Celebrate Library Card Sign - Up Month! Dive into a new hobby with your library card!
Updated: Sep 2
Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. During the month, the American Library Association and libraries unite in a national effort to ensure that every child receives their own library card, the most cost-effective back-to-school supply available! However, people of all ages should take advantage of the many services they can receive with their Long Branch Free Public Library card. One of the many benefits of having a library card is being able to learn something new! So dive into a new hobby today!
ADULTS
Fiber Arts
Wilderness Knits for the Home by Link Neuman
Wilderness Knits for the Home is Linka Neumann’s second book, showcasing a stunning collection of homeware knits to make while embracing the Scandinavian spirit and cosying up next to a warm fire. After the success of Wilderness Knits , with its cosy jumpers and cardigans set against the backdrop of the Norwegian landscape, Linka brings us gorgeous wall hangings, cushions, blankets (including for your dog!) and more. Once again, set in the stunning Norwegian countryside, the book inspires you to knit these beautiful creations and embrace the aesthetic of the Scandinavian wilderness. As ever, Linka uses her environment to inspire her as well as animals from the snowy north – with dogs, orcas, polar bears and reindeers finding their way into her designs. If making jumpers and cardigans with Scandi-style yokes feels too complicated for you, these simpler shapes of squares and rectangles will give you the confidence to make your own creations with similar designs. Including 27 projects – all with knitting diagrams and inspirational photography – you will be knitting presents for all your friends and family as well as for your own home in no time.
The Quilted Home Handbook by Wendy Chow
Perfect for beginners and experienced quilters alike, this quilting book features simple illustrations and easy-to-follow steps that teach you how to make 15+ beautiful quilt projects for around your home, including everything from placemats to a throw pillow to a matching bed quilt and pillow shams.
The Quilted Home Handbook teaches you everything you need to know about how to create stylish, modern quilts for a variety of uses around your home. Each pattern contains easy-to-follow instructions, detailed diagrams and photos, and eye-catching designs. Author Wendy Chow's signature bold colors options and geometric shapes empower you to create quilts that will stand out and look stunning in a modern home.
Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts: Basic Techniques for Sewing, Applique, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing, and Printing, plus 150 Inspired Projects from A to Z by Martha Stewart
Whether you just bought your first sewing machine or have been sewing for years, Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts will open your eyes to an irresistible range of ideas. A comprehensive visual reference, the book covers everything a home sewer craves: the basics of sewing by hand or machine, along with five other time-honored crafts techniques, and step-by-step instructions for more than 150 projects that reflect not only Martha Stewart’s depth of experience and crafting expertise, but also her singular sense of style.
Encyclopedic in scope, the book features two main parts to help you brush up on the basics and take your skills to a new level. First, the Techniques section guides readers through Sewing, Appliqué, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing, and Printing. Following that, the Projects A to Z section features more than 150 clever ideas (including many no-sew projects), all illustrated and explained with the clear, detailed instructions that have become a signature of Martha Stewart’s magazines, books, and television shows.
An enclosed CD includes full-size clothing patterns as well as templates that can be easily produced on a home printer. Fabric, thread, and tool glossaries identify the properties, workability, and best uses of common sewing materials. And, perhaps best of all, when you need it most, Martha and her talented team of crafts editors offer you the reassurance that you really can make it yourself.
Gardening
100 Plants to Feed the Birds: Turn Your Home Garden into a Healthy Bird Habitat by Laura Erickson
The growing group of bird enthusiasts who enjoy feeding and watching their feathered friends will learn how they can expand their activity and help address the pressing issue of habitat loss with 100 Plants to Feed the Birds. In-depth profiles offer planting and care guidance for 100 native plant species that provide food and shelter for birds throughout the year, from winter all the way through breeding and migrating periods. Readers will learn about plants they can add to their gardens and cultivate, such as early-season pussy willow and late-season asters, as well as wild plants to refrain from weeding out, like jewelweed and goldenrod. Others, including 29 tree species, may already be present in the landscape and readers will learn how these plants support the birds who feed and nest in them. Introductory text explains how to create a healthy year-round landscape for birds. Plant photographs and range maps provide needed visual guidance to selecting the right plants for any location in North America.
Beginner Gardening Step by Step: A Visual Guide to Yard and Garden Basics
If the desire to start a garden has been planted in your heart, then this essential guide is a wonderful companion to accompany you on your new adventure!
If you're not sure of the first steps to take, this handbook takes the anxiety out of plotting and planting and equips you with all the know-how and confidence you need to get digging into your garden.
