Episode Summary: Children's librarians Olivia Darrell and Christine Freeman talk about MCPL's upcoming 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. It's a fun way to help prepare your child for kindergarten and beyond, all while fostering a love of reading. Registration for this program begins Saturday, March 24, 2018.

Recording Date: February 7, 2018

Hosts: Julia Dina and Lauren Martino

Guests: Olivia Darrell and Christine Freeman. Olivia Darrell is a librarian in our Collection Management department who selects the children's fiction for MCPL. Christine Freeman is our Early Literacy and Children's Services Manager. She also manages the Noyes Library for Young Children.

Featured MCPL Resource: Bookflix, read along with classic video storybooks on this learn-to-read site, which also includes related nonfiction e-books.

What Our Guests Are Reading Or Listening to:

Olivia Darrell: This American Life, an NPR show featuring spoken essays, memoirs, and other non-fiction narratives organized around a theme. No One is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts, and The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell by, well, W. Kamau Bell.

Christine Freeman: The Selection series by Kiera Cass and Sucktown, Alaska by Craig Dirkes.

Books and Other Media Mentioned During this Episode:

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty

Bark George by Jules Feiffer

Families, Families, Families by Suzanne Lang

First Snow by Bomi Park

Get a Hit Mo by David A. Adler

A Hat for Mrs. Goldman by Michelle Edwards

Horn Book: A magazine filled with book reviews and articles of interest to children's librarians. It is used by librarians to select books and other material.

I Got the Rhythm by Connie Schofield-Morrison

In Plain Sight by Richard Jackson

Jarabi Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith

Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn

Looking for Bongo by Eric Velasquez

Malika's Costume by Nadia L Horn

Marta Big & Small by Jen Arena

My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith

Quickest Kid in Clarksville by Pat Zietlow Miller

Star Wars Little Golden Book Collection

School Library Journal: A magazine filled with book reviews and articles of interest to school librarians and children's librarians. It is used by librarians to select books and other material, as well as keep up with developments in the field of children's librarianship.

Thunder Boy Jr by Sherman Alexie

We Sang You Home by Richard Van Camp

MCPL Resources Mentioned During this Episode:

Beanstack: A fun site for logging books and more. MCPL uses Beanstack for many programs, including 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, our Reading Challenge, and our summer read and learn programs.

BookFlix: Read along with classic video storybooks on this learn-to-read site, which also includes related nonfiction e-books.

MCPL's 3rd Annual Reading Challenge

Picture books that include braille

TumbleBooks: An online collection of animated, talking picture books. Includes story books, chapter books, nonfiction, videos, and more. Includes books in French and Spanish.

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Episode Summary: MCPL film fans Fred Akuffo, circulation manager at Long Branch library, and David Watts, circulation manager at Silver Spring library, look at this year's Academy Award contenders, consider past award winners, and share their love for very different kinds of movies.

Recording Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Hosts: Julie Dina and David Payne

Featured MCPL Resource: Enjoy movie night at home with one (or more) of MCPL's thousands of feature film DVDs. From Batman to Bollywood, we've got movies for every film fan. Check out our latest movies and television series today!

What Our Guests Are Reading / Watching: Fred Akuffo: Insecure, an HBO series starring Issa Rae. Newsroom, a behind the scenes look at a fictional cable news program. Deadwood, a Western tv series set in 1870s South Dakota. Fences, in which an African American former baseball player watches others break the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

David Watts: All the King's Men, a 1940s film about a corrupt populist politician. David has also recently read Midnight Line, the latest Jack Reacher thriller by Lee Child and Origin, the new Dan Brown novel.

