Presenting the winners of The Massachusetts Children's Book Award of 2021!  Here are the stars of the show! Winner: Front Desk by Kelly Yang Mia, a ten-year-old immigrant from China, loves being in charge of the front desk at the motel that her parents manage. There is so much to do! Mia has an incredibly warm personality and works hard to make sure the people who come to stay at the motel are happy. However, for Mia, it is not easy being only one of two Chinese kids in her whole school or seeing how her parents struggle with making enough money to stay in the United States. One thing is for sure though: Mia will not give up! *Also available in Large Print , eAudio , and eBook formats. Front Desk is the first in a series. Check out Three Keys also by Kelly Yang and continue Mia's story! Honor books:  Guts by Raina Telgemeier Raina Telgemeier, the author of the beloved graphic novels  Smile and Sisters is back with a brand new story based on her childhood. What do you...

Early Readers series: written for kids who are just learning to read Meet Yasmin! (Yasmin #1) written by Saadia Faruqi and illustrated by Hatem Aly Second-grader Yasmin lives with her baba (father), mama (mother), nana (grandfather), and nani (grandmother). She has a giant imagination and is always ready to put her ideas into action!  Also includes special features at the back of the book like questions to think and talk about, recipes, crafts, and learning about Pakistan and words in Urdu. For readers who are comfortable reading longer passages or reading with a caregiver or older child.  Also available in eBook . I Am a Super Girl! (Princess Truly #1) written by Kelly Greenawalt and illustrated by Amariah Rauscher  Curl power! Come along on Princess Truly's wonderful adventures including: being a superhero, traveling, and building something cool. Includes questions to get kids thinking about their lives and even instructions on how to draw Princess Truly!  One t...

Everyone deserves to live in a safe place. It’s important for EVERYONE to be treated with fairness, respect, and dignity when looking for a place to live. The New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center has written a book called The Fair Housing Five & The Haunted House . Be sure to check out their website to learn more about the book and to help answer any questions you or your family might have about receiving access to fair housing.  For more information about fair housing, discrimination, disabilities, and poverty, check out the list of books below which are all available at WPL: Poverty and Hunger written by Louise Spilsbury and illustrated by Hanane Kai Sometimes we hear words in the news and it’s hard to understand what they mean and how they affect us. Using beautiful artwork and clear explanations, Poverty and Hunger answers our questions and offers reassurance for our concerns about these issues. On Our Street: Our First Talk About Poverty  written by Dr. Jillian ...

The Worcester Public Library will host Magician Debbie O’Carroll for the virtual Zoom workshop Make Your Own Magic Tricks! on Tuesday, April 20th at 2:00 PM . Debbie has years of experience performing magic tricks in libraries, schools, and at festivals. During this hour-long workshop Debbie will teach kids how to perform five magic tricks! The workshop is recommended for children ages 7-11. You can find more information on the workshop and register here . If you want to get started early and learn some magic on your own, the WPL has some great books on magic tricks for both beginner and skilled magicians! There are also some cool books showing optical illusions and explaining how and why they trick our brains! Hocus Pocus: Tricks for Amateur Magicians: 4D A Magical Augmented Experience by Norm Barnhart Fooled Ya! How Your Brain Gets Tricked by Optical Illusions, Magicians, Hoaxes & More written by Jordan D. Brown and illustrated by Emily Bornoff Fantastic Optical Illusions b...

Did you know that Earth Day is now 51 years old, celebrated by over one billion people, and is observed in more than 190 countries worldwide?! This year, Earth Day is Thursday, April 22nd. Protecting our planet is a big deal and even kids like you can do their part. You can recycle plastics, plant a tree, try growing a vegetable, or pick up litter in your neighborhood. Of course, even though we focus on giving the Earth some extra love on Earth Day, it is important to take care of our planet every day of the year!  Check out this month's special Earth Day Mosaic Disc  craft in our Take and Make craft video and pick up your kit! In celebration of the upcoming observance, here are some great books about Earth Day and looking after our planet.  Peppa Pig and the Earth Day Adventure by Candlewick Press Recommended for ages 2-5 Go Green for Earth Day written by Lisa Bullard and illustrated by Xiao Xin Recommended for ages 5-8 (If you enjoy Go Green for Earth Day, check out...

The Bear and the Moon  w ritten by Matthew Burgess and illustrated by Cátia Chien One of the best things about working in a library is being surrounded by other people who love books. The Bear and the Moon  is a gorgeous picture book that my colleague, Iris recommended to me and I'm thrilled to share it with you! Have you ever made a mistake? Lost something or someone you loved? Felt alone? Have you ever felt joy as well as sadness? The Bear and the Moon , a tenderly written story of a bear's friendship with a balloon that falls down from the sky, evokes all of these universal emotions and experiences. Bear's life is lit up as he dances and plays with the balloon but when it accidentally bursts, words can't express the pain he feels. Cátia Chien's depiction of the moon steadfastly glowing among velvet swathes of color, is just like being wrapped up in the warmest duvet. The words and art in the story soften the grit and roughness that bear feels and shows us that we...

10-Minute Engineering Projects by Sarah L. Schuette Some of the cool projects you can make with things around the house: -Flying Fish -Balance It! -Rooster Racer Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women   written by Catherine Thimmesh and illustrated by Melissa Sweet Just imagine what it would be like to live without these things: Maria Beasley: improved life raft Anna Connely: fire escape Alice Parker: gas-powered central heating Ruth Wakefield: chocolate chip cookie Marion Donovan: disposable diaper Betty Galloway (a ten year old!): bubble-making toy Thanks to these incredible women from throughout history, we don't have to. Unusual and Awesome Jobs Using Technology: Roller Coaster Designer, Space Robotics Engineer, and More by Linda LeBoutillier Maybe one day, you'll have cool jobs like these: Rock Band Sound Engineer ROV (remotely operated vehicle) Pilot Technician Nature Did It First: Engineering Through Biomimicry  written by Karen Ansberr...