Youth
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
1000 Books Before Kindergarten is an early literacy program designed to encourage children to read at least 1,000 books before they enter kindergarten, with some fun incentives along the way! Just follow these four easy steps:
- Register for the program below or in-person at either library
- Keep track of your reading on a reading log (download a reading log)
- Turn in your reading log for every 100 books read
- Read until you reach 1,000 books
Early Literacy Kits
Early Literacy Kits are designed for pre-readers ages 0-5 and focus on developing early literacy skills through sharing concepts like words, rhymes, sounds, songs, and more. Each kit contains books, games, toys, and more, as well as songs and rhymes all based on the five best practices of early literacy: Reading, Talking, Singing, Playing, and Writing.
STEAM Kits
Build, play, experiment, and explore with our collection of STEAM Kits! These kits allow children of all ages to explore topics in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics in the comfort of their own home.
Recommended Reads for Youth
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¡Vamos! Let's Go Read
From New York Times bestselling, Pura Belpré Award-winning author-illustrator Raúl the Third, ¡Vamos! Let's Go Read follows Little Lobo and friends as they explore their library's Libro Love Book Festival in this paper-over-board picture book from the World of ¡Vamos!
Little Lobo and his friends are excited for the out-of-this-world book festival the Guadalupian Library hosts every year!
Everyone has a special book they're looking for, but there's so much to see and do first. From cookbook demonstrations and comics workshops to mask making and language classes, this library has something for everyone. Can Little Lobo, Bernabé, Kooky Dooky, Coco Rocho, and La Chida each find the book of their dreams
Full of easy-to-remember Spanish vocabulary and packed with fun details, this colorful celebration of books, libraries, and all forms of reading will bring joy to young bookworms everywhere!
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Top Story (Front Desk #5)
The New York Times bestselling Front Desk series continues!
Mia Tang is at the top of her game!
She's spending winter break with Mom, Lupe, Jason, and Hank in San Francisco's Chinatown! Rich with history and hilarious aunties and uncles, it's the place to find a great story--one she hopes to publish while attending journalism camp at the Tribune. But this trip has as many bumps as the hills of San Francisco . . .
1. Mia's camp is full of older kids, with famous relatives, fancy laptops, and major connections! Can she compete with just her pen and passion?
2. Lupe's thinking about skipping ahead to college! Will Mia ever get a chance to just chill with her best friend?
3. Jason's crushing hard on a new girl. For the first time ever, Mia is speechless...and jealous. Can she find the courage to tell Jason--gulp--that she has a crush on him?
Even for the best writers, it's not always easy to find the right words. But if anyone can tell a top story, it's Mia Tang!
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This Is Not a Unicorn!
Get ready for a magical and hilarious adventure about the most fantastic unicorn EVER!
This book is NOT about a unicorn! Well . . . OK, maybe it is! But THIS unicorn has a horn that can turn into the most incredible things - a magic wand, a helicopter, even a space rocket! Join the hilarious adventure and prepare to be amazed by your brilliant new friend.
With wonderful wordplay and a funny and sweet friendship at its heart, this is NOT a unicorn book to be missed!
This fabulously funny story has tons of appeal for all children -- watch out for rockets, rainbows, helicopters, massive fish, ice cream sundaes, and magical adventures. -
There Was a Party for Langston
New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds’s debut picture book is a snappy, joyous ode to Word King, literary genius, and glass-ceiling smasher Langston Hughes and the luminaries he inspired.
Back in the day, there was a heckuva party, a jam, for a word-making man. The King of Letters. Langston Hughes. His ABCs became drums, bumping jumping thumping like a heart the size of the whole country. They sent some people yelling and others, his word-children, to write their own glory.
Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, and more came be-bopping to recite poems at their hero’s feet at that heckuva party at the Schomberg Library, dancing boom da boom, stepping and stomping, all in praise and love for Langston, world-mending word man. Oh, yeah, there was hoopla in Harlem, for its Renaissance man. A party for Langston. -
Tap It!
How many things can we tap? Let's find out! The phonemes /a/t/p/i/ are featured in this title. Tap It! is part of Decodables by Jump!, a comprehensive library of decodable leveled readers that follow a sequenced approach to phonics instruction. Young readers will enjoy colorful, photo-packed nonfiction as they follow a prescribed format supported by the science of reading that encourages reading development.
