Books & Beyond
Celebrating Native American Heritage with Picture Books
November is Native American Heritage Month. The Library is highlighting recent picture books by Native authors to celebrate.
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Giving Thanks
Here is a list of picture books to share with children to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. We've included books about sharing a special meal with family and friends, a selection of books by indigenous authors as nice options for Thanksgiving. You'll also find books celebrating everyday gratitude, and some titles for older children.
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Latino/e/x Voices in Picture Books
Here's a sampling of stellar, recent picture books by Hispanic American creators. The umbrella term "Hispanic Americans" encompasses Americans with roots in Mexico, Central America, South America, the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean, and Spain, a group far too numerous and diverse to do justice to in a short book list. That said, we've endeavored to highlight a wide variety of new titles in the hope that you find some books here to share with the children in your life.
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Juneteenth: Honoring Black History and Culture with Picture Books
The Juneteenth holiday is a time to celebrate as well as a time to examine our history, to reflect on the legacy of slavery, and to look toward the future. Here are some picture books by Black authors and artists that celebrate African American culture, resistance and achievement.
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LGBTQ+ Picture Books
Here's a selection of recent picture books that feature LGBTQ+ parents, kids, and communities. We welcome rainbow families in our library and represent them in our collections!
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Great Outdoors
Oregon is an amazing state to explore from beaches to mountains, ancient forests to caves! Here's our collection of resources for exploring, including some fun books to get you and yours excited about outdoor adventures, wherever they may take you.
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Body Talk for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Everybody has a body! Even at a young age, kids notice bodies (their abilities and differences) and start asking questions about how bodies work. Here are some picks for cultivating a sense of awareness of our amazing, fascinating, and sometimes bizarre bodies to share with toddlers and preschoolers.
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Girls Take the Lead
We've gathered together books for kids that feature girls and women taking the lead in their story. From nonfiction to chapter books, these stories center on the empowerment of women.
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Disability Visibility
We've gathered together books for different ages that feature young people with disabilities. Many are memoirs or fiction that draw upon the authors' own experiences. We hope you find books here to share with your family that can serve as mirrors for children with disabilities and doorways to deepen understanding and empathy for all.
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Women’s History Month – Picture Book Biographies
Discover picture book biographies of women who made their mark on history.
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Black Stories: Picture Books
Discover recent picture books that explore and celebrate the richness and diversity of the Black American experience.
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Celebrating the Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year is an important celebration in many cultures. Find out more about this history and traditions of this holiday through short videos, books, and a craft.
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Mental Health for Kids
Providing the vocabulary to talk about our mental state is such an incredible tool in raising emotionally intelligent, supportive, and resilient kids. Not sure about how to start talking to your kid about mental health? We've gathered both Internet resources and books to talk to kids of all ages about their emotions, feelings, and mental health.
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Reading Helps: Divorce for Kids
Navigating a divorce while parenting can be a complex, fraught challenge. While no book is a substitute for conversations and listening to your child, these titles seek to provide some support for both parent and child for understanding a new family structure.
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Big Kid Stuff: Potty Training
Potty training! That thrilling, mundane, patience-testing milestone. Sometimes talking and reading about these changes can help. Here are some picks to share.
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Big Kid Stuff: Bottles, Binkies, and Beds
Babies get bigger, it's just what they do! Navigating the changes of toddler life can be quite the task. With a little encouragement (and maybe reading about it), your little might be ready to try out some big kid stuff and say goodbye others.
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Picture Books: Big Changes, Big Feelings
Starting a new school year, moving, swimming in the deep end for the first time -- big changes are often accompanied by big feelings. We've gathered some books for children about doing something new.
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Color your World with Books and Art!
For summer reading we are celebrating all the ways that reading colors your world! Here's a selection of picture books about color, each with a unique take on the topic. We've also got lots of ideas for art projects to color your world.
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Exploring Seasons: Summer
Long days, warm temps, and our beautiful outdoors...summertime in Oregon is pretty wonderful! Here are our ideas for getting out in your backyard and slightly beyond.
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Rhyme Time: Inclusive Picture Books
Discover some great new inclusive rhyming picture books!
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Non-Fiction to Share
So maybe your bedtime reading is more realistic than magical, it’s all good when it’s time spent reading together! Here are suggestions for exploring a range of topics, from the natural world to history, inventions to adventure.
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Exploring Seasons: Spring
Yay, spring! After the cold, rainy months, the blue skies, warmer temps, and growing things sure do seem exciting. Have fun exploring this new season with your kiddo. Here are our ideas for having some springtime fun.
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Let’s Laugh!
Why do we love funny books? Because it feels good to laugh. When I'm reading a book that makes me crack up uncontrollably (I'm looking at you, Catwad!) I feel a kind of inner peace afterward, a happy glow that stays with me for awhile.
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Audiobooks For Younger Listeners
I love reading to my kids, but sometimes I need a break. And other times, they want the agency to listen to a story as many times as they want. Enter the audiobook! Here are our options for listening for younger kids.
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Letters & Mail
Sending and receiving mail is practically magical. When they write their own letters, kids have the power to communicate as they wish, whether it's a drawing, a story, or just them writing their name down. Learning how to address an envelope has it's own art as well, understanding the importance of place in the world. But how does it all work? Here's our guide to the true and, well, exaggerated magic of mail.
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Sharing Mindfulness with Children
These books encourage children (and their grownups) to slow down and bring their awareness to the present moment. Mindfulness for kids might mean taking time to explore a flower or to taste a single strawberry. Just like grownups, being mindful can support children in navigating strong emotions or worry. These mindful titles encourage us all to take a breath with awareness, to be in the moment, and to practice kindness to ourselves and others.
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Exploring Seasons: Winter
January and February can feel like such long, cold months, but there's joy and excitement in the season of winter! Here are some of our ideas for finding the fun in freezing cold. So wrap up in warm clothes and head outside to explore the wonderfully, often rainy, season of winter in Oregon!
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New Baby – A Guide for New Siblings
There is so much excitement when your family grows. Making the transition from single child to more can be a monumental change, especially for the soon-to-be-no-longer-only child. Here are some of our favorite books for sharing with your child from pregnancy to becoming a big sibling.
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Growing Gratitude
In a culture where it is easy to consume, purchase, and receive, it can be a challenge to instill a sense of gratitude. Balance with that the want to provide joy, excitement, and enrichment for our kids. Here are some ideas of sharing thankfulness as a family.
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Exploring Seasons: Autumn
Each season brings a special opportunity to explore and discover the world around us. As someone who grew up in a place with mostly one season (ah, Louisiana, the land of muggy and hot, and muggier and hotter), the beautiful relief and joy of autumn is something to celebrate! Here are some of our suggestions for exploring the season with your kiddos.
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Rainbow Reads: Picture Books & Parenting
LGBTQIA+ Picture Books & Parenting Resources
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Social Justice for Kids
Parenting is hard. Having big discussions, even with other grownups much less kids, can feel daunting. Navigating what to share, how much detail and all of the other decisions can make you feel like it’s easier just not to talk about it. But kids know stuff happens. They hear it from friends, hear their grownups ...
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