Mercer County Library Blog

Tips for reading aloud with your kids by Matheson Westlake, West Windsor Branch Broad Kid Appeal Whether all your kids are eager to cuddle up on the couch and read over your shoulder, or you’re appealing to a mix of attention spans and interest levels, your best bet is to read a story that can capture everyone’s imagination. Position yourself strategically in a roomy spot within earshot of any reluctant readers. Even if they appear to be only half-listening, the right book may draw them closer. The five titles listed below are geared toward independent readers age 8-12, but when read aloud, they may be enjoyed by children as young as 5 (or even college students home for the summer). Cliffhangers Episodic adventures that alternate everyday choices with high-stakes action keep readers guessing. Short chapters that end with a tiger leaping at the main character, or a bear chasing a robot off a cliff, will leave your audience wanting more. (Admit it, you’re already wondering how the ro...

It isn’t often I can say a renowned figure’s unfortunate passing has made me think of a movie, but with the passing of Pope Francis, the Vatican will need to move through the process of selecting a new head of the Catholic Church. What should I do if I want to find out more about this highly secretive, age-old process? Watch the movie Conclave of course, or, even better, read the novel. I’m a firm believer that if a film was based on a book, you ought to read the book first, just to know what you’re really getting into. Conclave will be the nth in a long list of book-to-movie adaptations on my list, and it hopefully won’t be the last. Experiencing the changes a story goes through when adapted for the big screen can be extremely interesting, engaging, or downright awful and upsetting. Books have been turned into movies and shows for decades. Some stories, like Sherlock Holmes and A Christmas Carol, have been turned into several television shows and movies, spanning a little more t...

When I was younger, I often complained that I didn’t like salad. It wasn't the salad itself that bothered me—I would happily pick out carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and my personal favorite, olives, and eat them. It was the lettuce that I objected to; it just seemed so bland. As a child, we always had iceberg, and it wasn't until I was well into adulthood that I discovered there are different types of lettuce! It took me longer than it should have to start experimenting with salads. Over the past few years, I’ve really enjoyed mixing arugula and spinach. One of my quick lunch favorites is toasted naan topped with ricotta cheese, red onion, and a spring mix. I absolutely love a good steak salad on flatbread. My current go-to salad features a spinach and arugula base with cucumbers, red onion, fresh mozzarella, olives, apples, pecans, and grilled chicken. I also recently discovered that whisking a little hot honey into my store-bought balsamic dressing enhances the flavor and adds...

You can learn a lot about a person from the music that resonates with them, so I thought for my first ever blog post it would be fun to introduce myself through the songs that have made me who I am. Where applicable, you will find the link to the album/film you can check out from the library to experience these songs yourself. Happy listening! ATWA - System of a Down Starting off the list strong with a song I’ve listened to practically every day for almost a decade. Sounds far-fetched? I’ve been using it as my alarm ringtone since 2015! The gentle opening of the song makes for a not-so-jarring awakening, and at this point I don’t think I’ll ever be able to change it since my brain is so used to associating it with being time to wake up. I think this is a good introductory song if you want to try out listening to System of a Down. They have some really off the wall songs, and this is one of their more approachable. A bit ironic, considering the title is a reference to Charles Manson...

On September 12 th of this year (2025), we will be getting another Stephen King movie adaptation, The Long Walk. The Long Walk is based on King’s 1979 novel of the same name . Also, last year (2024) was the 50 th anniversary of Stephen King’s first novel, Carrie (though not his first published story, that would be the short story “The Glass Floor” in Startling Mystery Stories  in 1967). Carrie would be the start of a long and prolific career that continues to this day. However, Stephen is not the only person in the King family to write for a living. Both of Stephen King’s sons, Joe Hill and Owen King, have writing careers of their own, although neither has written as much as their father…yet. As mentioned, Stephen King’s first published novel was Carrie , a work he almost threw away after writing a few pages, but was rescued by his wife Tabitha, who encouraged him to finish the novel. The success of Carrie enabled King to quit his job as a high school English teacher and de...

The other day I went for a walk in Washington Crossing State Park. There is quite a bit going on there in preparation for the celebration of the 250 th anniversary of the founding of the United States – the Latin word is Semiquincentennial (or Bisesquicentennial, the Sestercentennial, America250 or the Quarter Millennium). Looking back to the last big anniversary, I have to admit that Bicentennial was way easier to say! There are construction and restoration projects going on – so some parts of the park are not as peaceful as they usually are. The construction is for a new Museum and Visitor’s Center and the landscape restoration is in response to the damage caused by ash borers. Washington Crossing’s paved loop road is my go-to hike when I want a walk, but it’s been rainy and I just don’t want to slog thru a muddy trail. The paved loop road is a good option – it’s got hills and scenery and history. Sometimes I like to hike across the bridge into Pennsylvania, but the pedestrian br...

If a book has magic, dragons, and dangerous adventures, I’m probably going to read it. Something about fantasy has simply always appealed to me. I love jumping into new worlds and immersing myself in new magic systems, flying on the backs of dragons, and going on thrilling adventures. Here are some of my top Fantasy book recommendations: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones Jones’s writing has always been cozy and charming to me, long before cozy fantasies were a buzzword in the literary world. Howl’s Moving Castle follows Sophie, the eldest of three daughters who has already resigned herself to a spinster’s life working in her father’s hat shop, until the day she’s cursed by the Witch of the Waste and has to seek help breaking the curse before her family starts to worry. The best option is the Great Wizard Howl and his mysterious moving castle. She hires herself as his new cleaning lady and learns not only about the curse put on her, but secrets about herself as well. The ...