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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

Madcap Puppets Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Madcap Puppets always entertain with their GIANT puppets.  This year's show is called The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Travel down the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy, Toto, and their best friends; Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tin Man. Madcap brings this epic adventure to life with breathtaking puppets in an enchanting, family-friendly classic based on the beloved book by L. Frank Baum.  You can find all of Baum's Oz stories in the Kid Zone under J  BAU.  

Madcap Puppets presents The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019
10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 13, 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!

CSI: Pikachu Detective

Our second Summer STEAM event has been inspired by a recent theatrical release -- Pokémon Detective Pikachu -- and our love for using science to solve mysteries.  At CSI: Pikachu Detective on Thursday, June 20, 2019 at 4 p.m., you'll learn about fingerprinting, how to make and read shoe prints, and how to make a secret code de-coder.  All of this knowledge will help you discover which Pokémon trainer stole a Pokémon from a training facility!  To be one of our CSI investigators, you must be 6-12 years old.  You also have to register online or by phone (444-7830) beginning 06/06.

75th Anniversary of D-Day

In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, an armada of 7,000 ships carrying 160,000 Allied troops stormed the Normandy beaches of Nazi-occupied France. Up until then the Allied forces had suffered serious defeats, yet D-Day, as the invasion was called, spelled the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany and the Third Reich.  June 6, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day.  The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA is hosting “The Final Salute”: a gathering of veterans and the general public for reflection and remembrance – the story of ordinary people in extraordinary moments.  If you'd like to learn more about these moments, take a look at one of these books.

NONFICTION
D-Day: The WWII Invasion That Changed History by Deborah Hopkinson (2018)
The Split History of the D-Day Invasion by Michael Burgan (2018)
D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy, 1944 by Rick Atkinson (2015)
What Was D-Day? by Patricia Brennan Demuth (2015)

FICTION
I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 by Lauren Tarshis (2019)
Ranger in Time: D-Day: Battle on the Beach by Kate Messner (2018)

Movers & Shakers in the Summer

Get groovy with Miss Alyssa and Miss Christine at the summer-sized spaced-out version of Movers & Shakers! This high-energy movement and music program is open to children of all ages. We’ll sing and dance to songs by our favorite children’s artists and engage in creative story exploration using voice characterization, movement and improvisation.  No registration is required.  Just mark your calendars, then follow the stars to a moving experience.

Movers & Shakers: “Space Bots”
Friday, June 7, 2019 at 9:30 & 11:00 a.m. 

Movers & Shakers: “Moon & Stars”
Friday, July 12, 2019 at 9:30 & 11:00 a.m. 

Cosmic Comics

cosmic = relating to the universe, especially as distinct from the Earth
comics = medium used to express ideas through images, often combined with text or other visual information

Ok, now that we have those definitions out of the way . . . are you ready for Cosmic Comics on Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 4 p.m.?   Friends (and foes) join you in galactic challenges inspired by our favorite graphic novel characters from space!  Our current faves are the CatStronauts series by Drew Brockington (J  BRO  GRAPHIC NOVEL) and the Star Scouts series by Mike Lawrence (J  LAW  GRAPHIC NOVEL).

Game #1 -⁠ Feed Waffles!
    Toss Food into this hungry CatStronaut’s mouth!

Game #2 -⁠ Robot Building Relay
    See how fast you can build your robot before it gets destroyed again!

Game #3 -⁠ Defeat the Evil Robot
    Defeat an evil robot, piece by piece, and help the Star Scouts complete their mission.

Craft #1 - Build a Jet Pack

Craft #2 - Build an alien spaceship (complete with alien!)

And snacks . . . because, food.  

This event is for 6-12 years olds.  You can sign up online or by phone (444-7830) beginning 05/30.

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