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Something, Someday
The stunning new picture book by presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Christian Robinson
You’re told that
This won’t work,
But how will you know
If you never try?
Presidential inaugural poet and #1 New York Times bestselling author Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Christian Robinson have created a timeless message of hope.
Sometimes the world feels broken. And problems seem too big to fix. But somehow, we all have the power to make a difference. With a little faith, and maybe the help of a friend, together we can find beauty and create change.
With intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations, Something, Someday reveals how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact. -
The Skull
A #1 New York Times bestseller!
A Kirkus Book Prize Finalist!Caldecott Medalist and New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Jon Klassen delivers a deliciously macabre treat for folktale fans.
Jon Klassen's signature wry humor takes a turn for the ghostly in this thrilling retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale. In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit--with rich, monochromatic artwork and an illuminating author's note--The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding.
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Invisible Things
New York Times Bestseller
This creatively wacky exploration of the invisible things that make up the human experience encourages readers to look past the visible and connect with the things that are not seen.
If we could put on a pair of magical invisible glasses and see all the feelings, ideas, and other invisible things that populate our world, what would they look like? Could you see an itch? Could you describe hope? From the sound of a dog barking to the rainbow-MAGIC taste of a lollipop, from gratitude to grit, this book will help you meet the many interesting sensations that follow you every day, even if you can't see them.
Explore the way a sad song can sometimes make you happy and discover that laughs--even fake ones--can multiply faster than you'd imagine. As readers give these unknown forces a name, they'll also find a gentle invitation to pause, take a deep breath, and reflect on the invisible things at work in their own lives.
VIRAL HIT: Drawn from Andy J. Pizza's original "Invisible Things" posts on Twitter that went viral, with 57,000 likes and 25,000 retweets, this book debuted on the New York Times bestseller list immediately upon its release. Andy's ongoing Instagram posts continue to receive thousands of likes and shares. It's clear people are ready to see INVISIBLE THINGS!
NAME THE INVISIBLE THING: There are hidden forces that impact our everyday, particularly for kids. Giving those forces a name, and even a face, helps kids to feel empowered.
PROMPT FOR CONVERSATION: Educators, therapists, and caregivers looking to have nuanced or challenging conversations with kids about their own experiences can use this as a jumping off point for conversation: What invisible things can you name in your life?
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING: One common exercise teachers use is to ask kids to point to their emotion on a chart and then name it, for which this book will be a powerful tool.
REVIEWED BY MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT: This book was vetted by a licensed independent clinical social worker specializing in mental health for kids!
POPULAR AUTHOR: Andy J. Pizza is one of the creative minds behind the bestselling A Pizza with Everything on It and also hosts the popular podcast Creative Pep Talk.
Perfect for:
- Anyone interested in social-emotional learning (SEL) and entertaining ways to explore emotions with kids
- Anyone looking for interactive or artful books about mental health
- Fans of classic children's books like Dr. Seuss's My Many Colored Days, Molly Bang's When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry . . ., and Judith Viorst's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
- Fans of Pixar's Inside Out
- Fans of Andy J. Pizza, his original twitter post about "Invisible Things" that went viral, the Creative Pep Talk podcast, or A Pizza with Everything on It
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I Can Pat
I Can Pat
A toy cat is fun to pat. But what about a real cat? Mom Sat, Dad Sat
How long can you play before you get tired? And who has the most energy? The phonemes /s/a/t/p/i/ are featured in this title.
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Dogtown
From beloved authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko and with illustrations from Wallace West, Dogtown is at once an uplifting story and a page-turning adventure, sure to find a forever home in readers’ hearts.
Dogtown is a shelter for stray dogs, misbehaving dogs, and discarded robot dogs, whose owners have outgrown them.
Chance, a real dog, has been in Dogtown since her owners unwittingly left her with irresponsible dog-sitters who skipped town.
Metal Head is a robot dog who dreams of being back in a real home.
And Mouse is a mouse who has the run of Dogtown, pilfering kibble, and performing clever feats to protect the dogs he loves.
