Blog: Children’s Program

The category for Children’s programs that will be featured on the Children’s Collection page.

Summer Reading Award Ceremony 8.14.26

Posted on by Cait Quinn

You’re Invited!

To the Malden Public Library’s End of Summer Award Ceremony enjoy cake and music while we celebrate this summer’s top readers! We’ll see you at 11am in the Maccario Room for prizes and fun.

Grand Prize winners will be notified in advance.

Top child reader recieves a family membership to the Museum of Science.

The Teen winner gets a gift certificate to Boda Borg for 4 players.

And the Adult grand prize winner will have their own rain barrel

Submit your minutes on Beanstack (you can back date for more prizes) to qualify to win!

Introducing updated Children’s Room hours and a New Children’s Librarian!

Posted on by Pixie Rose

Hello Malden Library Community! My name is Pixie (they/them) and I would like to introduce myself as the new Children’s Librarian! I come to Malden Public Library from being a substitute teacher with Newton Public Schools, but I have worked in libraries since my very first page job in 2013. Since then, I have worked in libraries academic and public, including serving as the ALA Sustainability Round Table Coordinator for a term! I am excited to continue in the tradition of accessibility and diversity that lifts up the Malden Library Community as well as the history of fun, creative programming that brings joy and excitement to your children.

Favorites:
Dinosaur: Deinonychus
Disney Princess: Aurora
Kids Movie: The Emperor’s New Groove
Iconic Friendship: Frog and Toad
Fairy Tale: Twelve Dancing Princesses
Food: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Some of my favorite children’s books include:
Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard
Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
The Day You Begin by Jaqueline Woodson
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Half Magic by Edward Eager
Witchlings by Claribel Ortega
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
Root Magic by Eden Royce
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths by Ingri D’Aulaire
The Flicker by H.E. Edgmon

Favorite programs:
Book clubs
Story time dance party!
Nature based programming
Crafts, especially paper or fiber arts

Please tell me about what books and programs YOU would like to see at the library!

Additionally, the Malden Public Library Children’s Room has updated hours! We are now open on Thursday nights through 8:45pm! Come by and say hello!

Rockabye Beats – Kids Program on Tuesday July 14th @ 11AM

Posted on by Patrick Brennan

Sing, dance, and get a little loco! Rockabye Beats is more than just an entertaining music program for young children—it’s a place where friends are made and families grow closer by creating music together! Join us for some musical fun as Berklee-graduate Shon Gordon plays his guitar while subliminally teaching basic Spanish vocabulary. Join us on Tuesday, July 14th at 11:00 AM in the Children’s Room. Appropriate for ages 2-6+.

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.

Dinosaurs with the DinoMan! – Kids Program July 8th @ 3PM

Posted on by Patrick Brennan

Dinosaur tracks lead right to our library! Have no fear, Dinoman is here! With magic, merry mayhem, and magnificent props, you will be taken on a trip throughout the Mesozoic era. How do we know dinosaurs were here? What is a fossil? How are they made? This program is fun and informative for all ages: we will learn about the age of the earth, how it is divided into eras, how fossils are formed, dinosaur behavior, and the newest finds. And did we mention that there will be life-size inflatable dinosaurs on stage?

Recommended for children ages 4 and up and their caregivers.

This free program is generously funded by Preotle, Lane & Associates, Ltd.

Annual Ice Cream Social and Summer Reading Kick off 6.25.26

Posted on by Cait Quinn

This Thursday, June 25th at 1pm, join the library staff in celebrating the start of summer…reading! We’ve once again invited Dairy Delight to dish up their tasty ice cream to all our friends in the community. We’ll also be hosting a dinosaur or two, a musical guest, and the Friends of the Malden Public Library will be hosting a book give away to help encourage kids to find their first read of the summer.

The event is free, but in order to move things efficiently, we ask that each family sign up for our Summer Reading Challenge in Beanstack ahead of time. If you participated last year, you can just log into your account and go to the challenges section and select Dig Into Reading Challenge. If you haven’t used Beanstack before you can log in on the website:  bit.ly/BeanstackMPL or download the mobile app via your device store. Search Beanstack and then follow the prompts. Hate tech? Stop by the Information desk and we can help get you started with an account, or just log your minutes for you.