Movies Mentioned During this Episode:

American Beauty

The Artist

Awakenings

Brian's Song

The Color Purple - The movie is based on a book by Alice Walker.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Darkest Hour

Django Unchained

The Godfather

The Hurricane

Indochine

Justice League

La La Land

The Last Jedi

Malcolm X

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

On the Waterfront

Phantom Thread

The Piano

Pulp Fiction

Rogue One

The Shape of Water

Solo: a Star Wars Story

Star Wars: a New Hope

Suicide Squad

To Kill a Mockingbird

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri

Training Day

John Wick

Actors and Actresses Mentioned During this Episode:

Casey Affleck

Humphrey Bogart

Marlon Brando

Broderick Crawford

Robert De Niro

Bruce Lee

Spike Lee

Daniel Day-Lewis

Frances McDormand

Gary Oldman

Sidney Poitier

Margot Robbie

Michael Shannon

Kevin Spacey

Quentin Tarantino

Denzel Washington

Robin Williams

Other Items of Interest Mentioned During this Episode:

2018 Oscar Nominees

The Academy Awards (Oscars)

Academy Awards for Best Picture winners

AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD

B-Movies - A favorite movie genre of guest Fred Akuffo

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Episode Summary: Romance enthusiasts Carly Beveridge and Michelle Halber share their love for the characters, stories, and increasing diversity of romance books, movies, and TV series.

Recording Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Hosts: Julie Dina and David Payne

Guests: Carly Beveridge, children's librarian at Silver Spring library, and Michelle Halber, also a children's librarian at Silver Spring library.

Featured MCPL Resource: Celebrate Black History Month with MCPL's many inspiring and informative events, books, and other resources.

What Our Guests Are Reading:

Carley Beveridge: Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth and Alex & Eliza by Melissa De La Cruz.

Michelle Halber: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera and Endurance by Scott Kelly.

Authors Mentioned During this Episode:

Kristen Ashley

Jane Austen - Books and movies

Beverly Jenkins

Susanna Kearsley

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Lisa Kleypas

Courtney Milan

Julia Quinn

Lynsay Sands

Kerrelyn Sparks

J.R. Ward

Books, Movies, and TV Shows Mentioned During this Episode:

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

Bridget Jones Diary - The book by Helen Fielding, was made into a movie.

Downton Abbey

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

The Outlander - First book in a series by Diana Gabaldon. The book series has been made into a TV series.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - The book, by Steve Hockensmith, was made into a movie.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - The book is the first of a series. Two movies were made based on the book series.

Stardust - The book, by Neil Gaiman, was made into a movie.

Waiting to Exhale - The book, by Terry McMillan, was made into a movie.

Warm Bodies - The novel, by Isaac Marion, was, yep, made into a movie.

Other Items of Interest:

cloudLibrary - Collection of fiction and non-fiction ebooks available for MCPL customers to borrow.

The Harry Potter Rule - If a series has more than 7 books in it, guest Michelle Halber is not interested.

Fabio - Ubiquitous model for romance novel covers during the 1980s and 1990s.

Overdrive - Collection of fiction and non-fiction e-books, as well as online audiobooks, available for MCPL customers to borrow.

Passionflix - Online collection of movies based on popular romance novels. Alas, not an MCPL resource.

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Episode Summary: Hosts Julie Dina, Lauren Martino, and David Payne talk about New Years resolutions. Are they helpful? What are some strategies for keeping them? How can MCPL help you make a change?

Recording Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Hosts: Julie Dina, Lauren Martino, and David Payne

Featured MCPL Resource: February is Library Lovers Month. The Library Lovers Month Kickoff event will take place at Aspen Hill Library, February 3, 2018 at 11 AM. It will feature an interactive STEM show and a hands-on booth "Bubbling Potions and Explosions" by the Science Guys of Baltimore. Here are some other fun events to help you express your love for libraries.

What Our Hosts Are Reading:

Julie Dina: Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi

Lauren Martino: Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia, whose other well known books include Gone Crazy in Alabama and One Crazy Summer.

David Payne: A Legacy of Spies by John le Carré, who also wrote The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Books and other MCPL Resources Mentioned During this Episode:

Artist Works: Unlimited access to beginning through advanced, self-paced video lessons for instruments, voice and physical art. NOTE: Our subscription to Artist Works does not currently include quizzes.

Broke Millenial: Stop Scraping by and Get Your Financial Life Together by Erin Lowry

Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande, who also wrote Being Mortal

Gale Courses: High-quality, free courses and career training programs offered entirely online.

Getting Things Done by David Allen

Learning Express: Offers online tutorials, practice tests, and e-books to improve job search and workplace skills; reading, writing, math, and basic science comprehension; and career certification, licensure and education testing skills.

