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Many a summer evening we'd go out and play disc golf after I got home from work. Those after dinner outings were the perfect time to go out and take a walk around the park as the sun slowly set and the temperature began to cool. Now, it's dark by the time I get home! As the seasons change, so too do our habits. With the chilly weather creeping in and the sun disappearing ridiculously early, it's time to gather around the table for some indoor gaming fun! It's no coincidence then, as we're drawn inside to escape winter's chill, we celebrate International Games Month! An annual promotion and celebration of all things gaming by the American Library Association's Gaming Round Table , "International Games Month is an initiative run by volunteers from around the world to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games." Here at the library, we're celebrating with a display featuring books about card games , game design , children's games , and table-top RPG systems. You can also find a few printed free TTRPG packets to take home and play! While you're here, don't forget to check out our board game collection over by our activity kits. There you can find classics like Risk , Monopoly , and Rummikub , along with newer game like Ticket to Ride , Bears vs. Babies , and Pandemic . For even more gaming fun, check out ALA's Games and Gaming Round Table website for information about the social value of gaming and links to more free games you can print and play! Looking to connect and play board games with others in your community? Come join us for our monthly Board Game Night , first Tuesday of every month! Bring your own game or pick one from our selection. Hope to see you there!

November is be a busy month at the library! As folks prep for the winter holiday season, we're excited to celebrate with seasonal fall crafts and decor . Here at the Caldwell Public Library we're also getting in the festive spirit for another November celebration: Idaho Family Reading Week, which we'll celebrate from November 17th to November 21st. Idaho Family Reading Week is an weeklong celebration during which families are encouraged to read together and visit their local libraries to explore resources. This year the theme is Stories Under the Stars, inviting you and your family to cozy up with a twinkling tale and get some good reading in after dark. Whether family reading takes place at home or the library, at doctors' offices or laundromats, at the park or the pool, or anywhere your family reads, it's a crucial support of early childhood literacy. We're excited to celebrate Idaho Family Reading Week under the stars with you this November. See below to find out about some of the stellar programs we'll be offering during Idaho Family Reading Week! Kickoff The Family Read Week Kickoff on Monday 11/17 at 6pm will feature STEM activities for all ages. Activities like galaxy glow jars, glow-in-the-dark puffy paint, and glowing kinetic sand will light up your evening! Afterschool Fun On Wednesday 11/19 at 3:30pm, kids aged 5-12 can come to Afterschool Fun and make Starry Night Lanterns inspired by the Vincent Van Gogh painting. Teen Thursday Teens aged 13-17 can hang out with friends, create galaxy slime, and enjoy snacks on Thursday 11/20 at 4:30pm with Teen Thursday: DIY Starry Night Slime . Storytimes Spanish and English Storytime on Tuesday 11/18, Music & Movement on Wednesday 11/19, and Preschool Storytime on Thursday 11/20 will feature stories, songs, and activities about space, stars, and the night sky. Pajama Storytime Special On Thursday 11/20 at 7pm, come enjoy a special Pajama Storytime themed around the night sky. It's a great way to get the day's energy out of your little ones right before bed!

