Magic Tree House Book Group (O'Connell/Virtual)
Our Magic Tree House book group is for kids ages 5-10. Check out a copy of the book beforehand, or download it from the Libby app.
Our August book is Sea Otter Sunrise.
This book group will meet virtually and in person at the O'Connell Branch. Please register below if you would like to attend virtually. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants one hour before the event.
Need a laptop or hotspot to participate? Call the O'Connell Branch at 617-349-4019.
For questions about the Magic Tree House Book Club, please email cmeisler@cambridgema.gov.
Parent/Child (Ages 7-9) Book Group (Main)
Join us for a lively discussion of a great book in person at the Main Library! Snacks will be provided. For ages 7-9 and a parent or caregiver.
This month's book is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Mary Lennox is a sickly and spoiled 10-year-old girl sent to live with her reclusive uncle after the death of her parents. When she arrives at his rural estate she meets a cast of characters including a friendly housekeeper and a mysterious cousin who she hears crying at night. When Mary discovers a hidden garden that has been growing wild for years, she decides to restore it in secret. Choose either the original or one of our graphic novel adaptations and come ready to compare and contrast! Copies of this month's book are available at the Children's Desk.
Both caregiver and child should read the book before the discussion to participate. Registration is required — only one registration is needed per family.
For questions about parent/child book group, please email Rachel: rbeaton@cambridgema.gov
CPL Presents: Johnisha Matthews Levi, the author of Numbers Up (Main Library)
For four decades, Johnisha Matthews Levi believed a conventional story about her birth, picturing her happy parents at the hospital together. While sorting through her late mother's belongings, however, she discovered a document indicating that her father was instead serving time in Lorton Correctional Complex. This revelation, along with rumors about an FBI investigation of her deceased parents' "private business," leads Levi to unearth the hidden history of her family. She ties this story to public policy, demonstrating how state lottery legalization and the War on Drugs disrupted the Black institutions and communities in Washington, DC. Registration is required.
Sustaining Community: A Climate Change Book Group (Main)
The climate is changing, and we're all here on the planet together. Join us for a monthly community gathering and discussion of a variety of books about climate change. We will share thoughts, resources, and occasionally host special guests in a welcoming small-group environment.
For our December meeting, we will discuss This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein.
Copies of the book are available at the Main Library Q&A Desk. E-book copies of the book are available to borrow on the Libby app and audiobook copies are available immediately on the Hoopla app.
Registration is required. Please contact alengel@cambridgema.gov with questions.
Grand Reopening Party! (Collins)
Join us to celebrate the reopening of the Collins Branch! Come reconnect with Collins staff and neighbors and meet the new Branch Manager. Enjoy refreshments, crafts, and games in your neighborhood.
Weather permitting, the party will take place in the back yard.
Teen College Prep Panel (Main)
The Cambridge Youth Council is holding its first College Prep Panel to provide students with valuable insights on how to maximize their time in preparation for college success. Our panelists, with diverse post-graduation experiences, will share their perspectives to help students plan their futures. Light refreshments provided.
Summer Reading: Community Celebration and Community Build (O'Neill)
The original program scheduled for this day with Little Uprisings will be postponed. Please stay tuned for a new date.
The following description is for the program that will be on Saturday:
Join friends at the O'Neill Branch to build, build, BUILD your idea of a neighborhood and a community! Let your imagination run wild with LEGOs, Magna-Tiles and other building toys.
We will also have books about neighborhoods and a collaborative art project about our community.
For children ages 5 and up. Children under age 7 must be accompanied by a caregiver. LEGO pieces are choking hazards for young children.
The Practitioner's Story: Black Mens’ Perspective on The Core of Restorative Practice (Main)
Join us for a discussion with 5 Black men working restoratively in different contexts: at home with family, through meditation and yoga, on the sports field, in business, and in the courts providing health and mental wellness. How and why have these men chosen to create a Restorative climate inside institutions that have a history of violence against Black men and what tools are they using to keep the fire for this practice alive outside of the Talking Circle? Panelists include Sam Williams, a yogi, professor and healer; Damon Banks, a Social Worker and Chief Probation Officer; Omo Moses, the CEO of Math Talk and the author of The White Peril; Herman Banks, an educator and consultant; and Vinson Givans, a mitigation manager and football coach. The conversation will be moderated by Indi Wit The Tea, a journalist and media personality. This event is cosponsored by Cambridge Public Library.
Wiggle Party (O'Connell)
Join us for a dance party to get your wiggles out! Play a freeze dance game, shake some shakers, and learn the steps to the Macarena!
This program will take place indoors at the O'Connell Branch Library. For more information, please call the library at (617) 349-4019.
Wiggle Party (O'Connell)
Join us for a dance party to get your wiggles out! Play a freeze dance game, shake some shakers, and learn the steps to Cotton-Eye Joe!
This program will take place indoors at the O'Connell Branch Library. For more information, please call the library at (617) 349-4019.