When Chance and Metal Head embark on an adventure to find their forever homes, there is danger, cheese sandwiches, a charging station, and some unexpected kindnesses along the way. -
Cat on the Run in Cat of Death! (Cat on the Run #1) - From the Creator of the Bad Guys
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bad Guys comes another hilarious illustrated series starring a pampered cat who is way tougher than anyone realizes.
What happens when the world's biggest cat video star gets accused of a crime she didn't commit? She becomes a cat on the run, that's what.
But how do you avoid capture and prove your innocence when you are the most famous feline on the planet? Well, it ain't easy.
Follow Princess Beautiful -- for that is her name -- as she goes from meme megastar #1 to public enemy #1 and cheer her on as she fights to clear her name.
Is she a super villain? An internet-famous buffoon? Or a butt-kicking gal who's just been seriously underestimated?
YOU be the judge...
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The Case of the Missing Tarts
The Pigeon Detectives are looking forward to devouring a delectable platter of jam tarts--until the tasty treats are stolen from right under their beaks! With tummies grumbling, the PPD are on the hunt for clues, but can the detectives recover the tarts in time before they are all eaten--or worse--stale? As the list of suspects grows longer, our heroes wonder if they'll ever catch the thief jam-handed.
Pigeon Private Detectives: The Case of the Missing Tarts, Christee Curran-Bauer's author-illustrator debut, pokes fun at detective procedurals with kid-friendly humor!
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The Wild Robot Protects (The Wild Robot 3)
The enchanting new addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling THE WILD ROBOT series from award-winning author-illustrator Peter Brown, packed full of glorious illustrations.
Roz the robot has made an unlikely home for herself on an idyllic island dense with forests, wildflowers and friendly animal inhabitants - including her own young son Brightbill the gosling. Life on the island is perfect, until a dying seal washes ashore and warns of dangerous, cloudy waters that are flowing towards the island, bringing new dangers for the animals.
Forced inland they will have to fight over fewer resources - and Roz realises that she must march into the waves and undertake an incredible undersea adventure to find a way to protect her beloved island and all who live on it ...
From bestselling author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed third book in his New York Times bestselling The Wild Robot series, exploring what happens when nature and technology collide.
Praise for The Wild Robot
'An Iron Man style fable for our age' - Piers Torday, award-winning author of The Last Wild
'A modern-day classic in the making' - Booktrust
[Peter Brown's THE WILD ROBOT was a #1 New York Times bestseller w/c 11th June 2023.] -
Keeper of the Lost Cities The Graphic Novel Part 1
The first book in the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series is being reimagined as a graphic novel with the first half of the epic novel adapted to this new format with beautiful artwork!
Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. The reason? Sophie’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. No one knows her secret—at least, that’s what she thinks…
But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she’s not alone. He’s a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well…she isn’t. Fitz opens Sophie’s eyes to a shocking truth, and she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.
This stunning graphic novel retelling of the first half of the thrilling first novel comes to life with all the adventure and epic worldbuilding the Keeper of the Lost Cities series is known for. -
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library: The Graphic Novel
The BESTSELLING book is now a full color, fun packed GRAPHIC NOVEL!
The Lemoncello books have spent over 100 Weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List and are on 44 State Award Lists!
Find out if game loving Kyle Keeley can escape from what James Patterson calls "the coolest library in all the world" in this fun-filled graphic novel from the much-loved co-author of Treasure Hunters and the bestselling illustrator of Last Kids on Earth!
* "A worthy successor to . . . Willy Wonka." --Booklist, Starred Review
When Kyle learns that the world's most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town's new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night, he's determined to be there! But the tricky part isn't getting into the library--it's getting out. Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must solve every clue and figure out every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route!
Now a full color graphic novel! -
Kween
A searing, joyful YA debut about a queer Cambodian American teen's journey to find her voice and step into her legacy, perfect for fans of Ibi Zoboi and Elizabeth Acevedo.
Soma Kear's verses have gone viral. Trouble is, she didn't exactly think her slam poetry video through. All she knew was that her rhymes were urgent. On fire. An expression of where she was, and that place...was a hot mess.
