Bookmarked: Book Recommendations & News from Forsyth County Public Library

Showing posts with label Juvenile Nonfiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Juvenile Nonfiction. Show all posts

Friday, April 10, 2026

An Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman Sunday, April 19 at Sharon Forks Library

Dwan Bosman playing the saxophone in front of an orange, gold, and black circular background image.
An Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman

Sharon Forks Library presents an Afternoon of Jazz with Dwan Bosman on Sunday, April 19, 2:00–3:00 p.m. Mr. Bosman will perform the music of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Charlie Parker that jazz lovers of all ages can appreciate. 


There is never an end. There are always new sounds to imagine; new feelings to get at.
John Coltrane   

These illustrated biographies from our juvenile collection highlight the stories and artists behind some of the iconic jazz artists that inspired Dwan Bosman's own musical journey. 

Book cover of Spirit Seeker.

Vibrant acrylic paintings and mixed media illustrations reveal saxophonist John Coltrane’s musical and spiritual journeys. This biography describes Coltrane’s musical calling, and the thrill of playing alongside his heroes like Dizzy Gillespie, John Hodges, and Miles Davis. The book also describes Coltrane’s spiritual journey, revealing how his battles with addiction led to him losing his job playing with the Miles Davis Band, and how that setback changed his life. Coltrane returned to his family roots and spent time in meditation. After overcoming his addiction, he was able to perform even better than before, revolutionizing jazz, recording his own record, leading his own group and becoming a jazz legend of his own.  


Book cover of Birth of Cool.

Birth of the Cool describes Miles Davis' musical journey from listening to the music of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington on the radio, receiving a trumpet for his thirteenth birthday, feeling overlooked in the high school band, and discovering bebop. Miles Davis' lucky break came when he was asked to fill in for an absent musician and got the opportunity to perform with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Bird Parker. But Miles Davis had his own ideas about music and became a master at improvising short, soulful solos. Miles Davis even developed his own style of music,—cool jazz and variations like modal jazz, hard bop, and fusion all inspired by the sounds of his youth. 

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist
Sharon Forks Library

Event Image Credit: Forsyth County Public Library

Monday, December 8, 2025

STEM Books by North Georgia Authors

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Paths to Publishing KidLit panel by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Southern Breeze Chapter at Sharon Forks Library. It was a real treat to hear what inspired each of the seven authors at the event to write and publish their books. Here are three books written by authors featured at the program. 

Earth Rover by Taylor Woolley

Rover is eager to join his human on NASA’s Artemis Moon mission and he makes some persuasive arguments for adding a canine companion to the space program. Earth Rover presents information about aerospace technology, humans in space, and dogs in a cute way and includes information on the logistics of moon exploration. I love the way Taylor Woolley humanizes the men and women who work on our NASA space programs.  



Doll-E 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey

As a budding engineer, Charlotte isn't sure what to do with the human-shaped pillow she receives as a gift. Unlike her games and gadgets, it doesn't to do anything. Doll-E 1.0 highlights individuality, STEM skills, and creative problem solving. 

Award-winning author and illustrator Shanda McCloskey didn’t intend to be an author at all—she started out as an illustrator and then began writing her own stories. McCloskey lives in Ball Ground, Georgia, and is a former high school art teacher.


There's No Ham in Hamburgers by Kim Zachman

Kim Zachman writes engaging nonfiction books that combine history, science and fun facts to explain why chips get stale and chocolate chips don't melt when baked into cookies. Young people will love learning the history of hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, ice cream, chocolate, and other favorite foods. 

Zachman's book There's No Cream in Cream Soda explains the facts and folklore about our favorite beverages. Both books are part of FCPL's juvenile nonfiction collection.  



Taylor Woolley, Author
Image Credit: Forsyth County Public Library



SCBWI KidLit Panel
Image Credit: Forsyth County Public Library



Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist