We know the feeling. Your child reaches for their favorite graphic novel instead of a chapter book, and you worry that they're settling for something … less. You worry that those graphic novels are a crutch: easy or fluffy content that might keep your child from engaging their imagination or reading on the appropriate grade level. At the same time, you don’t want to discourage your kid from...

It’s August. Back to school. Hotter days. Shorter days. Autumn is on the horizon but still plenty of summer days left—what a great month! Before jumping into book recommendations I have to mention my fantastic night in July when I visited the Faulkner County Library in Conway, AR for a book signing by Patti Callahan Henry.

Another banned books week has come and gone. Censoring books has been around for a long time. This topic was touched on in our first blog post in July 2024 where the concept of risking a life to save a book was discussed. Although banning books is not new, the publicity surrounding banned books is increasing due to social media, independent bookstore events, and the heightened political climate...

Here at Sammy's, we want to contribute to our common quest of becoming the best humans we can be and nurturing communities where all kinds can flourish together. We don't always get this right, unfortunately. But we can still move forward together - always adapting, growing, and beginning again.

We believe that reading and having access to books are vital to becoming better humans. Reading...