
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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The Stranded
The Hunger Games meets Station Eleven in a gripping near-future dystopian: love triangles, betrayals and fights for freedom in a world turned upside-down...
Welcome to the Arcadia.
Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States--a leftover piece of a fractured USA.
For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. It is a world of extreme haves and have nots, gangs and make-shift shelters.
Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Nik is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all.
When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever...
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The Wild Ones
“Utterly unique storytelling…a tale that refuses to flinch.” — Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent DelightsFrom William C. Morris Finalist
Nafiza Azad comes a thrilling, feminist fantasy about a group of teenage girls endowed with special powers who must band together to save the life of the boy whose magic saved them all.
We are the Wild Ones, and we will not be silenced.
We are girls who have tasted the worst this world can offer. Our story begins with Paheli, who was once betrayed by her mother, sold to a man in exchange for a favor. When Paheli escaped, she ran headlong into Taraana—a boy with stars in his eyes, a boy as battered as she was. He tossed Paheli a box of stars before disappearing. With the stars, Paheli gained access to the Between, a place of pure magic and mystery. Now, Paheli collects girls like us, and we use our magic to travel the world, helping to save other girls from our pain, our scars.
When Taraana reappears, he asks for our help. Dangerous magical forces are chasing him, and they will destroy him to get his powers. We will do everything to save him—if we can. For if Taraana is no longer safe and free, neither are the Wild Ones. And that is a fate that we refuse to accept. Ever again. -
Odin's Child
An epic fantasy trilogy from Norway about thousand-year-old secrets, forbidden romance, and what happens to those who make a deal with the devil comes at last to the United States
"Blood magic, blackmail, and battle rock a rich world of fading magic to its core in this internationally bestselling Norwegian epic fantasy." - Publishers Weekly reviews Odin's Child
I loved (Odin's Child) deeply from the first to the last word, and was instantly and thoroughly immersed. -- Laini Taylor, bestselling author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
...The story examines and upends everything its characters believe in, including their world, their history, their faith, and themselves, while intertwining elements of politics and Norse mythology with a side of forbidden romance. Kirkus Reviews
The intrigue, scope, and depth of His Dark Materials, set in an immersive Nordic world as fierce and unforgettable as its characters. Rosaria Munda, author Fireborne/Flamefall - Aurelian Cycle
The world building is stupendous. MidWest Book Review
Imagine lacking something that everyone else has. Something that proves you belong to this world. Something so vital, that without it, you are nothing. A plague. A myth. A human.”
Fifteen winters old, Hirka learns that she is an Odin's child – a tailless rot from another world. Despised. Dreaded. And hunted. She no longer knows who she is, and someone wants to kill her to keep it a secret. But there are worse things than humans, and Hirka is not the only creature to have broken through the gates…
Odin’s Child is unique fantasy with Norse roots. An epic clash of xenophobia, blind faith and the right or will to lead.
The first in a trilogy, Odin's Child is a thrilling modern fantasy epic. -
I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 (I Survived Graphic Novel #7)
Could an entire city really burn to the ground? One brave boy finds out in this graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871, with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Cassie Anderson.
Oscar Starling never wanted to move to Chicago. The smog, the stench, the thieves around every corner -- it's so different from his old life on the farm. Will the big city ever feel like home? But shortly after Oscar arrives, a huge fire breaks out. All of Chicago is ablaze and one thing is clear: the city is like a powder keg, ready to explode. An army of firemen tries to help, but this fire is a ferocious beast that wants to devour everything in its path. Will Oscar -- and his new city and new friends -- survive one of the most famous and devastating fires in history? Lauren Tarshis's New York Times bestselling I Survived series comes to vivid life in graphic novel editions. Perfect for readers who prefer the graphic novel format, or for existing fans of the I Survived chapter book series, these graphic novels combine historical facts with high-action storytelling that's sure to keep any reader turning the pages. Includes a nonfiction section at the back with facts and photos about the real-life event.
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39 Clues: The Maze of Bones: A Graphic Novel (39 Clues Graphic Novel #1)
The graphic novel adaptation of the mega-bestseller that launched a global phenomenon!
Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her descendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue."
Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Marie Curie to Harry Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 Clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.
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The Aquanaut
Dive in to this whimsically adventurous graphic novel from Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat!
Ever since her father was lost at sea, Sophia has been moping around Aqualand, the marine theme park her dad and uncle created. But Sophia's world is turned upside down when an "aquanaut" breaks into the park's research lab.
To her amazement, Sophia discovers that the aquanaut is not what it seems -- inside lives a band of four goofy sea creatures! And when they all realize that Aqualand has evolved into something much darker than Sophia's dad had envisioned, Sophia is determined to help the aquanaut crew free the park's captive marine life before it's too late.
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How Many Squirrels Are in the World?
A lively, humorous counting book featuring a kid trying to keep up with a load of sassy squirrels.
Some days it seems like there are squirrels everywhere! When a curious little girl decides she must find out exactly how many there are, her mission has her searching high and low, counting squirrels all over town. Only problem is, these frisky squirrels sure move around. Will she ever get a grip on the squirrely squirrel number situation?
In this lively count-along book, Ben Gundersheimer’s playful rhyming text, based on a song from his album Pizza for Breakfast, pairs perfectly with Marcos Almada Rivero’s funny, eye-catching illustrations. As children marvel over our heroine’s persistence, they will have fun spotting oodles of rambunctious squirrels.