In this series, we’ll pick some of our favorite things about Minnesota and share some related book suggestions. (We’re open to your suggestions! Comment below or email us and tell us some of your favorite MN things!)

What on earth is a hodag, you may wonder? According to Merriam-Webster: “a mythical animal reported chiefly from Wisconsin and Minnesota, noted for its ugliness, lateral horns, and hooked tail, and reputed to be outstanding in both ferocity and melancholy.”
Maybe you’d like to learn more about this unique creature? If you’re a Harry Potter fan, JK Rowling has you covered. You can even visit a statue of a hodag over in Rhinelander, WI! Otherwise here are some other suggestions to try:

Hodag: A Happy the Hodag Book by Jill Kuczmarski “Are you a hodag!? Discover what it means to be a hodag in this illustrated rhyming story for the hodag in all of us. Full-color illustrated picture book for all ages starring Happy the Hodag, Buddy the Bulldog and nine new hodags.”

The Terrible Hodag by Caroline Arnold “The lumberjacks who worked all day in the north woods were careful to stay out of the forest at night because of the terrible beast called the Hodag. When one buddy stays out too long and meets the Hodag, everyone finds to their surprise that the Hodag is not so awful after all.”

The Hodag by Gary Lumpp “A group of filmmakers venture into the wilderness in search of proof that a cryptid known as the Hodag exists, unaware of a private plane crash in the area – or the domestic terrorists who want the cargo that was on board.”

In this series, we’ll pick some of our favorite things about Minnesota and share some related book suggestions. (We’re open to your suggestions! Comment below or email us and tell us some of your favorite MN things!) 

Hockey season has recently started up again! In case you have students or patrons interested in reading more about the sport, here are some suggestions:

Hockey Strong: Playing Through Pain for the Love of Sport – stories of sacrifice from inside the trenches of the NHL by Todd Smith “This is the story of hockey, one scar at a time. For the casual enthusiast and hockey fanatic alike comes a brilliant collection of essays and photographs celebrating the grit and dedication of hockey players who regularly and willingly withstand injury and hardship to play the sport they love.”

Beartown by Fredrik Backman “People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.”

Iceman by Chris Lynch “The other guys on Eric’s hockey team call him the Iceman, because he’s a heartless player, cold as ice. Only Eric knows the truth — he’s not cold, he’s on fire, burning with a need he just can’t explain. Least of all to his fanily — not to his dad, whose only joy in life id watching Eric smash other hockey players to a pulp. Or his mom, who starts every conversation with “Your problem is…” Or even his brother, Duane, once a star athlete, now a star slacker.”

Checked by Cynthia Kadohata “Hockey is Conor’s life. His whole life. He’ll say it himself, he’s a hockey beast. It’s his dad’s whole life too—and Conor is sure that’s why his stepmom, Jenny, left. There are very few things Conor and his dad love more than the game, and one of those things is their Doberman, Sinbad. When Sinbad is diagnosed with cancer, Conor chooses to put his hockey lessons and practices on hold so they can pay for Sinbad’s chemotherapy. But without hockey to distract him, Conor begins to notice more. Like his dad’s crying bouts, and his friend’s difficult family life. And then Conor notices one more thing: without hockey, the one thing that makes him feel special, is he really special at all?”

In this series, we’ll pick some of our favorite things about Minnesota and share some related book suggestions. (We’re open to your suggestions! Comment below or email us and tell us some of your favorite MN things!) 

One of the best things about living in Minnesota is that we get to enjoy all four seasons. And right now I am loving that my drive into work is becoming more and more colorful every day! Green is transforming into orange, red, and yellow so we thought it’d be fitting to read some cheerful books that take place in the season of autumn.

Squashed by Joan Bauer “Humor, agriculture and young love all come together in Joan Bauer’s first novel, set in rural Iowa. Sixteen-year-old Ellie Morgan’s life would be almost perfect if she could just get her potentially prize-winning pumpkin to put on about 200 more pounds…”

Now I haven’t read this yet so I’m not sure it technically takes place during autumn. However, the main character’s name is September and it sounds like a fun adventure! The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by by Catherynne M. Valente
“Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.”

 Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert “Lois Ehlert uses watercolor collage and pieces of actual seeds, fabric, wire, and roots in this innovative and rich introduction to the life of a tree. A special glossary explains how roots absorb nutrients, what photosynthesis is, how sap circulates, and other facts about trees.”

Autumn at Apple Hill by Angie Ellington “Elise Jacobs is ready for a change. Recently divorced, she relocates to her hometown of Landover, Maine to operate a bed and breakfast she inherited from her grandmother. After growing up with the fondest memories of her childhood being spent there, she relishes the chance for a fresh start and an opportunity to revive the inn. As summer gives way to Autumn, the inn is returning to its’ grandeur. A handsome guest sets out to challenge Elise at every turn. She knows the type…or does she? “