Kids Stuck at Home? Check Out Maplewood Library’s List of 12 Best Children’s eBooks

From Amalia E. Butler Daniels, Senior Children’s Librarian, Maplewood Memorial Library

Didn’t get a chance to pick up your child’s favorite book at the library?  Perhaps you are looking for something new to read with them? Good news! You can check out books from home using a phone, tablet, computer, or eReader (including Kindle). 

There are some basic instructions at the end of this article, and you may contact the Children’s Librarians at kids@maplewoodlibrary.org if you need additional help with children’s eBooks. 

If you are a Maplewood resident in need of a library card, then please email  library@maplewoodlibrary.org to create an account. 

The eLibrary includes a wide selection of children’s books for every interest and reading level from preschoolers to tweens. You may be surprised by what you discover! There are thousands of titles available, but here are 12 reading and listening suggestions to help you get started: 

(All book descriptions are adapted from the catalog.)

1. The Wonderful Things You Will Be (Read & Listen Edition) by Emily Winfield Martin (eBook; picture book)  From brave and bold to creative and clever, the rhythmic rhyme expresses all the loving things that parents think of when they look at their children. With beautiful, and sometimes humorous, illustrations, this is a book grown-ups will love reading over and over to kids—both young and old. The Wonderful Things You Will Be has a loving and truthful message that will endure for lifetimes. This Read & Listen edition contains audio narration.   (format: OverDrive Read)
2. The Llama Llama Audiobook Collection by Anna Dewdney (eBook; picture book)  This audio collection includes several favorites: Llama Llama Misses Mama,; Llama Lama Time to Share; Llama Llama and the Bully Goat; Llama Llama Holiday Drama; Llama Llama Nighty-Night; Llama Llama Wakey-Wake; Llama Llama Zippity-Zoom!; Llama Llama Hoppity-Hop!   (formats: OverDrive Listen audiobook; MP3 audiobook)
3. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why by Amy Shields (eBook; J  non-fiction)  This book brings the browsable fun of the bestselling National Geographic Kids Almanac, to a new audience: preschoolers! Using an interactive question-and-answer format and content grounded in a child’s immediate world, the Big Book of Why delivers lively information, hands-on games, simple recipes, crafts, and more. What makes a car go? How does mushy dough become a crispy cookie? What does the doctor see in my throat? An essential parent reference, The Big Book of Why invites children to ask big questions, think big thoughts, and get answers that are accurate, engaging, level-appropriate, and based on sound educational findings. It helps prepare preschoolers for school in an interactive way—the very best way to foster learning at this age, according to research. Highly photographic and playful, this big book is an adventure in exploration.   (formats: Kindle Book; OverDrive Read)
4. The Fight in the Forest: A Star Wars Read Along (Level2) by Lucasfilm Press (eBook; J early reader graphic novel)  Relive the stunning conclusion of Star Wars: The Force Awakens in this 32 page, Level 2, illustrated reader.   (format: OverDrive Read) 
5. The Wishing Spell: Land of Stories, Book 1 by Chris Colfer (eBook; eAudiobook;  J Fic Fantasy)  The first book in Chris Colfer’s #1 New York Times bestselling series The Land of Stories about two siblings who fall into a fairy-tale world! The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.   (formats: OverDrive Listen Audiobook; MP3 audiobook; Kindle Book; OverDrive Read; EPUB ebook)
6. Front Desk by Kelly Yang (eBook; eAudiobook; J Fic Realistic)  Winner of the Asian / Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature and a Kirkus starred review! Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they’ve been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia’s courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?   (formats: Kindle Book; OverDrive Read; EPUB ebook; OverDrive Listen audiobook; MP3 audiobook)
7. Slime!: Do-It-Yourself Projects to Make at Home by Trisha Haas & Charlotte Haas (eBook ; J non-fiction)  It’s colorful! It’s gooey! It’s gross! It’s your little one’s new favorite icky activity (and maybe yours, too)! It’s SLIME! Included within this book are step-by-step instructions and recipes so that you can make your own slime right at home. The book features fifteen slime projects to teach you how to create all different types of slime, including holiday-themed slimes using glitter glue and different colorings! Also included are lists of what supplies you’ll need for each project as well as vibrant, slimy, full-color pictures to see how your concoctions will turn out! So grab a copy and experience all the sticky madness of Slime! It’s sure to be tons of gross fun for everyone!   (formats: EPUB eBoook; Kindle; OverDrive Read)
8. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series, Book 1) by Jeff Kinney (eBook; eAudiobook; J Fic Funny)  Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they? It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary. Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.   (formats: Kindle Book; OverDrive Read; EPUB ebook; OverDrive Listen audiobook; MP3 audiobook)
9. Smile (Smile series, Book 1 )by Raina Telgemeier (eBook); J Graphic) Raina Telgemeier’s #1 New York Times bestselling, Eisner Award-winning graphic memoir based on her childhood! Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there’s still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.       (formats: Kindle Book; OverDrive Read)
10. New Kid by Jerry Craft (eBook; eAudiobook; J Graphic) Winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature! Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Gene Luen Yang, New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself?   (formats: Kindle Book; OverDrive Read)
11. Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly (eBook; J Fic Adventure) In the spirit of modern-day classics like Fish in a Tree and Counting by 7s comes the Schneider Family Book Award-winning story of a deaf girl’s connection to a whale whose song can’t be heard by his species, and the journey she takes to help him. From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But she’s the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she’s not very smart. If you’ve ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be. When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to “sing” to him! But he’s three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him? Full of heart and poignancy, this affecting story by sign language interpreter Lynne Kelly shows how a little determination can make big waves.   (formats: Kindle Book; OverDrive Read; EPUB ebook)
12. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky: Tristan Strong series, Book 1 by Kwame Mbalia (eBook; eAudiobook; J Fic Fantasy)  Coretta Scott King Award Honor Book and ALSC Notable Children’s Book Recording Award winner! Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Kwame Mbalia’s epic fantasy, a middle grade American Gods set in a richly-imagined world populated with African American folk heroes and West African gods. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?   (formats: Kindle Book; OverDrive Read; EPUB ebook; OverDrive Listen audiobook; MP3 audiobook)