The days are getting shorter, the leaves are changing, and the librarians have pulled their cardigans out of the closet—it’s officially fall! And what’s the best part of fall? That’s right: pumpkin spice eggnog! (Oh, and Halloween. Halloween’s pretty great, too.) Yes, it's beginning to look a lot like Spooktober which means it's the season for scary movies. If you've been keeping up with Caldwell Public Library happenings, then you know we started offering the digital service hoopla . If you're still in the creepy crawly dark about this hip new platform offering eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video streaming you can read more about it here . All done learning about or signing into hoopla ? Great! Let's get scary! Shriek if you know what I did last Friday the 13th (R, 2000) Remember Scary Movie : the parody of Wes Craven's Scream featuring endless references to other horror and slasher films aimed at teenagers that is exactly as sophisticated as the title implies? This film is the exact same concept, released the same year but direct to video. Shriek is a little rougher around the edges than it's more iconic cousin, but it's still a good, albeit dumb time. A masked killer menaces the town of Bulimia Falls where a group of teenage friends grapple with the guilt of what they did (or didn't do) last Friday the 13th. Tom Arnold is the standout here as the inept Deputy Doughy who's primary concern is figuring out who stole a Halloween mask and fake dog poop from the mall. There are a lot of great gags too, like the killer randomly snatching teens in the background. Not every joke lands, but the movie keeps a quick pace, always ready to offer up another goof. SHIYKWIDLFT13th may not be a great film, but it's a fun movie if you want to turn off your brain for an hour and a half. Phantasm (R, 1979) Watching Phantasm is like having a waking nightmare. It's scary sure, but there's a dreamlike surrealness to the film that is difficult to convey. Supposedly, the film is actually based on a nightmare that writer/director Don Coscarelli had as a teenager. The plot is impossible to predict and sometimes even follow. If you think you know what's going to happen next your expectations are sure to be subverted. Mike and his older brother Joey are just trying to find a new sense of normality after the sudden death of their parents. But strange things are happening around the local mortuary, and they all seem to be connected to the eerie Tall Man. An independent, low budget cult classic, Phantasm is a scream. The Spider Labyrinth (Unrated 1988) Beautiful as it is bizarre, this Italian horror film from Gianfranco Giagni is a Lovecraftian thriller that will leave you stunned. A young American researcher, Alan Whitmore, is called to Budapest to assist on a secret project. However, his contact Professor Roth, is murdered shortly after he arrives, found hanged and covered in spider webs. As Alan digs deeper into the murder of Roth and his work, he becomes the target of an ancient and terrifying cult. The film is well paced and effective at building tension. The creature effects are suitably creepy and unsettling with an ending critter that left me speechless. If you enjoy Italian horror ala Dario Argento , this is sure to please.

This album is more than 20 years old! Does it now qualify as Dad Rock? I've been wanting to talk about this album FOREVER ! Unfortunately, it hasn't been available on the library's free music streaming platform, Freegal . However, now that we've begun to offer hoopla , I can finally tell all my friends here on the Caldwell Public Library blog about one of my favorite albums. If you haven't checked it out yet, hoopla is an all-in-one streaming app offering movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks, eBooks, comics and more! You can read more about it here , or log in here with your Caldwell Public Library card and start browsing! Taking Back Sunday's debut album, Tell All Your Friends remains one of Emo's most influential albums. Released in 2002, it quickly became the template from which generations of bands would source their sound for years to come. The album was RIAA certified gold in 2005, and went platinum in 2023, proving the album's lasting impact and keystone status as one of the genre's best. Taking Back Sunday began in the burgeoning Long Island Emo/Hardcore scene in 1999, and the band continues to tour as of the writing of this blog, with their last album releasing late 2023. Tell All Your Friends has been analyzed, critiqued, reviewed and written about extensively as one of Emo's most foundational albums, but what exactly makes this album great? I know an album is a certified banger when I don't skip a single song. However, if you've never heard a TBS song before, pull up the album and start on track 3, "Cute Without The 'E' (Cut From The Team)". What a great title, right? So dramatic! All the staples of classic Emo are here: exaggerated vocal delivery, clean instrumentals that break into hard driving, distorted choruses, call and response vocal lines, and lyrics chronicling jealousy and depression heightened to an absurd degree. It's a little melodramatic but also a bit tongue in cheek. Adam Lazzara and John Nolan scream their hearts out at each other above tight knit rhythm guitars and flowing leads, while Mark O'Connell's drumming provides dancy, grove inspired back beats that propel the songs forward with an infectious rhythm. "You're So Last Summer" is a great example of TBS's ability to write poppy, punk infused anthems with clever hooks. This track also includes one of my favorite stanzas that shows the band's proclivity towards conflicting, dissonant declarations in their lyrics. "I'd never lie to you, unless I had to I'll do what I got to Unless I had to I'll do what I got to The truth is you could slit my throat And with my one last gasping breath I'd apologize for bleeding on your shirt" 'I'd never lie unless I needed to, and really, I'm the victim here'. Gas lightening has never been so smooth. Really, it's an album that rewards attentive listening. There's plenty of catchy sing-alongs to bang your head to, but repeated listens reveal the depth and cleverness present not only in the band's exceptional word play, but layers of sound and structure. Sign into hoopla, give it spin, sing your heart out, and try to absorb all of that youthful energy and angst. I know I could use some.

