Stump the Librarian

In this episode we answer the questions “Can you hear bamboo grow?” and “How do you find out a tree’s age?” We also share a fact of the day from Data Coordinator Sheri and Liz recommends a chapter book about an octopus rescue with a lot of heart. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you! Liz’s book recommendation: Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1235498 Concerning bamboo: https://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/where-does-bamboo-grow https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giant-panda https://onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/bamboo https://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/bamboo/273085 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_panda https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizome Bamboo forest sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vky3vEL6Dc Concerning dendrochronology: https://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/historyculture/the-prometheus-story.htm https://www.nist.gov/how-do-you-measure-it/how-do-you-measure-age-tree https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/dendrochronology/29924 "tree." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 13 Nov. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/tree/277422#main-ada. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://redbuttegarden.org/media/documents/calculate-tree-age-activity.pdf https://youtu.be/MwNJC-IRgPE?si=bifxTMjO-J8U8kLG https://www.environmentalscience.org/dendrochronology-tree-rings-tell-us https://ltrr.arizona.edu/about/treerings https://www.arborday.org/

In this episode we answer the questions “Did George Washington eat pretzels?” and “How are hurricanes named & who names them?” We also share a fact of the day from Manager Karen and Jill recommends a captivating chapter book about a school for crime fighters. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you! Karen’s Fact of the Day: Dung for Dinner by Christine Virnig https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C755338 Jill’s book recommendation: The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls by Judith Rossell https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1197812 Concerning George Washington's pretzels: https://www.thespruceeats.com/german-pretzel-history-4796280 "pretzel." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 26 Jul. 2021. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/pretzel/61315#main-ada. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025. "George Washington." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 12 Feb. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/George-Washington/108779. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/dining-at-mount-vernon https://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/religious-history-pretzels https://www.history.com/articles/the-pretzel-a-twisted-history https://youtu.be/3whRvgEK8ZI?si=u5_q9qdDDXJ7ixig https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretzel Concerning hurricanes: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/hurricane https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames_history.shtml https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone https://wmo.int/resources/wmo-fact-sheets/tropical-cyclone-naming "Hurricane." World Book Kids, 2025, www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar830933. Accessed 05 Nov. 2025. Rafferty, John P.. "How Do Hurricanes Get Their Names?". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Aug. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/story/how-are-hurricanes-named. Accessed 5 November 2025. All About Hurricanes by Cody Crane: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C847225

Gardens Galore! In this episode we answer the questions “How did Meijer Gardens begin?” and “What is the difference between moths and butterflies?” We also share a fact of the day from Ada Librarian Ally and Jill recommends a beginning chapter book about two funny friends. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you! Ally’s Fact of the Day: Everything Awesome About Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Beasts! by Mike Lowery https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C703808 Jill’s book recommendation: Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C128693 Concerning Meijer Gardens: https://www.meijergardens.org/thirty/ https://www.meijergardens.org/thirty/#uael-video-gallery-0b5e916-1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botanical_garden Concerning butterflies & moths: https://australianbutterflies.com/8-differences-between-butterflies-and-moths/ https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths-matter-campaign/moth-facts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_butterflies_and_moths https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/zoology/item/how-can-you-tell-the-difference-between-a-butterfly-and-a-moth/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/caterpillar-butterfly-metamorphosis-explainer/ Butterflies & Moths by John Feltwell: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C580472 What’s in chrysalis? https://youtu.be/uK_iZZ4Bx2o Breaking down differences video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWU7nefFkto

That Dog Has a Job! In this episode we answer the questions “Why are there rocks around train trachs?” and “What is the difference between service dogs and therapy dogs?” We also share a fact of the day from Kentwood Librarian Hatka and Jill recommends an exciting chapter book about kids stuck in an airport. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you! Hatka’s fact of day: Sensational Sharks by Emma Flannery https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1199269 Jill’s book recommendation: Grounded by Aisha Saeed https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C947179 Concerning ballast: https://adortech.com/blog/everything-about-railway-ballast https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2024/11/whose-time-is-it-anyway-a-brief-history-of-standardized-time-zones-in-the-united-states/ https://www.cargo-partner.com/es/trendletter/issue-49/why-do-railway-tracks-have-stones-underneath https://www.loc.gov/collections/railroad-maps-1828-to-1900/articles-and-essays/history-of-railroads-and-maps/the-beginnings-of-american-railroads-and-mapping/ https://www.strasburgrailroad.com/blog/caboose-facts/ https://www.train-museum.org/2023/03/19/why-are-there-rocks-under-the-tracks/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rail_transportation_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_noise On Track by Tom Adams: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1161062 Video on laying train tracks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET7W43NVggw&t=32s Concerning dogs with jobs: https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/How-Service-Animals-Help-Humans-Live-Fuller-Lives/648742 https://pawswithacause.org/assistance-dogs-101/ https://www.ada.gov/topics/service-animals/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapy_dog

