HCLS offers many resources for supporting students: skill building activities on our website, research materials and guidance, Brainfuse online tutoring, and free access to computers and printing, to name just a few. Explore a new place to look for homework help – the cookbook aisle!
Why not start the school year with a plan to do more family cooking that fosters math learning and fun? Cooking with kids builds a wide range of math skills — from counting, sorting, and measuring, to sequencing, fractions, ratios, and budgeting. Best of all, instead of a completed worksheet, cooking produces something delicious to eat and share!
Start early and involve even the youngest children in kitchen tasks and food conversations. Ask them to count the ingredients or compare the measuring cups to find the biggest or smallest. Talk about the steps in the recipe and let them name what goes first, second, third, last. Make a pattern with cookies on a pan or fruit on a plate.
To get some great ideas for things to make with the littlest cooks, check out Look and Cook Breakfast: A First Book of Recipes in Pictures by Valorie Fisher. With simple recipes presented visually, pre-readers can decipher what happens at each step, while the grown-up oversees the sharp tools and oven. You’ll soon be feasting on Tasty Toast, Choco Pillows, and Topsy-Turvy Eggs! Older chefs can tackle more involved tasks. Challenge them to double or halve the quantity of one ingredient or work out the fractions involved in dividing a pizza equally. Let them help with grocery shopping, evaluating the price of ingredients for value or the correct quantity for a recipe.
Even cleanup can be a math game – your student builds spatial reasoning skills by puzzling out the best way to fit dishes in the dishwasher.
Cookbooks + Kids + Math = a win for everyone! This fall, strengthen your student’s math skills, create new and interesting meals, get help in the kitchen, and inspire a young chef!
Jean is a Children’s Instructor and Research Specialist at HCLS Central Branch. She loves talking about books with people of all ages, but especially enjoys leading the Heavy Medals book club for fourth and fifth graders, exploring award-winning books of all genres.
Kids and parents attend a Kindergarten, Here We Come class at HCLS Elkridge Branch.
It’s hard to believe, but the back to school season is right around the corner. For our youngest students, though, there’s no “back” involved … they are going to school for the first time! Every year, the library offers multiple sessions of Kindergarten, Here We Come! at all our branches. With a goal to generate excitement, library staff ease any anxieties or worries with fun stories and activities. Then, students get to practice getting on and off a real school bus, taking some very big steps for little legs.
All classes are for children entering kindergarten in the fall. 45 – 60 minute class. Register for July classes. Register for August classes.
Sponsored by Friends & Foundation of HCLS and Howard County Public School System
CENTRAL BRANCH Registration begins July 30 for all sessions. Wed, August 13 | 10 am & 6:30 pm Thu, August 14 | 3 pm Sat, August 16 | 1 & 3 pm
EAST COLUMBIA BRANCH Registration begins July 16 for all sessions. Wed, July 30 | 6:30 pm Wed, August 6 | 6:30 pm Fri, August 8 | 11 am
ELKRIDGE BRANCH Registration begins July 26 for all sessions. Sat, August 9 | 2 pm Mon, August 11 | 4 & 7 pm Tue, August 12 | 11 am & 2 pm
GLENWOOD BRANCH Registration begins July 12 for all sessions. Sat, July 26 | 2 pm Mon, July 28 | 2 & 7 pm
MILLER BRANCH Registration begins July 21 for all sessions. Mon, August 4 | 11 am Tue, August 5 | 11 am & 2 pm Wed, August 6 | 2 & 6:30 pm Thu, August 7 | 6:30 pm Sat, August 9 | 11 am
SAVAGE BRANCH Thu, August 14 | 2 & 6:30 pm Sat, August 16 | 11:45 am Mon, August 18 | 10:15 am
Bilingual (Spanish/English) Bilingüe (español/inglés) HCLS GLENWOOD BRANCH | SEDE GLENWOOD Tue, July 29 | 11 am Mar, 29 julio | 11 am Registration begins July 12 for all sessions. La inscripción comienza el 12 de julio para todas las sesiones.
en español | SEDE ELKRIDGE Se requiere inscripción a hclibrary.org. Sabado, 16 agosto | 2 pm
8/6/24 Kids attend a Kindergarten Here We Come class at Howard County Library System Elkridge Branch.
by Emily B.
Did you know that every Howard County Public School System student has their own library account? Well, it’s true! Not sure what your barcode and PIN are? Head to hcpss.me and click on the HC Library button to find your account information. When visiting the library in person, you can also use your name and address to borrow library materials.
