Bellingham Children's Library - Bellingham, WA

06/02/2026

Summer Reading is for EVERYONE - babies, kids, teens, and adults - and it begins June 1 throughout Bellingham and runs through August 31.

This year Bellingham Public Library has Summer Reading activity cards for all ages. Pick up your Summer Reading Activity Cards at any BPL branch. Then, fill out the activity cards and return them for prizes between June 1 – Aug. 31. All children ages birth – teen will receive a free book. We will celebrate early learners with a special prize, kids AND teens will receive a mystery coupon from a local business, and there will be prize drawings for adults! Plus, all ages will receive a Summer Reading Superstar yard or window sign.

Thank you to our Summer Reading sponsor, the Friends of the Bellingham Public Library. Thank you also to our Summer Reading prize partners – local businesses who have donated mystery coupons for Summer Reading prize winners ages 5 – 18.

05/08/2026

Join us for a very special program featuring the City of Bellingham's Public Works crew and the big trucks they use to build and repair our roads! Wednesday, May 13 from 12:05 - 1:30pm at the Bellis Fair Library Branch.

Read with the Crew is for children ages 3 and up! We'll listen to a story about big trucks read by our City's Public Works crew in English and Spanish, then head outside (near Dick's Sporting Goods parking lot) to meet some of the trucks that help our community. We'll see you there!

05/08/2026

We're celebrating APIDA Month throughout the month of May with BPL staff recommendations, book lists, and physical displays at all of our locations! Come visit us in person or online to find fantastic reading, watching, and listening materials.

Kate, our fabulous Staff Development Coordinator, recommends "Revolutions are Made of Love: The Story of James Boggs and Grace Lee Boggs" by Sun Yung Shin, Mélina Mangal, and Leslie Barlow.

“Dedicated ‘to the next generation of young activists and changemakers,’ this book follows Grace Lee Boggs and James Boggs as they navigate the promises and perils of life in America between 1915 and 2015. Racial justice, labor rights, fair housing, and disability justice are all explored through both the individual and the shared experiences of Grace and James. Their belief in the power of ideas and in seeking truth through shared conversation shines in their commitment to each other, in their love for their communities, and in their efforts to answer the question ‘what kind of world do we want?’ by consistently working to create it.”

Included in APIDA Month celebrations are people from all of the countries located on the Asian continent including China, Japan, Vietnam, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and many more. Also included are people from the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).

05/05/2026

In the USA, Cinco de Mayo has become widely recognized as a day of celebrating Mexican-American culture and heritage. Many Americans think that Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican Day of Independence, but it actually commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla. The true Mexican Independence Day is September 16.

You can learn more about the history of Mexico by logging in to CultureGrams Online with your Bellingham Public Library. While digital access to CultureGrams is found on our website through the Learning Resources webpage for kids, CultureGrams has a wealth of information about countries around the globe for all ages. Check it out!

Doing homework? Writing a paper? Need an idea for a science fair project? You can use the databases below, start your internet research on a kid-friendly search engine, or visit the library and ask the friendly Children’s staff for help with research! Databases for Grades K – 8 The library’s h...

04/22/2026

Get your bicycle ready for spring and summertime riding with Libby Chenault and Whatcom Smart Trips! Drop by the SkillShare Space at the Central Library on Thursday, April 23 between 4:00 - 5:45pm and learn all about basic bike maintenance. All ages are welcome!

Learn how to l**e a chain, pump a tire or fix a flat, then take your new skills home to keep your bike rolling smoothly. Find out which tools are essential, how often you should perform these simple tasks and when your bike needs a more serious repair. Note: You will not be able to bring your own bicycle into the Library for this event but there will be a demo bike onsite.

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day! Please consider joining us for Earth Week activities and relevant reading here at the Bellingham Public Library and throughout the City. 🌎
https://bellingham.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/112049735/1625442579

04/21/2026

If you've been in hibernation mode, it's time to think about getting outside and we can help! Enjoy access to Washington State public lands by borrowing a backpack with a free Discover Pass through the Bellingham Public Library.

Backpacks with a limited-edition Discover Pass are available to library card holders, on a first-come, first-served basis. The Discover Pass allows for parking and access to millions of acres of Washington State parks and other state public lands. Each backpack with a Discover Pass can be checked out for a three-week period.

The backpack also includes a set of binoculars, three field guides and a map of all Washington State Parks. Those in Whatcom County include Larrabee State Park, Birch Bay State Park and Peace Arch Historical State Park.

Visit us online and search "Check Out Washington Discover Pass" in the catalog to place a hold on this "adventure-in-a-pack" today! BellinghamPublicLibrary.org

04/21/2026

April is National Poetry Month and the Bellingham Public Library will be celebrating it with displays at all of our locations featuring books of poetry, short stories, and plays!

We'll also be sharing staff recommendations throughout the month and you can visit us online to find great book lists for all ages too. https://bellinghampubliclibrary.org/news/bellingham-public-library-celebrates-poetry-month

04/21/2026

It's National Library Workers Day! The staff of the Bellingham Public Library are chicken herders, book lovers, D&D players, flower growers, spin enthusiasts and so much more - but what we all have in common is a love for libraries and our community. We truly believe that YOU belong at your library!

04/21/2026

It's National Library Week and today we're celebrating Right to Read Day! Libraries provide access to information and resources, entertainment and education, free programs for all ages and so much more. The Bellingham Public Library invites you to exercise your right to read and visit us in person or online to check out a great book (or ten)!