This week is National Library Week. What a great time to celebrate all things library-related! Libraries have been a favorite place of mine for as long as I can remember. To help you celebrate National Library Week, I have five books to share with you. Each of them made me think of the happiness I feel related to libraries or books, and how glad I am that books and libraries exist. I'm So Happy You're Here Written by Mychal Threets Illustrated by Lorraine Nam New York : Random House Books for Young Readers, 2026. Picture Book. I love the title of this book! Librarians really are so happy to see all of our patrons come through the doors. We love helping them find books and games, get access to the computers, as well as searching for information or taking care of printing needs. This book does a great job expressing the joy that patrons and librarians feel. Everyone has a place at the library, and this book truly reflects that concept. The illustrator used gorgeous vibrant colo...
The Queen of Chess Written by Laurie Wallmark Illustrated by Stevie Lewis New York: Little Bee Books, 2023. Biography. " The queen of chess, Judit Polgar, dazzled the world as a prodigy, winning tournaments, gold medals, and defeating eleven world champions, including Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen. At her peak, Judit was rated the eighth best chess player in the world." --Publisher May the Best Player Win By Kyla Zhao New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2024. Fiction. 225 pages. " When twelve-year-old chess player May Li wins an award for being the top female player at the state championship, the boys on her team question her skills, so May makes a bet with a teammate that she can earn the board-one spot at nationals and become team captain." --Publisher Chess Club: The Winning Move By Rebecca Donnelly New York: Farrar Straus Giroux for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 204 pages. "Twists, turns, and surprises await four friends as they form t...