Howard County Library System and Howard County Public School System go way back – we’ve been A+ Partners in Education for more than 20 years! HCLS and HCPSS share common goals of furthering students’ academic success and enhancing students’ love of reading and learning. The A+ Partnership ensures that all HCPSS students have access to books and e-books, research tools, live online tutoring, and more. Here are some of our favorite resources for students:
Live tutoring with Brainfuse: From 2 pm to midnight, Brainfuse offers live tutoring assistance to learners of all ages on a variety of subjects. Just log on to Brainfuse with your library barcode and pin, select your grade and the subject you need assistance with, and Brainfuse will connect you with an instructor. Working on a tough writing assignment? Use Brainfuse’s writing lab to get feedback on your work.
Language Learning: Little Pim is the perfect way for young learners to begin their language learning journey with fun video vocabulary lessons. Students ages six and up can use Muzzy Online to learn a new language through interactive games and lessons. Mango is perfect for teens and adults looking for fun, conversational language lessons.
Practice Exams: High schoolers can visit Peterson’s Test Prep and LearningExpress Library to take practice tests for the SAT, ACT, AP exams, and beyond.
Research Tools: Need to do some research for homework or a project? Gale In Context provides reference materials, including primary sources, newspaper articles, and videos, about a wide variety of topics. Gale curates these resources for each school level, offering Gale In Context sites specifically designed for elementary, middle school, and high school research. Each site has a built-in citation generator, making it easier than ever to credit your sources.
If you’re not an HCPSS student, you can access these resources and more online by visiting hclibrary.org. In the “research” section, select the resource you’d like to use, and sign in with your barcode and pin when prompted.
De-stress for Success! Tue, Sep 10 | 7 – 8 pm HCLS Glenwood Branch For ages 11 –17. Register today. With the start of the new school year, it can be easy to get stressed! From breathing exercises to fidgets, there are many tools out there to help you manage stress. Learn about some of the tools you can add to your de-stressing toolkit.
Tutoring Tuesdays: Math Made Easy Tuesdays 4 – 5 pm Sep 3, 10, 17, 24 & Oct 1, 15, 22, 29 HCLS Central Branch For ages 11 – 18. Drop-in. Do you struggle with math homework or tests? Do you want to improve your math skills and confidence? If you are a middle or high school student, extra help and dedicated time to work practice problems is available for middle school math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2.
Maximize Your National History Day Research For ages 11+. Assigned a National History Day project? Our research experts have tips and tools for you. Meet History Day judges and recent winners, and learn strategies to locate sources. Parents and teachers welcome. See the HCLS National History Day webpage for a complete list of events.
Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch. When she’s not reading, she enjoys puzzling, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor.
School’s out and the cicadas are gone – it’s time for summer fun! Howard County Library System is open for browsing and borrowing, using computers and printing, as well as attending Tails & Tales in person, outdoor classes for children. Our hours are Monday & Thursday, 10 am – 8 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm, and we are closed on Sundays. At this time, our study and meeting rooms are not available, but we are otherwise open for business.
We can’t wait to see you again! When you visit your local branch make sure to pickup the brand new July/August issue of source. It’s summer and it’s time for…
Authors. We are thrilled to host two bestselling authors this summer. Daniel Silva (Wed, July 21 at 7 pm) writes the long-running spy thriller series featuring Gabriel Allon, master art restorer and Israeli spy/assassin. His latest book, The Cellist, explores one of the preeminent threats facing the West today—the corrupting influence of dirty money wielded by Russia. Gail Tsukiyama (Thu, Aug 5 at 7 pm) offers brilliant historical fiction, often centered on lives of women. Her newest book, The Color of Air, examines the threat of volcanic eruption to a Hawaiian community. Register at hclibrary.org > classes & events.
Reading. It’s not too late to join Summer Reading. Anyone can participate, with challenges and prizes for all ages. Check out Jean’s favorite children’s books for summer, listed on page 8. And Relaxing. Which is better the book or the movie? Decide for yourself from the when you read books, then watch movies adapted from the story. How faithful was it? Or, simply borrow some fun family movies to enjoy together.
Learning. Ready for in-person classes? Join us for outdoor experiences. Prefer to stay virtual? We have online classes and book discussion groups! Pick up one of our NEW literacy activity kits for children or STEM activity kits for teens.
Adventures. Find tips for new hikers, trail suggestions, and how to make the most of day trips. Play is a form of learning and is especially important for children’s development.
Fresh food. Everything is green and growing! Produce is at its peak, and farmers markets are happening all over the county. Read about simple ways to eat healthy, along with a few recipes and cookbook recommendations (You can also request a bundle bag.).
Preparing. Summer is always over too soon, but we’re here to help you get ready to go back to school. Kindergarten, Here We Come! is a favorite for parents and kids preparing for their first school milestone. For students entering sixth grade, Middle School Pep Talk features tips about what to expect.
