NEW Children's Items

With our closure from March - June due to Covid-19, our cataloging department has had to work overtime to get caught up with all our amazing new items. This list of new children's items is insane! It's over 12 pages long when printed out! There's sooooo many great titles, there's bound to be something for every young reader in your house! 

Click on a title to be taken to its catalog record where you can place a hold using the "request" button. You can also request ANY of these titles (OR any items inside the Pleasant Hills Public Library) for curbside pick-up! Call or email us to find out more!

Questions? Give us a call at 412-655-2424 or email pleasanthills@einetwork.net 

We're here to help!

Due to the insane length of this amazing list, click "Read More" below to see the list in its entirety!

How does curbside pick-up work?

We have so many amazing items inside the library just waiting to be checked out to you! While we remain closed for the safety of our community, you can still access the Library's collection using our curbside pick-up service. County-wide online holds have opened back up so you can once again request items from anywhere in Allegheny County. You can search for items using our catalog* OR we will be happy to do the searching for you!

To get started, you can either call the Library at 412-655-2424 when staff are in the building (Mondays: 10 - 4; Tuesdays - Thursdays: 10 - 8; Fridays: 10 - 4; Saturdays: 9 - 1) and a staff member will happily assist you. Prefer to communicate electronically? No problem! Send us an email to pleasanthills@einetwork.net with your requests. Not sure exactly what you want? No sweat! Our staff is happy to select items we think you'll enjoy based on theme, type of material, and your preference. 

Once we've selected your items, we'll check them out to you and work with you to select a pick-up time. During your pick-up time window, all your items will be placed together in a bag with your name and receipt with the return date. The bag will be waiting for you to pick-up from our curbside table located in our parking lot. Easy peasy! 

Questions? Let us know - we're here to help!

Handicap accommodations can easily be made - just let us know what you need.

*Pro-tip: Online holds are taking up to 2 weeks to arrive. If you don't want to wait for an item, limit your search to items currently in our library. To do this when searching for something in the catalog, select "Pleasant Hills Public Library" under "Look in the following Location." This will limit the results to items our library owns and can checkout to you using our curbside pick-up service. You can further limit your search to only show currently available items by selecting "show available items only."

Virtual Programming galore!

We're super excited to offer a plethora of virtual programming this summer! 

There's bound to be something for everyone.

For the most updated schedule, click HERE to access our eventkeeper

Click HERE for a PDF flyer of ALL our summer programs.

Below is list of some of the amazing virtual programs for children and their families happening this summer:

Classic Chapters—Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland — Saturdays, June 13—August 29 @ 1:30 pm
Join Ms. Dani for a special new video series where we'll explore children's classics one chapter at a time! This summer, we'll be reading Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Watch for a new video on our Facebook page and YouTube channel every week with a new chapter.

VIRTUAL Fairy Tale STEAM—Videos & Make-n-Takes— Mondays, June 15—August 17 @ 1:30 pm
Join Ms. Dani on our Facebook page and YouTube channel for a story and video STEAM challenge based on fairy tales and folklore. Take-home kits will be available at the Library that week (while supplies last). To reserve your kit, please call the Library at 412-655-2424 or email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net
     June 15—Jack and the Beanstalk need a parachute!
     June 22– Rapunzel needs to get out of her tower!
     June 29—Gingerbread Man needs a boat!
     July 6—The Three Bill Goats Gruff need a bridge!
     July 13—Goldilocks wants to build a new bed!
     July 20—Robin Hood needs a new bow & arrow!
     July 27—Cinderella needs a new carriage!
     August 3—Build your own dragon!
     August 10—Musical Instruments from folklore!
     August 17—Flying & more super powers!

Virtual PJ Family Storytime on Facebook LIVE—Mondays, June 15, July 6 & August 3 @ 7:00 pm
Join Ms. Dani on our Facebook page* for stories, songs, and a fun craft activity that the whole family can enjoy! Take-home kits will be available the week of storytime (while supplies last). To reserve your kit, please call the Library at 412-655-2424 or email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net 
     June 15—Racing folklore from around the world!
     July 6—Three Little Somethings
     August 3—Fairies & Gnomes

Rhyme Time Tuesdays —Tuesdays, June 16—August 18 @ 1:30 pm
Check out our Facebook page and YouTube channel every Tuesday for videos filled with favorite rhymes, songs, and fingerplays for babies, toddlers, and their caregivers! Watch these videos when they premiere or whenever works best for you!

Wonderful Wednesdays: Facebook LIVE virtual Family Storytime—Wednesdays, June 17—August 12 @ 1:30 pm
Join Ms. Dani on our Facebook page* for stories, songs, and a fun craft activity that the whole family can enjoy! Take-home kits will be available the week of storytime (while supplies last). To reserve your kit, please call the Library at 412-655-2424 or email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net

Virtual Tail Waggin’ Tutors — Wednesday, June 17 @ 6:00 pm
Practice your reading skills with trained therapy dogs on Zoom! Please select a short book or story to read ahead of time. Recommended for children ages 5 and up. Registration required to receive Zoom invite. To register, please email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net

Book Party Fridays — Fridays, June 19—August 21 @ 1:30 pm
Not sure what to read next? Join us on our Facebook page for virtual reader’s advisory! Each week will feature a theme of materials — new stuff, shelf discoveries, staff favorites, and more!

