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Have you ever wondered what librarians use and recommend for their reading time and book-ish accessories? We all know you need a good reading light and a comfy chair, but check out these fun accessories and book-ish delights, below! These recommendations have been suggested by Smithton PLD staff members, and are NOT sponsored. They include services, products, apps, …

Want to learn a new skill? A new language? Upskill your work skills? Check out this (non-exhaustive) list of places where you can attend free classes! Coursera Coursera has over a thousand free courses. Free courses are Coursera courses offered without charge to anyone who enrolls. They cover a range of topics. Degree programs and certificates are …

Do you enjoy visiting other libraries? Want to make a game of it? Visit the library now to pick up your passport.  The crawl will be held October 1 to 31, 2023. The Smithton Public Library District will have a small gift for anyone who visits us as part of the crawl. If you are …

Smithton Public Library District’s2023 Summer Reading Program FOR AGES 0-100+! Visit the library to sign up the whole family, beginning Monday, May 22, 2023. Everything you need to complete the reading program is in the folder! A few notes: Please read at or above your reading level. When determining your age, please use the age …

Get inspired for the holiday! Read something you’ve never heard of before. Read something as old as you can find. Read something brand new, hot off the shelf. Read a classic you enjoy over and over. And share with your family! Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree | Robert Barry Summary: When Mr. Willowby’s Christmas tree is …

Tokyo Godfathers (2003) PG-13 Summary: The story takes place on Christmas Eve in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Middle-aged has-been Gin, aging transvestite Hana, and teenager runaway Miyuki are homeless friends who have formed a makeshift family structure bond. That bond is tested when they find an abandoned baby while searching for food in a trash dumpster. They …

December 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024. Patrons can visit the library to register in-person and pick up a reading log. Additional Reading Logs can be downloaded here.  Age groups: How it Works Registration for youth and adults begins Friday, December 1, 2022 and the program runs until Thursday, February 29, 2024.You must visit the …

Keepunumuk – Weeachuman’s Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten Summary: Consider sharing this story with your children.  It is a more accurate accounting of what many Americans call Thanksgiving and Native Americans refer to as a day of mourning. Recommendation: It is time to refresh this story, allowing the First Peoples’ …

Today’s modern Thanksgiving in America was built with a multigenerational foundation of customs and rituals involving the serving of specific dishes (cutting of the turkey, slicing of the ham, serving of the pie) with the occasional experimental foray like adding a new tradition to welcome an newly-gained family member (Italian sausage lasagna for the in-laws …

“Watch these for yourself before sharing with kids depending on their maturity level. Death, war, orphans, neglect, disease, independence, and responsibility are explored in these selections. All are worthy of viewing if only for their visuals as they contain sad portions or themes.” -Cinda Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Summary: As the Empire of the …

Do you enjoy visiting other libraries? Want to make a game of it? Visit the library starting on September 26, 2022 to pick up your passport.  The crawl will be held October 1 to 31, 2022. The Smithton Public Library District will have a small gift for anyone who visits us as part of the …

Curious George | Margret and H.A. Rey Summary: First published in 1941, Curious George is an orphaned monkey in Africa. It tells of his many adventures with the man with a yellow hat who brings him back to America. As is name suggests his curiosity gets him into a lot of trouble. There has been …

A Pig Parade is a Terrible Idea | Michael Black Summary: Summer is all about parades and fun! Could anything possibly be more fun than a pig parade!? You wouldn’t think so. But you’d be wrong. A pig parade is a terrible idea.  Recommendation: Oh dear!  It sounded like such a good idea!  But what …

Each of the following suggestions is an inventive and original concept with lots of running, hiding, seeking, fighting, and sometimes a little magic. Every Day in particular starts a series with amazing implications for our understanding of time and consciousness. -Cinda The City of Bones | Cassandra Clare Summary: Suddenly able to see demons and …

Remembering my favorite go-to books of childhood, I was fortunate to have a lot of reading time when visiting my grandparents who had amazing ‘old’ collections of work I’d never heard of. They loved providing animal stories like Riki-Tiki-Tavi and the following. I was well acquainted with the Disney movies of these first two before …

Library Director Jenna Dauer remembers Junior Fiction chapter books from her childhood. Witch of Blackbird Pond | Elizabeth George Speare Summary: Kit Tyler must leave behind shimmering Caribbean islands to join the stern Puritan community of her relatives. She soon feels caged, until she meets the old woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond. …

Library Director Jenna Dauer reminisces about five memorable books from her childhood. Giving Tree | Shel Silverstein Summary: A young boy grows to manhood and old age experiencing the love and generosity of a tree which gives to him without thought of return. Reminisce: I tested on this book for Accelerated Reader and I remember …

The Garden of Abdul Gasazi | Chris van Allsburg Summary: When the dog he is caring for runs away from Alan into the forbidden garden of a retired dog-hating magician, a spell seems to be cast over the contrary dog. Recommendation: I forget to read the words, I’m so captivated by the art! See more …

Cyrano |2021 Summary: This is a romantic historical musical version of the same classic story made completely attainable by Steve Martin’s modern take with Roxanne (1987). Whether or not the music is part of what you enjoy about this version, that’s up to you. I don’t want to talk it down just because I found …

2022 Illinois Bluestem Award Winners 2022 Monarch Award 2022 Rebecca Caudill Award Winners Check out our Google Sheets document (linked below) to see the titles! These spreadsheets also show you if the library has a physical copy, or if you can get a digital copy through Hoopla or CloudLibrary.