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Cecilton Branch

12:00pm-6:00pm
(410) 275-1091

Cecilton Branch
215 E. Main Street
Cecilton, MD 21913
United States

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Chesapeake City Branch

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(410) 996-1134

Chesapeake City Branch
2527 Augustine Herman Highway
Chesapeake City, MD 21915
United States

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Elkton Branch

12:00pm-6:00pm
(410) 996-5600

Elkton Branch
301 Newark Avenue
Elkton, MD 21921
United States

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North East Branch

12:00pm-6:00pm
(410) 996-6269

North East Branch
485 Mauldin Avenue
North East, MD 21901
United States

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Perryville Branch

12:00pm-6:00pm
(410) 996-6070

Perryville Branch
500 Coudon Boulevard
Perryville, MD 21903
United States

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Rising Sun Branch

12:00pm-6:00pm
410-658-4025, 410-398-2706

Rising Sun Branch
111 Colonial Way
Rising Sun, MD 21911
United States

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Books for Gifting

  • Image for "Ladies in Waiting"

    Ladies in Waiting

    Celebrate Jane Austen’s classic novels with this short story anthology starring forgotten characters as they experience their own happy endings. 

    In honor of her 250th birthday, eight authors have come together with wildly imaginative reboots of the lives of several of Jane Austen’s minor characters. Written with plenty of love and wit, these clever stories star everyone from Pride and Prejudice’s snobbish Caroline Bingley to the modern descendant of Sense and Sensibility’s Eliza Williams and much more. Blurring genres and taking us across the oceans, Ladies in Waiting is a heartfelt celebration of Jane Austen and her timeless masterpieces.

  • Image for "The Road That Made America"

    The Road That Made America

    In the bestselling tradition of Rinker Buck’s The Oregon Trail and Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic, The Road That Made America is a lively, epic account of one of the greatest untold stories in our nation’s history—the eight-hundred-mile long Great Wagon Road that 18th-century American settlers forged from Philadelphia to Georgia that expanded the country dramatically in the decades before we ventured west.

    Little known today, the Great Wagon Road was the primary road of frontier America: a mass migration route that stretched more than eight hundred miles from Philadelphia to Augusta, Georgia. It opened the Southern frontier and wilderness east of the Appalachian Mountains to America’s first settlers, and later served as the gateway for the exploration of the American West. In the mid-1700s, waves of European colonists in search of land for new homes left Pennsylvania to settle in the colonial backcountry of Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas. More than one hundred thousand settlers made the arduous trek, those who would become the foundational generations of the world’s first true immigrant nation. In their newly formed village squares, democracy took root and bloomed. During the Revolutionary War, the road served as the key supply line to the American resistance in the western areas of the colonies, especially in the South.

    Drawing on years of fieldwork and scholarship by an army of archeologists, academics, archivists, preservationists, and passionate history lovers, James Dodson sets out to follow the road’s original path from Philadelphia to Georgia. On his journey, he crosses six contiguous states and some of the most historic and hallowed landscapes of eastern America, touching many of the nation’s most sacred battlefields and burying grounds. Due to its strategic importance, military engagements were staged along the Great Wagon Road throughout North America’s three major wars, including the early days of the bloody French and Indian conflict and pivotal Revolutionary War encounters.

    In time, the Great Wagon Road became America’s first technology highway, as growing roadside villages and towns and cities became, in effect, the first incubators of America’s early Industrial age. The people and ideas that traveled down the road shaped the character of the fledgling nation and helped define who we are today. Dodson’s ancestors on both sides took the Great Wagon Road to Maryland and North Carolina, respectively, giving him a personal stake in uncovering the road’s buried legacy. An illuminating and entertaining first-person history, The Road That Made America restores this long-forgotten route to its rightful place in our national story.

