Class #1: Introduction to Money Basics for Teens
Wednesday, April 22nd, 6-7 PM
In this class we will discuss what financial institutions are, the different types, and what products, services, and tools they provide to help you manage your money. We will also provide simple definitions of various financial terms that you may have heard before but did not fully understand.
Class #2: Understanding Credit and Making Good Money Decisions for Teens
Wednesday, April 29th, 6-7 PM
In this class, we will discuss what a credit score is, why credit matters, how to build good credit, what your responsibility is, and what to look for to protect your credit. We will also discuss how to manage your money, set goals, and make good decisions to build a strong foundation for your future financial health.
Register now to attend these virtual events!
For accessibility accommodations (ex. ASL), please fill out the online form at sccld.org/accessibility 7+ days prior to the event. If you need assistance with the form, speak with a staff member at your local library, call (408) 540-3945, or email us at [email protected].
March is Women’s History Month, a perfect time to celebrate the incredible women who have shaped young adult literature and inspired generations of teen readers. YA fiction has long been a space where complex heroines, bold storytelling, and honest explorations of identity thrive—and many of those stories come from groundbreaking female authors. Writers like Judy Blume paved the way by speaking frankly about adolescence, while contemporary voices such as Angie Thomas continue to spark important conversations about race, justice, and finding your voice. These authors remind teens that their stories matter—and that literature can both reflect and challenge the world around them.
Fantasy and speculative fiction have also been transformed by powerhouse women authors. Leigh Bardugo, known for her richly imagined worlds, and Sabaa Tahir, whose emotionally charged storytelling resonates deeply with teens, have expanded what YA fantasy can look like. Meanwhile, bestselling author Sarah J. Maas has built immersive series that draw teens into epic adventures filled with resilience and self-discovery. These writers create worlds where young readers see courage, vulnerability, and growth reflected in characters who feel real and relatable. Contemporary YA continues to flourish thanks to authors who center authenticity and representation. Elizabeth Acevedo brings poetry and cultural identity to life in powerful ways, while Jenny Han captures the intensity of first love and family dynamics.
Celebrating these writers during Women’s History Month not only honors their achievements but also encourages teens to explore diverse voices and perspectives. Whether your readers gravitate toward romance, fantasy, poetry, or contemporary realism, there’s a wealth of female-authored YA waiting to be discovered this March—and beyond.
A child's development begins at birth. A baby's brain is 80% developed by the age of three and 90% by age five. Play is the natural way children learn and early learning play experiences are critical to build skills for literacy and future success in school.
Storybook SCCLD spaces are designed with specific elements for children 0-10 years old to build those essential skills. For more information about Storybook SCCLD and how it contributes towards early literacy, visit sccld.org/storybooksccld. Details will be provided here for each library while under construction.
CAMPBELL LIBRARY: The Campbell Library Grand Opening is scheduled for Saturday, May 9! Join us as we unveil the fully renovated Campbell Library, including the Dreamy Downtown early learning play space.
MILPITAS LIBRARY: The children’s room received upgrades to carpet design and has a new balance feature in the popular Storybook SCCLD Play Space, opens a new window.
LOS ALTOS LIBRARY: Coming in 2026
STORYBOOK SCCLD PLAY SPACES NOW OPEN:
Saratoga Library Redwood Romp is NOW OPEN
Morgan Hill Library Trusty Trails is NOW OPEN
Gilroy Library Earthen Excursion is NOW OPEN!
Milpitas Library Railway Rollick is NOW OPEN!
Cupertino Library Aquarium Adventure is NOW OPEN!
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Katah’s family is all about the food. His father was a famed chef while his older brother and sister have distinct culinary points of view. However, Katah is useless in the kitchen and feels useless out of the kitchen. Not speaking his family’s mother tongue as well, he often feels disconnected from everybody else.
When their mother’s illness gets serious, the Fustukian family comes together in to say their final goodbyes. However, Katah is determined to save Mom. Finding a magical portal, he brings a div who promises to help if it can taste a dish just as good as Katah’s late father would cook. Of course, one should always be wary of magical beings and their promises…
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While we may only think of slides as simple play structures, it’s important to recognize that several developmental processes are happening at once when a child is sliding — spatial reasoning, self‑regulation, and managing excitement. Play-based activities that include sliding can improve balance, coordination, and motor development.
Our early literacy-inspired play spaces offer many opportunities for children to develop and practice their spatial awareness and development of body control.
Spatial Reasoning & Directionality
Through active play, like sliding down a slide, a child’s spatial awareness is explored and their understanding of directionality (up and down, left and right). Developing a better understanding of these concepts through active play can create the foundation for learning to read text across a page.
Managing Excitement & Self-Regulation
How does managing excitement through active play relate to literacy? Adapting to challenges requires self-control and persistence, and so strengthening these skills through active play contributes to laying the foundation for literacy and learning.
All play spaces were designed with a slide for children to enjoy. By engaging in active play, like sliding down a slide, children strengthen their bodies and minds, developing foundational skills necessary for reading and writing.
]]>Some examples of women shaping a sustainable future include:
- Indra Nooyi, the first woman of color and first immigrant to head a Fortune 50 company.
- Kati Karikó, the medical researcher who proved that mRNA vaccines were possible and paved the way for the vaccines to end the Covid-19 Pandemic.
- Winona LaDuke, a Native American activist, economist, and author, who advocates for Indigenous control of their homelands, natural resources, and cultural practices.
- Stacey Abrams, American politician and lawyer, who advocates for voter rights and accessibility.
