Like so many others, I was laid low by the tragic news of Rob and Michelle Reiner’s deaths. I responded by watching movies Rob directed, including This is Spinal Tap (1984) and its recently released sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025). For the uninitiated, both films focus on Spinal Tap, a fictional heavy metal English band consisting of Christopher Guest (Nigel Tufnel) on lead, rhythm guitar, and vocals; Michael McKean (David St. Hubbins) on vocals, rhythm, lead, and acoustic guitar; and Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls) on bass guitar and vocals. Their repertoire consists of songs they wrote together from their early classic, Gimme Some Money to the wildly popular Big Bottom. Continuing to blur the lines between fiction and reality, the trio of actor-musicians actually toured as Spinal Tap, playing at venues like Wembley Stadium, Glastonbury, and Carnegie Hall.
After watching both movies, I listened to, the audio book edition of A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap, narrated by Rob, Christopher, Michael, and Harry. The first part of the book explains how the quartet came up with ideas for the film by gathering ridiculous situations observed from real heavy metal bands. It also covered how difficult it was for the movie studio to understand the concept of the first ever mockumentary and the craft of “schnadle” or “schnäedling,” a term Christopher Guest invented to describe the specific brand of improvised acting performed by the cast. The second part of the book is a conversation with the characters from Spinal Tap schnäedling the origin story of the band.
Most impressive is the fact that Christopher, Michael, and Harry are bonafide musicians and song writers. It’s the question they are most often asked, leading Michael to wonder why the general public cannot understand or appreciate that comics can also be accomplished musicians. Their musical talents were also showcased in the film, A Mighty Wind (2003) featuring more of their originally written folk songs displaying their instrumental versatility. This is Spinal Tap has entered our popular culture in many ways, most notably in our vocabulary. The well-known phrase “these go to 11” was even included in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018 to signify something turned up to maximum volume or capacity beyond the maximum standard. This Is Spinal Tap was added to the Library of Congress Film Registry in 2002. To be nominated for the LC Film Registry, films must be at least 10 years old, and have “cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.” The hardest part of the book to listen to was the four men speculating how the movie Spinal Tap would figure into their obituaries. For Rob, it was in the first line.
If it weren’t for Spinal Tap, we wouldn’t have shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Arrested Development.Ricky Gervais created The Office after he fell in love with Spinal Tap. Then he sold something created in America back to America. If laughter is good like a medicine, introduce yourself to Spinal Tap or any of the mockumentary movies created by Reiner or Christopher Guest and discover the comic tonic of schnadling.
A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap by Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer, with David Kamp. Gallery Books. 2025
Join us tomorrow for the 15th annual Big Talk From Small Libraries online conference. Registration is still open, so head over to the Registration page and sign up!
We have a full agenda for the day, with speakers from academic and public libraries presenting on a wide variety of topics specifically tailored for small libraries: intellectual freedom, mental health, food insecurity, STEAM, serving disabled patrons, school/university/public library partnerships, a Tiny Art Show, and much more.
And, Nebraska library staff and board members can earn 1 hour of CE Credit for each hour of the conference you attend! A special Big Talk From Small Libraries CE Report form has been made available for you to submit your C.E. credits.
This event is a great opportunity to learn about the innovative things your colleagues are doing in their small libraries serving fewer than 10,000 people.
So, come join us for a day of big ideas from small libraries!
Last Book Club Spotlight, we began our celebration of Black History Month and the incredible achievements of the authors in our collection. And to no one’s surprise, we will be covering yet another amazing African-American author who spent her life uplifting Black voices through literature. Dubbed “Liberation Literature”, Virginia Hamilton authored 41 books that celebrated the African-American experience. Her prestigious legacy continues in the Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth, and in the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. Hamilton spent over a decade researching and compiling histories for Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave. So many stories tell of the brave abolitionists who fought on behalf of those enslaved, but Hamilton wanted to tell a different story. One that centered the person, and not just the idea. Burns was more than a symbol, he was a young, frightened man, who sought his unalienable right to freedom.
Ten years before the American Civil War, marines and infantrymen, state militia – thousands of them, all descended on Boston to secure a young man back to the bondage of slavery in Virginia. They mercilessly attacked the protesting crowd and they walked on. Shouts of “liberty!” rang in the air. A few months prior, Anthony Burns escaped from enslavement in Virginia by stowing away on a ship, and now the Fugitive Slave Act had caught up to him. But Boston had been preparing for this. All across the city, calls were sent out to members of the Vigilance Committee who had at its command lawyers, scholars, doctors, suffragettes, and ship captains as well as working men and women both black and white. All were dedicated to the cause of freedom for slaves. These members were gathering in support and strength, providing legal services, fighting the unjust court, and attempting to secure funds to buy his freedom. But locked away in the courthouse, the only freedom Anthony knew he could count on was the freedom of memory.
