Garden Books for Kids

I Have a Garden by Bob Barner
In simple sentences, the dog guides new readers through a bright and lush garden, which is home to a chipmunk, a bird, a bug, and all sorts of other creatures.

Lola Plants a Garden by Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw
Book-loving Lola is inspired by a collection of garden poems that she reads with her mommy. She wants to plant her own garden of beautiful flowers, so she and Mommy go to the library to check out books about gardening. They choose their flowers and buy their seeds. They dig and plant. And then they wait. Lola finds it hard to wait for her flowers to grow, but she spends the time creating her own flower book. Soon she has a garden full of sunflowers and invites all of her friends for cakes and punch and a story amongst the flowers.

How to Grow A Garden by Tom Greve
Have you ever thought of growing your own food? This book will tell you the basics on how to grow a garden, explaining in easy to understand text with information on the tricks and tools it takes to watch your garden grow from start to finish.

We Are The Gardeners by Joanna Gaines and Julianna Swaney
In We Are the Gardeners, Joanna and the kids chronicle the adventures of starting their own family garden. From their failed endeavors, obstacles to overcome (bunnies that eat everything!), and all the knowledge they've gained along the way, the Gaines family shares how they learned to grow a happy, successful garden.

Oh Say Can You Seed by Bonnie Worth and Astrides Ruiz
With the able assistance of Thing 1 and Thing 2 — and a fleet of Rube Goldbergian vehicles — the Cat in the Hat examines the various parts of plants, seeds, and flowers; basic photosynthesis and pollination; and seed dispersal.

How A Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan and Loretta Krupinski
How does a tiny acorn grow into an enormous oak tree? This classic Level 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out picture book shows how little seeds become the plants and trees that surround us.

To accompany the fourth video in our library garden series, here are some great non-fiction books about gardens and the animals you might meet there.:

Garden Friends
Garden Friends takes a look at the creatures living in your own backyard, including butterflies and other insects.

Up In The Garden, Down In The Dirt by Kate Messner
Discover the wonders that lie hidden between stalks, under the shade of leaves . . . and down in the dirt. Explore the hidden world and many lives of a garden through the course of a year!

The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards
Explore the fascinating miniature world of spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, and more as stunning photography combines with expert information to create an up-close-and-personal look at the hidden lives of these tiny backyard residents.

Fly Guy Presents: Insects by Ted Arnold
In FLY GUY PRESENTS: INSECTS they go outside to learn all about other insects like Fly Guy!

The Buzz on Insects by Gina Shaw
We share our world with all kinds of flying, crawling, buzzing, even biting insects—in fact there are more of them than us! Drawing on material from the Smithonian's Insect Zoo, with its live insect exhibits, this lively, accessible reader uses exciting photographs and reader-friendly text to explore insect life all around us.

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Birds by Catherine D. Hughes
This adorable reference introduces young readers to birds of all kinds: big and small, flyers and swimmers, colorful and plain.

Crow Smarts by Pamela S. Turner and Andy Comins
In the latest addition to the Scientists in the Field series, the creators of The Frog Scientist take us to a beautiful Pacific island, where a lively cast of both crows and scientists is waiting to amuse and enlighten us.








Just for fun, here are some of my favorite fiction stories about gardens and animals.:

The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
When orphaned Mary Lennox comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds it full of secrets. The mansion has nearly one hundred rooms, and her uncle keeps himself locked up. And at night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. The gardens surrounding the large property are Mary's only escape. Then, Mary discovers a secret garden, surrounded by walls and locked with a missing key. With the help of two unexpected companions, Mary discovers a way in—and becomes determined to bring the garden back to life.

How To Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
People are always daring Billy to do zany things. But Billy may have bitten off more than he can chew when he takes his friend Alan's bet that Billy can't eat fifteen worms in fifteen days.

My Side Of The Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Sam Gribley is terribly unhappy living in New York City with his family, so he runs away to the Catskill Mountains to live in the woods—all by himself. With only a penknife, a ball of cord, forty dollars, and some flint and steel, he intends to survive on his own. Sam learns about courage, danger, and independence during his year in the wilderness, a year that changes his life forever.

Check out these books to improve your coding skills. Many use Scratch, the free coding program you can find here... For more online coding activities click here...

Coding Projects in Scratch by Jon Woodcock
Make a Dino Dance Party or create your own electronic birthday cards. Build games, simulations, and mind-bending graphics as you discover the awesome things computer programmers can do with Scratch 3.0.

Rosie Revere's Big Project Book For Bold Engineers by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
Do you like to make things? Dream up gadgets to improve your life and the lives of others? Then you are ready to join Rosie Revere and become a great engineer! Engineering is persevering, and this book is the perfect place for trying out, crossing out, and trying again.

Learn To Code and Change the World by Reshma Saujani
Bursting with dynamic artwork, down-to-earth explanations of coding principles, and real-life stories of girls and women working at places like Pixar and NASA, this graphically animated book shows what a huge role computer science plays in our lives and how much fun it can be. No matter your interest—sports, the arts, baking, student government, social justice—coding can help you do what you love and make your dreams come true.

Star Wars Coding Projects by Jon Woodcock
step-by-step visual guide to coding fun projects in Scratch and shows you everything you need to know to create cool computer projects, animations, and games. Create your own sprites and use them in your projects.

