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HPL Kids

The Kidzone has programs galore as well as books, movies, and other cool stuff. Read our blog below for more information and check out our upcoming events to get an idea of what's happening at the Kidzone! Our main phone number is 205.444.7830.

Recent Book Reviews

Horten's Incredible Illusions: Magic, Mystery & Another Very Strange Adventure
Lula Bell on Geekdom, Freakdom & the Challenges of Bad Hair
A Mutiny in Time
Starry River of the Sky
Pickle: The (Formerly) Anonymous Prank Club of Fountain Point Middle School
Iron Hearted Violet
Jake and Lily
Paris Pan Takes the Dare
Me and the Pumpkin Queen
Read All About It!
The Boy on Cinnamon Street
Nerd Camp
The Classroom
Smells Like Dog
Mission Unstoppable
On the Road to Mr. Mineo's
The Mark of Athena
A Whole Lot of Lucky
Alien on a Rampage
One for the Murphys

More of our favorite books on GoodReads »

Kidzone Blog

Into the Spiderverse

Do you love a web-slinging superhero?  Which one is your favorite?  It's hard to choose, especially now.  I've always been a fan of Peter Parker, especially the way Tom Holland portrays him.  I can't wait to see Spider-Man: Far from Home, which hits the big screen July 2, 2019.  And now I totally love Miles Morales from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse.  Not to mention the other Spider-folk from the other dimensions!  No matter which Spider-Man dominates YOUR fandom, you're going to love the Hoover Public Library's Into the Spiderverse event on Thursday, July 11, 2019 at 4 p.m.  Superhero enthusiasts ages 6-12 can sign up online or by phone (444-7830) beginning 06/27.

Game #1 - Peter Parker meets his foes in NYC and Europe in our Web Obstacle Course.

Game #2 - Defeat the villains in classic Spider-man style when you Web the Enemies!

Game #3 - Spider webs -- that's some sticky stuff.  Test it our and see what gets Stuck . . . In the Web.

Craft #1 - Miles Morales created a unique uniform of his own.  Now you can Design a Uniform fit for the Spiderverse.

Craft #2 - Create a Spiderverse poster that keeps your Spider-self inspired.

Oh, yeah.  Don't forget to get your snack on.

Kid Lit Coffee Break: Summer Roast

Adults who love children's literature get a chance to relax and talk about books . . . with me!  I'm hosting a Kid Lit Coffee Break again this summer on Sunday, June 30, 2019 at 3 p.m.  We'll meet in the Youth Program Room to drink coffee and eat delicious desserts, all from the library's very own East 59.  And we'll talk about all the amazing kid lit books we've been reading.  There will be door prizes -- books!  This event is open to parents, teachers, librarians, and the young at heart.  No registration is required.  Simply follow the stars and the smell of coffee.

Junior Space Camp

You have to be at least 9 years old to attend Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, but Hoover Public Library is hosting a Junior Space Camp that is open to space enthusiasts ages 3-7!  The Kid Zone will become Mission Control for a series of 25 hands-on learning opportunities on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at 10:30 a.m.  You'll discover astronauts, meteorites, moons, planets, rockets, and stars as you engage with a variety of science, engineering, math, art, language, and motor skill stations.  You'll also have a chance to take an Astronaut Selfie!  Junior Space Camp is designed for the children and adults to work together as they make their space explorations.  Miss Katie Jane (that's me!), Miss Traci, and teen volunteers will also be roaming around to assist.  Each participant will receive a checklist to make sure you don't miss any of the fun.  The back of the checklist includes space book recommendations, a take-home project, and a summary of the benefits of this type of programming.  There are also ads for fall programming that follows a similar format: Story Lab and ExploraStory.  You do not have to register for this event.  Simply follow the stars . . . then reach for them. 

Lucky to Have Lucky Diaz

We cannot believe our good luck!  We are so pleased to be able to welcome back, all the way from Los Angeles, California, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band to our Library Theatre stage!  Now known as The Lucky Band, Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis, a married couple, have been named ‘THE face of kindie music’ by the Washington Post and PEOPLE Magazine called their album the #1 in COOLEST kids music!  The songs on their acclaimed and award-winning recordings offer a musical and topical range aimed at exploring all of the wonder and joy of a young person’s life.  They are 3X EMMY Nominees and WINNERS and 2X LATIN GRAMMY nominees and WINNERS!  Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band have been crowned the very first Americans to ever win a Latin GRAMMY in the children’s album category!  With catchy songs in both English and Spanish, this is a show you don't want to miss!

Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019
10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 27, 2019
10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

* IMPORTANT SEATING GUIDELINES *
Seating in the Library Theatre is restricted to 250 guests.  All guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis by library staff.  All parties must be present to be seated.  Saving seats is not allowed.  Please arrive early to ensure your spot!

How to Read a Book

A linguistic and visual feast awaits in Kwame Alexander and Melissa Sweet’s debut collaboration.  New readers will be eager to follow such unconventional instructions, and experienced readers will recognize every single step.

How to Read a Book (June 18, 2019)
If the mechanics of deciphering words on a page is a well-covered topic, the orchestration of finding magic between pages is an art emphasized but unexplained…until now. First things are first: “find a tree—a black tupelo or dawn redwood will do—and plant yourself.” Once settled, take the book in hand and “dig your thumb at the bottom of each juicy section and pop the words out…[then] // Squeeze every morsel of each plump line until the last drop of magic / drips from the infinite sky.” Reading, captured here in both content and form, is hailed as the unassailably individual, creative act it is. The prosody and rhythm and multimodal sensuousness of Alexander’s poetic text is made playfully material in Sweet’s mixed-media collage-and-watercolor illustrations. Not only does the book explain how to read, but it also demonstrates the elegant and emotive chaos awaiting readers in an intricate partnership of text and image.

Read this Publishers Weekly article to learn more about their collaborative process.

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