Readers’ Advisory

2025 Summer Reading: Level Up at Your Library is based around puzzles and games. The titles below embrace competitive spirit. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer Years ago, a reclusive mega-bestselling children’s author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change… Read More

This year’s Summer Reading Program theme celebrates the joy of play and how it connects us to others. Through games and puzzles, we can learn about ourselves while building friendships and community. Beastly Puzzles: A Brain-Boggling Animal Guessing Game by Rachel Poliquin What animal could be made out of dinosaur feet, several feather dusters, and… Read More

Play is one of the ways we learn to relate to others, to think in new ways, and to foster friendships, new and old. Level Up at Your Library is an all-ages summer reading program based around puzzles and games. Readers of all ages can participate in 2025 Summer Reading! If 2,000 people register for… Read More

The Youth Department has a growing World Languages collection. With over 20 languages represented, visitors will find items in many formats including picture books, board books, and graphic novels. Do you speak a language other than English in your home? What stories would you like to see represented in the Glen Ellyn Public Library Youth… Read More

You may have noticed a newer collection in the Youth Department called Books with Sound. This section contains titles in VOX and Wonderbook format, which combine printed books with audio narration. These formats enhance literacy by engaging children in multisensory experi- ences, and supporting comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary. They are particularly effective for struggling readers… Read More

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang After the accidental death of best-selling author and college friend Athena Liu, struggling novelist June Hayward steals her unpublished manuscript to pass off as her own under a racially ambiguous pen name. After rave reviews and rapid success, June is haunted by what she has done and struggles with the… Read More

Celebrate and honor America’s veterans through an 
exploration of courage, patriotism, and sacrifice. Coming Home by Greg Ruth This nearly wordless picture book poignantly explores the spectrum of emotions
 experienced at a reunion of a child and their 
deployed parent. War Stories by Gordon Korman
 Twelve-year-old Trevor is obsessed with 
war-like video games and is… Read More

Have you ever finished a terrific book and wondered how the author came up with the idea for the book, put that idea into words, and had it published? The library, often with the help of a partner, hosts author events where you can ask all of these questions! Author events bring books to life… Read More

Celebrate the rich histories and cultures of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio This coming-of-age story follows a Harvard student’s journey of self-discovery and resilience as she faces an uncertain future as an undocumented immigrant. Readers who appreciate poignant, character-driven narratives will enjoy this literary novel. Ana María and the Fox by… Read More

Each year, committees of Illinois teachers and librarians select the nominees for the following year's Monarch, Bluestem, and Caudill Award lists. Preparation for the meetings begins months in advance, with members responsible for reading 50 titles that will be winnowed down to the final lists of 20 books. Youth Department staff members Melissa Hilt, Alexa… Read More

In honor of World on the Move, these books take a closer look at why and how people relocate to new places. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui This graphic novel memoir explores a family’s journey from war-torn Vietnam to America. The author’s moving writing and elegant artwork illuminate how her family’s struggle… Read More

Earth Day is Monday, April 22! Recommendations from Adult Department Assistant Director and Readers’ Advisory Librarian Sarah Kovac Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver A housewife’s life is forever changed when she discovers a giant kaleidoscope of butterflies near her Appalachian home. The phenomenon attracts a swarm of journalists, scientists, and tourists to town. This issue-oriented… Read More