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Kids and Teens

The Youth Department fosters a lifelong commitment to reading and learning, to accessing information and to libraries. We provide materials and services to children, young adults, families, parents and caregivers. We advocate for these populations and work cooperatively with other youth-serving agencies and organizations. We are dedicated to providing access to materials, resources, and professional guidance to meet the intellectual, educational, recreational, and curiosity needs of children and all users of the department.

Keene Public Library services for Kids and Teens includes young people from birth to age 19. The Children's Room serves children up through the age of 14 and the Teen Area serves young people between the ages of 11 and 19.

The Library offers workshops, storytimes, celebrations, activities, books and other resources like DVDs, games, preloaded learning tablets to help nurture a love of reading and learning. 

Our newest initiative is “Little Makers: Library STEM and Maker Activities for Very Young Learners.” This project is funded through an IMLS grant (#LG-95-18-0191-18). For more information, please call the Youth Department at 603-757-1856.

  • Early Childhood

    The library is your best resource for raising a lifelong learner.  

    The Keene Public Librarians are a source of valuable advice about books and literacy during those important early learning years.

    • Little Makers

      The Keene Public Library received a three year National Leadership grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for the project Little Makers: Library STEM and Maker Activities for Very Young Learners

    • Family Place

      Family Place Libraries 20th Anniversary Logo

      The Keene Public Library has joined the Family Place Libraries™ national network, providing a welcoming community environment with resources to help families nurture their children's development and early learning during the critical first years of life. A Family Place LIbrary works to help ensure all children enter school ready and able to learn.

      For more information please visit our Family Place Libraries page or call the Youth Department at 603-757-1856.

    • Events and Classes for Babies, Toddlers, Parents, and Caregivers

      You can sign up for our events and classes online.

      We specialize in developing age-appropriate programming that supports the importance of play and healthy parent/child relationships in early childhood development and learning.

      We offer regular storytimes in which children’s librarians share books, stories, rhymes, and songs with you and your child. Storytimes encourage language and pre-reading skill development that help your child grow into a successful reader. Parents are encouraged to participate.

      We also offer special celebrations throughout the year. Sign up for email alerts regarding children's activities at the library

    • Books and Digital Resources for Very Young Kids

      For recommended books, visit Books and Literacy Tips for Babies and Toddlers.

      Reading Rockets is a great website to know. Visit the site for tips for struggling readers, a thorough list of award-winning books, a list of reading topics a to z, and more.

      These recommended digital resources are age appropriate and may be fun for you and your child to explore together.

      ABC Mouse

      ABC Mouse

      ABC Mouse

      ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy offers an expert-designed curriculum for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten. With more than 5,000 individual learning activities and 450+ complete lessons along our Step-by-Step Learning Path™, ABCmouse.com encompasses reading and language arts, math, science, social studies, art, and music. Library Use Only.

      Vroom

      Vroom

      Vroom

      Provides families and caregivers with daily brain-building moments.

      Tumblebooks

      Tumblebooks

      TumbleBook Library

      TumbleBooks is a collection of animated, talking picture books. TumbleBooks can be read by you or to you! The collection includes storybooks, books in French and Spanish for language learning, non-fiction books, graphic novels, puzzles, and games. A Keene Public Library card number is required to use this program from home,

      Tumble Math

      Tumble Math

      Tumble Math
      Tumble Math

      This is a comprehensive collection of math picture books with narration and animation. Books are accompanied by lesson plans and quizzes. Read the parent’s guide to bringing TumbleMath home! No library card required.

      Zero to Three Let's Play

      Zero to Three Free Parenting App

      Zero to Three Let's Play

      Offers fun activities, organized by age and routine, for parents to use to support their young child’s early learning. 

  • School Age

    The Keene Public Library can help kids succeed in school. We offer reading recommendations, online resources, booklists, programs and student support.  Your library serves as an extension of the classroom, offering resources students need to succeed in school.

     

    • Book Suggestions for Kids

      Reading Rockets is a great website to know. Visit the site for tips for struggling readers, a thorough list of award-winning books, a list of reading topics a to z, and more.

      Suggestions are available from knowledgeable library staff both online and in-person.

