Adults

Are you a fan of comics, graphic novels, manga, and more? Join us for our first-ever "Lit Con," from April 1-May 4.

Lit Con's emphasis on community engagement and creativity reflects Prince William Public Libraries’ mission where everyone, regardless of their interests, is encouraged to participate and express themselves. Learn more on a recent podcast episode of "Important Library Stuff."

Whether you're a diehard comic lover or a newcomer, visit our Online Events Calendar to plan your personalized Lit Con experience. Take a look at our graphic novels and manga collections to find your next read.

Adult Writing Contest Winners Announced

Congratulations to PWPL’s annual Adult Writing Contest winners! The competition was fierce this year, with 45 entries received. Residents in Prince William County and the City of Manassas submitted short stories or poetry and the entries were judged on creativity, originality, technique, and emotional impact. Read the winning entries below.

Winners, Short Story:
1st Place: Natalie Potell
2nd Place: Kevin Holsopple
3rd Place: Laura McCall

Winners, Poetry:
1st Place: Collette Grabill
2nd Place: Mary Beth Keenan
3rd Place: Debora Larkin

FOR ADULTS

RESOURCES	DESCRIPTION
1,000 Books before Kindergarten	Read with your child while he or she earns rewards and a free book upon completion.
Prince William County Schools (PWCS) Kindergarten Registration	How to register your child for kindergarten.
How Modern Storytime Develops Early Literacy Book Riot	Visit a public library lately? You might of learned that storytime is no longer your grandma's storytime. There might be singing, dancing and crafts and plenty of noise. These activities may seem unrelated to reading but literacy experts are seeing a lot of value in these activities. Click on link to read more on this topic.
Virginia Quality for Parents	A guide to choosing childcare based on participation in Virginia Quality, a system to improve the quality of childcare and early education programs.
The Washington Post	Summer reading: tips from parents, who happen to know a few things about books.
ABC Lateline Australian Broadcasting Corporation Broadcast: July 18, 2017	New children's literacy study links hearing words to reading ability for first time Parents should be actively talking to their children as well as reading to them if they want to boost their literacy skills, a study from Macquarie University has found. Researchers from the Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders have for the first time demonstrated the link between hearing words and being able to read them. Using special eye-tracking technology, neuropsychologist Signy Wegener has established that when children hear a word, it prepares them to be able to read it later on. The findings from the Australian Research Council centre have been published in the journal Developmental Science. "It really confirms the importance of teaching oral vocabulary to children," Ms Wegener said.
KQED Mindshift	What Works For Getting Kids to Enjoy Reading? I said at the outset that our goal is simply to get kids reading — it’s reading, not positive attitudes toward reading that will make for better lexical representations and broader background knowledge. But then we saw that reading attitudes, reading self-image, and frequency of reading are interconnected. So in fact, getting kids to read will not only improve their reading, it will make them like reading more. Getting children to like reading more in order to prompt more reading is not our only option. We can reverse it — get them reading more, and that will improve reading attitudes and reading self-concept. Well then, how do we prompt a child with negative or indifferent attitudes toward reading to pick up a book?

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

RESOURCES	DESCRIPTION
The 33 Best Online Resources for Teen Health	Vetted by Scholastic’s Choices magazine, these sites point young adults and their parents to reliable health information on the web.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry	Mental health resources for families and youth.
Infant and Toddler Connection of Virginia	Early intervention support and service to children from birth to age two who are not developing as expected or who have a medical condition that can delay normal development.
Mental Health America Screening	Mental health screening tools for all ages.
Mental Health Resources	Mental health resources from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Military OneSource	Mental health resources and education, searchable by categories such as families, children, and young adults.
National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health	Mental health resources and education, searchable by categories such as families, children, and young adults.
National Institute of Mental Health	Mental health resources and education, searchable by categories such as families, children, and young adults.
Prince William County Schools Office of Special Education	Provides many links to information, programs, and resources for parents.
Prince William Department of Community Services	Community Services is a public agency providing mental health, intellectual disability, substance abuse, emergency services and early intervention programs for residents of Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
Virginia 211	Points you to local resources on everything from childcare to financial assistance.

READ, WATCH, LISTEN

RESOURCE

DESCRIPTION

Libby, by Overdrive, is a mobile app that offers thousands of popular e-books to read on any type of device. Get digital library card | HELP

Thousands of available e-books, movies, TV episodes, full music albums and audiobooks.
Internet Explorer is not supported by hoopla digital. Please use Chrome, Edge or other browser. Get digital library card | HELP

Thousands of popular magazines you can stream instantly—no waiting and no limits! Get digital library card

Access to thousands of e-books with no waiting or holds. Fiction and non-fiction, current best-sellers and niche authors you might never have discovered. Get digital library card