Mary Lou Reddick Library

10 BOOKS TO COZY UP WITH THIS WINTER

There is plenty to love about winter reading: the cold days are the perfect excuse to stay inside and read. So, grab yourself a cup of tea and a warm blanket. Then pick up one of these titles set in the wintertime to bring the feeling full circle. Visit the Mary Lou Reddick Public Library to check them out!

1.

2. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis: This classic series begins with four siblings who are sent to the countryside for safekeeping during the war. In a game of hide-andseek, the youngest discovers a fantastical world hidden in the back of an old wardrobe. There, the White Queen has cast a curse over the land of Narnia, ensuring that it is always winter and never Christmas. The children embark on an adventure full of magic, whimsy, and a fair amount of danger.

The Little House on the Prairie Collection by Laura Ingalls Wilder: Winter is the perfect time to get lost in this great series, in which the scrappy Ingalls family struggles to build a life on the American frontier. These nine 3.

4. books tell the story of Laura Ingalls’ childhood and coming of age on the American frontier. Follow the Ingalls family as they move from the Big Woods of Wisconsin to the Kansas prairie, from a creekside dugout in Minnesota to the shores of Silver Lake, South Dakota.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: A captivating story, well-told. The characters in this war novel are fascinating and altogether unexpected, and the book’s setting could not be lovelier: much of the action takes place in Saint-Malo, France, a unique walled port city on the English Channel. It doesn’t feel overly long: its 500+ pages give Doerr plenty of room to build a believable world and give his characters depth and feeling.

The Terror by Dan Simmons: Imagine yourself a crew member on the 1845 Franklin Expedition, searching for the legendary Northwest Passage. Now, imagine that your ship is fully surrounded by thick, unyielding ice. The men on board the HMS Terror feel trepidation at the thought of a second summer with their ship stuck in the Arctic Circle, hoping for a thaw that will allow them to continue or go home. As time 5.

6. passes, their supplies dwindle, tensions rise, and the men realize that there is something out there – a predator that they are unequipped to handle.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah: It is 1974, and Leni Allbright’s father, Ernt, a former Vietnam POW, suffers from terrifying PTSD. The family moves to Alaska in search of a fresh start, but they are utterly unprepared for the harsh reality that greets them. A riveting coming of age story featuring a fabulous setting, amazing female leads, and ultimate redemption.

The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin: An unseasonably warm day in January 1888 ends in tragedy when an unexpected and violent snow storm rips through the American Midwest. By the next morning, some 500 people are dead on the prairie. With the arrival of the meteorological catastrophe comes the end of the settlers’ belief that their new home was a perfect haven. Meticulously researched and told through the lens of five families who were greatly impacted by the storm.

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher: In this quiet novel, five individuals, each dealing with their own painful personal tragedy, are unexpectedly brought together during the Christmas season in the Scottish countryside — though they’ve decided not to celebrate the holiday; it’s too painful this year. But redemption is found in surprising places, and amid so much loss, love and redemption emerge.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie: It was supposed to be the perfect crime. But an avalanche stops the Orient Express in its tracks just before a passenger is found murdered in his berth, foiling the perpetrator’s getaway and trapping 13 potential suspects — each with an airtight alibi — in the train car with Inspector Hercule Poirot.

Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips: If you are looking for a thrilling, dark novel with the literal chills of the tundra, look no further. Disappearing Earth begins as two girls go missing on the shoreline of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. What follows is a gripping, tightly woven story of mystery and grief as friends, neighbors, and law enforcement grapple with the loss of these children.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey: Welcome to Alaska. The year is 1920. Jack and Mabel have recently arrived as homesteaders on the unforgiving land. In this harsh place, the line between fantasy and reality bends. Jack and Mabel build a child out of snow, and they wake the next day to find that she has come to life. But nothing is as it seems in this magical novel.

Whether it’s in person or virtual learning, the Mary Lou Reddick Public Library offers a variety of FREE online resources to make this school year a success. Below families and students can learn about all the resources they can access with a library card. Many of these resources are available 24 hours a day from your home via the Internet. Don’t have a library card? Visit the library to apply!

