Youth

What To Read

Not sure what to read? Check out a list of websites that can help you find your next favorite book!

NoveList K-8 Plus
Get help finding your next book to read based on books you’ve read or topics you’re interested in. Includes reviews from 1996-present, book discussion guides, and book talks. For K–8 readers.
Juveniles Series & Sequels
Made available by the Mid-Continent Public Library, this database contains over 36,000 books in 4,900 series titles that are classified into three audiences.
James Patterson’s ReadKiddoRead
This website brings together reviews for books for newborns to teens, interviews with bestselling children’s authors, and a book blog with reading lists.

Kids Early Literacy & Homework Help

Get the help you need through a variety of online resources, such as ABCMouse, Bookflix, and Kids InfoBits!

ABCmouse.com
With 3,500+ interactive books, educational games, puzzles, and other learning activities, ABCmouse.com’s award-winning online curriculum is an invaluable resource for young learners (ages 2-6+). In-Library Use Only
Britannica School Elementary
Grades 3-4. Find information on countries, animals, and people. Watch and learn with videos, games, and activities.
Britannica School Middle
Grades 5-7. Find maps, photos, articles, and famous people and places. Compare countries and tour the U.S.A. For homework help and your curiosity.
Early World of Learning
Grades PreK-3. Follow Trek and Taffy the cat around the world. Share their love of colors, numbers, and other fun things. Come inside for stories and pictures.
LearningExpress Library
Comprehensive practice tests and tutorial course preparation for academic or licensing tests.
World Book Online
Online version of the World Book Encyclopedia, geared toward students, teachers, and families.

Explore Online

Explore the web through safe and secure sites on topics like books & authors, history, science, arts, and more!

ARTS & GAMES

Chess Kids
Discover the rules and strategies of chess. Improve your game, memorization skills, patience and sportsmanship with free online games, tournaments and club matches with kids around the world.
Classics for Kids
Learn about some of world’s greatest classical composers and listen to amazing music! This site also includes information about the history of music, games, and materials for caregivers and educators, and lots of multimedia content.
Color with Leo
Explore the world of art through interactive games, hands-on activities, and lessons with a young Leonardo da Vinci.
Sesame Street
Games, videos, and art featuring your favorite Sesame Street friends!
Starfall
Teaching children to read with phonics

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Dav Pilkey’s Extra Crunchy Website
Meet Dav Pilkey in comic book form! Explore his books, videos, games and book app! Be sure to check out “Fun Stuff” for more activites and silly facts.
World of Jan Brett
You’ll find everything from trolls to armadillos on this author/illustrator’s page. She has created The Mitten, That Hat, Armadillo Rodeo, The Trouble with Trolls, and Berlioz the Bea.
Harry Potter Lexicon
The most complete and amazing reference to the wonderful world of Harry Potter. Including magical spells, potions, maps, lists of wizards and all manner of magical items and devices.
Roald Dahl
This site offers all of the latest news, stories, and views about children’s author Roald Dahl.
Grace Lin
Crafts, lessons, coloring pages and more based on the books of author/illustrator Grace Lin.
Judy Blume on the Web: Kids Page
Official Eric Carle Web Site

GENERAL

Mocomi Kids
Activities, games, videos, and stories made with Motion Comics to make learning and building skills fun.
FunBrain
Games, books, comics, and videos that develop skills in math, reading, problem-solving, and literacy.
Pics4Learning
Looking for images to include in a project? Teachers and students are granted permission to use all of the free images in this collection.
International Children’s Digital Library
A collection of digital books for children that represent outstanding historical and contemporary books from around the world.
Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary and Thesaurus access, plus word games & quizzes and more!
DK Find Out!
Fun Facts, quizzes, games, and activities on a wide variety of topics, with the visuals and text boxes we’ve come to love in DK books.
Smithsonian Tween Tribune
Looking for articles about science, history or current events? This interactive site features content for grades 5-8, with lexile level information. It is also possible for teachers to create accounts & use the site’s content in the classroom.
How Stuff Works
Easy to understand explanations for common and not-so-common questions.
Discovery Kids
Learning games, activities, and quizzes from Discovery Channel

HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY

GlobalTrek
This site is a way for students to travel the world without having to leave their classroom. The travel itinerary provides links to background information and a chance to read about a country’s people and culture. There is even the opportunity to correspond and talk with people in their native language with the help of instant translation.
Seeking Michigan—The Mitten
A collection of 4-page full-color readers with word puzzles that help kids learn about and understand important topics from Michigan’s past. Each issue has a word puzzle at the end.
Archiving Early America
A unique array of original newspapers, maps, and writings come to life on your screen just as they appeared to our forebears more than 200 years ago.
Primary History
A visual site that includes timelines, biographical information, and depiction of historical event for elementary-aged children.
Gallery of Achievers
Short biographies, profiles and interviews of individuals who have shaped the 20th century with their accomplishments.
Odyssey Online
Discover Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and sub-Saharan African cultures with puzzles and interactive games.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

San Diego Zoo Kids
Take a virtual trip to the San Diego Zoo! You can find pictures of all the animals at the zoo, or watch videos or live animal cams. There are also games and activities on this site. Most suited for elementary age kids, but younger kids might enjoy the pictures and videos.
Meet the Animals
Find fact sheets, conservation status, and news about the animals living at the zoo.
Walking the Dinosaurs
Created by the BBC, Walking with Dinosaurs features individual pages featuring interesting facts, images and statistics on particular dinosaurs.
Ocean Portal: Find Your Blue
Discover the sea through a fun-filled blog, media gallery video, or current museum happenings. Explore ocean life and amazing ocean photos. Under the Educator’s Corner, check-out lessons plans for all grades.
Smokey for Kids
Campfire Safety and Wildfire Prevention
Fruits & Veggies—More Matters
Games, activities, and information for kids and families about the health benefits of adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet.
NASA for Students
News and information about space for students.
Scratch
Program and create you own interactive stories, games and animation and share with others. Includes video and step-by step guides.
Center for Game Science
Games focused on scientific discovery, discovering optimal learning pathways for STEM education, cognitive skill training , and games that explore collective over individual intelligence.
Wonderville
Interactive games, videos, and activities for learning about science, technology, engineering and math. (STEM)
Catch the Science Bug
Solve science puzzles, do your own scientific investigations, or learn more about what scientists do on the job.
Earthquakes for Kids
Learn about past, present and future predictions for earthquake activity. Includes neat facts about quakes, science fair project ideas and answers to frequently asked questions about earthquakes.
EngineerGirl
The EngineerGirl website is designed to bring national attention to the exciting opportunities that engineering represents for girls and women.
Climate Kids: NASA’s Eyes on the Earth
Climate Kids offers kids clear answers to questions on global climate change through sections on weather, air, the ocean, fresh water, carbon, energy, plants and animals and technology. Includes educational games, activities, crafts, videos and information on green careers.
Wildscreen ARKive
Ultimate multimedia guide to the world’s endangered species. Includes films and photos by the world’s best filmmakers, photographers, conservationists, and scientists.
Farmer’s Almanac for Kids
A children’s version of the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Contains facts about weather, star gazing, history and more.
KidsHealth
KidsHealth has trainloads of accurate, up-to-date information about growth, food & fitness, childhood infections, immunizations, lab tests, medical and surgical conditions, and the latest treatments. You’ll find health games, How The Body Works animations, the KidsVote health poll, and tons of surprises.
National Geographic Kids
National Geographic’s site for young readers is one of the best resources for information on the Net about the world, its people, and its wildlife. Not only can you read the newest edition of this magazine on-line, you can check out the contests, polls, games and even virtual adventures.
Ology
American Museum of Natural History put together this wonderful website to help kids learn about all the cool creatures and natural elements that make up our world.
Code.org
Code.org is a site designed to support the learning and teaching of computer coding. Features Hour of Code, a special program designed to teach beginners how to code. Through well thought out tutorials people of all ages can learn Scratch, Hopscotch and Java programming languages.

SOCIAL STUDIES & GOVERNMENT

Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government
Introduction to the historical documents, governmental bodies, and underlying principles that shape the federal government.
The Mint
Learn about money: earning it, saving it, spending it, investing it, tracking it and safeguarding it. This site has information for teachers and parents as well.
GenerationOn
Find programs and resources that support the development of caring, compassionate and capable kids and teens through service, empowering them to become changemakers in their communities and the world.
H.I.P. Pocket Change
Money doesnt grow on trees. In fact, here in the United States it comes from a place called the U.S. Mint. Learn all about the history of money in the US, watch cartoons about coins in the United States, play games, or join the collectors club.

Library Education and Access Program (LEAP) Cards

Every HPTS student is eligible for a free public library card at Portage Lake District Library. Call 906-482-4570 or stop by the front desk to talk with a staff member to learn more about how your student qualifies!