Being Brave. Share your stories about witnessing or experiencing bias, racism, or discrimination in Howard County – as well as your stories of hope. Your stories may be shared (anonymously) with community leaders, organizations, and groups. The more stories provided, the greater the impact.
And: We invite everyone to vote (in the Out & About category) for HCLS as the best place in Howard County to visit with kids! VOTE HERE!
Ahhhh, back to school, it’s that time of the year, folks – yes, it will be a different kind of school compared to last fall, but we can still read some great books as school starts. I’ve got a selection here of my latest faves for your enjoyment and education:
Amazons, Abolitionists and Activists: A Graphic History of Women’s Fight For Their Rights by Mikki Kendall An excellent and diverse addition to your history section, this nonfiction graphic novel reads like a fast-paced movie. It’s full color and far-reaching, and it will keep readers interested (full disclosure: this is my second time reading it, because it’s just that good!). Teen and adult readers alike are guaranteed to meet many new faces from the past and learn their interesting and important stories.
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes (also available as an ebook) How does it feel to go to school where you are one of the only Black boys, and you have a light-skinned brother there who, for some reason, doesn’t seem to face the same problems that you do? This novel tackles the hard questions as Donte learns about colorism, privilege, and racism in schools, as well as how to fight for justice, how powerful family support can be, and a new sport he was skeptical of at first and bullied into bypassing, but now loves — fencing!
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (also available in ebook and eaudiobook) Two sisters, one in the Dominican Republic and one in New York, unknowingly share the same father and live vastly different lives until those lives are shattered by a tragic accident. Now Yahaira and Camino have to untangle their father’s secrets in an achingly raw and emotional novel written in verse that tackles grief, anger, forgiveness, and family.
Filled with mythology, monsters, and magic, this collection of 21 cautionary tales and fables from various Asian countries entertains and intrigues. Recommended for manga and anime fans as well.
Related, I just handed my teen The Dragon King Chronicles by Ellen Oh, and he devoured them — if anyone is looking for fast-paced and epic fantasy adventures, battles fought for honor, brave warrior outcasts, and a ton of Korean mythology and monsters, look no further! (The first book in the trilogy is called Prophecy and is also available as an ebook). Cats of the Louvre by Taiyo Matsumoto (manga)
A bizarre but fascinating story, this book is written manga style, so read back to front (which I might have forgotten for the first six pages). This hefty novel is full of incredibly detailed and well-developed, yet still mysterious, characters (half of them being magical cat people), and is set against the backdrop of one of the world’s most famous art museums.
An inspirational mini-memoir by the author of Akata Witch and Binti(check those out, too) about how she was temporarily paralyzed as a young adult. A botched spinal surgery and subsequent painful journey of recovery and self-discovery led to the birth of her creative writing style and development of her amazing sci-fi/fantasy talent. Also of note: she discusses a handful of great artists and writers through history who also grappled with severe hardships and how it challenged them and brought them to new heights. The slim volume offers solid lessons for turning limitations/struggles into strengths/power.
SCARY but I couldn’t put it down, this dystopian quest takes a group of young people with “illegal” powers deep down underground in a desperate bid to find a fabled king banished hundreds of years ago for his dangerous and incredible power. Along the way, they encounter many horrific cave beasts and various violent deaths, but also solve the mystery of why they were selected by the queen to make this doomed journey, and the origins of their powers. Above ground, their world is falling apart; can they survive the deep and deadly mission and rescue it in time?
This graphic adaptation blew me away, and if you have not read anything by this author (possibly one of the greatest sci-fi writers EVER) then do so immediately. Her many books usually contain themes of harsh survival in dystopian worlds and feature strong, fierce African-American female main characters. Read the print versions or the graphic novels, either way, just read her work!
A truly adorable “meet-cute” and more, this realistic fiction novel follows Arthur and Ben as they collide in NYC and fall head over heels into love at first sight…but what happens after that magic moment? Opposites might attract at first, but what happens when real life interferes? And how many times will they lose each other and find each other, including awkward repeat date do-overs?
Jude is a seventh-grade Muslim girl who flees Syria with her mother, leaving behind her father and older brother. They move in with an uncle in Cincinnati and try to begin a new life, and Jude navigates new customs, culture, and language while missing her family and friends. She is smart, hopeful, and brave but also sometimes fearful and confused, a very relatable character. The story is well-written and in verse, also age-appropriate (honest but gentle) when it touches on war, stereotypes, and prejudices – with inclusive perspectives and world views.
Disclaimer: As one of your teen librarians, I’m talking to ages 13-18 and their parents with my recommendations, but as always, everyone is free to read whatever they like.
Sarah C. is the teen instructor at HCLS Savage Branch and she always has time to talk and listen: about books, comics, school or whatever you need to talk about.
CHAPTER CHATS 