Virtual Pajama Time! Monday, October 24 at 7pm. Get ready for bed by listening to these stories and songs that will help you drift off to dreamland. Put on your pajamas, cuddle with a loved one and bring your favorite stuffed animal friend! For kids ages 3 and up.

Wake Up Sunshine Storytime: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30am OR 11:15am. Join us for storytimes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Start your day with stories, songs and rhymes led by Newton Free Library children’s librarians. For children 0-4 and their caregivers.

Dial a Story: Listen to a children’s librarian read you a story over the phone. Call 617-796-1415 to listen to a story anytime you like. A new story is recorded weekly. For kids of all ages.

Movers and Shakers: Wednesday, October 26 at 10:30am. Let's stretch! Let's move! Let's sing and dance! In this storytime we will read fun movement-based stories and then have lots of fun moving and dancing to some familiar rhymes and songs. Each class will begin with some light stretching, and end with a moment of mindfulness. For ages 2-4.

Our Stories: Spanish Bilingual Storytime: Friday, October 28 at 10:30am. Juntos Leemos! Children ages 0-5 and their adults are invited to join us for stories and songs in Spanish. This program will be led by an instructor from Pine Village Preschool, a Spanish immersion school.

Nuestras historias: Hora de cuentos bilingües en español: Viernes 28 de octubre a las 10:30am. ¡Juntos leemos! Invitamos a niños de entre 0 y 5 años y a sus acompañantes adultos a sumarse a nosotros para escuchar historias y canciones en español. Este programa será coordinado por un instructor de Pine Village Preschool, una escuela de inmersión en español. Esta actividad se realizará en el salón de programas para niños.

Drop-In Halloween Crafts: Monday, October 31 at 2pm. Come to the library for some fun Halloween crafts. Costumes encouraged! Ages 2-5.

Drop-In Halloween Crafts: Monday, October 31 at 3:30pm. Come to the library for some fun Halloween crafts. Costumes encouraged! Ages 5-7.

Draw Along: Dino Raptors: Wednesday, November 2 at 4pm. Draw Along Creatures celebrates Di-November with a focus on raptors! After creating a drawing of this animal from simple shapes, the artist instructor will show you how to create scenes from just your imagination. Space is limited.  Registration (required) is only available for ages 7-10.

Nature in Your Neighborhood: Nature Science and Art: Thursday, November 3 at 4pm. Join a Mass Audubon instructor for a guided art program where children will create one art piece inspired by their town’s nature. Registration, (required), is available for ages 6-9. This program is free to participants and is funded in part by a grant from the Newton Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Nature in Your Neighborhood: Family Nature Hike: Friday, November 4 at 4pm. Join a Mass Audubon instructor for a guided family nature hike where participants will learn about and engage with their town’s nature. Registration (required) is available for children ages 6-9. This program is free to participants and is funded in part by a grant from the Newton Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

New Books

Check out our full list of New Books here.

In Honor of Broken Things by Paul Acampora: Ten days after his younger sister’s death, Oscar returns to school as the star and hope of the football team. Noah just started public school after years of homeschooling, right after his parents’ divorce. Riley and her mom have just moved back to the town where her mom grew up after her mother was held up at gunpoint at work. The three meet in a mixed grade intro to clay class and help each other navigate through their various forms of uncharted waters.

Fighting For Yes!: The Story of Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann by Maryann Cocca-Leffler, illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger: As a child in the early 1950s who used a wheelchair, Judy heard “No” to so much of what she wanted to do, including attending school prior to 4th grade. She successfully sued the New York City Board of Education to allow her to become a teacher and became an activist for disability rights, especially Rule 504, precursor to the Americans With Disabilities Act.

I’ll Go and Come Back by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Sara Palacios: Jyoti goes to visit her grandmother, Sita Pati, in India. At first she has a hard time, as they don’t speak each other's languages. But Sita Pati makes pictures out of colored sand with Jyoti and takes her to the open air market. Jyoti doesn't want to leave when the time comes, but tells her grandmother “Poitu varen” (“I’ll go and come back” in Tamil). The next year Sita Pati visits Jyoti in America and Jyoti draws on the sidewalk in chalk with her and takes her to the supermarket.