Celebrating Pride Month

Celebrating Pride Month

by | May 31, 2024 | Books, Children & Families, Collection Materials, LGBTQ2S+

The Huron County Library is celebrating Pride Month by sharing valuable resources, participating in community events, and hosting activities in our branches.

Here is a round-up of what’s happening throughout June:

Huron County Pride Outreach: The Huron County Library is popping up at this year’s Huron County Pride Festival! Find us on the Square in downtown Goderich on Saturday, June 8, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and take in the amazing activities happening throughout the day!

Pride Hikes: Celebrate diverse voices, get active on Huron County’s trails, win Pride-themed prizes and more! Participate in the Celebrating Diverse Voices Scavenger Hunt on the Bayfield Heritage Trail from June 9-30. Or, explore any one of Huron’s beautiful hiking trails through June. Hikers participating in either option can earn an entry to win a Pride-themed prize pack! Learn how to participate here.

LGBTQ2S+ Resources for young people and their families: Library staff have put together a valuable resource guide to support young people and their families. The guide features links to online resources, books from our collection, local supports, and more.

Book Raffle: The Library is raffling off 10 LGBTQ2S+ books for a variety of ages (picture books, junior fiction, young adult, adult fiction, and adult non-fiction). Find ballots throughout the month of June at all 12 branches or visit us at the Huron Pride Festival.

Pride Panel Discussion: Join us on Thursday, June 20 from 6:30-8 p.m., for a virtual discussion to learn about what Drag is and why it has been targeted as a perceived threat. Our panelists are Curtis Campbell, author of Dragging Mason County, a Young Adult novel about a drag show at a small town high school; and Miss Lita, who is a drag performer who has performed at several drag story time library programs that have attracted protestors. Goderich Branch is also hosting a watch party if you would like to bring your friends together to join the conversation! Registration required. 

LGBTQ2S+ Youth Social Connections Craft Night: To celebrate pride, the LGBTQ2S+ youth social connections crew are inviting everyone to their craft night on Monday, June 24, 5-8 p.m. at the Goderich Branch. LGBTQ2S+ Youth Social Connections is a community-led program for youth ages 16-25 held the last Monday of each month at the Goderich Branch. This is a great opportunity to have fun with peers, to meet new friends and to engage in discussions around topics that could include sexuality, identity, homophobia, and personal experiences. Registration required.

Drop-in Button Making @ Exeter Branch: Celebrate Pride Month by joining us at the Exeter Branch every Friday in June for button making! This is a drop-in program and available during regular branch hours, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. No registration is necessary.

Rainbow Storytime @ Exeter Branch: Drop into the Exeter Branch Friday, June 7, 2-3 p.m., for Rainbow Storytime featuring LGBTQ2S+ themed stories and songs! No registration required.

Friendship Bracelets @ Exeter Branch: Join us Saturday, June 29, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Exeter Branch  to make a rainbow, pronoun, or flag-themed friendship bracelet! No registration required.

Mental Health Awareness Month Reading Recommendations

Mental Health Awareness Month Reading Recommendations

by | May 15, 2024 | Collection Materials, Readers' Advisory

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and staff have compiled a great list of recent reads that highlight ways to check in on your mental health or to read about other people who are also struggling. Above all remember it’s okay to not be okay and there’s no shame in asking for help!

A staff-created list with even more of our favorites can be found on our online catalogue. And for those interested, there is also an excellent curated Family Guide to Mental Health resources that can be accessed also be accessed through our online catalogue.

Book cover image of Everyone But Myself

Memoir: Everyone But Myself by Julie Chavez

Like so many mothers, Julie Chavez ran herself ragged trying to meet the needs of everyone else, until an unexpected panic attack forced her to find a new way. Funny, deeply honest, and inspiring for readers feeling overwhelmed in their own lives, this memoir reads like a best friend sharing how she pulled herself back to solid ground while embracing chaos along the way.

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Your Pocket Therapist

Non-Fiction: Your Pocket Therapist: Break Free from Old Patterns and Transform Your Life by Annie Zimmerman

From psychotherapist and TikTok personality Dr. Annie Zimmerman comes a toolkit to transform yourself and your relationships, with advice on how to heal past trauma, build sustainable connections, and take ownership of your mental health.

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of The Anxious Generation

Non-Fiction: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

In this book social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time in the 2010s. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults and presents a plan for a freer, healthier childhood.

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of At First Spite

Fiction: At First Spite by Olivia Dade

On the surface this is just another enemies to lovers small town romance from best-selling author Olivia Dade but in actuality there is a very relatable and exceptional mental health representation woven into the story. Our main character, Athena gets dumped at the alter and finds herself jobless at the same time, falling into a deep depression that only the man next door notices. With his help, she is able to embrace therapy and medication to manage her depression, finding an unexpected love along the way.

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Where to Start

YA Non-fiction: Where to Start: A Survivial Guide to Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mental Health Challenges compiled by Mental Health America

A resource specifically written for teens struggling emotionally and looking for help, from the nation’s leading community-based non-profit that addresses the needs of those living with mental illness.

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Absolutely Normal

YA Short Stories: Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories that Smash Mental Health Stereotypes

This collection of 16 short stories, while fictional, were all carefully chosen based on the contributing authors’ own experiences related to mental health challenges either as a lived experience or similar experience that is noted in the introduction by the editors. The stories cover a range of mental health conditions from OCD and PTSD to anxiety and the rarely discussed premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Each author also wrote a note that appears after their story to share their personal connection – a personal touch that gives each story extra weight and strengthens the collection as a whole.

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Stay with my heart

YA Fiction: Stay With My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan

A South Asian American teen girl grapples with anxiety and depression following her high school graduation and mother’s recent death. Struggling in the face of her father’s absenteeism and neglect, Liana tries to please him by focusing on her new internship at his Music Recording company only to find herself getting tangled up with an aspiring band and its friendly, yet complex members.

