Kids

Festive & Informative Juneteenth Children’s Books to Help You Celebrate

Posted on June 7, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Melissa Rhoades Juneteenth became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021. I admit I first heard of the commemorative day just a couple years before, but some American communities have been celebrating Juneteenth for 157 years. This year, I decided to learn more about the holiday celebration. It’s been enjoyable to discover its history and […]

New Read-Along Books for Kids Offer Built-In Audio Along with Page-Turning Fun!

Posted on April 25, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs With summer just around the corner, many families are looking for convenient, inexpensive ways to keep the kids entertained and engaged. That’s why we’re excited to share the launch of a new collection that ticks all the boxes. Read-Along books (or simply, Read-Alongs) are regular hardcover children’s books with a sturdy audio […]

When Kids Say the Darndest Things & Surprise Us at the Library…

Posted on January 11, 2023 at 6:00 am

One of the best parts of working in a public library is interacting with children. Their wonder challenges adult cynicism. Their questions often make us think about the world in a new way. I asked my colleagues to share some of their favorite interactions children in the library. Here are some of those stories that we love. Kids can be tough custom […]

Benefits of Creating Routines for Back to School & Resources for (Dreaded) Homework

Posted on September 13, 2022 at 6:00 am

By Alison Johnson Getting back into a routine for school is always a transition. If you have had a relaxed schedule during the summer months, frantic mornings do not have to characterize the start of the school year. The challenge is creating a routine that works for you and your family. Setting up schedules […]

School Is In: Helpful Digital Resources for Research, Studying & Homework

Posted on November 19, 2021 at 6:00 am

Now that school is in full swing, homework assignments for many students have started in earnest. Whatever the age of the student, and whether it’s you or someone in your household, we have some great digital resources to help get you through the school year. […]

23 Kids’ Books to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Posted on May 4, 2021 at 6:00 am

By RACHEL EDMONDSON This month is a time to celebrate the history, traditions, and cultural contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). You’ll find great digital reads to celebrate AAPI authors on OverDrive. I also share two lists of picture books and chapter books that you can check out from the library. FIRST, A […]

Kids share their favorite books: Winter break edition

Posted on December 22, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson When I was in school, one of my favorite things about winter break was that I didn’t have to read books assigned for class because that meant I had time to read books I picked myself! Studies have shown that kids are more motivated to read when they are allowed to pick […]

Yoga and mindfulness for stressed and anxious kids

Posted on October 14, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson Life is stressful. Life during the COVID-19 pandemic is extra stressful. As adults, we’ve had to navigate so much this year that nobody would have imagined in 2019. And our kids pick up on our stress. Plus, they have stressors of their own. School is completely different, they’re wearing masks, and they […]

Kid-picked books for your summer reading list

Posted on July 15, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson We all know how important it is for kids to keep reading throughout the summer, but sometimes it can be hard to convince kids to pick up a book. I’ve found that kids are more motivated to read a book when it’s recommended to them by a friend. Think of it as […]

Not too young to talk about race and social justice: Resources and booklists for parents, caregivers, and kids

Posted on June 12, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs It’s hard to know where to start the conversation about race with young children. After all, these conversations aren’t easy for most adults. With children there is the additional necessity of making sure the conversation is both age-appropriate and reassuring (at a time when the news is anything but). According to the […]

STEM at home: Learning anywhere and everywhere

Posted on May 19, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Alison Johnson The DIY approach to learning fun activities at home can be a great boredom buster. We miss having your kids and families at our in-person library programs. You are what make those programs so enjoyable and interesting for us! And you can continue to explore STEM at home. Here, I share the […]

Finding adventure in your own backyard

Posted on May 15, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs I live on a street with several young families, and during the governor’s Stay Home Stay Healthy order, I’ve really enjoyed walking my dogs along brightly chalked hopscotch games, seeing bubbles floating in the air, and marveling at the intricate fairy garden and pebble river one family made in their parking strip. […]