Thanks a Lot, Axolotl! In this episode we answer the questions “Where do seagulls live?” and “Can axolotls regrow parts of their brain?” We also share a fact of the day from Ada Librarian Angela and Jill recommends a summertime chapter book. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you! Angela’s fact of day: Extreme Records by Julie Beer https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C603149 Jill’s book recommendation: The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C951433 Concerning seagulls: https://www.audubon.org/magazine/why-do-gulls-hanging-out-parking-lots https://www.audubon.org/news/are-gulls-jerks https://www.audubon.org/news/shoplifting-gull-prefers-doritos https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/birds/gulls/ https://research.ebsco.com/c/qctlkj/viewer/html/2r26hovutj https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/visit/where-see-wildlife/where-see-winter-wildlife/gull-roosts https://a-z-animals.com/animals/seagull/ https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/gull/38487/related#nodeId=websites&page=1 Concerning axolotls: "Axolotl." World Book Kids, 2025, www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar838993. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025. https://animals.howstuffworks.com/amphibians/axolotl-life-expectancy.htm https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/axolotl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/summer-2021/articles/meet-the-peter-pan-of-salamanders-the-axolotl

In this episode we answer the questions “How did Poseidon get the sea?” and “What is a Portuguese Man of War?” We also share a fact of the day from Bookmobile Librarian Caleb and recommend a quirky chapter book. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you! Jill’s book recommendation: The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1140387 Concerning Poseidon: "Poseidon." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 15 May. 2020. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Poseidon/61019. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025. "Greek mythology." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2025. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Greek-mythology/110628. Accessed 1 May. 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poseidon https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?department=13&searchField=All&showOnly=highlights&sortBy=relevance Concerning the Portuguese Man of War: https://angari.org/portuguese-man-o-war-deep-dive/ https://www.britannica.com/animal/Portuguese-man-of-war https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/portuguese-man-of-war "Portuguese man-of-war." World Book Kids, 2025, www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar835307. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025. "Siphonophore." World Book Kids, 2025, www.worldbookonline.com/kids/article?id=ar848650. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025. Portuguese Man-of Wars by Bizzy Harris: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C944465

The Ink-redible Octopus In this episode we answer the questions “What’s the weirdest invention that actually worked?” and “Do all octopuses ink?” We also share a fact of the day from KDL’s Data Coordinator and share a nonfiction book about a daring dog. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you! Jill’s book recommendation: Balto by Emma Carlson Berne https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C889662 Concerning weird inventions: "invention." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 2 Aug. 2024. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/invention/275080. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025. https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/the-weirdest-inventions-ever-in-pictures https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynasphere_(vehicle) https://youtu.be/rvA7hDh_vhY?si=c2zOp5twqZ3Zds-E https://youtu.be/FEYdSIfPA_Q?si=92Q0q2u5R__N78Gp https://youtu.be/LmpeURi3cJY?si=9m8M6hTfqgydgjpI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roomba#:~:text=Engineer%20Joe%20Jones%20first%20conceived,between%20Jones%20and%20his%20colleagues. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31590/13-patents-designed-build-better-mustache https://www.rosenberg-library-museum.org/treasures/nineteenth-century-mustache-cups#:~:text=It%20wasn't%20until%201830,cup%20from%20rim%20to%20rim. Concerning cephalopods: "octopus." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 15 Nov. 2023. school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/octopus/276161. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025. https://a-z-animals.com/blog/do-octopuses-have-ink-like-squids/ https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/aug/09/why-do-cephalopods-produce-ink-and-what-on-earth-is-it-anyway https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/the-many-plurals-of-octopus-octopi-octopuses-octopodes https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/cephalopods https://www.sheddaquarium.org/stories/eight-strange-and-wonderful-facts-about-octopuses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aplysiida Bobtail squid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ivMSCi-Y2Q The Incredible Octopus by Erin Spencer: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1021216

The Booger Episode In this episode we answer the questions “How do trees talk to each other?” and “Why are boogers green?” We also share a fact of the day from a Patron Services librarian and share a graphic novel about a student struggling with math. To submit your own question, go to KDL.org/Stump. We can’t wait to hear from you! Joel’s Fact of the Day: The Animal Toolkit by Steve Jenkins https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1179760 Liz’s book recommendation: Very Bad at Math by Hope Larson https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C1179760 Concerning talking trees: https://greenpop.org/how-do-trees-communicate/ https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/underground-mycorrhizal-network https://nhm.org/stories/take-moment-listen-trees https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/04/993430007/trees-talk-to-each-other-mother-tree-ecologist-hears-lessons-for-people-too Wood Wide Web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWOqeyPIVRo The Magic of Forests by Vicky Woodgate: https://kdl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S174C966816 Concerning boogers: https://kidshealth.org/Advocate/en/kids/booger.html#:~:text=Yeah%2C%20we're%20talking%20about,name%20for%20nose%20mucus%3A%20snot. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2020/08/marvels-mucus-phlegm https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/mucus "mucus." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 17 Sep. 2010. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/mucus/54123. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025. "mucous membrane." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Feb. 2020. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/mucous-membrane/54122. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.