- Eleanor Holmes Norton, the first woman appointed to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
To learn more about notable women in history and the origins of Women's History Month, check out Biography (Gale in Context) and U.S. History (Gale in Context) for a wealth of primary and secondary sources.
Library Programs
As part of our celebration of Women's History Month, join us on Thursday, April 2nd, at 11 am, for our virtual author talk with Valerie Neal, discussing her new book, On a Mission, tracing the 45-year history of women astronauts
For more events related to Women's History Month, including craft hours and book discussions, please check our events page.
How to choose children's books for fiction or nonfiction: 1. JE is Juvenile Easy. These books are best for Grades K to 3. 2. J is Juvenile middle grades. These books are best for Grades 3-6. 3. J/ is Juvenile middle school. These books are best for Grades 6-8.
This year’s selected title is See Marcus Grow by Marcus Bridgewater and illustrated by Reggie Brown. The book illustrates the parallel between plant care and human development, sharing the wisdom that both children and seedlings need water, air, sunshine, and space to grow.
Join us for special storytimes featuring See Marcus Grow on Thursday, February 26:
- Cupertino Library: Baby Storytime at 10:30 a.m.
- Gilroy Library: Read for the Record Storytime at 10:30 a.m.
- Saratoga Library: Read for the Record Storytime at 11 a.m.
- Morgan Hill Library: Read for the Record Storytime and Garden Craft at 3:30 p.m.
- Los Altos Library: Preschool Storytime at 3:30 p.m.
- Milpitas Library: Preschool Storytime at 6:30 p.m.
This year’s program is especially special as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. To help mark this milestone, we have been celebrating Read for the Record® for the 20 weeks leading up to Feb 26, highlighting one beloved book each week from its 20-year history. See the booklist below to enjoy two decades of Read for the Record®.
These books have been selected for the annual Read for the Record campaign. Every year, millions of adults and children around the world read the same book on the same day to raise awareness about literacy and access to high quality books. This year, that day falls on February 26.
Play is important for healthy brain development and supports a whole range of development skills that promote well-being throughout life. Through play, babies learn about the world around them and how they interact with it. From the earliest months, babies begin to learn through play such as turn taking, smiling, mimicking sounds fostering a bond and trust.
Parents and caregivers play an important role as the child’s first playmates, guiding them in learning social norms, emotion regulation and communication skills. Caregiver-infant interaction is the earliest form of play. Social interactive activities provide children with learning from others such as caregivers, and they are the foundation for learning and development. When caregivers respond to their infants’ nonverbal behaviors during the first few months of life (ex. Responding to emerging social smiles) it will help babies better understand communication skills.
Ways to engage your baby in play:
- While you are playing with your baby, talk to your infant to familiarize him or her with your voice, and respond when he babbles or coos.
- Imitate your infant’s sounds and engage in back-and-forth conversation using your infant’s sound as a prompt
- Tummy time: Place your infant in variety of positions so they can practice holding their head
- Play Peek-a boo
Sensory play is important for children’s development which includes activities that engage the senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. Through sensory play, it helps to foster brain development, language, motor skills and can explore the world and find their place in it. This includes textured walls that SCCLD libraries have in their baby play area. This stimulates children’s senses and enhances their learning and play experience. Tactile play is about exploring through the sense of touch which can teach children about different textures. Visual sensory play focuses on sight and can include activities such as colors, patterns and shapes which can stimulate vision. Sensory play enhances gross and fine motor skills, language, cognitive growth, social interactions and strengthens the bond with your baby.
]]>The United States has had 45 presidents in its nearly 250-year history (two were elected to non-consecutive terms). The office of president has grown in importance over time, directing the federal workforce and military, managing foreign affairs, and serving as the leader of their political party.
Learn more about our nation's presidents in our Online Library's History section. There you will find resources including U.S. History and Biography from Gale in Context, The Great Courses through Hoopla, and several eBook reference collections.
Our Government, Law & Politics page features some of our collection's latest eBooks, Audiobooks and eMagazines about major political figures including our current and former presidents, as well as other major political figures from inside and outside of government.
We have titles perfect for young readers, plus a wide selection of nonfiction and fiction books for adults on presidential topics.
U.S. Presidents and the Words That Shaped History, Jared Cohen
Theodore Roosevelt in War, Peace, and Revolution, David S. Brown
]]>A deep cleaning of the house is traditionally done in the lead up to the New Year’s celebration, removing bad luck that might be lingering in the home from the previous year. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are traditionally meant more for family and might include religious ceremonies to honor ancestors, and the gifting of red envelopes with money to family members. The home is decorated with lanterns, and the coming days are filled with celebrations of various kinds. This might include dances (like the famous Lion Dance and Dragon Dance), fireworks, sharing meals and snacks, attending parades, and more. All these celebrations lead into the Lantern Festival held on the full moon which closes out the New Year festivities.
This year the New Year begins on the 17th of February, and this coming year will be the year of the Fire Horse! There is a twelve-year cycle of animals (some animals differ depending on the tradition followed), and a rotation of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal- gold, and water), each animal getting a year for each element and combining to make a sixty-year cycle. This year we are celebrating the year of the Fire Horse.
The Fire Horse: those born in the year of the horse tend to be independent, passionate, and energetic. The horse is a fire sign and since this is also the year of the fire horse there is twice the fire in horses born this year. The last year of the fire horse was 1966.
Library Programs
Many of our Libraries are hosting events to mark the new year. Check them out here!
Picture Books, JE Fiction and JE and J Nonfiction titles about Lunar New Year.