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Buzzing

Middle Grade Graphic Novel: Buzzing by Samuel Sattin; Illustrated by Rye Hickman

An excellent #ownvoices middle grade graphic novel about Isaac, a young neurodivergent boy struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and negative self thoughts. When the strict therapy his mother insists on doesn’t seem to be working, Isaac finds solace in a group of friends who invite him to join their after-school role-playing game Not long after the thoughts in his head start to feel a little less loud and the world feels a little brighter. This is a must-read with multi-dimensional therapy representation and beautiful illustrations.

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image of Louder Than Hunger

Middle Grade Novel-In-Verse: Louder than Hunger by John Schu

Revered teacher, librarian, and story ambassador, John Schu explores anorexia—and self-expression as an act of survival—in a wrenching and transformative novel-in-verse story. This fictionalized account of the author’s experiences and emotions living in residential treatment facilities as a young teen with an eating disorder, Louder than Hunger is a triumph of raw honesty. With a deeply personal afterword for context, this book is a powerful model for muffling the destructive voices inside, managing and articulating pain, and embracing self-acceptance, support, and love.

Place a hold online…

 

Book cover image Deep Water

Middle Grade Novel-In-Verse: Deep Water by Jamie Sumner

Previously highlighted in our Middle Grade Fiction recommendation guide, this latest novel-in-verse story from author Jamie Sumner is a great look at a young girl struggling to cope with an absentee parent trying to deal with their own depression.

Place a hold online…

Book cover image of Marley's Pride

Picture Book: Marley’s Pride by Joëlle Retener; illustrated by DeAnn Wiley

Marley is a little nonbinary kid with big anxieties. Crowds? Pass. Loud noises? No, thanks. When their Zaza is up for an award at Pride, they want to go to the parade for the first time with their beloved grandparent. But can Marley overcome their fears? Highlighting the joyful experiences of a queer Black family finding community at Pride, this story features back matter about the history of Pride, a glossary of LGBTQ+ terms, and a list of resources. 

Place a hold online…

Star Wars Day – Goderich

Star Wars Day – Goderich

by | Apr 13, 2024

May the Fourth Be With You! To celebrate Star Wars Day, drop by the Goderich Branch for a variety of Star Wars inspired games and activities! Costumes welcome!

Schedule of events:

  • All day activities: Scavenger Hunt, Design Your Own Ewok, Beanbag Battle, Create a Character, Photo Opportunities, and more!
  • 11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Stormtrooper Shootout
  • 2-3 p.m.: Switch Speeder Race

 

Q&A with Author Calyssa Erb

Q&A with Author Calyssa Erb

by | Apr 8, 2024 | Author Talk

Ahead of the upcoming Author Talk with Calyssa Erb, Huron County Library branch assistant Shannon O’Connor connects with the author to discuss her book, Maya Plays the Part, the journey to publication, what inspired her to feature an autistic female main character, and more!

What inspired you to write a middle school book featuring an autistic female main character?

I wrote this book for 10-year-old me who loved to dive into stories of characters going for their goals. I read a lot when I was younger, but I never saw an autistic female main character in the books that I read. When I received my own autism diagnosis a few years ago, I decided to revisit my experience at that age with this new understanding and to imagine what might have been different if I had this knowledge then.

Were there any parts of writing Maya’s story you found particularly challenging and if so why?

The most challenging part of writing Maya’s story was my own inner critic and my worries about whether she would be likeable. I wanted her to feel authentic and shed a light on some of the comments I received as a young girl, but I also wanted her to be someone that young readers would want to spend time with as she works towards her own dreams.

 What was your journey to publication like? Did it take a while to find an agent or publisher for your story?

I have wanted to be an author since I was very young, and I wrote my first contest winning short story in the 3rd grade. However, I struggled a lot with finishing projects. It wasn’t until I received my autism diagnosis that I was able to recognize the factors that were impacting my writing like autistic burnout and sensory overwhelm. It was around the time that I started working on Maya’s story that Annick Press set up their mentorship program. I received such valuable feedback from them during this mentorship that it gave me the momentum to keep working on Maya’s story. About a year later, I had revised enough that I felt confident in sending the book out to publishers and agents. I received a lot of rejections! But then, serendipitously, Annick reached out and offered to publish the story.

 Growing up did you have any favourite middle grade books or characters that you connected with? 

As a pretty shy and reserved kid, young girls who were determined and the heroes of their own stories resonated with me. It’s interesting because the way we designate a middle grade book now is different from how children’s books were categorized when I was growing up! These are some of the characters and books that hold a special place in my heart from when I was 10-12 years old: The Dear Canada series, Meggie from the Inkheart series, Mitsuki of the manga Full Moon o Sagashite, Ella of Ella Enchanted and Anne from Anne of Green Gables.

 Have you noticed an increase in more #ownvoices autism stories in fiction and do you have any favourites or any authors you admire?

I have noticed there are more #ownvoices stories and stories about autism from a lived experience. There’s still lots of opportunity for more autism stories in fiction because the autistic experience is so varied. My favourites in the middle grade space include A.J. Sass, and Meg Eden Kuyatt. I’m also a huge fan of Elle McNicoll whose A Kind of Spark was adapted into a TV series! It’s really incredible and a must-watch for autistic representation in kids media.

Do you have any plans for more books featuring Maya in the future and if not can you tell us anything about what you’re working on next?

I am interested in returning to Maya in the future! She’s already started whispering that she’s got more stories to share with readers, but right now I’m working on a story about neurodivergence and body image. I’m hoping to create a wonderfully connected universe of characters, so that readers can jump in from any book and feel connected to a larger world.