Following her Ba's deportation back to Cambodia, everything's changed. Her Ma is away trying to help Ba adjust to his new life, and her older sister has taken charge with a new authoritarian tone. Meanwhile, Soma's trending video pushes her to ask if it's time to level up. With her school's spoken word contest looming, Soma must decide: Is she brave enough to put herself out there? To publicly reveal her fears of Ba not returning? To admit that things may never be the same?
With every line she spits, Soma searches for a way to make sense of the world around her. The answers are at the mic.
From debut author Vichet Chum comes a celebration of Khmer identity, queerness, and embracing the complicated histories that shape who we are and want to be.
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A Thousand Boy Kisses
"He kissed me until there was no part of me that didn't know who it belonged to. He kissed me until my heart again fused with his--two halves of one whole."
One kiss lasts a moment. But a thousand kisses can last a lifetime.
One boy. One girl. A bond that is forged in an instant and cherished for a decade. A bond that neither time nor distance can break. A bond that will last forever.
Or so they believe.
When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation?
Rune's heart was broken two years ago when Poppy fell silent. But when he discovers the truth of her absence, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come.
This Bloom edition includes a special bonus epilogue.
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Rez Ball
This compelling debut novel by new talent Byron Graves tells the relatable, high-stakes story of a young athlete determined to play like the hero his Ojibwe community needs him to be.
These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team--even though he can't help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.
When Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him.
But stepping into his brother's shoes as a star player means that Tre can't mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with.
After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon's dreams, their story isn't over yet.
This book is published by Heartdrum, an imprint that publishes high-quality, contemporary stories about Indigenous young people in the United States and Canada.
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Ryan and Avery
From the New York Times bestselling author of EVERY DAY, this is a queer love story for the ages--told over the course of a couple's first ten dates.
When a blue-haired boy (Ryan) meets a pink-haired boy (Avery) at a dance--a queer prom--both feel an inexplicable but powerful connection. Follow them through their first ten dates as they bridge their initial shyness and fall in love--through snowstorms, groundings, meeting parents (Avery's) and not (Ryan's), cast parties, heartbreak, and every day and date in between. -
The Library of Shadows
Funny, moving, and heart-achingly real, this romantic romp and paranormal romcom debut--through a haunted library with trapdoors, ghosts, and memories--is full of great love that triumphs over even death, perfect for fans of Ninth House and Cemetery Boys.
Radcliffe Prep. The third most haunted school in the country, where a student disappearance isn't uncommon and no one dares stay in the library after dark. And Este Logano enrolls with the hopes of finding her dead father.
Not literally, of course. She doesn't believe in ghosts. Going to her dad's school just seems like her best hope at figuring out who he was.
But then Este meets Mateo, who is maybe--probably--definitely--a real ghost. And an annoying one at that.
When Mateo frames Este for the theft of a rare book from the library's secret spire and then vanishes, Este will have to track him down or risk being expelled and leaving Radcliffe early just like her father did.
Except following her father's footsteps might be more dangerous than Este ever anticipated. As she investigates the library with its secret passageways, hidden tunnels, and haunted halls, she learns that the student disappearances aren't just myth. And if she isn't careful, she'll be next.
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All the Fighting Parts
In the vein of Grown and The Poet X, Hannah V. Sawyerr's All the Fighting Parts is a searing and defiant young adult novel in verse about reclaiming agency after a sexual assault within the church community.
Sixteen-year-old Amina Conteh has always believed in using her voice as her weapon--even when it gets her into trouble. After cursing at a classmate, her father forces her to volunteer at their church with Pastor Johnson.
But Pastor Johnson isn't the holy man everyone thinks he is.
The same voice Amina uses to fight falls quiet the night she is sexually assaulted by Pastor Johnson. After that, her life starts to unravel: her father is frustrated that her grades are slipping, and her best friend and boyfriend don't understand why the once loud and proud girl is now quiet and distant. In a world that claims to support survivors, Amina wonders who will support her when her attacker is everyone's favorite community leader.
When Pastor Johnson is arrested for a different crime, the community is shaken and divided; some call him a monster and others defend him. But Amina is secretly relieved. She no longer has to speak because Pastor Johnson can't hurt her anymore--or so she believes.
To regain her voice and sense of self, Amina must find the power to confront her abuser--in the courtroom and her heart--and learn to use all the fighting parts within her.