  • Image for "Good Things"

    Good Things

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat—and one of America’s most beloved chefs and teachers—125 meticulously tested, flavor-forward, soul-nourishing recipes that bring joy and a sense of communion

    With all the generosity of spirit that has endeared her to millions of fans, Samin Nosrat offers more than 125 of her favorite recipes—simply put, the things she most loves to cook for herself and for friends—and infuses them with all the beauty and care you would expect from the person Alice Waters called “America’s next great cooking teacher.” As Samin says, "Recipes, like rituals, endure because they’re passed down to us—whether by ancestors, neighbors, friends, strangers on the internet, or me to you. A written recipe is just a shimmering decoy for the true inheritance: the thread of connection that cooking it will unspool." 

    Good Things is an essential, joyful guide to cooking and living, whether you’re looking for a comforting tomato soup to console a struggling friend, seeking a deeper sense of connection in your life, or hosting a dinner for ten in your too-small dining room. Here you’ll find go-to recipes for ricotta custard pancakes, a showstopping roast chicken burnished with saffron, a crunchy, tingly Calabrian chili crisp, super-chewy sky-high focaccia, and a decades-in-the-making, childhood-evoking yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Along the way, you’ll also find plenty of tips, techniques, and lessons, from how to buy olive oil (check the harvest date) to when to splurge (salad dressing is where you want to use your best ingredients) to the best uses for your pressure cooker (chicken stock and dulce de leche, naturally).

    Good Things captures, with Samin’s trademark blend of warmth, creativity, and precision, what has made cooking such an important source of delight and comfort in her life.

  • Image for "Annapolis Goes to War"

    Annapolis Goes to War

    America's preeminent naval historian offers a history of the Second World War based on the experiences of the young officers--fresh out of the United States Naval Academy--who served on its front lines.

    They arrived in Annapolis as teenagers the year Hitler re-occupied the Rhineland and graduated as young men the week the British Army evacuated Dunkirk. Annapolis Goes to War tells the story of their four transformative years at the Naval Academy, and then four more annealing years in the cauldron of war. More than a hundred of them were on duty in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Ten of them died that day-seven remain entombed in the USS Arizona still. Over the next four years, these former Midshipmen participated in virtually every significant engagement in both the Atlantic and the Pacific, from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay, from North Africa to Normandy. They were at the front edge of the war in battleships, carriers, destroyers, submarines, and airplanes, and led Marine Corps units ashore. Some experienced the war as prisoners of the Japanese. Fifty-six of them died in the Second World War, the greatest wartime loss any service academy ever experienced.

    Taking readers into and through the lives of these young men in wartime, Craig Symonds offers a poignant and powerful story of adjustment, growth, pain, loss, and eventually triumph. Using their diaries, memoirs, and letters, he evokes unforgettably their trials and bonds, their loss of innocence and their discovery of the meaning of sacrifice. Annapolis Goes to War is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the experience of fighting the bloodiest war in human history.

  • Image for "Detective Aunty"

    Detective Aunty

    When her grown daughter is suspected of murder, a charming and tenacious widow digs into the case to unmask the real killer in this twisty, page-turning whodunnit--the first book in a cozy new detective series from the acclaimed author of Ayesha at Last.

    After her husband's unexpected death eighteen months ago, Kausar Khan never thought she'd receive another phone call as heartbreaking--until her thirty-something daughter, Sana, phones to say that she's been arrested for killing the unpopular landlord of her clothing boutique. Determined to help her child, Kausar heads to Toronto for the first time in nearly twenty years.

    Returning to the Golden Crescent suburb where she raised her children and where her daughter still lives, Kausar finds that the thriving neighborhood she remembered has changed. The murder of Sana's landlord is only the latest in a wave of local crimes which have gone unsolved.

    And the facts of the case are troubling: Sana found the man dead in her shop at a suspiciously early hour, with a dagger from her windowfront display plunged in his chest. And Kausar--a woman with a keen sense of observation and deep wisdom honed by her years--senses there's more to the story than her daughter is telling.

    With the help of some old friends and her plucky teenage granddaughter, Kausar digs into the investigation to uncover the truth. Because who better to pry answers from unwilling suspects than a meddlesome aunty? But even Kausar can't predict the secrets, lies, and betrayals she finds along the way...

