
FDPL Kids
Looking for book recommendations, information about upcoming events, or our resources for kids? Learn more about our services for children and families on this page, or contact us by phone at 515-573-8167 ext. 6242 if you have any questions!

FDPL Bird Ambassador
FDPL has had a Bird Ambassador in the Children’s Department for more than 50 years. Be sure to stop by the Kids’ Reference Desk and say “Hi!” to our current Bird Ambassador Blueberry.

AWE Kids Computers
We have four AWE Learning All-in-One computer workstations with software programs geared toward kids ages 2-12 in the Children’s Department. Featuring preloaded educational games that are STREAM-aligned, kids can sit and play at any one of the workstations up to 30 minutes per visit.

Interactive Play Touch Table
FDPL has two interactive play touch tables by the Kids’ Reference Desk. These interactive gaming tables are geared toward kids ages 3-14 and feature 12 fun games. Most games can be played by a single child or by up to four children. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to join their kids for this unique experience. Play at the touch tables is limited to 30 minutes per visit.

Vincent House Puppet Theater and Busy Blocks
Kids are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild by engaging in creative storytelling through play with our puppet friends in the Vincent House Puppet Theater. Our busy blocks encourage motor skill development through engaging play and our collection of big books allow kids and their caregivers to share stories in a whole new way.
Featured Resources for Kids
AtoZ Food America
Educate Station

Learning plans, worksheets, and activities for students to do at home or at school created by educators from across the country. Log in with your library card.
Mometrix eLibrary

