Late last fall we planted a Little Free Library in our front yard. Have you seen the boxes around town? It’s a wonderful book-sharing program.
We ordered one unfinished: my daughters painted it their favorite blue. We invited the neighborhood kids to come add colorful thumbprints, so everybody could feel a part of the action. And then the weather got cold.
Recently, like the splashes of daffodils, little people in bike helmets have been popping up in our yard, the youngest of them crawling up on the rickety bench (need to fix that!), to peek into the box and see what treasures are inside. I love it.
I read like a fiend as a child. I remember a time, though, when homework took over and pleasure reading took a backseat. I feel like I’ve been making my way back to reading-for-fun ever since. As an old(ish) person, if it’s too late at night, after kitchen cleaning and helping with homework, sometimes even page-turners can’t keep me awake.
My middle-school-aged daughters are about to enter some rigorous required reading years. I want them to keep books in their lives, but homework is already loading up.
One night last week, my family agreed to get up from the dinner table, ignore dirty dishes and math worksheets, and grab a book each. We sat quietly together in the living room, reading for 30 minutes. The girls insist they want to do that again.
Fingers crossed for little reading seeds to sprout up everywhere.
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THANK YOU TO ALL OF
OUR SUPPORTING ADVERTISERS!
Historic Yellow Springs, Wayne Art Center,
Suburban Square, The Camphill School, Briggs Auction, Shipley School, Friends' Central School, People's Light, Benchmark School, Play-a-Round Golf, Main Line Health, Dilworth's Custom Design, Dr. Amy Shoumer, Malvern Prep, French International School, and
The Resident Theatre Company
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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
Wayne Art Center
Founded in 1930, Wayne Art Center opened in a small carriage house garage, establishing itself as the first art center on the Main Line. Since then, we have grown into a vital cultural resource, welcoming artists from all over the world who share their passion and commitment to the visual arts with our local community.
Wayne Art Center Offers:
• Youth and adult classes and workshops, in drawing, painting, ceramics, mixed media, sculpture, photography, jewelry making, cooking and more
• Demonstrations and lectures with local and international artists working in all media
• Nearly 20 exhibitions annually, which feature artists’ work from all over the world
• Numerous outreach programs for underserved members of our community
• A spacious, light-filled gathering place for individuals and organizations hosting special events
Now Enrolling for Adult/Youth Spring Classes and Workshops and Summer Art Camp!
Visit wayneart.org to learn more.
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| GET THEE TO A LIBRARY
Laugh for the Health of It! Laughter Yoga
Sunday, April 14th
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Easttown Library
720 First Avenue, Berwyn
Laughter yoga is not yoga poses. Mary Fickman helps you to use playful laughter “exercises” and yoga breathing techniques to improve your physical and mental wellbeing. Registration is not required.
Details
Show Some Respect for Lima Beans!
Friday, April 19th
1:00 PM
Chester Springs Library
1709 Art School Road, Chester Springs
Celebrate National Lima Bean Respect Day! Celebrate with a story time, activity, and craft for ages 5 to
grade 3. No registration necessary.
Details
Brunch Bingo
Thursday, April 18th
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Tredyffrin Public Library, Conference Room
582 Upper Gulph Rd, Strafford
Ages 8-12 (FIRM). Discover new titles, play bingo, and win a book! Snacks will be provided; bring a beverage of your choice. Please also indicate any food allergies.
Details
Safari Parties’ Exotic Animal Show
Saturday, April 13th
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Phoenixville Public Library, Carnegie Room
183 2nd Ave, Phoenixville
All Ages & Families. In celebration of Earth Day, Safari Parties presents as many as 12 live, unique, and exotic animals to entertain and educate children and families on how to give nature the respect it deserves by seeing the beauty and wonder in all of our planet’s inhabitants. Registration required.
Details
Escape Room
Friday, April 19th
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Paoli Library Meeting Room
18 Darby Rd, Paoli
You are locked in! Use your puzzle solving skills to find the clues and escape the room in time. Recommended for grades 6 to 12. Registration of each participant required.
Details
STEM program: The Reason for a Flower
Tuesday, April 16th
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Malvern Library Program Room
1 E 1st Ave # 2, Malvern
This year's Longwood Gardens Community Read for children is The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller. They’ll read the story and then children will learn about the parts of a flower and the life cycle of a plant through this hands-on and inquiry-based program. Dissect a flower, perform a pollination skit, and learn about seed dispersal. Presented by Tyler Arboretum. For children in grades K-3. No younger siblings, please.
