Resources for Kids
The Madison County Public Library has partnered with Age of Learning to support our patrons by providing free home access to ABCmouse, Early Learning Academy, Adventure Academy, and ReadingIQ during this period of library closures.
Sign up for ABCMouse for free. Click on the banner above to get your free access code.
ABCya! provides engaging educational games for preschool through grade 6. Topics range from math and reading to just for fun.
PBS Kids offers educational games and videos from your favorite PBS shows.
TumbleBooks’ databases are easy to use, and feature unlimited access from home! You can read as many books as you want, when you want, and on any device. There are no check-outs, holds, or bulky downloads. Books are available instantly.
Book Finders
Local Schools
Resources for Homeschoolers
Kids Bestsellers
-
Jinxed
"I raced through this book...a little bit Golden Compassand all adventure."--Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author
The Golden Compass for the digital age! When a coding star enters an elite technology academy, she discovers a world of competition, intrigue, and family secrets--plus a robotic companion that isn't what it seems.
Lacey Chu has always dreamed of working as an engineer for MONCHA, the biggest tech firm in the world and the company behind the "baku"--a customizable "pet" with all the capabilities of a smartphone. But when Lacey is rejected by the elite academy that promises that future, she's crushed.
One night, Lacey comes across the broken form of a highly advanced baku. After she repairs it, the cat-shaped baku she calls Jinx opens its eyes and somehow gets her into her dream school. But Jinx is different than any other baku she's ever seen...He seems real.
As Lacey settles into life at school, competing with the best students in a battle of the bakus that tests her abilities, she learns that Jinx is part of a dangerous secret. Can Lacey hold on to Jinx and her dreams for the future?
"With a sharp eye toward the rising awareness of device addiction and a keen sense of wonder, McCulloch's tale is a feast for the imagination that celebrates women in STEM fields." --Publisher's Weekly, STARRED review
-
Martin Mclean, Middle School Queen
In this bighearted middle-grade debut, Martin McLean struggles to find his voice--and his inner diva--as he navigates friendship, family, first crushes, and a whole lot of glitter.
"An amusing story that's bursting with diversity at every turn. . . . A tasty treat."--Kirkus (Starred review)
Seventh-grader Martin McLean has always been surrounded by people who can express themselves. His mother is an artist, his colorful Tío Billy works in theater, and his best friends Carmen and Pickle are outgoing and don't care what other people think. But Martin can only find the right words when he's answering a problem at a Mathletes competition--until his tío introduces him to the world of drag. In a swirl of sequins and stilettos, Martin creates his fabulous drag queen alter ego, Lottie León. As Lottie, he is braver than he's ever been; but as Martin, he doesn't have the guts to tell anyone outside of his family about her. Not Carmen and Pickle, not his Mathletes teammates, and definitely not Chris, an eighth-grader who gives Martin butterflies. When Martin discovers that his first-ever drag show is the same night as the most important Mathletes tournament, he realizes that he can only pull off both appearances by revealing his true self to his friends--and channeling his inner drag superstar.
"Amazing, fierce, and very inspirational . . . this book will inspire kids to express themselves." --Desmond is Amazing
"Never, in a million years, did I ever expect to read a story about an actual drag kid! It was amazing and inspiring and perfect for kids like me!" --Nemis Quinn Mélançon Golden, aka Lactatia
"A beautiful story of coming of age and self-realization . . . I love this book." --E! the Dragnificent
-
Clean Getaway
From New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a middle-grade road-trip story through American race relations past and present, perfect for fans of Jacqueline Woodson and Jason Reynolds.
How to Go on an Unplanned Road Trip with Your Grandma:
- Grab a Suitcase: Prepacked from the big spring break trip that got CANCELLED.
- Fasten Your Seatbelt: G'ma's never conventional, so this trip won't be either.
- Use the Green Book: G'ma's most treasured possession. It holds history, memories, and most important, the way home.What Not to Bring:
- A Cell Phone: Avoid contact with Dad at all costs. Even when G'ma starts acting stranger than usual.Set against the backdrop of the segregation history of the American South, take a trip with New York Times bestselling Nic Stone and an eleven-year-old boy who is about to discover that the world hasn't always been a welcoming place for kids like him, and things aren't always what they seem--his G'ma included.
-
Diana: Princess of the Amazons
From New York Times bestselling authors Shannon Hale and Dean Hale comes a story about making mistakes, learning the hard way, and growing up to become a hero.
