The library will be closing early at 4 PM on Tuesday, December 31st, and will be closed Wednesday, January 1st for the New Years holiday. We will reopen for our usual hours on Thursday, January 2nd.

For Educators

Teachers preschool - 5th grade: looking for personally created, curriculum focused text sets? We look forward to helping you!

Are you looking for a selection of books on a topic to borrow for your classroom? Do you want help finding the perfect selection for a unit? We can help with that!

Fill out our Text Set Request Form!

 


Helpful Links for Parents & Teachers

Book Awards To Know

  • Massachusetts Children's Book Awards Winners
  • Newbery Medal
    • Recognizes distinguished contribution to American children’s literature.
    • Recognizes distinguished art in an American picture book.
  • Sibert Medal
    • Recognizes the most distinguished informational picture book published in English.
  • Geisel Award
    • Recognizes authors for their literary and artistic achievements that demonstrate creativity and imagination to engage children in reading.

Educational Websites for Kids

  • ABCMouse.com
    • The award-winning ABCmouse. com curriculum is designed to help young children (ages 2–7+) build a strong foundation for academic success. ABCmouse. com is 100% educational, with more than 4,000 learning activities across all major subject areas-reading, math, science, social studies, art, and music.
  • NASA Kids' Club
    • Are you a future astronaut? Or do you just want to have a little fun in space? Check out the Nasa Kids' Club for some cool games, and fun facts about space.
  • National Geographic Kids
    • Educational games for science explorers!
  • PBS Cyberchase
    • Fun and educational games - math, sports, science, environment, geometry, and more. And it's from PBS!

Homework Help for Families

  • Family Education
    • This site is packed with 'back-to-school' information - and it goes beyond homework help (although there is a great homework section here...)
    • The main back-to-school page includes links on getting ready for school, back-to-school safety, 'what parents need to know this school year', and even breakfast and lunch ideas and recipes.
  • TLS Books Free Worksheets
    • Need a little more help with school work? This site is full of free educational worksheets for PreK to Grade 5.
  • Scholastic School Success
    • Tips from Scholastic to help your kids succeed in school from Pre-K to Grade 8

Internet Safety

  • On Guard Online - this site from the federal government provides tips for parents for navigation online safety including talking with your kids.
  • NetSmartz - this site created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has links for parents, educators, law enforcement to find information for internet safety. Each page provides presentations and links to more information. This site also has a link for parents with teens and a special section just for kids.
  • Cybersmart - this website created by the Australian government is great for resources and advice about being online safely for all ages.
  • FBI's Parent Guide to Internet Safety - this is a direct link to the FBI's informational pamphlet to online exploitation and the risks to your children.

Parenting Resources


Looking for books to share with your child during a tough time or hoping to connect with your child about difficult topics? We have created some helpful book lists for you. All of the books listed here are either at the Ventress library or available from our library system to put on hold.

We are always happy to help find books that are perfect for your child. Stop by the children's room and let us know what you are looking for. Click on a category to jump to a section.

Adoption

Black Lives Matter

Death

Dementia

Diversity & Inclusivity

Divorce

Family Illness

LGBTQIA+

Racism

 

Adoption

I’ve Loved You Since Forever - Hoda Kotb

Room For Bear - Ciara Gavin

Tell Me Again about the Night I Was Born - Jamie Lee Curtis

We Belong Together: A book about adoption and families - Todd Parr

My Family is Forever - Nancy L. Carlson

Pablo’s Tree - Pat Mora

Home At Last - Vera B. Williams

I Wished For you: An adoption story - Marianne Richmond

 

Black Lives Matter

Let the Children March - Monica Clark Robinson

Not My Idea - Anastasia Higginbotham

I am Enough - Grace Beyers

Something Happened in Our Town: A child’s story about racial injustice - Marianne Celano

Crown: An ode to the fresh cut - Derrick Barnes

Can I Touch Your Hair - Irene latham

Lulu the One and Only - Lunette Mawhinney

Little Stevie Wonder - Quincy Troupe

A Child’s Introduction to African American History - Jabari Asim

Who Will You Be - Andrea Pippins

Hair Love - Matthew A. Cherry

The Roots of Rap: 16 bars on the 4 pillars of Hip-Hop - Carloe Boston Weatherford

The Undefeated - Kwame Alexander

Sulwe - Lupita Nyong’o

Junteenth Jamboree - Carol Boston Weatherford

Oh! The Things we’re for -  Innosanto Nagara

Little Leaders: bold women in black history - Vashti Harrison

My Hair is a Garden - Cozbi A. Cabrera

Black is a Rainbow Color - Angela Joy

Going Down Home With Daddy - Kelley Starling Lyons

Hammering For Freedom - Rita Hubbard

Saturday - Oge Mora

Sometimes People March - Tessa Allen

 

