Children
Please see the Youth Calendar for a full list of programs and story times!
- 1000 Books Before Kindergarten
- Reading with Pictures
- Reading Made Easy
- The Magic of Fiction
- Homework A-Z
Welcome!
The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program encourages you to read 1000 books with your child by the time he or she starts kindergarten. "You are your child's first teacher," Library Director Denise Wallace said. "We hope that this program makes learning simple and fun. The gift of reading with your children provides memories and knowledge that will benefit them for the rest of their lives."
Why is this program important?
Research shows that reading books aloud to your children provides valuable early literacy skills that lead to greater success in school. Before children learn to read, they need five early literacy skills. Join us at weekly story times to hear more literacy tips related to these five literacy skills.
- Phonological Awareness or the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds words.
- Vocabulary or knowing the meaning of words, concepts, and ideas.
- Print Convention or noticing print, knowing how to handle a book, and knowing how to follow the words on a page.
- Background Knowledge or the prior knowledge a child has learned.
- Letter Knowledge or knowing letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds, and recognizing letters everywhere.
Please see the 1000 Books before Kindergarten Instructions below to get started. Head over the Children's Desk to sign up and receive your first Reading Log today!
1000 Books Before Kindergarten Instructions | Books to Read Before Kindergarten |
BEST OF 2018 DETERMINED BY YOU
Out of all of the Picture Books published in 2018, these were the titles that Farmers Branch children check out the most!
- Big Choo by Stephen Shaskan
- The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds
- The Secrets of Ninja School by Deb Pilutti
- Tilly & Tank by Jay Fleck
- The Petes Go Marching by James Dean
- Ladybug Girl and the Rescue Dogs by David Soman
- The Night Lion by Sanne Dufft
- Be Brave, Little Penguin by Giles Andreae
- Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach
- Every Color Soup by Jorey Hurley
TITLES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Listed below are more Picture Books published in 2018 that you might also enjoy!
- There Was an Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Map by Lucille Colandro
- Astronaut Annie by Suzanne Slade
- Stegothesaurus by Bridget Heos
- Sweet Dreams, Supergirl by Michael Dahl
- The Berenstain Bears Visit Grizzlyland by Mike Berenstain
Access eBooks and More!
OverDrive for KidsOverDrive for Kids provides children with quick, easy access to the titles written for their age group. Find eBooks, audiobooks, and more using your library card and PIN. | HooplaHoopla contains thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, songs, movies and more. Once you have logged in, go to "Settings" and turn on "Kid Mode" so that your children can access age-appropriate titles. | TumbleBook LibraryTumbleBooks is an online collection of animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. |
BEST OF 2018 DETERMINED BY YOU
Out of all of the Easy Reader books published in 2018, these were the titles that Farmers Branch children checked out the most!
- Pinkalicious at the Fair by Victoria Kann
- Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar by James Dean
- Fly Guy and the Alienzz by Tedd Arnold
- Bubbles, Bubbles, and More Bubbles! by Jane O'Connor
- The Itchy Book! by LeUyen Pham
- My Toothbrush is Missing! by Jan Thomas
- The Incredible Elastigirl by Natasha Bouchard
- Nate the Great and the Wandering Word by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
- Hide! by Steve Henry
- Too Many Cupcakes! by David Lewman
TITLES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Listed below are more Easy Reader books published in 2018 that you might also enjoy!
- The Camp Problem by Jennifer Oxley
- Willa's Butterfly Ballet by Judy Katschke
- Amelia Bedelia Gets a Break by Herman Parish
- King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth by Dori Hillestad Butler
- Up in the Air! by Mary Tillworth
Access eBooks and More!
OverDrive for KidsOverDrive for Kids provides children with quick, easy access to the titles written for their age group. Find eBooks, audiobooks, and more using your library card and PIN. | HooplaHoopla contains thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, songs, movies and more. Once you have logged in, go to "Settings" and turn on "Kid Mode" so that your children can access age-appropriate titles. | TumbleBook LibraryTumbleBooks is an online collection of animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. |
BEST OF 2018 DETERMINED BY YOU
Out of all of the Juvenile fiction published in 2018, these were the titles that Farmers Branch children checked out the most!
- No Time to Lose by Geronimo Stilton
- Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman
- Magic, Madness, and Mischief by Kelly McCullough
- Eva and the Lost Pony by Rebecca Elliott
- Hamlet and Cheese by Megan McDonald
- Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen by Candace Fleming
- Captain Awesome for President by Stan Kirby
- The New Kid by A.I. Newton
- Big Nate Goes Bananas! by Lincoln Peirce
- Franny the Jelly Bean Fairy by Daisy Meadows
TITLES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Listed below are more Juvenile fiction books published in 2018 that you might also enjoy!
- Wizard for Hire by Obert Skye
- The Un-friendship Bracelet by Martha Maker
- The Exile's Journey by Erin Hunter
- Spy School Goes South by Stuart Gibbs
- The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan
Access eBooks and More!
OverDrive for KidsOverDrive for Kids provides children with quick, easy access to the titles written for their age group. Find eBooks, audiobooks, and more using your library card and PIN. | HooplaHoopla contains thousands of ebooks, audiobooks, songs, movies and more. Once you have logged in, go to "Settings" and turn on "Kid Mode" so that your children can access age-appropriate titles. | TumbleBook LibraryTumbleBooks is an online collection of animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. |
Children & Teens DatabasesAccess the Library's databases specifically designed for children and teens! | Homework & Education DatabasesFind information on any subject in these helpful databases! | Storyline OnlineRead with the stars! Storyline Online provides videos of celebrated actors reading children's books with fun illustrations. | |
Open CultureOpen Culture promotes life long learning by providing information on a wide range of topics in an easy to use site. | PBS KIDSPBS KIDS Lab is a fun site that makes learning fun for the whole family. This website provides educational games, activities, videos and more to guide children on the path to life long learning. | Do2LearnDo2Learn provides thousands of educational resources for children with special needs. | |
e-Learning for Kidse-Learning for Kids provides free resources for learning math, reading, science, keyboarding, and more. | StoryBotsStoryBots make learning fun and engaging with songs and activities about the alphabet, numbers, animals, and more! |