Children's Services — Howland Public Library

Read. Play. Create. Repeat.

Step into the Children’s Room at the Howland Public Library—a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible realm of imagination and discovery where curiosity has no limits. We nurture creativity and a love of learning through diverse materials and interactive experiences that reflect and celebrate all children, support a wide range of abilities and needs, and build lifelong skills for children from birth through fifth grade and their caregivers.

Whether you're settling into one of our comfy reading chairs for a story or exploring our after-school spaces, we are here to support your family’s journey.

Contact Miss Kim

View Our Children's Book Collection

Explore Our Collections

For Every Reader: Board books, picture books, early readers, and chapter books tailored for growing minds, alongside a rich selection of fascinating nonfiction.
Diverse & World Languages: Bilingual Spanish books, plus a curated selection of titles in additional world languages to reflect and celebrate our global community.
Multimedia & Tech: Audiobooks on CD, family-friendly DVDs, and a vast digital library of online resources—including eBooks, downloadable audiobooks, streaming video, online classes, and language courses.
Hands-On Learning: Topic backpacks filled with themed activities, and our unique Library of Things collection featuring kid-friendly gear and games available for checkout.
For the Caregivers: A dedicated parenting collection offering trusted resources to support you through every milestone.

We’re more than just bookshelves. We’re a community.

For the Littles: Early literacy programs, interactive playtime, and storytimes that spark a lifelong love of reading.
For the Big Kids: Engaging book clubs, STEM workshops, and creative spaces to explore new hobbies.
For the Grown-Ups: Friendly experts ready to help you find the perfect "next read" for a picky reader, plus a dedicated parenting collection to support you through every stage of the journey.

2026: Unearth a Story

Join our Summer Reading Club to explore, discover, and share stories! This year’s theme, “Unearth a Story,” invites kids to dig into adventures featuring dinosaurs, nature, and ancient history. Along the way, children can read and complete fun learning activities to earn cool prizes for every milestone they reach on their journey. Parents and caregivers can register online beginning June 22. After registering, visit the library to pick up your child’s welcome bag and Summer Reading materials.

Who is Chappy?

Species: Snowy Owl

Job Title: Chief Chapter Raptor & Companion of Curiosity

Hometown Lore: Inspired by the famous, real-life snowy owl who used to ride the ferryboat between Beacon and Newburgh!

How She Got Her Name: In the Summer of 2024, the library held a town-wide vote. A creative reader named Madeline suggested "Chappy" (short for Chapter Raptor), and it won by a landslide!

Favorite Place: The Howland Public Library Children's Room.

Mission: To help every child discover the magic of reading. If you see her around the library, be sure to wave and tell her what book you're checking out today!

Download the Summer Reading Program Guide

The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program is designed to encourage families to read together and build strong literacy habits from birth through age five.

The goal is simple: read 1,000 books with your child before they start kindergarten.

What’s Inside the Children’s Room?

Exploration Kits

Borrow any of these kits from the children’s desk (when staffed) to use while you’re at the library!

Learn how to read numbers and take turns while teaching social interaction skills, and challenging them to use their knowledge and strategize.
This game builds key skills such as communication, decision making, problem solving and creative thinking skills.
Promotes matching and decision making skills while allowing your child to build their fine motor and color/image recognition skills.
Independent or group play, this game is great for practicing memory, concentration, cognitive thinking, and verbal skills.
Rainbow Pebbles are a colorful, open-ended toy that supports fine motor skills, early math, building, and imaginative play.
Helps familiarize kids with pictures, sight words, spelling, sounds of the letters and early math concepts while practicing fine motor skills.
Helps to develop spatial awareness, color and shape recognition, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving.
An open-ended building toy that inspires creativity, spatial reasoning, early STEM learning and imaginative play through hands-on construction.
Encourages independent imaginative play and motor skill development.

More than Books

A Cozy Toddler Area: A safe, welcoming space for little ones to crawl, play, and explore.
Kid-Sized Workspaces: Tables and chairs designed just for kids to do homework or enjoy activity sheets.
Monthly Scavenger Hunts: A favorite library tradition that turns a visit into a fun-filled game.
In-Library Activity Kits: Grab a kit at the desk for hands-on opportunities for creativity and play while you hang out.
Comfortable Reading Chairs: The perfect spots to sit back and dive into a captivating story together.

Sensory Box

Our Sensory Support Box is designed to help patrons feel calm and comfortable during their visit. It includes noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, calm strips, a weighted lap pad and sensory-friendly snacks. These items are available for use while you are in the library and can also be used during programs to support regulation and focus.

More Information Coming Soon

Boredom Busters to Borrow

Looking for a rainy-day activity, a weekend project, or a new way to learn together? Skip the toy store and check out our Library of Things. We’ve curated a collection of kid-friendly kits, games, and educational tools that you can take home for free. It’s all the fun, with none of the clutter!