      ***Summer Reading Suggestions***

      Comforting Reads for Difficult Times Booklist (May 2017)    

      Global Fiction for Middle-Grade Readers

      Graphic Novels for K - Grade 2, Grades 3 -5, and Grades 6-8

      Historical Fiction for Kids

      Stories of Immigration Booklist

      Tough Topics: Inspiring Conversations in Difficult Times (K - Grade 6, combined)

      Unity, Kindness, Peace (November 2016)    

      ALSC Notable Children's Lists

      Children's Notable Lists

      Notable Children's Lists

      Each year the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books, recordings, and videos. 

      Diverse Book Finder

      Diverse Book Finder

      Diverse Book Finder

      Created with help from Bates College in Maine and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Diverse BookFinder site offers information on 1,300 picture books that can help kids have a more balanced and equal bookshelf.

      KPL Logo

      KPL Global Fiction for Middle Grade Readers

      KPL Global Fiction for Middle Grade Readers

      Books about other countries and cultures set in contemporary times.

      KPL Logo

      KPL's Historical Fiction for Kids

      Historical Fiction for Kids

      This is a list of old and new historical fiction chapter books.

      NoveList K-8 Plus

      NoveList K-8 Plus

      NoveList K-8 Plus

      What should I read next? That can be a really tough question! Log into Novelist K-8 to browse genres, see what's new, read professional reviews and find your next favorite book!

      Includes fiction and nonfiction readers’ advisory for children and young adults.

      A Keene Public Library card number is required to access this resource from home.

       

    • Digital Resources for Kids

      We recommend these resources.

      American Decades

      American Decades

      American Decades

      Cross-disciplinary source for junior and high school students and teachers, public librarians and general researchers who need to document and analyze periods of contemporary American social history (1900-1999).

      A Keene Public Library card is required to access this resource from home.

      AudioBookCloud Library

      AudioBookCloud Library

      AudioBookCloud Library

      AudioBookCloud.com allows you to listen to your favorite audio books with just a click of a button. Listen online to audio books in many different categories: fiction, non-fiction, classics and even Spanish language audio books! There are 1,000 books for children and adults in the collection.

      Experiment Central

      Experiment Central: Understanding Scientific Principles Through Projects

      Experiment Central

      Provides examples of science projects and experiments that can be replicated for science fairs and other purposes, as well as suggestions on ways to design projects that investigate specific scientific topics and includes step-by-step descriptions of projects.

      A library card is required to access this resource from home.

      Explora Primary School (EBSCO)

      Explora Primary School (EBSCO)

      Explora Primary School

      Get help with your class assignments using Explora™, a kid-friendly interface from EBSCO, now available at your library. Learn about endangered species, famous musicians, space exploration and more! Explora contains complete articles from dozens of the most popular elementary school magazines. All complete articles are assigned reading-level indicators (Lexiles®), and many articles are available in color PDF. You’ll also find easy-to-read encyclopedia entries written specifically for kids and more than one million images of photos, maps, and flags!

      Gale Virtual Reference

      Gale Virtual Reference Library

      Gale Virtual Reference Library

      A database, in e-book format, of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for research topics on the arts, biographies, education, and more.

      A Keene Public Library card number is required to access this resource from home.

      Ebsco eBooks

      Ebsco eBooks

      Ebsco eBooks

      Ebsco eBooks is primarily a collection of fiction and nonfiction books for children and tweens. This video shows how to search for ebooks and read them online.

      Flipster Digital Magazines

      Flipster Digital Magazines

      Flipster Digital Magazine

      Flipster is a next-generation magazine service that allows people to browse digital versions of the latest issues of popular magazines, courtesy of the library. Download the Flipster app at your favorite app store. Find libraries near you that offer Flipster, then explore, download, and read magazines any time on your device.

      The Keene Public Library collection of Flipster magazines concentrates on magazines for young people and parents as well as magazines for English language learners.

      Meet Libby

      Libby by Overdrive: Download Library eBooks

      Meet Libby

      Did you know that the Keene Public Library has thousands of ebooks and audiobooks? You can borrow them instantly using just the device in your hand. Get the Libby app for your smartphone or tablet and start downloading ebooks and audiobooks today!

      Mango Languages

      Mango Languages

      Mango Languages

      The importance of foreign language knowledge is more evident today than ever before. And Mango has utilized advanced technologies to make this increasingly necessary process of foreign language learning incredibly fun, simple, effective and accessible. Mango Languages offers 65 languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Greek, Russian, and Mandarin Chinese. Mango also offers English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.

