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Cooking for the Holidays Blog The holidays are here! And with them comes lots of family time, baking, good food, and fun. In my family, my da...Read More
National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month In the U.S. we have National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month in November (World Alzheimer’s ...Read More
Stinetinglers written by R. L. Stine Stinetinglers is a collection of 10 short stories by the master of scary tales, R. L. Stine. Each story ...Read More
Summer Reading planning takes time. Each year’s themes create an opportunity for librarians to brainstorm fun ideas for programming in the libr...Read More
Graphic Novels for Transitional Readers Graphic novels are now a widely accepted form of literature for children and teens. Libraries have b...Read More
A to Z Animal Mysteries: The Absent Alpacas written by Ron Roy and Kayla Whaley and illustrated by Chloe Burgett. The original A to Z Mysteri...Read More
Shark and Bot Graphic Novel Series Can a Shark and Robot really be friends? What could these two possibly have in common. Follow along as Sha...Read More
What Kids are Reading! When my son was in 3rd- 4th grade and his class was sent to the library to choose a book to read, he would check-out ...Read More
Magical Pet Vet Series In the series Magical Pet Vet, three kids work together to open a veterinarian’s office for mythical creatures. Each t...Read More
Angelina Ballerina Chapter BooksEveryone’s favorite ballet dancer, Angelina Ballerina has been released in chapter book form. Angelina danced ...Read More
Phonics and Decodable Blog I am not a teacher, not officially anyway. But I do have four adult children who can read. I can recall many days and ...Read More
Little Critter Series Little Critter is back with some new editions of old favorites. In fact, these Little Critter books have sold over 200 ...Read More
5-Minute Phonics Stories 5-Minute Phonics from Scholastic are simple stories featuring favorite characters that will help your child build a...Read More
Goddess Girls Graphic Novel Series created by Joan Holub and Suanne Williams, adapted by David Campiti Goddess Girls the series debuted in 20...Read More
August is a great month to take a breath and review your library programming since January. What worked? What didn’t work as well as you would ...Read More
Adventure Kingdom Series written by Steve Foxe, illustrated by Pedro Rodriguez Kids love video games. Kids love amusement parks. Adventure K...Read More
Can you help me find a really good book to read? Read-alikes are an easy way to suggest titles to patrons, of all ages, in need of help with ...Read More
Iceberg written by Jennifer Nielsen Hazel is twelve years old. Her father has died, and her family is struggling to make ends meet. Her moth...Read More
The Maze of Bones written by Ethan Young Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will. At her funeral, chosen members of her family ...Read More
Summer is here! School is out and now comes the fun. Soon to be followed by, “I’m bored. What can I do now?” Well, read of course. It may be a li...Read More
Go Be Wonderful! written by Donna Gephart From the moment Daisy was born she was encouraged to “go be wonderful”. Through all the early stage...Read More
The Storyteller written by Brandon Hobson Upon opening the book and reading the first chapter, we meet Ziggy and his sister, Moon. We are giv...Read More
Unraveled Series written by Cathy O’NeillThe Unraveled series is a fun modern twist on the fairy tales we all know. In the first book, The Prince...Read More
Turtles of the Midnight Moon written by María José FitzgeraldBarana is a twelve-year-old who lives in a coastal village in Honduras. Her passi...Read More
Trillium Sisters – Author Interview Questions with Laura Brown and Elly KramerQ1: How did you get started writing children’s books?A1: We met at ...Read More
Once Upon a Book written by Grace Lin Alice is tired of the cold, gray days and longs to be somewhere sunny and warm. She spots a book lying ...Read More
I Don’t Want to be Big It’s always fun to find a great read-aloud. Something that you, as the reader, can enjoy reading as much as the kids c...Read More
Active Learning Blog Hands-on learning is an important part of the learning process. Thinking back, I’m sure you can all remember a project ...Read More
Welcome to Feral by Mark Fearing Welcome to Feral! It’s a small town that looks normal, but with a deeper look, has secrets, mysterious disap...Read More
