It’s time to vote for the 2026 Minnesota Youth Reading Awards (MYRA) — Minnesota’s kids’ choice book awards!

About the Award

Each year, MYRA releases a list of nominated titles in two categories:

• Star of the North Award for picture books.
• Maud Hart Lovelace Award for juvenile novels, divided into Division I (grades 3–5) and Division II (grades 6–8).

The MYRA nominee books aim to give Minnesota youth books that help them see themselves and others in stories. It celebrates quality literature and encourages recreational reading among school-aged children. The award also empowers kids by giving them a voice in choosing the winners. This process helps foster a love of reading and critical thinking skills.

Read the Books

Check out the books from our library by searching the Washington County Library Catalog.

You can read many of the nominated titles online through eBooks Minnesota.

Vote for a Book

Students in grades 3–5 and 6–8 can vote for their favorite titles from the nominee lists at their school or at participating public libraries.

Voting begins March 1 through March 23. Use the online form to submit your vote today!

To learn more about the program, visit the Minnesota Youth Reading Awards.

2026 Star of the North Nominees

• The Book that Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed
• Ursula Upside Down by Corey Tabor
• Touch the Sky by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic
• Looking for Happy by Ty Chapman
• The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang
• Rock Your Mocs by Laurel Goodluck
• The Last Stand by Antwan Eady
• Millie Fleur's Poison Garden by Christy Mandin
• Miguel Must Fight! by Jamie Ofelia
• Star Party by Polly Carlson-Voiles

2026 Maud Hart Lovelace (Division 1) Nominees

• Anybody Here Seen Frenchie? by Leslie Connor
• Honestly Elliott by Gillian McDunn
• Just Keep Walking by Erin Soderberg Downing
• Just Right Jillian by Nicole D. Collier
• Legends of Lotus Island: The Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat
• The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead
• The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters
• Wayward Creatures by Dayna Lorentz
• Hoops by Matt Tavares
• A Royal Conundrum: The Misfits by Lisa Yee

2026 Maud Hart Lovelace (Division 2) Nominees

• Hoops by Matt Tavares
• A Royal Conundrum: The Misfits by Lisa Yee
• The Fort by Gordon Korman
• And Then, BOOM! by Lisa Fipps
• Mexikid by Pedro Martin
• What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski
• Not Nothing by Gayle Forman
• Louder Than Hunger by John Schu
• Meet Me Halfway by Anika Fajardo
• The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt

Brainfuse is offering a free, live SAT workshop series to help high school students build skills and confidence before test day.

The 11-course series is designed to support students across all sections of the SAT. Each session runs for one hour and is hosted live on Zoom. Weekly topics—SAT fundamentals, reading comprehension, grammar and writing skills, algebra, geometry, data analysis, and effective use of Desmos for SAT Math—will focus on practical strategies students can use right away.

The workshops are led by Brian Stewart, author of ACT, SAT, and PSAT test-preparation books published through Barron’s Educational Series. Brian is the president of BWS Education Consulting, a test-preparation and tutoring company.

Important registration details:

• Only one registration is required for the full workshop series.
• Registration is required and handled through Zoom.
• An email address is required for registration.
• All sessions will be recorded. Recordings will be added to the Brainfuse platform so students who are unable to attend live may still benefit from the content.
• Attendance is limited, and early registration is encouraged.

Schedule:

• January 7: SAT Introduction. General strategies for the SAT, how colleges use the test in admissions, and similarities/differences between the SAT and ACT.
• January 14: Reading—Information and Ideas. How to attack Central Idea and Detail questions, Evidence questions, and Inference questions.
• January 21: Reading—Craft and Structure. Resources for building Vocabulary, strategies for Purpose and Text 1 & Text 2 questions.
• January 28: Writing—Expression of Ideas. Understanding transition words and techniques for the Rhetorical Synthesis questions.
• February 4: Writing—Boundaries. Thorough discussion of Commas, Semicolons, Colons, Dashes, and Apostrophes.
• February 11: Writing—Form, Structure, and Sense. Conceptual review of misplaced modifiers, subject-verb agreement, and verb tense.
• February 18: Math—Using Desmos on the SAT. The most helpful ways to use Desmos to save time and improve accuracy on the SAT Math.
• February 25: Math—Algebra. Slope-intercept form, systems of linear equations, linear functions, and linear inequalities.
• March 4: Math—Advanced Topics in Math. Working with equivalent expressions, systems of quadratic equations, and nonlinear functions.
• Monday, March 9: Math—Problem Solving and Data Analysis. Percentages, unit conversion, measures of center, probability, and statistics.
• March 11: Math—Geometry and Trigonometry. Area, volume, right triangles, circles, sine, cosine, and tangent.