This blog post reflects current program offerings as of September 2025. Check out our calendar to see what’s new! One of my favorite parts of our library is that we offer so many fun programs for all ages. From Tai Chi & Qigong classes and Knitting & Crochet socials for adults, to after-school activities of all types for kids and teens, to storytimes at least four days a week for Caldwell’s youngest library patrons, we’ve got something for everyone . And, best of all, every program is free and open to the public, regardless of whether or not you have a library card .  Today I want to spotlight a few of our programs. We’d love to see you there! Early Literacy Program Spotlight: Spanish and English Storytime / Hora de cuentos en inglés y español Weekly: Every Tuesday at 10:30am | Ages 2-6 with their adults Programa semanal: Cada martes a las 10:30am | Edades 2-6 con sus adultos At a special Spanish and English Storytime in April 2025, we had a great time reading Book Fiesta by Pat Mora. At Spanish and English Storytime, we celebrate bilingual literacy through stories, songs, rhymes, and games in Spanish and English. We read each page twice—once in each language—and have a great time talking about the pictures, too! This program places a particular emphasis on children’s literature by Latin American authors, illustrators, and translators. We sing traditional songs in both languages, play games, and learn lots from each other. En la hora del cuento en inglés y español, celebramos la alfabetización bilingüe con cuentos, canciones, rimas, y juegos en inglés y español. Leemos cada página dos veces—una en español y otra en inglés—y ¡disfrutamos de hablar de las ilustraciones! En este programa se enfatiza la literatura infantil de alta calidad por autores, ilustradores, y traductores latinoamericanos. Cantamos canciones tradicionales en ambos idiomas, jugamos juegos, y aprendemos mucho unos de otros. School-Age Program Spotlight: Read to a Therapy Dog Monthly: 3rd Tuesday at 4:45pm | Ages 7-14 So cute, right?! Every month, therapy dogs from Team Idaho Therapy Dogs take over our Community Room to hear stories. Children and teens who want to practice reading can do so in front of a calming, non-judgemental audience. You can read any book you want to these canine pals: check out a book from our shelves, bring one from home, or choose a great read from our in-program selection of picture and chapter books. The best part? Your fluffy, adoring audience also loves to get pets and scratches! Teen Program Spotlight: Teen Thursday Weekly: Every Thursday at 4:30pm | Ages 13-17 Think you can beat your local librarian at Jenga? Our Teen Thursday program encompasses so much. Depending on the week, we do everything from creating art projects, to playing giant Jenga or giant checkers on the library's front lawn, to taste-testing and ranking various foods to crown the best one as Caldwell's Choice. Teen Thursday is a great space for teens to go to build connections with each other as well as library staff… and we love to offer snacks! Adult Program Spotlight: Knitting and Crochet Social Twice Monthly: 2nd and Last Monday at 1pm | Ages 18+ Knit away! Troubleshoot your crochet and knitting issues, create in community, or just make a new friend at our Adult Knitting and Crochet Social. Twice each month, a group meets to socialize, work on projects, and enjoy tea and hot cocoa. It’s a great opportunity to make like-minded fiber arts friends and run any issues by your fellow knitters and crocheters, though no formal instruction is provided.

Hello friends! August 13th was International Left-Handers Day , and being a leftie myself, I wanted to share some fun facts about "South Paws" and introduce you to some of my favorite left-handed authors! Quick Lefty Facts: Lefties make up about 10% of the overall world population, and there is a higher percentage of males being left-handed over females. Lefties are known to have some advantages when it comes to sports (left-handed pitchers) and tend to excel at creative thinking. Lefties are more prone to allergies, migraines and issues with their immune system. Lefties are known to be better at multitasking. We have had 7 Left-Handed US presidents: James A. Garfield, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Famous and influential Left-Handers include: Artists- Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Pablo Picasso, Raphael Musicians- Paul McCartney, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, Celine Dion Athletes- Babe Ruth, Rafael Nadal, Sandy Koufax, Martina Navratilova Actors- Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga Other Notable Figures- Albert Einstein, Charlie Chaplin, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Helen Keller, Henry Ford, Ratan Tata .  Notable left-handed authors: Mark Twain , Lewis Carroll , J.K. Rowling , H.G. Wells , Franz Kafka , John Green , Leo Tolstoy , R.L. Stine Enjoy these lovely left-handed reads and celebrate the left-handers in your life. Happy reading!

