Anime Draw Along: Wednesday, August 17 at 4:30pm: Join us to draw anime characters!  Draw along with Librarian Will and learn how to draw manga style and create your own anime characters. This event will take place in the Teen Area. Grades 6-12.

For more information contact Julia at [email protected]. 

LGBTQIA+ Drop-In Potluck: Wednesday, August 17 at 7pm: Are you a lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, ace or questioning teen? Are you a teen ally for LGBTQIA+ teens? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then we invite you to come to this event! Meet like-minded teens from the community and enjoy an evening of fun! Grades 7-12. This month, we'll hosting a potluck dinner. Bring a dish of your choice to the Teen Area and hang out. If you'd like information on the potluck or the drop-in, contact Megan Coffey at [email protected]. 

Needle Felt a Whale! Thursday, August 18 at 7pm: Learn how to needle felt wool with Pop up Art School. Use a barbed needle and merino wool roving to create a smiling blue whale. In this beginner’s class, you’ll learn how to sculpt basic shapes and attach them together. This event will be in person in the Teen Area. Needle felting is fun, easy and relaxing! For ages 12+.

Coming Up for Tweens & Teens

Minute to Win It: Monday, August 22 at 6:30pm. Celebrate the end of summer with Minute To Win It games and ice cream! The idea is to complete challenges in under a minute using simple, everyday items. Meet us in the Teen Area to head outside for fun and ice cream! For tweens and teens entering grades 6-12.

 Bike Maintenance and Safety: Tuesday, August 23 at 7pm. Join Safe Routes To School Newton, Safe Routes To School MA, MassBike and Bike Newton for an introduction to bike maintenance, types of bikes and some bike safety for tweens and teens entering 5th through 8th grade. This will be hands on, so if you have bike helmets and/or bikes, please bring them! If you don't, no worries, we'll have bikes on hand. Meet outside near the Winne-the-Pooh statue. In case of rain, we'll be inside the auditorium.

 Managing the College Application Process: Wednesday, August 25 at 7pm. Are you a high school senior thinking about the college application process, but have no idea where to begin? Are you a parent of a high school senior, and you’re feeling overwhelmed by the college application process? Are you wondering how to maximize your time this fall so everything gets done before the deadlines when it comes to applying for colleges?

 If you answered “Yes!” to any of the above questions, then this presentation is for you! Come hear Dr. Maruta Z. Vitols of A+ College Consulting share best practices on how to manage the entire college application process. In the presentation, we will specifically address how to set up a realistic application timeline, including discussing working on college essays and how to help minimize stress (for both parents and students). After the presentation, there will be ample time for a Q&A session. For teens and their adults.

This event is virtual and will not be recorded. There will be time for Q & A at the end of the presentation. We will send the Zoom link along the day-of the event. Dr. Vitols will also send participants additional information post-event to help further navigate the college process. 

Teen MTG: Saturday, August 27 at 2pm. Want to meet up and play some Magic: The Gathering on a Saturday? We've found just the place, our Teen Area! This event is an in-person meetup for people to play. At this time, we do not have someone to teach. Please bring cards if you have them! For grades 7-12. For more information contact Megan Coffey at [email protected].

Summer Reading 2022

Read Beyond the Beaten Path: Summer 2022! 

Have a blast this summer by joining Read Beyond the Beaten Path with Newton Free Library from now through August 31. Rising 6th-12th graders can use our online reading log to keep track of the time spent reading. Remember, all reading counts--read a book, magazine or e-book; listen to an audiobook; read aloud to a sibling; read aloud with your family.

Tweens and teens entering 6th-12th in the 2022-23 school year can win prizes! Register and log your reading on Beanstack to be entered in a drawing to win a prize each week of summer reading (6/13-8/21). Write a book review on Beanstack; complete an adventure; or attend a library program (and fill in the relevant adventure on the site). Prizes will include experiences such as a kayak outing and cool stuff to enjoy like gift certificates to bookstores.

You can find registration, summer programming and everything else summer at newtonfreelibrary.net/summer.