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Northeast Regional Library Blog

American Democracy is Fracturing. Libraries Say They Know How to Help

American Democracy is Fracturing. Libraries Say They Know How to Help Don’t mess with libraries. One economist learned that lesson the hard way in July after posting a story on Forbes arguing that Amazon should replace local libraries to save taxpayers money. The collective outrage of librarians and Twitter was so great that Forbes deleted the story from its site. The passionate defenders of libraries aren’t just up in arms about books. They say that in Read more…

By External Source, ago

The ‘Addams Family’ Began As A Newspaper Cartoon

It’s that time of year when we love digging into everything that’s “altogether ooky.” (Raise your hand if you’ve already got the finger-snapping theme song from the original Addams Family television series in your head right now!) Before the various movies and animated series, John Astin and his cast mates brought the iconic family to life on our TV screens. And while it’s always great to come across the episodes airing as reruns nowadays, but Read more…

By External Source, ago
The 'Addams Family' Began As A Newspaper Cartoon
How A Teenage Girl Became the Mother of Horror

How A Teenage Girl Became the Mother of Horror

How A Teenage Girl Became the Mother of Horror Mary Shelley combined science and the supernatural to write Frankenstein, the world’s first science-fiction novel. Born on a dark and stormy night, Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus is a true masterpiece of terror that began as a fireside ghost story and grew into a worldwide phenomenon. Its teenage author, the future Mary Shelley, drew upon her nightmares to come up with a story as challenging as it is chilling. Read more…

By External Source, ago

The Best Halloween Books

The Best Halloween Books This is a list of the best books that are 1) about Halloween itself and/or 2) take place during Halloween. 1. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury 2. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury 3. Dracula by Bram Stoker 4. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley – You can read more about Mary Shelley on our blog! 5. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Scary Stories, #1) by Alvin Schwartz Read more…

By External Source, ago

7 Must-Read Children’s Halloween Books

7 Must-Read Children’s Halloween Books These picture books about Halloween will delight your kids without frightening them. Halloween is a huge deal at my house. My kids love dressing up year-round, and the combination of dressing up and free candy is almost too much for them to handle. I like Halloween too, but I like how much my kids crave reading about it even more. I use their excitement about Halloween to make reading that Read more…

By External Source, ago

When is Your Kid Ready for Harry Potter? A Guide for Getting Started

When is Your Kid Ready for Harry Potter? A Guide for Getting Started “You’re a wizard, Harry.” As a bibliophile and a parent, you’re so eager for the day your kid is ready to read those words and enter the wizarding world of Harry Potter. But along with fanciful components like letter-delivering owls, chocolate frogs, a hidden train platform, and an enchanted Sorting Hat, come darker elements, like an orphaned and neglected child, beloved characters’ Read more…

By External Source, ago

The Hilarious History of ‘OK’

The English Language’s Most Successful Export Is A Joke Here’s a quiz: let’s say you’re setting off to see the world and aside from please and thank you in a smattering of languages you pretty much only know English. What is the one word that most of the people you encounter will also know? That’s right. It’s OK. Yep. It’s very probably the most widely recognized word in the world. And its origin story is literally a joke. The definitive Read more…

By External Source, ago

August’s Best New Fiction

August’s Best New Fiction This month’s best new work includes the second book of the Half-Drowned King Viking fantasy trilogy, a portrait of a Midwest town in decline, a debut roman à clef by an Iraq veteran currently imprisoned for bank robbery, and a historical about the Black Plague. And for lighter, contemporary reads, enjoy a sorority-set drama, a romance in Paris gone wrong, and an octogenarian-led cozy mystery.  The Masterpiece, by Fiona Davis In 1928, Clara Read more…

By External Source, ago

Recommended ‘Shark Week’ Reading

Recommended ‘Shark Week’ Reading What danger lies beneath the ocean waves? Luckily for us readers, this question has consumed both novelists and nonfiction writers alike for ages. So, just in time for the annual Shark Week (the Discovery Channel’s eight days of all things shark-related), we’ve rounded up some great books on the creatures of the sea.  Nonfiction Peeks at Creatures of the Deep Fictional Fears That Keep You On Shore Some Chum for the Kids Discovery Read more…

By Library Staff, ago