Many countries in the Middle East, its surrounding countries, and parts of Europe and Asia all celebrate Nowruz, the Persian name for the Iranian New Year. On Friday, March 18th from 3:30-5pm we will be celebrating the holiday here at the Main library with activities and festive fun for all ages. 

To learn more about Nowruz click here. 

In honor of Nowruz we're featuring some great middle grade chapter books in honor of the countries and cultures that celebrate this special day:

Farah loves board games so she can't believe her luck when she is gifted an ancient, totally out-of-this-world board game for her birthday. She and her best friends Essie and Alex only wanted to see what would happen if they followed the instructions to play the game, but suddenly the game shakes with a vengeance and they are sucked inside. What dangers await them and will they ever make it back out of the game alive?

Also available in eBook format.

Ten year old Obayda's entire life changes when her father is injured in an accident and can no longer work. Her father is sad and angry all the time since the accident and she and her family have to move away to live closer to her father's family so that he can get help. One day Obayda and her sister overhear their aunt talking to her mother about how Obayda should pretend to be a boy in order to help her family. In Obayda's new village the boys, unlike the girls, are treated with respect and bring good fortune to their families. But what about Obayda? Will changing into a boy to have new opportunities be worth it if she has to give up all of the things that make her who she has always been?

Also available in eBook and Playaway formats.

Junie has grown up hearing fairy tales about how her family was cursed to have really bad luck and really good luck. When she wakes up one night from a nightmare, she sees that she has grown antler horns on her head. They only last for a short while, but when she learns soon after that her beloved older brother has gone missing from Afghanistan, she knows that the curse has come back to haunt her.  

Read these 15 stories from around the world about girls who are strong and brave. 

Jaden was four years old when his mother gave him away. He is so full of rage that the one person he ever loved in the world had abandoned him and no new family in the whole world will ever make that anger go away. He knows what it's like to be abandoned though so when his adopted parents take him to meet his new baby brother in Kazakhstan he thinks it's because they're not happy with him. But will meeting a kid just like him give him the courage to open up his heart in spite of all the hurt he has felt?

-Cara