Pittsburgh Adventures!

Pittsburgh has many identities, resulting in many nicknames and “known fors.”  

We’re the City of Bridges (446 to be exact, more than Venice) and of Staircases (over 700). To history nerds like me, it’s the “Gateway to the West,” the Steel City and the Iron City, because of our unique geography and industrial past. Sports fans call Pittsburgh the City of Champions, thanks to baseball, hockey and football legacies.

Da ‘Burgh is the home of yinzers and putting fries on everything. It’s the hometown of Mister Rogers and Beetlejuice himself, Michael Keaton. As the Paris of Appalachia, (have you ever heard anyone call us that?) Pittsburgh boasts world-class museums, universities and, of course, libraries.  

There are countless stories to be found in our city, yours included! Kick off your summer of adventure with these books set in Pittsburgh.  


You can sign up for a free library card here.

If you are new to our eResources, check out these tutorial videos on how to get started.     

If you’re looking for more book suggestions, we’re happy to recommend them to you! Use this Book Recommendation form to send us some information about what you like to read and we’ll curate a list just for you.    

If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can also call us at 412-622-3114 or email us at info@carnegielibrary.org 

Fleabrain Loves Franny

Pittsburgh in 1952. While recovering from polio, Franny Katzenback reads Charlotte’s Web and yearns for a Charlotte of her own. Instead, she gets an eloquent flea named Fleabrain who lives on her dog’s tail.  

This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla. 


The Floating Circus

In 1850s Pittsburgh, thirteen-year-old Owen leaves his younger brother and sneaks aboard a circus housed in a riverboat, where he befriends a freed slave, learns to work with elephants, and finally comes to terms with the choices he has made in his difficult life. 


Macaroni Boy

In Pittsburgh in 1933, sixth-grader Mike Costa notices a connection between several strange occurrences, but the only way he can find out the truth about what’s happening is to be nice to the class bully. 

This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on OverDrive/Libby. 


The Midnight Brigade

Three friends discover a kindhearted troll beneath a Pittsburgh bridge who teaches them the importance of friendship and raising their voices. 


Ophie's Ghosts

Discovering her ability to see ghosts when a cruel act ends her father’s life and forces her to move in with relatives in 1920s Pittsburgh, young Ophelia forges a helpful bond with a spirit whose own life ended suddenly and unjustly. 

This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby, in eAudio on Libby, as an eBook on Hoopla, and in eAudio on Hoopla.  


Panic in Pittsburgh

While recovering from a concussion, a young team captain stumbles upon an outrageous plot to steal hockey’s most coveted trophy.  He can’t be sure if his mind is playing tricks, or the danger is a terrible reality. 

This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on OverDrive/Libby. 


The Way Home Looks Now

Peter Lee and his family always shared a passion for baseball, until a devastating tragedy strikes. When his strict father volunteers to coach his baseball team, it rubs some of Peter’s teammates the wrong way, and Peter starts to wonder if playing baseball again was the right idea. 


Wolf Hollow

Twelve-year-old Annabelle must learn to stand up for what’s right in the face of a manipulative and violent new bully who targets people Annabelle cares about, including a homeless World War I veteran. 

This title is also available for checkout as an eBook and eAudio on OverDrive/Libby.