  • Image for "The American Revolution"

    The American Revolution

    From the award-winning historian and filmmakers of The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, The Roosevelts, and others: a richly illustrated, human-centered history of America’s founding struggle—expanding on the landmark, six-part PBS series to be aired in November 2025

    “From a small spark kindled in America, a flame has arisen not to be extinguished.” —Thomas Paine

    In defeating the British Empire and giving birth to a new nation, the American Revolution turned the world upside down. Thirteen colonies on the Atlantic coast rose in rebellion, won their independence, and established a new form of government that radically reshaped the continent and inspired independence movements and democratic reforms around the globe.

    The American Revolution was at once a war for independence, a civil war, and a world war, fought by neighbors on American farms and between global powers an ocean or more away. In this sumptuous volume, historian Geoffrey C. Ward ably steers us through the international forces at play, telling the story not from the top down but from the bottom up—and through the eyes of not only our “Founding Fathers” but also those of ordinary soldiers, as well as underrepresented populations such as women, African Americans, Native Americans, and American Loyalists, asking who exactly was entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

    Enriched by guest essays from lauded historians such as Vincent Brown, Maya Jasanoff, Jane Kamensky, and Alan Taylor, and by an astonishing array of prints, drawings, paintings, texts, and pamphlets from the time period, as well as newly commissioned art and maps—and woven together with the words of Thomas Paine— The American Revolution reveals a nation still grappling with the questions that fueled its remarkable founding.

  • Image for "Little Woodchucks"

    Little Woodchucks

    From New York Times bestselling author, Emmy-winning actor, and charismatically carnivorous woodworker Nick Offerman and his fellow champion creator Lee Buchanan (who is also not averse to delicious meats), an illustrated woodworking guide with projects for the whole family

    Are you a parent or an otherwise amply sized Woodchuck interested in making projects with, or for, your kids? Or are you an aspiring small Woodchuck ready to get into some quality mischief that involves a hammer, nails, and your very own pocketknife? Well, do we have a guide for you!

    Offerman Woodshop is opening its avuncular doors to woodworkers of all ages in the form of twelve brand-new, family-friendly undertakings perfect for kids, from beginner offerings like a handmade box kite to more challenging structures like a garden planter. 

    All projects are achievable and fun and encourage eye contact, giggles, handshakes, and other old-fashioned familial engagements, while introducing young woodworkers-to-be to the satisfaction and good clean fun of hands-on crafting.

  • Image for "The Second Story Bookshop"

    The Second Story Bookshop

    She inherits the bookshop of her dreams . . . But she has to run it with the ex she vowed never to speak with again. "Book lovers, book clubs, and anyone who's ever dreamed of owning a bookstore will adore this cleverly interwoven story" (Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shelterwood). Full of fall vibes, The Second Story Bookshop is perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Gilmore Girls.

    Shelby Thatcher adores working in the charming small-town bookshop her grandmother opened years ago. Since high school she's helped Gram turn the shop into a community hub for book lovers in the lakeside town of Grandville, NC. When her beloved grandma passes away, Shelby inherits the bookstore. But to her shock, Gram leaves half ownership to Gray Briggs, the man who broke Shelby's heart years ago.

    Grandville residents have been vilifying Gray as long as he can remember. After graduating high school he couldn't skip town fast enough, even though it meant leaving the girl he'd fallen deeply in love with and alienating her family once and for all. Now he's back, the beneficiary of his elderly friend's will. Facing the town's animosity is difficult, but seeing Shelby again is sheer torture. No one could ever stir his heart the way she did.

    As the adversaries are forced to work together, Gram's beyond-the-grave scheme is working--Shelby's old feelings for Gray begin to resurface. But the problems that destroyed their relationship before still remain, and a new one surfaces--one that threatens Gram's beloved bookshop. Is their love doomed to fail again, or will they find a way to make it work this time around

    If you're looking for an enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance set in a cozy lakeside bookshop brimming with healing, heart, and Southern charm, The Second Story Bookshop is your perfect, feel-good escape. Let Shelby and Gray's tender journey remind you that sometimes the path back to love starts at the front step of a bookstore.

  • Image for "The Doorman"

    The Doorman

    Chicky Diaz is everyone’s favorite doorman at the Bohemia, the most famous apartment house in the world, home of celebrities, financiers, and New York’s cultural elite.