“Overnight, without his ever knowing it, Anthony Burns became a symbol of freedom.”
Virginia Hamilton
Sometimes it feels like if we want to get a good grasp of history and learn a lot about a subject, we need to tackle gigantic tomes to get an understanding. Hamilton’s Anthony Burns, is knowledgeable, precise, and concise, which makes it a great tool amongst young and adult readers and groups alike. She weaves in relevant historical details and moments to help the reader understand the wider picture of why Burns’ capture in May of 1854, was so impactful. Only a few years prior, “upstanding” citizens of Boston paraded another figurative slave, Thomas Sims through the town square to his captors. Now, with anti-slavery sentiment growing in the north, in conjunction with the unpopular Kansas-Nebraska Act, Boston was ripe for a riot when Burns was quite literally stolen off the street and held in a makeshift prison. In Anthony Burns, the reader spends much of their time inside his thoughts and memories. How did a young man end up in such a position, and what could he hold on to to survive the inhumane trial set before him? Much like The Legend of Bass Reeves by Gary Paulsen, a lack of firsthand accounts and resources on Anthony Burns’ life exist, therefore Hamilton had to take what she knew about his life, and fill in those gaps creating a thoughtful and rich “historical reconstruction” of his past.
“For once I wanted readers to have a book in which the oppressed slave, a common man, was at the center of his own struggle.”
Virginia Hamilton, Afterword
If you’re interested in requesting Anthony Burns for your book club, you can find the Request Form here. There are 14 copies. (A librarian must request items)
Hamilton, Virginia. Anthony Burns. New York:Knopf. 1988.
Set in 1975, fellow outcasts, Saint and Patch are best friends, navigating high school in small town Missouri. Girls have been going missing, are they runaways, tired of small town life, or is it something much more sinister? When Patch witnesses an attack and attempted abduction of the local golden girl, Misty, he becomes a town hero with consequences that will last a lifetime. While trying to stop the abduction, Patch himself is wounded and taken, leaving Saint alone and reeling. The local police chief may have given up on finding Patch and the missing girls, but Saint can’t. Little does Saint know that looking for Patch and his kidnapper will shape her entire future. After being taken, Patch is kept in total darkness, his only companions are his own thoughts and Grace, a girl that brings him food and nurses him back to health. She tells him stories of the outside world, but while she seems so real to Patch, could she be just a figment of his fevered imagination? In this story, small town dynamics intersect with the secrets people keep, and how lives lived so close together can become inextricably intertwined, yet the question remains, do we ever really know our neighbors. Filled with tragedy and loss, survivor’s guilt and obsession, this novel follows Patch and Saint as they search for answers after that one fateful day where everything changed. A story that spans decades and told from the point of view of multiple characters, All the Colors of the Dark will take the reader on a journey of redemption, love, and loyalty.
Whitaker, Chris. All the Colors of the Dark. Crown. 2024.
With President’s Day this week we took a deep dive into the many presidential or political autobiographies and biographies available in the Nebraska OverDrive collection. This week’s #BookFace, “Grant” by Ron Chernow (Penguin Press, 2017) is hailed as vast and panoramic biography of a complicated man. This nonfiction read is available as an ebook and Audiobook from Nebraska OverDrive Libraries. We also have Chernow’s books about George Washington, Mark Twain, Titan, and his biography of Alexander Hamilton that inspired the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton.”
“[A] beautifully written portrait . . . . Chernow doesn’t gloss over Grant’s struggle with alcoholism or his tendency to trust shady operators. However, his willingness to protect the gains of freemen and to fight the KKK was an example of the moral courage he consistently displayed. This is a superb tribute to Grant, whose greatness is earning increased appreciation.”
— Booklist, Starred Review
Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 196 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 29,164 audiobooks, 45,416 ebooks, and 6,269 magazines. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time. If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!
This week’s #Bookface goes out to everyone who just wants someone who can make them laugh. Celebrate Valentines Day with Aziz Ansari’s offbeat tales of dating in the modern world, “Modern Romance” ( Penguin Press, 2015) will have you laughing and shaking your head the entire read. It’s available as a as an ebook and audiobookthrough Nebraska OverDrive Libraries, and is the perfect addition to any February reading list.
“With his first foray into the literary sphere, Ansari handedly accomplishes what he set out to do. Modern Romance provides insight into what people do to find love. He infuses their stories with his sass and parallels their shame with much of his own. On top of that, Ansari’s advice is easy to follow and backed with science and research. Modern Romance is the pinnacle of romantic guides—at least until a new dating app makes it obsolete.”
