Kids

Programs

Learning to read begins at birth. Parents and caregivers are a child’s first and best teachers. Learning to read and write is essential to school success and has a major effect throughout a person's life.

Engaging children in simple but powerful activities every day helps them develop early literacy skills and get ready to read. These key activities are talking, singingreading, writing, and playing. The programs listed below encourage these activities.

 

Event Guide (English)(PDF, 6MB)
Event Guide (Spanish)(PDF, 2MB)

 

     

Kids Services 

Family Place

Family Place Libraries are a network of children’s librarians nationwide who believe that literacy begins at birth and that libraries can help build healthy communities by nourishing healthy families. The Family Place Libraries network currently includes more than 400 sites in 27 states.

Learn more

Join us for Discovery Time, a free, five-part workshop for children ages 1-3 years old and their caregivers! In each one hour session, parents will do hands-on activities where they engage directly with their child to promote emotional, physical and cognitive development. This five-part program is based on research about the connections in the brain that need to be made at this very early age, and the role of parents as the first and most important teachers. In this casual and unstructured environment, parents will have the opportunity to bond with their children while also ask questions from resource professionals who will be available at each session.

Select Mondays at 11:15 a.m.

Main | Ages 1-3 | Sept. 25

  • Oct. 2
  • Oct. 9
  • Oct. 16
  • Oct. 23

For more information or to register, please contact Jennifer Lusk at jllusk@gptx.org.

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

The Grand Prairie Library System joins the nationwide program One Thousand Books Before Kindergarten. This free program allows families to check out backpacks with a preselected set of ten books, to be read together. This allows parents and children to pursue an otherwise daunting challenge in a self-paced, achievable way.

The backpacks contain a variety of books of different reading levels and diverse subject matter. We hope it will provide a springboard for adults to develop new vocabulary as well as to discuss important subjects with their child. 100 backpacks are split between our 3 library locations.

We encourage parents to take their time and be prepared to spend several years completing this challenge.

To check out a backpack with a set of ten books, please visit any of our libraries. Due to the size of the backpacks, they cannot be sent to the Lake Park Book Locker. The first time you check out a backpack, you will receive a checklist to follow your progress. Library staff will stamp it as you read on the way to your goal. 

Prizes will be awarded at the following levels:

  • 100 books (10 bags): sticker
  • 250 books (25 bags): tattoo
  • 500 books (50 bags): crayons
  • 750 books (75 bags): mini stuffed animal
  • 1,000 books (100 bags): certificate of completion and a forever book

New Book Picks

Picture Books

Chapter Books

Nonfiction

 

Contact Info

Email: libraryinfo@gptx.org

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Main Library

Address
901 Conover Dr.
Grand Prairie, TX 75051

Phone: 972-237-5700

Hours
Mon - Thurs: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Warmack Library

Address
760 Bardin Rd.
Grand Prairie, TX 75052

Phone: 972-237-5770

Hours
Mon - Thurs: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Shotwell Library

Address
2750 Graham St.
Grand Prairie, TX 75050

Phone: 972-237-7540

Hours
Mon - Thurs: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.