Eleven-year-old Diana has an almost perfect life on the island of Themyscira. But even though she has a loving mother and many "aunties," she is an only child. The only child on the entire island, in fact. Every other person on the island is an adult who's the best in their trade and mighty in body, while Diana is small, sometimes clumsy, and not particularly good at anything. She's not Wonder Woman...yet.
What Diana needs is someone her own age whom to talk to. Taking matters into her own hands, she creates a playmate out of clay. It's all fun and games for a while, until things get out of control and Diana has to decide whether she's made a new friend...or a monster! -
Narwhal on a Sunny Night
The #1 bestselling Magic Tree House series is ready to whisk you away through time with Jack and Annie! This time, meet famous explorer Leif Erikson and help save a narwhal!
When the magic tree house whisks Jack and Annie to Greenland, they're not sure what time they've landed in, but they immediately know what their mission is: save a narwhal! Then they meet a young hunter named Leif Erikson and they ask for his help. But Leif has other ideas...
Track the facts with Jack and Annie in the nonfiction companion to this book: Narwhals and Other Whales.
Did you know that there's a Magic Tree House book for every kid?
Magic Tree House: Perfect for readers who are just beginning chapter books
Merlin Missions: More challenging adventures for the experienced reader
Fact Trackers: Nonfiction companions to your favorite Magic Tree House adventuresIf you're looking for Merlin Mission #33: Carnival at Candlelight, it was renumbered as part of the rebrand in 2017 as Merlin Mission #5.
-
The Deep & Dark Blue
The Witch Boy meets The Legend of Korra in this breathtaking, epic graphic novel.
After a terrible political coup usurps their noble house, Hawke and Grayson flee to stay alive and assume new identities, Hanna and Grayce. Desperation and chance lead them to the Communion of Blue, an order of magical women who spin the threads of reality to their will.
As the twins learn more about the Communion, and themselves, they begin to hatch a plan to avenge their family and retake their royal home. While Hawke wants to return to his old life, Grayce struggles to keep the threads of her new life from unraveling, and realizes she wants to stay in the one place that will allow her to finally live as a girl.
This title will be simultaneously available in paperback. -
From the Desk of Zoe Washington
An Amazon Best Book of the Month * #1 Kids Indie Next List * A Junior Library Guild Selection * Four Starred Reviews *
From debut author Janae Marks comes a captivating mystery full of heart, as one courageous girl questions assumptions, searches for the truth, and does what she believes is right—even in the face of great opposition. A perfect book for fans of Front Desk and All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook!
Zoe Washington isn’t sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father she’s never met, hadn’t heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who’s been in prison for a terrible crime?
A crime he says he never committed.
Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family. Everyone else thinks Zoe’s worrying about doing a good job at her bakery internship and proving to her parents that she’s worthy of auditioning for Food Network’s Kids Bake Challenge.
But with bakery confections on one part of her mind, and Marcus’s conviction weighing heavily on the other, this is one recipe Zoe doesn’t know how to balance. The only thing she knows to be true: Everyone lies.
-
Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business
Fresh Off the Boat meets Junie B. Jones in this first novel in an adorable new chapter book series about Mindy Kim, a young Asian American girl who is starting a snack business!
Mindy Kim just wants three things:
1. A puppy!
2. To fit in at her new school
3. For her dad to be happy again
But, getting all three of the things on her list is a lot trickier than she thought it would be. On her first day of school, Mindy’s school snack of dried seaweed isn’t exactly popular at the lunch table. Luckily, her new friend, Sally, makes the snacks seem totally delicious to Mindy’s new classmates, so they decide to start the Yummy Seaweed Business to try and raise money for that puppy!
When another student decides to try and sabotage their business, Mindy loses more than she bargained for—and wonders if she’ll ever fit in. Will Mindy be able to overcome her uncertainty and find the courage to be herself? -
Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade
Fresh Off the Boat meets Junie B. Jones in this second novel in an adorable new chapter book series about Mindy Kim, a young Asian American girl who is getting ready to celebrate Lunar New Year!
Mindy is excited to celebrate the Lunar New Year! Even though it’s the first one without her mom, Mindy is determined to enjoy the day. She decides to make traditional Korean New Year food, a rice cake soup that’s her favorite. But things aren’t going quite to plan, and the celebration doesn’t feel the same as it did before.
With the help of her family and friends, can Mindy find a way to still enjoy her old holiday traditions, and create new ones along the way? -
Sisters First
A lovely, lyrical ode to the magic of sisterhood by beloved former first daughters and bestselling authors Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush.