    Up in the penthouse, Emily Longworth has the perfect-looking everything, all except her husband, whom she’d quietly loathed even before the recent revelations about where all the money comes from. But his wealth is immense, their prenup is iron-clad, and Emily can’t bring herself to leave him. Yet.

    And downstairs in 2A, Julian Sonnenberg—who has carved himself a successful niche in the art world, and led a good half-century of a full and satisfying, cosmopolitan life—has just received a devastating phone call that does nothing at all to alleviate his sense that, probably for better and worse, he has aged out and he’s just not that useful to anyone any more.

    Meanwhile, gathered in the Bohemia’s bowels, the building’s almost entirely Black and Hispanic, working-class staff is taking in the news that that just a few miles uptown, a Black man has been killed by the police, leading to a demonstration, a counterdemonstration, and a long night of violence across the tinderbox city.

    As Chicky changes into his uniform for tonight’s shift, he finds himself breaking a cardinal rule of the job: tonight, he’ll be carrying a gun, bought only hours earlier, but before he knew of the pandemonium taking over the city. Chicky knows that there’s more going on in his patch of sidewalk in front of the Bohemia than anyone’s aware of. Tonight in the city, enemies will clash, loyalties will be tested, secrets will be revealed—and lives will be lost.

  • Image for "Padma's All American"

    Padma's All American

    In this very personal book—the result of seven years of traveling and tasting, listening and observing for her award-winning Hulu show Taste the Nation—Padma Lakshmi compiles more than 100 recipes from the immigrant and Indigenous communities she visits, as well as many from her own family, showing us what really comprises American cuisine.

    Padma’s All American is filled with mouth-watering recipes, adapted here for the home cook—along with profiles and stories from the people who inspired the dishes. It is a joyful book—a love letter to the people who create and evolve American cuisine every day and a road map to the foods that give America its vibrant palate, from one of our most essential culinarians.

  • Image for "The Missing Pages"

    The Missing Pages

    A ghost in a library. A story waiting to be told. The Missing Pages is a rich, lyrical novel that reminds us that books are as eternal as the soul.

    1912: Harry Widener, a promising and passionate book collector, boards the Titanic holding tight to a priceless volume he's just purchased in London. After catastrophe strikes the ship, Harry's last known words are that he must return to his cabin to retrieve his latest treasure. Neither the young man nor the book are ever seen again. Honoring her son's memory, Harry's mother builds the Harry Widener Memorial Library at Harvard to house his extensive book collection and ensure his legacy.

    Decades later, Violet Hutchins, a Harvard sophomore recovering from her own great loss, is working as a page at the Widener Library. When mysterious things begin happening at the library, Violet wonders if Harry Widener's ghost is trying to communicate with her, seeking Violet to uncover a long-buried secret that the ardent young Harry took with him to the grave. 

    For fans of The Midnight Library and The Book Thief, bestselling author Alyson Richman has written a love story, a ghost story, and an elegy to the healing power of books.

  • Image for "Raising Hare"

    Raising Hare

    Imagine you could hold a baby hare and bottle-feed it. Imagine that it lived under your roof and bounded around your bedroom at night, drumming on the duvet cover when it wanted your attention. Imagine that, more than two years later, it still ran in from the fields when you called it and slept in your house for hours on end. For political advisor and speechwriter Chloe Dalton, who spent lockdown deep in the English countryside, far away from her usual busy London life, this became her unexpected reality.

    In February 2021, Dalton stumbles upon a newborn hare—a leveret—that had been chased by a dog. Fearing for its life, she brings it home, only to discover how difficult it is to rear a wild hare, most of whom perish in captivity from either shock or starvation. Through trial and error, she learns to feed and care for the leveret with every intention of returning it to the wilderness. Instead, it becomes her constant companion, wandering the fields and woods at night and returning to Dalton’s house by day. Though Dalton feared that the hare would be preyed upon by foxes, weasels, feral cats, raptors, or even people, she never tried to restrict it to the house. Each time the hare leaves, Chloe knows she may never see it again. Yet she also understands that to confine it would be its own kind of death.

