Parents & Teachers
Recommended sites for parents and teachers about raising readers and teaching and caring for kids.
Visit our Learn-at-Home page for online fun & learning for kids or eBooks for Kids for digital downloads (books, comics, audios) for kids and teens.
Teaching & Literacy resources
Award Winning Books
Links for several book award lists
Shaped Hub
Free teaching resources, including activities, lessons, downloadables, and videos for K–12 students.
Read Aloud Revival
Booklists on all kinds of topics, tips for reading aloud, homeschooling
Booklists
On all kinds of popular topics
DLTK For Kids
Fun stuff, including printables, coloring sheets, patterns, characters, etc.
Education.com includes Brainzy
Teaching and learning resources & games (access requires a free account)
NoveList Plus
Read-alikes, author information, booklists, lexile info (free access WITH your library card)
See the Online Resources page for more resources with your card.
Teaching Books
Booklists, Author Info, Curriculum Connections & more
Reading Level
Lexile Level or AR Level
Movie and Book Content – Common Sense Media
Information about content for parents
Booklists for Teachers
Best of and thematic booklists
Books for Kids by Theme
Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Reading Rockets
Resources and tips for encouraging reading
Read Aloud Handbook
Jim Trelease’s tips about reading and readers
Raising a Reader
PBS resource for parents
Reading is Fundamental
RIF resource
Reach Out and Read
Early literacy program
Reading with Babies
How to read with babies and book recommendations
Parent & Healthy child info
- Milestones
CDC’s guide to recognize developmental stages, signs needing early intervention - Empowering Educator
Expert resources from First Book for difficult topics, including trauma, race - Helping Children Cope
Guidance for preparing and helping youth cope with disasters/emergencies - Understood
Guidance about youth who learn or think differently - PBSKids Parents
Resources for parents about education & youth development -
Bullying Issues
Parent resources about dealing with bullying
Educator Status and Class Visits
Educator Status Library Card Application
Downloadable application packet
Thematic Booklists
Marshalltown Library’s Read Alouds & Books to Share on Themes
You can also just contact the youth department and we’ll gather books on a theme for you for easy pick-up, usually within 1-2 days from request.
Thematic Story Kits
Listed to check out with educator card