Summer Reading Underway for All Ages

We hope you've registered for one of our Summer Reading programs and are busy reading, doing, and logging your accomplishments in Beanstack.

If you haven't had a chance to register yet, sign up through the Beanstack platform or through the Beanstack Tracker mobile app (see below). The program runs through Thurs., Aug. 17.

Find out more details about our summer reading programs in this newsletter, on our website, or by calling 508/946-2470, or visiting our Facebook or Instagram pages.

TONIGHT and Next Week-- New England Summertime Treasures Part I: Beach Creatures, and Part II: Shorebirds

Be sure to stop by tonight, Wed., July 12 at 6:30 p.m. as presenter Judy Macioci regales us with intriguing stories about the creatures that make their homes on Massachusetts beaches. Discover how these creatures co-exist with all those sunbathers. Shells and other items will be on display.

Part II: Shorebirds will take place next Wed., July 19 at 6:30 p.m.

(These programs are geared toward adults but open to all ages, and registration is requested but NOT required.)

Macioci is a retired science educator and currently a teacher naturalist who presents natural history programs throughout the South Shore.

Thanks to the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library for funding these programs.

Save the Date!

Mark your calendars to join us on Wed., Aug. 2 at 6:00 p.m. for "A Garden Walk with Eleanor." Weather-permitting, we'll meet outdoors for a character re-enactment by Carol Cohen to learn about Eleanor Roosevelt's WWII effort to promote Victory Gardens. We'll then move inside for refreshments and a more in-depth look at Victory Gardens and their relevance in today's world.

Registration is required as space is limited. Call 508/946-2470 or email Libby Fox.

Look for more information in our July 26 issue.

Thanks to the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library for funding this program.

Ms. Marsha's Summer Stories and Songs

Join Ms. Marsha on Tues., July 18 at 10:30 a.m. to celebrate everything summer. This program is for toddlers and preschool-aged children and their caregivers.  There will be stories, songs, and movement activities based on a summer theme.  A simple craft aligned with the stories will be provided. 

It will focus on a variety of skills including listening, following directions, and the experience of being part of a group.  Parents will be provided with activities to extend the learning at home.  

Registration is required so click here to do so.

Talewise Science Heroes: Saving Earth Together

Science and stories collide in this brand new interactive STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program. Two unlikely heroes must learn to work together to stop a super polluting mastermind. Throughout the story, you’ll help the performer conduct amazing science experiments all about air pressure, the laws of motion, chemical reactions, and much more.

Brought to you by the Middleborough Parks Department and the Library, it will be held outdoors at 26 Jackson St. on Thurs., July 27 at 1:00 p.m.

Teens: Read for a chance to win $50 Gift Card

Read and complete activities for the chance to be a winner of one of six Grand Prizes this summer in the Teen Summer Reading Challenge.

Tweens and teens in grades 6-12 are invited to read what they want and log their time using Beanstack. Registrants who sign up can select a free book to get them started.

As teens log or complete activities, they'll earn virtual tickets that can be put into drawings to win a Grand Prize Gift Pack. We're raffling off a $50 Gift Card Pack for Amazon, Target, and GameStop, and an Art Supply Gift Basket in the end-of-summer-raffle.

Each week that you log time, readers will be eligible to win a $5 DQ gift card in the "Read for Ice Cream" giveway.

For more information, visit our Teen Summer Reading page.

Curly Rainbow Soap-Making for Ages 12-18

Craft and customize your own soap with artist Garine Arakelian from Kulina Folk Art Creative Workshops on Thurs., July 20 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. 

Teens ages 12-18 will make their own fun and quirky swirl soap using a glycerin-based soap, colorful soap curls, color, cosmetic glitter and a variety of scents. 

You'll learn about the process of making cold process soap, the blending of essential oils, and the role of exfoliants in soap making.

The melted soap is hot. By registering children under 18 years old for this event, the parent/guardian acknowledges the possibility of safety concerns to the child attending the workshop.  

The program starts promptly! Please be present for instructions so that all participants are aware of safety concerns in handling hot materials.

Registration is required as space is limited.  Please call the Library at 508/946-2470 to sign up.

This program is generously supported by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Cartoon Drawing & Inking for Ages 10-18

Learn the basics of cartoon drawing from author and illustrator Jonathan Todd on Thurs., July 27 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. as he teaches teens how to draw cartoon faces, figures, and animals from multiple perspectives, as well as how to trace the drawing with bottled ink using a thin paint brush. For ages 10-18.

Registration is required as space is limited.  Please call the Library at 508/946-2470 to sign up.

This program is generously supported by the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Bookworm Babies and Tiny Tots at the Park

Bring your little ones today, Wed., July 12, and Wed., July 26 to the park near Peirce Playground as both Bookworm Babies (BB) and Tiny Tots (TT) will meet at the park. BB meets first, from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m., followed by TT from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m.

BB is geared towards lapsit babies and their caregiver(s), while TT is geared towards babies and up to kids three years old and their caregiver(s).  Join in a story, songs and rhymes that build early literacy skills. Please bring a blanket or seat when meeting outdoors, and siblings are always welcome.



In the case of inclement weather, both groups will move indoors to the Library's Large Meeting room.

To sign up for program updates and the inclement weather list, please call the Library at 508/946-2470.

Sharebrary Item of the Week: Tool Set

Sharebrary: Borrow. Try. Experience.

This 37-piece tool set will have you repairing every one of those projects you've been postponing indefinitely.

It contains: one screwdriver, one cross screwdriver, one bit handle, a 9-piece 25 mm bit, one bit ADA, a 9-piece 1/4" socket, one utility knife, one electroprobe, one 8-piece hex key set, one measuring tape, one combination plier, one adjustable wrench, and one claw hammer all in a sturdy black carrying case.

Our tool set is one of 40 different items we have in our Sharebrary collection. Check them all out!

The Next Big Library Read Kicks Off Tomorrow

Participate in our free, global, digital book club with the current selection choice, A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey.

It'll be available in Libby with no waitlists or holds from Thurs., July 13 through Thurs., July 27.

The Big Library Read connects readers around the world with the same ebook at the same time. Simply borrow the free ebook with your library card and start reading on your phone or tablet.

Written with delightfully dark humor and characters you can't help but cheer for, A Very Typical Family is an uplifting family drama that will have you reveling in the power of second chances.

All families are messy. Some are disasters.

Natalie Walker is the reason her older brother and sister went to prison over 15 years ago. She fled California shortly after that fateful night and hasn’t spoken to anyone in her family since. Now, on the same day her boyfriend steals her dream job out from under her, Natalie receives a letter from a lawyer saying her estranged mother has died and left the family’s historic Santa Cruz house to her. Sort of. The only way for Natalie and her siblings to inherit is for all three adult children to come back and claim it—together.