    Raising Hare chronicles their journey together while also taking a deep dive into the lives and nature of hares, and the way they have been viewed historically in art, literature, and folklore. We witness firsthand the joy at this extraordinary relationship between human and animal, which serves as a reminder that the best things, and most beautiful experiences, arise when we least expect them.

  • Image for "Wreck"

    Wreck

    The acclaimed bestselling author of Sandwich is back with a wonderful novel, full of laughter and heart, about marriage, family, and what happens when life doesn't go as planned.

    If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry--and relate.)

    Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who's back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky's widowed father, has moved in.

    It all couldn't be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them--and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won't affect them at all.

    With her signature wit and wisdom, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people--no matter how much you love them--are not always exactly who you want them to be.

  • Image for "How to Art"

    How to Art

    What is art, where do I find it, and once I'm in front of it, what am I supposed to think about it? Kate Bryan is a self-confessed art addict who has worked with art for over twenty years. But before she studied art history at university, she'd visited a gallery just twice in her life and had no idea she was entering an elitist world. Now, she's on a mission to help everybody come to art.

    Like playing or listening to music, or cooking and eating great food, reading or watching films, making art or looking at other people's deserves to be an enriching part of all our lives. How to Art provides a nifty way to ingest art on your own terms. From where it is to what it is, to tips on how to actually enjoy famous artworks like the Mona Lisa, to how to own art and make art at home, to vital advice for making a career as an artist and even how to make your dog more cultural, How to Art gives art to everyone--and makes it fun. Laced throughout with original artworks by the very down-to-earth artist David Shrigley.

  • Image for "Isola: Reese's Book Club"

    Isola: Reese's Book Club

    Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. That journey takes a unexpected turn when Marguerite, accused of betrayal, is brutally punished and abandoned on a small island.

    Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed.

    Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival.

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Favorite Books to Read Aloud

  • Image for the library book

    The Library Book

    What’s the best way to cure a gloomy day? A trip to the library! Based on the hit song by Tom Chapin and Michael Mark, here is an affectionate, exuberant, uproarious celebration of books, reading, and—SHHH!—libraries!

    The rain is pouring, Dad is snoring, and the same old stuff is on TV—boring.

    What is there to do today?

    Go to the library, of course!

    Who will we meet there? Let's find out!

  • Image for "You are (not) Small"

    You are (not) Small

    Winner of the 2015 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award

     

    Two fuzzy creatures can't agree on who is small and who is big, until a couple of surprise guests show up, settling it once and for all!

     

    The simple text of Anna Kang and bold illustrations of New Yorker cartoonist Christopher Weyant tell an original and very funny story about size—it all depends on who's standing next to you.

     

  • Image for "The Big Umbrella"

    The Big Umbrella

    “A subtle, deceptively simple book about inclusion, hospitality, and welcoming the ‘other.’” —Kirkus Reviews

    “A boundlessly inclusive spirit...This open-ended picture book creates a natural springboard for discussion.” —Booklist

    “This sweet extended metaphor uses an umbrella to demonstrate how kindness and inclusion work...A lovely addition to any library collection, for classroom use or for sharing at home.” —School Library Journal

    In the tradition of Alison McGhee’s Someday, beloved illustrator Amy June Bates makes her authorial debut alongside her eleven-year-old daughter with this timely and timeless picture book about acceptance.

    By the door there is an umbrella. It is big. It is so big that when it starts to rain there is room for everyone underneath. It doesn’t matter if you are tall. Or plaid. Or hairy. It doesn’t matter how many legs you have.

    Don’t worry that there won’t be enough room under the umbrella. Because there will always be room.

    Lush illustrations and simple, lyrical text subtly address themes of inclusion and tolerance in this sweet story that accomplished illustrator Amy June Bates cowrote with her daughter, Juniper, while walking to school together in the rain.

  • Image for "Go Away, Big Green Monster!"

    Go Away, Big Green Monster!

    Caldecott Award-winning author-artist Ed Emberley has created an ingenious way for children to chase away their nighttime fears. Kids can turn the pages of this die-cut book and watch the Big Green Monster grow. Then, when they're ready to show him who's in charge, they'll turn the remaining pages and watch him disappear! This lavish reissue features dramatic die-cut eyes and sparkling foil on the cover.

