Upcoming Events

This event is in the "Babies & Toddlers" group.
This event is in the "Children" group.
This event is in the "Tweens" group.

BFL Craft Table: Cardboard Tube Bumblebees

05/15/2025 @ 3:15pm - 05/23/2025 @ 4:15pm
Babies & Toddlers, Children, Tweens
This event is in the "Babies & Toddlers" group.
This event is in the "Children" group.
This event is in the "Tweens" group.
This event is in the "Teens" group.
This event is in the "Adults" group.
This event is in the "Everyone" group.

Van Etten Spring Storywalk on Gee Street

9:00am - 5:00pm
Babies & Toddlers, Children, Tweens, Teens, Adults, Everyone
This event is in the "Babies & Toddlers" group.
This event is in the "Children" group.

Friday Family Storytime!

10:00am - 10:30am
Babies & Toddlers, Children

New & Noteworthy

From the Blog

2023 is a big year for the Van Etten Library. Since 1923, Van Etten residents have been receiving library services, starting with a simple book station in a neighboring town, to the current location on Gee Street.

Staff Recommendations

Image for "The Forest Feast for Kids"

The Forest Feast for Kids

The Forest Feast for Kids includes the most kid-friendly vegetarian favorites from Erin Gleeson's New York Times bestselling cookbook, along with 20 new recipes; ideas for kids' parties; and easy-to-follow instructions for parents and children on techniques, measurements, and other helpful kitchen aides.

"A lushly photographed and illustrated cookbook for young gourmets." --School Library Journal

Food blogger Erin Gleeson serves up kid-friendly vegetarian recipes that are quick, easy, and fun to make. Her full-color cookbook showcases the rustic simplicity of the fare through vibrant colorful photography of Gleeson's beautiful home in the woods and of children cooking the dishes themselves. Each meal is simple and full of fresh and lively flavors that will appeal to kids. The natural beauty of Gleeson's surroundings and the abundance of local produce serve as the inspiration for recipes such as:

  • Pesto Pepper Pizza
  • Rainbow Chard Quiche
  • Black Bean and Kale Tacos
  • Nutty Couscous
  • Lemon Ricotta Crostini with Honey
  • Carrot and Zucchini Ribbon Pasta
  • Butternut Quesadillas
  • Peanut Butter-Avocado Shake
  • Watermelon Smoothies
  • And more!

In addition to its recipes--spanning meals, party food, snacks, and beverages--this cookbook includes ideas for crafty table decorations, an illustrated guide on kitchen safety, and a glossary of culinary terms.

Featuring Gleeson's own fanciful watercolor illustrations and hand lettering, this beautifully designed cookbook is perfect for foodies and parents looking for healthy recipes for children. It will delight fans of Gleeson's blog and her bestseller, The Forest Feast, and any parent looking to inspire a child who shows an interest in helping in the kitchen.

"This eye-catching cookbook is ideal for young foodies." ―Booklist

The Forest Feast series: 
The Forest Feast 
The Forest Feast for Kids 
The Forest Feast Gatherings 
The Forest Feast Mediterranean 
The Forest Feast Road Trip 
 

Boba Emotions: A bilingual book of emotions

Boba Emotions: A bilingual book of emotions

For families looking for a fun way to introduce their bitty babes to various emotions, this book creatively uses playful characters made of everyone’s favorite drink to spark conversations about various emotions in two languages!

Help our boba friends learn about their emotions using a mood board.

Social emotional awareness and development is something that is important for all of us to develop and learn about, especially our children. Boba Emotions introduces children to a range of different emotions in both English and Chinese. Children and adults alike will be delighted to find their favorite boba drinks playfully expressing different emotions as they turn each page. The book is full of eye-catching and vibrant pictures that improve observation skills, build vocabulary, and encourage reading.

Boba Emotions squeezes in lots of extra learning opportunities and skills, such as practice with observation and reenactment skills as children discover and act out emotions while reading and understanding a graph. Also included is a bilingual chart including a range of 64 emotions organized on a grid, showcasing a spectrum of pleasantness and energy levels.

Parents will adore this eye-catching bilingual Chinese-English read due to its effortless integration of Chinese culture paired with the important topic of emotional awareness. The vibrant colors and the expressive faces in the artwork make learning and talking about emotions so much fun for everyone!