Wonderbook Read-alongs
Read. Listen. Wonder
A read-along experience like never before. Every Wonderbook is a print book with a ready-to-play audiobook inside. Kids will press play to read along with their favorite books and then switch to learning mode for literacy learning and fun.
In reading mode, the narrator reads the story aloud while you turn the pages. In learning mode, the story ends with a question and answer session to test your reading comprehension and knowledge.
Easy to Use:
- A solid green light indicates Wonderbook is in play mode.
- A flashing green light indicates Wonderbook is in pause mode.
- Wonderbook will turn off after 4 minutes of inactivity.
Fill your shelves with Wonder. Check out Wonderbooks for a 3 week loan period.
Popular Wonderbooks in English
Click on a Book Cover to place a hold OR stop in to check one out today!
Popular Wonderbooks in Spanish
Click on a Book Cover to place a hold OR stop in to check one out today!
Library Card Sign-up Month
Did you know September is National Library Card Sign-up Month?
This annual event helps encourage a love for reading and love for all things library. After all, the Library has so much to offer (books and so much more included). Here are some great ways that you can participate in National Library Card Sign-up Month.
1. Replace your library card for FREE.
2. Pick up your pin when you register for a new library card this month.
3. Send in a picture of your library card to socialmedia@muld.org or tag on us on Facebook/Instagram
4. Use your library card to access our plethora of online resources such as
5. Stop in and check out the NEW seed library and theatre resource collections
6. Come on in and see what the library can do for you today!
How can you get a library card?
If you live in our service area, you may get a library card free of charge, as part of your tax-supported library service.
Your library card allows you to:
- Borrow books and other circulating library material from Marengo-Union Library District and most other public libraries in Illinois.
- Gain access to digital content, such as: ebooks, audiobooks, music, movies, on-demand streaming and more.
- Access our research and learning databases.
- Check out items in our Library of Things collection, including Mobile Hotspots, Roku Box, Blu-Ray Player and more.
- Use our public computers.
Adults (age 19 and over) must register in person for a Library card and provide proof of residence within the Library District. Bring two forms of current identification. At least one of which must be a photo ID.
Acceptable forms of identification include:
- Driver’s License
- Non-driving state ID card
- Corporate issued ID card
- Passport
- Naturalization certificate
- Armed forces ID
- Government issued ID with photo (example: prison issued)
- Mortgage statement
- Rental lease
- Property deed
- Voter registration card
- Home insurance policy
- Vehicle insurance policy or card
- Credit/debit card with photo
- Mail postmarked within 30 days
- Current telephone, gas, electric, or cable bill, or other service provider billing statement
Youth between the ages of 4 and 18 qualify for a library card. A parent or legal guardian must be present when a library card is issued to sign as the responsible party.
The parent or guardian assumes responsibility for all charges incurred through use of their child’s card, as well as the content of material the child checks out.
Not a Resident?
For those outside of our service area, there is a $120 yearly fee which covers all members in your household.
Non-resident children may be eligible for a Library card free of charge thanks to the sponsorship by Cards for Kids Act.
Get Your Library Card
How can you get a library card?
If you live in our service area, you may get a library card free of charge, as part of your tax-supported library service.
Your library card allows you to:
- Borrow books and other circulating library material from Marengo-Union Library District and most other public libraries in Illinois.
- Gain access to digital content, such as: ebooks, audiobooks, music, movies, on-demand streaming and more.
- Access our research and learning databases.
- Check out items in our Library of Things collection, including Mobile Hotspots, Roku Box, Blu-Ray Player and more.
- Use our public computers.
Adults (age 19 and over) must register in person for a Library card and provide proof of residence within the Library District. Bring two forms of current identification. At least one of which must be a photo ID.
Acceptable forms of identification include:
- Driver’s License
- Non-driving state ID card
- Corporate issued ID card
- Passport
- Naturalization certificate
- Armed forces ID
- Government issued ID with photo (example: prison issued)
- Mortgage statement
- Rental lease
- Property deed
- Voter registration card
- Home insurance policy
- Vehicle insurance policy or card
- Credit/debit card with photo
- Mail postmarked within 30 days
- Current telephone, gas, electric, or cable bill, or other service provider billing statement
Youth between the ages of 4 and 18 qualify for a library card. A parent or legal guardian must be present when a library card is issued to sign as the responsible party.
The parent or guardian assumes responsibility for all charges incurred through use of their child’s card, as well as the content of material the child checks out.
Not a Resident?
For those outside of our service area, there is a $120 yearly fee which covers all members in your household.
