Resources for Parents and Educators, Info on Field Trips, and More
# Finding Books for Kids and Teens
NoveList K-8 is a fun and interactive way for kids and teens to uncover their next great read. It can also help parents, teachers, and librarians improve literacy outcomes and engage young readers with book recommendations they'll love. It’s available 24/7 on your library’s website, and because it’s connected to the catalog you can place holds right away.
Top 4 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Novelist K-8
- Find fresh new titles and the ones mentioned in the media under Books with Buzz.
- New Series Titles allow you to keep up with the latest books in popular series.
- Explore titles by Story Element on the homepage, where you can mix and match your child's mood or favorite genres, themes, and subjects to create a personalized booklist.
- Sign up for Alerts so you're notified when their favorite author publishes a new book.
Need a list of books that are just right for a specific grade? Or maybe a book that's of a specific length? On Novelist's Advanced Search page, you’ll find limiters for "Grade Level" and "Number of Pages." You can also filter by Lexile® score and Accelerated Reader™ interest level, book level, or points.
Looking for more book recommendations?
Find tons of kid-friendly and age-appropriate content like e-books, movies, music and TV shows on popular Digital Library apps like Libby, Hoopla and Kanopy. Many of these websites and apps even offer a "Kids Mode" or other content filters or parental controls for worry-free browsing. There are also e-book platforms like Tumblebooks that are just for kids (grades K-6)!
# Using the Digital Library
Enable Hoopla Kids Mode
Looking for kid-friendly media? Instantly read, listen and watch e-books, comics, audiobooks, music, movies or TV shows with Hoopla Digital – free from your Library. You get 8 titles a month with immediate availability. Or try BingePass for unlimited access to a collection of content for seven days, all with just a single borrow.
Once you log in:
- Turn on Kids Mode to easily browse digital content* designed for children 12 years and under.
- Toggle Kids Mode off again when you’re ready to browse for yourself.
- Optional: Require a PIN to unlock Kids Mode. Get instructions on our Hoopla page or visit Hoopla Support.
*Movies in this section range in rating from G (General Audiences) to PG (Parental Guidance Suggested). Parents and guardians must decide whether a specific title is appropriate for their child.
Finding Juvenile (and Young Adult) Content on Libby
Search OverDrive's collection of e-books, audiobooks, and magazines online, anytime on the Libby website, on the Libby app, or through the Library's catalog. With your Jacksonville Public Library card, you can have 10 borrowed titles and 10 holds at a time with no monthly limits.
In Libby, titles have one of four Audience Categories:
- Juvenile,
- Young Adult
- General Content
- Mature Content
Content Controls allow users to make fine-tuned choices and/or configure what library content appears in Libby for themselves or for their family.
By default, all users are assigned the "Libby for Everyone" preset, where no titles are restricted or hidden. You can choose a different preset or set other Content Controls by going to the in app Menu and selecting Content Controls (under "Settings").
Note: If you are sharing a device like a smartphone, tablet or computer, you may choose to lock content controls down with a passkey. Young readers or their parents can also apply "Audience" filters more easily find Juvenile or Young Adult Content. Tap the filters button on the left side of the screen (the three lines that resemble a funnel). You can also sort by subject or genre, format, and availability, among other filters.
To learn more, visit our Libby by OverDrive page or Libby Help.
Stream Kid-Friendly Videos on Kanopy Kids
Looking for free video content? Check out Kanopy; it's free with your library card! You can watch on your computer, download the mobile app, or stream directly these TV devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Airplay, Roku, Chromecast and Samsung TV.
What to know:
- Each month, you receive 10 tickets, which reset on the first day of the month.
- Kanopy Kids* content doesn't use tickets.
- Learn more, including how to enable parental controls, on our Kanopy page or Kanopy Help.
*With Kanopy Kids, not only can your kids browse a selection of educational and enriching videos designed for children between 2-8 years of age, they can access an unlimited number of those titles each month. Categories include TV Series, Learning Languages, Animated Storybooks, Anime Favorites, Classic Films and Movies for the Whole Family.
More Ideas & Resources
- Get more recommendations and resources for children (birth to age 12) on our kids page.
- Looking for programs and services for youth, ages 12-18? Check out our teens page.
- Have a student with visual, physical, or reading disabilities (like dyslexia)? Learn about Talking Books and other Accessibility and Assistive Technologies on our Services page.
# Teaching Reinforcements
From science projects to homework help and everything in between, our FREE, educational games, research databases, and homework help resources provide comprehensive and credible information to get the job done.
TumbleBooks features 1100+ titles for grades K-6, and includes unique animated, talking picture books, read-along chapter books, national geographic videos, non-fiction books, playlists, as well as books in Spanish and French.
We have the materials, resources, and support you need to research people, ideas, and events of the past. For local topics, call ahead or schedule an appointment online with a Special Collections librarian.
Got a science fair project to do? The Library has a free digital resource called "Science in Context" that walks you through the process step by step. Get an outline, list of materials, ready-to-use citations and more.
#Elementary School Field Trips to the Library
Library staff will present a fun storytime and tour of the library. Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) will have their buses organized centrally by their transportation office. DCPS students will be able to use their student library cards to check out books at the end of the visit.
Schedule a Field Trip to the Library
#Middle and High School Field Trips to the Main Library Teen Department
Teen field trips to the Main Library are one hour and may include a tour of the library, a presentation on library services, and time to check out books. To request a field trip for your middle and high school students, email jplyouthservices@coj.net.
#Bring the Library to Your School or Classroom
Library staff will come to your classroom and present a 45-minute, fun, and interactive literacy experience perfect for elementary school age children (up to 30 students per program). Each program focuses on activities that build excitement around reading.
Invite the Library to your classroom
#Interactive Afterschool Program
Our interactive Afterschool Program is designed to foster a love of reading in participants. We can accommodate up to 25 children in each program. As a member of READ JAX, we focus on increasing the number of youth reading on grade level by third grade, and we prioritize sites serving elementary students in areas with low reading level scores.
Student Cards = Library Cards
Reminder: All KIPP Jax and Duval County Public School students already have access to Jacksonville Public Library's books and online resources!
Students can use their S-number to:
- Check out up to three books or audiobooks at a time
- Use online databases* for homework help and school projects
*When logging in, just enter your S-number (without the "S") and your PIN (the four-digit month and day of your birth). Already have a library card? You can use that, too, for the same resources and more. Note: If you need to reset your PIN, please call us at (904) 255-2665.
Parents: If you'd like your child to enjoy the full benefits of a library card—including access to the Digital Library apps like Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy—sign them up for a free general membership card. All Duval County residents with valid ID are eligible. For more information about borrowing privileges, account types, and eligibility, please click here.
Get a Library Card
A Library Card in Every Student's Pocket
Simply enter a student ID to access a fine-free library card! The Student Card is available for free to all students at any public school system in Duval County.
Traveling Tales are a collection of convenient book bundles and activity kits for preschoolers, ages two to five, that you can take home!
Are You Planning to Compete in History Fair?
Jacksonville Public Library has the materials, resources and support you need.
