By Jan Pease
When you visit Litchfield library, look around in the
children’s section. We have invested a
large portion of the book budget in lower-level nonfiction juvenile books. Many young children are interested in real
people, places and things. STEM, the acronym for science, technology,
engineering and mathematics , is a hot topic right now. I am convinced that one way to encourage children’s
interest in STEM is to provide interesting, colorful books about interesting,
colorful topics.
How would you answer the question “What is your favorite
animal?” “My Favorite Animal,” a series
from Cherry Lake Publishing, features animals such as moose, alligator, bison,
and red fox. The audience for these
books is children in grades K-3. Another
fun animal series is called, “Guess What.?
These cute books each feature visual clues and hints about one animal.
Titles include “Noisy Nibblers,” “Cheeky Cuties,” and “Pouncing Pals.” Look for the picture of the cat’s tongue in
“Pouncing Pals,” which shows a close up view of the cat grooming a cascade of hair. 
We added several books about technology for young people,
including “Building Squishy Circuits,” “Big Data,” “Coding with
Many of the new titles include books about making projects,
a good resource for the coming cold months.
“Bit by Bit, Projects for your Odds and Ends” looks like a fun
collection. “Create and Keep” looks like
a great resource for making gifts. And
“Bought in Bulk” is another book of projects for whatever is left over after
other projects are created.
“Graphic Revolve” is a series of graphic novels of
classic tales. True to the original
stories, they may create some interest in reading the original stories. Fiction titles include “The Lost World,” “The
Iliad,” “The Island of Dr.Moreau,” “The Odyssey,” etc. Do you
remember “Classics Illustrated?” Well, these titles remind me of those favorite
comic books.
These wonderful titles and more are waiting for you at
Litchfield Library.
