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Free access to unique opportunities and experiences at local attractions!
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Need to secure your ride, but don't have a lock? MPL has bike locks available to checkout at the Main Service Desk.
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Looking to bake a unique cake for a special occasion? Take a look at our selection of specialty cake pans available for checkout.
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Counting, music, colors, and more! These kits contain books and games to familiarize children with a variety of concepts.
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Looking for something new for game night? Search no further than MPL!
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Learn about Wisconsin's flora and fauna while hiking the Ice Age National Scenic Trail with these Explorer Backpacks courtesy of the Ice Age Trail Alliance.
Staff Picks for Kids
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Sabrina Sue Loves the Mountains
In this sixth Level 1 Ready-to-Read story about a spunky chicken from the illustrator of the Heidi Heckelbeck series, Sabrina Sue climbs a mountain!
Sabrina Sue loves mountains. Her farm home is too flat—she dreams of peaks and thrilling cliffs. So she sets off for the hike of a lifetime! -
Henry Heckelbeck Does Not Need a Sitter
In this fifteenth Henry Heckelbeck adventure, Henry tries to prove he’s too old for a babysitter!
Henry’s parents are going on a date night and have hired a babysitter. But Henry’s not a baby, he’s a wizard! And the last thing he needs is a nosy stranger looking into his room and discovering his magic Book of Spells. Can Henry convince his parents that he’s old enough to stay home alone?
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Henry Heckelbeck chapter books are perfect for beginning readers. -
When Love Is More Than Words
A beautiful story about a family who shows their love in a multitude of ways
There are so many ways to say “I love you” without saying a word! One little girl sees the love shown in her family by the way they nurture one another through stories, food, and spending time together. With great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings around, there are so many ways for love to shine through.
Jocelyn Chung’s lyrical text and Julia Kuo’s vibrant illustrations beautifully portray and celebrate a family whose caring actions speak louder than words. -
Dinosaur Roar!
In association with the Smithsonian, this classic picture book introduces dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes in bold, rhyming text!
Dinosaur weak, dinosaur strong, dinosaur short or very, very long.
There are all sorts of dinosaurs, from sweet to grumpy, from spiky to lumpy. Introduce young children to prehistoric pals and the concept of opposites as the dinos race, roar, and stomp their way to their lunch! -
The Bark Park
In this charming thirteenth book of the Good Dog series, Bo tries to make a new friend at the dog park!
There’s a new doggy park near the farm, and Bo can’t wait for a full day of fun! There are plenty of pup friends, lots of grass to roll in, and even a water sprinkler! But when Bo meets a new pup who doesn’t seem to want friends, he doesn’t understand. Could it be that not all pups are meant to be Bark Park buddies?
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Good Dog chapter books are perfect for emerging readers. -
The Queen of Ocean Parkway
An 11-year-old podcaster-turned-sleuth teams up with the new kid in the building to find their missing neighbor! A captivating adventure perfect for fans of When You Reach Me and Only Murders in the Building.
Eleven-year-old Roya is the superintendent’s kid in her regal Brooklyn apartment building, so she knows pretty much everything there is to know about its residents. An aspiring reporter, she even hosts a secret podcast about the lives of the building’s tenants. It’s a good distraction from the problems in her own life.
But when Katya Petrov, one of her favorite tenants, goes missing, Roya discovers an eerie connection to Grandmother’s Predictions, an antique fortune-telling machine at Coney Island. "Grandmother" has been linked to multiple disappearances in the Petrov family over the last century. Now, with the help of a new friend who’s just moved in, it’s up to Roya to make her own headlines as she searches for Katya and attempts to break the Petrov curse once and for all. -
Toto
A little girl is self-conscious about the birthmark on her forehead— until a new friend helps her see it in a whole new light.
This little girl doesn’t mind her birthmark, most of the time. She calls it Toto, and her mom calls it a kiss from an angel. But sometimes, it feels like people look so hard at Toto they forget to see her. So when it’s time to start school, her mom cuts her bangs to cover Toto up, at least for a little while.
At school, she makes a new best friend right away! But then Toto accidentally comes out of hiding. Will her new friend see her differently with Toto in the picture? And does different have to be bad?
Award-winning creator Hyewon Yum’s knack for the adorable is at full power in Toto. This warm and vulnerable story grapples with the pressure we feel to blend in, and celebrates the moments—and the friends—that remind us how much better it is to be our full and singular selves.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection -
Heartfelt
From the creators of the “wonderfully evocative” (BookPage) Thankful comes a cozy picture book about a child who finds that small acts of kindness can change the world.
A child makes paper hearts to give to her teacher, to a friend, at the library, and more. As she spreads kindness around her neighborhood, she soon finds that sharing love is the best gift of all. With Samantha Cotterill’s stunning diorama illustrations, this loving story is sure to capture hearts and inspire acts of kindness. -
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Movie Tie-In Edition
America's favorite Christmas book by Barbara Robinson...is now a major motion picture! Lionsgate is releasing a live action movie version of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever on November 8, 2024, directed by Dallas Jenkins of The Chosen and featuring actors Judy Greer, Lauren Graham, Elizabeth Tabish, and Pete Holmes, coming to a theater near you!
The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, swear, and smoke cigars. So no one is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.
None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale--the Wise Men are a bunch of dirty spies--has a lot of people up in arms. And their wild antics cause havoc throughout the play's production. But the actual pageant is full of surprises for everyone, starting with the Herdmans themselves, as they ultimately lead the town in finding the true meaning of Christmas. They will make this year's pageant the most unusual anyone has seen and, just possibly, the best one ever.