Death

Ida, Always - Caron Levis and Charles Santoso

What Happens When a Loved One Dies - Dr.Jillian Roberts

After Life: Ways We Think About Death - Merrie-Ellen Wilcox

Death is Stupid - Anastasia Higginbotham

Cry, Heart, But Never Break - Glenn Ringtved

The Goodbye Book Todd Parr

Gentle Willow: a story for children about dying - Joyce C. Mills

Luna's Red Hat: An Illustrated Storybook to Help Children Cope with Loss and Suicide - Emmi Smid

The Next Place - Warren Hansen

A Map of the World - Kao Kalia Yang

When a Pet Dies - Fred Rodgers

When People Die - Jane Lacey

When Families Grieve - Sesame Workshop Christine Ferraro

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs - Caitlin Doughty

 

Dementia

My Grandpa - Marta Altis

Grandma - Jessica Shepherd

The Tide - Clare Helen Welsh

Really & Truly - Emilie Rivard

What a Beautiful Morning - Arthur Levine

Diversity & Inclusivity

The Name Jar - Yangsook Choi

The Brand New Kid - Katie Couric

My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay - Cari Best

A Boy and a Jaguar - Alan Rabinowitz

All are Welcome - Alexandra Penfold

Special People, Special Ways - Arlene Maguire

Sharing our Global Community - Steffi Cavell-Clark

Islandborn - Junot Diaz

Mirror - Jeannie Baker

The Day you Begin - Jacqueline Woodson

Separate is Never Equal: the story of Sylvia Mendez and her family - Duncan Tonaituh

Same, Same but Different - Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Janine - Maryann Cocoa-Leffler

Marisol MacDonald Doesn’t Match - Monica Brown

Remarkably you - Pat Zietlow Miller

Who Belongs Here - Margy Burns Knight

All the Ways to be Smart - Davina Bell

Moses goes to School - Isaac Millman

Moses goes to a concert - Isaac Millman

I believe I Can - Grace Byers

Princess and the Fog - Lloyd Jones

A Friend for Henry - Jenn Baily

We’re all Wonders - R. J. Palacio

Noah Chases the Wind - Michelle Worthington

Why Johnny Doesn’t Flap - Clay Morton

Skin Like Mine - LaTashia M. Perry

Amazing Grace - Mary Hoffman

A Girl Like Me - Angela Johnson

We are Grateful - Traci Sorell

We Are Water Protectors - Carole Lindstrom

When Aidan Became a Brother - Kyle Lukoff

You Hold Me Up - Monique Gray-Smith

Your Name is a Song - Jamilah Thomkins- Bigelow

 

Divorce

Monday, Wednesday and Every Other Weekend - Karen Stanton

Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide for Changing Families - Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown

When my parents forgot to be friends (Let’s Talk About It!) - Jennifer Moore-Mallinos 

Two homes - Claire Masurel

Divorce is the worst - Anastasia Higginbotham

It's not your fault, KoKo Bear: a read-together book for parents & young children during divorce - Vicki Lansky

 

Family Illness

The perfect Shelter - Clare Helen Walsh

Big Tree Is Sick: A Story to Help Children Cope with the Serious Illness of a Loved One - Nathalie Slosse

Sometimes - Rebecca Elliott

Let My Colors Out - Courtney Fillganzi

Why are you so scared? A child's book about parents with PTSD - Beth Andrews

Mom Has Cancer! - Jennifer Moore-Mallinos

 

LGBTQIA+

It Feels Good to be Yourself -  A Book About Gender Identity- Theresa Thorn

Who are you? The Kids Guide to Gender Identity - Brook Pessin-Whedbee

Julian is a Mermaid - Jessica Love

Queer Heroes - Arabelle Sicardi

I Love My Colorful Nails - Alicia Acosta

Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress - Christine Baldacchino

Introducing Teddy: A gentle story about gender and friendship - Jess Walton

10,000 Dresses - Marcus Ewert

Jacob’s Dress - Ian Hoffman and Sarah Hoffman

Prince & Knight - Daniel Haack

My Princess Boy - Cheryl Kilodavis

I Am Jazz - Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings

 

Racism

Racism and intolerance (Children in our World) - Louise Spilsbury

The Stone Thrower - Matt James

Dealing with Racism - Jane Lacey

More, More, More Said the Baby - Vera B. Williams

Same, Same but different - Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw

Antiracist Baby - Ibram X. Kendi