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Doug - Community Library Supervisor

Just For the Halibut
I'm a pretty private person, with the emphasis on pretty.

Exceptional Non-Fiction Picture Books

Updated 3 years ago

There seems to be a veritable flood, rash, boom of very good picture books about real people and events. Each of the books on this list represents a striking representation of a striking individual such that their stories, and the amazing illustrations that go with them, make for a great way to learn right alongside your kids.

Star Wars Legends vs. the Disney Canon vs. the Best of Both Universes

Updated 4 years ago

When Disney bought Lucasfilm, they tossed all of the Legends lore that came after the films down the trash compactor, and, as you might expect, many fans were distraught. Since then bits and pieces of the novels have made their way into the Sequel trilogy and elsewhere. Here are some (but not all) of my favorites from Legends as well as the new Star Wars material brought to us by Disney. Are the ysalamiri canon? Will Mara Jade make it into the movies? Only a time long ago will tell.

From My Shelf at The Bent Page

Updated 4 years ago

A good friend opened a used bookstore in downtown Kennewick a while back and offered me a shelf to display book recommendations. I would always get a little thrill when he'd call and say, "Another one of your books sold," since it gave me an excuse to visit the store to select another favorite book to put in its place. These are some of those selections.

How It All Began (For Me, In Earnest)

Updated 5 years ago

I read a lot as a kid. A. Lot. I would finish a book and pick up the next right away (I remember reading many "The Baby-Sitters Club" books this way, I'm a bit embarassed to admit). Sure, I liked the books in junior high and high school, liked them very much, in fact (I named my son Holden, fer crissakes!).

It wasn't until Junior AP English when books (I'll go ahead and say literature), struck me as an essential source for insight and instruction, truth and beauty, and a powerful potential for shared experience. We read a bunch of books that year, and I loved every one (except the one I didn't read, shhhh). So, thanks Mr. Brown and Mr. Wright.

If you visit the library with a school-assigned reading list of the classics, I would be happy, thrilled, eager to go over it with you.

Picture Books to Read With Older Children (Perhaps)

Updated 5 years ago

Some of these contain a little more mature content. Some simply take longer to read. All, I think, are excellent.

Graphic Novels You May Have to Look For in Adult Fiction

Updated 5 years ago

Graphic novels, mostly of the superhero variety, are about the only books I seem to be able to get through these days. These are, for the most part, void of superheroes yet chock full of adventure, excitement, tragedy, and humor, all containing a terrific interplay between words and pictures.