Blog: Author: Cait Quinn

Summer Reading Prize Week 1

We are wrapping up our first week of reading here at the Library and we just want to remind you to log your minutes for the prize this week. We are very excited to announce our first summer reading prize is a certificate good for $5 at Bam Bam Chicken! They are very kindly sponsoring this week of reading by encouraging kids and teens dive into a good book or 10.
 
Bam Bam Chicken is located at 2 Florence Street, Malden right across from the Malden Train station. You can pick up your certificate at either the Information desk (for Teens) or the children’s desk (for kids in 5th grade or younger). To see their menu or get location details check out their website
 
Did you forget to register? No problem, you can sign up and log your reading at our Beanstack site, the app (search Beanstack), or at any desk at the Library. Don’t forget to register for the summer reading challenge for your age group when you sign up!
 
Psst…Adults we don’t have Bam Bam Chicken, but we have cool prizes you can win for Summer Reading, if you submit your minutes, we’ll enter you in a raffle. More details in a different post!

Special Tour : Honoring the Legacy of Frank Stella 5.18.24

Saturday May 18th at 2pm, Library Director Dora St. Martin will offer a special tour of the Converse Galleries for International Museum Day. This year is especially significant because of the sad passing of Frank Stella, a former Maldonian and inovative artist. In honor of his contributions to art and to our Galleries the tour will focus on his work and its influences. . Stella was born and raised in Malden and the library has been fortunate to acquire several of his pieces. Please join us for this very special memorial tour honoring the legacy of this our very own Frank Stella.

Introducing our Civic Ancestors: A Virtual Cemetery Tour 5.20.24

On Monday May 20th at 7pm, join us for a virtual cemetery tour featuring Malden’s Civic Ancestors. This is a Zoom lecture with Historian Dee Morris who will explore Malden’s civic history through the lens of their final resting place. This is a hybrid event and will held virtually via Zoom and in person in the Library’s Maccario room .  You can join us in person for the presentation or watch from home. Registration is required for a Zoom link, so please sign up here: Registration Link. If you need assistance registering call the library at 781-324-0218 or stop by the Information desk.

Bilingual Storytelling: The Real Cinco de Mayo Story 5.1.24

The Real Cinco de Mayo Story
La Verdadera Historia del Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo! Is this the date when Mexico celebrates independence? Learn the true history behind the often-misunderstood holiday… What does Cinco de Mayo mean to Mexicans and to the US? When did the celebration start?

Join us for a fun bilingual storytelling program (in English and Spanish) about the real Cinco de Mayo on Wednesday evening, May 1st, at 6:30 pm. Learn about the history and culture of the Mexican people. We recommend this event as best suited for kids 5-8 years old but families are always welcome!

This program is supported by a grant from the Malden Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

We are out of Eclipse Glasses

Our programs are full! We have completely maxed out our supply of eclipse glasses. But if you still want to view the eclipse with us we will be live streaming it through NASA on a big screen in the library. You can also join us on the lawn and bring your own viewing device such as a pin hole viewer. You can learn how to make one here: Pin Hole Camera 

We at the library hope that you have a happy and safe eclipse! And thank you for being so excited about science and our planet. It is wonderful that an event like this can bring so many people together!

April Programs for Children

Happy Spring! We have a number of great ongoing programs this month including storytimes, chess, and book clubs. Check out our calendar to see when these fun activities meet.

In addition to our usual fare, we have a number of other fun events for kids just in time for Spring break! So check out this list and then plan your trip to the library on days when we have some extra fun to offer.

  • Solar Eclipse viewing: April 8th 2-4 pm

    Both our events for this program are full, but you can join us in the library to watch the full NASA live stream on a big TV.

