Romeo and Juliet. Heloise and Abelard. Anna Karenina and Vronsky. Some of the most stirring romances in history and fiction walk the tightrope between tradition and modernity, duty and passion, family and society, self and other. These fantastic romances ask the question: can you be remain connected to your family AND follow your heart? Keep reading to find your next romantic read.

There is so much for a child to learn about the world around them, and their best tools are movement and play. Movement and play support motor development while simultaneously encouraging curiosity- and are the pillars of the fourth principle of the Basics.

Spring is here, which for many people means gardening! Gardening offers benefits not only for people and communities but for the earth, animals, and insects, too. Gardening can mean much more than just reaping a harvest; it can provide health and well-being for everyone and everything involved! Explore the following titles to learn more about the positive impacts of gardening.

We have a bunch of fun programs coming up this April! Test your knowledge at one of our trivia nights, learn about the weather with hands-on experiments, or learn to create audio recordings for music, podcasts, and more. Here are just some of the awesome events coming up this month.

The arrival of spring brings a refreshing feeling of renewal, inspiring more than just a traditional spring cleaning. With new warmth and new life blooming outside, invite new and exciting dishes into your home during mealtimes with some of our favorite international cookbooks.

Read + Review is fun way to earn community service hours while sharing your opinions on the books you’ve loved recently. Students in grades 6-12 can submit reviews of new titles from the library’s YA collections and we’ll share it online!

Bridgerton made quite a splash this winter with its colorful interpretations of Regency dress! Costuming and cosplay, inspired by books, television shows, movies, or even a fantastic podcast, are fun ways to enjoy your favorite media, interact with other fans, and exercise your creativity. We’ve pulled together a list of some of our favorite resources to help you create the costume of your dreams.

Author talks can be a fascinating way to learn more about the ideas, research, and inspiration behind your favorite books. Every spring, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities brings authors and readers together to promote and celebrate books, reading, literacy, and literary culture -- this year in virtual form! There are panels, discussions, and interactive workshops for readers of all ages, and HCPL offers many of the featured books. Check out the full schedule on their website and peruse selected titles below.

Picture books are more than colorful images paired with words. Great picture books insist that the reader and the listener actively play and talk. Learning is made dynamic when you add dancing, imagination, and verbal responses. Movement makes literacy fun!