Helping kids understand the coronavirus with a picture book by local author

Posted on April 6, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs If your kids have had a lot of questions or worries about COVID-19 and you’ve been struggling to find reassuring, age-appropriate resources, look no further. Adam Wallace, a graduate student in public health who is also stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, launched a Kickstarter for his picture book on the virus […]

Discussing difficult topics with children

Posted on March 11, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley I have found that parenting includes the need to have difficult conversations with children. My family recently lost a beloved dog, Pepe, who had been with us for over 14 years. He was an old dog and spent more and more of his time resting and sleeping. So while we were prepared […]

Apps for back-to-school success

Posted on August 7, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley Here it is the first full week of August and all the big box stores have their back-to-school displays up and ready. And the supply lists are out from the schools. So, now seems like the perfect time to remind everyone (including you!) that one of the most essential school supplies is […]

Blast Off! for summer fun with space-themed crafts, books, and programs

Posted on July 8, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson This year the library’s summer reading program has been celebrating A Universe of Stories. If you haven’t already poured through Engage, our programs and events guide, to circle the programs that interest you, I suggest you do so soon. We still have lots of summer programs you won’t want to miss! This […]

What to read next: Recommendations for kids by kids

Posted on February 12, 2019 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson In my years of helping kids find books to read, one thing has remained the same—kids always want to read the same books their friends are reading. Often, a new title has gained traction. It’s also not uncommon for older series to suddenly come into popularity again, based on word of mouth. […]

Let’s play: Indoor winter fun at the library

Posted on January 24, 2019 at 10:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley The library is a great place to visit in the winter! No really, it’s true! Every week, we have Play & Learn Storytimes for families with children ages 0–5. For older kids, we have regularly scheduled LEGO Clubs, STEM programs, and other activities. And even when we don’t have a formal program […]

Storytime music to get your preschooler moving

Posted on December 18, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson Cold Spokane winters can leave us longing for the days when we can send the kids outside to run around and get some energy out. When the weather isn’t cooperating, music can be a great way to channel kids’ extra energy and help them get a little exercise at the same time. […]

Holiday memories and gifts that keep on giving

Posted on December 4, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Susan Goertz The scent of holidays is in the air. Crisp frost and cinnamon seem to waft near every doorway. We scramble to prepare for social gatherings while dreaming of time. Time to relax and enjoy the season. Time to be with loved ones, remember seasons past, decorate, and eat all the desserts. The […]

Great digital reads for the whole family

Posted on November 6, 2018 at 6:00 am

By SHERI BOGGS November marks the time of year when families start drawing close together for the holidays and you know what that means—lots and lots of family time! The Library District has got you covered with several themed booklists available on our popular OverDrive digital platform. FOR KIDS We Are Family is a handpicked […]

Five early reader books for fall school jitters

Posted on August 28, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs Most of us are not strangers to the first-day-of-school jitters—that delightful mix of excitement and mild apprehension as one contemplates what the new school year might bring. Such a feeling has as much to do with our need to connect and to be accepted as it does with our need to discover […]

How to Identify a Dragon

Posted on August 21, 2018 at 6:00 am

by Caitlin Wheeler When I was young, I loved C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia. I especially loved The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, a book that, in my eight-year-old estimation, had everything a book ought to: quests, nightmares, magic spells, enchanted islands, warrior mermaids, anthropomorphized stars, and of course, dragons. Eustace Claren […]

Microadventure: Day trip to Stonerose for fossils

Posted on July 24, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson Even though I’ve lived in the Spokane area for over 15 years now, every once in a while I find out about something and wonder how I’ve never heard about it before. This past fall I learned about the Stonerose Interpretive Center. While it’s a bit of a drive from Spokane (about […]

The dog days of summer

Posted on June 19, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs The hot, sticky afternoons of late July through August are typically called “the dog days of summer.” It’s that time when the only thing that sounds good for dinner is gazpacho, and even grownups without kids consider a visit to the neighborhood swimming pool. To the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, the dog […]

Confession of a librarian mom: Reading and summer slide

Posted on June 5, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley Last summer my family was busy with summer activities: camps, road trips, and camping vacations. We planned highly educational and enriching activities for our youngest daughter, but we did not make reading a high priority. When she started school in the fall, her teacher told me that she had definitely lost ground […]

Children’s booklist for Pride Month

Posted on May 29, 2018 at 6:00 am

by Caitlin Wheeler June is LGBT Pride Month in the U.S. Originally a week-long festivity, it honors the 1969 Stonewall Riots that culminated in a 51-block parade march from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park in Manhattan, New York. As it has evolved and taken many forms, Pride Month continues to commemorate the men and […]

What’s cooking in the mud kitchen?

