Hammond Public Library
RECOMMENDATIONS & HELP
Hammond Public Library
RECOMMENDATIONS & HELP
The librarians are here to help! Send an email to hpylibrarian@gmail.com with the following information:
Name
Age or Grade
Library Card Number
What type of books you're looking for
Any specific topics you like
How many books you would like
Genres are used to describe the type of book you are reading. Usually, genres are used to describe fiction books. Below are some of the popular genres.
Fiction books are imaginary stories. Fiction books might be based on facts, but not everything in fiction is factual.
Nonfiction books are written about facts.
Adventure: stories about the main character going on a quest or journey
Ex. Max and the Midknights, How to Train Your Dragon
Dystopian: stories that take place in a society with extreme conditions
Ex. The Giver, The Last Kids on Earth
Fantasy: stories about magic, myths, and imaginary lands
Ex. Avatar: The Last Airbender, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
Graphic Novels: books in a comic format that resemble a novel in length, structure, and character development.
Ex. Dragonball Z, First Cat in Space Ate Pizza
Historical Fiction: fictional portrayals of real people, events, and time periods
Ex. Dear America, I Survived
Horror: stories meant to scare the reader with ghosts, paranormal beings, and monsters
Ex. Goosebumps, Coraline
Humorous: stories that are silly and funny
Ex. My Weird School, Captain Underpants
Mystery: stories about crimes or secrets that must be solved
Ex. Spy School, The Boxcar Children
Realistic Fiction: stories about situations that are similar to real life and could have happened
Ex. The Babysitter's Club, Smile
Science Fiction: stories about a scientific future with technological advances such as robots, time travel, and aliens
Ex. Star Wars, Black Panther
It's important to know that some books may fit into multiple genres!
Board Books: Designed for babies from birth to age 3, perfect for little hands.
Picture Books: Feature illustrations alongside text to help kids build foundational literacy skills.
On My Own: For beginning readers with three color-coded levels to easily find reading materials.
Phonics Books: Books that focus on the relationship between sounds and letters.
Chapter Books: Aimed at readers approximately ages
7-10.
Graphic Novels: books in a comic format that resemble a novel in length, structure, and character development.
Young Adult: Content is a bit more mature for children who are ready to tackle these themes.
Audiobooks: Books that are narrated on a CD. Are you going on a road trip? Take audiobooks with you, and listen to them in the car! (Youth Services even has a Listening Center where a group can listen to the same audiobook at the same time!)
Books in a Bag: Books that come in a handy little bag with a CD companion. Listen to the book while reading it! These are great for struggling or reluctant readers.
Braille Books
Magazines
Spanish Collection: We offer a variety of materials in Spanish and bilingual English/Spanish, located in one section for easier browsing.
Children's movies and music are located across from Youth and next to Circulation.
Picture Books & On My Own
Chapter Books & Graphic Novels
For Avatar: The Last Airbender and Studio Ghibli fans
For Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons fans
Non-Fiction
Teen Booklists
Run by the Indiana Library Federation, the awards are a way to engage school-age kids in fun, recreational reading. Kids in Indiana get to vote for the book nominee they like best every year!
Click here for the 2025-26 nominee list!
Click here for a link to all the past nominees in our catalog!
Curriculum kits are available for checkout for PreK, Grades 2-4 and 4-6. Each kit includes activities and books on one specific topic.
Playaway Views
These handheld video players are preloaded with videos of your favorite stories, topics, and even full length shows and movies.
AWE Computers
These early learning computers contain educational software for young learners.
Nintendo Switches
See the Youth Reference Desk for a list of games to play or bring your own!
Need help finding a book's reading level? Scholastic has a helpful search feature and chart for this!
Looking for a book recommendation? NoveList Plus: K-8 is a great place to start. You can browse by genre, age, and mood to find something new!
Looking for a teen book recommendation? NoveList Plus is a great place to start. You can browse by genre, age, and mood to find something new!