— VOX
Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 196 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 29,164 audiobooks, 45,416 ebooks, and 6,269 magazines. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time. If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!
Every once in a while, it is good for readers to pick a book outside their usual choices. For some, that unexpected choice might be something light and fun. That choice might be Fredrik Backman’s Anxious People.
Described as a quirky Swedish comedy, Anxious People begins with a failed bank robbery. It was a cashless bank! The inept robber escapes into a nearby apartment building and inadvertently takes refuge in a unit where an eclectic group of strangers has gathered for a real estate viewing. What begins as farce quickly turns into an unlikely hostage situation.
At its heart, the book is about anxious people, and they are anxious for many different reasons. Backman presents enough of those reasons for readers to recognize themselves or others in the story. His main characters include the robber, the hostages, and the police (a father and son), all of whom are distinct and memorable. One of Backman’s strengths is his ability to create memorable characters with distinct stories, flaws, and depth.
Written with warmth and humor, the novel explores underlying themes: poverty, depression, family relationships, desperation, and the daily struggles of ordinary life. Each character’s backstory is gradually revealed, highlighting how interconnected lives can be and how individuals cope with their personal challenges.
The story unfolds through a series of interviews and flashbacks. As the narrative evolves, the hostages form a curious bond and, with empathy, conspire to help the bank robber. How these events ultimately resolve is best left for the reader to discover.
In interviews, Fredrik Backman has said that the book was inspired by his own experiences with anxiety. He has noted that while many people worry about similar things, they often feel isolated in those experiences.
For readers seeking a novel that falls squarely in the “feel-good” category, without ignoring life’s complexities, Anxious People is an excellent choice.
Anxious People was later adapted into a six-episode Netflix series that premiered in 2021. One of Backman’s earlier and best-known books, A Man Called Ove, was a bestseller and was later adapted into a motion picture starring Tom Hanks.
Backman, Fredrik. Anxious People: A Novel. Atria Books. 2020.
How beautiful it is that through literature and storytelling, we are able to celebrate and explore other lives and journeys of emotional, challenging, and joyous histories, fact or fiction. While visiting the University of Chicago to celebrate and learn about emancipation on it’s 50th anniversary, Dr. Carter G Woodson saw a need to create a society focused on the preservation and education of African Americans history. By 1926, his society and “Negro History Week”, was well underway, and now a century later we continue to celebrate Black History Month. Many authors in our Book Club Collection and featured on Book Club Spotlight personify Black Excellence, despite a system built against them. Today, we follow Isabel Wilkerson, the first African-American Woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for her work as Chicago Bureau Chief for The New York Times, in her discussion of that system through her book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.
What comes to mind when you hear the word, “caste”? Most likely, your first thought is the Caste System in India. Because of someone’s birthplace and familial ties, they are relegated to a subset of personhood that can never be changed. A system that places the “other” not because of their actions, but by seemingly random guidelines and tricks of fate set long ago. To us in the United States, it sounds a little absurd… after all, aren’t “all men created equal”? Or is the problem closer to home than we think? In Caste, Wilkerson addresses racial disparities in the United States, specifically between two of her designated “castes”, Black and white. She takes us through the history of the United States through the lens of a caste system, rather than a strictly racial one. Wilkerson draws from historical examples of this caste system at work, her own personal experiences, and the work done by scholars both in the Indian Caste System, and prominent scholars in the United States by explaining what defines a caste system, what pillars, framework, and subjugation it exists under. Altogether creating a moving and seminal work detailing the otherwise hidden and mislabeled Caste System of America,
“They were punished for being in the condition that they were forced to endure.”
– Isabel Wilkerson
Caste is a stunning and eye opening recontextualization of how racial oppression exists in the US. Not only does it teach the reader a new way to look at our history and our present. But it gives them the tools to understand and grow. Wilkerson did not write Caste to stoke anger or create enemies between these castes we have found ourselves unwitting participants of, but to unite us against the injustices of the past and prepare for a better future. Caste is a book meant to be talked about, making it a perfect addition to any Book Club Group who value good discussion and challenging works. It is important that books that teach us so much about ourselves and our history remain accessible for audiences. Like our last spotlight, The Light of Days by Judy Batalion, there is a Young Adults Edition available for a younger audience interested in the topic.
“We are not personally responsible for what people who look like us did centuries ago. But we are responsible for what good or ill we do to people alive with us today. We are, each of us, responsible for every decision we make that hurts or harms another human being. We are responsible for recognizing that what happened in previous generations at the hands of or to people who look like us set the stage for the world we now live in and that what has gone before us grants us advantages or burdens through no effort or fault of our own, gains or deficits that others who do not look like us often do not share. We are responsible for our own ignorance or, with time and openhearted enlightenment, our own wisdom. We are responsible for ourselves and our own deeds or misdeeds in our time and in our own space and will be judged accordingly by succeeding generations.”
