November 28th is Red Planet Day! 

Let’s celebrate our most explored and fourth planet in our solar system, Mars. NASA currently has two rovers, one helicopter, and one lander exploring it. Maybe someday astronauts (and perhaps even you!) will visit Mars. Visit NASA’s website on Mars and Deep Space exploration from the Moon to Mars here for more information from real astronauts. 

Check out these great books and take your own special trip to the Red Planet:

Also available in Wonderbook format (illustrated by Matt Godfrey and Findaway World, LLC.

The Story of a Mars Rover the English title is also available to request from libraries outside of Worcester. 

Available to request from libraries outside of Worcester. 

The Spanish title, Ratonauta: basado en una historia (parcialmente) real (translated by Alexis Romay) and the sequel to Mousetronaut, Mousetronaut Goes to Mars are also available.

Also available to request in Wonderbook format (narrated by Polly Adams and Findaway World, LLC

Available to request from libraries outside of Worcester.

-Rebecca

If you are in Worcester there is probably a walking trail near you. Did you know one even has a very small waterfall? Click here for a list of Worcester's urban hiking locations and enjoy the fall leaves and beautiful scenery all around you. 

Here are some great titles to get you ready to enjoy the great outdoors:

This title is available to request from libraries outside of Worcester.

The Spanish title Este alce es mío is also available.

This title is available to request from libraries outside of Worcester.

-Rebecca

Diwali (Festival of Lights) is a special holiday celebrated by many cultures around the world. Families gather together and light candles and clay lamps (diyas) and this year it is on October 24th.

Learn more about Diwali with these kids books:

-Kat

The Worcester Public Library will host entomologist (a person who studies insects) Professor Bugman on Friday, October 28 at 4:00 PM at the Main Library in the Pappas Children’s Center. View and learn about insects and bones up-close from animals native to New England. You will also have the opportunity to handle insects such as the Madagascar hissing cockroach and the armored darkling beetle…if you dare! 

The program is for ages 3-11 and you may register here: 

In the meantime, if you want to read some factual or just plain fun books about bones and insects I recommend checking out these! 

Little Kids First Nature Guide Bugs by Alli Brydon

Recommended ages 4-8 

Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons written by Sara Levine and illustrated by T.S. Spookytooth

Recommended ages 5-10

Time to Shine Celebrating the World’s Iridescent Animals written by Karen Jameson and illustrated by Dave Murray

Recommended ages 3-6

A Good Place by Lucy Cousins

Recommended ages 3-7

Book of Bones 10 Record-Breaking Animals written by Gabrielle Balkan and illustrated by Sam Brewster

Recommended ages 2-6

I Love Insects by Lizzy Rockwell

Recommended ages 4-8

One Million Insects by Isabel Thomas and illustrated by Lou Baker Smith

 Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! (September 15-October 15)

"Reading is all about windows and mirrors! Just as it is so important to see ourselves in the stories we read, books allow us to get glimpses of life through windows into the way others live. 

Exploring cultures, religions, and ways of life that differ from our own is a phenomenal and important way to foster empathy and combat bias" Lauren Bercuson (Happily Ever Elephants).

By Juana Martinez-Neal

Also available in Spanish, Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre, Wonderbook, and eBook 

By Hilda Eunice Burgos and illustrated by Gaby D’Alessandro

By Isabel Quniero and illustrated by Zeke Peña

Also available in Spanish, Mi papi tiene una moto, DVD, and eBook

By Terry Catasús Jennings and illustrated by Raúl Colón

By Laurenne Sala and illustrated by Zara González Hoang

By David Bowles and illustrated by Erika Meza

By Sili Recio and illustrated by Brianna McCarthy

By Nomar Perez

By Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson

By Yuyi Morales

Also available in Spanish, Soñadores, and DVD format.

By Tracey Kyle and illustrated by Mirelle Ortega

By Margarita Engle and illustrated by Rafael López

Also available in eBook, and eAudiobook formats

By Lucky Diaz and illustrated by Micah Player

By Margarita Engle and illustrated by Mike Curato

By Carmen Tafolla and illustrated by Magaly Morales

Also available in eBook format.

By Roseanne Greenfield Thong and illustrated by John Parra

This book is coming soon to Worcester.

By Samantha R. Vamos and illustratted by Sebastiá Serra

By Meg Medina and illustrated by Angela Dominguez

Also available in Spanish, Mango, Abuela, y yo, and Wonderbook format.

By Yamile Saied Méndez and illustrated by Jaime Kim

By Emma Otheguy and illustrated by Ana Ramirez González

-Iris

As Fast As Words Could Fly is about a kid named Mason and his brothers who are going through something called racism. One day Mason is picked out for a typewriter contest and he won. This story teaches kids that even if you look different from someone else it does not matter. It's what is on the inside that counts.

Available to request from libraries outside of Worcester.

-Wellin, 9

I liked this book. It was about Geronimo Stilton and his quest to save Queen Blossom by finding the Whispering Wand, the Book of a Thousand Spells, and the Crystal Sphere. My favorite part was when the Invisible Cloak flew Geronimo all around the Kingdom of Fantasy. I also liked that it had the crow in it because he had a treasure chest. I also really liked Queen Blossom, and the invisible spiders and the dragons.

-Cooper, 4

We love this picture book about Jane Goodall! The pictures are beautiful and the story it tells about Jane's childhood is so heartwarming. We especially love the idea of Jane and her stuffed Chimpanzee (Jubilee) sneaking into the chicken coop to observe where eggs come from!

-Linnea, 2

This book is a really good book because it has a lot of adventure in it, it is a graphic novel, and it is unlike any other book I have read with its fascinating characters.

-Emanuelly, 10

This book has a different kind of artwork illustration that makes you see the story a different way than most books. Very cool.

-Cameron, 5.5

Sharks are an unusual type of fish. Even though they are fish they behave differently. Sharks are the biggest predator that is alive today. 

Sharks have a sixth sense called electroreception. Electroreception allows sharks to sense the small electricity given off by all animals. 

Sharks have bodies built for the terrain. On top of their skin they have dermal denticles rather than scales. Denticles are rough like sandpaper which lets sharks move trough the water much faster. Sharks are mostly made of cartilage than bones. Cartilage is a tissue that is flexible so it helps the sharks to bend their bodies. 

Nurse sharks are the only sharks kept in captivity. They eat lobsters and other shellfish and use their mouth as a vacuum. Goblin sharks swim 4300 feet below the surface and were first seen in Japan. Goblin sharks are an ambush predator and eat squid and other deep sea fish. 

The great white shark has an 18 inches radius of its mouth. They are in every ocean in the world, can grow up to 20 feet long, and can swim down to 3000 feet below the surface. 

For more information about sharks read this book.

-Sian, 8.5