I love seeing our busy Kids & Family section during the summer! Each of our children’s collections has a special place in my heart. Some of my favorite nostalgic childhood reads are in the Picture Books & Board Books. I love the revival of classic series as new Graphic Novels. Nonfiction recalls many fond memories of school projects. And Media offers me options to watch all kinds of kids and family movies completely free with my library card . I know much of the community already knows those shelves well, so today I want to spotlight one of our most underappreciated collections: the Youth World Languages section. As the presenter for our weekly Spanish and English Storytime , I spend a lot of time thinking about, reading, and evaluating books that are a part of this collection so I can put forward the best possible program for our Spanish-speaking and Spanish-learning young patrons. I’ve compiled quite a few fun facts and favorite books so that you, too, can share multilingual and multicultural materials with your family. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find a new favorite! CPL's Youth World Languages section. What languages do you have? You may have noticed the World Languages section before, but did you know it features books in more languages than just Spanish? We have circulating youth collections in Spanish, Russian, Arabic, French, Mandarin Chinese (options for traditional and simplified characters), and a few items featuring Braille text. My First Board Book Under the Sea by Donovan Bixley features Maori vocabulary. Many of these collections have books available in bilingual formats, too. The majority of our bilingual offerings are Spanish/English, but we also have a few bilingual Chinese/English, Arabic/English, and French/English books. We even circulate a board book featuring vocabulary in Maori , an indigenous language of New Zealand! What books do you have? Le Petit Prince by Antione de Saint Exupéry is available at CPL in its original French. Many classic children’s titles are available in translated Spanish versions, like La oruga muy hambrienta ( The Very Hungry Caterpillar ) by Eric Carle and Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal ( Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ) by J. K. Rowling. We circulate some titles that have only ever been published in Spanish - so far! Try Instrucciones para convertirse en pirata by Erika Zepeda and Cinco ovejitas by Andrés and Ana Guerrero. We also circulate a copy of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in its original French: Le Petit Prince . And many popular titles are most likely to be available in their Spanish version, since their English counterparts are so popular. If your readers are fluent enough in Spanish to read Dog Man / Hombre Perro , I Survived / Sobreviví , or Magic Tree House / La casa del árbol , you might have better luck finding those super-popular titles in Spanish on our World Languages shelves. Erica's Recommendations Bye Land, Bye Sea by René Spencer and Rodolfo Montalvo follows two characters who understand each other well despite their different backgrounds: a Spanish-speaking boy and an English-speaking girl who encounter each other, lost at sea. It is a great storytime pick for a fully-bilingual crowd. Sisters, Rain Or Shine / Hermanas, llueva o truene by Nelly Buchet (translated by Mariana Llanos) is another one of my favorites. A bilingual edition of Buchet’s Big Sister, Long Coat , the story follows two sweet sisters around the city on an unexpectedly rainy day. As the big sister, I hope I can always be there for my little sister, come rain or shine. Finally, I read Across So Many Seas / A través de los mares by Ruth Behar in English , but this lyrical multigenerational chapter book comes in Spanish as well. Spanning nearly 6 centuries, it tells the story of four girls from different generations of a Jewish family, from the Spanish Inquisition to modern Miami and making stops in Istanbul and the Cuban countryside on the way. Bye Land, Bye Sea by René Spencer and Rodolfo Montavo is a great storytime choice for a Spanish & English bilingual group.