Isabel Wilkerson,Caste
If you’re interested in requesting Caste for your book club, you can find the Request Form here. There are 8 copies. (A librarian must request items)
Wilkerson, Isabel. Caste. Penguin Random House. 2020.
Hear about ‘Empowering Families Through Literacy: Tools and Strategies from Nebraska’s Statewide Initiative’ on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, February 11 at 10am CT.
Join us for an engaging session highlighting Nebraska’s statewide efforts to strengthen family literacy through cross-sector collaboration, inclusive practices, and accessible tools. This presentation will showcase the work of the Nebraska Department of Education’s Family Literacy Advisory Committee, including a newly developed implementation guide and centralized resource hub designed to support schools, libraries, and community organizations. Participants will explore practical strategies and adaptable tools that librarians can use to deepen their role as literacy leaders in their communities. Whether you serve young children, adult learners, or multilingual families, this session will offer valuable insights and resources to support and enrich your local literacy efforts.
Feb. 18 – Communicating Your Library’s Value and Getting your Board “On Board” to Help!
Feb. 25 – Pretty Sweet Tech
March 4 – Tour de Force: Build Bridges by Leading Tours of Your Library
March 11 – Public Library Survey: Nebraska’s New Data Collection Tool
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
Sharpen your knives, and get ready for a perfectly scrumptious #Bookface. If you’re looking for a Valentines read but aren’t a fan of romance, then this week’s #BookfaceFriday, “The Dead Husband Cookbook” by Danielle Valentine (Sourcebooks, 2025) is just the pick for you. It’s available as a as an ebook through Nebraska OverDrive Libraries, and is the perfect addition to any anti-valentines day reading list.
“A tasty and wildly macabre story that foodies and horror fans will devour, probably in one big gulp…Valentine scatters an enjoyable assortment of recipes throughout the narrative that will tempt the reader into heating up the skillet.”
— Booklist, STARRED review
Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 196 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 29,164 audiobooks, 45,416 ebooks, and 6,269 magazines. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time. If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!
This this week’s #BookfaceFriday is for all those people who love the winter and the cold. “Some Like It Cold” by Elle McNicoll (Wednesday Books, 2024). Recommended for high school readers, this romance novel is Hallmark movie meets will-they-won’t-they rom com. It’s available as a as an audiobook through Nebraska OverDrive Libraries: Kids & Teens. If you are not one of those people who enjoy the cold, please wrap up in your coziest blanket with a hot beverage and disassociate from the frigid temps outside with a good read. (This is what I will be doing.)
“Some Like It Cold is a heartfelt romance that is sweeping in its scope and tender in its emotional depth. McNicoll has crafted a powerful ode to love in all its forms: of community, of home and of ourselves – as well as the genre of romance itself. A clever, poignant and healing love story”
— Bea Fitzgerald, Sunday Times bestselling author of Girl, Goddess, Queen
Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 196 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 29,164 audiobooks, 45,416 ebooks, and 6,269 magazines. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time. If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!
In the 1970’s, advertisements in practically every issue of Hot Rod magazine teased the specs of various American muscle cars, creating demand that appealed to most adolescent males. The same adolescent males who couldn’t afford such beasts because they worked their tails off at KFC for $3.35/hour, but could afford the Hot Rod magazine (typically around 75 cents), and had the ability to dream. An example: The AMC Rebel—“Not as fast as a 427 cu in Chevrolet Corvette or Chrysler Hemi engine, but it will beat a Volkswagen, a slow freight train, or your old man’s Cadillac.” While garnering the reputation of producing crappy cars, AMC’s Rebel is no slouch, if you can find one. The station wagon version is especially rare. Oddly, the appearance of the Rebel looked more like something Evel Knievel would cruise around in as opposed to the Dukes of Hazzard, and was made in Wisconsin, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. While the roots might be different, perhaps the musical equivalent of these American muscle gems lies in what has been labeled southern rock. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about labels, and how assigning a single word or a short multi-word description oftentimes is an erroneous and inaccurate oversimplification of people, places, and things. Not to mention divisive. Individuals (and groups) are usually much more complex than the resultant one-liner label. In the case at hand, why do we assign these labels to so many musicians that are merely from the south? Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant gets the label because his band toured with the confederate flag in the 1970’s (and continued do so up until 2012) at the behest of the record company, being told repeatedly it was a symbol of “southern pride” (yet another label). Others see it as a symbol of the racist roots of some southerners (see Neil Young’s Southern Man). However, no such label gets attached to ZZ Top (Texas) or Tom Petty (Gainesville, FL), who also flew the same flag at shows (although the argument can be made for LS not retiring the flag sooner than these others). Also notwithstanding the fact that Van Zant spoke out publically against the segregationist policies of then Alabama Governor George Wallace and supported (as did Gregg Allman) Jimmy Carter for President. I have to think LS might be a much different outfit if Ronnie (the band’s leader) wouldn’t have died in the October 20, 1977 plane crash (age 29).
