In an effort to maintain our fading Latin knowledge, a friend and I began reading Hobbitus Ille – J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, translated by Mark Walker – over video chat, as it was the only book in Latin we both had. It may sound nerdy, but hear (or read?) me out – this can be a helpful and fun method of language study! Even with very basic proficiency, reading a semi-familiar book can provide enough context to help guess unfamiliar phrases and compare grammar structures.
If you’re interested in language study, or in non-English-language materials, we have electronic resources available now on Overdrive!
After English-language materials, Spanish-language ones are the largest category (although most of the children’s books were originally written in English).
Some children’s Spanish-language audiobook highlights, listed roughly by reading level:
- Clic, Clac, Muu – Doreen Cronin, read by Vacas Escritoras
- Irene la Valiente – William Steig; read by Susan Rybin
- Esperanza renace – Pam Muñoz Ryan; read by Ruth Livier (also an ebook)
- Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal – J.K. Rowling; read by Alicia Dellepiane (also an ebook)
Some children’s Spanish-language ebooks (also listed roughly by reading level):
- Germs Are Not for Sharing / Los gérmenes no son para compartir (bilingual book) – Elizabeth Verdick and Marieka Heinlen
- Jorge el Curioso – H.A. Rey
- Martin Luther King Jr.: Líder de los derechos humanos – Grace Hansen
- Eleanor Roosevelt: Primera dama estadounidense y defensora de la igualdad de derechos – Grace Hansen
- Ella Fitzgerald: Cantante estadounidense de jazz – Grace Hansen
Adult Language Materials
- Adult fiction on Overdrive: Spanish | Russian | Portuguese
- Adult nonfiction on Overdrive: Spanish | Russian | Chinese
There are also one or two books each in several other languages. Within any genre, you can narrow it down by selecting the “Language” tab on the left.
— Morgan Clayton
