In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, Assistant Library Manager at Varina Library and chair of the HCPL IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism) committee Cristina Ramirez has penned a special guest contribution to our blog. Please read on to discover how you can learn more about Latinx culture and history and the library, and how members of the Latinx community can engage with library resources.

Do you ever wish you were a character between the covers of your favorite fantasy book, ready to venture forth to experience swords and sorcery firsthand? With Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), one of the world's most popular tabletop role-playing games, you have that chance! Read on for more information about D&D and how to play along at the library, plus some recommended books for beginners and long-time fans of the game!

For the second year in a row, we will feature a family-friendly Spooky Storyline this October. Not-too-scary stories guaranteed to give little ones a slight fright will be available every Wednesday from September 29 to October 27. Read on for details!

Designed to provide an authentic open mic experience for local writers wishing to read their poems in a public setting, our new virtual program series “From the Page to the Mic” is kicking off this month! Join library staff and local poet and writer Kristina Hamlett on Saturday afternoons in September, October, and November for the opportunity to present poetry and hear the work of both novice and veteran poets read out loud.

Summer is almost over but there is still time to finish a book or two before school starts. Celebrate the end of summer at one of our finale events and be sure to browse the shelves for some last minute vacation reads while you are here.

The Friends of Henrico County Public Library support library programs and services, and are the primary sponsors of All Henrico Reads, our annual author event (coming up April 2 with author Robin Sloan!). The Friends support Summer Reading, host author visits and book signings, purchase book sets for book discussion groups, assist the library with grant-funded programs, provide toys for young people to learn through play at the library, and raise funds to support these and other activities. Friends make the library a better place. If you love the library, consider joining the Friends!

From all of us at the library, we would like to give a resounding Thank You! to all who read and learned with us during Summer Reading. Together we logged tons of books, shared lots of great book reviews, attended library programs, and completed learning activities all summer long. Read on to get some final Summer Reading stats and check back as we announce grand prize winners.

If you’re looking for a mature protagonist in your next read – someone in their golden years who may (or may not!) be ready to retire – then you may want to check out the following books. Romance, friendship, murder, mayhem, and creativity are on offer in these stories featuring older adults.

Unicorns are legendary creatures, described since antiquity as beasts with a single, large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. They appear in fairy tales from around the world, but interestingly are not found in Greek mythology – because the ancient Greek writers of natural history were convinced of unicorns’ reality, believing that they lived in India, a “distant and fabulous realm.” And don’t forget their mythical beast cousins, dragons. These legends also cross cultures and time periods. Described as a combination of bird, cat and snake, the eastern myths attribute dragons with high intelligence but no wings. The west’s versions typically include wings and fire breathing. Sample some of our favorite fairy tales and myths in Picture Book, Beginning Reader, and Chapter Book format to determine which you prefer!