Posted on May 22, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Abra Cole In the last month, my garden has gone from looking like the dark side of the moon after the zombie apocalypse to a lush green jungle of happiness. Many plants I forgot I had planted last fall have popped up to greet the sun. I already know that I want to plant […]

Screen time for small kids: education or entertainment?

Posted on May 8, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson I want to start this post with a promise and a disclaimer. First, I promise I am not going to tell you to never ever let your kids watch TV, play a video game, or use a tablet. Second, I’m also not going to give you concrete answers on how you should […]

Beat cabin fever with these creative and (mostly) free activities

Posted on February 20, 2018 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson If your family is like mine, then February is peak cabin fever season. While we still bundle up and go outside occasionally, we don’t last long when the weather is so chilly. This leaves a lot of time spent inside trying to keep ourselves entertained. While we love reading books, watching movies, […]

Reading with children: Identity, voices, and shared memories

Posted on October 31, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley I hear my grandfather’s voice when I read The Tale of Peter Rabbit. He did not read to me regularly. We lived very far away from him and only saw those grandparents once or twice a year. But when he read that story to me, it was magical. I have read the […]

Spine-tingling reads for an October night

Posted on September 21, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs My favorite childhood books were often the scariest. If it had a ghost or a witch or a cover with a wind-tossed old tree on it, I was IN. I loved The Ghost Belonged to Me, by Richard Peck, (in which a 13-year-old boy not only learns he can see ghosts but […]

Mystery reads for tweens & investigative adventures at the library

Posted on July 11, 2017 at 6:00 am

by Melanie Boerner Grab your spy glass and let’s dust for prints! Here are some great mystery reads for tweens to investigate this summer. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman Nobody “Bod” Owens is the only living resident of a graveyard and has been reared by the ghostly inhabitants since infancy, after his parents […]

Beyond dorks & wimps: Graphic novel hybrids after Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries

Posted on July 6, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being responsible for stocking the sections for “Kids Books to Go” at the Library District, it’s the perennial popularity of comic book heroes and their antics. “Kids Books to Go” is a bookstore-style display of multiple copies of high interest titles. Since its launch, year […]

Dance like You’ve Got Ants in Your Pants: Q&A with Eric Herman

Posted on June 29, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge We’re ready for comedy, creativity, audience participation, and outrageously amusing songs this summer. And we hope you are too! Eric Herman performs his cool tunes at our libraries, July 17–21. I reached out to Eric with a few questions and learned a bit about how Siri, poets, and kids influence his music. I […]

KERNEL at the Fairwood Farmers’ Market: making nutrition and exercise fun and delicious

Posted on June 6, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson My family loves to go to farmers’ markets. We love fresh, local produce, and we find it’s even more appealing when you are face to face with the people who grew it. Of course, farmers’ markets have a lot more than just produce—artisan foods, fresh meat, crafts, and brews—something for everyone. Last […]

Q&A with Magician Jeff Evans: magic and the Secrets of Wizards

Posted on May 25, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge Summer is a fantastical time at the library—a time to build reading muscles with imaginative and real life stories found on the bookshelves. Summer is also the time when kids and families can see, hear, and interact with magicians, musicians, puppets, and more. These summer programs are geared towards kids entering kindergarten […]

Books to help kids with the idea of a new sibling

Posted on May 16, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Melanie Boerner After six years with our only child, my husband and I are expecting another in August. My son approached me the other day and asked, “Are you going to love the baby and stop loving me?” This, of course, broke my heart and had me, already a ball of hormones, in tears. […]

