Read to Feed!

Our library is filled with families who love to read. They're checking out the books on our summer reading shelves; they're checking in with librarians to track the time they've spent reading.





Will we reach our reading goal of 3,000 hours by August 19th? If so, we will donate an animal of your choice to Heifer International! Heifer International is a charity that helps poor farmers in the developing world to end hunger and poverty.

This year, our summer readers get to vote on whether the Watertown Free Public Library should donate a llama or a sheep. So far, the sheep is winning! Will the sheep maintain the lead? That's up to you. Every hour added to your summer reading log earns you another chance to vote. 

Come to our Wrap-Up Party on August 19th to see the results! We will have cake and a special performance by Jungle Jim.

Happy Summer Reading!

Summer at the library means special programs!

Jarrett Krosoczka filled the house at our Kick Off Party!

Kids enjoy crafting at the library.

Creature Teachers brought a kinkajou.

They let one of our friends hold a boa constrictor.

We garden every Wednesday morning.

Magician Robert Clarke entertained a crowd.

Everyone loves story time.

Every hero has a story! 

JARRETT J. KROSOCZKA at the WFPL!

Sign up for the Summer Reading Program and meet a local author.

Monday, June 29, 2015

3:30 p.m.

Watertown Free Public Library

Children's Room

123 Main Street

Watertown, MA 02472

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, auhor and illustrator of Lunch Lady and Platypus Police Squad, is coming to our Summer Reading Kickoff! He will talk about his books and preform some readers theater.

Free and open to the public.

No registration.

Light refreshments will be served.

Visit Jarrett's website to see what he's up to and where he'll be next: http://www.studiojjk.com/

We love summer, yes we do! We love summer, how 'bout you?

Summer Reading Program: 

June 29 - August 19

"Every Hero Has a Story"

When the kids are out of school, our library keeps them engaged. This summer, we’ll have free performances by special guests like Creature Teachers and Mike the Bubble Man! 

Every Saturday, we’ll sing along with musicians like Little Groove and Vanessa Trien. Look for a story time, book club, craft or activity each weekday. Our calendar is packed with enriching entertainment!

If you’re planning a vacation, stop by the children’s room and pick up DVDs to get you through the long ride. Of course, there are plenty of books and audiobooks to choose from too. We have the Watertown Public Schools’ summer reading lists for every grade level and all of the titles you need are set aside in a special collection. 

Whether your children stick to recommended reading or explore other options, we encourage them to track their reading in a log they keep at the library. 







See a children’s librarian for more information on how to participate. What would summer be without a reading program?!

Tuesdays are Twice as Nice!

We know that our Toddler Story Time can get crowded.

The children's program room fills to capacity every Tuesday morning at 10:15.

It can be overwhelming for small children and even some of the parents.

That's why we're offering a second Toddler Story Time at 11:30.!

That's right! We've got two Nursery Rhyme Times for pre-walking babies and two Toddler Story Times for walkers through age two in one morning! Check out the April calendar for details and consider coming to the 11:30 Toddler Story Time if you want to beat the crowd.

Princess Party!

Maybe you've noticed that the Children's Program Room looks a little bit like a castle right now.

We hosted a princess party on Wednesday, 4/8.

Everyone dressed in their finest for stories and songs.

We made tie-dyed skirts from giant coffee filters.

We used marshmallows and toothpicks to build castles.

We turned paper plates into dazzling crowns.

Cinderella lost her glass slipper and Ariel left her tail.

The afternoon concluded with picking up balloons and checking out books. 

Magic filled the air or maybe it was just glitter.

WFPL 5K Race Announcement

The Watertown Free Public Library is pleased to announce our second annual 5K event! Join us on Sunday, May 31 at 10:15 a.m. for a family friendly community race. Together, we'll cruise through Watertown's beautiful neighborhoods. Runners, walkers, and strollers of all ability levels are encouraged to participate. Please visit: http://www.watertownlib.org/run

Registration is required and participants are encouraged to register in advance through our RaceWire Website.

Adults pay $25.

Ages 11 to 17 pay $20.

Children 10 and under can register for FREE!

This is a great opportunity to get your children moving and model healthy exercise habits. You can train for the event by joining us for a practice run on Saturday, May 23 at 9:15 a.m. No registration is required to practice on the Saturday before the event. 

If you cannot make it to the event, you can still make a donation to support the library. It can be made in person, by cash or check, to the Watertown Free Public Library Building Comittee or Online.