Creating a garden that you can enjoy and keep looking beautiful all year is easier than you think! You'll find simple step-by-step instructions, with clear images to help you create your dream garden, no matter the size and scale.
Get to know your garden and choose plants that will grow well in particular soil types and conditions year after year. From growing root crop to cutting back ivy, this book gives you lots of simple garden ideas and projects that you can do yourself.
Even if you've never sowed a seed or pulled a weed, Beginner Gardening Step by Step contains everything you need to kickstart your new outdoor hobby! This refreshingly accessible book is perfect for the novice gardener who wants to make the most of whatever garden they have.
Your Guide to Creating the Garden of Your Dreams
Do you want to create a garden you can show off with pride? Would you like to grow your own food? This book will get you started quickly! By following the simple steps and projects outlined in this book, you will reap instant rewards and long-term successes so that you can enjoy your garden in all seasons.
Grow Your Own Herbs: The 40 Best Culinary Varieties for Home Gardens by Susan Belsinger, Arthur O. Tucker
Nothing tastes better than herbs harvested fresh from the garden!
Grow Your Own Herbs shares everything you need to know to grow the forty most important culinary herbs. You’ll learn basic gardening information, including details on soil, watering, and potting. Profiles of 40 herbs—including popular varieties like basil, bay laurel, lemon verbena, tarragon, savory, thyme, and more—feature tasting notes, cultivation information, and harvesting tips. Additional information includes instructions for preserving and storing, along with techniques for making delicious pastes, syrups, vinegar, and butters. If you are new to gardening, have a limited space, or are looking to add fresh herbs to their daily meals, Grow Your Own Herbs is a must-have.
Cooking
Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More by Maggie Zhu
Enjoy the bold flavors of Chinese food with 90 accessible plant-based recipes for the Western cook and kitchen. No wok required! With her popular blog, Omnivore’s Cookbook , Maggie Zhu is the go-to person for traditional Chinese recipes designed for the Western home cook , and over the past few years, she has been incorporating more plant-based cooking into her diet. In Chinese Homestyle , Maggie shares a wide range of foolproof vegan recipes that pack all the flavor and none of the meat . Building on a foundation of plant-based and vegetable-forward dishes found in Chinese cuisine, these umami-rich recipes are inspired by the comforting, everyday dishes Maggie grew up eating in northern China and discovered in her travels throughout the country, along with takeout favorites she became familiar with after moving to the United States. Made with fresh ingredients and minimal oil and sugar , the salads, soups, stir-fries, braises, dumplings, and more are not only delicious, but also demonstrate the impact of aromatics, the benefits of using homemade sauces and condiments, how to cook tofu for maximum flavor and texture, and versatile cooking techniques, and
Complete with step-by-step instructions , stunning photos , and information for stocking your Chinese pantry , Chinese Homestyle will soon have you enjoying this exciting cuisine right in your own home.
The Gracias Madre Cookbook: Bright, Plant-Based Recipes from Our Mexi-Cali Kitchen
The fresh, bright flavors of Mexico and Southern California, adapted for the plant-based home cook, from one of L.A.’s favorite restaurants.
It’s no surprise that Gracias Madre has its roots in giving gratitude. Gracias Madre means thank you, Mother in Spanish, and the phrase encapsulates the mission of this Cali-Mexican eatery, which is to serve the L.A. community and give people fresh food made with integrity from ingredients grown with love. Go figure that, in California, love is a taco.
Mexican food is, in many ways, one of the original vegan cuisines. Before the Spanish conquistadores brought with them new ingredients, including many dairy products, the Mexican pantry centered on what’s called “The Three Sisters” in Mesoamerican beans, corn, and chiles. By embracing these workhorses, layering in chile- and spice-filled salsas and moles, and experimenting with creative whole-food twists on traditional meat fillings (mushroom carnitas and al pastor, jackfruit mixiote, dehydrated hibiscus) as well as nut-based cheeses (cashew crema and queso blanco, almond cotija), Gracias Madre’s menu is filled with well-loved Cali-Mexican classics. With 125 simple, entirely plant-based recipes for the home cook, including Calabaza and Onion Quesadillas, Coliflor with Cashew Nacho Cheese, and Coffee Flan, The Gracias Madre Cookbook is a vegetable-forward dive into one of the world’s most delicious cuisines.
