Library Events

2:00-3:00

November 17, December 15
January 26

 

Enjoy free play and building with LEGO at our monthly LEGO Club.
We also have LEGO books and LEGO Club Magazine that kids can use for inspiration.

Children learn and have fun while they share, play, and build with LEGO in the library. 

For kids ages 3-10, 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 6, November 3, December 1
January 5, February 9, March 1, April 5

Please don't bring your own LEGO! We have plenty for everyone to use. We also have Duplos for younger children.

Thank you to the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library for generously supplying us with the materials for this event!
 

NOTE: Starting in July, there will be ONE session of Spanish Circle Time. It will take place each Thursday from 10:30-11 a.m.

Los jueves.  La  sesión empreza a las 10:30.

Join Señora Geiza every Thursday for a rousing half-hour program of Spanish songs and rhymes. Great for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and their grown-ups. 
  Sponsored by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.

7:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 5, December 3
THERE WILL BE NO PROGRAM IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER.

Wear your PJs & bring a favorite lovey as we read some stories and sing some songs. After our stories and songs, we will do a simple craft!
Perfect for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and their grown-ups.

Registration is optional, but allows us to notify you of schedule changes.

Please register the child, not the adult and include a parent's e-mail address.


 

NOTE: There is only one Circle Time program in July -- on Tuesday, July 16 with Ms. Kati. She will lead Circle Times at 10 a.m. and at 11 a.m. that day. Circle Time will resume its normal weekly schedule with Ms. Karen on Tuesday, August 6.

Sign your child up here if you want to receive notification of Circle Time cancelations.  Rarely, but once in while, we have to skip Circle Time because of storms, ice, sickness - unexpected events.

Note: there are two 30 minute Circle Times, one from 10-10:30 a.m. and the second from 11-11:30 a.m. Because of crowding, we ask people to attend one or the other. Thanks!

We do close sometimes!  For Monday holidays we usually close Sundays as well.  If the library is closed, the computer rooms are also closed. 

Because of weather, we may close unexpectedly on other days.  Always check if you have doubts.  301.891.7259    When this happens, scheduled programs are cancelled or postponed.

TO KEEP UPDATED AS TO WHETHER THE SCRIBBLER'S CABAL WILL TAKE PLACE ON A FRIDAY, PLEASE REGISTER!
Calling all young artists! Please join us to draw together occasional Fridays at 4 p.m. Our Scribbler's Cabal program is led by Dave Burbank, library assistant and artist extraordinaire. Bring a sketchbook, pencil or pen, and your creativity, and come draw with Dave! All are welcome, but we ask that you register because Dave is off every third Friday or so. We'll send an weekly email reminder to everyone who registers so you'll know whether the program is taking place.
  Sponsored by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.

THERE WILL BE NO BABYTIME ON OCTOBER 23!

Calling all babies, ages birth through 18 months: it's time for Babytime! For 4 Wednesday mornings in October from 11-11:30 a.m., we'll meet to sing songs and rhymes, learn some fingerplays, and read some simple stories. Don't worry if your little one sleeps at this time in the morning. Just bring them and prepare to have fun meeting other parents and caregivers as you learn some fun ways to interact with your little one. (Note: this program is offered as a package of four classes; please register only if you can make all four classes, barring illness, as we often have people on our waiting list. Thanks for understanding.)
PLEASE REGISTER USING YOUR CHILD'S NAME, NOT YOURS. THANK YOU.

What makes a masterpiece a masterpiece? Why do certain books continue to be read through the years? The Friends Big Book Club is dedicated to answering these questions. The group meets several times a year to do a deep analysis of a great book. This Fall’s selection is William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. Discussions will begin on October 23 at Historic Takoma (7328 Carroll Ave.), with a reception and lecture by GWU Professor Evelyn Schreiber. Club members will meet at the Takoma Park Community Center for further discussions on Wednesdays November 6, November 20 and December 4. All discussions will begin at 7:30 p.m. Copies of Faulkner’s landmark American novel in a Norton Critical Edition are now available at the Library. All are welcome to attend the Friends book discussions. Sponsored by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.