      TumbleBook Library

      TumbleBook Library

      TumbleBook Library

      Book-related puzzles, animated, talking picture eBooks in a format kids will love. TumbleBooks turns existing picture books into electronic picture books by adding animation, sound, music, and narration. Includes fiction and nonfiction readers’ advisory for children and young adults.

      A Keene Public Library card number is required to access this from home.

      Tumble Math

      Tumble Math

      Tumble Math

      This is a comprehensive collection of math picture books with narration and animation. Books are accompanied by lesson plans and quizzes. Read the parent’s guide to bringing TumbleMath home! No library card required.

      TumbleBookCloud Junior

      TumbleBook Cloud Junior

      TumbleBook Cloud Junior

      TumbleBookCloud Junior is an online collection of ebooks and read-along chapter books, graphic novels, educational videos, and audiobooks! It's designed specifically for kids in grades two to six.

      TeenBookCloud Library

      TeenBookCloud Library

      TeenBookCloud Library

      TBC is a collection of videos and chapter books in categories which include: Ebooks (Shakespeare, poetry, non-fiction, science, history, geography, etc.), Read-Alongs, Graphic Novels, Videos (from National Geographic!), and Audio Books.

      Tutor.com

      Tutor.com Live Homework Help

      Tutor.com

      Got Homework? Get free homework help from a live, online, qualified tutor! All you need is a library card and an Internet connection. You can get one-to-one help from home, school, and even the Library every day from noon until midnight. Includes K-12 Student Center, College Center, and Adult Education & Career Center.

      UXL Encyclopedia of Biomes

      UXL Encyclopedia of Biomes

      UXL Encyclopedia of Biomes

      Offers detailed comparative essays on major biomes and their component ecosystems. Includes entries on land biomes and water biomes and covers climate, elevation, soil, water bodies, vegetation, animal life, food web, plant and animal adaptations, endangered species, human effects on the biome and the effects of the environment on humans' culture and economy.

      Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life

      Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life

      Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life

      Covers cultural groups in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Each volume is organized by continent, covering history, politics, customs, religion, education, human rights issues, teen life, and more.

      A Keene Public Library card is required to access this resource from home.

    • Educational Support

      Support for kids can be found through free online resources, programs, collections as well as library spaces for studying and learning. We even have a special page devoted to homework help.

      Support for parents is provided through workshops, online resources, and knowledgeable library staff.

      We also offer special celebrations throughout the year. Visit our online calendar to see our current schedule of events. Sign up for email alerts regarding children's activities at the library

    • Events and Classes for Kids

      We also offer special celebrations throughout the year. 

      Some of our favorite programs for school-age programs include family dances and Maker programs but take a look at our online calendar to see what might be your favorites.

      Sign up for email alerts regarding children's activities at the library

  • Teens

    "I love readin"

    The Keene Public Library is committed to providing materials, resources, and programs specific to the needs and interests of our teen community. 

    Click here to visit the Keene Public Library's Teen page to view reading lists, online databases, weekly and upcoming events, and other tools we provide for both the enrichment and enjoyment of our young adult population.

  • Parents

    The Keene Public Library has a lot to offer parents. If you want to keep up-to-date, sign up for a newsletter just for parents and teachers

    • Advice and Tips for Parents on Using Library Resources

      The best help available for you in using the library and our resources are our Youth Librarian. You can call us at 603-352-0157 with a question. 

      Here are some of the answers to the questions that we are most asked.

      • Games and Gaming Information for Parents

        For information on why we offer games in the Keene Public Library and for help on selecting games, visit our Games and Gaming Page for Parents.

        LIbraries have a mission to provide a variety of materials in a variety of formats, which means that today libraries are about more than books and reading. Board games, card games, and video games are stories & information, presented in new formats. At many libraries, including the Keene Public Library, you can find both video and board games for checkout and gaming events for kids or the whole family. 

        Games give kids a chance to practice reading, writing, and computing. While playing games, kids are developing new strategist, predating possible outcomes, managing multiple resources, reading and deciphering maps, tracking complex statists and adapting to increasingly difficult levels with a game. They learn a range of media literacies beyond basic reading that give them models for navigation our informational world

      • Information for Parents on Anime, Manga, and Graphic Novels

        It is possible that our most heavily used collections are Anime, Manga, and Graphic Novels. If your child is a fan of these genres, you may find some useful information on our page Anime, Manga, and Graphic Novels for Parents.

