A Visit to the Obama Presidential Center

Hello my fellow bookworms,

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger), 2026

This past month, I was lucky enough to visit the new Obama Presidential Center on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Tickets are going fast, as it just opened this past June, but what a beautiful museum! It also sports a restaurant, a gift shop, and a Chicago Public Library branch on its campus. There is a parking lot, which you will need to pay via phone app or web browser, but there is also street parking. There is also an NBA-regulation sized basketball court, a Forum, a community garden, and lots of art. The outside in particular has a powerful installation at the top of it that quotes President Obama's speech "You Are America." Specifically, it states:

"You are America. Unconstrained by habit and convention. Unencumbered by what is, ready to seize what ought to be. For everywhere in this country, there are first steps to be taken, there is new ground to cover, there are more bridges to be crossed. America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We The People.’ ‘We Shall Overcome.’ ‘Yes We Can.’ That word is owned by no one. It belongs to everyone. Oh, what a glorious task we are given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours.”

–President Barack Obama, 2015

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger), 2026

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger), 2026

If you walk around to the back of the campus, you will run into Chicago's Jackson Park, where there are beautiful cherry blossoms in the spring. It is also the primary site for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. If you are not familiar with it, you may be familiar with the book Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. 

If you are lucky enough to visit the museum, be sure to stay on the right-hand side going in, as the left-hand side line is for tickets to the Sky Room. Each day, there are approximately 200 (or less) tickets available to the public to visit the 8th floor of the museum, which hosts the Sky Room. Here, you can see the skyline of Chicago, specifically Jackson Park, Lake Michigan, the University of Chicago campus, and even the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. On the ceiling are layers of text, highlighting President Obama's "You Are America" speech. It is a peaceful and beautiful spot. From here, I was able to capture the Chicago Public Library branch that holds The President's Reading Room, a City Maker Space, a courtyard, and an overall beautiful selection of areas to sit, read, and learn.

CPL Obama Presidential Library Branch
(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger), 2026

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger), 2026

According to one of the museum staff members, as you go up the museum floors, each floor is to be taken in as a chapter in a book. The slogan "Yes We Can" is shown and reflected in the exhibits, which celebrate the people and stories from those involved in the campaign to those who were honored by the President to everyday American heroes. There is a real Nobel Peace Prize, Grammy, a real copy of the Declaration of Independence, and other historical artifacts. I loved Michelle Obama's dresses! Very fashionable.

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger), 2026

There is even a cute storywalk on the way to the replica Oval Office. You can even take a photo inside the replica as if you are in the Oval Office! There are areas in the museum where you can record your own story to add to the experience, play with interactive exhibits, and even places to sit and listen to clips from history.

The comradery, history, and just overall happiness in visiting was a pleasant experience. I enjoyed my time and hope others get to enjoy the museum and all it has to offer, as well. It was very inspirational and I will leave you with one of the quotes that spoke to me (the first was "Hard Work is Hard"):

(c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger), 2026

Did you guys have a fun summer? Did you visit any book-related or historical places? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time - Happy Reading! 

Happy New Year! Happy Lunar New Year!

 Hello my fellow bookworms,

Happy New Year and Happy Lunar New Year! This Lunar New Year is the Year of the Snake. According to the NBC News, beginning on January 29th (which is also National Puzzle Day!), this year is about renewal, regeneration, letting go of the past (whether it is anger, lost love, etc.), and start a new beginning. This year is about growth, creativity, and positive transformation - so be sure to clean your home, decorate with red to add good luck, and celebrate with your family and friends (Google).

Photo by RDNE Stock project from Pexels

I hope you have been enjoying the winter weather so far! It has been a mix of warm and cold weather with us, and I am definitely enjoying the warmer part! We already had our first snow, but we have been having a lot of rain, so luckily I have a good stack of books to read ready to go!

February marks the beginning of Black History Month! Libraries all over the United States have some really cool events planned. DC Public Library is hosting "Historically Black Phrases Live!" LA County Library is hosting many different book discussion and live music events. New York Public Library is hosting an innovative Book Design Workshop with Blk + Brwn Book Designers, in which patrons can learn book binding basics! If I lived closer, I would totally go to this event!

Something really cool that the Chicago Public Library is doing is hosting tours of the Pullman National Historical Park Museum. Pullman National Historical Park is a part of the United States' National Parks Foundation, designated in 2015, and the first one in Chicago. In middle school, I had chosen the Pullman estate as a topic for a history project, and thought it to be fascinating and unfair. The town of Pullman became one of creating Pullman cars (a type of railroad car), factories, homes, and basically a ploy that trapped workers in the area. Workers would have their pay deducted if they lived in the town of Pullman. There were many issues with how the workers were being paid, which led to the Pullman Strike of 1894, to which George Pullman was criticized for his policies and experimentation of how he ran his company, town, and factory workers, and the Supreme Court ultimately ordered the Pullman Company to sell its non-industrial land holdings (no more controlling the workers!). The success of the company came back to fruition under the leadership of its next president, Robert Todd Lincoln. I had pictures and postcards from my time visiting the area, but if you happen to visit, please share what you learn / your photos!

