought them together to work on behalf of women all over the world. Steinem muses on her childhood as an antique dealer’s daughter, traveling the country in the trailer that served as her home; as she grew, she saw more and more injustices faced by women and people of color. Gbowee recalls her peaceful childhood in Liberia until war broke out in 1989, when she saw the injustices foisted upon women and children in particular. When Steinem and Gbowee meet and become “sister-friends”, they become “WE”: united, “Sister-speakers. Sister-preachers”, joined in their crusade for equality and human rights. Steinem and Gbowee’s words inspire and rally readers; Yangni’s mixed media and digital illustrations are bold and colorful with texture and life. An excellent choice for collections, and an inspired choice for Women’s History Month displays. Back matter includes authors’ notes. Find activity sheets here.

 

 

Gloria Steinem is a political activist, feminist organizer, and the author of many acclaimed books, including the national bestseller Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem. She is a contributor to the classic children’s book Free to Be You and Me, which became a children’s entertainment project, conceived, created, and executive-produced by actress and author Marlo Thomas, produced in collaboration with the Ms. Foundation for Women, and the Free to Be Foundation, both cofounded by Ms. Steinem, and most recently illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds.

Ms. Steinem is also the cofounder of the National Women’s Political Caucus and the Women’s Media Center. In keeping with her deep commitment to establishing equality throughout the world, Ms. Steinem helped found Equality Now, Donor Direct Action, and Direct Impact Africa. To learn more, visit gloriasteinem.com.

Nobel Peace laureate Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist, social worker, and women’s rights advocate. She is Founder and President of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, based in Monrovia. As a writer, Ms. Gbowee is the author of the inspirational memoir Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War, and author of the children’s book A Community of Sisters, illustrated by Coleen Baik. Ms. Gbowee is perhaps best known for leading a nonviolent movement that brought together Christian and Muslim women to play a pivotal role in ending Liberia’s devastating, fourteen-year civil war in 2003.

Kah Yangni is the illustrator of Not He or She, I’m Me by A. M. Wild, a 2024 Stonewall Book Award Honor Book and the illustrator of The Making of Butterflies by Zora Neale Hurston and Ibram X. Kendi. Their art has been covered by NBC News, Ebony Magazine, Mic, and them, and their poster work is in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Free Library of Philadelphia. Kah lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Posted in Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Middle Grade

A new hero shall rise… Zicky!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Zicky: Wrath of the Rat King, by Darin S. Cape/Illustrated by Zeno Decrux & Hiorsh Gabotto, (March 2026, SHP Comics), $18.99, ISBN: 9798992749939

Ages 7-10

Zicky – short for Zackary – is a 4-year-old who goes adventuring in his dreams, powered by his magic ring that turns into a pacifier during his waking hours. His older brother and sister tease him; his father and mother nurture him and encourage his storytelling. What no one realizes is Zicky’s magical world is real, and the Rat King of his dream world is working on a plan to infiltrate Zicky’s world, accompanied by his army of rats and his mysterious overlord who has plans of his own. A fun intermediate and middle grade story paired, this adventure incorporates Isekai manga with Western storytelling and showcases fun and dynamic illustration with a fun protagonist and supporting cast. There are some true moments of brilliance in the illustration, as when Zicky exits his dream world by falling into his bed, transforming back into Zackary. There are wonderful moments where readers catch denizens of the dream world in the everyday world, investing readers in both spaces. Fantasy readers will enjoy the otherworldly story; intermediate readers will appreciate the protagonist struggling with being a “big kid” who’s teased by his older siblings. A nice additional purchase for graphic novel collections.

 

Posted in Fiction, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Tween Reads

Welcome to the Galactic Peacekeepers Society!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Ami and the Galactic Peacekeepers: Book One, by Frances Lee, (Feb. 2026, Levine Querido), $15.99, ISBN: 9781646145799

Ages 8-12

Welcome to the Galactic Peacekeepers! This first book in a new sci-fi trilogy for middle grade introduces readers to a trio of Galactic Peacekeepers: Ami, a human girl trying to get back to her mother and dog on Earth, and her friends Sumo, a sensitive alien who resembles a giant bunny, and Rosa, a slightly caustic, sharklike alien. Together with an AI called M.O.M., the Peacekeepers travel throughout the galaxy helping their galactic neighbors: delivering birthday gift s (and teaching lessons about gratitude), escorting the planet Saturn to a shooting star show, helping displaced aliens; that sort of thing. Ami also acts as a go-between for Sumo and Rosa, who need help regulating their emotions and behavior from time to time. At the heart of Ami’s story, though, is a desire to get back home; to do that, she needs to learn which galaxy houses Earth, so she can find a way there. Ami is protective, caring and defending both of her friends and anyone else who needs her help. Lee’s illustration is bright, bold, and eye-catching, with loads of adorable new aliens to discover. Endpapers feature The Galactic News, a newspaper reporting on stories that give readers some extra context on Ami’s universe. A fun first entry; graphic novel fans will enjoy this one.

 

Posted in Uncategorized, Middle School, History, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

A powerful history of the Armenian genocide: Armaveni by Nadine Takvorian

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Armaveni: A Graphic Novel of the Armenian Genocide, by Nadine Takvorian, (March 2026, Levine Querido), $18.99, ISBN: 9781646146536

Ages 12-18

Nadine Takvorian’s semi-autobiographical graphic novel, Armaveni, is a powerful story of the Armenian genocide of 1915 and its reverberations to this day. High schooler Nadine wants to know more about her family’s Armenian and Turkish history, but it’s too painful a subject for her parents, whose families were directly affected, to talk about. When her parents finally decide it’s time to tell their families’ stories, Nadine and her brother, Sayat, want to know more. They join a church group visit to Armenia and book a side trip to visit family in Istanbul, where they learn the true horror of the genocide. Fundamentally changed, Nadine returns home and confronts her teacher’s prejudice. Takvorian tells her family’s story in a strong voice that moves between history and contemporary – the novel is set in 2001 – to give readers a full historical document. The mythical phoenix is a symbol running through the story that describes for both Nadine’s awakening to herself as an Armenian-American with a full understanding of her history and the history of the Armenian people. As put by Nadine herself, “Armenians exist.Welcome home.” Back matter includes photos, an author’s note, a glossary, and resources for further reading. Armaveni deserves a place on graphic novel memoirs including Persepolis, Maus, and March. A recommended first purchase.