Shaw (Watha T. Daniel)
Neighborhood Library

Takeout service available Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. Closed from 2 - 3 p.m.every day for sanitizing.
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Ghost Train

The Boys on the Trains

Adventures On and Off the Rails

Like many residents in the Washington DC metro area, I take the commuter train line almost every day to work from my home in Baltimore. There is something rhythmically relaxing about boarding a train and listening to the sound of the rail cars as you depart from the station. You can read, sleep, meditate or work on your computer all without the stress of driving in rush hour mayhem. It’s a different experience. You see and witness things from a perspective that you would otherwise miss by driving.

Fall is Not Easy by Marty Kelley

Fall Into Autumn

Apples, pumpkins, colorful leaves… There are so many great things that come along with autumn! Even though it may not feel like it outside quite yet, fall is right around the corner. After such a hot summer, I know I’m looking forward to that crisp, cool air that starts to blow in late September. How about you?   Get ready and excited for one of the best seasons of all with these fall-tastic picture books!  

The Pale Horse cover image

Happy Birthday, Agatha Christie!

Celebrate the Grand Dame of Classic Mysteries

September 15 is Agatha Christie's birthday!

Strictly Ballroom

Go for the Gold!

In honor of this year’s summer reading theme (Go for the Gold, Read!) and the close of the summer Olympics, here are my favorite inspirational sports films of those achieving their own personal gold.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Mars Attacks!

Mars, the red planet, named for the Roman god of war, has often captivated and inspired literature, as wide and varying as space western, scientific survival story, classic science fiction, philosophical novel, and popular dystopia. Here are what I consider essential Martian tales.

Stitches cover image

Graphic Novels for Beginners

From graphic novel newbie to fan in 5 books

Graphic novels have gotten increasingly more popular, but I have to admit I initially had a hard time getting into the format. For someone who was never into comic books as a kid, my eyes get easily overwhelmed with the explosion of activity that happens in graphic novels. What comes as second nature for a seasoned graphic novel fan - taking in the story simultaneously through the illustrations, the expository text, the speech bubbles, and the action bubbles or knowing which panel to look at next - requires a lot more concentration for me than reading a traditional book.

Egypt-omania

From the Banks of the Nile

Egypt Revisited

It doesn’t take a riddle of the Sphinx to understand why the world has been so fascinated with Egypt - the Pyramids of Giza, Luxor, King Tutankhamen, Cleopatra, the Library of Alexandria, and the the mighty Nile just to name a few things. There is something epic about this country in the northeast corner of Africa. Here, for your perusal, is a taste of a few things Egyptian.  

Capture the Flag, written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Yuta Onoda

I <3 DC

Children's Chapter Books Set in Washington, DC

Though reading can take you on an adventure around the world, I also sometimes like to read about locations I know well, like my hometown or somewhere I've recently visited. Picking up on references to specific spots always gives me a thrill and really helps me to visualize what's happening in the story. If you're looking for a children's novel that's full of familiar streets and sights, try one of these DC-based books on for size!

Sit In cover image

Picture This: Nonfiction

Factual books in picture book format

When you're browsing the library with your child, you might gravitate toward the picture books for younger kids and chapter books or comic books for older ones. The nonfiction shelves, relegated to homework and science project time, sit neglected and unexplored. But don't judge a book by its Dewey Decimal number! There's plenty of nonfiction books that retain the fun, visual appeal of fiction picture books with the added bonus of teaching something new or serving as an extension of a favorite picture book or chapter book.

'March: Book One'

Awesome Reads for Awesome Con

Graphic Novels by Awesome Con 2016 Attendees

Did you know that D.C.’s very own comic and pop culture convention, Awesome Con, is coming up? On the first weekend of June (Friday the 3rd through Sunday the 5th) countless authors, artists, game developers, actors, and more will be arriving at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

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