There a lot of books, music, and movies that you can consume and learn from this upcoming month. I recently learned there is an audiobook of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous speeches and sermons, which would be a pretty neat experience to hear! If you are not sure what you would want to read/listen/watch, here are some options:

• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby
• By the Book by Jasmine Guillory
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
• Coming to America
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson
• The Deep by Rivers Solomon
• Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
• Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
• Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
• The Hate U Give
• Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
• Just Mercy
• Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Essential Box
• The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monae
• Moonlight
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave
• One Night in Miami
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
• Real Men Knit by K. M. Jackson
• Run by John Lewis
• The Unspoken by Ian K. Smith
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
• The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates 
• You Should See Me in a Crown  by Leah Johnson 

I know this blog post is a mesh of different ideas, but I finally graduated and I feel I am now back into the groove of blogging again. I would like to leave you with some fun links before I sign off:

• Temptations (the cat treats brand) released a series of fabulously purrfect reads featuring cats as the main characters. Check them out here!

• Book Riot released their annual Read Harder Challenge! I hope to finally tackle some of these fun book challenges this year, now that I do not have to read my homework anymore! :)

• Starbucks partnered with Oprah and is hosting a book club. The one for December featured Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These. It is a short book covering heavy topics, one that was gifted to me by a friend, so I hope to catch up on my reading and read it. The latest title is A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. 

• Goodreads hosted their Goodreads Choice Awards last year, of which you can now see the winners, voted on by readers like you! A few of the currently nominated books that I want to read include:
• James by Percival Everett
• The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
• A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair (the last in a series!)
• Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
• The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
• Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

I wish you all the best this year! Happy early Valentine's Day! I hope you make time for yourself and treat yourself to a good cup of coffee/tea/hot chocolate and a good book. 

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels

Happy Reading! :)

Summer Days and Late Night Reading

Happy Summer!

Back are the days of reading by the beach, underneath a canopy of leaves, or hiding inside near a fan or basking in air conditioning. With summer comes all the festivals, outdoor activities, and traveling plans!

I visited one festival this past month - Printers Row Lit Fest. Hosted in Chicago by the Near South Planning Board, this festival occurs once a year to celebrate books for book lovers of all kinds. There are many different groups that attend - and it changes a bit year by year. Typically, those who attend and have stands are book related groups in the area (i.e. Chicago Public Library), both small and large bookstores (think hipster bookstores and those like Half Price Books), authors of all genres, and more. Basically, it is a community of people who join together to create a book celebration of sorts that spans an entire weekend and a few blocks on the iconic Printers Row area in the southern loop of downtown Chicago. You can meet authors, listen to poetry readings, buy book binding supplies, look for new or antique books, have your child/sibling/cousin/etc. sit and listen to story time, or just wander around and enjoy what the day will bring.

Printers Row Lit Fest 2019 (c) Once Upon A Book Blog(ger)

I was able to meet Kate Collins here in the past. She is an awesome mystery author from Indiana who writes the Flower Shop Mystery Series. Speaking of which, her first three books have been made into three Hallmark Movies! How cool is that? I wrote about the series earlier in my blog, check out the post here.

If you are an author in the surrounding area, you can participate in the Printers Row Lit Fest, as well. You should contact the staff via email for future participation. You can find the details here.

Speaking of books into movies, I was told to read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel by a fellow bookworm friend of mine. It was an interesting dystopian novel, and it will soon be an interesting dystopian 10 episode limited series! It that it will air on WarnerMedia's upcoming streaming platform. There are so many platforms to keep up with lately, it is hard to keep track of what book-tp-movie or book-to-tv-show plays on next. I will have to keep my eyes out for this show, though...

Also, if you are in the New York area this week, July 1st and July 2nd specifically, there is a display by The New York Public Library that allows you to view the original, rare copy of The Declaration of Independence in Thomas Jefferson's own hand! This display will be hosted for two days only, and is located at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. If you cannot make the trip over, you can also view images online via the library website here.

What is new with you, fellow bookworms? I have been reading, but not as much as I should have been. Hopefully, with the holiday around the corner, I can catch up with some of the items I want to share with you guys! Let me know what you're doing for the summer in the comments. For my American readers, Happy Independence Day! For my everywhere-else readers, Happy Summer! :)