Recently, our partners at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) contacted the Delaware County District Library system regarding an initiative of their Ohio Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (OHHLPPP). As people in the United States average about half of their day in their homes, an unhealthy home can contribute to numerous adverse health outcomes. Additionally, as two out of three homes in Ohio may have lead paint, it’s important for families to learn of the harmful effects that lead can have on adults and children.

To help combat the prevalence of lead in children under the age of 6, organizations like the ODH and Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, have created a set of informational tools free and available to the public through your local library.

Beginning this Monday, all Delaware County District Library locations will have the free board book “Thanks for Keeping Me Lead-Free” available in English and Spanish for patrons to take and keep. The brightly illustrated board book tells the stories of families and friends living their everyday lives while making smart choices to avoid lead contamination.

The book ends with 10 easy “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for families to stay safe from lead poisoning. They include keeping exposure away from the family by leaving shoes at the door or showering after work, keeping food and water safe by installing a filter or cooking with lead-free pots and pans, and keeping homes safe by having a lead inspection before moving in or covering chipping paint. Visit www.ohioaap.org/lead/familyresources to read the full list and preview the book.

If you need to speak with an individual for more information regarding your family’s risk for lead, call 1-877-LEADSAFE (532-3723) or email [email protected].

This week’s books come from our fantasy and science fiction shelves. Titles were added to the library’s collection in June. See what you might want to dive deeper into.

• “A Letter to the Luminous Deep” by Sylvie Cathrall. In the wake of the mysterious disappearances of independent scholar E. Cidnosin and academic Henerey Clel, their respective siblings, Sophy and Vyerin, study the couple’s correspondence in search of clues to their fate. This epistolary fantasy romance is the 1st book in the Sunken Archive series.

• “Road to Ruin” by Hana Lee. Magebike courier Jin-Lu traverses the wastelands, delivering letters between star-crossed lovers Prince Kadrin of Kerina Sol and Princess Yi-Nereen of Kerina Rut while pining for them both. This action-packed science fantasy debut, the 1st installment of a planned series, is “savage, sexy, and deliciously screwed up” (Publishers Weekly).

• “Escape Velocity” by Victor Manibo. Rochford Institute alums Henry, Ava, Laz, and Sloane arrive at the Space Habitat Altaire for their 25th reunion and soon find themselves in the midst of intrigue and murder in this intricately plotted science fiction mystery by the author of “Sleepless.”

• “The Wings Upon Her Back” by Samantha Mills. Stripped of both her rank and her mechanical wings, Zemolai reflects on her decades of service as one of Radezha’s Winged enforcers while wrestling with her complicity in the city-state’s slide into fascism. A parallel storyline focuses on Zenya, Zemolai’s idealistic younger self, and the life-altering choices she made.

• “Lost Ark Dreaming” by Suyi Davies Okungbowa. The inhabitants of the Pinnacle, a partially submerged high-rise building, find their lives upended by the arrival of a sea monster. Set in a future Lagos transformed by sea-level rise, this novel by the author of the Nameless Republic series follows three protagonists from different social classes as they respond to a natural disaster.

• “When Among Crows” by Veronica Roth. In this “captivating, bite-sized” (Publishers Weekly) urban fantasy by the author of “Arch-Conspirator,” human monster hunter Dymitr approaches zmora Ala in a Chicago bar and offers her a curse-breaking magical flower in exchange for her help in locating Baba Jaga.

• “The Practice, The Horizon, and The Chain” by Sofia Samatar. Born and raised in the Hold, a nameless boy receives an academic scholarship to the University, where, under the tutelage of his professor, he makes unsettling discoveries about his world. This novella by the author of “Tender” “combines space adventure with an examination of the carceral state” (Library Journal).

• “Black Shield Maiden” by Willow Smith and Jess Hendel. Kidnapped, enslaved, and transported from her home in the empire of Wagadu to the northern realm of Skíringssal, blacksmith’s daughter Yafeu forges a new path as a warrior with the help of magic-wielding Princess Freydis. This sweeping historical fantasy debut draws inspiration from West African and Scandinavian history.

If you have a question that you would like to see answered in this column, mail it to Nicole Fowles, Delaware County District Library, 84 E. Winter St., Delaware, OH 43015, or call us at 740-362-3861. You can also email your questions by visiting the library’s web site at www.delawarelibrary.org or directly to Nicole at [email protected]. No matter how you contact us, we’re always glad you asked!