Information, tips, and resources to help you get the most out of the Youth Services Department
Your little one can still get in on the holiday even if they start snoozing long before midnight. Celebrate the day with this DIY craft using items you likely have at home. Then ring in the new year at noon (or anytime) by clapping, jumping, cheering, and playing with your new noisemaker craft.
Happy New Year from your friend’s at Lindenhurst Library!
As 2021 comes to end it’s that time of year where everyone starts posting their best of lists and here at the library we want to share our favorites too. Without further ado these are the Youth Services favorite books we read and listened to this year.
Ms. Andrea, Youth Services/Family Engagement Coordinator
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould: When Logan, the adopted daughter of reality television ghosthunters, teams up with Ashley to search for missing teens in Snakebite, Oregon, they find themselves falling for each other as they uncover a hidden evil.
Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale: Dropping out of high school to pursue her Broadway ambitions, a talented performer lands in a directionless job before a visit to the library catapults her into the plotlines of the books she reads.
It’s All Your Fault by Paul Rudnick: Seventeen-year-old Caitlin Singleberry is a proper Christian teenager and member of a family singing group, but today she has been given a truly impossible assignment–keep her cousin Heller Harrigan, Hollywood wild child, out of trouble for the last weekend before her first big movie debuts.
Ms. Charlotte, Teen Librarian
Spy X Family by Tatsuya Endo: Not one to depend on others, Twilight has his work cut out for him procuring both a wife and a child for his mission to infiltrate an elite private school. What he doesn’t know is that the wife he’s chosen is an assassin and the child he’s adopted is a telepath.
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson: Liz Lighty has always done her best to avoid the spotlight in her small, wealthy, and prom-obsessed midwestern high school, after all, her family is black and rather poor, especially since her mother died; instead she has concentrated on her grades and her musical ability in the hopes that it will win her a scholarship but when that scholarship falls through she is forced to turn to her school’s scholarship for prom king and queen, which plunges her into the gauntlet of social media which she hates and leads her to discoveries about her own identity and the value of true friendships.
Ms. Cheryl, Youth Services Librarian
The Berenstain Bears Around the World by Mike Berenstain: The Berenstain Bears travel around the world, from Africa to the Great Wall of China, using their Anywhere-Anyplace Machine.
Danny and the Dinosaur and the New Puppy by Syd Hoff: Danny gets a brand-new puppy, and the dinosaur can’t wait to join in on the fun! What happens when you play fetch with a dinosaur or ask him to roll over?
Pass the Ball, Mo! by David Adler: With the big game coming up, Mo Jackson, the shortest member of the basketball team, is determined to learn how to pass the ball in time to help his team win.
King and Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats by Dorie Hillestad Butler: King’s human, Kayla, has baked some treats for a friend’s new puppy, Thor, but some go missing and it is up to King to find the culprit.
Humphrey’s Really Wheely Racing Day by Betty Birney: When Mandy, one of the students from classroom 26, brings a special hamster-sized racecar to class, it means just one thing–Humphrey is going to be in a hamster race.
Kylie Jean Gymnastics Queen by Marci Peschke: The Summer Olympics inspires Kylie Jean Carter to take gymnastics lessons, but even better than that is making a new friend, Abby, who is deaf, and starting to learn sign language.
The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling: A boy acquires a magical gift that turns everything his lips touch into chocolate.
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein: Twelve-year-old Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of 12 children chosen to stay in the new town library for an overnight of fun, food and games, but in the morning, the kids find all the doors still locked and must work together to solve secret puzzles in order to discover the hidden escape route.
Overboard by Terry Lynn Johnson: Eleven-year-old Travis and twelve-year-old Stacey, separated from their families after being thrown into the ocean off the coast of Washington, battle hypothermia as they struggle to survive. Includes Coast Guard-approved cold-water survival tips.
Jeanna, Youth Services Librarian
Bone Gap By Laura Ruby: Eighteen-year-old Finn, an outsider in his quiet Midwestern town, is the only witness to the abduction of town favorite Roza, but his inability to distinguish between faces makes it difficult for him to help with the investigation, and subjects him to even more ridicule and bullying.
