Kick off the Year of the Snake at Tet: Vietnamese New Year 2013. You'll learn dances and drumming, hear tales and see a martial arts demo.

Are you too young for New Year's resolutions? I don't think so! If you resolve to read more books or a greater variety of books, use the Kidlinks Books and Reading page for ideas. If you resolve to learn more about the things that interest you, or do better in school, try the Homework Help page. If you want to get out with friends more, sign up to attend library events. They're free and convenient and fun. These will be resolutions you can keep! The adults in your life will be jealous.

This is a fun time of year for celebrating with family and friends, but how much do you know about winter holiday traditions? Find out by taking the online Winter Holidays Quiz from National Geographic. Learn more about Winter Celebrations and check out some of the books on the Winter Holidays book list.

What dinosaur knows about science, history, sports, arts, music, and much more? Why a Searchasaurus, of course! This powerful beast lives on our Homework Help page, along with many other databases that can help you with whatever homework your teacher assigns.

Our new KidLinks School Partner is Rush Creek Elementary School in Maple Grove. During the school year, I visit classrooms at our partner schools and those students pick their favorite books and authors to be featured on KidLinks. I talked to sixth graders at Rush Creek and they love all different types of books, but especially adventure, science fiction, and fantasy. What books would you and your classmates pick? If you would like me to visit your school so your class can learn more about KidLinks, please ask your teacher to e-mail Amy today!

Sign up for an Act Out for Kids workshop to find out what it's like to pretend you are someone else!

Do you know how to use the web wisely? Take a few moments to learn some tips with our fun online safety presentation.

Did you know you can watch animated versions of storybook favorites for free with your library card through TumbleBook Library? Just go to our eBooks and more page and click on "TumbleBook Library." This online collection of talking picture books also includes nonfiction, books in Spanish and French, and puzzles and games. What are you waiting for? Explore TumbleBook today!

With the colder weather and upcoming holidays, you might be spending lots of time in close quarters with friends and family. Sometimes you can run out of things to say and do. You can use the library's website to help: Ask older people about what life was like when they were your age. Need some back ground information? If someone was young during the 1950's, you can enter that as a search term into Student Resources in Context. Or, use the Poetry Fun list on the Books and Reading page to find some silly poetry books you can checkout and read together. If you'll be entertaining younger cousins, check out the Birth to Six Book Lists page for some good books to have around.

Now that International Games Day is over, do you want more gaming goodness? You don't have to wait another year. Just head over to our Fun and Games page for links to fun and free internet games. Game on!

We're celebrating International Games Day on Sat., Nov. 10. Visit one of these libraries to get your game on!

The U.S. Presidential election is on Tuesday, November 6, just a few days away. Discover fun stories and fascinating facts about elections and the Presidency in the books on the Election Time book list. Who do you think should be President? Even though kids are too young to vote, you can still express your opinion by voting in the Time for Kids' Election Poll. Get informed and impress your parents or teachers. Learn about the candidates, the issues, and what goes on during an election at Scholastic's or Time For Kids' special Election 2012 sites.

Our new KidLinks School Partner is Cornelia Elementary School in Edina. During the school year, I visit classrooms at our partner schools and those students pick their favorite books and authors to be featured on KidLinks. Local author David LaRochelle is one of the favorite authors of third, fourth, and fifth grade students at Cornelia. David is also a professional pumpkin carver! Be sure to take a look at photos of his amazing pumpkins! What authors would you and your classmates pick? If you would like me to visit your school so your class can learn more about KidLinks, please ask your teacher to e-mail Amy today!

The library can help! Use the Homework Help page here in KidLinks to find in-person tutoring at some libraries, Homework Rescue tutoring available online from any computer, and databases and websites to help you with specific subjects. The tools link on the left side of the page will get you to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a calculator. Everything you need is all in one place.

Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and even stranger monsters fill the pages of the books in our scary stories list. But these tales are not for the faint of heart. If you love a good fright, check out these scary stories tonight!

If you love the environment and art, join us for a Paint It Green workshop where you'll get to create art and reuse unwanted items.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be an author? You can find out on our Spotlight on Authors page! We feature the websites of popular children's authors like Roald Dahl and Judy Blume. You can learn about their books and their life stories, and how they get their ideas. Many of the website also feature cool games, like the Bad Kitty Slicing Game.

Next week is the autumnal equinox, when we have an equal amount of day and night. Check the animals link to find out how animals get ready for the short cold days ahead. Look up migration and hibernation. Sometimes I want to migrate to Hawaii, how about you?

Our new KidLinks School Partner is KIPP Stand Academy in Minneapolis. During the school year, I visit classrooms at our partner schools and those students pick their favorite books and authors to be featured on KidLinks. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is one of the favorite books of fifth and sixth grade students at KIPP. What book would you and your classmates pick? If you would like me to visit your school so your class can learn more about KidLinks, please ask your teacher to e-mail Amy today!

Do you like to write? A teacher from the Loft Literary Center will show you how to let your imagination run wild across paper at First Pages for Kids.

