First Library

The first day of kindergarten is finally here, and Henry can't wait to paint pictures, sing songs, and practice counting. When he gets to school, though, he's not so sure he's ready for kindergarten. But before long Henry discovers that the only thing he's not ready for is how much fun he's going to have at school! This gently humorous, encouraging story will give children about to enter kindergarten an extra boost of confidence.

When the twins start a summer basketball league at their local park, they notice the once rundown court is getting freshened up with each passing day. First new nets, then the benches have been completely restored. But who's behind it? Zach and Zoe are on the case!

Mysteries follow super-sleuth Cam Jansen everywhere she goes...even to the zoo. When a few monkeys suddenly go missing from their cage, Cam is sure she knows how the thief took them. Can she find the missing monkeys before they are lost forever?

Born in the British West Indies, Hamilton arrived in New York as an "outsider". He fought in the Revolution and became Washington's most valuable aide-de-camp. He was there with Washington, Madison, and the others writing the Constitution. He was the first secretary of the treasury as the country struggled to become unified and independent.

BuzzFeed senior writer Erin Chack hits you in the guts, the feelings, and the funny bone all at once with this collection of personal essays that sounds like Sloane Crosley for the Snapchat generation. In turns hysterically funny and heartbreakingly poignant, Erin recounts everything from meeting her soulmate at age 14 to her first chemotherapy session at age 19 to what really goes on behind the scenes at a major Internet media company.

Naeem is far from the model teen. Moving fast in his immigrant neighborhood in Queens is the only way he can outrun the eyes of his hardworking Bangladeshi parents and their gossipy neighbors. Even worse, they're not the only ones watching. Cameras on poles. Mosques infiltrated. Everyone knows: Be careful what you say and who you say it to. Anyone might be a watcher.

Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about to unveil their hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform their new hire into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night?

Otis, Willie, and Hibernia are three children with a lot in common: they've all lost a loved one, they each have secret dreams, and they won't stop fighting for what they want. And they're also a lot like their hero, famed boxer Joe Louis. Throughout this moving novel, their lives gradually converge to form friendship, family, and love. Their trials and triumphs echo those of Joe Louis, as he fights to become the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion.

Born in 1925, Maria Tallchief spent part of her childhood on an Osage reservation in Oklahoma. With the support of her family and world-renowned choreographer George Balanchine, she rose to the top of her art form to become America's first prima ballerina.

My mother named me Gabriella, after my grandmother who, coincidentally, didn't want to meet me when I was born because my mother was unmarried, and therefore living in sin. My mom has told me the story many, many, many, times of how, when she confessed to my grandmother that she was pregnant with me, her mother beat her. BEAT HER! She was 25. That story is the basis of my sexual education and has reiterated why it's important to wait until you're married to give it up.

On Vanessa's first day of school, her parents tell her it will be easy to make friends. Vanessa isn't so sure. She wears her fanciest outfit so her new classmates will notice her right away. They notice, but the attention isn't what she'd hoped for. As the day goes on, she feels more self-conscious. Her clothes are too bright, her feather boa has way too many feathers, and even her name is too hard to write.

Two best friends are so excited to go back to school. They're in the same class, their classroom is full of art supplies, and they've even made a new friend. But then it happens: Just as the teacher introduces herself, the giggles show up! They're everywhere and impossible to escape. And as if that wasn't embarrassing enough, soon a guffaw shows up, and then the chuckles! What will their teacher think if they can't avoid laughing in the middle of her first lesson?

In this chapter book biography by award-winning author Atia Abawi, listeners learn about the amazing life of Sally Ride - and how she persisted. As the first American woman in space, Sally Ride broke barriers and made her dreams come true. But she wanted to do even more! After leaving NASA, she created science and engineering programs that would help other girls and women make their dreams come true as well.

When Aunt Molly's wallet is stolen at the circus, Cam suspects that there's something not-too-funny going on under the big top. Is one of the clowns really a criminal?

Join Uni the Unicorn on this all-new Step into Reading adventure in the Land of Unicorns! In this Step 2 book, it's Uni's very first sleepover! The other unicorns have been to sleepovers before, and have learned lots of magical games. Uni struggles with game after game, and by bedtime, Uni isn't having a very good time. Will Uni find a way to contribute to the fun?

There are so many ways to spend a cool fall day. Join The Very Hungry Caterpillar and explore everything the season has to offer! Celebrate fall with The Very Hungry Caterpillar and his friends in this exploration of the season. Young listeners can learn all about seasonal sensory experiences, like looking at the leaves as they change color, listening to the whooshing wind, feeling the warmth of a warm cozy sweater, and so much more!

Relationships get complicated when you don’t know who - or what - you really are. Esen must find a way to rescue a hapless group of chimeras, beings who are a new and unique blend of species she knows, when she can’t become one herself. When Evan Gooseberry tries to help, he is shattered to learn he himself isn’t entirely Human and begins to suspect his new friend Esen isn’t what she seems. Complicating matters, a mysterious contagion has killed the crew of the ship that brought the chimeras - and Evan - to Botharis.

Look out, London! Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are thrilled to see Big Ben, ride the London Eye, and tour Madame Tussauds wax museum. Then big news hits - someone has stolen Queen Elizabeth’s jewels right outside Windsor Castle! The friends head to the castle to check for clues. But can three kids from Green Lawn find evidence that Scotland Yard has missed?

It's the first day of school and Little Tortoise is ready with a backpack filled with new school supplies. Little Tortoise can't wait to get to school and tries very hard not to be the last student there. But soon Cheetah, Llama, and even a snail on a scooter, overtake her. And then when she gets stuck in the gutter of the book, she's sure she'll be the last pupil to arrive! But the timely arrival of Mr. Sloth, her new teacher, changes everything.

The official White House menorah is a symbol of strength and perseverance against seemingly insurmountable odds. It was created from a piece of reclaimed wood salvaged during a Truman-era renovation of the building. That beam of White House wood sat in storage for seventy years, through thirteen different presidents. It might have been destroyed, but instead it waited for its new purpose. And so, in 2022, it was transformed into a menorah that will shine its beams of light every year, celebrating the resilience and permanence of Jewish people in America and abroad.