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NURTURING OUR YOUNGACLA and its member libraries have expanded its services and resources for our young community members and their parents. ACLA%u2019s Youth Services offer a variety of unique learning and exploration opportunities inside and outside of the library walls. Here are some of our 2024 Youth Services highlights.EXPANDING OUR CHILDREN%u2019S READING OPPORTUNITIESACLA%u2019s libraries and several schools have partnered to celebrate and promote two popular reading programs for our youth - Children%u2019s Choice Awards (CCA) and Picture Book Children%u2019s Choice Awards (PBCCA).The CCA is hosted annually by the ACLA and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) and celebrates reading, while encouraging students in grades 3-6 to read three of the titles to attend the culminating event.A committee, made up of representatives from ACLA, AIU, Spark Books, Bethel Park Public Library and Northland Public Library chose the following eight titles.%u2022 Control Freaks by J.E. Thomas %u2022 Don%u2019t Trust the Cat by Kristen Tracy %u2022 Lasagna Means I Love Youby Kate O%u2019Shaughnessy %u2022 Lo and Behold by Wendy Mass %u2022 Nothing Else but Miracles by Kate Albus %u2022 The Book No One Wanted to Read by Richard Ayoade %u2022 The Museum of Lost and Found by Leila Sales %u2022 You Are Here, Connecting Flights by Ellen Oh The 2024 CCA winning title was Lasagna Means I Love You by Kate O%u2019Shaughnessy. Participants attended the culminating event, which was hosted at Commonwealth Charter Academy in Homestead and featured keynote author Ann E. Burg. More than 500 students from 17 Allegheny County school districts, one charter school and six school districts from outside of Allegheny County attended the event.ACLA also hosts a program for students in grades K-2. The Picture Book Children%u2019s Choice Awards is similar to the CCA, allowing the students to vote on their favorite title. Last year%u2019s winner was Bad Drawerby Seth Fishman and friends. In addition, the Office of Commonwealth Libraries provides materials for the Pennsylvania One Book Initiative. This program highlights the importance of early literacy development in young children and the significance of reading early and often to children, as well as engaging them in conversation and other activities around books. The 2024 title was Slug in Love by Rachel Bright.