Youth Services Newsletter: January 2023

Happy New Year!  2023 has arrived, and we here at the library are very excited to share another year of new books and youth programming with our patrons.  Join us this month to browse the stacks, curl up with a story, or jump into programs ranging from Python coding classes to an intergenerational sewing club.  Our full programming calendar can be found below - we look forward to seeing you!

** In-Person Event Guidelines:

In the interest of social distancing, space is limited and registration is required for most children’s events.  Registration links for our programs are located on the library's Events Calendar (https://woburnpubliclibrary.org/events-calendar/) .

Masks are no longer required in the library. However, masks are encouraged in the Children's Room, especially for those who are unvaccinated, have a weakened immune system, or live with a highly vulnerable person.

General Announcements

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Library Closures

Please be advised that the WPL will be closed on Monday January 2nd in observance of New Year's Day.

We will also be closed on Monday, January 16th for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Children's Events

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Lego Build Time

Monday January 9th (3:30 pm - 4:30 pm)
Wednesday January 4th & 18th (10:00 am - 11:00 am)

Stop by the Craft Room and see what you can create with our Legos.  If you like, your amazing creation can be displayed in the library until the next Lego Build time!

For grades 5 and under.

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Homeschool News

Wednesdays
10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Join us for an exciting and engaging child-led activity where kids will work together to produce a weekly newsletter.  The facilitator will provide weekly themes, brainstorming support, and resources.  Each child will be given the freedom to develop an idea and produce a piece that matches their areas of interest.

Kids can work on projects individually or in small teams. The facilitator will work with parents to help supplement their homeschooling goals.  The facilitator will also provide any adaptations needed to support children during the activity.

School-age children of all abilities are welcome. Parents are required to remain at the library during the program.

Facilitated by Dale Goldstein, homeschool mom and ASHA certified Speech Language Pathologist

An open book whose pages have been folded to resemble a spiky hedgehog.

Parent and Tween Crafting Night

Thursday January 5th (7:00 pm - 8:30 pm)

Come join us on Thursday night for an adult and tween (ages 8-11) craft.  Tweens are invited to bring an adult of their choice to make a craft together.  For this session, we will be folding old books into hedgehogs!

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Playtime for Toddlers

Friday January 6th & 20th
11:00 am - 11:45 am

Bring your toddlers to the library to play, read books, color, and socialize with other families.  No registration required.  Drop in and hang out with us!

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Read to a Therapy Dog

Fridays (January 6th, 20th, 27th)
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Young readers are invited to spend 10 minutes reading aloud to dogs from the Therapy Dogs International Program.  Registration is not required for this event - 10 minute time-slots with a dog will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.  We will try to accommodate as many children as we can without overwhelming the dogs.  Siblings and parents are welcome to join.

You can find general information on therapy dogs from the Cummings Veterinary Medicine Magazine at the following link: ** The Benefits of Reading to Dogs (http://sites.tufts.edu/vetmag/fall-2017/the-benefits-of-reading-to-dogs/)
.  For more details about each participating dog and their handlers, please see the individual event pages on our ** Events Calendar (https://woburnpubliclibrary.org/events-calendar/)

Family Craft

Saturday January 7th
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Make a cute winter hat out of a paper bowl and our craft supplies!  Your hat will be perfect for a fun winter decoration or for dressing up your stuffed animals.

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Story Crafternoon

Tuesdays (January 10th, 24th, 31st)
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Join Miss Christine for songs, stories, and a simple craft.  Best for ages 3-6.  Siblings are welcome.

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Creativity Corner

Wednesdays (January 11th & 25th)
10:00 am - 11:00 am

Stop by the Craft Room and get creative with our craft supplies!  This event will be first come, first served, as space allows.  For grades 5 and under.

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PJ Storytime

Wednesday January 11th, 18th, 25th
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Get a jump start on bedtime!  Join Miss Kristine for songs, movement activities, and stories.

Best for ages 5 and under.  Siblings are welcome.

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Baby Lapsit

Thursdays (January 12th, 19th, 26th)
11:00 am - 11:30 am

Sing, play, and bounce with your baby to gentle rhymes and stories with Miss Kristine.