A young girl's wish is granted when a new sister arrives. While the baby can't do much, over time the big and little siblings become inseparable, playing and dancing, imagining and laughing. By each other's sides, they are smarter, kinder, and braver than they ever thought they could be. And they are forever sisters first.
This exquisite celebration of the bond between sisters is inspired by the spirited childhood of Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush, authors of the #1 New York Times bestseller Sisters First: Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life.
Selections from 100 Books to Read Before Kindergarten
-
The Giving Tree
As The Giving Tree turns fifty, this timeless classic is available for the first time ever in ebook format. This digital edition allows young readers and lifelong fans to continue the legacy and love of a household classic that will now reach an even wider audience. Never before have Shel Silverstein's children's books appeared in a format other than hardcover.
Since it was first published fifty years ago, Shel Silverstein's poignant picture book for readers of all ages has offered a touching interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another's capacity to love in return.
Shel Silverstein's incomparable career as a bestselling children's book author and illustrator began with Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back. He is also the creator of picture books including A Giraffe and a Half, Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros?, The Missing Piece, The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, and the perennial favorite The Giving Tree, and of classic poetry collections such as Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, Every Thing On It, Don't Bump the Glump!, and Runny Babbit.
And don't miss Runny Babbit Returns, the new book from Shel Silverstein!
-
Owl Moon
Celebrating 30 years of the beloved classic Owl Moon from renowned children's book author Jane Yolen and Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator John Schoenherr!
Late one winter night a little girl and her father go owling. The trees stand still as statues and the world is silent as a dream. Whoo-whoo-whoo, the father calls to the mysterious nighttime bird.
But there is no answer.
Wordlessly the two companions walk along, for when you go owling you don't need words. You don't need anything but hope. Sometimes there isn't an owl, but sometimes there is.
Distinguished author Jane Yolen has created a gentle, poetic story that lovingly depicts the special companionship of a young child and her father as well as humankind's close relatiohship to the natural world. Wonderfully complemented by John Schoenherr's soft, exquisite watercolor illustrations, this is a verbal and visual treasure, perfect for reading alound and sharing at bedtime. -
Once Upon a Jungle
A colorful jungle of animals depicts the circle of life.
Enter the jungle with this striking book that animates the food chain through saturated color illustrations and simple poetic language. Children will learn how the circle of life fuels the jungle ecosystem, supporting life up the food chain only to start again literally at ground level. Young readers will enjoy exploring the illustrations for the many animals hiding between and under the leaves and flowers and in the treetops.
The book closes with an expansive gatefold showing all of the animals from the previous pages, and many more, all hiding and waiting to be spotted. Text entitled "Living World" explains the circle of life and the ecological link between animals, earth, air, water, and all that supports the world we live in.
Once Upon a Jungle's atmospheric illustrations, large text, and double gatefold will make this a surefire hit with children, especially early readers and for story time.
-
Madeline
Madeleine is said to be the most popular children's book in France. It is also somewhat popular in English speaking countries.
Please note the difference in spelling. Madeline in English has an extra letter "e" in Madeleine in French.
The book is about an old house in Paris that was covered with vines where lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. The book follows the daily adventures of Madeline, a 7-year-old girl attending a boarding school in Paris with eleven other girls, under the care of their teacher, Miss Clavel.
The book consists of drawings including of famous places in Paris.
-
The Lorax
Celebrate Earth Day with Dr. Seuss and the Lorax in this classic picture book about protecting the environment!
I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.
Dr. Seuss’s beloved story teaches kids to speak up and stand up for those who can’t. With a recycling-friendly “Go Green” message, The Lorax allows young readers to experience the beauty of the Truffula Trees and the danger of taking our earth for granted, all in a story that is timely, playful and hopeful. The book’s final pages teach us that just one small seed, or one small child, can make a difference.
Printed on recycled paper, this book is the perfect gift for Earth Day and for any child—or child at heart—who is interested in recycling, advocacy and the environment, or just loves nature and playing outside.
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.
“Pretty much all the stuff you need to know is in Dr. Seuss.” –President Barack Obama -
Ideas Are All Around
As an author and his dog, Wednesday, walk through their neighborhood, they look at sunflowers, say hi to Frank, a turtle, who makes quick for the water and disappears, and watch a train rumble by as they walk uphill to a big purple house that belongs to their friend Barbara. Wednesday chases squirrels while the two friends discuss fishing and war and how back before the neighborhood was there enormous woolly mammoths roamed where houses now sit.
