Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller

Helen's Big World: The Life of Helen Keller

By: Doreen Rapport

Illustrated by: Matt Tavares

October is World Blindness Awareness Month

Has there ever been a more celebrated advocate for the blind than Helen Keller? Helen Keller was not born blind. In fact, she was a perfectly healthy baby until she became sick at 19-months old. Her sickness left her in a dark world that she didn't understand and a world that she fought against.  Alone and afraid, Helen raged against her new, dark world. Helen's parents didn't know how to help her until Annie Sullivan came into her life. Annie Sullivan had been legally blind, but after several operations she was able to see again, but her eyes were weak. Annie worked with Helen and brought light to her world and gave her words to communicate with those around her. 

Helen's Big World was a MD Black-Eyed Susan Nominee in 2014-2015 and is a wonderful picture book about the life of Helen Keller. It is also a wonderful book to teach kids that there is no boundary to your dreams and with hard work and dedication, you can accomplish anything.

Blackout by John Rocco

Blackout

By John Rocco

2012-2013 MD Black-Eyed Susan Nominee

Life can get pretty busy sometimes and it's hard to just stop and take a break until...the power goes out. When all of the power in the city goes out one hot summer night, folks break out of their homes and abandon everything and are forced to take that moment to be with neighbors, to dance, to sing, to be with each other and to see the lights in the sky! Sometimes when one thing fails, there is something marvelous that can be born. Blackout is a great reminder to us all to off the "lights" and take that time for family.

The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy

The Library Dragon

By Carmen Agra Deedy

Miss Lotta Scales was a real dragon. She guarded the books at Sunrise Elementary School. Maybe a little too well. The kids were not allowed to check out any books and story time was a thing of the past. Soon, no one went to the library until...Molly Brickmeyer. What happened next made the scales drop off Miss Lotta Scales one-by-one until all that was left was Miss Lotty, librarian extraordinaire. 

Seven and a Half Tons of Steel

Seven and a Half Tons of Steel

By Janet Nolan

Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez

Wow! This is an amazing book about a beam that was taken from the wreckage of  the Twin Towers after they collapsed. This beam was melted down and molded into the bow of the USS New York. Construction of the Navy warship was halted due to Hurricane Katrina, but the workers made a camp at the shipyard and building continued until the USS New York was placed in the water and started it's journey home to New York. From New York, the mighty ship sailed into the Atlantic only to return in 2011 to it's home port for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. 

For those of us who were a part of this American tragedy or who watched helpless on televisions around the world, this book is a reminder of that fateful day, but a solid lesson that there are good, strong things that come out of the even the worst situations. 

Just a forewarning, have tissues handy!

School Supplies

Every year Edgewater Books collects school supplies for kids that are less fortunate. This year they had some surplus  left over so below are the items that they need:

#2 Pencils
Crayons
Elmer's Glue
Individual sanitized wipes

You can drop them off at Edgewater Books at 131 Mitchell's Chance Road.

Summer Reading

What are YOU reading this summer? The Anne Arundel County Library has summer reading lists for every grade available. There are some great books on the list. Check them out!

Anne Arundel County Summer Reading Lists

Pass It Along!