Picture Books
Our largest collection! Picture books are any book that is largely illustrations, meant for reading together. Examples include Mo Willems's Pigeon books, Tomie DePaola's Strega Nona, the Curious George books, and so many others! Our picture books are organized by author last name, with some popular authors in their own bins.
Board Books
These books have thick pages and are meant for babies and toddlers. Some books are touch and feel readers with different textures for babies to explore. Some have pull tabs or flaps for children to lift. Due to the nature of this collection, there is no firm organization. If you need help finding a board book, feel free to ask one of our friendly staff!
Books for readers who are just starting or building their reading skills and comprehension. This collection is organized by reading level and by author last name. Beginning readers will be found on the E1 shelf. E2 readers are for children reading at a second-grade level, and E3's are for children reading at a third grade level. Examples include Amelia Bedelia, Henry & Mudge, Dr. Seuss, and Gerald & Piggie!
Books with chapters for sustained reading! Our chapter book collection is organized by author and labeled for AR testing. Books in this section range from second grade level to fifth grade level. Examples include the Ramona Quimby series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Goosebumps, and Harry Potter.
Our Spanish and Bilingual collection incorporates books for all ages. We carry board books, easy readers, picture books, chapter books, and nonfiction in Spanish.
Nuestra colección en español y bilingüe incorpora libros para todas las edades. Llevamos libros de cartón, lectores sencillos, libros ilustrados, libros de capítulos y no ficción en español.
Non-Fiction
Our non-fiction collection can be found in two places: Easy Non-Fiction for children up to 3rd grade and Juvenile Non-Fiction for children 3rd grade and older. Here you'll find dinosaurs, how to play chess, the American Revolution, and so much more! All non-fiction is organized by call number according to the Dewey Decimal system. This means that all books of the same subject will be grouped together.
Graphic novels are comic-book-style books that are heavy on illustration and lighter on text. Great for reluctant readers and children who are intimidated by the amount of text in chapter books. We carry various fiction series as well as non-fiction and biography graphic novels. Many of them are AR testable!
An MPL card allows you to check out up to 6 DVDs and/or Blu-rays at a time. All the children's movies are kept here in the children's department, and include series like Avatar the Last Airbender, movies like Disney's Coco, and educational shows like The Magic School Bus. DVDs and Blu-rays check out for one week at a time.
Books on CD
Books on CD include both the books and CD that children can listen to. Some CDs feature music, but most are the text of the book narrated with page-turn cues. These books count as audiobooks on your MPL account, and so you may check out 4 at once. Their check-out period is the same as other books-- three weeks at a time.
Parenting Resources
Covers every aspect of child rearing and parenting. Resources include books, DVDs, CDs, magazines and newsletters, online resources and displays of current news for parents.
New & Display
Whenever we purchase new books, we like to put them on display for everyone who visits our department! You can find books of all kinds here, from board books to chapter books to Spanish non-fiction. We also have monthly displays to highlight books in our collection which might not otherwise check out, or that fit a theme, heritage month, or holiday!
Play Area
***The Play Area is closed until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience.***
Our play area is open when we are!* We provide toys specially made for play literacy. We offer many toys and manipulatives for babies and toddlers to explore. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to interact with their children and each other. Children must be accompanied by a parent or adult at all times in the play area. This area is intended for children ages 6 and under. Older children may be asked to leave if they are disruptive.
Throwing, running, and rough play are prohibited.
* Exceptions for special programming. Play area closes 30 minutes before closing time for clean-up.
Computers
We have 16 computers available for children and parents in our department. Computers require a current library card in good standing from any Hidalgo county library and allow for 3 hours of access each day. Parents are welcome to use our computers while their children are in the department. Our children's computers are filtered for the protection of our younger patrons, so access to some websites may be limited. Free access to ABC Mouse! Computers automatically shut down 15 minutes until closing.
Patio
Our outdoor patio is a beautiful place to play, relax, or have a snack. We have plenty of plants for greenery and shade, flowers meant to attract butterflies, and several benches for seating. Lizards zip in and out of the various shady places! A perfect place for a picnic lunch. As with all areas of our department, children must be accompanied by an adult on the patio. The patio is locked 30 minutes before closing time.
