Themed Bookshelves

In 1902, the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was on a hunting trip in Mississippi, when he refused to shoot a bear. The owner of a candy store in Brooklyn, New York, named Morris Michtom, read about the incident, and he and his wife, Rose, created a stuffed bear in his honor – Teddy’s Bear. In honor of National Teddy Bear Day 2024, learn more about bears (and about President Teddy Roosevelt)! Read More

Children all over the world typically go back to school following their summer holidays. This means that school starts in August or September in the Northern Hemisphere, and January or February in the Southern Hemisphere. But even though many kids start school at the same time, what it means to go back to school may be very different. To celebrate Back to School Month 2024, here are some great books about different ways kids experience going back to school! Read More

Danish author Hans Christian Anderson wrote the fairytale, The Little Mermaid, almost 200 years ago. In 1913, a statue was placed along the beach in Copenhagen, Denmark, to celebrate the well-known story and its author. And today, the statue of The Little Mermaid is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Denmark. Celebrate National Beach Day 2024 with these stories about mermaids! Read More

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