Poem in Your Pocket Day – April 29th April is National Poetry Month, as I am sure you all know. With a whole month to celebrate poetry, do n...Read More
Agent 9 by James Burks Agent 9 is a Super-Secret Spy who happens to be on probation in the opening book, Flood-A-Geddon. She often acts first...Read More
All Together Now The 2023 summer reading theme is “All Together Now”. This theme may be a head-scratcher for a few of you, while many of you ...Read More
A Kind of Spark is a debut title by Elle McNicoll. In this book, Addie is an autistic fifth grader who struggles with the differences in her l...Read More
Have you heard of Memory Cafés? They are a welcoming place for individuals with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, or brain disorders. They create a wonder...Read More
If you’re reading this then you read blogs, but do you post? And if you are going to post, what do you write about? Blogging is just marketing ...Read More
Toys Meet Snow by Emily Jenkins and Paul O. Zelinsky, offers the story of a beautiful first snow adventure for three toys: Lumpy, the stuffed bu...Read More
Today in the US, we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This is an especially great year to think about him, as both of the Summer Re...Read More
Beat the winter blahs by cooking up your own fairy tales with this free program brought to you by the British Library! Starting January 25, they ...Read More
If you read only one book a day to a child from birth, by their fifth birthday, they will have been read 1825 books. But those books are more t...Read More
The Reiman Foundation offers grants in several areas, including children's education. Their grant program has no set application dates and appli...Read More
Elizabeth Moreau Nikolai is a Youth Services Coordinator at the Anchorage Public Library and sent us these great ideas for National Tell A Joke D...Read More
Post your photos as replies or comments to our social media post. Each photo counts as one entry. Duplicate photos will not be counted twice or m...Read More
"Summertime, and the livin' is easy . . . " This may be good news for many, but the bad news for kids is the "summer slide" in their learning. ...Read More
Are you a small town (<50K residents) library that needs an overhaul? You may qualify for a T-Mobile Hometown Grant! T-Mobile is generously don...Read More
Does your library offer a bookmobile service? If so, you may be eligible for a grant through the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation. Ms. Lenski, auth...Read More
We're so proud and happy to have received this testimonial from Yllsa at Northside ISD in San Antonio, Texas, the other day. Yllsa wrote this not...Read More
Many of us think nostalgically of board books that were read to us as children or that we read to our kids or grandkids. Penworthy stocks an amaz...Read More
We are excited that this year it's possible to attend conferences in person. After a great time at the PLA conference in March, it's on to TxLA i...Read More
Ready, Set, Bananas! by Suzanne Lang Illustrated by Max Lang In this fun take on “The Tortoise and the Hare”, Tortoise gets his friend Jim...Read More
I Am Brave! by Kelly Greenawalt Art by Amariah Rauscher Princess Truly is very brave, and she and her friends Sir Noodle (a pug) and Ty ar...Read More
The Night Before the Dentist by Natasha Wing Art by Amy Wummer This charming rhyming book is just right to get a child ready for their fir...Read More
As we explained in our November 30th blog post, Dollar General is committed to fostering literacy for adults, youth, and the entire family throug...Read More
Children grow when they learn about customs and traditions and the reasons behind them. Capstone has a great collection of library-bound books ...Read More
For your very smallest patrons, this may be the first Christmas they are content to sit and be read to, but also young enough that board books ...Read More
With many kids’ winter breaks coming up, we have some great recommendations to add to your collection in time to help keep them entertained dur...Read More
The Amber Brown Grant from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is currently accepting applications. The grant commemorates a...Read More
Need to spend valuable funds on a tight deadline? We are here to help! We know how complicated this process can be, so Penworthy is here to make ...Read More
As we head into the holidays and the end of 2021, we at Penworthy would like to say thank you for your business. This past year has had its cha...Read More