Create a free account to access over 1,000 different standardized exams and a wide range of study materials , including flashcards, and guides, covering subjects from foundational education to specialized trades and advanced academic fields.
Events for Kids
Tuesday Adventures! - Spock's Sanctuary (Reptile & Amphibian Rescue)
New Easy and Picture Books
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Incredible
Olympians Alex and Maia Shibutani continue their Amazing exploration of more than thirty extraordinary Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders who have changed the world in this gorgeous and inclusive picture book.
This companion book to Amazing delves further into the vast number of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders who have made significant and lasting change in the world, including groundbreaking journalist Connie Chung, first Asian American Congressman Dalip Singh Saund, and renowned singer/activist Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole.
Maia and Alex Shibutani have taken their Olympic-medal-winning drive and passion to amplify AANHPI contributions and successes for a more inclusive world. Together with artist Dion MBD, they introduce more than thirty figures, ranging from chefs to entertainers to scientists, in short but substantial biographies and colorful illustrations. Their hope is that young readers will learn that these heroes have shaped our lives in countless inspiring ways. -
The Way Things Work Now
A New York Times Bestseller
Explainer-in-Chief David Macaulay updates the worldwide bestseller The New Way Things Work to capture the latest developments in the technology that most impacts our lives. Famously packed with information on the inner workings of everything from windmills to Wi-Fi, this extraordinary and humorous book both guides readers through the fundamental principles of machines, and shows how the developments of the past are building the world of tomorrow. This sweepingly revised edition embraces all of the latest developments, from touchscreens to 3D printer. Each scientific principle is brilliantly explained--with the help of a charming, if rather slow-witted, woolly mammoth.
An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms, and an index. What possible link could there be between zippers and plows, dentist drills and windmills? Parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay explains them all.
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The Labors of Hercules Beal
From award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, a warm and witty novel in the tradition of The Wednesday Wars, in which a seventh grader has to figure out how to fulfill an assignment to perform the Twelve Labors of Hercules in real life--and makes discoveries about friendship, community, and himself along the way.
Herc Beal knows who he's named after--a mythical hero--but he's no superhero. He's the smallest kid in his class. So when his homeroom teacher at his new middle school gives him the assignment of duplicating the mythical Hercules's amazing feats in real life, he's skeptical. After all, there are no Nemean Lions on Cape Cod--and not a single Hydra in sight.
Missing his parents terribly and wishing his older brother wasn't working all the time, Herc figures out how to take his first steps along the road that the great Hercules himself once walked. Soon, new friends, human and animal, are helping him. And though his mythical role model performed his twelve labors by himself, Herc begins to see that he may not have to go it alone.
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When We Flew Away
Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history's most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank's life before she went into hiding.
Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Published posthumously by her bereaved father, Anne's journal, written while she and her family were in hiding during World War II, has become one of the central texts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, as well as a work of literary genius.
With the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Frank family's life is turned inside out, blow by blow, restriction by restriction. Prejudice, loss, and terror run rampant, and Anne is forced to bear witness as ordinary people become monsters, and children and families are caught up in the inescapable tide of violence.
In the midst of impossible danger, Anne, audacious and creative and fearless, discovers who she truly is. With a wisdom far beyond her years, she will become a writer who will go on to change the world as we know it.
Critically acclaimed author Alice Hoffman weaves a lyrical and heart-wrenching story of the way the world closes in on the Frank family from the moment the Nazis invade the Netherlands until they are forced into hiding, bringing Anne to bold, vivid life.
Based on extensive research and published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, When We Flew Away is an extraordinary and moving tour de force.
Perfect for Alice Hoffman fans and readers of every age.
"Adding new poignance to a story whose ending we already knew, Alice Hoffman has deftly recreated the child Anne Frank with all her wit, mischief, and uncertainties. This fictionalized account of the increasingly desperate years that preceded the famous diary breaks readers' hearts one more time. But it reminds us of how important it is to remember and honor all that was lost." -- Lois Lowry, Newbery Award-winning author of Number the Stars
"We can highly recommend Alice Hoffman's novel of Anne Frank's life, set in the dramatic and terrible circumstances of those first war years. We hope it will persuade young readers that contributing to a better world is both necessary and possible." --Ronald Leopold, Executive Director, Anne Frank House
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Ghost Town
From author Eric Colossal comes an exciting new middle-grade graphic novel about friendship, growing up, and catching ghosts
The sleepy seaside town of Crater is falling apart. The buildings are run-down, the streets are full of potholes, and the power is unreliable. However, it's the only home Lily Cole has ever known, and despite her protests, Lily's family will be moving away at the end of the summer.
Now Lily is determined to spend as much time as possible with her friends before she leaves, riding bikes, hanging out, and playing stickball.
When a foul ball leads the kids into an abandoned mansion on the edge of town, the gang is shocked to discover that Crater is haunted by thousands of ghosts, and they've stumbled upon the tools to hunt and trap them! With ghost traps fully charged and bikes at the ready, join Lily and her friends in the spookiest summer of their lives.
Funny and full of heart, Ghost Town is the perfect read for fans of Snapdragon, Beetle and the Hollowbones, and This Is Our Pact. -
Green Jolene: Green Jolene and the Neighborhood Swap
Meet Green Jolene- a green, clean, climate-conscious heroine.
This illustrated chapter book series by New York Times best-selling author Wendy Mass is perfect for kids who are inspired by Greta Thunberg and love Beverly Cleary's Beezus and Ramona and other classics like Ivy & Bean and Clementine.
It all began (as the best stories do) with a very stinky backpack!
Jolene wouldn't have guessed that the first day of summer vacation would start with her trying to figure out if the squishy object smelling up her backpack was a half-eaten tuna sandwich or a six-month-old plum! (It was both!) While dumping old food in the trash and bringing out the recycling, Jolene sees the huge boxes of stuff her new neighbors got delivered. She realizes how many of her own belongings she doesn't use anymore.
Horrified by the idea of contributing to overflowing landfills and trash-filled oceans, Jolene hatches a big plan to not only deal with her own stuff, but her whole neighborhood's unwanted items as well. Of course, big plans never work out quite the way we think they will!
Clad in her favorite rain boots, Jolene is ready to save the world. Or, at least, to tackle her own neighborhood's stuff and find some surprising new allies along the way. For fans of Ivy & Bean and Clementine comes Jolene, a can-do new hero who is discovering how to take an Earth-first approach to every problem she encounters.
This book is part of the Disney Planet Possible Books program, aiming to inspire and empower young readers to take care of planet Earth through amazing stories and kid-friendly environmental activities. -
Blizzard Challenge
Ollie would rather be at home than at camp, but a trip to a mountain range with Bear Grylls helps Ollie learn valuable lessons about teamwork and perseverance. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Chapter Books is an imprint of Spotlight, a division of ABDO.
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Desert Challenge
"Sophie loves activity camp . . . but is terrified of insects. It's so bad that she won't go into the tent on her own, just in case something flies at her, or she steps on a creepie-crawlie. But when she's given a compass by one of the other boys on the campsite, Sophie is magically transported to the desert on an adventure where they're impossible to avoid! With the help of survival expert Bear Grylls as her guide, she will learn how to withstand the extreme temperatures of the desert and how to spot mirages, encounter giant camel spiders, deadly scorpions and snakes . . . but will Sophie overcome her fear of insects back in the real world? And who will she give the compass to next?."--
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The Fintastical Tales of Mari A. Fisch #3: Pet Peeves
The cat's out of the bag!
Mari A. Fisch, mermaid-princess-turned-human-spy, has been sent on land on a mission to protect all Earth's critters. From ducks to cats and kittens, Mari can't help but come to the rescue when there's an animal in trouble! But after a smelly encounter in the woods, Mari learns a lesson in how to help when it seems like there's nothing you can do.
It's the third title in an all-new chapter book series from award-winning children's book author Monica Brown. With black-and-white illustrations on every page, milestone markers throughout, and craft-making activities at the end of each book, Fintastical Tales is the perfect series for any emergent or reluctant reader!
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The Fintastical Tales of Mari A. Fisch #1: Mermaid Mission
Get ready for some mermaid magic!
Mermaid princess Mari A. Fisch is on a top secret, superspecial mission: Go on land, become human, and figure out why humans do the weird things they do. Particularly, why do people pollute? But when Mari has traded in her tail for toes, she finds the human world totally confusing! Will Mari be able to complete her mission, save the world undersea, and stay true to herself?
It's an all-new chapter book series from the award-winning children's book author Monica Brown. With black-and-white illustrations on every page, milestone markers throughout, and craft-making activities at the end of each book, Fintastical Tales is the perfect series for any emergent or reluctant reader!