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Encino-Tarzana
Library

Resources for Kids

Looking for something to read?
Start here.

NOTE: most sites will open in a new browser window
or tab.

Great Books on LAPL Kids Path has the following categories:

• Books and Authors & Popular Series - Links to Authors, Illustrators, and other book-related sites.
• Award Winning Books - Books Awards and the winning books.
• California Reading List (CRL) - Compiled by the California Department of Education.
• FOCAL Award Winners - Friends of Children and Literature (FOCAL) award winners since 1980.
• LAPL Children Literature booklist - The best books on popular themes.
• Recommended books by grade level - Books for grades K - 6.
• GAB (Grandparents & Books) Favorite Read-Aloud Books - Favorite books for reading aloud.
• Novelist K-8 (Requires a Library Card for Remote Access) - Discover the fiction titles that are popular with young readers.
• Read to Me L.A. - Books for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers.

The Kids' Catalog on the LAPL website has Great Books, Cool Sites for Kids, and Explore.  Explore has 19 categories and many sub-categories. What are you curious about?

LAPL databases- (scroll down, they are in alpha order; most require a library card # for login)

• Discovering Collection - Comprehensive coverage of core curriculum in Literature, History, Biography, Science and Social Studies, geared to the younger student. Includes Discovering Authors.
• Kids Infobits (Gale) - Periodical database designed for the research needs of students, Kindergarten through Grade 5. Provides a subject based search with full-text, age-appropriate magazine, newspaper and reference content for information on current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.
• NoveList K-8 - Reader's advisory for selection of fiction titles for children, pre-K through eighth grade with a student-focused interface.
• Social Studies Fact Cards - California curriculum quick reference topics for grades 4 to 8 on Explorers, Indians, Missions, Ranchos, Governors, U.S. Presidents, Religions, Wonders, History by Decades, Counties, Countries, and Early Civilization.

American Library Association's Great Websites for Kids: Great Web Sites for Kids (GWS) features links to valuable Web sites of interest to children, organized by subject headings such as animals; literature and languages; mathematics and computers; the arts; and history and biography. There is also a special section with sites of interest to parents, caregivers and teachers and an area devoted to sites in Spanish. The ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids Committee maintains and updates the site.

Great Early Elementary Reads - ALSC has released a bibliography, "Great Early Elementary Reads," featuring recommended book titles for children who are just learning to read and beginning to read on their own. The book is free to download, copy, and distribute. Printed copies of the list will be distributed by ALSC at ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California.

Book & Media Awards from the Association for Library Services to Children (a division of American Library Association) includes award winning and honored books.
Or, try the American Library Association's notable web sites for kids: Notable Children's Books, Recordings, Videos, and Interactive Software.

Kids' Webrary: Book lists, web sites, and online activities from the Morton Grove Public Library, annotated and well-organized.

From the Los Angeles County Public Library: Kids' Corner includes links to sites just for kids. Book Lover's Central has a section for children with books organized by grade level.

Webmath: A review of problems and formulas, from grade-school arithmetic level to high-school calculus.

Publisher's Weekly:  Best Children's Books for 2010, with reviews.

CIA World Factbook: provides data including a nation's population, geography, government type, industries, agriculture, languages and broadcast stations. It's updated constantly.

Magic and Maggots, a Denise Hamilton essay in the June 10, 2007  Los Angeles Times tells how to hook the reluctant boy reader: Gags, gadgets and adventure -- sure fire recipes to make boys (and girls) read.

The Virtual Middle School Library will help find books, websites, how to make your own website, many great ideas.