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Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

Check out what I have on display this month at the library propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/12/08/o...

You can make a difference! Books about being eco-friendly, standing up for what’s right, and more. I also included kindness conversation sparkers from Doing Good Together. We love Animals! This dis…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

December 8, 2025 at 2:45 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

Creating space for play at the library propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/i...

Inclusive library play spaces for families

What comes to mind when you think of inclusive library spaces and programs for early learners? Some time ago I sat on a panel where this question was posed. My brief answer only covered part of wha…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

December 1, 2025 at 3:25 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

On visiting colleges with my teenager, figuring out your life, and a good book

propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/11/25/c...

College Life

“Is this what college is like? Puppies popping up out of nowhere?” My 17-year-old and I were listening to Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli as we drove to college visits recently. It was not on…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

November 25, 2025 at 4:14 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

A post inspired by my new lanyard pin. Its okay to ask propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/11/17/i...

It’s okay to ask

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: it’s okay to ask. I know it’s complicated. I’ve blogged about questions many times before over the years, and I always come back to the fact that m…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

November 17, 2025 at 2:51 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

A little music for your Monday morning on the blog today propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/m...

Monday Morning Music with Dessa and the Minnesota Orchestra

I’ve definitely written about Dessa on this blog before. I’ve seen her live a few times, but this weekend I saw her perform in a way I hadn’t before: backed by the Minnesota Orchestra. This isn’t t…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

November 10, 2025 at 3:41 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

It’s November! Here’s what I have on display at the library propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/11/03/w... #LibraryDisplays

What’s on display at the library, November 2025

I have games, puzzles, and mysteries on display for National Games and Puzzles week. It includes seek-and-finds, brain teasers, riddles and more. It also features a guess the Lego book cover quiz. …

propernounblog.wordpress.com

November 3, 2025 at 1:22 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

I got to talk about my job to a group of middle schoolers! #LibraryLife

propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/27/c...

Career Day, Librarian Edition

Recently I spoke to a classroom full of eighth graders about my career. I admit, I was intimidated at the prospect of trying to make my job interesting to middle schoolers. I mean, middle-school-ag…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

October 27, 2025 at 2:10 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

What do you put in a locked display case at the library? Here’s one I’m particularly proud of.

propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/20/e... #LibraryDisplays #EarlyLiteracy

Early Literacy on Display

At my library we often struggle to fill the lobby display case. Our instinct is to put books on display where they can be checked out. What do you put in a locked glass case? Birds and Bugs display…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

October 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

I’m talking storytime on the blog today! Here are a few books and activities that have been working for me.

propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/13/l...

Let’s Talk Storytime

I have long been grateful for the librarians who run storytime blogs. When I was first starting out, they were absolutely indispensable, and even now after eight years I often find myself going to …

propernounblog.wordpress.com

October 13, 2025 at 3:42 PM

Reposted by Mindy (she/her)

Lynn Plourde

@lynnplourde.bsky.social

THE BIONIC BOY-Coming on 10/21/25! You can preorder from your fav bookstore. If you want a SNEAK PEEK, I'm giving away a couple of ARCs. For a chance, share this post. I will choose random winners on 9/28. @nancyrosep.bsky.social @penguinschoollib.bsky.social #TheBionicBoyBook #mglit

September 21, 2025 at 11:05 AM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

Here’s what I have on display this month at the library: propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/06/w... #LibraryDisplays

What’s on display this month: October 2025

It’s a new month, and in library life that means new displays. I have speculative books on display outside the children’s fiction with the sign “Books can take you to another world.” I spent …

propernounblog.wordpress.com

October 6, 2025 at 1:33 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

I’m talking bout A Two Placed Heart on the blog again! This time it’s all about the typewriter.
propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/09/29/t...

The Magic of the Typewriter

It starts with an old black typewriter. “The most magical thing in our house,” writes Doan Phuong Nguyen in Two Placed Heart. I wrote about this book last week, but it seems I have more to say abou…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

September 29, 2025 at 2:41 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

I really loved @doanphuongwrites.bsky.social’s A Two Placed Heart. I blogged about my thoughts on it here: propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/09/22/w...

Where We Come From

Some time ago, I read The Art of Talking with Children by Rebecca Rolland, and, as a parent of a teen, this quote stood out to me: “Teens and preteens who know more about their family history show …

propernounblog.wordpress.com

September 22, 2025 at 1:41 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

At long last, a music post. propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/09/15/m...

Monday Morning Music with Creeping Charlie

Outdoor concert season in Minnesota is my favorite, but this summer has been so hot that I admit I haven’t attended as many outdoor shows as I might like. However, I recently saw Creeping Charlie a…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

September 15, 2025 at 4:43 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

Historical fiction isn’t always safe and cozy

propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/09/09/d...

Diving into Darker Historical Fiction

Historical fiction immersed the reader in another time. while history contains multitudes, I find that in my reader’s advisory work, I come across a lot of people (read: parents) looking for histor…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

September 9, 2025 at 3:49 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

I recapped my summer of youth book clubs at the library with some tips I’ve gleaned over my years of leading kids book clubs propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/08/11/s...

August 11, 2025 at 2:09 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

I blogged about LEFTY by @officiallyofficialmo and @dsantat today. As the most left handed person you know, I believe I am an authority on this subject. ;)
propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/03/31/l...

Lefty

I have been known to say that I’m the most left handed person you know. Unless, of course, you know someone else without a right hand. I think it’s fair to say that I am usually the only one …

propernounblog.wordpress.com

March 31, 2025 at 5:58 PM

Reposted by Mindy (she/her)

That Librarian: Amanda Jones

@librarianjones.com

Help public libraries today by:
✅ Downloading an ebook
✅ Registering for a program
✅ Sharing a post from your library
✅ Emailing staff and thanking them
✅ Mark your calendar to attend the next library board of control meeting
✅ Ask 5 friends to do the same

February 16, 2025 at 3:31 PM

Reposted by Mindy (she/her)

Pat Zietlow Miller (she/her)

@patzmiller.bsky.social

#kidlit #megakidlit #booksky

February 17, 2025 at 6:46 AM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

Mark your calendars for the next Institute of Hearts at the Mia. propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/02/17/i...

Institute of Hearts

Every year around Valentine’s Day the Mia turns into the Institute of Hearts. Museum goers can leave paper hearts near their favorite pieces to share their appreciation for the work publicly. it ha…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

February 17, 2025 at 3:13 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

From the archives: this old post about RED BUTTERFLY by A.L. Sonnichsen has me inspired to write my own story propernounblog.wordpress.com/2015/02/19/h...

How we tell our stories

I didn’t realize what Kara in Red Butterfly and I had in common until I was twenty-five pages into the story when she describes her “one blunt hand” that she always keeps hidden …

propernounblog.wordpress.com

February 4, 2025 at 12:56 PM

Mindy (she/her)

@mindyreads.bsky.social

A post inspired by my teenager’s art class project that got me thinking about librarianing.

propernounblog.wordpress.com/2025/02/03/l...

Librarian life

A sculpture of a room with a bookshelf full of leaning books I just want to push the books upright and get a bookend on that shelf. Of course, I can’t. It’s a sculpture my teenager made for a…

propernounblog.wordpress.com

February 3, 2025 at 11:43 AM

Reposted by Mindy (she/her)

NPR

@npr.org

This year's Caldecott medal went to a book about an older sister frustrated when her baby brother "helps." The Newbery went to a middle-grade tale about a time traveler at the turn of the century.