What’s in the Children’s Area of the Library

There are over 25,000 items just for children aged 0 to 14 in the Library’s collection. If you want some help finding something special, ask a librarian! Here are the kinds of things you’ll find, plus an overview of how to find them.

PICTURE BOOKS AND BOARD BOOKS

Call Number: E or EB and the author’s last name

Despite their name, Picture Books (E LAST NAME) do have words, but pictures dominate the book. These short books are usually for grow-ups to read aloud to young children, infants through 6 or so. They include bedtime favorites like Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are. Board Books (EB LAST NAME) are in the alcove with the blocks and puzzles; the books have cardboard pages and are indestructible by infants.

EASY READERS

Call Number: ER and the author’s last name

Written with a “controlled vocabulary,” Easy Readers help teach kids to read by reading! Grown-ups can read the book first so kids get the hang of it by listening. Try the “Five Finger Rule” to choose the right book - the child reads a page of two, raising a finger each time she comes across an unfamiliar word. Five fingers mean the book is too hard, but three mean just right. Look for characters like The Cat in the Hat, Elephant & Piggie, Nate the Great and Frog & Toad.

FICTION (also known as CHAPTER BOOKS)

Call Number: X and the author’s last name

The Fiction section has it all, from novels for a 14-year-old to read on his own, to books for a family to read aloud at night. There’s adventure, science fiction, fantasy, humor, mystery, animal stories, family stories, and more! Some of the many favorites are Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Charlotte’s Web, and the Harry Potter books.

FOLK AND FAIRY TALES

Call Number: X398 and the author’s last name or name of the story

The Folk and Fairy Tale section ranges from picture book version of favorite tales like The Three Bears and Cinderella, good for younger kids, to novel-length retellings of legends like King Arthur and Robin Hood for older kids. Includes children’s folklore like urban legends, traditional ghost stories, jump rope chants, and Mother Goose rhymes.

NONFICTION BOOKS

Call Number: X000 to X999 and the author’s last name

These books of true facts are arranged by subject using a system of numbers called the “Dewey Decimal System.” This means books are grouped together by topic: the sports books are shelved together, the cookbooks are together, the pet books are together, etc. Nonfiction books are good for homework, but they’re also good for pleasure reading.

BLACK TAPE BOOKS In Fiction, Nonfiction, and Biography

Watch for a strip of black tape (or a black-and-white striped sticker) on books in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Biography. Black Tape Books are at a “step up” level - not too hard, not too easy. Good for a typical second or third grader, or anyone not quite ready for long books.

BIOGRAPHIES

Call Number: X92 and the subject’s last name

A Biography is a book telling the true story of someone’s life; when someone writes his own life story, it’s called an “autobiography.” You can find both kinds of life story in this section, all arranged in order by the person’s last name.

SERIES BOOKS

Call Number: X and the series name

Sometimes the same characters appear in many books - maybe even in hundreds of books! We usually shelve these books in the Series Book Section. Some of our series include Junie B. Jones, The Boxcar Children, and Animorphs.

Non-book materials include:

• Videocassettes and DVDs
• Magazines
• Kits with Book and Cassette Tape
• Compact Discs
• Music Audio Tapes
• Books on Tape and on CD
• Playaways

Special collections include:

• New Book Shelf
• Special Display Books (changes monthly)
• Reference Books (for in-library use only)
• Homework Reserve Shelf (in-library use)
• Spanish Language Materials
• Parent/Teacher Collection
• and a shelf where you'll find movie and TV tie-ins: Dora, Spongebob, and Disney princesses!

updated 5/9/11