      • Internet Safety

        Everyone needs to take responsibility and become a good online user. Just like anything else, you need to consider the source, date, and accuracy of what you read online. You should also never give out identifying, personal information such as an address, school name, telephone number or credit card information.

        More information is available on our Internet Safety Page.

      • Parents and Homework Help

        Knowing just how much help is enough but too much is difficult. Parents and caregivers can find tips on our Homework Help page.

    • Museum Passes

      Check out a museum pass and experience new adventures at an array of New England cultural destinations. Reservations can be made in person or by phone. All passes must be picked up during library hours. The Friends of the Keene Pubilc Library generously provide these Museum Passes for the use of all Keene Public Library card holders.

    • Homeschooling

      The Keene Public is committed to serving all families, including families schooling their children at home.

      Visit our online calendar to see what events and classes are being offered. If you want to keep up-to-date, sign up for a newsletter just for parents and teachers.

      Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
      Homeschooling families can really benefit from Interlibrary Loan. ILL offers library customers the opportunity to request and receive books that are not owned by the Keene Public Library. Theoretically, with ILL, you have access to the circulating book collections of all university and public libraries throughout the United States.

      Interlibrary Loan is available to Keene Public Library patrons only. If you are not a KPL cardholder, you can request this service through your local library.

      There is a limit of 3 active requests per person.

      Request a book, video, DVD, audiobook, or sound recording 

    • Parenting Collections

      The Keene Public Library has a large collection of parenting books in the Youth Department,

      For books suggestions of books to read to a young child or for a child to read independently, please visit either the Early Childhood or School Age Child accordion tab within this page.

      For suggestions of books to help parents and others inspire conversations with children going through challenging situations like the death of a loved one, an unexpected move, natural disasters and more, please visit the resource Tough Topics. Resources for adults are also included.

      We also have kits of books on topics such as divorce, the death of a family member, and going to the hospital. 

       

  • Educators

    The Keene Public Library has a lot to offer teachers and other educators. In addition to the library's comprehensive children's literature collection, educators will find a growing Parenting and Professional Collection in the Youth Department.

    To help students, the library offers study guides, online databases, encyclopedias & websites, as well as thousands of print resources. 

    If you want to keep up-to-date, sign up for a newsletter just for parents and teachers

     

    • Assignment Alert Form

      Help your students and the Keene Public Library by filling out our Assignment Alert Form before you give your assignments. 

    • Big Books and Storytelling Kits for Teachers

      The Keene Public Library has a collection of Big Books that are available for checkout  To find these books in Keene-Link, put the phrase "big books" into the subject heading drop down menu.These books have a checkout period of four weeks.

      Teachers and care providers can check out a Stories to Go Kit full of materials to share with kids.

    • Classroom and Library Visits

      Bring your class to the library for a tour, story program, library orientation, and/or introduction to research. With enough notice, teachers from Keene schools can arrange to distribute free cards to students during the visit. To do this, teachers will have to send home Keene Public Library card applications to their students. The completed and signed applications will need to be turned into the library one week before the class visit. For more information, visit our Class Visit page.

      Don't worry if you can't get to the library because now the library can come to you. Call us at (603) 757-1856 and book an outreach visit to your school!

    • Curricula Support for Teachers

      The Keene Public Library can support your curricula by developing customized booklists, webliographies, and study guides tailored to the unique needs of your students. If you need book suggestions, you can call the Youth Department at (603) 757-1856. or submit an online form.

    • Library Cards for Students and Teachers

      Keene Public Library cards are free for residents of Keene. And, out of town students attending a Keene school full-time are eligible for a free library card. Students and their parent or guardian must bring proof of attendance with them to receive a card for out of town students.

      Full-time teachers at any of the Keene schools are eligible for free Keene Public Library cards.

      Holders of Keene Public Library cards are able to borrow materials from Keene State College. The Curriculum Materials Library comprises approximately 16,500 items. These include books, videos, textbook sets, curriculum models, math and science manipulatives, pattern blocks, simple machines, educational games, and puppets. The CML also has two special collections: The Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) Collection and The Safe Schools Collection.

      You can go to Keene State yourself and check out the materials or you can have them delivered to the Keene Public Library for pickup.
       

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