50 pies, 50 states :an immigrant's love letter to the United States through pie by Stacey Mei Yan Fong
There's nothing quite so American as a slice of pie. That's what Stacey Mei Yan Fong learned growing up in Singapore and Hong Kong, watching movies set in the United States and dreaming about taking a road trip from coast to coast, stopping at diners along the way. After college in Savannah and a decade as a fashion designer, Stacey turned her passion for home baking into an ode to her chosen home: honoring the people, places, and flavors that made her love this country with a pie for each state. Each pie is an impressive, whimsical tribute that encapsulates a state's unique flavors and honors its culture. With bonus pies to honor Stacey’s trajectory from Southeast Asia to her Brooklyn home. Every pie is an opportunity to celebrate–or defend your home state's honor, presented in a beautifully packaged cookbook that is "everything we need more of right now" (Cheryl day, author of Cheryl Day's Treasury of Southern Baking). Bake your way through and you'll taste the full range of flavors that America has to offer.
Children
Fiber Arts
My Pretty Brown Doll by Yolanda Jordan
The first pattern book for making unique, customizable African American crochet dolls From American Girl Dolls to Barbie, there's something special about having your own doll, and even more so, having a doll that looks like you. And it’s not just about clothing; having a doll that has eyes, skin tone, and even a hairstyle to match your own is a thrill. For African American girls, this isn't the norm nor is it easy to find. Created by Yolanda Jordan, My Pretty Brown Doll offers patterns and crochet techniques to create this charming crochet doll, with skin tone, hairstyle, eyes, and outfits that are customizable to match the young person this gift is for. Jordan’s unique aesthetic will appeal to a wide variety of crocheters, and there are endless possibilities to make this doll unique.
The book covers a basic wardrobe, including pants, shirts, shoes, coats, a hat, and a scarf. But then Jordan dives into specific adventures like going to school and playing soccer, dancing ballet and traveling to Paris. There's even a mermaid and a scientist outfit, complete with lab coat. Offering African American girls the chance to have their own doll, who looks like them and can be outfitted exactly the way they want, is a gift unlike any other. It's a wonderful opportunity to deliver something special to an underserved market.
Animal amigurumi adventures: 15 crochet patterns to create adorable amigurumi critters
Make cute animals with easy-to-follow crochet patterns.
Lauren Espy, author of 2019's No. 1 bestselling amigurumi book, gives you easy-to-follow patterns so that you can quickly create the cutest amigurumi critters (crocheted stuffed toys). Detailed, step-by-step photos, alongside images of the full animal, will help you crochet creations as cute as what you see on the page.
Animal Amigurumi Volume 1
• User-Friendly Easy-to-follow patterns and guidance for the best tools (standard hook and common worsted weight yarn) to get started
• Step-by-Step Reference Detailed photographs of each step, as well as the finished product, to help guide you along with confidence
• Perfect Each animal averages 7-10 inches in size, making them ideal to display or play with
Crochet cute critters : 26 easy amigurumi patterns by Sarah Zimmerman
Create a colorful collection of pillowy plush critters with the magic of crochet! Crochet Cute Critters is packed with simple patterns for creating adorable animals from alligators to zebras. The easy-to-make designs are perfect for beginning crocheters as well as advanced enthusiasts of amigurumi—the art of crocheting stuffed toys. Stitch, detail, and stuff each character to bring these huggable friends to life. Keep them as desk or bookshelf buddies, or gift them to a critter-loving kid!
Beginner-friendly materials—The crochet patterns whip up quickly using a standard hook and common worsted weight yarn, so anyone can get started right away.
Handy reference pages―Refer to step-by-step rundowns of essential crocheting skills, along with a full-color picture of each critter.
Basics to build on―Every 10” animal shares the same basic head and body pattern, so the techniques can be carried over from project to project.
Art
How to Draw Adorable: Joyful Lessons for Making Cute Art by Carlianne Tipsey
Create cute art!
Learn how to make anything and everything cute in this hands-on, creative workbook from artist Carlianne Tipsey. With fun lessons on how to draw irresistible faces and animals—and convert everyday objects into charismatic characters—How to Draw Adorable includes visual tips, step-by-step examples, and design theories that can be used by beginning and advanced artists alike. Reference images and practice sheets help you dive right in and discover your own sweet style.
Whether you’re coming up with new characters, decorating your world, or learning to draw for the first time, this handy guide gives you all the tools and skills you need to put the awwww in adorable!
Draw Your Own Manga: Beyond the Basics
Now that I've got the hang of the basic techniques, how can I improve my style?
Color manga looks really cool, but I don't know what materials I need or how to use them!