Weird animals for aspiring zoologists and the curious

Posted on April 11, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson Like many kids, my girls love animals. But one of my daughters is especially fascinated and passionate about wild creatures. I think some of her interest began with the PBS show The Wild Kratts. From the first time she watched, she was hooked. So far we’ve learned about pandas, tigers, polar bears, […]

Another world: Picture books about refugee and immigrant experiences

Posted on February 28, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs Imagine your home—the furniture, the walls, the books, the art, the smells, the landscape where you live. Imagine what it would be like if war came and things got so bad you had to leave. Imagine leaving your belongings and your pets, your friends and your neighborhood. Imagine traveling day and night, […]

Reluctant readers, the right books, and Minecraft

Posted on January 3, 2017 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley Do you have a kid who is a reluctant reader? When kids complain that reading is boring, they are probably just reading the wrong book. . . for them. Reluctant readers often will try books about things that they already love. If you have a Minecrafter in your house, you may have checked […]

Bringing family together: picture books for older kids

Posted on October 11, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Melanie Boerner Picture books are known for their 40 pages (or less) of illustrations and text that tell a story for young children. And most kids leave picture books behind when they enter higher elementary grades. But wait, don’t disregard picture book reads entirely for these grades! Authors and illustrators are penning picture books […]

Celebrating Grandparents

Posted on September 1, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley Both my husband and I grew up living hours away from our grandparents, and consequently only saw them once or twice a year at most. When we started our family, we lived five hours away from our own parents, so our children were also on track to only see their grandparents a […]

Prime Time Family Reading: discovering ideas together

Posted on August 16, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Gwendolyn Haley Something magical happens when families read books together and then talk about the big ideas they encounter. Reading is always fun, but talking about books and ideas helps us learn about the world and one another in a whole new way. Prime Time Family Reading from Humanities Washington taps into that magic […]

Making noise with Noiseguy Charlie Williams

Posted on July 26, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge Is that a fly buzzing around your head? Did a door just creak open? Who left the faucet on to drip, drip, drip? The culprit may be Noiseguy Charlie Williams, vocal sound impressionist extraordinaire. Lucky for us, he is performing his show, “Sound Coach: A Reading Relay Readathon,” at all District libraries, […]

Jenks jams and juggles at the library

Posted on July 19, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge Jenks is a dynamic act that entertains kids and their families with a unique blend of super-cool rock songs, family-friendly covers, head-bopping dance songs, and totally awesome juggling! And Jenks is performing at all District libraries starting Monday, July 25, as part of our summer programs. I tracked Corey “Jenks” Jenk […]

Tags: event, family, juggling, kids, kids music, music

Storyteller Indiana Bones at the library

Posted on July 12, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge Storyteller Indiana Bones, along with his faithful companion Draco, is weaving tales of myth and wonder, live at the Spokane County Library District this summer. You won’t want to miss “Amazing Physical Feats from History,” starting Monday, July 18, as part of our 2016 Summer Programs. We were curious about the life […]

Tags: event, family, kids, parents, story, storytelling

Serious fun for K-3 readers

Posted on May 26, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs If you’re a parent or teacher of a grade schooler, you’ve probably heard the term “summer slide,” sometimes also called “summer learning loss.” Summer slide refers to what happens to student brains when they are inactive over the three months of summer vacation. Although kids are getting a much needed break, they […]

The dirt on gardening with kids

Posted on May 19, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson I feel the need to start with a disclaimer: I do not have a green thumb. Nowhere close to it. That said, we have a small, raised garden bed in our backyard, and each year we’ve attempted to grow a few vegetables with varying success. Before our kids came into our life, […]

Animal rescues: Q&A with local author Kelly Milner Halls

Posted on September 23, 2015 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs What do Sasquatch, wild dogs, dinosaur babies, ghosts, and alien visitors all have in common? Besides being intrinsically awesome, they’ve all been book subjects for local writer Kelly Milner Halls. Halls is a passionate profiler of the wonderfully weird, with nonfiction titles like Tales of the Cryptids, Ghostly Evidence, a […]

