Plymouth Librarians' Choice

Run Jump Hide Slide Splash

Youth Nonfiction – Lower Level – J796 R

Summer fun, here you come! You’ll be having a great time rather than sitting around bored with this book of 200 fabulously fun outdoor games. From Amoeba Tag to Water Hoops, you’re sure to find games just right for you and your friends. The games are in alphabetical order, but the index also groups them by type – tag games, water games, numbers of players needed and so on. Each game includes a photo of kids playing the game, a list of what you need and instructions. You won’t want to stay inside long enough to pick a game!

Families by Susan Kuklin
Youth Nonfiction – Lower Level – J306.85 K

This beautiful nonfiction picture book is just the ticket for children curious about families. Kuklin interviews New York children ages 4 to 14 from a multitude of backgrounds and photographs their families. The children tell us in their own words what they don’t like but mostly like about their family and their siblings. The families are lots of different colors and mixed; different religions; with two-parent, divorced and single parents, and adopted, only, and multiple siblinged children. The kids are charmingly passionate about their families, and the pictures (staged by the kids) tell a lot about the families. They include meaningful pictures from family photo albums, too, of grandparents or parents when they were young. Each family is a double spread, with large pictures and a fair amount of text. Probably a third or fourth grader could read it independently, and a couple years younger would enjoy it as a read-aloud. This is amazing collage of real, loving families from the kids’ point of view.

Fight On! : Mary Church Terrell’s Battle for Integration
by Dennis Brindell Fradin and Judith Bloom Fradin
Youth Biography – Lower Level – Terrell

Fight On! : Mary Church Terrell’s Battle for Integration is an exemplary biography with infinite details of this fascinating woman’s life. Sprinkled throughout the text are photographs of Mary, her family, her people, and her times.

Mary Church Terrell is an inspirational person. She was born in 1863 as the racially mixed daughter of former slaves. Mary was lucky in the sense that her father was quite wealthy, and she had many privileges such as getting a great education. Still she faced what many black Americans faced during her life—racism and unfair treatment. Mary dedicated much of her life to fighting unfair treatment of black Americans and one of her greatest accomplishments was helping to get Washington D.C. area restaurants to serve both white and black citizens in the 1950s. Mary was a renowned speaker around the world who always spoke for the rights of her people at a time when the civil rights movement was truly gaining ground. Wife, mother, teacher, speaker, and activist, Mary Church Terrell is a great example of an American who pursued her passions and made the world a better place!

Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures by George Sullivan.
New Book Shelves – Lower Level – JBIO KELLER

There have been many biographies written about the humanitarian Hellen Keller. She is a woman of great inspiration given the fact that she was blind and deaf by the age of two years and yet was still able to lead an amazingly productive and accomplished life.

Helen Keller: Her Life in Pictures by George Sullivan is a simple and beautiful biography about this amazing woman who went to college, wrote books, and helped countless millions with disabilities. The book opens with a foreword written by Helen’s great-grandniece, Keller Johnson Thompson, and braille is used to show letters and numbers throughout the text. The story tells about Helen’s early years, her bond with Annie Sullivan, and all of her accomplishments until death. Sprinkled throughout the simple paragraphs are lovely black and white photographs of Helen, her family and friends, and their adventures together. Helen Keller is a true American hero, and a person that all people, especially the young, should learn about in life.

Nacho and Lolita by Pam Muñoz Ryan.
Youth Nonfiction– Lower Level – j398.20972R

Despite their differences, Nacho, a beautiful, rare bird settles at a Mission in California, and befriends Lolita, a migratory sparrow. As time passes, Nacho realizes that he must part with Lolita, as he is unable to migrate. With high hopes of seeing Lolita again, Nacho forfeits his own beauty by releasing his magical, colorful feathers throughout the bland countryside to create a vibrant landscape so that the sparrows might return next year. A story of love and friendship, separation and longing, this story shows that having people (or birds) in one’s life far outweighs having everything, yet no-one.