2018 Summer Challenge

Have you signed up for the Summer Challenge?

We are encouraging kids and caregivers to be healthy, active, and engaged all summer. The Summer Challenge comes with a log to encourage kids to keep learning. As they complete activities, they have the opportunity to win prizes that include books, passes to local entertainment like the zoo, and an iPad and Genius Kit.

There are also children’s performances happening every week. There are shows full of magic, music, science, reptiles, bubbles, and more! You can check out the schedule here.

Through participating in the Summer Challenge and continuing to learn while school is out, we can combat the summer slide, which is the tendency for students to lose two months of learning when they stop being active and engaged between school years.

Make sure you sign up at your local branch!

Win it Wednesday: Runaway Baby Brother

Every Wednesday we will give away a new book. For a chance to win, just fill out the form at the bottom of the page and you'll be entered into a drawing. The drawing will run from Wednesday through 11:59 PM Friday and winners will be announced on Mondays. (Note: you must be a Fresno County resident to be eligible for Win it Wednesdays.)

Runaway Baby Brother by Katy Hudson by Tracy Barrett

Chick and his baby brother are back in this sequel to Katy Hudson's rollicking barnyard adventure, Runaway Egg!

Now that Chick's baby brother is officially hatched (and no longer just a two-legged egg sprinting around the farm), Chick is discovering that the hassle of babysitting was just the tip of the iceberg -- the little guy just won't leave Chick alone! Try as he might, Chick just can't shake his brother, who adoringly waddles wherever he goes. But perhaps having his brother close by will prove to be a good thing in the end...

Katy Hudson's sequel to Runaway Egg is as heartwarming and hilarious as the original, and will surely find a place in the hearts of big and little siblings.

Want this book? Fill out and submit this form for a chance to win your very own copy!

Win it Wednesday: Marabel and the Book of Fate

Every Wednesday we will give away a new book. For a chance to win, just fill out the form at the bottom of the page and you'll be entered into a drawing. The drawing will run from Wednesday through 11:59 PM Friday and winners will be announced on Mondays. (Note: you must be a Fresno County resident to be eligible for Win it Wednesdays.)

Marabel and the Book of Fate by Tracy Barrett

Free-spirited Marabel must defy expectations to rescue her brother--and their kingdom--in this charming, action-packed, and magical story perfect for fans of Ella Enchanted and Dealing with Dragons.

In Magikos, life is dictated by the Book of Fate's ancient predictions, including the birth of a royal Chosen One who will save the realm. Princess Marabel has grown up in the shadow of her twin brother, Marco, who everyone assumes is the true Chosen One. While Marco is adored and given every opportunity, Marabel is overlooked and has to practice her sword fighting in secret.

But on the night of their thirteenth birthday, Marco is kidnapped by an evil queen, and Marabel runs to his rescue. Outside the castle walls for the first time, accompanied by her best friend and a very smug unicorn, Marabel embarks on a daring mission that brings her face-to-face with fairies, trolls, giants--and the possibility that all is not as it seems in Magikos.

Update: Congratulations, Erick L.!

Win it Wednesday: My Grandpa's Chair

Every Wednesday we will give away a new book. For a chance to win, just fill out the form at the bottom of the page and you'll be entered into a drawing. The drawing will run from Wednesday through 11:59 PM Friday and winners will be announced on Mondays. (Note: you must be a Fresno County resident to be eligible for Win it Wednesdays.)

My Grandpa's Chair by Jiyeon Pak

A young girl tries to help her grandfather find a new chair in this moving picture book about loss and how the love of family can warm even the most broken heart.

Julie’s grandfather is looking for a new chair. But no matter what kind of chair he tries, he can never seem to find the right one. Some chairs are too small; others are too soft. Some are too hard, while others are too fancy. Just when Grandfather thinks he’ll never find the right chair, Julie takes him to a park. And there, Grandfather finally finds the perfect seat . . . and discovers that it’s not about the chair you sit in, it’s about who is sitting next to you.

Update: Congrats, Sue V.!