Hail to families, all kinds of families! And on September 16 we'll honor a very special family unit—the blended family. Families that come together: mothers, fathers, and children to create a new and enriched home. To all of you, we say Happy National Stepfamily Day!

In fairy tales, step-parents don’t usually come across as a good thing (Snow White and Cinderella would heartily agree!) But that is not what blended families are all about. Celebrate all the goodness, fun, and messiness; all the discoveries and big emotions of being part of a blended family by checking out this new booklist, including these reccomended titles below:
 

Oh, Brother! written by Nikki Grimes; illustrated by Mike Benny
In twenty powerful poems, two strangers learn to become brothers. Nikki Grimes captures the struggles—and eventual sweetness—of bringing together a family.

Two Naomis written by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich; illustrated by Audrey Vernick
Other than their first names, Naomi Marie and Naomi Edith are sure they have nothing in common, and they wouldn't mind keeping it that way. Naomi Marie starts clubs at the library and adores being a big sister. Naomi Edith loves quiet Saturdays and hanging with her best friend in her backyard. And while Naomi Marie's father lives a few blocks away, Naomi Edith wonders how she's supposed to get through each day a whole country apart from her mother. When Naomi Marie's mom and Naomi Edith's dad get serious about dating, each girl tries to cling to the life she knows and loves. Then their parents push them into attending a class together, where they might just have to find a way to work with each other—and maybe even join forces to find new ways to define family.

A Family is a Family is a Family written by Sara O'Leary; illustrated by Qin Leng
When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways. One child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. One is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. One is full of stepsiblings, and another has a new baby. One by one, her classmates describe who they live with and who loves them — family of every shape, size and every kind of relation. The child realizes that as long as her family is full of caring people, her family is special.
 

Visit your neighborhood library to find these books and more!