Reading

Interactive books and educational games for children ages 2-6.

• 8,500+ individual learning activities.
• 850+ lessons.
• Reading, math, science, and social studies.

Beanstack is like a smart watch or fitness tracker for your reading goals. The app version has many built-in features like a barcode scanner and timer to make this process very easy—it's way better than paper and pencil!

• Log your reading progress by page, minute, or book, it's up to you.
• Beanstack can also send book recommendations by email based on your reading interests.
• We also use this site for our summer reading program and other online events.  

Learn how to create a Beanstack account and use the app or website.

On September 1st, 2025 we are ending our subscription to Boundless, an eBook and audiobook platform. Other eBook and audiobook resources are not changing.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Comics Plus Children’s Library is appropriate for Ages 5-14:

• Readers: Beginning and emerging readers in elementary school; active readers in upper elementary and middle school; reluctant and remedial readers of all ages.
• Formats: Early readers and picture books to traditional comic books, manga, and comic strips.
• Key Titles: Adventure Time; Archie Comics; Avatar: The Last Airbender; Awkward; Big Nate; Bone; Chicagoland Detective Agency; Disney Descendants; Disney Fairies; Djeliya; Fairy Tail; Fuku Fuku Kitten Tales; Geronimo Stilton; The Legend of Zelda; Lucy the Dinosaur; Lumberjanes; Mail Order Ninja; Minecraft; My Little Pony; Quince; The Sisters; Sonic the Hedgehog; Stranger Things; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; They Called Us Enemy
• Key Publishers: ABDO, Archie Comics, Andrews McMeel, Capstone, Cartoon Books, Classics Illustrated, Immedium, Junior Yen, Kodansha, Lerner, Manga Classics, Papercutz, Rosen, Saddleback Educational

Every title is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on your computer, tablet or phone -- no holds or wait lists required.

Enki Library is an eBooks platform created by libraries in California with great content from indie publishers.

• You do not need a library card to access: it's freely available to anyone on the internet located in California.
• If prompted, enable location services on your phone or web browser.
• Enki borrowing will not appear in your Palo Alto library account.

Download and stream digital content to your computer or device:

• Streaming movies & TV.
• eBooks
• eAudiobooks
• Graphic novels
• Music albums
• Medici.tv (7-day checkout)

Limit 3 checkouts per month per library card.

We invite you to also try Hoopla's BingePass collection, which allows unlimited streaming of an entire series for seven days with just 1 checkout. Every three months you will also find the Bonus Borrows collection featured on their homepage. Bonus Borrows do not count against your 3 checkout per month limit and are a great way to try something new.

Visit our eHelp page for video tutorials and guides to help you get started in Hoopla. 

Libby, provided by Overdrive, is a platform for eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and streaming video.

• Almost 3000 eBooks
• Over 3600 audiobooks
• Over 3000 magazines such as The New Yorker, Discover, National Geographic, Forbes, and Newsweek

Libby also provides additional video streaming services:

• Qello concert and performance streaming, plus films on music
• Indieflix films and documentaries from emerging filmmakers
• Great Courses college-level lectures and literature

Access:

1. Click the Libby Link
2. Follow the prompts to sign in with your library card. We are a member of the Northern California Digital Library (NCDL).
3. Note that you may need to scroll down or click the "more" button to see our library in the list.

Check out the Libby FAQs and our eHelp page for tutorials to help you get started.

Enjoy picture books with your children in a variety of languages.

• Unlimited access to thousands of digital picture books.
• 70+ World Languages together with English translations.

Book recommendation service for K-8 readers:

• Notification services
• Fiction and non-fiction recommendations
• Mood-based recommendations
• Core Curriculum recommendations

Enrich your reading experience for children's and young adult literature.

• Author interview, read-alongs and explanations of their work
• Reader's advisory
• Teacher and librarian resources

Teaching Books provides multimedia resources for exploring a wide range of children's and young adult literature and authors, with instant access to educational content.

• Short movies
• Audiobook readings
• Book discussion guides

• English and math skill-building
• AP Subjects and High School Equivalency tests
• College Prep like the ACT and SAT
• Career and military tests
• GMAT, GRE, LSAT and other college exams
• TOEIC, TOEFL and US citizenship exams

* Requires customers to create a user name and password on the NelNetSolutions.com site (after authenticating as a library user with barcode and PIN when accessing outside the library).