Non-resident children may be eligible for a Library card free of charge thanks to the sponsorship by Cards for Kids Act.
Operation Dropbox
Accepting donations May 1st – May 31st
Marengo-Union Library will serve as a drop off location for Operation Dropbox throughout the month of May. Operation Dropbox is an annual campaign to gather household goods to benefit local veterans hosted by The McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) and in cooperation with its community partners.
The following items will be accepted at participating drop box locations:
- Non-perishable food
- Manual can openers
- Coffee pots and supplies
- Paper towels, napkins and toilet paper
- Personal hygiene products
- Household cleaning supplies
- New socks for men and women
- New pillows
Operation Dropbox not only supports local veterans, but also is an opportunity for MCDH and MRC volunteers to practice managing large quantities of supplies, as they would during a public health emergency. During the exercise, requested items will be sorted and organized into kits to be distributed to Veteran’s Path to Hope for allocation to veterans.
This project allows us to work closely with our partners to support veterans in McHenry County and is also an opportunity for MRC volunteers to exercise their emergency response skills in preparation for a public health emergency,” said Melissa Adamson, MCDH Public Health Administrator.
For more information about Veterans Path to Home, call (815) 321-4673 or visit veteranspathtohome.org. For more information about how to contribute to Operation Dropbox, please email or call at (815) 334-4500.
“Military veterans, by virtue of signing up to serve in the armed forces, were willing to put their lives on the line for their country. When they return to civilian life, they sometimes encounter unexpected challenges and food insecurity is one of them. It takes partnerships and collaborative efforts to address this challenge, and Operation Dropbox is an outstanding example of the community’s willingness to give back to those who served so selflessly. Hundreds of veteran households will be supported by this initiative and we thank all involved,” said Laura Franz, Executive Director of Veterans Path to Hope.
This program is made possible by:
Summer Reading Program 2022
Read Beyond the Beaten Path: June 1st through July 30th.
Are you ready for a fun challenge this summer? Grab your whole family and get ready for this year’s Summer Reading Program! The Marengo-Union Library District invites everyone from age 1-100, to Read Beyond the Beaten Path. Easily keep track of your progress by visiting muldreads.readsquared.com. Don’t want to complete a virtual log? Stop on in and pick up a paper log at the Front Desk!
Try to earn 1,000 points by reading 120 minutes each week over an 8 week period and completing 4 fun challenges, which vary by program. We will also offer all kinds of in person activities so be sure to take a look at the program guide for more upcoming events! Just for participating, you’re entered into a raffle for gift cards, coupons and more every week you complete. Once you’ve completed the program, you will receive a free book!
Looking for something to read, watch or listen to? The Library offers a variety of digital resources such as Hoopla, Overdrive, BiblioBoard and more.
To register for the program:
New Users:
• Visit muldreads.readsquared.com
• Click “Register” in the top right corner
• You can register as an individual or as a family
• Fill out the form to complete registration
Returning Users:
• Login to your account at muldreads.readsquared.com
• Select “Add Reader or Program” from the drop down menu
under “Account” in the top right corner
• Click the “Add Reader or Program” button
• Fill out the form to complete registration
To log reading:
• Access your account through muldreads.readsquared.com
• Select “Log Reading”, fill out the form and click “Submit”
• Select “Missions” to complete Summer Reading activities
• Switch “Reader Accounts” to log books for other readers
Marengo-Union Library District Summer Reading Program Preview
There are many ways to earn points to complete this summer’s challenge of 1,000 points. Even if you register online from home be sure to stop in at the library to pick up a lanyard to display the pins we will be handing out as you complete different goals. We will be drawing names for raffle prizes throughout the summer.
Thank you for our sponsors Friends of the Marengo-Union Library District, Hyper Stitch, Joe’s Place, Brookfield Zoo, Kane County Cougars, Marengo Greenhouse & Florist, the McHenry County Fair, and O’Reilly’s Auto Parts.
Important Dates
Pre-registration Open………………………………..…..………May 25
First day to record Summer Reading Logs………………………June 1
Summer Reading Magic Show Kickoff…………………..…June 6
Summer Reading Crafts Start……………………………….….June 7
Last Day to Register for SRP…..……………………………….….July 9
Last day to record Summer Reading Logs………………………July 30
Prize Winners Announced……………………………………August 7
Earth Day
Earth Day is April 22nd.
Saturday, April 23rd is the perfect day to celebrate the Earth with our scavenger hunt. View/Print your Earth Day Scavenger Hunt below OR you can pick one up from the Circulation Desk. Collect all the items on the list and turn those items into a masterpiece! Don’t forget to send us a picture of your creations to display to circulation@muld.org.