Lynda.com: Learn new skills online! Lynda.com offers over 6,000 courses in business, technology, and creative endeavors taught by industry experts.

The 21 Day Financial Fast: Your Path to Financial Peace and Freedom by Michelle Singletary

Other Items of Interest:

Habitica: App mentioned by host Lauren Martino that turns adopting good habits and avoiding bad ones into a game.

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Episode Summary: Librarians Amy Alapati and Dana Alsup discuss MCPL's upcoming comic convention, MoComCon. The event will include a variety of panels, workshops, programs, displays, exhibits, and cosplay, all free of charge.

MoComCon will take place at Silver Spring Library on Saturday, January 27, 2018 (weather date is February 10) from 11 AM - 4 PM. Parking, which is free on Saturdays, is available in the Wayne Avenue Garage at 921 Wayne Avenue.

Recording Date: December 13, 2017

Hosts: Lauren Martino and David Payne

Guests: Amy Alapati, a children's librarian at Damascus Library is a member of the committee organizing MoComCon. Dana Alsup, a librarian at Marilyn Praisner Library, is the chair of this year's MoComCon Committee.

Featured MCPL Resource: Free WiFi is available in all MCPL branches, no special encryption settings, user names, or passwords are required.

What Our Guests Are Reading:

Amy Alapati: The Astounding Broccoli Boy by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Dana Alsup: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, a follow on novel of Fangirl, and Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani

Books Mentioned During this Episode:

Adventures of Polo by Regi Faller

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Boys of Steel by Marc Tyler Nobleman

Bill the Boy Wonder by Marc Tyler Nobleman

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

March trilogy by John Lewis

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales by Nathan Hale

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Saints by Gene Luen Yang

Shaun Tan - Author of children's graphic novels including The Arrival and Tales from Outer Suburbia.

Raina Telgemeier - Children's book author known for her novels Drama and Smile.

Other Items of Interested Mentioned During this Episode:

Cosplay - Costumed roleplaying that involves wearing costumes and accessories to represent a specific character.

Don Sakers - Baltimore/Washington area author and sci fi convention speaker.

Futuremakers - Organization focused on providing training, tools, and materials for makers.

MoComCon - MCPL's comic convention. MoComCon will include a variety of panels, workshops, programs, displays, exhibits, and cosplay, all free of charge.

Amy Pond - Character in the Doctor Who series. She was the first companion to the Doctor in his 11th incarnation.

San Diego Comic Con - The premiere comic convention in the United States.

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Recording Date: December 13, 2017

Hosts: Lauren Martino and David Payne

Episode Summary: Guests JoEllen Sarff and Dianne Whitaker, who both have experience selecting books for MCPL, discuss their picks for the best books of 2017, along with a few titles from other years, because, well, we're librarians. Our book love can't be confined by something so pedestrian as time.

Guests: Librarian JoEllen Sarff, from our Collection Management department, and Wheaton Interim Branch Manager Dianne Whitaker, former head of Collection Management.

Featured MCPL Resource: An MCPL library card is your ticket to new worlds, a new life, a new career, and more. MCPL offers fantastic fiction to fuel your imagination, exercise and nutrition books and DVDs to enhance your health. online training to catapult your career, and so much more. Get your MCPL library card today.

What Our Guests Are Currently Reading:

JoEllen Sarff: The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille and Wonder by R J. Palacio.

Dianne Whitaker: The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy.

Books Mentioned During this Episode:

Adult Fiction:

American War (2017) by Omar El Akkad

Borne (2017) by Jeff VanderMeer

Column of Fire (2017) by Ken Follett. The previous 2 novels set in the fictional city of Kingsbridge are Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

Lincoln in the Bardo (2017) by George Saunders, winner of the 2017 Man Booker Prize

1984 by George Orwell

The Stone Sky (2017) by N.K. Jemisin. This is the third book in the Broken Earth trilogy. The first book is The Fifth Season. The second book is The Obelisk Gate.

