Dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction are popular these days (The Handmaid’s Tale, anyone?), but sometimes we need an escape from the doom and gloom. For weary souls, here are some tales that offer something beyond darkness. These stories aren’t conflict-free (that would make for a boring novel!) but they ooze warmth, humor, compassion, and above all, optimism. These character-driven stories are all about building bridges, not burning them.

Great books serve as “windows and mirrors,” meaning they reflect readers’ own experiences back at them while also opening insights into other people’s experiences. Such books can contribute to intercultural understanding, which is a requisite for social justice in a multicultural society. Furthermore, every culture deserves authentic representation in literature. But in any case, books which work as “windows and mirrors” are enjoyable to read! Drawn from our Young Adult section, here are some books that we hope will be “windows and mirrors” for you. Maybe you’ll see yourself reflected in the characters, and maybe you’ll discover something new about the world.

Are you in a book club? Does your book club want to read the newest titles on the best seller list? There can be long waits at the library for the hottest reads, which doesn’t work when you only have a month or so to read a book. Need some other ideas? Here are some suggestions that will still have that book club appeal but don’t come with that long waiting list.

What is the hullaballoo about coding? For a start, learning about coding and computer science is all about building life skills like logical thinking, problem solving, computational thinking (the ability to break down a large task into smaller manageable tasks) and creativity. As of right now, 71% of all new jobs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) are in computing and coding skills are needed in all industries. Programming is the fastest growing occupation. Our daily life is filled with code, we are consumers of code, from our telephones, televisions, all of our apps and websites and so much more. Learning to code allows kids to build skills to ready them for the future no matter what occupation they choose.