Librarians' Top Reads for 2020: Non-Fiction

2020 was a year like no other and so maybe it isn't surprising that it was also the year some of us read a lot more non-fiction than usual. Here are some of the non-fiction titles that particularly stood out.

From Kate:

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty
Honestly, I picked up this one because of the title (Death, Tiny Mortals - awesome!) and because someone had dared to write truthfully about death for the young reader, which I thought was cool. The book was actually really insightful and thought provoking, as well as super cool. I ended up reading all the rest of Doughty’s books after this and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: and other lessons from the crematorium was also great.

This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay
Apparently Junior Doctors in the NHS system had to keep a journal of each day and what happened - sort of as a reflective learning exercise - and this is Adam Kay’s. It's amazingly, horrific, scary and heartbreakingly funny all mixed into one. It's well worth the read. As bonus material you can also pick up his book 'Twas the Nightshift before Christmas, but I definitely suggest reading that AFTER the first one, not before. 

Unfollow: a journey from hatred to hope, leaving the Westboro Baptist Church

by Megan Phelps-Roper

I saw a Ted Talk by Megan Phelps-Roper a couple of years back and have been really interested in her story ever since. This autobiography details what it was like growing up in, and eventually leaving, the Westboro Baptist Church (you know ‘America’s most hated family’). But this story is not the usual ‘I’ve been in a cult and this is my weird story about it’ tale - Phelps-Roper is honest, forgiving and sensitive in her storytelling. I felt like it was a genuinely enlightening and insightful view into why incredibly smart, loving and rational people can get involved in, and do quite horrible things, in the name of religion and love. In today's age of Trump and hate dominating the news cycles I feel like this is particularly recommended reading.

No Happy Endings: a memoir by Nora McInerny Purmort
Another one I came across from a Ted Talk! And well worth the watch while you are at it. Nora sadly loses her beloved husband to cancer, her father, and her unborn second child in one really crappy year. That sounds like a horrible thing to read about but it was actually really uplifting. This is an honest tale about ‘moving forward’ with grief, how life is messy and unpredictable and full of both sorrow and joy – sometimes at the exact same time.

From Miss Moneypenny:

This year I have managed to read some of the books that have been on my To Be Read List for a very long time including 84 Charing Cross Road and Cider with Rosie. 

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. 

For twenty years American writer Hanff and British bookseller Doel correspond. Told in letter format Hanff initially requests obscure books but as the years roll by the correspondence widens to include his family and other staff at the bookshop as they swap details of a post war England for American food parcels. This small book is a delight to read; funny, engaging and sad as the correspondence ends and the book finishes. An unexpected pleasure to read. 

Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee. 

Another delight. Set after the First World War in a Cotswolds village, Lee recounts growing up in a large busy family starting with a funny first school day experience. He recounts how the seasons influenced their life and as he grows up, the wonder of motorcycles and cars. Although each adventure is set against a background of poverty and hardship there is much innocence and laughter. Quaint, charming and gritty all rolled into one good read.

The Home Edit Life: the no-guilt guide to owning what you want and organizing everything by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin. 

If like me you long to have a super-organised house this is one inspirational book. Based on their successful business sorting other people’s stuff out the authors share the principals of supreme tidiness. In a nutshell, get rid of stuff you don’t use and store everything else in bins that are colour coded. Honestly just looking at the photos made me feel better 'cause I am never going to put every item in the fridge into labelled containers and then organise them based on food groups and/or colour. Especially after a very therapeutic session colour coding the linen cupboard that lasted barely a week – sigh.

Librarian Kate's recommended kids games and apps

Lets face it, something horrific like 91% of kids spend time in front of screens. That could be a made up statistic, but it sounds about right when you think about it. Kids love technology! They eat it up and get into it so much that sometimes we spend a lot of time just trying to fight the battle of screen time, and a lot of times we, as parents, feel at the losing end of it. Apps and gaming can make amazing learning resources for children though - but which ones? Here is a list of some of the games I have found that actually teach lots of skills, but don’t suck the joy out of gaming for the kiddos.