Thoughts open up to other thoughts, and ideas are born and carried forward, often transforming into other ideas until he finds that ideas really are all around, you just have to know what to do with them. This title has Common Core connections.
-
Chu's Day
A New York Times bestselling picture book from Newbery Medal–winning author Neil Gaiman and acclaimed illustrator Adam Rex!
Chu is a little panda with a big sneeze. When Chu sneezes, bad things happen. But as Chu and his parents visit the library, the diner, and the circus, will anyone hear Chu when he starts to feel a familiar tickle in his nose?
Chu's Day is a story that reflects upon how young children aren't always listened to…sometimes to calamitous effect.
-
Bread and Jam for Frances
Frances, one of children's best-loved characters for over 30 years, now springs to life even more in Bread and Jam for Frances,beautifully reillustrated in sparkling full color by Lillian Hoban. In this memorable story, Frances decides that bread and jam are all she wants to eat, and her understanding parents grant her wish'at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacktime. Can there ever be too much bread and jam?
-
A Bad Case of Stripes
"What we have here is a bad case of stripes. One of the worst I've ever seen!" Camilla Cream loves lima beans, but she never eats them. Why? Because the other kids in her school don't like them. And Camilla Cream is very, very worried about what other people think of her. In fact, she's so worried that she's about to break out in...a bad case of stripes!
-
After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)
From the New York Times–bestselling creator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend comes the inspiring epilogue to the beloved classic nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty.
Everyone knows that when Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. But what happened after?
Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat's poignant tale follows Humpty Dumpty, an avid bird watcher whose favorite place to be is high up on the city wall—that is, until after his famous fall. Now terrified of heights, Humpty can longer do many of the things he loves most.
Will he summon the courage to face his fear?
After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) is a masterful picture book that will remind readers of all ages that Life begins when you get back up.
2018 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Winner
A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2017
A New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2017
A New York City Public Library Notable Best Book for Kids
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2017
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of 2017
An NPR Best Book of 2017
New in Picture Books
-
The Return of Thelma the Unicorn
Thelma the Unicorn is back and more fabulous than ever!
The whole wide world was overjoyed!
Her fans all went berserk.
But this time Thelma had her friend
and that's what made it work.
The world misses its favorite unicorn, but Thelma is reluctant to don her horn and sparkles again. However, with the support of her best friend Otis, she realizes the importance of spreading love and joy -- no matter what people think.
Bestselling author Aaron Blabey's sweet and funny follow-up to Thelma the Unicorn will have young readers cheering for Thelma and Otis as they learn to love who they are... even if they don't have sparkles. -
Overground Railroad
Ruth Ellen's odyssey on the New York Bound Silver Meteor is the start of a new life up North that she can't begin to imagine in this gorgeously illustrated picture book.
In poems, illustrated with collage art, a perceptive girl tells the story of her train journey from North Carolina to New York City as part of the Great Migration. Each leg of the trip brings new revelations as scenes out the window of folks working in fields give way to the Delaware River, the curtain that separates the colored car is removed, and glimpses of the freedom and opportunity the family hopes to find come into view.
Overground Railroad offers a window into a child's experience of the Great Migration from the award-winning creators behind Finding Langston, Before She was Harriet, Benny Goodman & Teddy Wilson, and Just a Lucky So and So.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Praise for Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome's Before She Was Harriet, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and winner of the Christopher Award
* "Simultaneously simple enough for young children to understand and sophisticated enough to inspire adults."--Booklist, Starred Review
* "Ransome's lavishly detailed and expansive double-page spreads situate young readers in each time and place as the text takes them further into the past."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
* "a powerful reminder of how all children carry within them the potential for greatness."--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
* "This lovely tribute effectively communicates Tubman's everlasting bravery and resolve, and will inspire curious readers to learn more."--School Library Journal, Starred Review
-
Where's Baby?
Papa Fox is looking for Baby Fox, who is just out of his sight . . . but not ours! An adorable, interactive read-aloud for fans of Are You My Mother?
In this clever introduction to prepositions, a near-sighted Papa is looking for his baby. Is Baby up in the tree? Is Baby under the log? Is Baby around the corner? Where could Baby be?
Readers will delight in spotting the little fox on every page as Papa wanders the forest, encountering other animals all along the way, but never quite able to spot his own baby. Anne Hunter's delicate and lovely illustrations with their limited palette highlight the humor of this adorable hide-and-seek tale. -
The President of the Jungle
In this fabulous and funny introduction to how elections work, the animals decide they are tired of their king and that it is time to vote for a president.