The books highlighted in Miss Jacki’s presentation today were:
- Planet Earth by Kathleen M Reilly, published by Nomad Press
- What a Waste Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French, published by DK Publishers
- Milk & Juice a Recycling Romance written by Meredith Crandell Brown, published by Harper an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
- A reference was made to the book How to Help the Earth by the Lorax with Tish Rabe, published by Random House
We encourage you take a hike as a family to appreciate the Earth. As you go on your hike look for the things on the scavenger Hunt Sheet. See what you can create from things you find on your hike to make a collage or a diorama. We would love for you to share a picture of your creation via our website circulation@muld.org. If you want to bring your project in to display at the library that would be cool too.
More of our Earth Day favorites are:
The Berenstain Bears Don’t Pollute (Anymore) by Stan & Jan Berenstain
Celebrating Earth Day by Elaine Landau
Earth Day Birthday by Pattie Schnetzler & illustrated by Chad Wallace
Earth Day Fun by Jennifer Franz
Earth’s Garbage Crisis by Christiane Dorion
Our Earth: Helping Out by Peggy Hock
Peppa Pig and the Earth Day Adventure published by Candlewick Entertainment
If physical books are not for you, we also have many ebooks via Hoopla.
Ebooks on Hoopla:
Earth Day by Emma Bernay, Emma Carlson Berne & Mike Bundad
Earth-Friendly Earth Day Crafts by Veronica Thompson
Every Day Is Earth Day by Harriet Dyer
Happy National Library Week
Connect with your Library
April 4-9th is National Library Week. This year, the theme is “Connect with Your Library”. In addition to all of our usual features and services we have several other ways that you can “connect” with us!
1. Send us a picture of your favorite reading spot.
Any and all reading spots welcome! We want to see how YOU like to read your books. Be sure to also tell us what your favorite read is when you submit your picture.
2. Dress up and participate in our theme days.
- Monday: Mismatched Day
- Tuesday: Sports Jersey Day
- Wednesday: Pajama Day
- Thursday: Crazy Hair Day
- Friday: Animation Day
- Saturday: Favorite Hat Day
3. Follow us on social media:
4. Check out the Children’s Book Sale at the Friend’s Book Store:
APRIL 1st to 30th, browse great deals for the youngest readers in your life! All levels of children’s books (easy through young adult) are only $0.05 for the entire month of April. These great deals are brought to you by the Friends of the Marengo-Union Library District. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
5. Register for one of our many programs!
April has an incredible line up of events. Here’s some of our favorites:
We cannot wait to see how you all connect with us this week.
Art of the Land
Art of the Land Photo contest is on Display.
Through the month of March the Library is hosting the Art of the Land photo contest from the Land Conservancy of McHenry County. Stop by to see the best of the beautiful landscapes that our county has to offer!
Congratulations to the first place winner:
Photo credit to Jay Florian and the Land Conservancy of McHenry County
“The judges liked the whimsical quality of the photograph and its beautiful background. They said it was well seen by the photographer, and they noted the good detail on the bird.” – the Land Conservancy of McHenry County
Congratulations!
Winter Reading Program 2022
Reading is Snow Much Fun: January 3rd – February 28th
It’s that time of year again! This year’s theme is “Reading is Snow Much Fun!” Get ready. The program begins January 3rd and will run through February 28th. Participants may log in using ReadSquared OR use a paper log to track their progress! There are 12 levels of challenges for you to complete the program. Once you finish all the levels, you will be entered in a raffle drawing!
Looking for something to read, watch or listen to? The Library offers a variety of digital resources such as Hoopla, Overdrive, BiblioBoard and more.
To register for the program:
New Users:
• Visit muldreads.readsquared.com
• Click “Register” in the top right corner
• You can register as an individual or as a family
• Fill out the form to complete registration
Returning Users:
• Login to your account at muldreads.readsquared.com
• Select “Add Reader or Program” from the drop down menu
under “Account” in the top right corner
• Click the “Add Reader or Program” button
• Fill out the form to complete registration
To log reading:
• Access your account through muldreads.readsquared.com
• Select “Log Reading”, fill out the form and click “Submit”
• Select “Missions” to complete Summer Reading activities
• Switch “Reader Accounts” to log books for other readers
Important Dates
Registration Open…………………………….………….December 30th
First day to record Winter Reading Logs……………………January 3rd
Last day to record Winter Reading Logs…………………February 28th
Prize Winners Announced……………………………..……..March 4th