Join game-master Dave Burbank for this monthly session of Alternative Games, including Dungeons & Dragons. The event, which takes place from 2-4 p.m., is aimed at kids ages 8 up; registration required. NOTE: The program normally takes place the last weekend of the month, but sometimes is on Saturday and sometimes Sunday. We'll send an email with the latest program date to all who are registered.
 

Join storyteller extraordinare Candace Wolf for some pre-Halloween spooky tales. Two shows: 7:745 p.m., with less scary stories for kids ages 5-7; 7:50-8:50 p.m., with scarier stories for ages 8 up. Sponsored by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.

 


Welcome, bienvenue, babies, toddlers, preschoolers and your grown-ups!  Join Madame Marie as she leads us in French songs and rhymes. You don't need to know French to enjoy this program.
Registration optional.  If you do register, we can let you know the next date for the program, and also contact you in case of cancellation.

Sponsored by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.

Kids ages 5-10 are invited to come and build a bird feeder from recycled materials on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. The program will be led by Lena Van Praagh, a Takoma Park resident and founder of the Purple Elephant Kids' World summer camp. The camp specifically focuses on usng natural and recycled materials and having kids repurpose them into art. Spaces are limited for this program, so registration is required for this event.

Join us Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. when Eaglebear brings his family and friends to present a program of songs, dances and stories that showcase their Apache and Xicano heritage. This popular annual program is a great way to celebrate American Indian Heritage Month! All ages are welcome, and no registration is required. Thanks to the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library for sponsoring our program. Sponsored by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.

It's time for Toddler Time! For three Wednesday mornings in November, we'll gather from 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. to sing songs and rhymes, read a few stories and do lots -- and LOTS! -- of movement exercises. Most importantly, we'll have fun together! Note: this program is offered as a package of three classes; please register only if you can make three classes (barring illness, of course) as we often have people on our waiting list. Thanks for understanding!

PLEASE REGISTER USING YOUR CHILD'S NAME, NOT YOURS. THANK YOU.

On Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m., award-winning author Minh Le will present his third picture book, The Perfect Seat. Illustrated by Gus Gordon, the book hilariously portrays the saga of a father and child trying to find the perfect seat in which to snuggle and read together. In its review, Kirkus said: “Le’s little story, a sort of metafictive prequel to the act children and caregivers are engaging in in reading this very book, is delightfully presented. Gordon's watercolor, pencil, crayon, and collage illustrations in soft shades of greens, browns, and grays illustrate each of the possibilities with gentle humor.”
Le is a Takoma Park resident and the author of Let Me Finish! and Drawn Together, which was chosen as the 2019 picture book winner of the Asian Pacific American Literature Award. The award is given by the Asian Pacific American Libraries Association, an affiliate of the American Library Association.

Join us for this fun, once-a-month "Comics Book Club" program which takes place on the second Tuesday each month at 4 p.m., Sept.-June. At our program Library Associate Dave Burbank reads comics aloud; as he reads, the comics are projected on a big screen so that everyone can follow along. The program concludes with Dave, who is our staff artist, taking drawing requests from the audience. No registration required.

On Monday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m., author/illustrator Inno Nagara, known for his best-selling picture book, A Is For Activist, will present his new book, M Is For Movement, a highly-illustrated, fictionalized memoir of a child in Indonesia (as Nagara was) discovering the importance of activism. For this event, Nagara will be in conversation with kids author Hena Khan as the two discuss the importance of activism in the lives of both kids and adults. In its review, Kirkus called the book “a powerful narrative that encourages long-term awareness, work, sacrifice, and patience in order to effect change for all people. Inspiring.”

Politics & Prose will be selling copies of Nagara's books, but our event is free and no purchase is required.

Join our family book club -- our Caldecott Club! Each month, we read 4 new picture books -- all possibilities for the Caldecott Medal. We discuss each book, using our "kid-friendly" Caldecott criteria, then vote on our favorite at the end of each night. Lemonade and cookies (including gluten-, nut- & dairy-free alternatives) are served at each Caldecott Club meeting courtesy of the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library. Sponsored by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.