Braddock Eagle Library Blog

FCPS Databases - Free Access for All

FCPS purchased databases are a perfect solution for homework and research projects.  Remember you must use the username and password to access databases from outside of school.  Please contact Noel Foley at 703 914-7343 or Noel.Foley@fcps.edu

Grolier Kids - provides access to seven different encyclopedias, atlas, dictionary, magazine articles, and selected Web sites.

World Book Kids - a great site for younger students that promotes creativity and wonder in learning.

Early Peoples - learn about ancient civilizations.

Early World of Learning - click on a subject icon and learn.

CultureGrams - experience the cultures of over 89 countries in reports that include maps, flags, history, and colorful images.

Marshall Cavendish - a wonderful resource with timelines, maps, photographs.  Be sure to browse the Ancient and Medieval World collection and Exploring Ancient Civilizations.

Kids InfoBits - from the Gale suite of databases.  Kids InfoBits is a database developed especially for beginning researchers in Kindergarten through Grade 5.

Digital Books - full text books available online.

myON Books - Online fiction and non-fiction books. Each school has a unique username and password. See your teacher or librarian for access information.

TumbleBooks - animated picture books.

Tumble Readables - full text children's and young adult books, many with audio.

PebbleGo Animals - fun database about all kinds of animals!

TumbleBook Library & TumbleReadables

The TumbleBookLibrary & TumbleReadables are exciting new resources that put an entire e-book library in the hands of every Braddock Eagle! 

The TumbleBookLibrary is a collection of TumbleBooks (animated, talking picture books,) TumblePuzzles, and TumbleQuizzes, as well as TumbleResources for teachers. TumbleBooks are created from existing picture books which have been licensed from children's book publishers and converted to the TumbleBook format.

The TumbleBookLibrary is easy to navigate: 

• The catalog has book descriptions, book reviews, and author/illustrator/publisher information.
• View a TumbleBook by clicking on the ‘View Online” button or on the cover of the book.
• The index page lists all the TumbleBooks and TumbleGames.  Click on the hyperlink and it will take you right to that TumbleBook.
• Scroll through the collection in any of the sections to read the descriptions and view the reading levels.

Explore the site by checking out all the books, games and features:

• TumbleSearch - search by title, author, publisher, and language. In addition, you can search by reading levels: in both Automatic and Manual modes.
• Automatic/Manual Button - in automatic mode, the pages turn by themselves and are narrated; in manual mode, the narration is turned off and users turn the pages at their own speed.
• The Pause Button - both the student and teacher can use the pause button to stop the story at any time in order to practice story prediction, interpret pictures, discuss new vocabulary words, empathize with a character, discuss possible consequences of actions, encourage problem solving, or provide historical, geographical, or other perspectives.
• Word Helper - allows the reader to click on a book to hear a sentence repeated, or click on a vocabulary word in order to hear it pronounced.
• Reading Levels - each title has recommended reading levels for both automatic and manual modes. Click on the reading level to see other books at the same level.
• Books in Spanish & French - the Language Learning section has a growing collection of books in Spanish and French.  The drop down menu on the top right hand corner of the site allows you to view the entire site in Spanish or French.
• TumblePlayer - allows students, teachers, librarians and parents to preload a number of TumbleBooks in an online player in order to be played one after another.

TumbleReadables: Your Online Read-Along Collection is a  collection of large print and read-along chapter books.TumbleReadables are online electronic books which include our innovative text size slider which enables the reader to increase the text size to up to 34PT. Perfect for reluctant, emergent, ESL and middle schoolers whojustlove to read! 

Why Not Just Google?

Everybody knows how fast and easy it is to go to google and type in your query.  So why should you go to all the extra trouble of accessing these databases and remembering a password?

• Accuracy and Authority - the information in the databases has already been checked for accuracy and authority, there is no advertising, most articles come with prepared citations, and there are no problematic links for content.
• Safety on the Internet - these centrally purchased databases keep Braddock students safer on the Internet.
• Information - the databases give students better information, more specific searches, and have already been professionally evaluated for content.

So hop on a database and explore!