Ted Danson appeared in blackface with then girlfriend Whoppi Goldberg, as did Howard Stern (doing a bit in blackface as Ted Danson doing blackface), Jimmy Kimmel, and many others, including blackface frequent flyer/aficionado Justin Trudeau. Yet somehow they seem to get a pass from criticism in mainstream media because they are sufficiently apologetic. But who gets to decide what is sufficient or not sufficient? Prince Harry dressed up for a costume party as a Nazi Afrika Korps soldier, complete with the swastika armband. He gets pandered to by Oprah to promote his book (he’s deeply sorry). Just a few years ago, Bill Maher interviewed Ben Sasse, and jokingly called himself the N-word when Sasse suggested he come to Nebraska to “work the fields”. The list goes on and on. Look, the takeaway is everyone makes mistakes, say things they regret, and many individuals are way more complex than any label that might be assigned to them. Most critics generally don’t take the time to move past the label and explore the complexity of the individual, or even attempt to find common ground. This certainly is the case in today’s write up, concerning generally the Allman Brothers Band, and specifically founding member Duane Allman. In 2026, let’s move past the labels (and hypocrisy) and decide for ourselves. It’s also OK for you and me to come to different conclusions. And furthermore, perfectly acceptable (in fact encouraged) to obtain a copy of Live at Fillmore East and crank it up to about 98 db.
It is important to note that the southern rock label assigned to the Allman Brothers Band had nothing to do with any record company stage props. It was mostly because they just happened to be from Jacksonville, FL (same as LS), and lived and recorded at The Big House in Macon, GA. The label was also perpetuated by journalistic clowns such as Grover Lewis, who wrote an article about the band for Rolling Stone (untimely published a few days after Duane’s death). The article is flooded with pot shots about the way band members talked with a southern good ol’ boy drawl (e.g. Gawgia), and referred to them collectively (including one of their drummers (yes, they had 2 drummers) Jaimoe, who happens to be black and as of this writing the only surviving original member of the band, age 81) as Dixie Greasers. Skydog was the nickname given to Duane Allman – a combination of two different nicknames – Dog (given by Muscle Shoals, AL studio founder Rick Hall, for Duane’s long hair and mutton chops), and Skyman (given by Wilson Pickett, for Duane’s over the top guitar playing and use of recreational substances). This book is a comprehensive look at Duane’s life, the time and struggles before forming the Allman Brothers Band, and up to his death in 1971 at the early age of 24. Although the Allman Brothers Band continued to record and make music after Duane’s death by motorcycle accident, without Duane there certainly would have been no Allman Brothers band. The book illustrates the depth of his slide guitar prowess and widespread influence. It also covers his collaboration with many other musicians, including Wilson Pickett, Eric Clapton (Duane wrote the opening guitar riff in Layla), King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Herbie Mann, and Boz Scaggs. Shortly after Duane’s death, the Allman Brothers Band released Eat a Peach, a double album mixed with live and studio recordings, both with and without Duane’s guitar playing. Of course, Capricorn (their record company) suggested the double album be titled The Kind We Grow in Dixie. Rightfully rejecting the proposal, the Allman Brothers Band decided on Eat a Peach, citing a quote from Duane:
“I’m hitting a lick for peace – and every time I’m in Georgia, I eat a peach for peace. But you can’t help the revolution, because there’s just evolution. I understand the need for a lot of changes in the country, but I believe that as soon as everybody can see just a little bit better, and get a little hipper to what’s going on, they’re going to change it. Everybody will – not just the young people. Everybody is going to say, ‘ Man, this stinks. I cannot tolerate the smell of this thing anymore. Let’s eliminate it and get straight with ourselves.’ I believe if everybody does it for themselves, it’ll take care of itself.”
Poe, Randy. Skydog: The Duane Allman Story. Backbeat. 2008.
Underfunded libraries, schools, and organizations that provide educational services to children or youth are invited to apply for a Coretta Scott King Book Donation Grant.
Every year, in the process of choosing the Coretta Scott King Book Award winners and honor books, the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Round Table Jury Committee receives multiple copies of over 100 titles by African American authors and illustrators.