Adult Non-Fiction

The Future Is History (2017) by Masha Gessen

Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlenben

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Leonardo da Vinci (2017) by Walter Isaacson

Radium Girls: the Dark Story of America's Shining Women (2017) by Kate Moore

Children's Fiction

After the Fall (2017) by Dan Santat

Amina's Voice (2017) by Hena Khan

Beyond the Bright Sea (2017) by Lauren Wolk

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground (2017) by Rita Williams-Garcia

Dance (2017) by Matthew Van Fleet

The First Rule of Punk (2017) by Celia C Perez

Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson

Pachinko (2017) by Min Jin Lee

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine (2017) by Mark Twain. How can a book written by Mark Twain have a publication year of 2017? Well, it's complicated.

Red and Lulu (2017) by Matt Tavares

The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet (2017) by Carmen Agra Deedy

Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh (2017) by Uma Krishnaswami

Wishtree (2017) by Katherine Applegate

Wolf in the Snow (2017) by Matthew Cordell

Children's Non-Fiction

Harry Potter: a Journey Through the History of Magic (2017) The British Library

Teen Fiction

Long Way Down (2017) by Jason Reynolds

Tool of War (2017) by Paolo Bacigalupi. Tool of War is book three in the Ship Breaker trilogy. The first book is Ship Breaker. The second book is The Drowned Cities.

Other Items of Interest Mentioned During this Episode:

Beanstack: An online service where users can log their reading, write reviews, and get reading recommendations.

Books & Authors: A book discovery tool with read-alikes and suggestions, awards lists, reviews, and reader ratings.

New in Media: Check the left column of our catalog for links to the latest film and television DVD's, as well as adult and children's books on CD, that MCPL has received.

NoveList Plus: Find fiction by series, plot, setting, and read-alikes. Also offers book discussion guides, booktalks, and articles.

On Order Titles: Check the left column of our catalog for links to new books that MCPL has ordered, but have not yet arrived. You can place holds on these incoming books.

Top 4 Checkouts: See the top 4 checkouts for adult fiction and non-fiction, children's fiction and non-fiction, and teen fiction during the last several months.

Read the full transcript

Recording Date: November 29, 2017

Hosts: Julie Dina

Episode Summary: Julie Dina discusses the work of the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County (FOLMC) with FOLMC Executive Director Ari Brooks and Business Manager Lance Salins.

Guests: FOLMC Executive Director Ari Brooks and FOLMC Business Manager Lance Salins

Featured MCPL Resource: Flipster is an online collection of current and back issues of your favorite magazines such as Cooking Light, Ebony, and Sports Illustrated. A different selection of popular magazines is available through our other online magazine service, RBdigital Magazines.

What Our Guests Are Currently Reading:

Ari Brooks: The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu for herself and The Mystery of the Missing Lion by Alexander McCall Smith with her daughter.

Lance Salins: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath for himself and The Warriors series by Erin Hunter with his niece.

Items of Interest Mentioned During this Episode:

FOLMC Bookstores: The FOLMC operates 2 used bookstores. 1 in Rockville and 1 in Silver Spring. The revenues from these bookstores support FOLMC's mission. Here is a description of the items they accept for donations.

"Friends of the Library Sells Rare Copy of Hemingway's Farewell to Arms for $6,000": MyMCMedia news article about the discovery and sale of a copy of Farewell to Arms signed by Ernest Hemingway.

Friends of the Library, Chapters: 17 of MCPL's 21 branches have individual Friends of the Library chapters. The Deaf Culture Digital Library also has a Friends chapter.

Friends of the Library, Montgomery County (FOLMC): An independent nonprofit that provides supplemental funding, programs, materials, and equipment to MCPL.

Library After Dark: An annual gala at which library staff, volunteers, donors, and community leaders are recognized for their contributions to making MCPL a nationally recognized library system.

Montgomery County Library Board: The Library Board makes recommendations to the County Executive on matters affecting the public library system. 23 subcommittees of the Library Board, called Library Advisory Committees (LACs) represent each library branch, the correctional facility, and the accessibility community.

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Recording Date: November 8, 2017

Hosts: Julia Dina and David Payne

Episode Summary: Science fiction fans Beth Chandler, a librarian in our Collection Management division, and Richard McElroy, a Library Desk Assistant at our Silver Spring branch, talk about science fiction: what it is, how it has changed, and what it means.