Tags: authors, books, kids, q&a, teens, tweens

Life Lessons From Little Free Libraries

Posted on October 15, 2014 at 6:00 am

By Brian Vander Veen Last year, my partner Sheri and I started our own Little Free Library. If you’re not familiar with what Little Free Libraries are, they’re simply containers, usually near a sidewalk or similar publicly accessible space, where people can take and leave books for free. Little Free Libraries first began appearing in Wisco […]

Posted on October 14, 2013 at 11:30 am

Welcome to our Kids blog page. This page provides fun, educational resources and information for kids ages 8-12, including links to Homework Help, books, music, movies and more. […]

Tags: homework, kids

Festive & Informative Juneteenth Children’s Books to Help You Celebrate

Posted on June 7, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Melissa Rhoades Juneteenth became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021. I admit I first heard of the commemorative day just a couple years before, but some American communities have been celebrating Juneteenth for 157 years. This year, I decided to learn more about the holiday celebration. It’s been enjoyable to discover its history and […]

New Read-Along Books for Kids Offer Built-In Audio Along with Page-Turning Fun!

Posted on April 25, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs With summer just around the corner, many families are looking for convenient, inexpensive ways to keep the kids entertained and engaged. That’s why we’re excited to share the launch of a new collection that ticks all the boxes. Read-Along books (or simply, Read-Alongs) are regular hardcover children’s books with a sturdy audio […]

When Kids Say the Darndest Things & Surprise Us at the Library…

Posted on January 11, 2023 at 6:00 am

One of the best parts of working in a public library is interacting with children. Their wonder challenges adult cynicism. Their questions often make us think about the world in a new way. I asked my colleagues to share some of their favorite interactions children in the library. Here are some of those stories that we love. Kids can be tough custom […]

Benefits of Creating Routines for Back to School & Resources for (Dreaded) Homework

Posted on September 13, 2022 at 6:00 am

By Alison Johnson Getting back into a routine for school is always a transition. If you have had a relaxed schedule during the summer months, frantic mornings do not have to characterize the start of the school year. The challenge is creating a routine that works for you and your family. Setting up schedules […]

School Is In: Helpful Digital Resources for Research, Studying & Homework

Posted on November 19, 2021 at 6:00 am

Now that school is in full swing, homework assignments for many students have started in earnest. Whatever the age of the student, and whether it’s you or someone in your household, we have some great digital resources to help get you through the school year. […]

23 Kids’ Books to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Posted on May 4, 2021 at 6:00 am

By RACHEL EDMONDSON This month is a time to celebrate the history, traditions, and cultural contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). You’ll find great digital reads to celebrate AAPI authors on OverDrive. I also share two lists of picture books and chapter books that you can check out from the library. FIRST, A […]

Kids share their favorite books: Winter break edition

Posted on December 22, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson When I was in school, one of my favorite things about winter break was that I didn’t have to read books assigned for class because that meant I had time to read books I picked myself! Studies have shown that kids are more motivated to read when they are allowed to pick […]

Yoga and mindfulness for stressed and anxious kids

Posted on October 14, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson Life is stressful. Life during the COVID-19 pandemic is extra stressful. As adults, we’ve had to navigate so much this year that nobody would have imagined in 2019. And our kids pick up on our stress. Plus, they have stressors of their own. School is completely different, they’re wearing masks, and they […]

Kid-picked books for your summer reading list

Posted on July 15, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson We all know how important it is for kids to keep reading throughout the summer, but sometimes it can be hard to convince kids to pick up a book. I’ve found that kids are more motivated to read a book when it’s recommended to them by a friend. Think of it as […]

Not too young to talk about race and social justice: Resources and booklists for parents, caregivers, and kids

Posted on June 12, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs It’s hard to know where to start the conversation about race with young children. After all, these conversations aren’t easy for most adults. With children there is the additional necessity of making sure the conversation is both age-appropriate and reassuring (at a time when the news is anything but). According to the […]

Kids

Kids

Other Links

Recommended Digital Resources

For You

Subscribe to our library news and blog posts via email