There is a 5 item limit per card for electronic materials. Items can be checked out for either 7 days or 14 days. Items are returned automatically on their due dates. If there are no holds on an item, then one renewal may be available.

Instructions for eBook download and reading can be found on the Overdrive device profile page: https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/devices.htm 

To access eBooks on your computer:

1. Go to https://ebccls.overdrive.com/library/kids
2. Log in using your full library card barcode number. 
3. Browse for your item. Click to checkout or place a hold. Books can be viewed in browser or downloaded.
4. Answers to commonly asked questions can be found in the Overdrive help guide  here:

https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/home.htm

To access eBooks on your device through the Libby App:

1. Download the free Libby App through the AppStore or Google Play.
2. Find and select your library from the list: Bergen County Cooperative Library System
3. Enter your full library barcode when prompted.
4. Browse for your item. Tap to check out or place a hold. Books will be placed on “shelf” within the app. Tap titles to read.
5. Answers to commonly asked questions can be the Libby help guide https://help.libbyapp.com/index.htm including this helpful video that provides a brief introduction to the app Intro to Libby (video)

To access eBooks on your Kindle:

1. Go to https://ebccls.overdrive.com/library/kids on your computer.
2. Log in with your full library card barcode number. 
3. Browse for your item. Click to send to your Kindle.
4. Visit your Amazon Kindle account and select the “Library Book” tab to complete the download.
5. Answers to commonly asked questions about library eBooks for Kindle can be found here https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/0431.html
6. Answers to commonly asked questions about library eBooks for Kindle Fire can be found here https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/9991.html

Be sure to explore the other electronic resources that the library has to offer: https://www.maplewoodlibrary.org/books-and-more-elibrary

Check the library’s website and social media channels for updates! www.maplewoodlibrary.org

Happy reading!