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HPL Kids

The Kidzone has programs galore as well as books, movies, and other cool stuff. Read our blog below for more information and check out our upcoming events to get an idea of what's happening at the Kidzone! Our main phone number is 205.444.7830.

Recent Book Reviews

Horten's Incredible Illusions: Magic, Mystery & Another Very Strange Adventure
Lula Bell on Geekdom, Freakdom & the Challenges of Bad Hair
A Mutiny in Time
Starry River of the Sky
Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School
Iron Hearted Violet
Jake and Lily
Paris Pan Takes the Dare
Me and the Pumpkin Queen
Read All About It!
The Boy on Cinnamon Street
Nerd Camp
The Classroom
Smells Like Dog
Mission Unstoppable
On the Road to Mr. Mineo's
The Mark of Athena
A Whole Lot of Lucky
Alien on a Rampage
One for the Murphys

More of our favorite books on GoodReads »

Kidzone Blog

One of my final classes in grad school was an independent study about public library outreach.  I did tons of research on outreach practices.  Some involved  the librarian (that's me!) leaving the library and heading out into the community, but outreach also focuses on providing materials that will draw the public into our doors.  One of the best ideas I gathered from that research was our Hoover Preschool Theme Kits.  We had 25 boxes filled with books, fingerplays, and manipulatives, each centered around a common theme in early childhood education.  Anyone with a library card could check them out -- educators, families, you name it.  They were popular, but they were bulky.  It was difficult for our patrons to carry them, and it was impossible to find a good spot for them on our shelves.  So we've taken a great idea and made it even better.  We now have 53 Hoover Library Storytime Theme Bags available for checkout in the picture book room, on the pegs next to the desk.  Each messenger bag includes five picture books, a puppet or storykit, and a DVD or CD.  There is a red binder that outlines each bag's theme and contents, and you can easily place a hold on the one you want.  Let's have a big round of applause for Laura Tucker, the librarian who oversaw this project!  Make sure you give her a high-five the next time you're in the Kid Zone.

ABCDEFG   HIJKLMNOP   QRS   TUV   WX    Y and Z
Now I know my ABCs.  Next time won't you sing with me?

You'll definitely be able to sing with me once you check out some of these ALPHABET books.  And, if these aren't enough for you, look for the ABC stickers on the spines of the picture books when you're browsing the shelves in the Kid Zone.  If you're looking for some interactive ABC fun, try Storytime Live with Miss Traci, Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.  Her overall theme this year is Alphabet Garden.  Daycare and preschool groups are welcome, but please call 444-7830 to let us know you're coming.
A, B, See! by Tana Hoban
A Is for Musk Ox by Erin Cabatingan
A Is for Salad by Mike Lester
A Isn't for Fox: The Isn't Alphabet by Wendy K. Ulmer
A, My Name Is Alice by Jane Bayer
Aa Is for Aardvark by Mark Shulman
ABC T-Rex by Bernard Most
Agent A to Agent Z by Andy Rash
Alpha Oops!: The Day Z Went First by Alethea Kontis
Apple Pie ABC by Alison Murray
Astonishing Animal ABC by Charles Fuge
The Bouncing, Dancing, Galloping ABC by Charlotte Doyle
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr.
Dr. Seuss's ABC by Dr. Seuss
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
G Is for Goat by Patricia Polacco
LMNO Peas by Keith Baker

Now, I know that some of you are wondering just what exactly I mean by "multi-platform book phenomenon".  I'm referring to the current craze in tween literature where a series (1) publishes a new title every three months, (2) rotates writing responsibilities among popular authors, and (3) expands the experience through an online game.  The 39 Clues series established the trend; Spirit Animals continues it.  In the realm of Erdas, every child who comes of age must discover in they have a spirit animal bond, a rare link that conveys incredible power.  The first title, Wild Born by Brandon Mull (author of both the Fablehaven and Beyonders series), debuted today, September 10, 2013. 

You're never too little to learn!  This four-week blog series is dedicated to all the toddlers and preschoolers who are eager for knowledge.  We'll start with an entire rainbow of books about COLORS.
Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff
Baby Shoes by Dashka Slater
A Beasty Story by Bill Martin, Jr.
Blue Goose by Nancy Tafuri
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
Brown: Seeing Brown All Around Us by Michael Dahl (part of series, book for each color)
Carlo Likes Colors by Jessica Spanyol
Cat's Colors by Jane Cabrera
Color Dance by Ann Jonas
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
Dog's Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Colors and Counting by Emma Dodd
Duckie's Rainbow by Frances Barry
Growing Colors by Bruce McMillan
Hello, Yellow! by Christianne C. Jones (part of series, one book for each color)
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! by Karen Beaumont
I Know a Wee Piggy by Kim Norman
I Went Walking by Sue Williams
Kid Tea by Elizabeth Ficocelli
Mary Wore Her Red Dress, and Henry Wore His Green Sneakers by Merle Peek

I love a good acronym, a word formed from the first letters of each word in a phrase and pronounced as a separate word. 
NASA = National Aeronautical and Space Administration
ZIP code = Zone Improvement Plan
SHIELD = Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division

Yes, that last one is from the Avengers franchise, and it provides a very nice seque into the real subject of today's blog post -- the N.E.R.D.S. series by Michael BuckleyNERDS stands for National Espionage, Rescue and Defense Society.  The members of this society use their talents and an array of gadgets to fight evil from a secret headquarters beneath their school.  The fifth and final book, Attack of the BULLIES, comes out today, September 3, 2013.  Did you notice it features another acronym?  Your observation skills are obviously off-the-chart!  Put them to use.  Find all of these titles on the shelves at Hoover Public Library.
1. N.E.R.D.S.: National Espionage, Rescue and Defense Society
2. M Is for Mama's Boy
3. The Cheerleaders of Doom
4. The Villain Virus
5. Attack of the BULLIES

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