Hang Out in The Lookout!

Have you been to The Lookout? It’s a space here at the Eau Claire Library meant just for our school age visitors! We were excited to add this area to Youth Services during our renovation, and we immediately filled it with all sorts of fun things to discover and do.
In The Lookout, you will find iPads loaded with tons of games, computers for kids and their grown-ups to use, a weekly Try-It Tray activity, art supplies, board games, a scavenger hunt, and various other special activities. And, since we are constantly thinking of new fun things to do, many of the activities change weekly—so you should find something new just about every time you are here. Make sure to check out The Lookout during your next visit to the library. It just might become your new favorite place to hang out!

Check Out Our Youth Study Rooms

Did you know the library has…youth study rooms?

That’s right, the Youth Services area of the library has three kids/family study rooms and two teen study rooms that are free to use, no library card required. Each room can be reserved for two hours per day, with an additional hour if no one is waiting. Walk-in requests are also accepted, as rooms are available.

Whether you’re looking for a quiet room for virtual learning or a collaborative group project or even a place to simply hang out and read, we have a variety of options for kids and teens.

How to Get Started

Simply hop over to our Reserve a Room page to browse available spaces or give our Youth Services desk a call at 715-839-5007.

Library Life Hack: Use the event calendar to remind you of upcoming programs!

The library is a great place to gather with friends and family, and take part in a wide-range of exciting programs. From storytime to Lego Club to BINGO and more, there is always something fun to do. You can find our full line-up on the library’s Event Calendar.

One of my favorite features on the Event Calendar is the “Remind Me” icon. Just click on this icon and enter your email to receive a reminder 24 hours before the program!

 

Some programs do require registration. For these, you will receive automated reminders after you complete the registration on the Event Calendar.

See you at the library!

Best New Books of 2022 for Kids and Teens

It’s no surprise that we love talking about books here at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, and the end of the year is a perfect time to gather together favorites. With that in mind, three of our Youth Services librarians thought we’d share our top picks of 2022 for kids and teens. Check them out, and view our complete list of recommendations!

And while you’re at it, be sure to participate in our best books giveaway!

 

Try One Today: Eau Claire Storywalks®

Try a StoryWalk® today!

In-person services at the library are now paused as we move back to our downtown location… but you can still enjoy a story from the library! Head over to either Carson or Owen Park and read a great story as you walk along the path!

Find out more about StoryWalks®.

Want even more storytime fun? You can also watch Storytime Videos of our librarians singing songs, telling stories, etc.

Try Hoopla for Teen Audiobooks

August is often full of last-minute road trips and, if you’re anything like me, you enjoy a great audiobook while on the road. I especially appreciate an audiobook you can stream right from your smart device, which is why I’m an avid Hoopla user. Hoopla has a wide selection of audiobooks and it doesn’t have any wait lists! Just login, find an intriguing audiobook, and you’re set to download it right away. Each Eau Claire library cardholder gets four downloads per month, and those downloads automatically return when they’re due. Win-win-win!

If you’re looking for a good place to start, try one of these awesome teen audiobooks available now on Hoopla.


Loveless Loveless by Alice Oseman

If you love a great journey of self-discovery, Loveless is the perfect choice!

This is the funny, honest, messy, completely relatable story of Georgia, who doesn’t understand why she can’t crush and kiss and make out like her friends do. She’s surrounded by the narrative that dating + sex = love. It’s not until she gets to college that she discovers the A range of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum – coming to understand herself as asexual/aromantic. Disrupting the narrative that she’s been told since birth isn’t easy – there are many mistakes along the way to inviting people into a newly found articulation of an always-known part of your identity. But Georgia’s determined to get her life right, with the help of (and despite the major drama of) her friends.


Dustborn Dustborn by Erin Bowman

If Science Fiction is more your jam, Dustborn is an involving postapocalyptic Western-Sci-Fi mashup.

Delta of Dead River has always been told to hide her back, where a map is branded on her skin to a rumored paradise called the Verdant. In a wasteland plagued by dust squalls, geomagnetic storms, and solar flares, many would kill for it – even if no one can read it. So, when raiders sent by a man known as the General attack her village, Delta suspects he is searching for her. Delta sets out to rescue her family but quickly learns that in the Wastes no one can be trusted.


