Come read to Pumba the Pug at the Children’s Library Downtown! This quiet, calm, one-on-one reading program is meant to help children gain confidence in their reading abilities. This program is open to all young readers, from those just beginning to read to those looking to practice their skills with a furry, kind companion.

Join us at our Peaks Island branch for special activities designed to foster an early love of reading for infants, toddlers, and their caregivers. Rhythm & Rhymes for Babies happens every other Friday at 10:15 AM.

Join us every Wednesday! Join us at the Downtown Library for our weekly Story Time for Babies! Every Wednesday at 10:30 AM we offer stories, rhymes, and songs for babies 0-24 months and their caregivers.

Your Next Great Read, the library’s popular reading advisory service, is now available for kids, teens and their caregivers! Just fill out a form, sit back, and wait for your customized selections of titles from Youth Services team.

Our virtual programming includes archives of our Music & Storytelling, Learning with PPL, and Read Alouds. All videos can be found on our YouTube.

Portland Public Library’s early literacy initiative Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library ® is a project of the Association for Library Service to Children and the Public Library Association (divisions of the American Library Association.) This parent education initiative stresses that early literacy begins with the primary adult in a child’s life. Developing early literacy skills has a long-term impact on children’s reading achievement and academic success.