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The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents
A middle grade magic school fantasy perfect for fans of The School for Good and Evil and Witchlings, in which a girl with unparalleled power must work with her misfit classmates to save her new school.
Lavinia “Vin” Lucas is out of control and out of options. Stranded by parents who would rather use their average magical abilities to study dung beetles than raise her, Vin's been on her own for years. But she’s never been able to corral her own powerful, unpredictable magic. After years of detention, suspension, and expulsion from magic schools far and wide, she’s now being sent to the Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents. If she gets expelled, it’s the end of the line.
Now, Vin is determined to behave. Except no one at Last Hope seems to want her to. Her new teachers—particularly the school’s kind headmistress—push her to explore her magic, and her mischievous classmates delight in every accident. And all the while, a mysterious fire sprite, a suspicious instructor, and her overwhelming abilities might just sabotage Vin. But for the first time, she is not alone.
So when a former student begins attacking the school, Vin must question just how much she knows about the headmistress and her new home. Is this place worth saving? And are her budding abilities—and every trick, trap, and deception in her friends’ delinquent arsenal—enough to protect Last Hope? -
American Girl Birthday!
Make every birthday a special and delicious celebration with 50 party-ready recipes for cakes, cupcakes, and ice cream treats—plus ideas for party favors and games—from American Girl.
American Girl Birthday! features 50 sweet recipes suitable for every taste and any day of the year: fabulous cakes with fun frostings and toppings, cupcakes for every season, fruity and colorful ice pops, sundaes, and more.
Guarantee every party will be a hit with great flavor, sparkly decorations, and shareable treats. Kids can select their favorite cake or desserts for the big day, and make edible gifts for friends, all while gaining confidence and baking skills in the kitchen.
50+ RECIPES: Kids will learn to bake delicious cakes, cupcakes, ice cream treats, and more to mark and celebrate birthdays for friends and family.
EXPERT TIPS AND TRICKS: Young chefs will learn baking knowhow and while mastering measuring, rolling, frosting, and decorating!
INSPIRING IMAGES: Beautiful full-color photos inspire birthday celebrations and ensure success.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS: Kids will gain confidence in the kitchen and practice essential cooking skills with easy-to-follow instructions while learning to recognize when adult supervision may be needed with baking.
OFFICIAL AMERICAN GIRL COOKBOOK: The trusted partner for families who want to raise strong, confident girls and help them discover their independence in the kitchen and out. -
Hope in a Jar
In this companion to the acclaimed and bestselling picture books In a Jar and Out of a Jar, a little bunny and his friends collect their hopes and dreams for the future in jars.
Llewellyn the bunny and his friends dream of many things. Some of their dreams are small, like learning to ice skate, visiting a friend, or acting in the school play. And some of their dreams are big, like going to the moon, or becoming a ballet dancer or a wildlife photographer. Their dreams feel so precious that the bunnies place them in jars for safekeeping. But when a storm comes and destroys their collection of jars, Llewellyn and his friends wonder: what's the point of dreaming if everything could be lost?
This timely, powerful, and beautifully illustrated story of perseverance and resilience explores setbacks, loss, and grief, and shows how—with the help of friends and loved ones—to find the strength to start again. -
Bouncing Bunnies!
An irrepressible group of bunnies invite little ones to join in their bouncing in this energetic picture book.
These bunnies, they love bouncing! It’s their favorite thing to do.
And it would make them very happy if you do it, too.
So, shake out every arm and leg, then stretch from head to toe,
It’s nearly time! Let’s have some fun! Yes, ready, steady, go!
Jump, wiggle, sniff, and shake your way through the day with bunnies who just cannot stop bouncing. Are you ready to bounce? -
Tornadoes! (Third Edition)
What in the world is a tornado? In this age of extreme weather, this newly updated edition of Gail Gibbons' informative introduction to tornadoes, with safety tips included, answers that question.
Tornadoes form when hot, humid air rises from the ground and meets with the cooler, denser air that is falling back to Earth. The two airstreams begin to swirl, pulling in more and more air to form a funnel-shaped cloud. The winds can swirl faster than 261 miles per hour!
Newly revised and vetted by weather experts, Tornadoes is an accessible introduction to this fascinating phenomenon. Using her praised combination of clear text and detailed illustrations, Gail Gibbons shares more than fifty tornado facts. . . . including how tornadoes form, the scale used for classifying them, and the safest places to go in case one should happen near you. Includes updated information on the affects climate change on extreme weather and the increase of tornado activity in the American South.
Featuring simple, kid-friendly text, colorful paintings, and well-labeled diagrams, Gail Gibbons' nonfiction titles have been called "staples of any collection" (Kirkus Reviews) and offer clear, accessible introductions to complex topics for young readers beginning to explore the world. -
Wee Unicorn
Fresh, cotton-candy-colored illustrations and important messages about being yourself and kindness towards others makes this adorably cute unicorn story a tasty treat kids will love.
A fun read-aloud for fans of The Teeny-Weeny Unicorn and for anyone that’s ever felt different or misunderstood will fall for this winning picture book.
Wee Unicorn isn't what everyone expects in a unicorn. She's noisy, and she's not magical. She feels misunderstood. Then she meets another misunderstood creature—a monster others are scared of—and she reacts in an unkind way. Will she be able to make things right?
A bright, inviting world of colors and creatures, Wee Unicorn is pure eye candy—it dazzles and sparkles with its messaging of not making assumptions and loving who you are.
Readers young and old will very much relate to feeling different and misunderstood while falling hard for this irresistible unicorn read-aloud!