Starting January 1, 2022, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation will be accepting applications for their Family Literacy Grants. To qualify, y...Read More
Happy Hanukkah! Hanukkah, the Jewish celebration of light, is upon us once again. This year it began at sundown on November 28th and ends at ...Read More
Today I Will Fly! by Mo Willems Elephant & Piggie is among Mo Willems best-known series, and this fun picture book is one of his best. Piggie...Read More
With COP26 going on in Glasgow right now, it’s a perfect time to talk about recycling and upcycling, and the Eco Crafts series from Capstone gi...Read More
Picture books are often children’s first literary loves. Stepping into the library, one often relives fond memories of seeing favorite picture ...Read More
Make this fun (and kid-safe) monster slime with a few simple ingredients! Ingredients: · 5 oz. clear glue· 1 Tbsp baking...Read More
Today we honor and mourn the loss of renowned children's illustrator Jerry Pinkney, who died October 20 at the age of 81. Mr. Pinkney was one of...Read More
"I want reading my books to feel effortless. I'm trying to write stories that are so captivating that kids will look up after an hour and feel ...Read More
Opposites Abstract A book is a device to ignite the imagination. – Alan Bennett (author, actor, playwright, screenwriter) This new book b...Read More
The Christmas PigAccording to Alex O'Connell, reviewing the book for The Times, "The Harry Potter author’s Christmas tale is like Toy Story with ...Read More
Indigenous Peoples Day Monday, October 11th is observed in the United States as Indigenous Peoples Day, a day to recognize and celebrate the ...Read More
David Shannon’s Birthday: October 5 With his delightful books like No, David, and David Goes to School, readers of all ages feel they know th...Read More
Stan BerenstainToday, September 29, is the birthday of Stan Berenstain, half of the married team of Stan & Jan Berenstain, creators of the Berens...Read More
Dr. Seuss: 30 Years Later Dr. Seuss, born Theodor Seuss Geisel, remains a well-loved and controversial figure thirty years after his death on...Read More
Happy Birthday, H.A. Rey! H.A. Rey, one half of the husband-and-wife team known best for creating the beloved character “Curious George”, was...Read More
Was Your Public School Library Affected by Disaster? Dollar General Might Be Able to Help For many parts of the US, 2021 has been filled with...Read More
Graphic Novels: They’re More Than Just Comic Books! One of the most popular genres in our catalog for reluctant or beginning readers is graph...Read More
Written by Annette Bay Pimentel, Illustrated by Rich LoOur National Parks are the result of hundreds of hours of work by hundreds of people acros...Read More
Big Nate: The Gerbil Ate My HomeworkWhen I was a kid, I loved the comics. So does Nate. In fact, he is absolutely appalled that most of his class...Read More
Cassie and Charm by Kelly McKain, illustrated by Mandy Stanley This series will be an absolute dream for pony-mad kids. Each book is writt...Read More
Susan La Flesche Picotteby Laura K. MurrayThere are not many children's books out there that detail the success of indigenous women, especially t...Read More
Ida B. Wellsby Laura K. MurrayIt’s amazing that Laura K. Murray was able to sum up the influence of Ida B. Wells so eloquently in just 26 pages, ...Read More
My Name is ElizabethWritten by Anna Dunklee & illustrated by Matthew ForsytheFrom the crowned girl on the cover, it is clear Elizabeth is no ordi...Read More
Book (SET) Review: “Dad School” & “Mom School” by Rebecca Van Slyke With school starting just around the corner, “Dad School” and “Mom Schoo...Read More
Book Review: Lewis and Clark’s Compass by John Micklos, Jr. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson negotiated one of the greatest real estate d...Read More
Book Series Review: Mythical Creatures from CapstoneThe world around us is full of legends and stories about creatures that may or may not exist,...Read More
Book Review: Henry Hecklebeck Spells TroubleHenry Hecklebeck is a bit unsettled to discover his class will be participating in the Brewster Spell...Read More
Book Review: In the Middle of Fall As we hit the “dog days” of Summer, it is sometimes hard to remember that fall will soon come to us. This ...Read More
Book Review: “Snoopy Goes to School” by Cooper, Schulz, & Pope Celebrate the back-to-school season with Snoopy and Charlie Brown. Charlie Br...Read More
Book Review: David Goes to School by David ShannonDavid has trouble paying attention, following directions, sitting still, and waiting his turn. ...Read More
