A.K. Smiley Public Library

As L.M. Montgomery said, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” I absolutely adore the month of October, especially Halloween. So, in celebration of my favorite time of year, here is a list of books and movies to get you in the mood for some Halloween fun.

Classic Halloween Haunts
The Exorcist
Friday the 13th
Poltergeist
An American Werewolf in London
The Shining
Frightful Family Fun
Hocus Pocus
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Stranger Things
Beetlejuice
Gremlins

Cozy Halloween Reads
The Hocus Pocus Handbook by Ann Aguirre
Some Kind of Haunted by Hazel Beck
Demons and Diplomacy by Megan Frampton
Meet Cute Magic by Morgan Elizabeth
Tis the Season to be Scary by Vicki Delany

Scary Reads
Portrait of a Witch Undone by K.S. Shay
The Brides by Charlotte Cross
Dead First by Johnny Compton
When the Night Come Knocking by Katherine Daniel
Dark is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce

Non-fiction titles
Food to Die For by Amy Bruni
How to Build a Haunted House by Caitlin Blackwell Baines
A History of Horror, Fear, and the Uncanny


Written by Shannon Harris, a Halloween Lover and Library Specialist at A. K. Smiley Public Library

The project began in 2000 as a collaboration between the Redlands Historical Museum Association (RHMA) and the City of Redlands, via its A.K. Smiley Public Library.

RHMA undertook an extensive fundraising campaign which eventually raised $28 million from donors, big and small. Ground was broken in 2021, and the building was constructed in phases.
Construction was completed and in 2025 the RHMA generously gifted the property to the City, to be administered by the Library.

The Library's curatorial team, led by Dr. Nathan Gonzales and Dr. Maria Carrillo Colato, has subsequently been designing and installing a series of 13 interesting initial exhibits, featuring artifacts, artwork and interactive displays.

(Excerpt from the official Press release about the Grand Opening of the Museum of Redlands which you can read in its entirety in the first post of this series on our FB page)

Here is the October programming for the Young Readers’ Room! The links for the two children’s events aren’t posted on our website just yet, but they are live through the QR codes.

The entrance area features an interactive timeline of Redlands history and a large display wall of rotating portraits entitled, “I am Redlands.” Visitors will be encouraged to submit their own family photographs to the exhibit.

(Excerpt from the official Press release about the opening of the Museum of Redlands which you can read in its entirety on our first post in this series on our page)

Wednesday, 10/7
6pm – 7pm
The Contemporary Club
173 S. Eureka St.

Drop in to make a paper picture frame, papel picado or some beautiful marigold flowers to decorate your ofrenda for day of the dead and enjoy sweet bread and coffee! Open to all ages; kids 12 years and under must be accompanied by an adult.

¡Visite la biblioteca para hacer un cuadro de papel, papel picado o cempasúchil para decorar su ofrenda o la ofrenda comunitaria de la biblioteca! ¡Disfrute pan dulce y café gratis! Niños menores de 12 años deben estar acompañados por un adulto.

Wednesday, 10/7
6pm – 7pm
The Contemporary Club
173 S. Eureka St.

¡Visite la biblioteca para hacer un cuadro de papel, papel picado o cempasúchil para decorar su ofrenda o la ofrenda comunitaria de la biblioteca! ¡Disfrute pan dulce y café gratis! Niños menores de 12 años deben estar acompañados por un adulto.

A dream 26 years in the making will become a reality on Saturday, Oct. 24, when the long-awaited Museum of Redlands (MOR) opens its doors to the public for the first time. Located in the reimagined and expanded former Redlands Daily Facts building at 1 N. Center St., the MOR focuses on the history of Redlands and will be free to the public. A ribbon-cutting grand opening program will begin at 10 a.m.

The project began in 2000 as a collaboration between the Redlands Historical Museum Association (RHMA) and the City of Redlands, via its A.K. Smiley Public Library.

Hispanic Heritage Month is here, and at A.K. Smiley Public Library, we have plenty of new books for you to read by Latinos across the wide spectrum of genres.

Daisy Hernandez's "Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth" explores the culturally relevant topic of citizenship in the United States through the lens of watching her parents own “lucky” paths to citizenship. The idea of citizenship in the United States has a storied history, historically used to deny personhood and humanity to many people of color and immigrants, from slaves and their children to Chinese immigrants and many more. This book explores the meandering waves of citizenship and how it has yet again found itself on the national stage with ideas like repealing birthright citizenship. Hernandez herself brings up the process of applying for Colombian citizenship, unsure of what the future holds in the United States. It’s an interesting exploration of a topic many Latinos may find relevant.

"Chancla: Healing our Families" by Leslie Priscilla will make some readers squirm as they come face to face with some cultural practices that many people still defend. Priscilla asks questions that look at some of the harder topics of parenting that can exist in many Latino families. Not every Latino grew up with corporal punishment as the norm, but for many, the chancla, cinturon or a branch were all a very difficult reality, and an example of violence becoming tangled with cultural identity. How many times do you say to yourself, “Well, I turned out fine” or “ they did it because they loved me”? But was it necessary? And is it still a necessary practice to carry into the future? Reader, be warned: you may be confronted with harsh realities. Even those with no children of their own may find help healing broken and streaked smatters of their own childhoods with this book. Parents fighting demons of cultural practices past and present may find this helpful in finding their own parenting styles.