  • Image for "Touch the Brightest Star"

    Touch the Brightest Star

    This interactive bedtime story proves nighttime isn't scary at all. The gentle journey from sunset to sunrise shows even the youngest children the magic of the nighttime sky—and lets them make magic happen! A companion to the popular and acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree.

    What happens while you're sleeping? With lush, beautiful watercolors and cut-paper collage, Christie Matheson reveals the magic of the nighttime sky, using the same kinds of toddler-perfect interactive elements as her acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree. Wave good-bye to the sun, gently press the firefly, make a wish on a star, rub the owls on their heads, and . . . shhhh. No two readings of this book will be the same. That along with the gentle, soothing rhythm, makes Touch the Brightest Star a bedtime winner—no matter how many times you and your child read it.

    “This exploration of the world at night should be inviting to even the very youngest children, who will also enjoy its imagination-fueled and child-powered interactivity.”—The Horn Book

  • Image for "I Got the Rhythm"

    I Got the Rhythm

    On a simple trip to the park, the joy of music overtakes a mother and daughter. The little girl hears a rhythm coming from the world around her- from butterflies, to street performers, to ice cream sellers everything is musical! She sniffs, snaps, and shakes her way into the heart of the beat, finally busting out in an impromptu dance, which all the kids join in on! Award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison and Connie Schofield-Morrison, capture the beat of the street, to create a rollicking read that will get any kid in the mood to boogie.

  • Image for "Press Here"

    Press Here

    Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next! Children and adults alike will giggle with delight as the dots multiply, change direction, and grow in size! Especially remarkable because the adventure occurs on the flat surface of the simple, printed page, this unique picture book about the power of imagination and interactivity will provide read-aloud fun for all ages!

  • Image for "This is Not My Hat"

    This is Not My Hat

    WINNER OF THE 2013 CALDECOTT MEDAL!

    From the creator of the #1 New York Times best-selling and award-winning I Want My Hat Back comes a second wry tale.

    When a tiny fish shoots into view wearing a round blue topper (which happens to fit him perfectly), trouble could be following close behind. So it's a good thing that enormous fish won't wake up. And even if he does, it's not like he'll ever know what happened. . . . Visual humor swims to the fore as the best-selling Jon Klassen follows his breakout debut with another deadpan-funny tale.

  • Image for "I Like Myself!"

    I Like Myself!

    Exuberant rhymes and wild illustrations celebrate self-acceptance and self-love, from the New York Times bestselling creators of I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!

    High on energy and imagination, this ode to self-esteem encourages kids to appreciate everything about themselves--inside and out. Messy hair? Beaver breath? So what!

    Here's a little girl who knows what really matters. At once silly and serious, Karen Beaumont's joyous rhyming text and David Catrow's vibrant illustrations unite in a book that is sassy, soulful . . . and straight from the heart.

    I Like Myself belongs on the shelf alongside such favorites as The World Needs More Purple People and I Am Enough.

  • Image for "Tap the Magic Tree"

    Tap the Magic Tree

    The acclaimed interactive picture book about the changing seasons. “Like Hervé Tullet’s Press Here, Matheson’s Tap the Magic Tree proves you don’t need apps for interactivity,” praised the New York Times.

    Every book needs you to turn the pages. But not every book needs you to tap it, shake it, jiggle it, or even blow it a kiss. Innovative and timeless, Tap the Magic Tree asks you to help one lonely tree change with the seasons. Now that’s interactive—and magical!

    It begins with a bare brown tree. But tap that tree, turn the page, and one bright green leaf has sprouted! Tap again—one, two, three, four—and four more leaves have grown on the next page. Pat, clap, wiggle, jiggle, and see blossoms bloom, apples grow, and the leaves swirl away with the autumn breeze. The collage-and-watercolor art evokes the bright simplicity of Lois Ehlert and Eric Carle and the interactive concept will delight fans of Pat the Bunny. Combining a playful spirit and a sense of wonder about nature, Christie Matheson has created a new modern classic that is a winner in every season—and every story time!