Minecraft
Ok, so you pretty much have had to be hiding under a well-constructed happy rock (one which millions of parents worldwide would like to join you under) if you haven’t heard of Minecraft. But in case you haven’t, or if you have but tried to avoid knowing anything about it at all costs: Minecraft is a game centred on building and creating. Think of it as virtual Lego! It is a ‘sandbox' style game with very little instructions, so kids get to do what they like with it. The game can get really in-depth as you mine items, build fortresses to keep out monsters, and get involved in player vs player combat. It is very much a game, but with lots of hidden learning gems in it too. Besides the endless opportunities to be creative and for children to use their imaginative noggins, they also learn to problem solve, gain critical thinking skills, learn about spatial awareness, and in multiplayer environments it enables a lot of collaboration. Believe me when I say this, compared to other brain rotting apps you get out there, this one is definitely one you shouldn’t fight with your kids too much over.

The bad bits? Honestly besides the theme music that the PC and game console versions have (mute button for the win!), I can’t think of much. There is no sex, drugs and rock and roll in it, but when kids play together there can be trouble. kids quickly learn to safeguard their items and themselves though, and they also have the opportunity to learn not to be jerks to others! That’s a point in the positives column for me. There is a small one off cost to the game, depending on your device or system but for the many hours of babysitting educational game play, it is totally worth it.

Suitable for 5+ but really Minecraft can be played by anyone who can hold a tablet or operate a mouse and it’s a great game to play as a family.

P.s We think it is such a great game, we have clubs running at our libraries now. Librarians love it too!

CodeCombat
This is starting to sound like a post dedicated to pushing our programmes and events, but it really isn’t – I’m just that passionate about these games and sites that I’m willing to spend good chunk of my time teaching others to play, including this one. CodeCombat is an awesome web based game for learning how to code, all you really need is a bit of time and the ability to read and write. Even I could do this. EVEN ME. Kids love it because it looks and feels like a game, not a learning resource that has been gamified, but an actual game, so kids forget they are learning.

Cons? Around the end of the first dungeon levels it suddenly gets hard. You actually have to think about what you are doing and really knuckle down. But I’m not sure that is a bad thing.  Also after this you learn how to really knock peoples socks off in PVP arenas... so that’s a win for the fun side.

This site has lots of free game play. You have access to 110 levels , but for a small price you can have access to bonus levels and other tidbits.

Suitable for ages 8+. Younger ones can easily get into the first few levels with help, but it gets a bit complex after that.

Our Clan of Coders group plays this game! We meet every Wednesday at Flaxmere, or you can participate online too. to register yourself or your child for a pack, go here. 

Plants Vs Zombies
Sounds horrible, but Plants Vs Zombies is a super fun and great strategy learning game. Contrary to the image the name may conjure up in your head, there is no blood, guts or gore to get terrified over. And really, any zombie action is counteracted by adorable well-meaning plants. Plus you get to collect little bits of sunshine as a sort of currency to spend on more plants, what could possibly be bad about that?
The downside to this game is that is completely addictive, so if you are worried already about time spent in front of a computer or tablet, probably don’t download this one.

Gameplay is free, but you can cash up for extra stuff, just don’t let the kids know your password and she’ll be right.
Some of the websites say it’s an age 10+ game but many parent reviews say their children as young as 4 love this one. My 7 year old is a pro.

Scrap Mechanic
This is a brand new one out and about, and with the potential to be huge. A few of the big name YouTube Gamers are getting on board and are already offering tutorials and walk-throughs. Basically it is a sandbox game where ‘mechanics’ get to build whatever they like out of the 100+  building parts at their disposal, making it very creative and fun game play. From what I’ve seen over my son’s shoulder, its a lot like Minecraft but with way better graphics. From transforming buildings to flying objects, the world is your STEM oyster with this game. Being multiplayer, kids can also collaborate with friends and hold challenges.
Cons? Its still in ‘Early Access’ mode which means that they are still developing it, and there may be a few bugs that need squishing. If you like being the first on the block to get something though – this one should be right up your alley.

This one costs you! Its $19.95US currently. If this sort of game play doesn’t excite the kids, then don’t fork out the cash, but its well worth keeping an eye out for anyway.