For many, a fascination with spooky tales starts young, with simple ghost stories and rhymes. As children age, it can be hard to find books with just the right amount of fright.  Below is a selection of stories for ages 9-12 that might just be the perfect spooky read. 

Do you ever wish you were a character between the covers of your favorite fantasy book, ready to venture forth to experience swords and sorcery firsthand? With Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), one of the world's most popular tabletop role-playing games, you have that chance! Read on for more information about D&D and how to play along at the library, plus some recommended books for beginners and long-time fans of the game!

Designed to provide an authentic open mic experience for local writers wishing to read their poems in a public setting, our new virtual program series “From the Page to the Mic” is kicking off this month! Join library staff and local poet and writer Kristina Hamlett on Saturday afternoons in September, October, and November for the opportunity to present poetry and hear the work of both novice and veteran poets read out loud.

This September, and throughout the school year, we’re happy to be able to support our students and learners of all ages with helpful, free resources at the library. All month long, library card replacements are free, and we encourage students to sign up for one! We’re also debuting a new homework help resource, HelpNow, on September 1. Read on for more awesome and free library resources that can help you or the students in your life succeed.

From all of us at the library, we would like to give a resounding Thank You! to all who read and learned with us during Summer Reading. Together we logged tons of books, shared lots of great book reviews, attended library programs, and completed learning activities all summer long. Read on to get some final Summer Reading stats and check back as we announce grand prize winners.

Come enjoy the last days of summer with some fun learning opportunities at the library! You can watch a movie with us, create a craft, meditate, catch a concert, share stories, improve your financial literacy, celebrate our furry friends, and much more this coming month. Read on to see some highlights from our August program offerings.

We have so many new programs coming up in the month of July, both in-person and online! Join us for some awesome movies, stories, crafts, and lots of learning all month long.

Starting June 15, the more books you read and the more activities you take part in this summer, the more prizes you will be eligible to win! Log reading, writing, and other literacy activities online to earn badges and prizes. Summer Reading is sponsored by the Friends of Henrico County Public Library. Keep reading to find out more.

Summer is nearly here and we are thrilled to share some in-person and virtual events at the library coming up in June. From Summer Reading kickoff parties perfect for families, to book and film discussions, to virtual teen crafting, there’s a lot happening at HCPL next month. Read on to learn about fun educational programming coming up at your library.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! To celebrate, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite books from Asian American and Pacific Islander authors for kids, teens, and adults, showcasing a wealth of stories and experiences. Read on for our picks.