• A series of exuberant read-aloud sound effects perfectly capture the whimsy and joy of a springtime frolic in this companion to Red Sled.In this almost wordless springtime picture book
  • They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.But we are still here.And there are more of us every day.  Now an active member of the
  • Sage Singer befriends an old man who's particularly beloved in her community. Josef Weber is everyone's favorite retired teacher and Little League coach. They strike up a friendship
  • Thirty years after women became 50 percent of the college graduates in the United States, men still hold the vast majority of leadership positions in government and industry. This means
Latest News & Information

10 ways to have summer fun with your favorite books

Join the Summer Reading Elementary Club, share your creations with the library, and we can add them to the Altoona Mirror Summer Reading Club Special Edition in August.  Happy Reading!

1.  Make a mask of your favorite character with a paper plate or paper bag.

2.  Draw your favorite part of the story on paper or on the sidewalk.

3.  Write a new book or chapter with yourself as a character.

4.  Make paper plate or sock puppets of your favorite characters.

5. Combine two favorite stories and characters in a new adventure.

Audience: 
Kids

Encouraging Your Little Scientist

Babies are born with an amazing ability to learn.  In fact, a recent article in Education Week, March 6, 2013 affirms that "Young children are natural-born scientists and engineers... the brain is particularly receptive to learning math and logic between the ages of 1 to 4... "   Books that repeat sequences and include numbers are a great way to encourage that innate ability.  Here are a dozen favorites you can find at your favorite neighborhood Altoona Area Public Library: 

Audience: 
Everyone

Library and Elementary Schools Partner to Promote New Children’s Reading Materials

The Altoona Area Public Library is pleased to announce the purchase of its new children's eSebco e-books that can be read on any Internet browsing device. The books are available to any patron with a library card and the books can be viewed by multiple users simultaneously. In addition, the titles are also read regularly in local elementary classrooms. Teachers and principals were so excited to promote the free materials that they asked AAPL's children's librarian to conduct a Parent Involvement event for families at each school.

Audience: 
Everyone