Guests: Librarian Beth Chandler and Library Desk Assistant Richard McElroy

Featured MCPL Resource: Readers' Café, a virtual meeting place for books and reader. Visit Readers Cafe to find book reviews, recommended reading, book clubs, and more.

What Our Guests Are Currently Reading:

Beth Chandler: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

Richard McElroy: American Pastoral by Philip Roth

Authors, Books, Movies, Television Shows, and Other Items of Interest Mentioned During this Episode:

2001: a Space Odyssey: A film based on Arthur C. Clarke's short story "The Sentinel" about the crew of a spaceship bound for Jupiter along with a self aware computer, HAL, who begins to malfunction.

Lois McMaster Bujold: Science fiction writer known for her Vorkosigan Saga, Chalion, and Sharing Knife series.

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Doctor Who: The time and space traveling adventures of a long lived Timelord and his Terran companions.

Firefly: A science fiction television series about the adventures of the crew of Serenity, who make their living on the fringe of society.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Full Metal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Nalo Hopkinson: Author of numerous science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism books, including Sister Mine, The Chaos, and The New Moon's Arms.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

"The Last Question" (short story) by Isaac Asimov

Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Nnedi Okorafor: Author of Binti, Lagoon, Akata Warrior, and other science fiction and fantasy books.

Ada Palmer: A historian at the University of Chicago and author of the science fiction novels Too Like the Lightning and Seven Surrenders.

Don Sakers: A Maryland science fiction writer and book reviewer for Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine. He is a frequent guest speaker at science fiction conventions. He will be a workshop presenter at MoComCon.

Star Trek: A long standing science fiction world that has spawned numerous television shows, movies, and countless books.

Star Trek: the Animated Series: A cartoon version of the original Star Trek television series, produced for 2 episodes during the 1970s.

Star Wars: Science fiction fantasy tale from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Twilight Zone: A genre mixing science fiction, horror, thriller television show begun in 1959 that often concluded with an unexpected twist.

Jules Verne: 19th century author of several science fiction stories including Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Kurt Vonnegut: Writer best known for his dark, satirical novel Slaughterhouse-Five. His other books featuring science fiction elements include The Sirens of Titan and Timequake.

The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff: A novella by Theodore Sturgeon written from the perspective of alien scientists studying a group of humans.

Other Items of Interest:

MoComCon: MCPL's comic convention, taking place at Silver Spring Library on January 27, 2018.

Read the full transcript

Recording Date: November 7, 2017

Hosts: Lauren Martino and David Payne

Episode Summary: Cooking enthusiasts Dana Alsup, a librarian at Marilyn Praisner Library, and Nalani Devendra, a library associate at Silver Spring Library, discuss the joys and challenges of cooking and how MCPL can make your next meal a delicious one.

Guests: Librarian Dana Alsup and Library Associate Nalani Devendra

Featured MCPL Service: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) resources and events. Our Go! Kits contain books, science tools, a tablet, and more selected to encourage parents/caregivers and children to actively explore the world around them. We have Little Explorer Go! Kits for children ages 3-6 and Young Voyager Go! Kits for children ages 7-12.

What Our Guests Are Currently Reading: Dana Alsup: Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz. Horowitz has also written for the television series Foyles War and Midsomer Murders. Dana also recently read Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson. Nalani Devendra: Future Crimes by Marc Goodman

Books, Magazines, Cooking Shows, and Other Items of Interest Mentioned During this Episode:

641.5: The call number for cookbooks at MCPL.

America's Test Kitchen: A cooking show on WETA. The show has an extensive website that includes an archive of old shows. MCPL has a large collection of America's Test Kitchen cookbooks.

Barefoot Contessa: An American cooking show on the Food Network featuring celebrity chef Ina Garten, who has authored several cookbooks and has an extensive cooking website.

Bon Appetit: This food magazine is available in print at several MCPL branches. It is available online through our RBdigital Magazines service.

The Can't Cook Book: 100+ Recipes for the Absolutely Terrified by Jessica Seinfeld.

