Children’s Services
About Our Children's Department
All children ages birth through 11 are welcome in our Children's Department with their grown-ups any time during operating hours!
We have computers and a copier available for patrons to use.
We have a few study rooms for students to work on homework, read in a quiet space, or just relax!
Children are welcome to play with the toys in our play area any time during operating hours!
Children's Department Collection
We have a wide variety of materials available in our Children's Department for all reading levels beginning at birth through to 5th grade!
In our Children's Department you can find...
- Board Books
- Picture Books
- Concept Books (e.g. Counting and Alphabet books)
- Early Readers
- Early Chapter Books
- Wonder Books
- Graphic Novels
- Fiction Chapter Books
- Nonfiction Chapter Books
- Holiday Books
- Foreign Language Books
- Children's DVDs
- Children's CDs
- Children's Video Games
If for some reason we do not have an item that you are looking for, you can request the item at the front desk or through our Library Catalog to pick up at Penn Hills Library later!
Picture Book Neighborhoods
Our children's picture books are arranged in a Neighborhoods system: books are grouped together based on subject, making it easier to browse and find specific ideas you're interested in.
For a brief overview and map of our neighborhoods, click here. For a more thorough explanation of our system and what each neighborhoods contains, click here. If you have any questions or feedback about neighborhoods, please stop by and talk to us at the desk!
Story Times
We offer several storytime programs for children between the ages of birth and 5 years old. These early literacy programs are designed to support your child's development with age-friendly songs, rhymes, stories, and more! Below you can find a list of all the current storytimes we offer.
Mother Goose on the Loose - Mother Goose is an early literacy program that supports your child's development through stories, songs, rhymes, movement, and more. Designed for children ages birth through 2 years and their caregivers.
Preschool Storytime - Preschoolers and their caregivers will explore books, songs, and rhymes to expand the imagination, inspire self-discovery, and develop early literacy skills in this 25-30 minute program. Designed for children ages 3 to 5 years and their caregivers.
Toddler Storytime - In this 25-30 minute storytime, we focus on a theme while enjoying age and developmentally appropriate stories, songs, movement activities, and fingerplays. Designed for children ages 2 and 3 years and their caregivers.
Family Storytime - Families will join us for fun stories, songs, and books! This storytime focuses on creating a shared experience and bond around the books that we read. Designed for children ages birth to 5 years, but siblings of all ages and caregivers are welcome.
Spanish-English Storytime - Join us for a bilingual storytime in English and Spanish featuring stories and songs that introduce concepts such as counting and colors in both languages! Designed for children ages birth to 5 years and their caregivers.
For specific dates and times that these programs are offered, see our monthly Children's Programs Calendar!
Cake Pans
We are one of the few libraries in the county to have a collection of novelty cake pans! These cake pans are molded into the shape of different characters and images for an exciting and delicious treat!
Our cake pans are stored in the Children's Department, but anyone is welcome to check out a cake pan at any time!
Cake pans circulate for a minimum of three weeks and must be returned to Penn Hills Library.
Please wash your cake pans before returning them to the library.