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This week's selection: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, selected poems Reading Interests: We concentrate on Great Books in the following areas: a long novel over the summer, two sections of poetry and short stories, a book of the Bible, a Shakespeare play, an ancient and modern drama, a work of science, a smaller work of fiction, an even smaller work of fiction, and a rotating mix of politics, philosophy, and religion. Authors read in the past five years include Dickens, Keats and Yeats, O'Connor and Munro, Ecclesiastes, Sophocles and August Wilson, Darwin, Austen, Duras, The Federalist Papers, and Arendt. How to get the print book: Copies of the reading are set aside at the Main Library. Visit the Main Library at 449 Broadway during current service hours and a staff member can help you get a copy. How to register: Registration is required. Click the registration link below to register. This is a hybrid event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. For more information, contact Drew Griffin (dgriffin@cambridgema.gov)

This week's selection: Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Reading Interests: We concentrate on Great Books in the following areas: a long novel over the summer, two sections of poetry and short stories, a book of the Bible, a Shakespeare play, an ancient and modern drama, a work of science, a smaller work of fiction, an even smaller work of fiction, and a rotating mix of politics, philosophy, and religion. Authors read in the past five years include Dickens, Keats and Yeats, O'Connor and Munro, Ecclesiastes, Sophocles and August Wilson, Darwin, Austen, Duras, The Federalist Papers, and Arendt. How to get the print book: Copies of the reading are set aside at the Main Library. Visit the Main Library at 449 Broadway during current service hours and a staff member can help you get a copy. How to register: Registration is required. Click the registration link below to register. This is a hybrid event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. For more information, contact Drew Griffin (dgriffin@cambridgema.gov)

With magic, merry mayhem, and magnificent inflatable dinosaurs, Dinoman will take you on a trip through the Mesozoic Era. Recommended for children ages 4 and up and their caregivers. Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation and Friends of the Cambridge Public Library.

Join us for this free, hands-on class at the library! You’ll learn the basics of using a Chromebook, including how to navigate the home screen, connect to Wi-Fi, use apps, browse the internet, and manage files. Perfect for beginners—no prior experience needed! To view and register for other Basic Tech Classes at the Library, please go to tinyurl.com/basictechclass.

Join Nancy Porter, Director of Resilience and Emergency Preparedness with the Cambridge Public Health Department, for a discussion on how to keep yourselves and others safe in hotter temperatures. Older adults are more vulnerable in periods of high temperatures because the body cools itself down less effectively - especially if you have medical conditions or take certain medications. Registration requested but not required.

Jill Ahlstrand is the founder of Harvesting Flavor, where she teaches approachable, garden-to-table plant-based cooking that helps people feel energized, confident, and nourished. Through classes, workshops, and wellness programs, she makes healthy eating practical, seasonal, and deeply flavorful. Bowls are one of the easiest ways to eat plant-forward, but only when they’re built well. In this class, you’ll learn how to create balanced, satisfying bowls using simple components like grains, vegetables, proteins, and sauces. We’ll focus especially on how sauces bring everything together, so bowls are flavorful, filling, and easy to repeat at home. No special diet is required, just practical, delicious food.

Join us to craft homemade gifts this holiday season. Learn to create flowers made from tissue paper. Build a bouquet to take home for yourself or share with someone special. Recommended for children ages 6-12 with a caregiver. Tuesday, December 9: Paper Bead Jewelry Monday, December 15: Tissue Paper Flowers Please note: latecomers arriving after 4:30 p.m. may not have time to complete this project.

Join us for a walk at Fresh Pond as we explore the wonderful world of bugs! This program is open to all ages, from adults to children and their caregivers. Registration is required. We will meet at the Cambridge Water Department parking lot at the beginning of the event. For more information, contact Michael McGlathery at mmcglathery@cambridgema.gov or call the Boudreau Branch at 617-349-4017.

Most sexual violence is done by people we know. What can parents, teens, and community members do about it? Meg Stone, author of The Cost of Fear, will offer practical, gender-inclusive strategies for learning safety skills important for resisting coercion, intimidation, and violence. Avoiding violence is about developing skills, not following rules. Women receive advice like "don't wear a ponytail" or "don't shop alone." These tips lack evidence and come from male authorities who avoid questions. We will cover: Demonstration: Learn practical safety gender-inclusive skills. Resist Coercion: Skills to resist friends, those we know, or authority. Empowerment: Feel powerful in stressful situations. Community impact: Personal safety leads to social change. Registration is required.

Join us for a relaxing walk of Fresh Pond with Park Ranger Tim Puopolo! No two weeks are the same in nature, and Tim will share his insights about what's growing, changing, and blooming in the neighborhood. This walk is not on a paved path. We will walk on uneven terrain, down hills, and over roots. The meeting location for this walk will be in front of the Fresh Pond Ranger Station at 250 Fresh Pond Parkway (under the clock tower). Registration is required. This event can only accommodate a certain number of participants. One registration is good for one person. If you do not register, you cannot participate. Those on the waitlist will be contacted if a space becomes available.