Book Series Review: Abdo Kids Everyday Sign Language According to Educational Playcare, LTD.: The use of sign language has proven to be be...Read More
What a sweet day indeed! Today we celebrate the perfect morsels of deliciousness created by Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1937. What a happy accident!...Read More
This year my K4 students had the opportunity to enjoy the Penworthy “I Love Animals" STEAM-To-Go kit. It was wonderful addition to our classro...Read More
From NationalCalendarDay.com:Buffalo Soldiers Day on July 28th commemorates the formation of the first regular Army regiments comprising African ...Read More
These hot summer days call for cooling off in any way you can, and National Freezer Pop Day, celebrated July 8, is all about that. Whether you p...Read More
Book Review: “Big Kid Bed” by Leslie Patricelli There are many milestones that come along as babies become toddlers and toddlers become kids....Read More
Book Review: "Where Is the Sun?" by Eric Carle The world lost a children’s literature star when Eric Carle died in May of this year. His ench...Read More
On May 10, 2021, the FCC unanimously adopted a Report and Order as part of the $7.17 billion program funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of ...Read More
From the National Day Calendar:NATIONAL FATHER DAUGHTER TAKE A WALK DAYNational Father Daughter Take a Walk Day is observed annually on July 7th....Read More
Book Review: “Fuddles and Puddles” written and illustrated by Frans Vischer Fuddles is perfectly happy with his life as a pampered housecat....Read More
Book Review: “The Newest Princess” by Melody Mews, with illustrations by Ellen Stubbings Itty Bitty Kitty and her friend Luna the Unicorn are ...Read More
Book Review: “Survivor Diaries: Lost!” by Terry Lynn Johnson What happens when two kids, one with anxiety and an emergency plan for everythi...Read More
Book Review: “The Bad Guys” by Aaron Blabey What do Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, and Mr. Shark all have in common? If you guessed that t...Read More
Today, July 6, is National Fried Chicken Day! On this day, fried chicken lovers across the country celebrate this American favorite at a nearby ...Read More
June 5: National Trails Day The first Saturday in June is designated as National Trails Day, spotlighting the numerous benefits of the local,...Read More
Book Review: The Guardian of the Dragon Gem (Raya and the Last Dragon)Raya and the Last Dragon is a charming, animated film about the power of tr...Read More
Book Review: Bob Bilby This colorfully illustrated Australian-themed book points out how much fun friends can have together when they are NO...Read More
June 4: National Hug Your Cat DayDo you have a cat? Studies say that 38% of US households have at least one cat, with the average household havi...Read More
June 3: World Bicycle DayThe first World Bicycle Day was observed in 2019. In April 2018, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 3 as...Read More
June 2: National First Ladies’ Day Since George Washington became president in 1789, the USA has always had a first lady. From Martha Washing...Read More
Back to Nature When you think back to your childhood, what memories do you have of long summer days and hazy summer evenings? Do you think of...Read More
Fun Science Resources for Families Hunting for things to interest the young scientists in your community? Here’s some online resources we thi...Read More
Amazing Free Reading Resources Looking for some great reading resources? Here’s a couple of fun items we recommend! · Storytime f...Read More
Book Review: Mixed Me Mixed Me is the beautiful story of a mixed race boy named Mike. With green eyes and masses of curly red hair, which he ...Read More
Book Review: I Love You, Michael Collins “Buster says that everything that has ever happened in the world and anything a person could ever wa...Read More
Penworthy STEAM-to-Go Spotlight: Examine Science & Nature Full disclosure: this kit is fun for kids from PK to 99+ (we may have had too much f...Read More
Penworthy STEAM to Go Kit Spotlight: Animal GamesLooking for a great kit to tie into Tails and Tales? Look no further! This Penworthy STEAM-to-...Read More
"Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute...Read More
Book review: “POUNCE! A How to Speak Cat Training Guide”There are those who will argue that cats cannot be trained, but Tracey West & Gary Wei...Read More
Book Review: “More Curious Jane”Looking for fun, hands-on science, art, and cooking projects? This great new Penworthy Prebound Book has it all...Read More