Picture this: you’ve just finished your latest read. It was perfectly engaging, you’ve fallen in love with the world and the characters, and now… it’s over, and you still want more . Sound familiar?  If so, I have some great news for you. If you loved a book and want something else like it, just come on down to the Caldwell Public Library and let us know. We’ll help you find a “readalike,” or a similar book. And in case you’d rather stay in, keep scrolling! I’ve listed a few popular titles in the Young Adult genre and my go-to readalikes for those titles. As well, at the end of this article I’ll share some information about Novelist Plus, a great free resource that can help you select your own readalikes. If you liked The Hunger Games  and Percy Jackson , try The Sunbearer Trials Readers of the ever-popular The Hunger Games  trilogy by Suzanne Collins and Percy Jackson  series by Rick Riordan might find their newest great reads in   The Sunbearer Trials  and Celestial Monsters   by Aiden Thomas. Inspired by Mexican folklore and fantasy, this duology follows teenage semidioses (demi-gods) who compete in dangerous, nail-biting challenges to select the next Sunbearer. Full of rich mythological references, charming found family dynamics, and exciting action, The Sunbearer Trials  is perfect for any teen who’s read Collins and Riordan but wants more. If you liked Heartstopper and Fangirl , try Radio Sil ence Watchers of the hit Netflix show Heartstopper might know it is based on a graphic novel series , but did you know the author of those graphic novels, Alice Oseman, has also written several prose YA novels? Following the budding friendship of a teenage fan artist and the boy whose fantasy podcast inspires her art, Radio Silence   blends the Heartstopper world and its sweet, earnest feel with an exploration of fan culture and fame that’s reminiscent of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl . If you liked these recommendations, try Novelist Plus If you want a readalike but the above books aren’t quite your cup of tea, check out Novelist Plus! This amazing digital resource is free for Idaho residents, and makes finding your next great read intuitive and quick from the comfort of your own home. To access it, you can follow this link , then scroll down and click on the icon that says Novelist Plus. You’ll need to enter your city, zip code, and the name of your library. Sort books by mood, age, genre, and all kinds of other attributes to find your next read, and use the Readalikes feature to find similar books once you’ve finished something you loved. You can find Readalikes for any book on the right side of your screen while on the book's page.

To read this blog post in English, click here ¿Sabía que la Biblioteca Pública de Caldwell ofrece materiales que no son en inglés? Tenemos libros para niños en varios idiomas: inglés, español, mandarín, francés, árabe y braille. Para los adultos, tenemos una sección robusta de libros en español que incluye libros de ficción y no ficción. Algunos de estos libros fueron escritos originalmente en español, mientras que otros han sido traducidos del inglés. Hoy quiero destacar algunos de mis materiales favoritos en español que están disponibles de las bibliotecas del consorcio LYNX , y sus traducciones al inglés.  Crónica de una muerte anunciada   (Chronicle of a Death Foretold)   Como uno de los grandes literarios de la lengua española, el autor colombiano Gabriel García Márquez tiene una extensa obra que incluye cuentos, novelas y novelas cortas. Esta novela corta, Crónica de una muerte anunciada , fue traducida en inglés como Chronicle of a Death Foretold . Contada a través de una narrativa no lineal y narrada por un narrador anónimo, la novela corta sigue el asesinato del personaje Santiago Nasar a manos de otros dos habitantes del pueblo, los hermanos Vicario. García Márquez combina elementos de la novela criminal con elementos de la ficción literaria: a diferencia de las novelas policíacas típicas, los personajes no se enfocan en investigar la muerte. El título y el texto reflejan que la muerte ha sido prevista por todo el pueblo; en este caso, el misterio es por qué los habitantes no estaban dispuestos a evitar el asesinato. Con el tema tenso, la trama de ritmo rápido, y la prosa cuidadosamente elaborada de García Márquez, esta novela corta seguramente le entretendrá… pero también le hará pensar. Las cosas que perdimos en el fuego   (Things We Lost in the Fire) Esta colección de cuentos por la autora y editora argentina Mariana Enríquez a menudo se categoriza en el género de horror y se compara con las obras de autoras como Carmen Maria Machado ( Her Body and Other Parties ) y Shirley Jackson (“ The Lottery ”). Ambientados en la Argentina contemporánea, los cuentos no dudan en incluir los pilares del horror como la violencia y la rareza. Sin embargo, hay algo especulativo sobre muchos de estos cuentos. Para mí, el horror en las obras de Enríquez no viene solamente de lo violento y grotesco, sino también de su tratamiento de la feminidad, seguridad y pobreza. El cuento “Las cosas que perdimos en el fuego” es lo más destacado de la colección para mí, seguido de cerca por “El chico sucio” y “Fin de curso.” Biutiful (2010) Esta película, dirigida por el cineasta mexicano Alejandro G. Iñárritu y protagonizada por el actor español Javier Bardem, se describe como un drama psicológico. Sigue Uxbal, quien es padre soltero y se gana la vida procurando trabajo para un grupo de inmigrantes indocumentados chinos en Barcelona. Cuando se le diagnostica cáncer, Uxbal busca arreglar sus asuntos antes de su muerte, pero su mundo comienza a derrumbarse en una serie de tragedias. Aunque la trama de la película a menudo es violenta y solemne, también es una exploración hermosa de la paternidad, el compromiso y la manera en que luchamos con y contra la muerte. Las copias disponibles a través del consorcio LYNX destacan el audio original (español con algún diálogo en catalán) e incluyen subtítulos opcionales en inglés y español.

