Staff picks

Consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words with short vowel sounds, like bat and hop, are the first words students learn to read in their journey to independent reading.

Blends are two or three consonants that blend together, like /st/ in stop or /ck/ in rock. Each letter in the blend makes a sound. Digraphs are two consonants that together make one sound, such as /sh/ in shop or /ch/ in chat.

Silent-e (also known as magic-e) words follow a pattern of vowel + consonant + e, such as the words lake, slide, and hope. The vowel makes its long sound and the e is silent.

Vowel teams are two or more vowels together that make a sound, such as in the words boot or rain. Sometimes they may contain consonants that create a vowel sound like /ow/ in throw. R-controlled vowels have a vowel followed by r. Sometimes this pattern is called the “bossy r” because the “r” takes over and the vowel makes a different sound, such as in the words car or burn. Consonant -le words end with a consonant, followed by le, such as table or purple.

Mark Black History Month 2024 by exploring these titles for young readers focused on African Americans in the arts. 

-Alicia T.

Esta colección de títulos seleccionados por Mi Bibliotecaria, Lilia refleja y celebra la experiencia de una latina, inmigrante, profesional y, por lo tanto, también captura los desafíos que enfrenta la comunidad Latina en los Estados Unidos.

Whether you’re connecting with your little one, a younger sibling, or babysitting for a friend’s child, starting a new project together can be just the thing to bridge generations. These titles are an invitation to your inner child to let your imagination run free right alongside your junior companion’s.

You will find everything you need to know about tacos in these books. Buen provecho!

Memoirs, novels, documentaries, and dramas capture a range of creative processes.

Here you will find inspiration and practical tips for publishing your writing and finding your readers. 

This autumn, pick up a new project or fall even more deeply in love with a favorite pastime.

The Black Resources Collection (BRC) offers a wide variety of materials relating to the Black Diaspora. This is a curated list of books about self-care and mental health that center on the Black experience.

The Black Resources Collection (BRC) offers a wide variety of materials relating to the Black Diaspora. This is a curated list of books about caring for our bodies that center on the Black experience.

Trees are so much more than a product to be harvested, and scientists are discovering more about them everyday. Take a deep, green dive into the subject with these titles.

View past titles, from 2003 when the annual program started, to the most current title.

Books, YouTube and Instagram pages, and websites for sewing, costume making, prop making, and more cosplay tutorials and instructions.

Guías de estudio para el examen de ciudadanía Americana.

Enjoy these cookbooks that celebrate the culture and history of Black food! And on Saturday, June 12th join Multnomah County Library's Black Cultural Library Advocates team and Multnomah County's Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program for a Juneteenth cooking demonstration.

On June 19th, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the U.S. Civil War had ended, marking the end of slavery for African Americans. Since then, June 19th or "Juneteenth" has been observed as a holiday, celebrating the end of slavery in America and the culturally resiliency of African Americans over the years. On Saturday, June 12th, 2021, join Multnomah County Library's Black Cultural Library Advocates team and Multnomah County's Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program for a series of online events celebrating Juneteenth.

Suggestions for books to make you laugh as you play Read 4 Life, the library's adult summer reading game.