    And don't miss the follow-up, Touch the Brightest Star!

  • Image for "Sheep in a Jeep"

    Sheep in a Jeep

    "A rollicking, simple story that never loses its bounce" --Boston Globe

    Here they come, a flock of rollicking sheep in their sturdy red jeep. Will their outing be a success?

    Jeep goes splash! Jeep goes thud! Jeep goes deep in gooey mud!

    Here is a lively, funny tale, perfect for reading aloud. The youngest lap sitters will quickly learn to chant along with the reader as the brisk story unfolds, and they'll delight in the colorful portrayal of the hapless sheep.

    This proven winner for sharing and circle time will have your little ones giggling along.

    "The bright-colored pencil drawings and lean text make this a great choice for preschool storytimes, as well as for beginning readers who want a funny story." --School Library Journal

  • Image for "Pete the Cat"

    Pete the Cat

    Pete the Cat goes walking down the street wearing his brand new white shoes. Along the way, his shoes change from white to red to blue to brown to WET as he steps in piles of strawberries, blueberries, and other big messes! But no matter what color his shoes are, Pete keeps movin' and groovin' and singing his song...because it's all good. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes asks the reader questions about the colors of different foods and objects.

    Don't miss Pete's other adventures, including Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, Pete the Cat Saves Christmas, and Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses.

    Supports the Common Core State Standards

  • Image for "Nita's First Signs"

    Nita's First Signs

    Baby sign language makes it easy to communicate with your child, and Nita makes it fun! Nita's First Signs teaches ten essential signs for every parent and child to know, including eat, more, hungry, milk, all done, ball, play, love, please, and thank you. A simple story about Nita and her parents teaches each sign in context, and repetition throughout each story makes them easy to practice. Even better, each page slides open to reveal accurate instructions on how to make each sign, plus tabs on the side of each page make it simple to locate every sign for later reference. Baby sign language collections aren't complete without Nita!

  • Image for "Hooray for Birds!"

    Hooray for Birds!

    In an exuberant display of color, Lucy Cousins invites little ones to imagine themselves as brilliant birds.

    Birds of all feathers flock together in a fun, rhyme-filled offering by the creator of Maisy. From the rooster’s “cock-a-doodle-doo” at dawn to the owl’s nighttime “tuwit, tuwoo,” the cheeps and tweets of many bright and beautiful avian friends will have children eager to join in as honorary fledglings. This day in the life of birds will hold the attention of even the smallest bird-watchers, whether at storytime or just before settling into their cozy nests to sleep.

  • Image for "The Hidden Rainbow"

    The Hidden Rainbow



     

    All the colors of the rainbow are hidden in the garden, but can the little bee find them--with help from the reader Christie Matheson, author of the popular and acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree, brings a garden to life in this bright, interactive picture book about the natural world--and our place within it.

    One little bee peeks out on a world of gray and snow.

    She's looking for bright colors and needs you to help them grow.

    Bees need a healthy and colorful garden to survive. Luckily, all the colors of the rainbow are hidden in this garden--but the bees need the reader's help to find them. Brush off the camellia tree, tickle the tulips, and even blow a kiss to the lilac tree. With every action and turn of the page, a flower blooms and more bees are drawn to the feast.

    Christie Matheson is a master at creating simple picture books that encourage children to engage with the natural world. In The Hidden Rainbow, she introduces the colors of the rainbow, counting, and the basic ecosystem and vocabulary of a garden. Beautiful collage-and-watercolor art captures all the bold colors of a garden throughout the seasons, and the interactive text will captivate young readers at every story time.

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Upcoming Events

This event is in the "Birth to Five" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Hello Baby

10:00am–10:45am
Birth to Five
North East Branch
Registration Required
This event is in the "Birth to Five" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Hello Baby

10:00am–10:45am
North East Branch
Library Branch: North East Branch
Room: North East Storytime Room
Age Group: Birth to Five
Program Type: StoryTime
Registration Required
Event Details:

CCPL StoryTimes feature stories, rhymes, music, and play! Ages birth - 12 months.

