Prince William Public Library

Public library system serving Prince William County and Manassas City. Comments Policy:

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Happy Summer Reading Eve! Enjoy kick off parties and more this week at the library. See all programs and register at https://t.co/ERHJ12qqzj.

#PWPLibraries #PublicLibrary #Libraries #PWPLSummer

[VD: This Week at PWPL highlights programs happening June 15–21. Programs featured: Build With Dinosaur Bones, Summer Kick Off: Drew Blue Shoes, Dinosaurs with Dinoman, Toddler Techno Featuring DJ Kat and Ms. Maddy, The Power of AI Tools in Job Searching and Recruiting, Uke in the Garden, Creepy Crawly Critters, Summer Reading Kickoff 2026, and Ident-a-Child. Final slide reads: “All Prince William Public Libraries are closed Friday, June 19–Sunday, June 21 in observance of Juneteenth.]

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Plan ahead! In observance of Juneteenth, all libraries will be closed Friday, June 19 - Sunday, June 21.

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Don't let the Mobile Library's summer park stops slither past you! Thanks to everyone who joined us and Raging Reptiles at Fairmont Park this past Monday.

Upcoming Schedule:
https://t.co/N7SV25FNc0

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Sharon: "Life After Life" by Kate Atkinson. It blew me away when I read it. I will never again be able to be so delighted and surprised by how creatively she constructed that wonderful book, which makes me sad. (That won't stop me from reading it again, though!)

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

It's Thursday! It's 12:00! It's time for Ask a Librarian!
What questions do you have for Sharon and Rosanne today? Feel free to join us and answer alongside our librarians!

Their favorite genres include literary fiction, horror, graphic novels, nonfiction, and anything YA.

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What book do you wish you could read for the first time again?

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Rosanne: "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follet. It's an astounding book. (GoT before GoT IYKYK) period drama with flushed characters and world building.

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Sharon: I will always be a Final Girl trope fan. My favorite right now is the Indian Lake trilogy by Stephen Graham Jones. And the trilogy is trope bonus galore: His final girl, Jade Daniels, is a massive horror movie fan, and she works every horror movie and trope into her attempts to flee the mayhem and find out who the Big Bad is.

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What’s your favorite book trope? Recs welcome!

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Correction, "One Perfect Couple" by Ruth Ware!

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Rosanne: "Behind Her Eyes" by Sarah Pinborough. I absolutely did NOT call the ending at all and it left me reeling. Bonus Netflix show adaptation for added drama. If you're looking for a trapped-on-an-island-with-a-killer-vibe Ruth Ware has two great books. "The Woman in Cabin 10" (which also has a Netflix adaptation and a sequel!) and "The Perfect Couple".

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Rosanne: VAMPIRE WESTERNS!

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Also, George Pelecanos -- a D.C. crime/thriller writer who also wrote for "The Wire" -- has a new book out this year. His books often start mellow and then build to a fantastic "what's gonna happen?!" ending.

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Sharon: I highly recommend S.A. Cosby, a fantastic crime writer who builds great suspense (and he's a Virginian, woot).

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Sharon: I think starting light is the right call for getting back into reading, especially in the summer (who wants to slug through a thick, intense book this time of year?). I love reading humor in my favorite genres when I'm feeling bogged down. I recently read "Dungeon Crawler Carl" as a light sci-fi read for a plane trip, and I loved it. It was great sci-fi world building, but it moved at a fast clip, and was easy to dip in and out of when I wanted to focus on vacationing.

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

I’m trying to get back into reading, what book would you recommend that will pull me out of my slump?

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Rosanne: Some out of the ordinary!
a. A book less than 100 pages - "Hot For Slayer" by Ali Hazelwood (~94 pages): A quick-witted, modern paranormal romance novella from the Love Hypothesis author, ideal for a breezy, lighthearted afternoon read.
b. Graphic biography - "It Rhymes with Takei" - by George Takei
c. Technical horror - "Horrorstor" by Grady Hendrix
d. Novel in Verse - "Triangles" by Ellen Hopkins

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Rosanne: Make it fun and make it interesting. What are topics that they like to read about? Finding related topics or life experiences via characters will get your kid interested in reading, and especially hooked if it's a series. Reading with them, even practicing flash cards is a good guide to see how proficient they are. Starting with leveled readers (Lv 1, 2, 3, etc) is also a good place to start to see how many words they can read. Starting lower isn't a bad thing because it will give them confidence that they've "finished a book". [Not scientific at all, just my experience with my child.]

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

How do I pick the right book for my kids’ reading level?

[Prince William Public Library @PrinceWmLibrary]

Sharon: The youth services librarians at any branch are happy to help you with this! After we ask a few questions about your child's grade level, what they read at home or at school, and what their interests are, we can point you to the right type of book, be it picture book, easy reader, or chapter book. We also have other great options, like Wonder Books, which include a book and a built-in recording of the book being read.