Some ideas for books that may be comforting to read...

Books to bring comfort, calm stress and encourage kids that they are capable in these trying times...


All of these titles can be checked out with a library card via our emedia site. Just click the title to find it. Don't have a library card? No problem. Get a digital card here.


Picture Books:

I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld A book of endless good wishes sharing words of encouragement, or observing the wonder of everyday moments, this sweet and uplifting book is perfect for wishers of every age.


Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin A fun and musical guide to taking life's little problems in stride.


Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich Hank is a prickly cactus who thinks he doesn't need a hug, but when he discovers he's lonely, Hank sets out to get a hug from a friend.



The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld When something sad happens, all Taylor's animal friends try to fix it, but the rabbit knows just what Taylor needs.


Meditate with Me by Mariam Gates Meditation does a body good, and can even help kids as young as four or five. This practical guide is gentle, clear, and a pleasure to use.


Drawn Together by Minh Le Two very different generations find a way to connect through art.


Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai Malala saw a world that needed fixing, and set out to change it. This beautifully illustrated volume tells Malala's story for a younger audience and shows them the worldview that allowed Malala to hold on to hope even in the most difficult of times.



A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood by Fred Rogers and Luke Flowers 75 beloved songs from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and The Children's Corner are collected in this charmingly illustrated treasury, sure to be cherished by generations of children as well as the millions of adults who grew up with Mister Rogers.


Pete the Cat's Groovy Guide to Kindness by James Dean Pete the Cat shares some groovy words on kindness in this fun collection of his favorite famous quotes about sharing, lending a helping hand, and having compassion for others.

For older kids who may be feeling overwhelmed or out of control, here are a few stories of capable kids overcoming problems...


Chapter Books:


The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket



Nim's Island by Wendy Orr A girl. An iguana. An island. And e-mail. Meet Nim–a modern-day Robinson Crusoe! She can chop down bananas with a machete, climb tall palm trees, and start a fire with a piece of glass.


Coraline by Neil Gaiman In Coraline's family's new flat there's a locked door. On the other side is a brick wall—until Coraline unlocks the door and finds a passage to another flat in another house just like her own. Only different.

Do you see a sign of spring,

A sign of spring, a sign of spring?

Do you see a sign of spring?

Tell us what you see.

~ Author Unknown ~

Here in the children's department, the seed library is one of the first signs that spring is on its way. Seeds are available now, and will be here until June. Seedlings are also coming along. These were planted just last week, and more will be planted at the elementary school next week.

And just one week later...

Our tomato plants are popping up and raring to go. What are your signs of spring?


Come check out your seeds today, or see how our seedlings are growing.

Book Bites Titles Discussed:

Smile by Raina Telgemeier
Review by Justine
Raina knocks out her teeth. The doctors use braces, retainers, dentures and many more so Raina can have normal teeth. Raina's "friends" bully her. Raina ends up doing something about it and gets new nice friends. This book is awesome. I would recommend it because it's very funny/annoying/cool/interesting/awesome.

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows
Review by Lauryn
First the book starts with two girls, Ivy and Bean. They each thought the other was weird. Then they met and they became friends. They hide from Nancy, Bean's sister, then they made an oath and they became BFF's. My favorite part was when Bean hid in a bush and attached a dollar to a string to trick Nancy. The lesson is not to judge a book by it's cover. I laughed a little but not much. I would recommend this book to anyone so read it.

The Bad Butterfly by Sally Rippin
Review by Alivia
Billie B. Brown has two messy pigtails, two pink ballet slippers and one new tutu. She is going to be a famous ballerina. My favorite part is the part when Billie is jealous of the other girl, Lola, because she is perfect. She always does something right or does something wrong. Lola wears a lot of sparkles on her clothes. I really recommend this book.

Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
Review by Syxx
My story is about when a family loses their dog and another family finds it. They give Ribsy a bath and take care of him. Then Ribsy runs away. Ms. Frawley finds him and takes him into her apartment. I love this book and I want everyone to read it.

Public School Superhero by James Patterson
Review by Carmelo
Kenny Wright is going to sixth grade and he is a super hero under cover. In his class the teacher tells them to keep reading until the bell rings. he goes to lunch and gets free food but the line is a mile long. he gets into a fight and gets detention. He tries not to get in trouble by Grandma. I liked this book because Kenny finds out how to stand up for himself. I recommend this book because it talks about superheroes.

Silver Days by Sonia Levitin
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney
Frozen: Junior Novelization by Sarah Nathan
Hilo by Judd Winnick
Journey to America by Sonia Levitin

Book Bites Reviews

The Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Review by Tori
Amelia Peabody, after her father passes away, sets out on a journey through Egypt where her fate is change  by a seeming random chance meeting. My favorite character is Amelia Peabody, for her wit, intelligence and carefree manners. I really like this book because it incorporates history and Egyptology into a suspenseful mystery. I would recommend this book for readers interested in mysteries and Egypt.

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
Review by Paige
Evan Walker is thought to be dead, but is he really? He promised Cassiopeia that he would come back, so they stay in an abandoned hotel and wait. But the hotel came under attack. My favorite character is Cass because she is strong willed and thinks before she acts. I liked this book. It made me laugh at some parts and cry at others. Rick Yancey writes this novel very well, throwing readers through and emotional ride. I recommend this book to reader s who like suspenseful books.