Para leer esta entrada en español, haga clic aquí Did you know the Caldwell Public Library offers materials in more languages than just English? We have children’s books in several languages: English, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, Arabic, and Braille. For adult books, we have a robust Spanish-language section, with fiction and nonfiction books either originally written in Spanish or translated from the English. Today I want to highlight a few of my favorite Spanish-language materials that are carried by libraries in the LYNX consortium , as well as their English-language translations. Crónica de una muerte anunciada   (Chronicle of a Death Foretold) As one of the literary greats of the Spanish language, Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez has an extensive body of work that includes short stories, novels, and novellas. This novella,  Crónica de una muerte anunciada , was translated to the English as Chronicle of a Death Foretold . Told through a nonlinear narrative by an anonymous narrator, the story follows the murder of character Santiago Nasar at the hands of two other townspeople, the Vicario brothers. García Márquez blends elements of crime fiction with elements of literary fiction: unlike traditional detective stories, the characters don’t focus on investigating the murder. The title and text reflect that the murder had been foreseen widely throughout the town; in this case, the mystery is why the townspeople were not willing or able to prevent it. With the tense subject matter, the fast-paced plot, and García Márquez’s typical carefully-crafted prose, this novella is sure to entertain… but also to make you think.  Las cosas que perdimos en el fuego  (Things We Lost in the Fire) This short story collection by Argentinian writer and editor Mariana Enríquez is often categorized as horror and compared to works by such writers as Carmen Maria Machado ( Her Body and Other Parties ) and Shirley Jackson (“ The Lottery ”). Set in contemporary Argentina, they are not afraid to include typical pillars of horror such as violence, weirdness, and the macabre. However, there’s also something speculative about many of these stories. For me, the horror in Enríquez’s works comes not only from the violent and the grotesque, but also from the way she treats questions of womanhood, safety, and poverty. The titular “Things We Lost in the Fire” is the highlight of the collection for me, followed closely by “The Dirty Kid” and “End of Term.” Biutiful (2010) This movie, directed by Mexican filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu and featuring Spanish actor Javier Bardem, is described as a psychological drama. It follows Uxbal, who is a single father and earns a living procuring work for a group of undocumented immigrants to Barcelona from China. When Uxbal is diagnosed with cancer, he seeks to settle his affairs before his death, but his world begins to collapse around him as he falls into tragedy after tragedy. Though the movie’s plot is often gruesome and usually solemn, it is also a beautiful exploration of fatherhood, commitment, and the way we grapple with and against death. The copies available through the LYNX consortium feature the original audio (in Spanish with some dialogue in Catalan) and include optional subtitles in Spanish and English.

At the end of just about every year, I make a New Year’s resolution that in the next year I will read more. Occasionally I stick to that resolution (starting my library job in 2024 helped me read so much more this year!), but often my interest falls away at the end of the winter, replaced by excitement for spring and all that comes with it in the Treasure Valley.  This year, to combat the late-winter reading slump blues, I’ve decided to make a list of some of the most anticipated releases of 2025 for myself and a few of my coworkers. I’m hoping that, when I’m inevitably bored with my To-Be-Read list in March, I’ll be able to pull this list back out and find something that will inspire me to read again… if only because it just came out! Witchcraft for Wayward Girls  by Grady Hendrix Expected January 14, 2025 - Recommended by Shelly and Virginia Releasing just two weeks into January, the newest novel by horror and fantasy writer Grady Hendrix features a witchy take on a chilling historical setting. The protagonists are teenaged, unwed, and pregnant—so they have been sent to the Wellwood Home to wait out the pregnancies and ultimately surrender their babies for adoption. However, upon receiving a book about witchcraft and the occult from a librarian, the girls find themselves saddled with the immense strength (and burden) of having real, intense power, many of them for the first time in their lives.  