Youth & Educators

Recommended Reads & Resources

READ about recommended books,
book news, movies from books, occasional freebies, and other stuff!

• What's Next in the Series? - tells you the order of books in series fiction
• Marshalltown Battle of the Books (Lenihan/MACS) website
• Guys Read - great books for boys and more; site by author Jon Scieska
• Children's Choice Awards - current and previous lists
  
• Iowa Teen Award or Iowa High School Award
• Novelist - read-alikes, author information, booklists, lexile info
• Just One More Book - reviews, podcast book recommendations
• Book Hive - kids can read and make book recommendations
• Booktalks- Nancy Keane's searchable website for all kinds of booktalks/podcasts

Homework Help and Fun Stuff

• SearchASaurus - kid friendly search engine
• Build vocabulary and help fight world hunger
• Homework Help Center
• Wacky Web Tales - kind of like Mad Libs
• Ask for Kids or Yahooligans - Search engines specifically for kids
• Program your own video games and animations
• Kids Click - sites for kids chosen by librarians
• Rhyme Zone - type in any word and find rhyme suggestions
• How to cite your sources for reports
• Coloring pages (printable) on all kinds of themes
• More coloring pages by Crayola
  
  

Parents and Educator Info

• Reading Level (Lexile) info & AR level
• Info about Movie Content for Parents, also Internet Movie Database
  
• "Best of" & Thematic Booklists for Teachers
• Thematic booklists from Cooperative Children's Book Center
  
• American Library Association Children's Awards
  
• Parents' Choice Awards (books, media, toys, & games)
• Internet Safety information
• 
  Learning Guides & Teacher Resources
  
  
• Recommended literacy sites
  Reading with Babies - how to read with babies, book recommendations
  readingrockets.org - resources & tips for encouraging reading with kids of all ages
  colorincolorado.org - reading rockets partner for Spanish-speaking readers
  Jim Trelease's site (the "read aloud" guru)
  PBS Raising a Reader resources
  PBS General site (section for kids, parents, teachers)
  Washington Learning - early literacy resources, print-outs
  Reading is Fundamental (RIF)
  Reach Out and Read - early literacy program
  Early Literacy & Storytime resources by Southwest Iowa Library Services
  
  
• Good planning resources for youth programming/activities
  Preschool Rainbow - early childhood planning resource
  Playful Learning - printables, resources, etc.
  dltk-kids.com - lots of printables, patterns, favorite characters, etc.
  Kididdles - A kids' songs website
  Free school-related clip art
  Spanish/English planning resource: Digame un Cuento
  Reading & Language Games on the Computer
  Family Fun - find all kinds of crafts, games, printables and more!
  
  
• Educator Status and Class Visit Resources
  Letter to parents & library card application for CLASS VISITS ONLY
                      letter in Spanish for CLASS VISITS ONLY
  Dowload application packet for an Educator Status card
  Lists of thematic Story Kits available to check out with educator card
  Print & distribute a "Getting Your First Library Card" bookmark (for young children)
  
  
• Note about GROUPS visiting the library: For the best experience for both groups and the general public, the library requires any non-related group of 8 or more to please schedule their visit by calling the library at 754-5738. This policy applies to both programmed visits (where library staff leads a tour or provides another program) as well as less formal visits (just bringing a group to use the library facilities or check out.)

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