Kids and Teens

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

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

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)    

We recommend these resources.

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

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

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.

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.

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 

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. 

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

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.

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!

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.

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.