Escape the late summer doldrums by reading some great books in translation. Reading books originally written in other languages can provide insight to experiences that were previously unavailable to English speaking readers. Explore the wide world of literature with these excellent translated works.

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. The American Academy of Ophthalmology reminds everyone to schedule a routine eye exam to have your children fitted with the correct prescription or protection, depending on their needs. Although starting to wear glasses is disconcerting to some children, remember that many of our favorite book characters wear glasses!

Movies and soundtracks are like two peas in a pod, but we’d argue that books and music make a great pair too! What better way to amplify the environment, characters and mood of a story than listening to music while reading? Below you’ll find our picks for YA book and music pairings.

As a genre, fantasy has a little something for everyone… urban fantasy for a grittier experience, high fantasy for purists, portal fantasy for the adventurous, and more. In times of stress, fantasy can capture your attention, allowing you to escape into the story. From sentient cities to time traveling romance to magically enhanced Kung Fu, the titles below are a diverse offering of delights for adult readers.

Children begin to understand the concept of money early in age. They are showered with clothes, toys, and money from birth. How did all this stuff even get here? A trip to the store is the perfect time to introduce the idea of money, that things cost a certain amount, and that you have to pay for the things you want. Here are some books to help.

Makerspaces have popped up all over the world in libraries, museums, and on school campuses. Why not have a Makerspace in your own living space? Makerspaces can fuel innovation, critical thinking skills, and problem solving for teens. Depending on the space you have available at home, you can create a pop-up, temporary makerspace, or a dedicated area. What’s most important is having an environment to be creative.

A good book can feature a journey to a distant land, an impossible reality, or sometimes, stories within a story. Authors often include or invent books of great power and importance within their imagined worlds. Our teen librarians created this list of some of their favorite books about books for teens.

Many books have been made into fabulous film adaptations. So what is the best option… read it and then watch it? Watch it and then read it? The choice is for you and your family to make. You could even listen to the audiobook first. Here are some of our favorite book and film pairings for you to discover (or rediscover) beloved characters in literature.

Increased diversity in children’s literature has been a welcome and growing phenomenon over the past few years. Thanks to the work of organizations like We Need Diverse Books- a non-profit started in 2014 by a diverse group of children’s and YA authors including Virginia residents Meg Medina and Lamar Giles- more children’s books have been written and published featuring a wide variety of racially, ethnically, ability and gender diverse characters, allowing all children to see themselves and their experiences within the books they read. Here are some of our favorites.