Children's Books

If you are a parent, does your child have some summer reading s/he needs to finish up before back-to-school? Perhaps they have some required reading for a class, AR (Accelerated Reader) books to complete, or want to get ahead on the Texas Bluebonnet Award (grades 3-6), Lone Star (grades 6-8), or Tayshas (high school) reading lists. If so, the Dick Smith Library can help!

The lower level of the library has our Curriculum Collection, with thousands of children's and young adult books, fiction and nonfiction. Students (those already registered for next fall), faculty, staff, Tarleton Alumni Society, and Dick Smith Friends of the Library members can all check out books for their children using their Texan cards. Children's books check out for a week, and a book may be renewed online if there are no requests for the book from others.

We have all of this year's Bluebonnet Award nominees and all the previous winners. We also have all of the Newbery Medal winners (awarded each year "to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children") and Caldecott Medal Winners (awarded each year "to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children"), as well as most of the Honor Books (runners-up) and many other award-winning books too. We also have a number of Newbery Medal winners and some young adult award winners available in audiobook format.

Most schools have their AR quiz lists online, and we can help you check to see if your school has a quiz for the book you want to read. Come by the lower level of the library for help finding children's books Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, from Special Services Librarian Amanda Pape or Special Services Assistant Vickie Sowell.