To attend multiple sessions, please register for each event. Registration opens 2 weeks prior to the program date.

Disclaimer(s)

Photography and Video Policy

By registering for this event, you or those attending with you may be photographed or recorded on video that will be used for library promotional purposes. If you or a member of your group would not like to be photographed, please alert a staff member at the program.

This event is in the "Birth to Five" group
This event is in the "Family" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Family StoryTime

10:30am–11:30am
Birth to Five, Family
Elkton Branch
Registration Required
This event is in the "Birth to Five" group
This event is in the "Family" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Family StoryTime

10:30am–11:30am
Elkton Branch
Library Branch: Elkton Branch
Room: Elkton Meeting Room
Age Group: Birth to Five, Family
Program Type: StoryTime
Registration Required
Event Details:

CCPL StoryTimes feature stories, rhymes, music, and play! For families with children ages birth-5. Stay and play afterwards.

Disclaimer(s)

Photography and Video Policy

By registering for this event, you or those attending with you may be photographed or recorded on video that will be used for library promotional purposes. If you or a member of your group would not like to be photographed, please alert a staff member at the program.

This event is in the "Birth to Five" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Preschool Science: Dinosaurs

11:00am–12:00pm
Birth to Five
Rising Sun Branch
Registration Required
This event is in the "Birth to Five" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Preschool Science: Dinosaurs

11:00am–12:00pm
Rising Sun Branch
Library Branch: Rising Sun Branch
Room: Rising Sun Meeting Room
Age Group: Birth to Five
Program Type: Science & Technology
Registration Required
Event Details:

Learn more about dinosaurs through exploration and hands-on activities. Ages 3-5. 

Registration opens two weeks prior to the program date.

A MD STEM Festival event. 

Disclaimer(s)

Photography and Video Policy

By registering for this event, you or those attending with you may be photographed or recorded on video that will be used for library promotional purposes. If you or a member of your group would not like to be photographed, please alert a staff member at the program.

This event is in the "Birth to Five" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Tiny Tales from the Castle

11:00am–12:00pm
Birth to Five
Chesapeake City Branch
Registration Required
This event is in the "Birth to Five" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Tiny Tales from the Castle

11:00am–12:00pm
Chesapeake City Branch
Library Branch: Chesapeake City Branch
Room: Chesapeake City Meeting Room
Age Group: Birth to Five
Program Type: StoryTime
Registration Required
Event Details:

Join us for a magical StoryTime filled with dragons, princesses, and enchanting tales from the castle. Knight, princess and other fairytale costumes are encouraged. Ages 2-6. 

Disclaimer(s)

Photography and Video Policy

By registering for this event, you or those attending with you may be photographed or recorded on video that will be used for library promotional purposes. If you or a member of your group would not like to be photographed, please alert a staff member at the program.

This event is in the "Adults" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Book Discussion

1:00pm–2:00pm
Adults
Perryville Branch
Registration Required
This event is in the "Adults" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Book Discussion

1:00pm–2:00pm
Perryville Branch
Library Branch: Perryville Branch
Room: Perryville Meeting Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Books & Authors
Registration Required
Event Details:

"The Last Bookshop in London" by Madeline Martin

Disclaimer(s)

Photography and Video Policy

By registering for this event, you or those attending with you may be photographed or recorded on video that will be used for library promotional purposes. If you or a member of your group would not like to be photographed, please alert a staff member at the program.

This event is in the "Adults" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Pearls of Wisdom: The Oyster Edition

2:00pm–3:00pm
Adults
Cecilton Branch
Registration Required
This event is in the "Adults" group
Nov 18 2025 Tue

Pearls of Wisdom: The Oyster Edition

2:00pm–3:00pm
Cecilton Branch
Library Branch: Cecilton Branch
Room: Cecilton Community Center (203 E Main Street)
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: History/Cultural, Science & Technology
Registration Required
Event Details:

Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Chris Judy will provide an update on the status of Chesapeake Bay oysters, highlight efforts to support their recovery, and share some interesting and fun facts along the way.

  • Birth to Five
  • Elementary
  • Middle School
  • High School
  • Adults
  • Family
  • View More

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