Lion may be King of the jungle, but lately he only seems to care about himself. His subjects are fed up, so they decide to try something new--hold an election! Once Owl explains the rules, the fun begins, and Snake, Sloth, and Monkey all announce they will be candidates. But oh no, Lion is going to run too! It's a wild campaign season as the animals hold rallies, debate, and even take a selfie or two, trying to prove why they'd make the best president of the jungle.
This funny, non-partisan story features lively illustrations, a helpful glossary, and colorful characters who have an infectious enthusiasm for the election process. -
Magnificent Homespun Brown
Told by a succession of exuberant young narrators, Magnificent Homespun Brown is a story -- a song, a poem, a celebration -- about feeling at home in one's own beloved skin. Samara Cole Doyon's joyful book contains multitudes.
-
Humpty Dumpty Lived Near a Wall
"Wickedly, subversively brilliant." - Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Looks like the wall has finally met its match. This classic tale gets a modern twist with a Humpty Dumpty for a new generation.
"Humpty Dumpty lived near a wall..." begins this well-known fable. But this time Humpty is ready for battle, with a secret mission and a touch of mischief. Can all the King's horses and all the King's men help put Humpty together again? Or maybe the mission, no matter how small, is simply to question the point of a wall.
-
Big Papa and the Time Machine
Discover the true meaning of being brave in this tender and whimsical picture book from Daniel Bernstrom (One Day in the Eucalytus, Eucalyptus Tree) and Shane Evans (Chocolate Me!) that follows a grandfather and grandson who travel through time in a beloved 1952 Ford.
A little boy who lives with his grandpa isn't reprimanded for being afraid to go to school one day. Instead, Big Papa takes him away in his time machine--a 1952 Ford--back to all of the times when he, himself, was scared of something life was handing him.
Full of heartfelt moments and thrilling magical realism, Big Papa and the Time Machine speaks to the African American experience in a touching dialogue between two family members from different generations, and emerges as a voice that shares history and asks questions about one family's experience in 20th-century black America.
"Wasn't you scared?"
"Oh, I was scared," Big Papa said. "Sometimes you gotta walk with giants if you ever gonna know what you made of. That's called being brave."
-
Brown Baby Lullaby
With Spanish words sprinkled throughout and featuring warm art by New York Times-bestselling and NAACP-Award-winning illustrator AG Ford, Tameka Fryer Brown's Brown Baby Lullaby is the perfect new baby or baby shower gift.
From sunset to bedtime, two brown-skinned parents lovingly care for their beautiful brown baby: first, they play outside, then it is time for dinner and a bath, and finally a warm snuggle before bed.
Databases
Novelist
Provides access to information on more than 155,000 fiction titles, offering a wide range of content designed to serve fiction readers of all ages. Includes author read-alikes, book discussion guides, reading lists, and more.
Tumble Math
TumbleBooks’ databases are easy to use, and feature unlimited access from home! You can read as many books as you want, when you want, and on any device. There are no check-outs, holds, or bulky downloads. Books are available instantly.
TumbleBooks
TumbleBooks’ databases are easy to use, and feature unlimited access from home! You can read as many books as you want, when you want, and on any device. There are no check-outs, holds, or bulky downloads. Books are available instantly.
Community Resources
Berea College Child Development Laboratory
125 W. Jefferson Street
Berea, KY 40403
United States
Licensed quality child care and early education for children of Berea College students, staff, faculty and residents of the local community as space
Berea Head Start
214 W Jefferson St
Berea, KY 40403
United States
Preschool center.
Burrier Child Development Center
521 Lancaster Avenue
Richmond, KY 40475
United States
Licensed early childcare for preschool children and their families.
Department of Community Based Services
304 Anna Hume Blvd.
Richmond, KY 40476
United States
The department provides family support; child care; child and adult protection; eligibility determinations for Medicaid and food benefits; and administration of an energy cost-assistance program. The department administers the state foster care and adoption systems and recruits and trains parents to care for the state's children who are waiting for a permanent home.
Eastern Scholar House Child Development Center
801 VanHoose Drive
Richmond, KY 40475
United States
Licensed child care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers of single parents who are full-time students in an approved post-secondary institution who have primary custody of child. Other requirements may apply. Subsidized child care for those who qualify.
Harvest Childcare Center
621 S. Keeneland Dr.
Richmond, KY 40475
United States
Childcare center partnered with Madison County Early Head Start; part of the Childcare Assistance Program.