Treehouse

***Based on user feedback and an interest in trying something new, we have decided to cancel our Treehouse subscription, effective April 12th. You can check out the Treehouse website if you’d like to maintain your Treehouse account with your own subscription. In the meantime, we are excited to introduce a new learn-to-code experience: Fiero Code!***

Explore Fiero Code

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Treehouse is an online video and interactive learning platform that specializes in teaching people of all ages how to design and develop websites and mobile apps. Tracks include web development, web design, iOs and Android app development, WordPress development and design, game development, and various programming languages, including HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and Ruby. Courses are taught through short videos, with quizzes, code challenges, and other activities to help reinforce new skills and concepts. Their Career Program serves as a “guided tool to help you prepare for a new job in technology.”

Interested in learning to code or exploring the other courses offered via Treehouse? E-mail [email protected] to request access. Be sure to provide your full name and library card number for verification.

Find Treehouse at teamtreehouse.com.

Kentucky Libraries Unbound/Libby

Kentucky Libraries Unbound powered by OverDrive allows you to download or stream audiobooks, e-books, digital magazines, and video to your PC, Mac®, or one of many mobile devices. You can check out up to 10 items at a time with your library card and PIN. Certain software may be required for use.

You can also take e-books, audiobooks, and more on the go with the Libby app!

Visit Kentucky Libraries Unbound»

Hoopla

Hoopla is a streaming video, music, e-book, and audiobook service bringing thousands of movies, TV shows, full music albums, and audiobooks directly to your computer or mobile device. Plus, Hoopla offers a dedicated Kids’ catalog and access to 50+ digital magazines and The Great Courses via the new BingePass feature. Get instant, simultaneous access and NO WAITLISTS or late fines, ever! You can also download titles to your mobile device with the Hoopla Digital app for offline access when you’re on the go. Set up your account now!

Career Builder

One of the largest online job sites; you can search by occupation, industry, employer, location, or salary and by full-time, part-time, temporary, and contract employment.

SUMMER READING 2016: 5 Guest Reviews from Tweens & Teens

Summer Reading is on! We’re having a great summer at BCPL with events ranging from fitness activities to a lab with the Kentucky Science Center to awesome magic shows. But the heart of Summer Reading will always be books and reading.

And we’re so excited with the response we are receiving from the participants in our 2016 Reading Challenges. Here are just a few of the book reviews we’ve received so far; more will be posted here over the month to come. Thanks to all of our guest reviewers for sharing!

How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found by Sara Nickerson
Reviewer: Tyler W., Age 10
Tyler’s Rating: 3/5 Stars
Genre: Graphic Novel/Mystery
Audience: Tween/Teen

Tyler’s Summary & Review:  A boy and his mom move into a mansion only to find out weird things keep happening. It’s ok. Kind of a long book.

Quarterback Sneak by Jake Maddox
Reviewer: Tyler W., Age 10
Tyler’s Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Sports Fiction
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween

Tyler’s Summary & Review:  A quarterbacks suddenly starts acting very strange, which puts the team in major jeopardy.I enjoyed this book, I can relate to one of the characters because he wants to help his team. I also have a passion for football.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Reviewer: Katelynn W., Age 11
Katelynn’s Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: Realistic Fiction/School Story
Audience: Middle Grade/Tween

Katelynn’s Summary & Review:  A boy has a facial disease and has a hard time “fitting in” at school and out of school. I am here to tell you that I really think you should read this book. First, the book makes me feel like I’m in the story experiencing what is going on. Next, the book has really good detail to make me imagine everything that is going on. Last, the book has a really good story behind that and it has a good plot. That is why you should read the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Enjoy!?

EXTRA: Tracy’s Thoughts: I couldn’t agree more with Katelynn’s rating and review! I loved this book back when I read it, hence its inclusion on our Best of 2012 book list for middle grade and tween readers and my whining over its exclusion from the 2013 Youth Media Awards. Here’s my brief overview from one of our Book Picks lists:

Ten-year-old Auggie was born with extreme facial abnormalities. When he was younger, he used to wear a space helmet all the time just to hide from the stares. Now Auggie—homeschooled all his life—is ready to come out of hiding and is set to begin fifth grade at a private Manhattan middle school. Heartbreaking, funny, and simply wonderful in every way, Wonder is a must-read for book lovers of all ages. Ages 8 and up



Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans by Gary Northfield
Reviewer: Katelynn W., Age 11
Katelynn’s Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Genre: Animal Fantasy
Audience: Middle Grade

Katelynn’s Summary & Review: A zebra and other animals get captured and have to train to be gladiators. Once they train, they have to fight to earn their freedom.

I think you should read the book Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans by Gary Northfield. First, this book has some great facts about the Romans and other things. Next, the book has really great humor. Last, the book has a lot of feeling in it. That is why I think you should read the book Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans by Gary Northfield.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Reviewer: Kaylee F., Age 12
Kaylee’s Rating: 5/5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Audience: Teen/Young Adult

Kaylee’s Summary & Review: The storyline is about a girl named Bella Swan and when she moves in with her dad at the town of Forks. I thought this book was a great start to an amazing series.The story itself was great because it explained how Bella felt at all times in amazing words and vocabulary. I loved the characters a lot because they all were a big part of an amazing story. I loved the setting because when the author wrote to explain the setting she made it feel like I was actually looking at it myself. I just enjoyed this book so much I couldn’t even put it down. You should really read this book and fall in love with it just as I did.

EXTRA: Tracy’s Thoughts: As Kaylee says, this book is compulsively readable. I couldn’t put it down and read the entire book (about 500 pages) in a single night. I have a few issues with the book (Edward’s stalker tendencies, for one), but nothing that prevented me from staying up till about 6:00 in the morning until I finished!

Are you interested in submitting a guest review? Use the submission form on our website to share your thoughts (positive, negative, or in between) about your latest read. And remember: eligible BCPL patrons earn an entry in our Summer Reading Grand Prize Drawing for each review they submit!

Learn to Code

Treehouse is an online video and interactive learning platform that specializes in teaching people of all ages how to design and develop websites and mobile apps. Tracks include web development, web design, iOs and Android app development, WordPress development and design, game development, and various programming languages, including HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and Ruby. Courses are taught through short videos, with quizzes, code challenges, and other activities to help reinforce new skills and concepts.

Interested in learning to code or exploring the other courses offered via Treehouse? E-mail [email protected] to request access. Be sure to provide your full name and library card number for verification.