Story Tags

Picture of Elephant and Piggie Character

Books for the Imaginative Child

Not every child is comfortable expressing themselves, as some may prefer to internalize their fantasies by using their imagination. For the young reader who is creative and likes to think outside of the box, finding reading material may be challenging. Offering options that stimulate a child’s inner world – the space populated by their fantasies or desires – might be a good place to start, but this raises the question: how? How about trying options that encourage children to envision thinking in new ways.

Blankets

Cool as a Cucumber

Books to lower your temperature in the dog days of August

Has the sweltering heat and the stifling humidity been getting you down? A tall glass of ice water accompanied by one of these chilly reads will be sure to keep you cool! For Young Readers (Pre-K to 3rd Grade)   Flora and the Penguin by Molly Idle

Cover of Mermaid Tales from Around the World

Mermaid Reads

Splash into underwater fantasy

Summertime always gets me dreaming about mermaids. They’ve swum through my imagination since I was a kid, coming to the surface (pun slightly intended) every time I stand on the beach, watching waves crash and hoping to spot a long, finned tail. Or even when I’m at the pool, and the trick of the light glinting off the too-blue waters maybe tricks me into seeing something I wish was there.

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ICEBERGS -- Upper Elementary (4th-8th Grade) Children's Summer Reading List

In partnership with National Building Museum

Through September 5, 2016, the National Building Museum is a one-of-a-kind destination with ICEBERGS, designed by James Corner Field Operations. Representing a beautiful, underwater world of glacial ice fields spanning the Museum’s enormous Great Hall, the immersive installation emphasizes current themes of landscape representation, geometry, and construction.  

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ICEBERGS -- Early Elementary (PS-3rd Grade) Children's Summer Reading List

In partnership with the National Building Museum

Through September 5, 2016, the National Building Museum is a one-of-a-kind destination with ICEBERGS, designed by James Corner Field Operations. Representing a beautiful, underwater world of glacial ice fields spanning the Museum’s enormous Great Hall, the immersive installation emphasizes current themes of landscape representation, geometry, and construction.  

evil librarian book cover

Dangerous Libraries

Libraries. Not just for books anymore.

When most people think of libraries, they imagine a quiet, boring place where librarians shush people for even sneezing. In reality, libraries aren't like that at all. Sometimes they're...DANGEROUS! Being a place for the public, you never know who will walk through those doors. And what exactly does a librarian do? Below I have compiled a list of books set in unusual libraries and about the crazy librarians that run them. Enjoy!

Capture the Flag, written by Kate Messner and illustrated by Yuta Onoda

I <3 DC

Children's Chapter Books Set in Washington, DC

Though reading can take you on an adventure around the world, I also sometimes like to read about locations I know well, like my hometown or somewhere I've recently visited. Picking up on references to specific spots always gives me a thrill and really helps me to visualize what's happening in the story. If you're looking for a children's novel that's full of familiar streets and sights, try one of these DC-based books on for size!

Raymie Nightingale

Summer Shenanigans

Great Middle Grade Novels to Soak up in the Sun

When many of us look back on childhood summers, the memories we treasure most were new friendships formed and the magical feeling that suddenly anything is possible.  Summer means a break from the everyday monotony of classroom schedules and familiar bus routes, journeying to new and unfamiliar places, and creating adventures that stay with us a lifetime.  The following titles represent some of my favorite stories about summer adventures and the friendships we forge along the way. 

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Picture This . . .

Picture Books That Bring Asia and the Pacific Islands into Focus

Thanks to a congressional act in 1992 Asian/Pacific American Month is annually observed in the month of May. May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

Maybelle and the Haunted Cupcake

Haunted Bakeries and Creepy Cakes

Books for a saccharine scare

Are you looking for a decadent and dark read? Check out these titles for a fun fright! For Young Readers (1st-3rd Grade) The Runaway Rice Cake by Ying Chang Compestine

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