And even if you can’t make it, we’d still love to see you this summer. We will have 8 weeks packed with activities for all ages. Oh and for reader’s who complete their reading challenges, we have prizes provided by local businesses to thank you for helping meet our community reading goals. For kids and teens, we’ll have coupons for food at local restaurants. For adults we’ll be holding a weekly raffle for bigger prizes. And then, for the end of summer the top reader in each category will receive a grand prize. For kids there is a family membership to the Museum of Science. For Teens a gift certificate for 4 to Boda Borg. And finally Adults will win a city of Malden rain barrel with a custom library logo.

Book Squad – Book Club for 4th/5th Graders – Thursday, March 5, 2026

Posted on by Rebecca Smith

Beginning March 5, this book club for 4th and 5th graders will meet monthly on the first Thursday of the month at 4:00pm for about 50 minutes. The program will include an informal book discussion, some snacks, and a book-related activity when appropriate. Sign up online, at the Children’s Room desk, or by calling the Children’s Room at 781.388.0803. Regular attendance is expected. Pick up the book from the Children’s Room desk and read it before the club meeting.

March 5 selection:  TBA

Book Bunch, 3rd Thursday of month – book club for 2nd & 3rd graders

Posted on by Rebecca Smith

Beginning October 16, this book club for 2nd and 3rd graders will meet monthly on the third Thursday of the month at 4:00pm for 50 minutes. The program will include an informal book discussion, some snacks, and a book-related activity when appropriate. Sign up online, at the Children’s Room desk or by calling the Children’s Room at 781.388.0803. Regular attendance is expected. Pick up the book from the Children’s Room desk at least 2 weeks in advance and read it before the club meeting.

October 16 selection:  Animal Rescue Friends by Gina Loveless

November 20 selection: Orris and Timble by Kate DiCamillo

December 18 selection:  Squished by Megan Wagner Lloyd

January 15 selection:  The Unlucky Lottery Winners of Classroom 13 by Honest Lee and Matthew J. Gilbert

February 19 selection:

Preschool Storytime – Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

Posted on by Rebecca Smith

Storytime for preschoolers (appropriate for ages 3-5) is offered weekly on a drop-in basis on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. beginning September 19. Each hour-long program will feature several picture books, songs and rhymes, and a simple craft. No need to register! Just come to the Children’s Room on Thursday and arrive by 10:30 a.m.

(Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate preschool groups in the post-storytime craft activity, but groups are welcome to attend the picture book portion at the beginning of the program.)

Find Yourself in a Book Challenge 9.1.25-6.30.26

Posted on by Cait Quinn

Summer is over, the Autumn crush has started, and you may be feeling like reading for pleasure isn’t a priority right now. But reading for yourself should always be a priorty! And to give you a little encouragement MPL has set up a low stakes reading challenge.

Step 1: Log in or sign up to Beanstack either on the web or via the Beanstack Tracker app. (Make sure you are signed into Malden Public Library’s Challenge site. Don’t use Beanstack Go)

Step 2: Register for the “Find Yourself in a Book Challenge”

Step 3: Read (at least) one book a month that is strictly for you. Not a school book, something for work, not a side hustle. Just something you think you will enjoy.

Step 4: Collect a stamp from the library that shows you’ve completed the monthly reading. (Bookmarks available at Info and the Children’s desk, so you can log your stamps).

Step 5: Get a stamp for each month between September and June and qualify for a fun enamel pin to celebrate your accomplishment.

That’s it! Just at least one book a month. We know how hard it is to make a reading commitment sometimes. And also how easy it is to let free time slip away without using it to recharge. This challenge is here to combat that with a gentle nudge to do something wholly good for you. And to up the stakes just a little, we are adding a community goal of 10,000 books read by June. The hope is that all the other books you read each month will make their way into our stats and help us celebrate how spectacular our reading community really is. So lets make a commitment together to try to read at least a little bit every month, as a community. It will help inspire the busy library staff to keep up on their reading too, so do us a favor and sign up!