School is here again! Time for new classes, new teachers, and, yep, new homework. But don't worry! The library can help. Many of our libraries have tutors available through Homework Hub. Plus, we have online tutors available through Homework Rescue. So, relax because it's going to be a great year!

It's the countdown to the start of school. If you want to play some games, but know you could use a math refresher, check out the Math Arcade and other Fun Brain games. If anyone asks, you're reviewing math facts!

Do you love reading about Allie Finkle or Bone? Why not play a game where you Dress Allie Finkle or try your luck at Bone Whac-a-Rat! Or are you ready for a real challenge? Try the Goosebumps Trivia Game to see how much you really know about the popular scary series. These are just a few of the awesome games, quizzes, and puzzles you can play at Scholastic's The Stacks website.

You've still got time to win free books, check out cool library materials, or attend a fun program! Visit your library today to find out all the things you can do to continue the summer fun.

The Summer Olympics only happen once every four years, so don't miss out on the excitement! On the Time for Kids London Olympics page, you can follow all the action and learn about heroic athletes, past and present. Discover more amazing Olympic facts and read about your favorite sports in the books on the Go For the Gold! book list.

If you're counting down the days until the August 3 release of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days movie, check out this list of books.

Are you a Minnesota Twins fan?
Check out the awesome books on the Twins Baseball book list to learn more about Minnesota's team!

Draw a comic book, make handmade toys, or construct a crazy airplane! Summer at the library is about learning and fun.

Each week you can choose the best book in a different genre. This week you can pick your favorite funny book. You can also challenge your brain with a crossword puzzle featuring titles from our funny stories book list.

Take awesome nature photos, create pop-up books, or play "I Spy" at Paint It Green. Register today!

Have a bit of summer science fun at Mini Magnets where you'll learn what makes them attract and repel with a Bakken Museum educator.

Summer reading kicks off this week! There are all kinds of ways to get your Bookawocky on, including cool programs and read.write.draw. And don't worry about finding awesome books to read this summer! We have amazing book lists to give you ideas and each week on KidLinks we will feature a different type of book.

This summer, Guthrie Theater artists will visit the library to teach you how to create a story or to act. Sign up for a workshop today! Check out the cool books on the Act Out Book List to learn more about the wonderful world of theater.

Memorial Day Weekend is a time when our country honors our military personnel and their families. Do you have a parent or family member that serves in a branch of the military? Our Military Families book list has interesting books to help you understand what military family life is like. You can also read gripping stories of kids bravely facing the struggles and hardships of wartime from our War Stories book list.

If you're looking for books with at least one explosion, or where people are transformed into animals, or with people demonstrating how to build cool stuff, check the book lists on Guys Read. Girls can read them too!

Summer is almost here! But just because school will be out doesn't mean you need to stop reading. The Library's summer book clubs can help!  We have book clubs for all ages and all interests. Talk about awesome books with awesome people. Registration starts this week. Sign up to save your spot!

Summer is on the way but it's not here yet! You can get FREE help from online tutors through KidLinks' Homework Rescue (you just need to have a library card). Now is a great time to get some extra help finishing assignments, studying for tests, or just building your skills. Help is available for all grade levels.

Of course not, silly! That's why you can read to them at Paws to Read.

Did you know that kids across the state of Minnesota vote for the winners of the Maud Hart Lovelace Awards? This year kids chose Please Write in this Book by Mary Amato as the best book for grades 3-5. Make sure to be part of the voting next year and start reading the new 2012-2013 award nominees. Do you know who Maud Hart Lovelace was? She was a famous author from Minnesota who wrote the Betsy Tacy books. 

Do you love art, nature or both? Register for a Paint It Green program where you can create locker art out of recycled materials, turn a rock into something wonderful, photograph nature and more!

Do you like dogs? Or dinosaurs? Or nature? Or baseball? No matter what you are interested in, there is poetry for you! Poetry can be silly, funny, serious, and sometimes, even a little gross, so discover what type of poetry you like best. 

Do you want to read exciting adventures like The Hunger Games? Don't worry if you have already read The Hunger Games, (or aren't quite ready to read them yet) there are many futuristic survival stories for kids for you to try!

March is Women's History Month. Do you know how Amelia Earhart disappeared? Or why Sarah Edmonds was a spy? Read Women's Biographies to learn about the exciting lives of real women. 

Sign up for a Paint It Green workshop. At these earth-friendly art classes you'll learn how to reuse household objects and items from nature to create animal masks, magnets, or rock paintings.

Did you know that every month there is a new issue of KidLinks News? Reading the newsletter is a fun way to learn about library events, cool websites, and get book reviews. You can even sign up to receive KidLinks News by e-mail.

The first Magic Tree House book, Dinosaurs Before Dark, was published twenty years ago! Did you know that series author Mary Pope Osborne is scared of spiders, just like her character, Annie? Discover more fun facts at Magic Tree House: Twenty Years of Adventure.

Visit any Hennepin County library during the month of February to vote for your favorite Maud Hart Lovelace Award nominees. Did you know that this popular Minnesota children's choice award is named after the author of the Betsy-Tacy books?

Read an exciting biography of a heroic African American this February for Black History Month. If you need homework help check out the KidLinks Black History page.