When Dimple Met Rishi When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

For those seeking sweet romance, When Dimple Met Rishi will surely hit the perfect note.

Now that Dimple Shah has graduated, she’s ready for a break from her family – especially from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the Ideal Indian Husband. Ugh. But Dimple knows that her mother must respect that she isn’t interested in doing that right now – otherwise she wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers, right? Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic, so when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him – during which he’ll have to woo her – he’s totally on board. Although their parents hadn’t planned suggesting the arrangement so soon, when their kids signed up for the same summer program, they figured “Why not?”


Into the Bloodred Woods Into the Bloodred Woods by Martha Brockenbrough

Into the Bloodred Woods is a dark fairytale where Beauty and the Beast are one and the same…

Happily ever after is a lie. Once upon a time there was a kingdom, and a forest that liked to eat men, and a girl who would change everything, but not alone…In a faraway land, populated by were beasts and surrounded by a powerful forest, lies a kingdom about to be sent into chaos. On his deathbed, King Tyran divides his land, leaving half to each of his two children – so they’ll rule together. However, his son, Albrecht, is not satisfied with half a kingdom. And even though his sister, Ursula, is the first born, he decides that, as a girl and were bear, she is unfit to rule. What follows is an epic battle of good, evil, and something in-between.


The Race of the Century by Neal BascombThe Race of the Century

If you’re looking for gripping narrative non-fiction, try The Race of the Century, which relates the history of the race to break the 4-minute mile.

Highly acclaimed author Neal Bascomb pulls together his peerless research and fast-paced narrative style into this inspiring and moving story of three men racing to achieve the impossible — the perfect four-minute mile. There was a time when running the mile in four minutes was believed to be beyond the limits of human foot speed. In 1952, after suffering defeat at the Helsinki Olympics, three world-class runners each set out to break this barrier. Bascomb delivers a breathtaking story of unlikely heroes and leaves us with a lasting portrait of the twilight years of the golden age of sport.

 

Most Anticipated Books for Children and Teens

 

The Pigeon is NOT allowed to drive the bus and most certainly does NOT want to take a bath, but this fall, The Pigeon WILL Ride the Roller Coaster! That’s right! The Pigeon returns in September for another storybook ride. In fact, there are so many exciting books for children and teens that will be released in the coming weeks, and we can NOT wait to share them with you! Click on this link to see our growing list of sure-to-be new favorite books, and place your holds on them today! We’ll let you know as soon as they are ready for you to pick up at the newly renovated library. Nifty!

For additional book suggestions, check out our themed lists here.

New Storytime Videos

We had a great time singing, dancing, and reading with you this summer at storytime, and are looking forward to seeing you at storytime in our newly renovated library this fall. In the meantime, we hope that you will enjoy some of our favorite storytime activities from the comfort of your home on our Storytime Videos page. This page has recently been updated, and includes new recordings, along with your old favorites.

To get you started, grab a silly hat and sing along with Miss Alisha!

YouTube player

Boredom Busters

When is the best time to play on a pogo stick? Springtime!

While spring isn’t here quite yet, Spring Break is fast approaching, and with it a whole week of your kids looking for something fun to do. Here at the library we have lots of books with activity, experiment, craft, recipe, and game ideas for kids of all ages. Check out some ideas here.

We also have some great activity and craft videos from past years that demonstrate fun ideas to do with your family. Even though materials are no longer available from the library for most of these videos, you can still gather materials around your house and plan a fun crafting session with your family. Check out the playlist here.

Finally, the library is planning a week of activities for Spring Break including special scavenger hunts, take and make activity bags while supplies last, live online storytimes, and our always popular Family Bingo Online program. Learn more here!

February Read Me a Book Club

How do robots eat salsa? With microchips!

What do robots wear in winter? Ro-boots!

What is a robot’s favorite dance? The Roomba!

Join us for some silly robot stories and activities at Read Me A Book Club on Monday, February 28! If you had a magical “Robo-Sauce” that would change you from a squishy human into a laser-eyes, rocket-feet, supercomputer-brain robot, would you take it? What might happen if you did?

Find out this month at Read Me A Book Club!

Book Club is recommended for kids in grades K-2, and meets virtually on the last Monday of each month at 4:30 pm. Learn more and register for Read Me a Book Club!