Kids & Families

  • Learning From Home

    Homeschool is the new school for Washington through the rest of the 2019-2020 year. Teachers are finding ways to connect with parents and classes, providing online and printed resources as best they can to keep pace with their students’ need for knowledge. Families can also find valuable resources through the library to supplement their home… Continue reading

  • Create Crafts with Things You Have At Home

    A lot of us are home right now with little ones and are searching for some inexpensive entertainment. If you are a patron of the Montlake Library, you may have seen a rotation of crafts and projects in our children’s area. Most of these programs need only simple supplies that you might already have on… Continue reading

  • Harry Potter at Home

    The new Harry Potter at Home project is a collective effort by Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Audible, OverDrive, Pottermore Publishing, and WizardingWorld.com to bring the magical world of Harry Potter straight to you during these troubling times. For over twenty years now, the Harry Potter universe has been a comforting and immersive place for all readers, whether… Continue reading

  • Communicating with Kids Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing about COVID-19

    Finding the right words and communicating with children about COVID-19 may be difficult right now. Not all the resources out there meet the needs of all children. So, below are some resources that may help with communicating with deaf and hard of hearing children. The Washington State Department of Health has created an eight-part American… Continue reading

  • Try these Children’s eAudiobook Series on Overdrive!

    Stuck inside and looking for entertainment the whole family can enjoy? Try these three outstanding eAudiobook series available on Overdrive! Alcatraz Series, Book 1: Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson, read by Ramon De Ocampo Alcatraz Smedry isn’t just some kid. Growing up in multiple foster homes, he has found that he has a… Continue reading

  • Bringing the Outside In: Resources for Families Missing the Great Outdoors

    This past weekend, major parks, beaches, and many trails were closed in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. But fear not, many of our favorite parks and organizations are offering fantastic online content to help satiate our appetites for natural beauty, park history, and more. First, be sure to check out this book… Continue reading

  • Always Open: Fictional Libraries and Bookstores

    While we all ache and yearn to return to the dusty stacks where we find so much enjoyment, enlightenment, and entertainment, here are a selection of available eAudiobooks featuring Libraries and Bookstores that are always open! Midnight at Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan, read by Madeleine Maby This dark and suspenseful thriller starts with… Continue reading

  • Children’s Authors Lead the Way in Creative Online Programming

    “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” ― Fred Rogers I have seen so many helpers stepping up during this pandemic but, as a children’s librarian, I’ve been so uplifted… Continue reading

  • My Biggest Little Obsession

    Have you seen The Biggest Little Farm? If you have are you completely obsessed with it like I am? And if you haven’t seen it, you must! It is beautiful and full of hope and just gives you the happiest feeling. It has become my go to when I’m having a rough day or when… Continue reading

  • 2020 Adaptations: From Book to Screen

    Books are increasingly becoming Hollywood’s most treasured manna–the star-stuff that inspires the year’s buzziest television films and movies. Here are some books and series coming to screens big and small this year: Let’s start with adaptations with Northwest ties! Continue reading

  • Upon Losing A Pet

    Losing a pet is always hard. I recently lost my 20 year old cat, Stella. She was older then both of my children. Stella and my daughter had an unbreakable bond. My daughter’s first word at 8 months was “itty” as the cat would head bump against her. My daughter at times tried to say… Continue reading

  • Who needs Disney+ when you have the library?

    Sure Disney+ has new TV shows and movies to watch, but the library has the classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and lot of other great Disney resources too! Whether you want to start at the beginning and learn about the man who dreamed up Disney with the book Walt Disney: The Triumph… Continue reading

  • Book picks from the author of ‘Growing Up Gorilla’

    Clare Hodgson Meeker’s new nonfiction picture book, Growing Up Gorilla: How a Zoo Baby Brought Her Family Together, is a  heartwarming true story about a baby gorilla at the Woodland Park Zoo. When a mother gorilla walks away from her newborn, the staff at the zoo finds innovative ways for mother and baby (Yola) to… Continue reading

  • Author Vicki Conrad Shares Favorite Picture Book Biographies

    We asked the author of Just Like Beverly, a new picture book biography of Beverly Cleary, to share her favorite biographies for children in this Nightstand Reads post. Here are five picks from Vicki Conrad: As a child, the Ramona Series was dear to my heart. I truly felt so much like her. My two… Continue reading

  • Bee Smart! Books about Pollinators for Kids

    As National Pollinator Week comes to a close, discover books about bees and other pollinators to enjoy with your children and to help kids understand the roles pollinators play in our environment. And then on Monday, June 24, sign them up for Summer of Learning so they can continue to Explore Your World!   The… Continue reading

  • ‘Tis the Season for Hanami

    Spring has sprung in the Pacific Northwest and the cherry trees are putting on quite a show! One of the more popular attractions in Seattle for cherry blossom viewing, also known as Hanami, is our cherry trees located at the University of Washington Quad. Although the origin of the trees is debated, according to The… Continue reading

  • 2019 Lambda Literary Awards: LGBTQ Titles for Children and Young Adults

    The 2019 Lammy Award finalists were announced earlier this month, and there are eight contenders in the LGBTQ Children’s/Young Adult category.  Among them are some of our favorite recent titles, including last year’s National Book Award Winner The Poet X and both(!) of Kheryn Callender’s novels.  We were especially pleased at the diversity of both… Continue reading

  • Twenty Children’s Books We Loved in 2018

    What a wonderful year for children’s books this was!   Children’s Librarians from Seattle Public Library selected Ten Amazing Picture Books and Ten Wonderful Novels and Comics that were published in 2018.  Each list is rich with stories that reflect a range of different experiences and perspectives.  Here is just a sample of what you can… Continue reading