by Emma Bravard

If you are looking to stay inside, cozy up with a good book, and want to get the whole family involved, check out our Wonderbooks and VOX Books!  Wonderbooks and Vox Books provide a great opportunity for everyone of any age to be able to engage with reading. 

If you have never seen or checked out one of these books, they are printed books that come with a charged audio player inside the front cover that allows you to have the book read aloud as you flip through the pages. It is a physical book and an audiobook all in one! These books can be especially useful for those who are beginners or more hesitant to read, but they are enjoyable for readers of every age and stage! The Ames Public Library currently has picture books, chapter books, and young adult books for checkout in this format. 

Wonderbook and VOX Books can be extremely useful for road trips or longer periods where you may not be able to read with your child one on one. They can still enjoy a story as well as develop their literacy skills, and you can keep your eye on the road or other tasks at hand. They are also useful for school projects or readathons!

Another useful tool that you have access to through the library is Bookflix. It can be accessed through our website by hovering over the “Learn & Explore” menu and selecting “Online Learning.” There you can find Bookflix as one of our online learning options. Bookflix allows you to browse through different topics and find online books for ages PreK through 3rd grade.  Every topic pairs a fiction and nonfiction book and allows you to read the book, watch the story, or have the book read aloud. It is a great resource for emerging readers and those needing to strengthen their literacy skills!

I hope you find wonderful new stories through our options at the library! Due to the current carpet installation happening at the library, you will need to put any books you want to check out on hold. This can be done through our website, on the phone, or in person at the library. Then we will get the items ready for you and contact you when they are available for pickup. Once the carpet installation is done, come browse our Wonderbooks and VOX Books collections while checking out the fresh, new carpet!