Awarded
by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee, the grant program provides
books submitted for consideration for the Coretta Scott King Book Awards to
libraries and other organizations to expand their collections.
Applicants must demonstrate the following:
Why the collection is needed in their community?
Why the collection is needed in their agency or institution?
How would acquiring the collection will help to better serve the children and youth of their community?
That the materials will be made freely available to children and youth without censorship
A committee appointed by the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee Chair will review the applications and based on the total number of points, determine the recipient or recipients of the materials. To assure agencies and institutions receive age appropriate books, the committee reserves the right to divide a single grant among two or more agencies or institutions.
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27th), is dedicated in memory of those who struggled and were murdered under the Nazi regime. This year, as we continue to face uncertainties in our lives, I wanted to look at a story of fortitude and hope in defiance of our oppressors. In 2007, essayist and art curator Judy Batalion was searching through the histories of notable Jewish women, when she stumbled across an old Yiddish book, Freuen in di Ghettos, which sparked a light in her to learn more. Across dozens of memoirs from small presses, dusty catalogs and archives, and family stories, Batalion learned the names of young Jewish girls who took up armed resistance against the Nazi regime and who were almost lost to history: Renia Kukielka, Zivia Lubetkin, Toaia Altman, Chajka Meed, Bela Hazan, and so many more. Batalion’s decade-long research culminated in her non-fiction book The Light of Days: The Untold Story of Women Resistance Fighters in Hitler’s Ghettos.
Jewish youths in pre-WWII Poland, unable to join the Youth Groups of their countrymen, formed their own tightknit clubs that unbeknownst to them, would one day lead the armed and brave Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. Dozens of these co-ed Jewish Youth Groups made up of a hundred thousand young Jews, learned and explored different ideologies and purposes, while instilling a work ethic and comradery that proved priceless as they formed underground resistance factions against the Nazi Regime. Often taking advantage of their more Aryan features, Jewish girls (some as young as 15), used their meek and mild appearances to trick soldiers and guards as they smuggled news, weapons, money, forged documents, and underground magazines between ghettos and holdouts across Poland. These girls were known to break thousands of Jews out of confinement, smuggling people in giant soup pots or over roofs, finding safe connections and hiding places for the refugees. Three bold young women even attended a Gestapo Christmas party together while undercover. Despite their strong leadership, quick thinking, and incredible skills, large resistance operations put men in leading positions over the young women whose commitment to the cause was indispensable. During the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, one third of the armed fighters were women, risking and losing their lives as equals. The camaraderie between these young women was unparalleled, their heroism and intelligence gave them hope even in the bleakest of times. Hope, not always for their lives, but for their people.
“Nazi culture was classically sexist, and women were not expected to be illicit operatives; why would that nice, young peasant girl have bulletins sewn into her skirt or a pistol inside of her teddy bear?”
– Judy batalion
The Light of Days, while documenting camaraderie of the Jewish resistance to the Nazi government, also focuses on the differing ideals and purposes of these upstart youth organizations who suddenly had to join together despite their differences. The main contention between the groups that both resistance fighters and civilians had to make a stand on was the concept of fight or flight. These two ideals drove the parties, known as hereness or thereness– should they stay and fight for the only home they know in the name of doikayt, or leave to form a country all their own in pursuit of Aliya? Too few stories of the Jewish Resistance against the Nazi’s and the Holocaust are told and even fewer of the remarkable young women who risked lives relentlessly fighting the regime from the ghettos, the forests, and all over the country. Their stories were hidden to further political motives, and survivors were shamed into silence. Book Club Groups looking to expand their knowledge of WWII, women’s history, or who are in search of tales of resistance will be moved by the emotional and personal accounts of these young women. The Light of Days is a must-read. Batalion asks her readers: how does a person cope after witnessing such atrocities first hand? Why would people and politicians work so hard to suppress these stories of heroism, and what do they have to gain by perpetuating a narrative of victimhood and complicity?
“It is deeply troubling to make laws about what historical narratives are allowed to be told—it shows a rulership interested in propaganda, not truth.” – Judy Batalion, The Light of Days
If you’re interested in requesting The Light of Days for your book club, you can find the Request Form here. There are 8 copies and an Audio CD. (A librarian must request items)
Battalion, Judy. The Light of Days. HarperCollins. 2020.
A number of awards honoring titles and media for children and young adults were announced yesterday morning, January 26, 2026.
The John Newbery Medal goes to All the Blues in the Sky written by Renée Watson, with four other titles named as Newbery Honor Books.
The Randolph Caldecott Medal goes to Fireworks, illustrated by Cátia Chien and written by Matthew Burgess, with four additional titles named Caldecott Honor Books.
