3 on a Theme: Fictional New Hampshire

• Barker House by David Moloney
• Mercy Snow by Tiffany Baker
• Sugaring Off by Gillian French
  

2024 Ladybug Picture Book Award Winner!

New Hampshire children have chosen 100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle and Lian Cho as the winner of the 2024 Ladybug Picture Book Award.

There were 19,116 votes cast this year at 149 sites throughout the state. The winning book received 4,885 votes.  A flyer with the complete list of voting results is available on the Ladybug Picture Book Award website.

Book of the Week (12/30/2024)

4000s by 40: Tackling Middle Age in the Mountains of New Hampshire by Matt Larson (Vandreren Publishing, 2024)

Following in the footsteps of writers like Cheryl Strayed and Bill Bryson, 4000s by 40 gives voice to the universally relatable journey of dealing with middle age, and doing so while stumbling around in New Hampshire’s 4000-foot mountains.

Faced with the fact he couldn’t stay in his 30s forever, Matt Larson fled to the mountains where no one could remind him how old he was getting. From failed summits to hitchhiking with strangers, 4000s by 40 is one man’s quest to conquer all of New Hampshire’s tallest mountains before turning 40, while trying not to get himself killed in the process. An adventure of mistakes and self-discovery, Matt’s journey led him from idiocy to expertise, and ultimately newfound humility, when a series of health crises derailed his life. Getting over the hill took him over quite a few hills, and taught him that no matter how many mountains we climb, greater challenges await, each one leading us closer to discovering our best selves. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Matt Larson started hiking in the White Mountains as a kid, over forty years ago, and immediately felt a deep connection to the region. Since that time, his fondness for the area has only grown. Always a writer at heart, his career distracted him for twenty-five years, limiting his opportunities to write. It only makes sense that the place where he first felt truly inspired during his childhood is what turned him back to his passion for writing.

Matt lives in New Hampshire with his wife, Liz, and their four children. When he’s not writing, he’s looking for ways to get them all out in the mountains together.

Book of the Week (12/23/2024)

The Art of Small Business Social Media: A Blueprint for Marketing Success by Peg Fitzpatrick (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2024)

In The Art of Small Business Social Media, social media expert Peg Fitzpatrick offers a comprehensive guide tailored specifically for small business owners. Recognizing that social media isn’t a one-size-fits-all tool, Fitzpatrick provides a roadmap for entrepreneurs to navigate the digital landscape effectively. Drawing from her extensive experience working with brands big and small, she demystifies choosing the right platforms, crafting a robust social media plan, and engaging with communities online. Real-world examples from various industries serve as case studies, offering actionable insights that can be applied to any small business setting.

Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or part of a small team, The Art of Small Business Social Media is your key to unlocking the full potential of social media marketing. It’s not just about being online; it’s about being online effectively. This book equips you with the skills to participate in the digital world and thrive in it, giving your business a competitive edge in today’s marketplace. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Peg Fitzpatrick is a social media powerhouse and co-author of The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users with Guy Kawasaki. She was the first head of social strategy for Canva and has led successful social media campaigns for global brands like Motorola, Audi, TJMaxx, and Google. She lives in Keene, NH.

Join Peg at Gibson's Bookstore on Thursday, January 9, 2025 from 6:30-7:30 pm where she'll be discussing her newest book!

Passing the Torch

Mary setting up at NBF2003
with a Junior League Volunteer

On Monday evening, May 5, 2003 the NH State Library hosted a reception to open the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library. Among the honored guests at that event were John Cole, Director of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress; Marie Harris, NH Poet Laureate at the time; and the NH authors Tomie dePaola, John Harrigan, and Rebecca Rule.  Katie McDonough was the Director of the NH Center for the Book at its founding. 

By the fall of 2003 we had kicked-off our first Ladybug Picture Book Award; organized our first year of Letters About Literature (a student writing competition that the Library of Congress unfortunately stopped supporting in 2019); and represented the Granite State at the first National Book Festival. 

By that time I had become the Director of the NH Center. In the 20+ years since then we have done a lot of great projects, I have attended more National Book Festivals than I care to count, and I have worked with an amazing group of writers, librarians, readers, and Directors from Centers for the Book throughout the country. It has been fun, educational, and occasionally exhausting. 

After all these years I decided, and former State Librarian Michael York agreed with me, that the time has come for someone new to take over running the NH Center. Luckily, Felicia Martin was ready and willing to become our 3rd Director. Mike appointed her Director before he retired.

Felicia has been Deputy Director of the NH Center since 2023; Chair of the Ladybug Picture Book Award since Ann Hoey's retirement in 2017; and a regular contributor to the Center's blog for many years prior to that. The Center is in very capable hands, and I will be here at the State Library serving as "Director Emeritus" of the Center which means I will be helping Felicia out in whatever ways she decides are helpful.

Thanks to everyone who has helped me with the Center for the Book all these years. I couldn't have done it without you!

State Librarian Michael York at NBF2003

Now Accepting 2025 Ladybug Nominations

We will be accepting preliminary nominations from New Hampshire librarians for the 2025 Ladybug Picture Book Award through a nomination form between now and Sunday, January 12, 2025. In addition to bibliographical information about your nominee, we are asking for a sentence or two explaining why you chose to nominate the book.

The nomination form for the 2025 Ladybug Picture Book Award can be found here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ladybugnominee2025

 Please nominate a picture book that meets the following criteria:

• Be published, in its current edition, within the last three years (2022-2024)
• be currently in print
• possess strong child appeal
• have artistic quality with text that supports the illustrations
•  not be a title previously nominated as a finalist. (See previous nominations here https://tinyurl.com/ladybugNOM)
  

****NEW THIS YEAR: A nominated book will no longer be required to have both the book's author and illustrator reside in the U.S.****

You may nominate as many books as you’d like, but they must follow the above criteria and you will need to complete the nomination survey separately for each nominated book.

The long-list of nominated titles will be announced in late January.