There are two Zoom registration links:

• Wednesday weekly series: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JFUn39OJTIOQ-jQqWLf0kQ 
• Monday, March 9: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ykvZepx8Qt-L6prBNFwm-w

We are excited to announce that Washington County Library now offers access to the online learning platform Craft & Hobby! This tool offers creative classes and inspiration for makers of all ages and skill levels.

Craft & Hobby features thousands of on-demand video classes across categories like sewing, knitting, photography, paper crafts, painting, woodworking, cake decorating, and more. Classes are taught by experienced instructors who guide you through each technique with clear, step-by-step instructions.

Craft & Hobby is available to all Washington County Library cardholders. If you have a library card from outside Washington County, please check with your local library — they may also offer access to this resource.

To get started with Craft & Hobby:

1. Click the Craft & Hobby link in this post or on our Research & Learn page. (You must use this link to log in.)
2. Sign in with your library card number.

If you have questions about Craft & Hobby, ask a librarian at your local branch. We can’t wait to see what you create next!

Are you in the market for a new appliance, electronic device, or car? Are you looking for trusted information about product reviews, ratings, and safety information?

If you have a library card, you're in luck—you can access ConsumerReports.org for free!

This online tool can help you make smart purchasing decisions through reliable, up-to-date product reviews, ratings, and safety information across categories like appliances, electronics, cars, and more.

To log in using your library card, you must access the site through the link on our Research & Learn page, under "Consumer Information." From there, you'll be prompted to log in using your library card and PIN (usually the last four digits of your phone number).

You can also access the site directly through this link.

This spring, we have added blood pressure monitoring kits to our collection. All branch locations now have two kits: one for use inside the library and another for a three-week checkout.

The new kits were made possible thanks to a $3,000 grant from The American Heart Association. They include a blood pressure monitor, regular and extra-large blood pressure cuffs, laminated information cards, and instructions for use.

 According to The American Heart Association, one in three adults with hypertension do not even realize they have it. Known as the silent killer, high blood pressure is one of the most common risk factors for stroke – which is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S.

“Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure,” said Heather Peterson, vice president of Community Impact for the Twin Cities Heart Association. “The goal of this collaboration is to help put an end to undiagnosed high blood pressure. By partnering with Washington County Libraries, we are reaching more Minnesotans to help them know their numbers and help prevent or control risks of stroke and heart disease.”

Part of the grant will also be used to purchase a tabletop blood pressure monitor for use inside the library.

“One of the most important things that adults can do for their health is to keep an eye on their blood pressure, and there aren’t a lot of opportunities other than making an appointment with your doctor,” said Cate Sering, Library Division Manager. “This is a way for us to bring access to all community members more broadly across the county.”

Learn more about the new blood pressure monitor kits and place a hold in our catalog.

For more information on high blood pressure and stroke, visit www.heart.org.

When you think about using your library card, it's natural to think about what you can check out by coming into the library – books, magazines, video games, and more. But your library card also grants you access to digital tools and collections that can take the library on the go or replace some paid services you might use. 

Here are eight of our favorite additional free things you can do with your library card: 

Download eBooks and audiobooks

Using Libby, you can get instant access to a wide selection of ebooks and audiobooks. These popular collections feature fiction and nonfiction for teens and adults. T

Check out magazines

Libby offers instant access to over 3,000 popular magazines. Check out the latest issue with no waits, or explore up to three years of back issues. 

Attend arts and cultural events

Reserve free or discounted admission to a range of arts and cultural experiences in the Twin Cities area using smARTpass. Partners include the Minnesota Children's Museum, Park Square Theater, Minneapolis Institute of Art, and more.  

Access online tutoring

Homework HelpNow offers free online tutoring services for kids, teens, and adults between 1 p.m. and 11 p.m. each day. Students can also submit papers for review by a writing expert, and build skills through an online library of lessons, videos, tests, and more. 

Learn a language

In Transparent Language, learn a new language through interactive, self-paced lessons. There are over 70 languages to study including Spanish, French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Ojibew, Polish, and more. 

Get resume help

Using JobNow, get live job coaching, resume writing help, and more from experts and online job resources. Submit your resume for review, get live job interview coaching, complete career assessments, and more. Assistance is available from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Find your ancestors

Research your family history using Ancestry.com Library Edition. This Includes digitized images of the U.S. Census, passenger and immigration lists, genealogical indexes, and much more. Ancestry Library Edition can only be accessed on library workstations. 

Prepare for tests

With LearningExpress Library, take online practice tests, view tutorials, and find resources for school and career exams. Popular tests include the ACT, AP, GED, Nursing, Real Estate, TOEFL, and U.S. Citizenship.