Mercer County Library Blog

The Mercer County Library System Teen Advisory Board consists of passionate young individuals who work to curate social media posts, write zines, and share book reviews - all to engender a love for reading in the community. Meet Mohisha: active TAB member, athlete, violinist, and frequently immersed in realistic fiction novels. Enjoy her latest book review! “Some infinities are bigger than other infinities”: an idea encountered in The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. This novel features struggle, humor, and friendship in a story that not only appeals to the reader, but leaves them yearning for more. Seventeen-year-old cancer victim Hazel Grace lives with the constant reminder that her demise is soon to come. As Hazel often says, she has become her cancer - it has consumed her to the point where she waits upon her own death. Having been pulled out of school for quite some time, her social life is limited to the local Support Group she attends to please her parents. There, she meets t...

Here are some of the events and programs from around the Mercer County Library System for the month of July. For a complete list of events at your local branch, visit the MCLS Events Calendar . July Marks America's 250th and Keeps Summer Reading Going This July, MCLS branches celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence with film screenings, history talks, a jazz concert, and patriotic crafts. The 2026 Summer Reading Program: Unearth a Story continues all month, with the discovery of dinosaurs, fossils, archaeology, and ancient cultures. Join us for storytimes, author visits, book clubs, escape rooms, magic shows, and hands-on activities for all ages throughout the month. For Kids America 250 Birthday Bash Thursday, July 2, 3:00 pm Hickory Corner Branch America 250 Patriotic Suncatcher Thursday, July 2, 3:30 pm Ewing Branch Digging for Dinos Wednesday, July 8, 6:30 pm Robbinsville Branch Lenape Pottery Friday, July 10, 1:30 pm Ewing Branch Disney Sing-Along wi...

For as long as I can remember, my parents have been finding ways to give back to their community, from leading food and clothing drives to opening their own home to recently arrived refugees. When we were kids, they made sure to involve me and my brothers in this work whenever possible. My mom helped to start an after-school club at my elementary school called “Roving Readers,” where we would visit nursing homes and read to the seniors there. Each year, we would collect pledges from friends and family to join a CROP Hunger Walk , with the donated money going to fight hunger. Much of our family service work was done through our temple—we would bring tzedakah donations of money and canned goods to religious school each week. We hosted unhoused families at the temple on a rotating basis with other local religious institutions through the Interfaith Hospitality Network (now HOME of Somerset County ), and host families would take turns staying at the temple overnight with the guests and se...

Is something out there? Summer is here and with it comes the time for camping, s’mores, and spooky stories told around a campfire. One of my favorite genres of scary stories to listen to and read about is cryptids. Whether you believe in them or not, it can be fun to speculate. For those who are not familiar with the term, cryptids are creatures that have not been proven to exist, but numerous people claim to have seen them. Cryptid sightings have occurred all around the world and over the centuries, even though the term “cryptid” was only coined in the 1980s. Though cryptozoology is not recognized by mainstream science, cryptozoologists and others define cryptids as being animals that could possibly exist in nature. This means that their biology could align with known animals. This differentiates them from mythological creatures, gods/demons, spirits, and supernatural beings. Think Bigfoot, the chupacabra, and the Yeti. Popular culture and folklore often group these unknown creatures...

When I stepped into a new country and made the United States my home, little did I know that living overseas would bring challenges. The biggest challenge of them all: taking care of our parents and being so far away from them. Fast forward, as we settled abroad, our parents’ age caught up and they needed our help. While working in the library, I saw my coworkers rushing to their parent’s house, helping them out, and coming right back to work. For me, it’s a twenty-four-hour flight halfway across the world. Since my dad passed away, my mom was aging as the years went by and was unable to take care of herself all alone. Caregiving is a challenging role physically, emotionally and financially. Whether you need regular or occasional help, finding the right caregiver requires careful planning and research. I started noting my mom’s requirements and interviewed and sent emails to various organizations. Since she is in India, my work was more intense via emails and WhatsApp calls. Of cours...

Do you know what a parallel novel is? You may have heard it called a “re-imagining.” Typically, a parallel novel is a piece of fiction that takes place within or during another piece of fiction or tells a story derived from a separate piece of fiction. Parallel novels pay homage to the fiction they are borrowing from, as opposed to a parody whose purpose is to mock the original piece of fiction. What fascinates me about parallel novels is the conversation they open between old and new. Often, people who author parallel novels do it from the point of view of a minor character or even a maligned one. These novels force the audience to question whose story gets told and whose does not. One of the more popular parallel novels is Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Gregory Maguire is known for his re-imaginings of fairy tales. He has written novels of Cinderella ( Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister ) , Snow White ( Mirror, Mirror ), The Nutcracker...