The Youth Services Department at Mid-Continent Public Library is dedicated to providing programs and materials to stimulate children’s imaginations and prepare them to read at grade level by third grade—the pivotal milestone when children transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Through its unique Grow A Reader program, this team provides age-appropriate children’s activities and parent education at MCPL branches (as well as other locations) throughout the Kansas City metro to encourage the necessary pre-reading, reading, and school-readiness skills for ages birth to 11. The mission of this program is to cultivate literacy skills that prepare children for lifelong success. Visit GrowAReader.org to learn more about MCPL’s early literacy resources and to find storytimes at a branch near you.
In honor of Black History Month, the following are the MCPL Youth Services Department’s latest picks for kids!
- Dream Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison
- This cute board book introduces readers to 18 black women in American history, including Josephine Baker, Maya Angelou, and Flo-Jo, and explores how they each harnessed their own talents to change the world.
- Hair Love by Matthew Cherry, Illustrated by Vashti Harrison
- Zuri wants a special hairstyle to celebrate her mom returning home! With just her dad, her cat, and her determination to get them through it, they are going to need a lot of hair, love, and patience.
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Penguin Bedtime Classics) by Lewis Carroll, Illustrated by Carly Gledhill
- This is a charmingly illustrated version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for the younger crowd!
- Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker & Jessica Curry, Illustrated by Brittany Jackson
- Four-year-old Parker is taking a whimsical journey through the National Portrait Museum, when she comes upon a portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama. The beautiful painting shows Parker that women of color can reach their dreams too and inspires her to help her mother write this very book!
