Creating Access and Building Digital Literacy Awareness

The ways we gather, store and understand information are moving further into digital spaces. It is essential that we are providing access to, and creating the foundational skills necessary for, children to navigate these spaces. The BLAST (Bringing Libraries and Schools Together) team has been working to ensure that access to digital spaces remains equitable within library services.  


The Thirteenth Tale

Vida Winter is a famous author whose stories have captivated her readers for years. A particular collection of her stories with a missing thirteenth tale only intrigues her admirers further. … Continued


My favorite books to read (to children)

The introduction of “chapter books” is an exciting, if sometimes intimidating experience for children. It’s a new format, with more content, and a bigger vocabulary! As a babysitter that relishes … Continued


Reading Grisham

Recently I read my first John Grisham. It was his latest book The Reckoning (DB92511) , which would rank as one of the top books I read last year. I … Continued



Caribbean Fiction

The Caribbean Sea is a relatively small geographic area but is filled with many islands and countries that are very rich in culture and diversity.  Many of these islands have also … Continued



A History of Squirrel Hill

Squirrel Hill is one of Pittsburgh’s most vibrant neighborhoods.  Having lived there many years and because I still enjoy visiting it, I was intrigued to read Squirrel Hill A Neighborhood … Continued


The Lessons of Westover.

At the end of last year Tara Westover’s memoir Educated (DB 90188) had popped up on my radar more than a few times. After half a dozen mentions I finally placed the … Continued


MLK 360: A Children’s Booklist About Dr. King’s Legacy

As a child, I remember studying Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. only from one perspective—the man who had a dream. Without a deep understanding of Dr. King, I lacked the ability to apply some of his profound principles to my life. Years later as an adult, I read his autobiography and was amazed at the depth of his personhood. Out of this amazement, I created a booklist that allows children to understand Dr. King’s life as family member, activist, dreamer, and philosopher.