The Library of Congress encourages kids to read, write, and get inspired with resources dedicated to young readers!
Read, Write, and Get Inspired
- Find talks by children’s book authors at the National Book Festival paired with activity ideas and writing prompts. Hear the authors of the 2020 National Book Festival from the Teens Stage and Children’s Stage on the Library’s YouTube channel.
- Get writing tips from authors Leigh Bardugo, Jacqueline Woodson, Raina Telgemeier, and Jason Reynolds.
- Watch Dav Pilkey present his book, “Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls” and learn to draw characters from his books.
- Check out The Technicolor Adventures of Catalina Neon, a bilingual, illustrated poem written by the 21st U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera. You will see contributions from 2nd and 3rd grade students and delightful illustrations from artist Juana Medina.
- Explore classic children’s books in the Library’s collections, then choose one that you would want to retell. Think about the setting, plot, characters, and conflict. What would you change, and what would remain the same?
- Take an Exquisite Corpse adventure! Hear a story created by an all-star cast of authors, then try one of your own.
- Read in braille with coloring pages from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, part of the Library of Congress.
- Download Aesop for Children, an interactive book with 140 classic fables, accompanied by beautiful illustrations and animations. Discover more in this interactive version of the classic Aesop’s Fables. Look for the moving illustrations and listen for the sounds.
- Watch past story times from the Library, including special events from a partnership with Imagination Library.
Explore More
- Create, color, and design with activities on the Library’s page for families.
- Learn how the U.S. Copyright Office, part of the Library of Congress, protects creative work with this interactive game.
- Find more ideas for creating with collections on our blog for families, Minerva’s Kaleidoscope.
National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
The position of National Ambassador for Young People's Literature was established in 2008 to raise national awareness of the importance of young people's literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people. Meet the current ambassador