Confession: when I was young, I never even knew that axolotls, blobfish, capybaras, whale sharks, or pangolins existed. There were no books about these animals. Even worse, the internet as we know it wasn't even invented yet!
Today, however, books, stuffies, stickers, toys and more featuring these and other interesting animals are everywhere, and we have plenty of library items and information about them. I would like to help you find the best, most awesome animal information that the library has to offer, starting with the world of axolotls!
Axolotls have exploded in popularity in the last few years - some say this is because they were added to the game Minecraft in 2021.
If you go to TRL.org and type the word 'axolotls' into the search box, you will see a world of options and cute book covers. Hello, I'm an AXOLOTL is one of my personal favorites, as it combines smiling illustrations with interesting explorations of what is called 'cuteness bias' in wildlife conservation efforts.
Cuteness bias is the sad fact that cuter endangered animals receive more conservation help than animals that are seen as boring, dull-looking, or unattractive. Take these two for comparison, both from a great kids' book series called The World of Weird Animals:
Blobfish deserve our love and support too!
Here are a few more suggested axolotl reads for kids:
Checking out these books will give you some great pictures and information. You can also replace axolotls with the animal of your choice. Just look at all these awesome sloth books someone checked out and then returned:
But... let's get back to axolotls. The library also has online articles from magazines and encyclopedias for school reports, or when you want a deeper dive.
Some people don't know the library has more than just books. We also have a ton of other information on our website made up of things like booklists, this blog, and research database subscriptions we pay for so that anyone with a Timberland library card can access it for free and know that the information is reliable.
If you're a kid looking for research information, head to the Homework Help for Kids page on our website. There, you'll find a list of great resources to explore. Let’s say you're researching axolotls - you’ll want articles, pictures, maps, and facts about the species. You can find all of that in one place: Gale In Context: Middle School. Just click the link, enter your library card and PIN, and search for “axolotls” to find kid-friendly articles you can read, save, or print.
I found an encyclopedia article with pictures and information, an audio interview about the axolotl's importance in Mexican culture, and over 30 kid-appropriate magazine articles with information. There was even a video about how axolotls can help us learn about human limb regeneration!
Finally: The Lacey Timberland Library and Yelm Timberland Library branches both have monthly library events for ages 6-12 called Animal Allies Club! Animal Allies Club is a way to get together with other kids and their caregivers to learn about animals and make crafts to help pets at local animal rescues. We partner with Joint Animal Services to share information about local animals that need help, and we also invite guest speakers.
I hope this has helped you think about how the library can help with your passion for learning about any subject! You can think about replacing our guide above with another animal besides axolotl, and also use this information to help you search and find information on anything you're looking for. All of our library branch staff are happy to help you search, and you can also ask for help anytime by emailing us at asklib@TRL.org.
