Reading Stars Tutoring

Free Reading Tutoring for Grades 1 – 6

Reading STARS graphic

Reading Stars is part of LA County Library’s no-cost tutoring services and is open to enrolled students in Grades 1 – 6. The program aims to help motivate students to become better readers while breaking the economic barrier of private tutoring and providing a supportive fun learning environment. 30 locations will be offering services weekly from January 28 – May 22, 2025. Students and tutors will meet one day each week for hour-long appointments. All tutoring takes place at the participating library location and all materials will be provided.

Online Tutoring & Student Resources

Looking for additional learning resources for students?

We offer online tutoring for students in grades K – 12 via Brainfuse, available from 1 to 10 pm in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Tutors cover math, science, English, social studies, and essay review.

Our Students page also highlights additional learning resources, recommended reading, and more!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the requirements to register and enroll my student?

Reading Stars tutoring will be available to students currently enrolled in Grades 1 – 6 who reside in the community of participating library locations. Appointments will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, depending upon availability.

When will tutoring take place?

Students will meet with a tutor for a 60-minute appointment each week from January 28-May 22, 2025. Tutoring appointments will be available Tuesday-Thursday afternoons. All tutoring will take place at the specified library location.

Is my student guaranteed to be enrolled if I fill out the online Interest Form?

Enrollment in Reading Stars tutoring will be done on a first-come, first-served basis depending on availability.

When can I sign my student up to participate in the program?

Registration will open in early January 2025. Sign-up to receive notification via email when registration opens here

Will my student need to attend every appointment? What happens if we need to miss an appointment?

We have a limited number of tutors and appointments, so for the success of your student please try to attend all appointments. If there are multiple absences or the student can no longer participate, we will place another student in the tutoring time slot. Additional information will be provided at the student’s first tutoring appointment.

Who will be tutoring my student?

LA County Library has contracted with the tutoring company StudentNest to provide professional services. They have provided tutoring throughout the United States for more than 20 years. Learn more about them here.

Can a parent or guardian be present during tutoring?

Parents and guardians are welcome to remain in the tutoring area or take advantage of the variety of materials and resources available at the Library like books, magazines, computers, and more!

Connect with Us!

While our participating libraries aim to partner with their local elementary schools for student referrals, please feel free to submit the following Interest Form for additional information.

complete interest form

Made Possible by the American Rescue Plan emblem
Reading Stars funding provided by the American Rescue Plan and established thanks to a County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors motion, authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn, which was unanimously approved in October 2023. Tutoring was also developed in response to requests from parents and caregivers at past Community Feedback Sessions held by LA County Library in 2016 and 2022.

Kindle Paperwhite eReader

Welcome to a New Way to Read...

Have you walked into a library and wished you could check out more books than you could possibly carry? Check out a Kindle Paperwhite at participating libraries with a collection of titles that you are sure to enjoy. Each Kindle has been loaded with expert-selected books.

You don’t need internet access - all the books are pre-loaded onto the Kindle so you are ready to read.

Three week checkout
Renew up to 3 times, as long as no one else is waiting
Must be 18 or older (or under 18 with parent permission)
eBooks cannot be added to this device by user

How do I get one?

Visit a participating library to check out or place a hold on a Kindle Paperwhite. Kindles are not sent to other libraries for pick up.
Note: Selection of genres varies per library. Click on a library below to see the list of genres.

Library Locations with eReaders

Click on the library to view list of genres available.

Laptops in this kiosk can be checked out by customers with a LA County Library card in good standing. The laptop is due back in the kiosk before the library closes on the same day it is checked out.

If you do not return the laptop to the kiosk on the same day you check it out, your library account will be charged the full replacement cost of the laptop.

When you check out a laptop from this kiosk, you agree to use it within the library only. If you remove the laptop from the library, you may held criminally responsible for theft of the laptop and/or be charged the full replacement cost of the laptop.

You are responsible for the laptop and you agree that you will reimburse the LA County Library for any damages if the laptop is damaged, lost or stolen while checked out to you.

If you check out a laptop and it is damaged, you will give it to library staff immediately.

You must save to a removable storage device (such as a USB drive) since your work will not be saved to the laptop beyond your current checkout.

LA County Library will not be held responsible for any damage or loss of data or media due to any cause while you are using a laptop from this kiosk.

By using this laptop, you must adhere to the Library’s Acceptable Use Policy. Laptops are available at the following libraries:

Consumer Health Information Program

The Consumer Health Information Program assists the public with medical research by providing information from reliable sources. Customers are invited to use the Norwalk Library collection which consists of books, magazines, videos, and online databases related to health topics. We also provide individualized research services.

Please be aware, we do not provide medical advice, nor are the materials we provide a substitute for a professional medical opinion.

What Can We Do for You?

We can provide you with information on topics such as:

Medical conditions or diseases
Prescription medications
Surgical procedures
General physician and hospital information
Book and website recommendations for further reading

How to Contact Us

Location: Norwalk Library

Phone: (562) 868-4003

Fax: (562) 868-4065

Email: chips@library.lacounty.gov

Online Resources

Health Databases *

Health & Fitness eBooks and Audiobooks *

Family Place

What is Family Place?

A Family Place Library is a center for early childhood information, parent education, emergent literacy, socialization, and family support. Family Place builds on the knowledge that good health, early learning, parent involvement, and supportive communities play a critical role in young children's growth and development. Each Family Place Library features the following core elements:

A bright, colorful, and welcoming space for young children and their parents.
A collection of books, toys, videos, music, and other materials for babies, toddlers, parents, and service providers
Access to resources that emphasize emergent literacy, reading readiness, and parent education.
Developmentally appropriate programming, such as baby and toddler storytimes for younger children and their parents.
Outreach to new and underserved populations.
The Parent-Child Workshop is a five-week workshop featuring local professionals, such as nutritionists, speech and language therapists, and child development experts, who serve as resources for parents.

The first three years of a child's life lay the foundation for learning. Get the tools and resources you need to give your child the best possible start.

Family Place Library Children playing music in Family Place Library

LA County Library Californiana Collection

Accessing the Collection

The Californiana Collection is in closed stacks at the Norwalk Library located at 12350 Imperial Hwy, Norwalk, CA 90650.

About the Collection

The Californiana Collection consists of over 24,000 books and over 200 magazine and newspaper titles in paper and on microfilm as well as a collection of state documents including state and county budgets. The goal of this collection is to present a complete picture of the history, culture, environment and artistic expression of the people of California and to some extent, the western United States.

Collection Highlights

California Census Schedules from 1850 to 1910
Copies of The Alta California newspaper 1849-1891, as well as dozens of other 19th century newspapers from Gold Rush boomtowns, the Owens Valley and San Francisco
The Los Angeles Star newspaper 1851-1879
City directories dating from the 19th century
Official city and county histories from the 19th and 20th centuries
Materials on the Donner Party, California water projects, famous California crimes, Hollywood culture, biographies of Californians, pioneer narratives of the early days of California, and histories of the state written over the course of 150 years