Best for 12 months and under.

Toddler Time: Spanish Fun Program

Friday January 13th (11:00 am - 11:30 am)

Whether you're interested in learning Spanish or you're already fluent, you will enjoy this fun, bilingual program!  Miss Esther will lead you through vocabulary-building activities, music, and games.  Best for ages 5 and under.  Siblings are welcome.  Registration is required.

Si ya hablas español o si quieres aprender una lengua nueva, puedes participar en esta hora de cuentos bilingüe con Señorita Esther!  Requiere registro.

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Sing, Move, and a Story with Family ACCESS

Tuesday January 17th
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Join Community Connections for singing, movement and a shared story!  Let's get your little one's fine motor, gross motor, language and early literacy skills going.  For children 0 - 5 with a parent/caregiver.  Siblings are always welcome.

Registration for this event will be done through Family ACCESS - please check back on our ** Events Calendar (https://woburnpubliclibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/sing-move-and-a-story-with-family-access-6/)
for the registration link.

Sensory-Friendly Storytime

Saturday January 21st
10:30 am - 11:15 am

Join Miss Christine for 20 minutes of gentle songs and stories followed by sensory playtime.  Fidgeting and roaming are welcome.

Intended for children who have a hard time in large groups or have other sensory sensitivities.  Book choices geared toward preschool interest level.  Siblings are welcome.

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Moving to the Music

Saturday January 21st
3:00 - 3:45 pm

Bring your imaginations to the library for an afternoon of dance and dramatic play, and join us for creative movement and music led by Miss Kat.  Best for ages 3-7.

Sewing Bees Sewing Club

Monday January 23rd
6:00 - 8:00 pm

Come meet others who like to sew at our Sewing Bees Sewing Club!  Ages 8 through adulthood are invited to bring the project they're currently working on or start something new.  All skill levels welcome!  (Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.)

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STEM Explorers

Wednesday January 25th
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Join Miss Lobna for a fun STEM activity!  We'll explore science through hands-on activities.

Best for ages 5-11. Come dressed for a mess!

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Toddler Time

Friday January 27th
11:00 am - 11:30 am

Join Miss Janice for music, movement, and stories!  Best for ages 1-3.  Siblings welcome.

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Friday Flicks: Turning Red
Friday January 27th

2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Join us for a screening of Turning Red!  Snacks will be provided.  No registration required.

Disney and Pixar’s “Turning Red” introduces Mei Lee, a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming, is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! (2022 | Rated: PG | 100 minutes)

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Fine Motor Morning with Family ACCESS

Monday January 30th
10:30 am - 11:30 am

Enjoy activities that support strengthening the small muscles in children’s hands and getting them ready for writing, buttoning, and many more important life skills!  All activities inspired by the Tools for Tiny Hands curriculum.  Facilitated by Family ACCESS Community Connections.

Registration for this event will be done through Family ACCESS - please check back on our ** Events Calendar (https://woburnpubliclibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/sing-move-and-a-story-with-family-access-6/)
for the registration link.

Cover image for Vivi Loves Science: Sink or Float by Kimberly Deating and Shelli R. Johannes. A young girl with brown skin and curly hair pulled into two puffs is holding a fishbowl in front of a much larger aquarium tank filled with tropical fish. She is wearing denim shorts, a yellow and purple t-shirt, and yellow shoes with purple socks, along with a blue headband. She is grinning and holding out her arm as if showing off the aquarium.

Rookie Book Club

Monday January 30th
6:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Join Miss Janice for the beginner’s book club for children who are reading at a K to 2nd grade level.  This month's book is Vivi Loves Science: Sink or Float by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes.  Copies of the book will be available at the Children’s Room desk.  Children (ages 5 +) who are not yet reading independently can have the book read to them.  We will talk about the story and do some related early reading activities.

Cover image for Space Boy by Stephen McCranie. A girl with light skin and red pigtails is wearing a yellow shirt and blue capris as she walks toward the viewer. Behind her is a backdrop of the planet Earth surrounded by space and stars.

