Cici loves cooking with her A-ma (grandmother) in Taiwan; it makes her feel like she belongs. But when Cici’s family moves to America and away from A-ma, Cici suddenly feels out of place. She misses Taiwan, but especially misses her A-ma. Cici wants A-ma to visit, but A-ma cannot afford the plane ticket to America. When Cici sees a cooking contest for kids offered at a local store for a cash prize, she enters right away. But will the judges be interested in her Taiwanese cooking?
Think Library: Blog
March 12, 2021
We want to help you read 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten with your child! If you're interested in learning more, please contact an MCPL staff member. In the meantime, put these books on hold so you can get started right away!
March 10, 2021
Growing up as a young boy in the Indian state of Rajasthan, Sundar Paliwal experienced several difficult things such as hunger, poverty and the loss of his mother at a young age. He continues to look at his community as he grows up, gets married and eventually has his own two daughters and one son. He teaches his children about the beauty and importance of all living things. But Sundar’s community and land is being destroyed by mining companies, where he works.
March 5, 2021
February 17, 2021
Imagine you’re wearing your favorite shirt. You love this shirt because it makes you feel great! The material is just the right softness, the cut is perfectly loose and comfortable, and when you wear it, you are certain you are taller and more confident. This is a cool shirt!
February 10, 2021
Until Edie and her mom bought the B&B across the street, Alberta and her two dads were the only Black folks in their neighborhood. Surfer girl Alberta is thrilled to find out that she and the new girl are in the same grade, and expects to immediately be besties, despite how different they are in many ways.
Then, Edie discovers a box of old journals in the attic and recruits Al to help her figure out the mystery of who wrote them, leading to a shocking discovery!
February 2, 2021
What is Lunar New Year?
In Western countries, we celebrate the New Year on January 1, but in many Asian countries the traditional new year follows the cycles of the moon so they celebrate what we call "Lunar New Year" (sometimes also called "Chinese New Year") and it usually occurs in late January to early February.
January 22, 2021
January 18, 2021
This booklist features titles written about and by members of the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities. Stories of these communities’ experiences are significant because they allow children to see themselves in stories and know the person behind the words are similar to them. It means that not only is the story important, but also who tells that story.
January 8, 2021
January 6, 2021
This booklist features titles written by and about members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Stories of the LGBTQIA+ community's experiences are significant because they allow children to see themselves in stories, as well as find similarities with the author; it means that not only is the story important, but also who tells that story.
January 4, 2021
We can usually see the benefit of fairy godmothers’ gifts - after all, who wouldn’t like to be graced with the gift of wisdom, beauty, or humor? But what would happen if a fairy godmother gave the gift of being ordinary?
December 22, 2020
We are pleased to share that the Library is the recipient of two grants to support access to digital resources in Monroe County. The City of Bloomington Information & Technology Services Department has awarded the Library a Digital Equity Grant of $10,500, and the Wahl Family Charitable Trust has gifted the Library $5,300.
December 18, 2020
In 2020 we turned 200! Although our year-long birthday bash didn’t go exactly as planned, we still have many achievements to celebrate.
Bicentennial Staff Picks
December 15, 2020