 
Books and Me Children's Chinese Library, founded in 2005 by the Zhaoyu Cultural Foundation, is the first Children's library in Northern California that aggregates more than 6000 Chinese books, audio/visual media for young children.
We also offer FREE Mandarin Story Time on Saturdays. Art, Kindergarten Chinese, Cantonese, Abacus, and others classes are taught in Mandarin with a fee to facilitate a Chinese immersion environment.
- Please Note: If you plan to visit our library, please EMAIL us to make an appointment with your Books and Me library ID number before your visit so we can arrange a librarian on site.
For safety during the pandemic, we allow only one family/one individual at a time inside the library to protect the little ones. VIP members has an option for "Pick-Up service" at the door.
Please do NOT visit us when you have any cold-related symptoms. All visitors who come to visit our library will be required to show us their proof of Covid19 vaccines. A mask is still required for all members and visitors age 2 and older. Thank you for your cooperation!
Our librarians will be answering questions via email. Please email librarian@zhaoyu.org if you need to contact us.
- 2022 Summer Class Registration Starts NOW!
Please read our Health and Safety Protocols carefully and make sure you can comply with the rules for in person classes. Otherwise, please sign up online groups.
Please read the description below and details in each flyers carefully to choose the right group. To register, please fill out Summer 2022 Class Registration Form ! You will receive a PayPal invoice within 2 business days for payment. Registration is not completed until you make the payment.
* Summer 2022 accepts partial term registration, please read the specific requirements for each class below.
Please finish the registration process (including payment) at least two days before the first class date. Urgent request within two days before the class starts can be emailed to librarian@zhaoyu.org. If approved, a $10 per class session urgent process fee will be charged on the PayPal invoice.
*All classes are open to our members only, and require parent participation or present when classes held in the library.
* Most classes are taught in Mandarin, but all teachers are bilingual.
*Class sizes are small and popular classes filled out soon. Our policy is first come first serve, so please register now to get your spot!
*All physical classes, except Music Circle Time, do not allow parents/guardians inside the classrooms in order to give students a chance to learn independently.
*Due to Covid-19 pandemic, only parents and guardians of students younger than 5 are required to wait in the reading room/the library till the class ends. These parents must provide proof of full immunization for Covid-19. In Person students 5 years and older also need to provide proof of full immunization.
- Summer Wonderful Art Class
Professional art teacher will lead your children to try various art media (sketch, watercolor, charcoal, acrylic....) and improve their drawing and painting skills. Children move through levels based on age and skill development.
Session A - Pastel and Oil Pastel: 6/4-6/25.
Session B - Watercolor: 8/6-8/27.
* No class offered in July. Minimum 2 weeks per session for partial term registration.
Please choose groups by age:
In Person Groups:
Senior group (WA61): 9:30-10:30, for 8-11 years and older
Kinder group (WA62): 10:45-11:30, for 4-7 year olds.
Advance group (WAADV): 3:45-5:45(2 hours), for 11+ or younger students by invitations only.
Art Portfolio Group (WAPRO): will not be offered in Summer 2022. Please register WAADV above.
Online Groups:
Junior group (WA63V): 11:45-12:30, for 4-7 year olds.
Tween group (WA64V): 12:45-1:45, for 8-11 year olds.
Adult group (WA6AV): 2:30-3:30, for 18+ students, siblings, parents, grandparents are all welcome.
- Summer Mandarin Chinese Class
All NEW curriculum and teaching method for your 3-6 years old! Learn to recognize Chinese characters in this fun class filled with songs, rhymes, games, and stories! 100% Mandarin Immersion.
Class meets on Saturdays:
Session A: 6/4-7/16, 5 weeks, no class 6/11 & 7/2.
Session B: 7/23-8/25, 6 weeks.
* Minimum 3 weeks for session A, and minimum 4 weeks for session B for partial term registration.
In Person Groups:
MC60: for 3-6 year olds, 9:30-10:15 am. Accepting Beginners
MC61: for 3-4 year olds, 10:20-11:10 am. Accepting Beginners
MC62: for 4-6 year olds, 11:20 am-12:05 pm.
- Summer Cantonese for Young Children
Instructed by professional teacher who is also a native Cantonese speaker.
Class will meet on Saturday mornings.
Session A: 6/4-7/16, 6 weeks, no class 7/2.
Session B: 7/23-8/25, 6 weeks.
* Minimum 4 weeks per session for partial term registration.
All online Groups:
CT62V (7-12 year olds): 9:00-9:50, for advance students.
CT61V (5-8 year olds): 10:00-10:50
CT60V (4-8 year-olds): 11:00-11:50, for beginners with basic Cantonese listening skills.
- Summer Abacus and Mental Math Class
Plan to improve your child's math skills and learn to focus in the new school year? Come join the effective Elementary Abacus class. Our students, age 5 and above, won medals at regional competition! In the weekly class, they learn clear place values and number sense, and improve computation speed by special Abacus technics. Build solid foundation in math and gain confidence in the future class!
Summer Abacus Classes will be all online and only offered in June.
* Minimum 3 weeks for summer session if registering partial term.
Tuesday Online Groups
Summer Session: 5/31-6/21, 4 weeks.
ABA21V: 3:30-4:30 , accepting Beginners
ABA22V: 4:30-5:30 , accepting Beginners
ABA23V: 5:30-6:30
ABA24V: 6:30-7:30 (Advance group, by invitation only.)
Saturday Online Groups (Please note new class time!)
Summer Session: 6/4-6/25, 4 weeks.