Because it releases just two weeks into the New Year, you can place a hold on Witchcraft for Wayward Girls  now . If you’re interested in learning more about the historical precedent behind Hendrix’s setting in the meantime, take a look at The Girls Who Went Away , a nonfiction book by Ann Fessler about real-life maternity homes. Onyx Storm  by Rebecca Yarros Expected January 21, 2025 - Recommended by Virginia and Heather The highly-awaited third installment of Rebecca Yarros’ viral Empyrean series arrives just three weeks into the New Year. Starring a high-fantasy world full of peril and dragons as well as a strong, confident female protagonist, Onyx Storm  will surely be a hit with fans of Fourth Wing . Among those who haven’t yet read Yarros’ works, the series might appeal to fans of the new adult and romantasy (high fantasy romance) genres. Its fame among TikTok influencers who post about reading—BookTokers—has created a strong fanbase, one which will certainly only grow as the series continues and protagonist Violet’s story develops. You can place a hold on it now—and, while you wait for your copy to arrive, refresh yourself on the setting and story so far with a reread of   Fourth Wing or Iron Flame . Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection  by John Green  Expected March 18, 2025 - Recommended by Erica For those readers who know Green as the author of Young Adult hit novels The Fault in Our Stars , Looking for Alaska , and Turtles All The Way Down , hearing this title may come as a bit of a surprise. After all, this is an adult nonfiction book—one that promises to weave together the history of human responses to the deadly, yet preventable disease with the story of one contemporary individual it’s affected. It’s a lofty goal, but Green is well-prepared. His first foray into nonfiction, a 2021 essay collection, was praised by critics and readers alike. As well, Green’s recent philanthropic work has contributed to a 20% decrease in the cost of rapid test kits for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the US, and the increased availability of generic versions of tuberculosis-fighting antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries. Find out more about his tuberculosis activism in this article from the New York Times , which you can read for free with your library card . While you wait for the March release date, check out Green’s essay collection The Anthropocene Reviewed  or YA hit The Fault in our Stars . Sunrise on the Reaping  by Suzanne Collins  Expected March 18, 2025 - Recommended by Erica With Sunrise on the Reaping , Collins returns to the dystopian setting of Panem for the first time since 2020. This prequel, Collins’ second in the universe, promises to follow the story of the 50th Hunger Games, which was won by District Twelve’s Haymitch Abernathy—a name that fans of the original trilogy will certainly recognize. Though there are references in the original trilogy to Haymitch’s Games, Sunrise on the Reaping  seems to be a promising deep-dive into Haymitch’s character, his Games, and the story of how he went from a handsome, popular young man to the traumatized, cynical alcoholic we meet in The Hunger Games.  The movie rights to an adaptation of Sunrise on the Reaping  have been acquired by Lionsgate, with a release date of November 20, 2026. Catch up on Panem’s past by reading or watching The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes , or refresh yourself on what follows Haymitch’s story by returning to the original trilogy .  The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand , edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene Expected August 19, 2025 - Recommended by Todd Stephen King is among the most prolific and well-known writers of the modern age. Many of his 65 novels and novellas are household names, having sold millions of copies and (in many cases) having been adapted for screen. This collection expands on the universe of one of King’s earliest but best-recieved novels,   The Stand , and includes short stories that are written by a variety of authors and set in the same world. King has written the introduction, and each short story promises a new perspective on the pandemic-ridden, post-apocalyptic setting of The Stand —some set during the pandemic, some after.  Refresh yourself on the original novel , or check out some of King’s other works , in anticipation of the collection’s August release.

