Blog: Month: October 2014

Volunteer Orientation

Would you like to volunteer at the Malden Public Library? Sign up for one of the following orientation sessions by calling the library at 781-324-0218 and fill out the online form:

Monday, October 6th 7-8pm
Tuesday, October 7th 4-5pm

You can volunteer at the Malden Public Library in the “Adopt-an-Aisle” program. After attending an orientation session at the library, you choose an aisle to keep neat and in order. Volunteering can be done any time the library is open, and done according to your own schedule. This volunteer program is best for people looking to do no more than a few hours of community service per week.

If you are 18 years of age or older, you will need to need to pass a CORI background check as is required of all volunteers for the City of Malden. Please bring your Massachusetts license or state ID to the orientation session to fill out the paperwork, which will then be sent to Malden City Hall. If you are under 18, you don’t need to bring anything.

Please be advised that we cannot accommodate court-ordered community service.

Creative Drama for Kids!

Every Friday at 4:00 p.m., Laurie Rae Tressler from Library Creative Drama, Inc. offers a drop-in Creative Drama program for kids. Children ages 7-10 can come by to participate in theater games and other creative activities.No registration necessary.

This program runs from October 3 through June 12. Regular attendance is appreciated, but not required. Questions? Call the Children’s Room at (781) 388-0803.

Details

Fridays, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
October 3 – June 12
Program Room

Origami Workshop for Adults

Please join us on Wednesday, October 15, from 6:30-8:30, for an origami workshop at the Malden Public Library! Origami enthusiast James Hollis will be teaching several models including the dragon and a bulldog bookmark. Materials and instruction are free and will be provided, thanks to the funding of the Friends of the Malden Public Library. Space is limited to 15 people and advance registration is required, so please sign up early by calling the library at 781-324-0218 or visiting us at 36 Salem Street.

Join the Adult Creative Writing Group!

The Malden Writers’ Collaborative, the creative writing group for adults, meets every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 7PM beginning October 2nd. The first meeting will be an introductory meeting to the group, and there is no registration. You must attend the first meeting. Join the group if you would like to discuss writing with peers, develop your writing, and have the opportunity to read your work to the public. To learn more about the group, visit its website, or contact Evangeline at tmwc@evangelinevickery.com.

One thing’s for sure: readers will want to be along for the ride.

Gr 9 Up-Richard and his cousin Malley are best friends. But while Richard is pretty levelheaded, Malley tends to get into trouble. So Richard is only mildly surprised to discover that she’s run off with a guy she met on the Internet in order to avoid being sent to boarding school in New Hampshire. Richard wants to go find her, and luckily he runs into what may be the perfect person to help him do just that: a ragged, one-eyed ex-governor of Florida named Skink. With Skink at the helm, the two set off across Florida in search of Richard’s cousin. While Malley’s character is not as fully developed as the others and the story seems highly improbable, Skink, a favorite character from Hiaasen’s adult novels, is incredibly memorable. Whether it’s diving in to a gator-infested river after a rogue canoe, getting his foot run over by a semi while trying to save a baby turtle, or hiding out in the sand to save the next turtle, Skink is always full of surprises. And like a cat with nine lives, one never knows how he’ll make it out or what will happen next. One thing’s for sure: readers will want to be along for the ride. Although the ending meanders, fans of Hiaasen’s novels won’t mind the detours one bit.-Necia Blundy, formerly at Marlborough Public Library, MA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A solid choice that will ignite meaningful discussion.

Gr 6-9-When Truly is invited to the popular table by her former best friend, Natasha, she is excited to finally get a chance at the “in” crowd. Unsure if she is really accepted by them, she worries about doing and saying the wrong thing. Popular Natasha is torn between being a good friend to Truly and being jealous of the attention that she gets. Meanwhile, Hazel, Truly’s current best friend, who is decidedly unpopular and anti-popularity, is hurt and angry at being abandoned by her friend. She seeks revenge by hacking into all of Truly’s online accounts. The addition of social media amplifies each snub, misunderstanding, and deliberate meanness. Although the characters’ interactions may, at first glance seem melodramatic, it is a realistic portrayal of middle school life. Truly is depicted as a complex young adult, not a single-minded social climber, while Natasha’s mean streak is the obvious product of questionable parenting. The other characters are multidimensional; they have struggles and worries, and are not the flat, stereotypical popular kids that are sometimes portrayed YA novels. As these young people navigate the already awkward world of middle school, the fact that accusations, rumors, and lies are made public for the world to see make adolescent mistakes much more grave. A solid choice that will ignite meaningful discussion.- Patricia Feriano, Our Lady of Mercy School, Potomac, MD (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.