Story Tags

Coretta Scott King Medal

Coretta Scott King Award Challenge at Southeast

Celebrate the legacy

Help Southeast Library celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Awards! 

Summer Challenge 2018

Summer Challenge 2018

Read 20 minutes a day. Every day. (June 1 - Aug. 31)

Take the DC Public Library Summer Challenge Kids, teens and adults can win prizes for reading this summer by participating in the 2018 DC Public Library Summer Challenge.  Reading just 20 minutes each day keeps your mind active and helps you stay engaged over the summer. Every 20 minutes you read or every library event you attend brings you closer to earning great prizes like free food from Chipotle and tickets to Washington Nationals baseball games.

Read Feed

Bored with your reading options? Feel like you've read all there is to read of a particular subject? DC Public Library is here to help. Click here to find personalized recommendations and online book clubs, or scroll down for staff-curated readings lists.

Speak of Me as I Am by Sonia Belasco

Make Yourself at Home

YA books that take place in D.C.

Reading is always a fun experience, but there’s something extra special about stumbling upon a setting that holds familiarity. Whether the location is a surprise or you know about it before you pick up the book, recognizing places and descriptions -- and sometimes, visiting them -- can really impact the way we engage with a story. These books take place right here at home in Washington, D.C. but aren’t all about espionage and political intrigue. Find yourself right at home with one of these reads.

An old cannon surrounded by greenery at Fort Stevens

Favorite Neighborhood Spot: Fort Stevens

Tiara Crutchfield writes about a historical landmark practically in her backyard

D.C. is a pretty historical place. From the museums to just being the nation’s capital, D.C. has so many places that have so much history. Some historical places are right in the middle of the residential areas in D.C. One place that I found very interesting is Fort Stevens, which is literally up the street from my house! Fort Stevens was a very significant area during the civil war. Originally named Fort Massachusetts, it was a fort built to help defend union soldiers.

Image of the author, Will Kostakis

Author Interview: Will Kostakis

Destineé Coburn talks with the Australian YA author about his personal journey, LGBTQ+ in YA, and writer's block

Teen Council employee Destineé Coburn interviews Australian young adult author, Will Kostaskis. Check out the anthology Out Now: Queer We Go Again! featuring a story by Kostaskis with your DC Public Library card.  Image is from willkostakis.com.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

As Seen on TikTok

Popular Books on #BookTok

If you were looking for something to do during the pandemic, it’s possible you fell into the rabbit hole that is TikTok. Library fans rejoiced when they found Booktok, the bookish community on TikTok that shares books, the struggles of being a reader and plenty of literary humor. This list includes some of the books that show up again and again on the app. Regardless of you’re reading tastes, you’re likely to find something you’ll enjoy in this list.

The outside of the Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, from DP + Partners' website, the architectural firm that designed the building

Favorite Neighborhood Spot: Turkey Thicket Recreation Center

This community hub, Blair Mushala writes, is a standout spot in Brookland for D.C. residents of all ages

It’s address is 1100 Michigan Avenue NE, but you can see it from all the way down 10th or 11th Streets. The name is only visible once you walk upon it, but everyone in the neighborhood knows Turkey Thicket Park and Recreation center, affectionately known as “The Rec." It is a large inclusive space, with huge windows and contains a lot to do. People can come by bus, walking or Metro; the closest Metro station is Brookland. This is the route I usually take, the walk from Brookland is less than 5 minutes.

Author Interview: Sasha Peyton Smith

Toni interviews a local author whose YA historical fantasy novel will be published by Simon and Schuster this fall

Sasha Peyton Smith is an author who currently resides in Washington, D.C. I talked to her about her writing process, her upcoming novel and what inspirations she had in creating her story. Her YA historical fantasy novel The Witch Haven comes out this fall! Check the DC Public Library catalog for her book in our collection at that time. 

Cover of To All the Boys I Loved Before

Book Review: To All the Boys I Loved Before

Liyah Tyner reviews the first book in this teen romance favorite, which has a movie series on Netflix

Book review written by Liyah Tyner, teen volunteer.

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