The Michael L. Printz Medal goes to Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, with four additional titles named Printz Honor Books.
Candace Fleming had quite a day, receiving the Children’s Literature Legacy Award for her “substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.” Additionally, she received the Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults for her title Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown.
To see the ALA new release listing all the youth awards and titles, go here.
We hope no one dies of dysentery in this week’s #BookfaceFriday, it’s “Prairie Lotus” by Linda Sue Park (Clarion Books, 2022). Recommended for kids in grades 5-7, is a kids historical fiction novel that explores the hardships and adventures of American frontier life especially for a young half-Asian girl. It’s available as a Book Club Kit from the Nebraska Library Commission, with 10 copies for your reading group to borrow. You can also find “Prairie Lotus” as both an audiobook and eBook through Nebraska OverDrive Libraries: Kids & Teens. Linda Sue Park is an award winning author with a large collection of work, and you can find many of her titles on OverDrive, NLC also has “A Long Walk to Water” and “When My Name was Keoko” available for checkout in our Book Club Kits collection. You can read more about Prairie Lotus and how in our Book Club Spotlight post.
“Strongly reminiscent of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s novels in its evocative, detailed depictions of daily frontier life….[Hanna’s] painful experiences, including microaggressions, exclusion, and assault, feel true to the time and place, and Park respectfully renders Hanna’s interactions with Ihanktonwan women. An absorbing, accessible introduction to a troubled chapter of American history.”
— Publishers Weekly, starred review
Book Club Kits Rules for Use
These kits can be checked out by the librarians of Nebraska libraries and media centers.
Circulation times are flexible and will be based upon availability. There is no standard check-out time for book club kits.
Please search the collection to select items you wish to borrow and use the REQUEST THIS KIT icon to borrow items.
Contact the Information Desk at the Library Commission if you have any questions: by phone: 800/307-2665, or by email: Information Services Team
Libraries participating in the Nebraska OverDrive Libraries Group currently have access to a shared and growing collection of digital downloadable audiobooks and eBooks. 196 libraries across the state share the Nebraska OverDrive collection of 29,164 audiobooks, 45,416 ebooks, and 6,269 magazines. As an added bonus it includes 130 podcasts that are always available with simultaneous use (SU), as well as SU ebooks and audiobook titles that publishers have made available for a limited time. If you’re a part of it, let your users know about this great title, and if you’re not a member yet, find more information about participating in Nebraska Overdrive Libraries!
The Magician of Tiger Castle is Louis Sachar’s first go at a novel for adult readers. Here is where I will confess that I’ve never read Sachar’s most famous book, “Holes”. I’ve seen parts of the movie, but never the whole film. My children love both the book and the movie, both of which they experienced at school. My mother also adores the book, a fact which, as a kid, was enough to make me turn my nose up the suggestion to read it myself. My kids have inherited pretty good taste though, so maybe Mom was on to something…
In any case, Sachar’s latest work is nothing like Holes and I’m fairly certain my mom hasn’t read it yet, so I can just continue on ignoring her reading recommendations…for now.
The Magician of Tiger Castle is billed as a “cozy fantasy.” It is told from the point of view of the immortal and hairless (both conditions the consequence of experiments gone wrong) court magician, Anatole, as he takes a tour of the modern-day Tiger Castle, and reminisces of centuries gone by. 500 years ago, more or less, he was the exalted mage of the kingdom of Esquaveta. After a series of spectacular magical failures steal away both his hair and his reputation, he is hanging onto his courtly position by a thread, promising the king that he is on the verge of transforming sand into gold.
The rulers of Esquaveta have arranged for their daughter, Princess Tullia, to marry the despicable Prince Dalrympl of rival kingdom Oxatania, allowing them to forge a political alliance that will hopefully save Esquaveta from economic collapse, since the whole alchemy thing isn’t panning out just yet. But days before the wedding, Tullia confesses that she’s fallen madly in love with a lowly scribe. The king and queen demand that Anatole concoct a potion that will ensure Tullia goes through with the wedding. Anatole is caught between his duty to his employer and his devotion to the princess (and his hatred of the awful Prince Dalrympl).
If “arranged marriage”, “despicable prince”, and “potion” remind you of The Princess Bride, you are not alone in making this comparison. No six-fingered men, but there are daring escapes, revenge, “twue love”, plus some tigers and mice thrown in for good measure. Overall, I think the “cozy fantasy” label is spot-on. If you enjoyed Sachar’s whimsical humor as a kid, you’ll probably enjoy this too.
Sachar, Louis. (2025). The Magician of Tiger Castle. Ace.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is currently accepting grant applications for programs aimed at enhancing Adult, Family, and Summer Reading Literacy programs. The Foundation will also accept applications for its Youth Literacy grant program starting on March 5, 2026.
