Themed Bookshelves

The most popular Summer Olympic sports include artistic gymnastics, swimming, diving, rhythmic gymnastics, basketball, cycling, football (soccer), tennis and volleyball. Get ready for the Summer Olympics with these great books about the Summer Olympics and Olympians! Read More

Lis Hartel was only 23 years old in 1944 when polio left her paralyzed from the knees down. Determined to still compete as an equestrian, Lis taught herself to ride again. In 1952, she earned a silver medal in dressage at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki – the very first year women were welcome to compete at the Olympic Games, and eight years before the first Paralympics (the largest international sports competition for athletes with disabilities) was held in 1960. Celebrate National I Love Horses Day 2024 with these great nonfiction books about horses and riders, including Jubilee: The First Therapy Horse and an Olympic Dream!   Read More

Dolly Parton began singing professionally at age 10, and has gone on to write and perform almost 3,000 songs. Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Dolly founded the Imagination Library to give books to children ages 0-5 years. Since 1995, the Imagination Library has gifted more than 200,000,000 books to children! In honor of World Music Day 2024, learn more about musicians like Dolly Parton by checking out these great books: Read More

Learn about the meaning behind the other colors of the Pride flag and celebrate Pride Month 2024 with these great titles about important moments and people in LGBTQ history. Read More

The six major animal habitats include – forest, grassland, desert, mountain, polar region and aquatic (oceans and freshwater). To celebrate National Zoo and Aquarium Month 2024, learn more about animals and animal habitats with these great books: Read More

All tortoises are turtles. But not all turtles are tortoises! Tortoises like to live on land, while most turtles like to live in water as well as on land. Tortoises are shaped a little differently than most turtles, because they have thicker back legs and shells that are dome-shaped. And tortoises are herbivores (vegetarians) while most turtles are omnivores – they eat both plants and animals.  Celebrate World Turtle Day 2024 with these wonderful books about turtles (including tortoises) and other reptiles! Read More

Exercise not only releases tension in our muscles, it can also help relax our minds, by releasing endorphins that trigger positive feelings, and regulating cortisol levels that help us respond to stress. In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month 2024, enjoy these inspiring stories centered around our feelings. Read More

In celebration of National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2024 enjoy these inspiring stories about Yo-Yo Ma, Chloe Kim, Ellison Onizuka and more. Read More

You may have heard about teen activist Greta Thunburg and her work to help stop climate change, but have you met Autumn Peltier or Jadav Payeng? Learn how you, too, can make a difference! Read More

A haiku is a form of Japanese poetry frequently written in three lines – the first and third lines often have five syllables, while the second line has seven. Another type of poetry (much longer than a haiku) is a novel in verse – a multi-paged story told in poetry instead of prose. Enjoy some beautiful poetry – from shorter poems in picture books such as Like So, to longer novels in verse like Louder Than Hunger – to celebrate National Poetry Month! Read More