ABA60V: 1:30-2:30
ABA61V: 2:30-3:30
ABA62V: 3:30-4:30
ABA63V: 4:30-5:30
For further question regarding Summer 2022 Classes, please email librarian@zhaoyu.org.
- Information about Spring 2022 Online Classes:
Spring Wonderful Art Class
Spring Mandarin Chinese Class
Spring Cantonese for Young Children
Spring Abacus and Mental Math Class
To register Spring 2022 Online Classes, please fill out Winter/Spring 2022 Online Class Registration Form.
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- Books & Me Children's Chinese Library is open to MEMBERS only.
Membership is free. You will need a Books and Me Library Card to use the facility and check out library items. Please read our library policy carefully.
**To apply for a library card , please use this link: to apply online and email a proof of California Residency to librarian@zhaoyu.org to complete the application and need to pick up the library card later in person
**VIP Membership: Make a donation (min. $40/year) every year to receive borrowing privilege and priority in class registration; and help Books and Me Library provide better service to our community. Please fill out the form here .
or email us at librarian@zhaoyu.org for details.
**All check-out procedures have to be completed 15 minutes before closing time. It will be greatly appreciated if you can reserve enough time to browse and borrow our library materials when visiting the library.
**Due to our members' generosity, limited space, and the pandemic, we CANNOT accept any donation of books and Audio/Visual materials (CDs, VCDs, VHS, or cassette tapes) until further notice. We really appreciate your support to Books and Me Library
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- FREE TUESDAY Baby/Toddler ALL Mandarin ONLINE Story Time and Songs, 11:00-11:30am
Suitable for children and babies aged 9 month to 5 year-old.This event is open to all members. Parents/guardian participation and weekly sign-up are required.
Due to many of our regular attendants starting preschool, we have very low attendance for the past month. We now will canel this event until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience. We will email you a new link each week to the Zoom Meeting by end of Monday night.
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Free Saturday ONLINE Mandarin Story Time: 11:30-Noon.
Children's stories told in Mandarin, for children 3 to 12 year old only.
All members are welcomed to join us with their children but weekly sign-up online is required.
Please sign up here by 7:00pm on Friday. We will email a new Zoom Link every week to the parents who sign up by Friday night.
- Library Operating Hours:
| Monday |
11 am - 3 pm; visits by appointment only |
| Tuesday |
11 am - 3 pm ; visits by appointment only |
| Wednesday |
11 am - 3 pm ; visits by appointment only |
| Thursday |
11 am - 3 pm; visits by appointment only |
| Friday |
Noon - 3 pm; visits by appointment only |
| Saturday |
Noon - 3 pm; Visits by appointment only |
| Sunday |
closed |
4600 El Camino Real,
Suite 205
Los Altos, CA 94022
Tel: 650-941-4379 , Email: librarian@zhaoyu.org
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- Books and Me has thousands of books and audio/visual
materials for children, in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
Topics cover natural sciences,
history, culture, education, parenting and more.
- To renew library items, please email to
librarian@zhaoyu.org. You only can renew once per item.
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Library Theme - Dragon Boat Festival
Suggested Reading List (Chinese editions):
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Book: The Legend of The White Snake
The Legend of the White Snake is a Chinese fairytale about a snake spirit who falls in love with a human named Xu Xuan, and the ensuing chaos that follows. The story tells the tale of magic, manipulation, deceit, and the desire for free-love. The legend has been a traditional folktale throughout China and is considered one of China’s four great folktales. This series of "[China Chapter] of Classic Stories " has been rewritten by famous writers, and represents oriental classics in a way suitable for adult and children to read together. Traditional Chinese, Zhuyin, great for children 5 and older.
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Book: The Wandering Poet
Written by: Liang Lin
Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BC) was a Chinese poet and minister who lived during the Warring States period of ancient China. However, King Huai (reigned 328–299 BC) exiled Qu Yuan to the region north of the Han River, because corrupt ministers slandered him and influenced the king. During his exile, he spent much of this time collecting legends and rearranging folk odes while traveling the countryside. Furthermore, he wrote some of the greatest poetry in Chinese literature and expressed deep concerns about his state. Popular legend has it that villagers desperately tried to save Qu Yuan after he immersed himself in the Miluo River but were too late to do so. In order to keep fish away from his body, they beat drums and splashed the water with their paddles, and also threw rice into the water to distract the fish away. The act to search for his body in boats gradually became the cultural tradition of dragon boat racing, held on the anniversary of his death every year. Since then Qu Yuan is treated as "China's first patriotic poet". The festival series includes different styles of illustrations, prints, and paper art, allowing children to experience the beauty of the classics. Traditional Chinese, Zhuyin, great for children 5 and older.
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- Volunteers:
The success of Books & Me depends on your involvement. We
are looking for volunteers in many fields. Please write to hr@zhaoyu.org if you are interested in
lending a hand.
- Library Assistant/Admin
- Marketing Assistant
- Storyteller/Activity Teacher
- Activity Organizer
- Web Engineer
- Representives from Chinese schools
- Book Carriers
- Equipment:
Your junk can be a treasure for us. Please contact gift@zhaoyu.org for equipment
donations.
- Chinese children's audio CDs with or without books
- Chinese children's videos
- A flat screen computer monitor 19" or larger
- A Computer projector SVGA resolution or better
- A Projector screen
Due to space constrain, we do not accept
English books, books for adults (except parenting books), and homework
practice type of books. We also do not accept toys and craft items
unless specified on the website.
- Donations:
Public support is essential to the success of the Library. Your
donation to Books & Me through the Zhaoyu Cultural
Foundation is tax deductible. A small donation can help us bring
more books and better service to your children and the community. For
more information, please click here, or contact us at: gift@zhaoyu.org.
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