Author Archives: Erin Lewis

Virtual – Experience Spring Bird Migration to the Fullest

Virtual Program

Author Heather Wolf Discusses: Experience Spring Bird Migration to the Fullest

Monday, May 12, 2025

7:00 – 8:00 PM via Zoom

Register online!

Join Heather Wolf, one of our very favorite speakers and author of Find More Birds: 111 Surprising Ways to Spot Birds Wherever You Are and Birding at the Bridge: In Search of Every Bird on the Brooklyn Waterfront, as she shares tips for jumping into the nature documentary happening around you, also known as spring bird migration! Learn how to find more migrating birds and witness their fascinating behaviors, as well as cue into birds that will be breeding and raising young in your area. We can’t wait for what will be another fascinating conversation!

Note: This program will be recorded and a link will be sent to all registrants soon after the program. It will be available on Ashland Public Library YouTube for one month. 

HEATHER WOLF is the author of Find More Birds and Birding at the Bridge. A Brooklyn-based birder, photographer, and educator, she works with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as a web developer, teaches birding classes at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and gives walks and talks for various organizations in New York City and beyond.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and is in collaboration with the Chelmsford, Groton, and Tewksbury Libraries and is in partnership with a multitude of MA & NH libraries.  

Fun on Creativebug

May Fun on Creativebug!

Spring into creativity – May classes are blooming with inspiration!

Using your library card and PIN, create your own account for FREE and nurture your creative side with 1000+ video classes in painting, knitting, crafting, sewing & more!

Pitch-Ready Picturebook: A How-To Guide in 15 Days – May 1

Have you ever been curious about what it takes to make and pitch a picture book? In this Creativebug class, Sanae Ishida uses examples of her own published books and takes you step-by-step through the process of designing an illustrated book for children. She discusses creating lovable characters, developing a compelling story, and pairing illustrations to bring it all to life. Sanae also shares her tips on how to structure your book and craft a pitch that feels both professional and personal. By the end of the class, you’ll be ready to confidently share your picture book idea with the world. 

Make a Peony with Air-Dry Clay – May 7

Cindy Willingham is a painter, potter, and everything in between. Her work is often inspired by nature, and when she used to spend six months of winter living in Maine, she would always dream of flowers. Join Cindy as she teaches you how to create beautifully textured peonies with air-dry clay. Air-dry clay shares many similarities with kiln-fired clay, and all the hand-building you’ll learn in this class applies to both. Cindy demonstrates how to condition air-dry clay, form a slab – which is the foundation of many clay projects – and sculpt a flower using unexpected but accessible household tools. You’ll then learn how to paint the clay with a dreamy watercolor-inspired technique and seal it to protect your work. No kiln is needed with air-dry clay, just patience and time for your clay flower garden to grow. 

Crochet a Strawberry Granny Square – May 14

There is a whole world of granny squares out there with fun shapes like fruits and veggies and animals inside them. Crochet a super cute strawberry granny square with crochet designer Twinkie Chan. Learn how to create a strawberry shape in rows and how to build a granny square around it. Then, top the strawberry with a row of leaves and stitch on the seeds. In this little five-inch square you’ll get to practice crochet stitches of many heights, from single crochet up to treble crochet, and you’ll have the sweetest addition to your granny square collection.

Essential Color Mixing – May 21

How many colors can you make using only the three primary colors? Artist David Tenorio seeks to answer the question by mixing different amounts of each color, creating a wide range of shades, tints, and tones. By continuing to mix colors together, you can create compound colors with a wider range of hues and shades. From vivid reds to neutral gray tones, it’s important to experiment to achieve the desired effect in your artwork. 

Movement for Makers – May 28

Discover how to prevent strain injuries during prolonged art sessions with Liza Laird, an avid knitter, author, and yogi. Liza understands the toll that artmaking can take on the body and has developed a routine of simple, accessible movements that can be done right from your seat. Whether you’re a painter, crafter, or creator of any kind, you’ll learn techniques to build strength, flexibility, and mental clarity while addressing common areas of tension, like shoulders and hips. Liza also guides you through a luxurious self-massage practice that’ll leave you limber. Use these essential motions to warm up, improve blood flow and coordination, or integrate them as short movement breaks during your creative sessions for longer-lasting comfort and productivity. 

Virtual – Historical Fiction Book Recs with Jane Healey

Virtual – Historical Fiction Book Recs with Bestselling Author, Jane Healey

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

6:30-7:00 PM via Zoom

Register Online!

Love Historical Fiction but not sure what to read next? Join bestselling author, Jane Healey, monthly for 30 minutes of pure book recommendations – the best of historical fiction out there! We’re sure you’ll find something to like from Jane’s many enthusiastic reviews.

Jane Healey is the author of The Beantown Girls, a Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller, The Secret Stealers, which was an Amazon First Reads Editor’s Pick and a Historical Novel Society’s Editors’ Choice, and her debut, The Saturday Evening Girls Club. Goodnight from Paris is her newly released novel from Lake Union Publishing. Jane is also the host of Historical Happy Hour, a monthly webinar and podcast featuring interviews with premier historical fiction authors and their latest novels. She and her family lives outside Boston. We can’t wait to hear what Jane will be recommending – be ready for your TBR pile to fall over! 

A list of all recommendations will be shared for those who register. There will also be recordings of each meeting uploaded to the Ashland Public Library YouTube Channel.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and is in collaboration with a multitude of MA and NH libraries. 

Mass Center for the Book 2025 Reading Challenge

How it Works:

  1. Choose a book that fits the monthly challenge. If you are stuck, please ask a library staff member for some ideas!
  2. Each month, after you read, fill out a short form to tell us about the book.
  3. That’s it!
    • Mass Center for the Book will host a year-end party to celebrate participants committed to the challenge.
    • There will be monthly drawings for free books.
    • If you read a book in each of the 12 months, you will be entered in a drawing to win a tote filled with books and other bookish goodies.

January: A book published or about the year you were born


February: A book with the name of a city in the title

March: A book about someone with a marginalized identity

April: A book about books, bookstores, or libraries


May: A book with a first sentence of eight words or less


June: A book that spans multiple generations

July: A book you were drawn to by its cover


August: A book with a protagonist who is a teenager or senior citizen


September: A book told in non-chronological order


October: A book published by a Massachusetts press


November: A cookbook or book about food


December: Another book by an author you’ve already read