Giada De Laurentis: Chef, writer, and television personality. Host of the Food Network's Giada at Home. MCPL owns many of her cookbooks.

Paula Deen: Celebrity chef, restaurant owner, and author. MCPL owns a number of her cookbooks.

First Bite by Bee Wilson: A look at how individual's food habits are formed.

The Forest Feast blog: Erin Gleeson's blog features mostly vegetarian recipes and entertaining ideas.

The Forest Feast: Simple Vegetarian Recipes from My Cabin in the Woods by Erin Gleeson

The Forest Feast Gatherings: Simple Vegetarian Menus for Hosting Friends & Family by Erin Gleeson

The Forest Feast for Kids: Colorful Vegetarian Recipes that Are Simple to Make by Erin Gleeson

The Food Network: Cable and satellite television channel focused on food.

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Other Items of Interest:

Flipster: An online collection of full color magazines that includes the magazines Food & Wine and Cooking Light.

RBdigital Magazines: This online collection of full color magazines includes several cooking magazines such as Bon Appetit, Eating Well, Food Network Magazine, and more.

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Recording Date: October 11, 2017

Hosts:Julie Dina and David Payne

Episode Summary: Children's Library Associate Barbara Shansby talks about why some children, and adults, are reluctant to read and how to foster an appreciation for reading among reluctant readers.

Guest: Children's Library Associate Barbara Shansby

Featured MCPL Service: What Do I Check Out Next? Tell us what you like to read through our What Do I Check Out Next? form. Our librarians will e-mail you 3 -5 personalized book suggestions.

What Our Guest is Currently Reading: Survivors Club: the True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz by Michael Bornstein. The incredible story of Michael Bornstein, who at 4 years old, was one of the youngest people to be liberated from Auschwitz.

Books and Authors Mentioned During this Episode:

Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz: In this thrilling series, 14 year old Alex Rider is coerced into working for British intelligence after his uncle is killed on a mission.

Babymouse by Jennifer and Matthew Holm: An imaginative mouse learns life lessons in this graphic novel series.

Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce: Chronicles the life of Nate Wright as he resists the confinements of middle school.

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey: The humorous books recount the adventures of an unlikely super hero.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney: This series, formatted as a journal, recounts the life of middle schooler Greg and his best friend Rowley.

Dork Diaries by Rachel Russell: Humorous book series written as a diary with lots of drawings and doodles. It chronicles the life of middle schooler Nikki Maxwell.

Flip a Word by Harriet Ziefert: A series of humorously illustrated books, including Quack Shack and Crab Cab, that introduce rhyming word families.

Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold: Funny book series about a fly and his best friend, a boy named Buzz.

Geronimo Stilton: This series features the adventures of Geronimo Stilton, the scaredy mouse editor of The Rodent's Gazette, who is constantly being dragged into adventures by his pushy, boisterous family.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter's fantastic adventure in this 7 book series starts with 4 simple words, "You're a wizard Harry."

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen: Brian Robeson is the sole survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: In this popular dystopia, teens from twelve oppressed districts are forced to fight to the death in a futuristic arena.

Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo: In this series, a buttered toast loving pet pig named Mercy Watson has all sorts of adventures in her neighborhood.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: A traumatic event near the end of summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyers: This series chronicles the romance between a teen girl and a vampire amidst growing conflict within the secret world of vampires.

Other MCPL Resources and Services Mentioned During this Episode:

Audio books: MCPL offers audio books on CD, on Playaways, and online.

Book discussion groups are available for kids, teens, and adults.

Early literacy storytimes prepare our county's babies, toddlers, and preschoolers for a lifetime of reading and learning.

Grandreaders: Children can practice reading aloud to our specially trained older members of the community.

List of recommended books by Grade and Age

Library Matters recorded an episode about MCPL's Summer Read and Learn program in May, 2017.

Read to a Dog: Children can build confidence in their reading skills by reading aloud to one of our trained therapy dogs.

Short story collections: MCPL has a wide varied of short story collections for children, teens, and adults.

Small type can be a barrier for some readers, including kids. Check out MCPL's large type books for children.

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