Sharing Sundays — Sundays, June 21—August 30
Make sure to join our special Facebook group — Pleasant Hills Library SRC Imagine Your Story – to share in the fun that is Summer Reading! Every Sunday we’ll highlight our favorite pictures, videos, and more from our group and around the web!

*You do NOT need a Facebook account to view our live events! You can view them by visiting our Facebook page: facebook.com/pleasanthillslibrary

We have outdoor programs scheduled for August! Check them out below:

Bug Hunt & Nature Hike @ Pleasant Hills Arboretum — Saturday, August 1 @ 10 am
Join Chad Gore, local entomologist, at the Arboretum to learn and search for specific bugs while enjoying a nature hike! Make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes! Masks are suggested. The Pleasant Hills Arboretum is located at 181 West Bruceton Road. All ages program—weather permitting! Registration requested. To register please call the Library at 412-655-2424 or email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net

Campfire @ Round Hill Park with the Allegheny County Park Rangers — Tuesday, August 4 @ 7:30 pm
Join Park Rangers at the Harmony House Shelter inside Round Hill Park for an awesome campfire with a presentation about nocturnal animals—complete with s’mores! Round Hill Park is located at 651 Round Hill Rd, Elizabeth, PA 15037. The Harmony House Shelter is the last shelter on the main road. Family program—weather permitting. Registration is highly limited! To register please call the Library at 412-655-2424 or email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net

Bird Walk @ Round Hill Park with the Allegheny County Park Rangers — Wednesday, August 19 @ 2:00 pm
Join Park Rangers at the Harmony House Shelter inside Round Hill Park for a bird nature walk! Round Hill Park is located at 651 Round Hill Rd, Elizabeth, PA 15037. The Harmony House Shelter is the last shelter on the main road. Family program—weather permitting. Registration is highly limited! To register please call the Library at 412-655-2424 or email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net

Questions? Concerns? Suggestions? Call the Library at 412-655-2424 or email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net 

Imagine Your Story Online Summer Reading Club!!!

Summer Reading Club is going VIRTUAL this year!

June 14 – August 31, 2020

In response to our ever changing world and in an effort to keep our patrons and staff safe and engaged, the Pleasant Hills Library is excited to be offering virtual programming AND a virtual summer reading club.

Pleasant Hills Library is excited to offer a virtual summer reading club for ALL AGES using Beanstack! Register your entire family using either a web browser or the Beanstack Tracker app (available to download for FREE via Google Play or the Apple App Store). When you register, make sure you select “Pleasant Hills Public Library” as the library you visit most often (this question determines which one of the Allegheny County Library’s program you will participate in). You can also call the Pleasant Hills Library at 412-655-2424 and our staff will register your family for you! Registration is open now but you won’t be able to log until June 14.

This year our Summer Reading Club will run a bit differently than it has in the past. Everyone, regardless of age and reading ability, will keep track of the time spent reading and/or listening. Log the time you spend reading and/or listening every week in Beanstack, starting June 14 and running through August 31, to be entered into weekly drawings for electronic gift cards! Read one hour each week for one entry! Read two hours each week for two entries! You decide when to log – do it once a week or every day – it’s up to you! Unfortunately you won’t be able to get more than two entries based on time spent reading each week BUT you can earn more entries by completing various activity badges! This year we’re offering a huge variety of activity badges that challenge you to imagine, connect, create, explore and more! Each time you complete an activity badge, you earn another entry into that week’s drawings!

So how does this work for children who aren’t reading yet? They will keep track of and be rewarded for listening! Older children and adults who read aloud to younger children can keep track of and be rewarded for the time spent reading aloud as well as time they read to themselves! Prefer audiobooks? No problem! Keep track of the time you spend listening and get rewarded! Are you listening to an audiobook as a family? Everyone gets to log that time! We want everyone to enjoy reading and be rewarded for their efforts, whether they are reading solo or with their family!

If you cannot access Beanstack, or prefer non-digital means of participation, please call the Pleasant Hills Library at 412-655-2424 and our staff will happily help you register, log, and participate in all the fun!

We’re excited to help you Imagine Your Story during our 2020 Summer Reading Club!

Questions? Call the Library at 412-655-2424 OR email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net

Teach Your Children Well

There's a lot going on in the world right now and it can be hard to find the right words to talk about it all. Even though it's hard, these conversations are extremely important and it's never too early to start! Luckily, many author's have written books that can help start these invaluable conversations about  race, racism, and activism. 

Here are a few booklists for children of all ages that are worth checking out! 

While the Library remains closed, it may be hard to get some of these titles right away. Many, although not all, are available as eBooks. Some are also available as audiobooks. To see if a title you are interested in reading is available, search by title in Libby or Hoopla. 

Charis Book & More, an independent bookstore located in Decatur, GA, published a very helpful bookslist of titles for white children and teens to learn more about undoing racism and white supremacy. That list can be found HERE!

