Kids

Children department collage showing various images of children and families enjoying library materials and events

Children’s Services

Your Chemung County Libraries have books, materials, and activities to support the developmental needs of every stage of your children's lives from infancy to 6th grade, or the homeschool equivalent. For questions, feedback, or suggestions, contact your local library.

Kids Events

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

Steele - CCLD 12th Annual Chess Challenge

9:00am–4:30pm
Children, Tweens, Teens, Adults
This event is in the "Babies & Toddlers" group
This event is in the "Children" group
This event is in the "Tweens" group

Steele Kids: Drop-in craft - Reindeer Food

All Day
Babies & Toddlers, Children, Tweens

Homework Help

Britannica Elementary School

Britannica Elementary School logo

Meeting the reference needs for elementary students. (NOVELny)

Database provided by NOVELny

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Britannica Middle School

Brittanica Middle School logo

Meeting the reference needs for middle school students. (NOVELny)

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Britannica School

Brittanica School Edition logo

Meeting the reference needs for all students.

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Gale In Context: Elementary

Gale In Context: Elementary logo

Introduce elementary students to database searching with resources featuring age-appropriate, curriculum-related content. (NOVELny)

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Gale In Context: Middle School

Gale In Context: Middle School logo

Explore the most-studied topics including cultures, government, people, history, literature, and more. (NOVELny)

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Library eBooks & eAudiobooks

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Read with Libby

Kids who have their own library card can access Chemung County Libraries’ ebooks and e-audiobooks via the free Libby app. The Libby app allows patrons of all ages to download any book or audiobook they want with their library card.

SORA logo

Read with SORA

Kids who use the SORA app at school to get their school library’s ebooks can access our public library ebooks with their SORA app. Use the “hamburger” menu icon inside the SORA app to add your public library. Just select “Southern Tier Library System.” Please note that the SORA app limits kids to ebooks at their grade level only.

Recommended Kids Reads

Image for "A World Without Summer"

A World Without Summer

The true story of how a massive catastrophic eruption plunged the world into darkness, altering the global climate and inspiring the likes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein—from the award-winning author of The Mona Lisa Vanishes and featuring black-and-white illustrations throughout.

“A tour-de-force for our times . . . At once a heart-stopping tale of climate change and a profoundly hopeful call to action.”—Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal winner for The One and Only Ivan

The world was upside-down. The wind was fire. The sky was ash. The rain was rock.

A couple of hundred years ago, on a quiet Indonesian island, a volcano called Tambora erupted with a force and violence that changed history.

It tore apart the island, and in the months and years that followed, its fallout tore apart the world. The sun refused to shine; the rain refused to stop. Everything that everyone assumed would always be there—a world that made sense, a climate that made sense—was suddenly gone.

From this riot of thunder and lightning, a young woman named Mary Shelley conceived of a scientist and his cursed creature. From the nightmare of Tambora, she wrote a nightmare of a book: Frankenstein—a terrifying reminder of how much damage we humans might do, without even realizing it.

This is the story of a volcano that changed the world and a creature that changed us.

Once upon a time, everything was different. And no one knew if it would ever be the same.

In this masterful work, Nicholas Day, author of the Sibert Award–winning The Mona Lisa Vanishes, brings us a story taken from the archives but seemingly scripted for us today: a tale of climate change and human folly and hope—and what happens when the world suddenly goes wrong.

Image for "Hispanic Star: Pedro Pascal"

Hispanic Star: Pedro Pascal

Read about beloved Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal (Fantastic Four: First Steps, Materialists, The Last of Us, The Mandalorian, The Wild Robot) in the latest installment of Hispanic Star’s series of engaging, illustrated biographies for young readers published in English and Spanish.

"More than just a biography, this book provides inspiration, pride, and joy in the journey." - Booklist

Meet award-winning actor Pedro Pascal—once just an imaginative kid obsessed with movies. Born in Chile, Pedro spent his early years in San Antonio, Texas, where his family found asylum during the years of the Pinochet dictatorship. Fueled by the passion for cinema and theater that his parents encouraged early on, Pedro would attend NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and immerse himself into reading screenplays and watching classic movies. Pedro Pascal would eventually become a household name, best known for his roles on Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, and The Last of Us.

IF YOU CAN SEE IT, YOU CAN BE IT.

Read about the most groundbreaking, iconic Hispanic and Latinx heroes who have shaped our culture and the world in this gripping biography series for young readers from Claudia Romo Edelman and Hispanic Star, all available in English and Spanish!
• HISPANIC STAR: BAD BUNNY
• HISPANIC STAR: CELIA CRUZ
• HISPANIC STAR: ELLEN OCHOA
• HISPANIC STAR: PEDRO PASCAL
• HISPANIC STAR: ROBERTO CLEMENTE
• HISPANIC STAR: SELENA GOMEZ
• HISPANIC STAR: SONIA SOTOMAYOR
• HISPANIC STAR: SYLVIA RIVERA

Hispanic Star proudly celebrates Hispanic and Latinx heroes who have made remarkable contributions to American culture and have been undeniable forces in shaping its future.

Youth Activities

Air Chemung Youth Clubhouse

Clubhouse is for Chemung County teens (ages 12-17), We provide a community-based, non-clinical setting for the promotion of long-term recovery through skill building, recreation, education, wellness, evidence-based prevention programs and other social activities.

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Chemung County Youth Bureau

recreational, educational, and employment programs and services for children, teens, and families in Chemung County

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EOP Head Start, Early Head Start

Birth to Five is a school readiness program. Free for qualifying families. Open enrollment all year.

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EOP: Ernie Davis Community Center

serves ages 13-21 with meals, afterschool programs, and tutoring

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Safe Zones

support and activities for LGBTQ teens in Chemung County; a program by the Chemung County Youth Bureau

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Southside Community Center

afterschool programs and snacks for all school age youth M-Fri

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Tanglewood Nature Center

educational programs for children and adults

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The SPOT program

recreational program for 12-15 year olds in Chemung County; a program of the Chemung County Youth Bureau

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YWCA Elmira

Offering quality before-school, after-school, and summer programs for Chemung County pre-schoolers through 6th graders at multiple sites.

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