Since starting in the Youth Services department here at the Caldwell Public Library, I’ve made a shift in my own reading habits to include more books written for children. Of course, this helps me recommend books for our young patrons and understand what the world of kids’ literature is like right now. However, I’ve also noticed that a lot of the middle-grade novels I’ve read have significant appeal outside their intended audience range, too. I encourage my fellow adults not to overlook children’s books when looking for our next great reads. When we do, we’re really missing out! Next time you’re here, stop into our Kids & Family area and take a look. If you’re stuck, our friendly Youth Services staff would be happy to help recommend something for you. Here are a few recent releases I’ve read and loved to help you get started! Spelling It Out by Margaret Finnegan Spelling It Out by Margaret Finnegan Spelling It Out follows likable young Ben Bellini's experience staying with his grandmother during the summer before seventh grade. After placing twelfth in the 1985 Southern California regional spelling bee, Ben convinces his parents to let him spend the summer with his Nan in San Francisco studying for the next year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee. However, when he arrives, he sees that not everything is what it seemed: Nan is acting strange, studying is harder than he thought, and his coach is a bit of a jerk. He befriends a fellow Scripps hopeful, Asha Krishnakumar, and has a whirlwind of a summer. I found Spelling It Out to be a great read, even if it feels a bit wild to me that the main character in a "historical fiction" book is going to the theatre to see the first Back To The Future as it releases! I loved the way Finnegan presents San Francisco in this era, and Ben is easy to root for as he zips around town meeting all kinds of people and learning from them. The novel’s themes are broad: Ben ponders the concept of boyhood, grapples with independence, and meets all kinds of new people who open up his worldview. For kids, Spelling It Out is recommended for grades 3-7, and I particularly think students undergoing the transition from elementary to middle school will resonate with Ben. I also highly recommend this title for all adults, though you might especially like it if you came of age in the eighties. Operation Kinderspion series: Max in the House of Spies and Max in the Land of Lies by Adam Gidwitz The first of the two Operation Kinderspion books, Max in the House of Spies In this duology, we meet tweenage Max Bretzfeld, who’s coming of age with his parents in Berlin during the rise of Nazi Germany. Max’s family is Jewish, and his parents, anticipating danger, have arranged to send him to London through what we now know as the Kindertransport rescue effort. Despite knowing it’d be perilous to stay in Germany, Max loves Berlin. It’s the only home he’s ever known, and in London he misses his parents terribly. He develops a plan to get back to his beloved parents: he’ll convince the British military to send him to Berlin and spy for the Allies. After all, who’d suspect a tween boy of espionage? The fast-paced plot and adventurous tone make this duology unputdownable… and did I mention Max’s magical shoulder companions, a kobold and a dybbuk named Berg and Stein? Max’s adventures require a bit of suspension of disbelief, especially from adult readers. However, I quickly became enchanted by Max’s stubborn go-getter attitude. I resonated with him in a lot of ways and appreciated getting a new perspective on the events of World War II. Of course, it was safer for Jewish children to leave Germany, but watching Max fight so hard for his family and home reminded me that every historical statistic hides the complex details of the lives it counts. Berg and Stein were a fascinating narrative choice, too, filling the role of shoulder angel figures but taken from Jewish and German folklore. The duology is recommended for grades 3-6. The second book especially deals with very grown-up concepts in a sensitive, kid-friendly way. I’d recommend the duology for anyone age 9 or older, and adults who enjoyed history class or like spy stories might really love this one. Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson Elsbeth Culpepper is thirteen and living through the American Revolution. We meet her in the spring of 1776 as the Patriots try to push the Loyalists out of Boston. In modern perception, a thirteen-year-old is much too young to hold full-time work... but when Elsbeth’s father goes missing after the Siege of Boston and smallpox sweeps through the city, she begins work as a house servant for a local upper-class family. Immune from smallpox after having it as a child, Elsbeth bonds with the family she works for and especially with the headstrong teenage girl, Hannah, who has been placed in their care. All the while, she must navigate the difficulties that come from a subpar employment situation, on top of working to figure out what has happened to her father. Rebellion 1776 is narrated in readable prose that includes period-typical vocabulary, and I often found myself giggling at the funny insults used in the Revolutionary era. Anderson’s meticulously-researched setting and details added a lot to an already gripping story. It is recommended for grades 4-7, and as a bit of a longer novel with some distinctly-1770s quirks to the narration, I'd say that’s about right. There are also some descriptions of sickness that might gross younger readers out. As for the adults, I think it is perfect for anyone who’s enjoyed Anderson’s Chains or Fever 1793 , or anyone with an interest in early American history. The Chapter Books section in the CPL Kids and Family area My takeaways from reading more middle grade fiction? I've been pleasantly surprised by how relatable I have found the protagonists, and how much I resonate with their experiences. Ben's finding his footing away from his parents for the first time, which I feel deeply, having recently graduated from college. Max loves his family and home so much, similar to how I find strong senses of comfort and community here in the Treasure Valley. And Elsbeth's story resonates too, from mentorships-turned-friendships to first "grown-up" jobs. Kids worry about a lot of the same things adults do, and go through a lot of the same experiences, too. Children's literature recognizes those worries and experiences. It validates young readers, takes grown-ups back to their own childhoods... and invites us to remember that we aren't so different from kids after all.