Staff Picks
What we are reading, watching, and listening to

The Unexpected Solace in Learning to Play Piano
Christoph Niemann is an artist, author, and animator. Part blog post, part graphic novel. Very cool.

Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope
By Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn Available in print. Available as an eBook.

The Second Chance Club: Hardship and Hope After Prison
Available in print.

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
By Jonas Jonasson Available as an ebook here: https://coloradodc.overdrive.com/media/869382

Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildly Delicious, Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week
By Isa Chandra Moskowitz Well now, I don’t know about y’all but ever since the stay-at-home order I’ve been cooking three meals a day, seven

“The Great Believers” by Rebecca Makkai
A dazzling new novel of friendship and redemption in the face of tragedy and loss set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary Paris.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Available in print Available as an eBook

Good Talk by Mira Jacob
Has your child ever asked you difficult questions? the kind of questions that leave you fumbling, unexpectedly, for an answer? Jacob opens her book with

Some Good News with John Krasinski
John Krasinski highlights some good news from around the world in this YouTube series.

NOAA Live! Webinars
Each webinar includes links to accompanying resources for more exploration of the topics presented including photos, videos, games, Legos activities and more. Click here for

Uncanny Valley: A Memoir
Anna Wiener pops open the Silicon Valley bubble as only an insider can. “Part coming-of-age-story, part portrait of an already-bygone era.” Available in print. Check

The Grisha Trilogy
Immerse yourself in the Grishaverse! See what’s available right now.

The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong
This is my all time favorite children’s book (recommended ages: 2nd grade to adult). Winner of the Newberry Prize in 1955, illustrated by Maurice Sendak,

Ask Again, Yes
By Mary Beth Keane Available as an ebook here.

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
This is a middle grade/young adult book that is an excellent family read together to talk about race relations and prejudice. Available in print. Available

Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion: The Power of Boundless Compassion
This is my favorite read of this year. Short, powerful, poetic, funny, and deeply moving, you can’t go wrong with this collection of essays by Gregory Boyle who has spent the better part of his life running a gang intervention program in L.A. These essays focus on our universal kinship and are “moving examples of the power of unconditional love in difficult times and the importance of fighting despair.”

“Stay home, make zines,” Austin Kleon
Austin Kleon is a writer who draws. https://austinkleon.com/

Mac Barnett: Why a good book is a secret door
Childhood is surreal. Why shouldn’t children’s books be? In this whimsical talk, award-winning author Mac Barnett speaks about writing that escapes the page, art as

The Biggest Little Farm
Available on DVD at the library.

Unlocking Us
Podcast by Brené Brown Listen here. Need help with podcasts? Call the library for a tech appointment with Dana, 303-823-5165.

The Secret Life of Bees
“Set in South Carolina during the tumultuous summer of 1964, The Secret Life of Bees also ushered young Lily Owens, a girl transformed by the

Hidden Brain
Why do we do what we do?! Stream it via your favorite podcast app. (Don’t know how to stream podcasts? Call the library and make