The application deadline for Adult, Family, and Summer Reading Literacy Grant applications is February 5, 2026. Interested applicants may find eligibility information and apply by visiting the Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grant Programs website.
To be eligible for a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, your organization must be a nonprofit organization as determined by the IRS, a public library, school or college providing direct literacy services within a state that Dollar General Corporation operates in and is within 15 miles of a Dollar General store. Other eligibility requirements are specific to each grant type and can be found within the grants themselves.
For the Adult and Family literacy grant programs, the maximum grant amount is up to $10,000. The Summer Reading maximum is $3,000 and the Youth Literacy grant is $4,000. Applying for a grant does not guarantee that amount due to the large volume of requests we receive.
Adult Literacy Grants– Grant Application deadline: February 5, 2026. Funding is awarded to organizations that provide direct services to adults in need of literacy assistance in one of the following areas:
Adult basic education
GED or high school equivalency preparation
English language acquisition
Family Literacy Grants– Grant Application deadline: February 5, 2026. Funding is awarded to nonprofit organizations who support the whole family in literacy, providing:
Adult education instruction
Children’s education
Parent and Child Together Time (PACT)
Summer Reading Grants– Grant Application deadline: February 5, 2026. Local nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries can receive funding to support the creation or expansion of summer reading programs that meet the following criteria:
Target pre-K to 12th grade students who are new readers
Target below grade level readers
Assist readers with learning disabilities
Youth Literacy Grants – Grant Applications will open on March 5, 2026. Application deadline: April 2, 2026. Schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations who help students that are below grade level or having trouble reading may apply with funding provided to assist in the following areas:
Implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs
Purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives
Purchasing books, materials or software for literacy programs
“A Treasury of Nebraska Pioneer Folklore” compiled by Roger Welsch is now available on cartridge and for download on BARD, the Braille and Audio Reading Download service. BARD is a service offered by the Nebraska Library Commission Talking Book and Braille Service and the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled at the Library of Congress.
This collection of Nebraska pioneer folklore is taken largely from the Nebraska Folklore Pamphlets issued by the Federal Writers’ Project in the 1930s. Contents include songs of trail and prairie and of the Farmers’ Alliance, white man’s yarns and Indian tales, pioneer Nebraska folk customs, sayings, proverbs, beliefs, children’s games, cooking, and cures.
TBBS borrowers can request “A Treasury of Nebraska Pioneer Folklore” DBC02031 or download it from the National Library Service BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) website. If you have high-speed internet access, you can download books to your smartphone or tablet, or onto a flash drive for use with your player. You may also contact your reader’s advisor to have the book mailed to you on cartridge.
Celebrate the 2026 One Book One Nebraska selection, The Antidote, with us on next week’s NCompass Live webinar on Wednesday, January 21 at 10am CT.
The One Book One Nebraska reading program is entering its twenty-second year. Nebraska libraries and other literary and cultural organizations continue to plan activities and events to encourage all Nebraskans to read and discuss the same book. Join us to hear more about this state reading promotion activity, sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska, and the Nebraska Library Commission.
We are excited to talk about the 2026 selection The Antidote: A Novel by Karen Russell (Knopf, 2025).
Join Nebraska Center for the Book Board Member Becky Faber; Nebraska State Historical Society Director of Historic Sites, Broc Anderson; and Nebraska Library Commission Communications Coordinator Tessa Timperley to:
Hear about this year’s selected book and ask questions.
Learn about how to create a successful local reading promotion using Nebraska’s year-long, statewide celebration featuring The Antidote.
Brainstorm strategies to read and discuss The Antidote.
Find tools to help engage your community in local activities to encourage them to come together through literature to explore this work in community-wide reading programs.
Upcoming NCompass Live shows:
Jan. 28 – Pretty Sweet Tech: How to Build a Virtual Makerspace
Feb. 4 – Homesteading at Your Library
Feb. 11 – Empowering Families Through Literacy: Tools and Strategies from Nebraska’s Statewide Initiative
Feb. 18 – Communicating Your Library’s Value and Getting your Board “On Board” to Help!
To register for an NCompass Live show, or to listen to recordings of past shows, go to the NCompass Live webpage.
NCompass Live is broadcast live every Wednesday from 10am – 11am Central Time. Convert to your time zone on the Official U.S. Time website.
The show is presented online using the GoTo Webinar online meeting service. Before you attend a session, please see the NLC Online Sessions webpage for detailed information about GoTo Webinar, including system requirements, firewall permissions, and equipment requirements for computer speakers and microphones.