Browse our OverDrive digital collection and catch up on some reading! We have eBooks and eAudiobooks for a variety of ages that you can download instantly to your computer, tablet, or smartphone. The free Libby app is the easiest way to get started with digital books and audiobooks. Libby is available for Android, iOS, and in your browser at libbyapp.com.

With Rbdigital, you can check out complete digital editions of popular magazines and keep them as long as you want!

Pronunciator is a fun and free way to learn over 90 different languages with personalized courses, which include: study guides, audio lessons, video phrases, movies, music, and more.

LearningExpress Library is an e-learning resource that provides test prep for GED equivalency, citizenship, career certification exams, college admissions, and more. It also includes learning modules for academic skills improvement and adult learning. Help is available in both English and Spanish.

The TexShare Database Collection provides access to over 27,000 journals, 171,000 eBooks, and 15 million images, videos, and interactive resources. TexShare Databases include the Chilton Library of automotive repair resources, HeritageQuest, Texas Legal Forms Library, and much more.

Hippocampus is a free educational resource to help students from middle school to college. Explore over 7,000 free video tutorials in math, natural science, social science, and humanities.

E-Read Texas gives you access to even MORE eBooks and audiobooks, from new titles to classics. You can borrow and read or listen on your phone or tablet -- with just your library card and the SimplyE app. SimplyE works on Apple and Android phones and tablets.

Visit the Mary Lou Reddick Public Library to pick up one of our weekly craft kits for kids to work on at home! When you’re finished, snap a photo of your project and send it to the librarian, lstrother@lakeworthtx. org. We will post your photo to the Library’s Facebook page!

• November 3-7: Paper Crowns

• November 10-14: 3D

Fall Paper Trees

• November 17-25:

Thanksgiving Turkey Hats

• December 1-5: Paper Scrap Christmas Trees

• December 8-12: Reindeer Puppets

• December 15-23: The Cutest Paper Snowman

SECOND THURSDAY BOOK CLUB MEETINGS

Meets the second Thursday of each month at noon. Our book club is a fun, informal way to meet new people while talking about great books! Extra copies of each month’s title are available for checkout at the library’s circulation desk.

• November 12: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

• December 10: This Tender

Land by William Kent Krueger

• January 14: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

• February 11: The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moy

BUILD A SNOWMAN WORKSHOP

• Wednesday, December 23 at 10:30 AM

Children ages 3-7 are invited to attend a Holiday Storytime where they can build their very own Zippy the Snowman plush toy. Space is limited! Please RSVP for this program by calling the library at 817-237-9681.

10 WAYS PARENTS CAN PROMOTE READING AT HOME

As a parent, you are your child's first - and most important - teacher. Here are eight ways you can help your child become a better reader.

1.

2.

3.

4. Read yourself. Your actions really do speak louder than your words. When your kids see you curling up with a book, they will want to follow your example.

Make sure your children read every day. Reading is a skill. Like other skills, it gets better with practice. Researchers have found that children who spend at least 30 minutes a day reading for fun – whether they read books, comics, or magazines – become better readers at school.

Get the library habit. Make sure everyone in your family has a library card. Schedule regular trips to the library. While you are there, check out a book yourself!

Read aloud to the children. This is the most important thing parents can do to help their children become better readers. Here are some tips: • Start reading to your children when they are young. It is never too early to begin reading to your children. • Don't stop reading to your children as they grow older. You will both enjoy the chance to do something together. • Set aside some time each day for reading aloud. Even 10 minutes a day can have a big impact. Bedtime is a natural reading aloud time. Other busy 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. families read aloud at breakfast or just after dinner. • Read books you enjoy.

Create a home library. Find a special place for your children to keep their own library at home.

Make reading a privilege. Say, “You can stay up 15 minutes later tonight if you read in bed.” Or you might say, “Because you helped with the dishes, I have

time to read you an extra story.” If you are not a good reader, you can still encourage your children. As your children learn to read, ask them to read to you. Ask a friend or relative to read aloud to your children.

Read and watch. See a movie that is based on a book. Then, read that book together. (Or read the book first and then see the movie.) Discuss differences and similarities between

the book and the movie. Get cooking together. Have your child read the recipe as you make something fun, like a favorite family dish. (They can even help make the recipe!)

10. Talk about books. Make time to discuss the latest books you are reading during dinner time or while riding together in the car.