The Draw Your Own Manga team is back to help your take your manga to the next stage. Draw Your Own Beyond the Basics expands on some of the techniques explained in this first book, All the Basics, and introduces some new ways in which you can add personality and style to your manga.
* How to distinguish between male and female characters of all ages with physical features, facial expressions, and clothing.
* How to enhance your manga with a range of special effects, from flashes to sound effects.
* How to draw indoor and outdoor backgrounds from different perspectives, and how to use screen tone and ink to depict daytime and night scenes.
* How to use various types of color ink, markers, and airbrushes to create stunning manga in color.
Draw Your Own Beyond the Basics also features an interview with the famous sports manga artist Shinji Mizushima, who talks about what it takes to create great manga.
Maker Comics: Draw a Comic! by JP Coovert
With Maker Comics: Draw a Comic! you'll learn to create and print your own comics books! Follow these simple steps to sketch out your story ideas and ink a comic page. Learn which art supplies are best for drawing comics--you can use a pen, a brush, or even a computer! With the help of photocopy machine, you can even self-publish your own comics and share them with your friends! In this book you will learn how to:
write a comic script
draw a comic strip
draw and print a one-page comic
create thumbnail sketches
pencil a comic
ink a comic
print and bind a multi-page comic
Cooking
Bake Anime: 75 Sweet Recipes Spotted In―and Inspired by―Your Favorite Anime by Emily J. Bushman
Recreate the tasty desserts you’ve seen in your favorite anime series with this accessible, approachable, and most importantly, delicious recipe book, perfect for anime fans of any age.
Embark on a sweet journey through the world of anime! Not only does Japanese animation have beautiful design, fascinating characters, and engaging story lines, it is also overflowing with scrumptiously rendered desserts that leave viewers craving. Don’t you wish you had the recipe for bouncy soufflé pancakes from Your Name ? Or even custard Taiyaki from My Hero Academia ? Now you can make these desserts right at home with Bake Anime ! In addition to each recipe, discover facts behind each dessert, such as history, culture, tips, and more. With Bake Anime , you can finally make your cravings a reality and enjoy the sweet, delicious desserts you’ve been dying to try.
The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs by America's Test Kitchen Kids
BAKING ISN'T JUST FOR CUPCAKES
Want to make your own soft pretzels? Or wow your friends with homemade empanadas? What about creating a showstopping pie? Maybe some chewy brownies after school? From breakfast to breads, from cookies to cakes (yes, even cupcakes!), learn to bake it all here. You can do this, and it's fun!
Recipes were thoroughly tested by more than 5,000 kids to get them just right for cooks of all skill levels—including recipes for breakfast, breads, pizzas, cookies, cupcakes, and more
Step-by-step photos of tips and techniques will help young chefs feel like pros in their own kitchen
Testimonials (and even some product reviews!) from kid test cooks who worked alongside America's Test Kitchen test cooks will encourage young chefs that they truly are learning the best recipes from the best cooks.
By empowering young chefs to make their own choices in the kitchen, America's Test Kitchen is building a new generation of confident cooks, engaged eaters, and curious experimenters.
Oishisou!! The Ultimate Anime Dessert Cookbook by Hadley Sui, Monique Narboneta Zosa
(Illustrator)
The world of anime comes to life in the kitchen with this adorable cookbook featuring over sixty recipes inspired by the style, culture, and motifs of the iconic Japanese art form. Recipes include Japanese favorites like anpan and melonpan, memorable dishes depicted in popular shows (such as Rare Cheesecake from Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card), and foods inspired by classic anime tropes and imagery. Eagle-eyed fans will be delighted to create and savor sweets and treats based on their beloved shows, as well as spot clever baked homages to some of their favorite characters and moments. Featuring gorgeous food photography, The Anime Baking Book is the perfect gift for foodies, lovers of Japanese culture, and anime fans everywhere.
60+ RECIPES: Dozens of recipes for delicious and colorful dishes from breakfast to dinner, family meals to party fare, after-school snacks to show-stopping desserts.
CUTENESS OVERLOAD: Learn to make adorable food inspired by fan-favorite anime shows.
FOR BEGINNERS AND BEYOND: Easy-to-follow instructions make it easy for chefs of every skill level to make anime-inspired recipes.
FILLED WITH PHOTOS: Inspiring food photography helps ensure success!
Patrons can also learn a new language by using Mango and Kanopy! Or check out our monthly calendar that is available here! There you can keep up to date with new classes, seminars, workshops, cultural programs and more!