Milo Imagines the World by Matt de La Peña: While Milo and his sister travel to a detention center to visit their incarcerated mother, he observes strangers on the subway and draws what he imagines their lives to be.
Ms. Jessica, Youth Services Librarian
There’s a Monster in Your Book by Tom Fletcher: Encourages the reader to shake, tilt, and wiggle the book to remove the little monster inside, but once it is out, another problem arises.
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone: An 11-year-old boy confronts the realities of race relations, past and present, and the mysterious agenda of his unconventional grandmother during an unplanned spring break road trip through the once-segregated American South.
The Bootlace Magician by Cassie Beasley: Micah Tuttle loves living at the magical Circus Mirandus, but when a dangerous enemy from the past threatens his new home, every magician will have to be ready to fight–including Micah.
Lisa Kropp, Library Director
Pax by Sara Pennypacker: When his father enlists in the military and makes him return his beloved pet fox to the wild, Peter, who has been sent to live with his grandfather hundreds of miles away, embarks on a journey filled with astonishing discoveries in order to be reunited with his fox.
Ms. Rosalia, Teen Librarian
You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen McManus: Deciding to ditch school together, former friends Ivy, Cal and Mateo, in one chance move, find their day turning from dull to deadly when another student is murdered right in front of them.
Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro: Zoey discovers a glowing photo and learns an amazing secret. Injured magical animals come to their backyard barn for help! When a sick baby dragon appears, it’s up to Zoey and Sassafras to figure out what’s wrong. Will they be able to help little Marshmallow before it’s too late?
Something’s Wrong! A Bear, a Hare and Some Underwear by Jory John: Jeff the bear is sure he has forgotten something when he sets out from home, but none of the animals he meets initially inform him that he is only wearing his underwear, until he reaches his friend Anders the hare–who quickly thinks of a way to avoid embarrassing Jeff, by starting a fashion trend.
The holidays are a time of joy, connection, and celebration. Whether you observe Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Hanukkah, the sounds, smells, and symbols of the season are all around. These symbols have a rich cultural history that many of us do not know. So let us deepen our connection by finding out more about these common holiday symbols below.
Christmas
Celebrated all around the world, Christmas is considered a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas Tree is a well known, visually beautiful symbol of Christmas that is said to symbolize the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is credited to the Germans who first brought the whole tree into their homes in the 16th century. They decorated them with candlelight, various fruits, and wooden ornaments. It brought color and light during the winter and helped them celebrate the Feast of Adam & Eve on the 24th of December.
Hanukkah
An eight-day Jewish holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean Revolt. The nine-branched candelabra, the menorah, is lit each night and can often be seen in windows. With the center candle as the “helper” candle, it lights the other 8 candles on the menorah. The candles are lit in order and signify the victory of the Jews over the Syrians in the 2nd century.
Kwanzaa
A week long holiday to honor the African heritage within the African American community. It celebrates family, community, and culture which are represented in the three official colors of Kwanzaa: red, black, and green. The seven candles, mishumaa saba, (3 red, 3 green, and 1 black) are lit in a specific order and represent one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa: Unity, Self-determination, Responsibility, Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith. The black candle, which stands in the center, represents Black people everywhere.
Las Posadas
A 400 year old Mexican tradition, Las Posadas is celebrated for 9 days. There is caroling, praying, feasting, and the breaking of the Piñata. The seven-coned piñata represents the seven deadly sins in the Catholic faith. The stick that breaks the Piñata represents the love it takes to destroy or break through those sins and the candy and treats that pour out symbolize the forgiveness or a new beginning.
Many people are gearing up for some serious holiday cooking with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the numerous holiday parties that are always a must this time of year. Our favorite dishes are cooked to abundance to ensure everyone gets to enjoy each dish. But what do we do when the parties are over, the holidays fade away, and the leftovers pile up? Get creative! Instead of reheating, recreate those favorite dishes into something new and delicious. Here are 10 creative ways to bring life to those leftovers:
