Helen Plum Library

"Celebrating the culture and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community, this vibrant picture book shows young readers that there are many ways to show your pride and make a difference"--

"This funny and informative picture book tells the story of Joseph Bazalgette, a 19th century engineer who designed London's first comprehensive sewage system. In doing so, he saved thousands of lives from cholera outbreaks that regularly plagued the city. This STEM-focused story provides a window into the past and shows how one invention went on to affect generations to come--and teaches kids how they can prevent pollution in their own neighborhoods...

"If you can find a worm, then you can be a biologist! Foster a love of animals and science with this charming manual for finding and observing earthworms. Hands-on experiments help young zoologists answer questions like "Which end is which?" and "Do worms make noise?" Insider tips encourage readers to think like a scientist and handle living things with care. Equal parts activity book and picture book, This Is a Book to Read with a Worm is just as...

"Earth is our home, but do we really know about this planet? Quite a lot! We know how the Earth came to be the planet we live on, how oxygen made it possible for life to develop, and how the climate is changing in ways that affect everyone and everything. In The Earth: One-of-a-Kind Planet, the narrator, who just happens to be the Universe, explains where Earth is located in the solar system, how life evolved on Earth, and more. Universe uses a friendly,...

"Few punctuation marks elicit quite as much love or hate as the exclamation point. It's bubbly and exuberant, an emotional amplifier whose flamboyantly dramatic gesture lets the reader know: here be feelings! Scott Fitzgerald famously stated exclamation points are like laughing at your own joke; Terry Pratchett had a Discworld character say that multiple !!! are a 'sure sign of a diseased mind'. So what's the deal with ! ? AN ADMIRABLE POINT recuperates...

"The Emmy-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent chronicles his year traveling to every one of our National Parks, discovering the most beautiful places and most interesting people that America has to offer. When Conor Knighton decided to spend a year wandering through America's "best idea," he was worried the whole thing might end up being his worst idea. But after a broken engagement and a broken heart, Conor desperately needed a change of scenery....

Combining memoir, social criticism, and research, the author explores what it means to be solitary and celebrates the notion, common in his Roman Catholic childhood, that solitude is a legitimate and dignified calling. Delves into the lives and works of nearly a dozen iconic "solitaries," including Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, Bill Cunningham, Cézanne, and Zora Neale Hurston "A meditation on solitude as a font of creativity and spirituality. Known...

"When winter comes, animals seem to know just what to do. From frogs to deer to dragonflies, whether they're hiding, seeking or simply staying put, many animals have found ingenious ways to survive the cold. In this poetic exploration of just how they do that, expressive text and non-fiction sidebars seamlessly combine to carry young readers through late fall to early spring. Readers learn about all the different kinds of hibernation, how animals...

"Bill Buford turns his inimitable attention from Italian cuisine to the food of France. Baffled by the language, but convinced that he can master the art of French cooking - or at least get to the bottom of why it is so revered - he begins what becomes a five-year odyssey by shadowing the esteemed French chef, Michel Richard, in Washington, D.C. But when Buford (quickly) realizes that a stage in France is necessary, he goes--this time with his wife...

Butterflies are not just the gentle, lovely creatures you think they are. Be prepared-- the truth will gross you out!