“PFKNR: How Bad Bunny became the global voice of Puerto Rican Resistance” by Vanessa Díaz flows easily from one topic to the next, connecting conversations about Bad Bunny’s personal history and how it connects to the grander story of Puerto Rico. PR might stand for Public Relations because this book feels very much like a love letter to Bad Bunny! Whether you like his music or not you’ll definitely have a kinder view of the artist after this. It highlights Bad Bunny's humble appreciation and admiration for the Boricua artists that came before him. As well as providing context for his advocacy and for the Puerto Rico he grew up in. The combination of austerity measures, extensive debt, and American financial colonialism all created a Puerto Rico that found itself in dire straits. The book follows the historical context that raised Bad Bunny without feeling like a sticky history textbook that bogs you down in unnecessary details. Highly recommended for fans of his music as well as people invested in the story of Puerto Rico. ¡También está disponible en español!

“Cocina Puerto Rico” by chef Mia Castro offers up rich and easy-to-follow recipes from Castro's home, Puerto Rico. She has worked under the likes of Wolfgang Puck and received praise from Gordon Ramsay himself. The recipes are rich in her personal history and spice and offer a beautiful culinary insight into Puerto Rican food, an underrated culinary giant in itself. The pictures are beautiful and mouth-watering; colorful and vibrant recipes just like the culture that inspired them. It starts with lots of basic information on ingredients and moves on to how to use them. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a basic introduction to Puerto Rican food!

“Cooking the Borderlands” highlights chef Claudette Zepeda's culinary journey as someone raised between Mexico and the United States, who experienced the cultural meld of the people who live along the border. Food isn't just Mexican or just American; it's a combination that parallels the culture and the people. We can't label them as just one thing or just another, separated by an invisible line made visible by the Treaty of Hidalgo Guadalupe. The book starts off with basics that can be found on many a Mexican family's table: tortillas, salsas, arroz y frijoles. Zepeda invites readers to use her recipes as outlines for their own, replace, substitute, and make what makes you happy and what you will eat. Full of delicious recipes, homey pictures, and a wonderful story of two worlds becoming one, this book is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys Mexican-American cooking.

There’s plenty to choose from this Hispanic Heritage Month at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

Written by Ruth Aguilar, a library specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library who is proudly Mexican-American.

Museum of Redlands Grand Opening: Saturday, Oct. 24

A dream 26 years in the making will become a reality on Saturday, Oct. 24, when the long-awaited Museum of Redlands (MOR) opens its doors to the public for the first time. Located in the reimagined and expanded former Redlands Daily Facts building at 1 N. Center St., the MOR focuses on the history of Redlands and will be free to the public. A ribbon-cutting grand opening program will begin at 10 a.m.

The project began in 2000 as a collaboration between the Redlands Historical Museum Association (RHMA) and the City of Redlands, via its A.K. Smiley Public Library.

“The Library was thought to be the ideal partner,” said Library Director Don McCue, “as it has administered the City’s Lincoln Memorial Shrine museum since 1932 and has long maintained a collection of historical material in its Special Collections Division. We’re thrilled that we have been able to partner with RHMA and bring this asset to our community.”

For 14 years, a variety of sites were considered for the museum, but all were eventually found unsatisfactory. Finally in 2014, thanks to the generosity of philanthropist Clara Mae Clem, the former Redlands Daily Facts building was purchased and selected as the site. The architectural firm of Steve Johnson and Jim Favaro, which designed the Riverside library and West Hollywood library among other projects, was selected to redesign the building as a state-of-the-art museum.

“Redlands people have a fierce sense of civic pride, and this museum is a testament to that,” said Charlotte Burgess, President of RHMA. “Eighty percent of the building has been funded independently, from small dollars to large dollars, by people who believe what we put into a community builds quality. This is our time and our legacy and just like those who came before us, we have given the City another great gift.”

RHMA undertook an extensive fundraising campaign which eventually raised $28 million from donors, big and small. Ground was broken in 2021, and the building was constructed in phases. Construction was completed and in 2025 the RHMA generously gifted the property to the City, to be administered by the Library. The Library's curatorial team, led by Dr. Nathan Gonzales and Dr. Maria Carrillo Colato, has subsequently been designing and installing a series of 13 interesting initial exhibits, featuring artifacts, artwork and interactive displays.

The entrance area features an interactive timeline of Redlands history and a large display wall of rotating portraits entitled, “I am Redlands.” Visitors will be encouraged to submit their own family photographs to the exhibit.

“Our South Gallery will focus on the importance of the citrus industry, which was vital to the economic development and culture of our community,” said curator Gonzales.

The Clem Central Gallery is devoted to community champions. The Brown North Gallery has exhibits about Redlands Chinatown, the Redlands Fire Department, the watercolor art of Phil D**e, and Redlands in film among others. There’s even a flight simulator where "pilots" can attempt to fly over Redlands landmarks and land at the airport.

The grand opening event will feature the Redlands Fourth of July Band and brief remarks from a variety of dignitaries. Guests will also receive a commemorative pin and a color postcard featuring a watercolor rendition of the MOR building by Pasadena artist Joseph Stoddard.

The MOR will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. For further information, please visit www.akspl.org or www.themor.org.

City of Redlands press releases and other information are available on the City’s page at City of Redlands - City Hall or on the City’s website at www.cityofredlands.gov/.

(Photo by Monte Stuck)