Welcome!
MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Little Reader and Library Staff
welcome you back to the library!
69 West Emerson St

MELROSE PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Little Reader and Library Staff
welcome you back to the library!
69 West Emerson St
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.
Are you tired of screens taking over? Are you wondering how to help your kids thrive in a digital world? Gain the confidence and tools you need to tackle tech head-on with Better Screen Time’s Tech-Healthy Family Formula. This formula provides five steps parents can take to help reduce screen time, restore family time, and finally feel peace of mind.
Parents will learn how to:
About Andrea: Andrea Davis is a former secondary ed teacher turned screen time navigator. She is the founder of Better Screen Time where she shares family-tested ideas from the (tech) trenches as a mom of five. She is on a mission to help parents worry less about tech and connect more with their kids. Andrea is the author of Creating a Tech-Healthy Family and is certified by the Digital Wellness Institute. Andrea and her husband, Tyler, live in beautiful Hood River, Oregon where they love spending time outdoors as a family.
RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
Presented in partnership with a wide array of Massachusetts and New Hampshire Libraries. Made possible, in part, by the Friends of the Melrose Public Library.
Love Historical Fiction but not sure what to read next? Join guest host author, Kerrie Maher for 30 minutes of pure book recommendations – the best of historical fiction out there! Catch this program every month, regularly hosted by Jane Healey!
Kerrie Maher is the USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller, All You Have To Do is Call, The Kennedy Debutante, and The Girl in White Gloves. She is also the author of This Is Not A Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World under the name Kerri Majors. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and founded YARN, an award-winning literary journal of short-form YA writing.
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.
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
Catch up on the news of the day! What was Melrose like over a hundred years ago?!
Find out by visiting Melrose Public Library Digital Archive to read local historical newspapers from 1870 to 1924.