The Conscious Kid, an education, research, and policy organization dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity in youth, curated an extensive list of books for children and teens to develop anti-racist thought patterns and activist skills. Click HERE to check out this list.

Colours of Us, a website devoted to promoting multicultural children's books and toys, publishes a monthly list of new multicultural titles (Click HERE to see May 2020). They also post themed lists on various subjects and specific cultures.  Click HERE to look through the list on racism and discrimination.

The Coretta Scott King Award is given to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciate of African American culture and universal human values. Common Sense Media, a trusted rating website, curated a list of some of the more recent winners. Click HERE to access that list.

If you would like help navigating our eResources, please email Ms. Dani at danylod@einetwork.net or the Library at pleasanthhills@einetwork.net

Lego fun at home!

The last Wednesday of the month has traditionally been LEGO Club Day at Pleasant Hills Public Library! Unfortunately the Library is still closed so we can't be together to build today.

 Below are some fun resources about LEGO's that you can explore at home.

For our younger friends, check out this awesome collection of LEGO DUPLO videos of favorite rhymes and songs. We particularly enjoyed "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Old MacDonald."

For older friends, check out the LEGO Kids Experience to play online games, watch LEGO videos, and learn about new Lego sets.

Did you know that you can get a FREE LEGO Life magazine subscription if you have children at home that are between 5 - 9 years old? This awesome quarterly magazine features comics, posters, activities, and much more! To learn more, please CLICK HERE.

Online book festivals!!!

If you've ever wanted to attend a book festival but didn't because it was too far away, cost too much, or wasn't feasible for whatever reason....

Now is your chance!!

BookExpo, the publishing industry's leading trade event, is going to be online this year from May 26 - 29 which means that everyone can attend for free!

Traditionally a place where booksellers, librarians, specialty retailers and national chains, publishers and tastemakers could come together, this move to a virtual presentation allows book lovers everywhere to come together to discover the latest titles, authors, technology, trends, and so much more! 

Running May 26 - 29, BookExpo Online will feature authors, experts, and publishing experts sharing their great work and ideas. The first day is full of educational sessions. Later sessions include Adult and Children's Book Dinners where literary giants and celebrity authors will join the conversation! (Here's your chance to hear Judy Blume talk!!!) Don't miss the BookExpo Buzz sessions (Adult, YA, and Middle Grade) to learn about exciting new titles! All the sessions will be on BookExpo's Facebook page so make sure to check it out! 

Click HERE for a complete sessions schedule.

BookCon, an event where storytelling and pop culture collide, is going virtual this year from May 30 - 31! BookConline will feature sessions with different authors and publishers to give you a first look at debut books and behind-the-scenes peek at some of your favorite titles! Plus there will be ARC giveaways, quizzes, trivia, and more fun yet to be announced! Sessions will be on BookCon's Facebook page so make sure to check it out! Don't forget to join the BookCon Official Facebook Group for the latest details.

Click HERE for a complete sessions schedule.

Want more? Check out this amazing list of virtual book related events!

EQT Children's Theater Festival @ HOME!

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life as we know it across the world. Schools have been moved to remote learning, libraries and other public institutions have closed their physical doors while throwing their virtual ones wide open, and events and festivals have been cancelled or postponed. It's easy to get discouraged with so much changing, but there's still lots of things to look forward to like the 34th annual EQT Children's Festival happening May 14 - 17, 2020!

The EQT Children's Theater Festival has decided that instead of cancelling this year, they're going to move their awesome annual festival online! They are working with featured performing artists, local artists and organizations, and more to bring us a re-imagined version of the festival that can enjoyed from anywhere! There will be digital engagement opportunities that amplifies the work of local organizations that are creating and distributing content for young audiences and their families! You can expect virtual learning activities, opportunities to engage with featured performing artists, special performances from local performers, and more fun surprises! The festival runs from May 14 - 17, 2020 but you can start the fun now with the Frog Stop Scavenger Hunt!

Click HERE to see a list of festival events!

Click HERE to learn more about the Frog Stop Scavenger Hunt!

Guinness World Records AT HOME!

Do you have what it takes to break a WORLD RECORD?!?

The amazing folks at Guinness Book of World Records has created an at-home platform for kids and their families to explore the stories of people who have set world records AND try breaking some of their own! The site includes weekly challenges, #gwrchallenge, where participants have a week to become the best at things like flipping and catching a full deck of playing cards faster than anyone else in the world!There is also a "Try This at Home" series, a Records of the Day podcast, and a cool trivia contest families can play.

Check it out HERE!

May the 4th Be with You!

May 4th is known across the galaxy as Star Wars Day! 

How do you plan to celebrate?

Need ideas? Check out this awesome article features on StarWars.com for awesome craft, food, and activity ideas! CLICK HERE for ideas!

Some of your favorite actors from the Star Wars franchise have read their favorite Star Wars picture books for you to enjoy! Check out Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano), and Daisy Ridley (Rey Skywalker) reading to you and your family this Star Wars Day!