  • Rockabye Beats with Shon Gordon: Tuesday, April 16th at 10 am

    Hey folks, our performer had to postpone so while we have cancelled this Tuesday April 16th Rockaby Beats performance we will reschedule. Keep an eye out!
    Rockabye Beats is more than just an entertaining music program—it’s a place where friends are made and families grow closer by creating music together! Shon grew up with music at a very early age. His parents are both musicians…it was unavoidable! With Rockabye Beats, Shon’s goal is to make kids music as entertaining for the adults as it is for the kids, while at the same time, subliminally teaching basic Spanish vocabulary. This program, presented in coordination with the North Suburban Child & Family Resource Network, is supported by a grant from the Malden Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

  • Lego Designers Club: Tuesday, April 16th 2-4 pm

    Are you a kid who loves to build, create, explore? Do you love legos or building blocks? Then come to our Spring vacation Lego Building Club and create new and interesting designs. Test out shapes, patterns, and colors. Or build your favorite monster, car, or sky scraper. The only limit here is your imagination. This is a two hour program that allows kids age 5-10 time to explore their creativity and spacial reasoning. Because bricks are small and younger kids might get frustrated or lose something up their nose,  we suggest this program is for kids in Kindergarten and above.  Projects will be displayed in the glass art case on the first floor once they are completed.

  • (Cancelled) Through Me to You Puppetry: Wednesday, April 17th at 10:30 am

    This magically interactive program features 30 minutes of engaging stories and songs performed by the puppets, followed by 30 minutes of puppet free play. This event was possible through the generous help of the Friends of the Malden Public Library.

  • Musical Storytime: Thursday, April 18th at 10:30 am

    Join New England Conservatory student and viola-player, Yen-Chun Lin, as she tells stories set to music. Focusing on our favorite pink animal, she will be sharing her musical versions of Happy Pig Day! by Mo Willems and If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff, as well as introducing young listeners to her instrument through interactive games.

 

And don’t forget about our book clubs this month and in May.

Book Bunch is meeting April 18th at 4pm. The book is: Mr. Wolf’s Class by Aaron Nels Steinke.

And the next meeting of Book Squad is Thursday May 2nd at 4pm and we are reading: Keeper of the lost cities : the graphic novel by Celina Frenn.

Earth Day with the Mystic River Watershed 4.22.24 @6pm

The Mystic River Watershed Association will be joining us Monday night to talk about their work in the community and their ongoing mission to bring the Mystic River and surrounding natural resouces back to a healthy thriving ecosystem. Learn about the watershed and how we can help it thrive. Celebrate Earth Day by gaining valuable knowledge about the nature outside our door. Program starts at 6pm on April 22nd and is open to all members of the community.

Researching African American Genealogy with Genealogist Melanie McComb 2.13.24

This event is postponed due to weather.

Tuesday, February 13th at 6:30 pm join us for a lecture and Q&A about researching African American genealogy. This will be a hybrid event: you can either join us in the Maccario for a live stream with a moderated question and answer period, or join us from home via Zoom and ask your questions in the chat. We are really looking forward to learning more about the tools available to people researching their ancestry. This should be a fascinating and informative event for all members of the community. So please join us! Registration is required, please use the link here: bit.ly/AAGenealogyMPL

All registered participants (whether in person or online) will receive a recording of the program via email after the program concludes.

Getting Started in African American Genealogy 

Researching African American ancestors can be challenging, especially when trying to break through the 1870 brick wall to discover more about ancestors prior to the end of slavery. In this presentation, Genealogist Melanie McComb will discuss go-to records and demonstrate creative search strategies for piecing together your family history.

Melanie McComb, Senior Genealogist, assists library visitors, both on-site and online, with their family history research. She is an international lecturer who teaches on a variety of topics. Melanie holds a B.S. degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. She previously served as the social media coordinator for the NextGen Genealogy Network, a non-profit that creates a community for younger genealogists, where she managed the Facebook and Twitter accounts. She continues her interest in helping younger genealogists get involved at American Ancestors by assisting with educational programs from local schools, scout groups, and universities. Her areas of expertise include Irish genealogy, DNA, Atlantic Canada, Jewish genealogy, and military records.