BeTween the Lines Book Club

Wednesday January 18th
3:30 pm - 4:15 pm
Join our book club for tweens (approximately grades 3-5).  This month we'll chat about Space Boy by Stephen McCranie.  You can get a copy of the book at the Children's Desk.

Teen Events

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Teen Dungeons and Dragons: Dragon Heist

Thursdays
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

A new campaign is coming to the Woburn Library!  This fall, join us as we take on the adventure of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist!  This is an adventure designed to take your characters from level 1-5.

New to D&D?  That's ok; whether you have only played a few times or have never rolled a 20-sided dice before, this is a supportive environment to learn the rules and have fun.

Teen D&D will run every Thursday starting September 15; we hope you are able to make the majority of the meetings.  Dice and premade character sheets provided if needed, though you are welcome to bring your own.

Register ONCE for all sessions in the month of January.

Movie poster for Clueless. Three teen girls pose on a fancy staircase. All of them are dressed in extremely trendy/fancy clothes and are holding cellphones to their ears.

Retro Teen Movie Night: Clueless

Wednesday January 11th
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

The library will be screening the 90s classic Clueless in the Teen Room.  No registration required.

A posh Beverly Hills high school's most popular student does her best to survive the ups and downs of adolescent life. Receiving a foreign exchange student during the school year, she uses her social connections to try to find her a boyfriend. (1995, Rated: PG-13)

Movie poster for The Princess Diaries. Mia (Anne Hathaway) smiles at the viewer while wearing a sleeveless gown and a tiara, as well as sunglasses and headphones. Behind her, the queen of Genovia (Julie Andrews) smiles in a dignified way, clad in a blue gown, diamond jewelry, and a sparkling tiara.

Friday Flicks

Friday January 13th
2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Enjoy Friday movie screenings with snacks!

Mia Thermopolis has just found out that she is the heir apparent to the throne of Genovia. With her friends Lilly and Michael Moscovitz in tow, she tries to navigate through the rest of her sixteenth year.

Coding for Adults and Teens: Python (Part 1)

Saturday January 21st
10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Python is a computer programming language often used to build websites and software, automate tasks, and conduct data analysis.  Python is a general-purpose language, meaning it can be used to create a variety of different programs and isn’t specialized for any specific problems.  As one of the most popular programming languages in the world, it has created everything from Netflix’s recommendation algorithm to the software that controls self-driving cars.

In this hands on workshop, you will learn to program in Python.  This is a six part intensive class.  Registering for one part will automatically register you for all six.  No experience necessary.

Open to ages 16 and up.

Teen Crafternoon: Nail Polish Marble Mugs

Saturday January 21st
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Our Nail Polish Marble Mugs came out so cool that we're now offering a class just for teens to make them!  This easy craft uses nail polish and water to make a marbleized pattern on mugs!

This craft is for teens in grades 6-12.

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Teen Advisory Board

Monday January 23rd
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Help decide what happens at YOUR library!  Do you have concerns, comments, or ideas for teen events and programming?  Join the monthly Teen Advisory Board (TAB) meeting to have your voice heard.  Snacks will be provided, and you can earn volunteer hours for your participation.

TAB is for students entering 7-12 grade.

Poster for Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Ferris (Matthew Broderick) leans back and smiles at the viewer, his hands tucked behind his head.

Retro Teen Movie Night: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Wednesday January 25th
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

The library will be screening the John Hughes classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off in the Teen Room. No registration required.

A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite what his principal thinks!  (1986, Rated PG-13)

Cover image for Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. Title text is lit up like a neon sign and superimposed over a background depicting a nighttime cityscape of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the 1950’s. In the bottom right corner of the cover, two teenage girls are holding hands under a streetlight, partially tucked into an alleyway. The girl on the left has chin-length black hair and light skin, and is wearing a white sweater with a long orange skirt. The girl on the right has light skin and short curly hair, and is wearing trousers and a button down shirt.

Iris Book Club

Monday January 30th
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Are you part of or an ally of the LGBTQ+ community?  Are you trying to find more inclusive novels? Do you wish you had more queer friends?  If so, join the Iris Book Club, an LGBTQ+ book club for teens!

We are starting the year off with the highly-awarded Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo.  Copies are available at the Circulation desk.

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