Details
Mexico's Children's Day
Saturday, April 27th
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
West Chester Public Library, Community Room
415 North Church Street, West Chester
A free celebration of Mexico's Children's Day (El Día Del Niño)! Enjoy crafts, games, food, a piñata, face painting, and more! No registration required!
Details
Peter Rabbit Painting Project
Saturday, April 13th
12:00 - 1:00 PM: Ages 4-7
1:00 - 2:00 PM: Ages 8-11
2:00 - 3:00 PM: Ages 12-Adult
Radnor Memorial Library
Peter Rabbit Storytime Room
114 West Wayne Avenue, Wayne
Calling the whole community to participate in a group art project to help paint a giant Peter Rabbit canvas that will be displayed in the Peter Rabbit Storytime Room! Led by fine artist Erica DeHart of Murals from DeHart who is also the artist behind the beautiful new Beatrix Potter mural in the children’s room. No registration required.
Details
Reading Magic: Not Just a Bedtime Routine
Monday, April 15th
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Upper Merion Township Library, Henderson Room
175 W Valley Forge Rd, King of Prussia
Join for a discussion about the importance of reading aloud to children, while your children get to spend time in a play workshop with play dough, toys and more! Geared toward families with children ages 2-5.
Details
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Thank You to all who joined us for Party With A Purpose on April 4th!
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| MORE BOOKISH IDEAS
Independent Book Store Day at Main Point Books
Saturday, April 27th
10:00 AM start
116 N. Wayne Avenue, Wayne
Support your local bookstore. There are various speakers throughout the day, including Jerry Spinelli, Matt Phelan, Catherine Kerrison, Matt Paknis, and Madeline Miller.
Details
Chelsea Clinton: Don’t Let Them Disappear
Thursday, April 11th
6:00 PM
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
500 W Willow Grove Ave, Philadelphia
Chelsea Clinton, author of several children’s books — including the #1 New York Times bestselling picture book She Persisted — partners with acclaimed author and illustrator Gianna Marino on a new picture book about the animals who share our planet, and what we can do to help them survive.
Don’t Let Them Disappear introduces young readers to a selection of endangered animals and shares what makes them special and also what threatens them. Taking readers through the course of a day, the book talks about rhinos, tigers, whales, pandas and other endangered animals, and provides helpful tips on what we all can do to help prevent these animals from disappearing from our world entirely.
Details
Visit Baldwin’s Book Barn
Open 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Every Day
865 Lenape Road, West Chester
The Book Barn was built in 1822 and is a five-story building which exudes bookish charm with its cozy nooks, stone walls, friendly atmosphere, wood-burning stove, and shelf upon shelf of books, maps, and prints. Baldwin's Book Barn is an inveterate and unique institution of Chester County, Pennsylvania where people have come for decades to buy and sell books.
Details
2019 Family Fest: Part of the Free Library Grand Opening of Parkway Central Library Reimagined Spaces
Saturday, April 13th
4:00 PM
Parkway Central Library
1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia
Join the Free Library of Philadelphia for the annual Family Fest, a fun-filled, family-friendly evening!
This very special fundraising event at the Parkway Central Library supports the Free Library while giving children and families a unique experience in the iconic Beaux-Arts building. Experience the Free Library as never before as you enjoy crafts, storytelling, a kid-friendly buffet, and adult-friendly beverages.
Details
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| Ma is a sweet and affectionate regal beauty who needs time with you before she opens up. But when she does, you'll see she's as beautiful inside as she is outside. Her expressive brown eyes communicate her loving nature. She has a short coat, so no trips to the groomer for this girl! She loves to fetch and could play for hours.
Sweetheart Ma was abandoned after giving birth and parting with many litters. She would do best as the only pet in a home with older children or just adults.
She is available for adoption at Saved Me Rescue, 26th and Federal in South Philadelphia. savedme.org
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| EARTH DAY IDEAS
Spring Pot 'Em Up
Wednesday, April 24th
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Betty Mackey's Garden
440 Louella Ave. Wayne
Bring gloves, trowels, and your garden treasures to prepare for the Annual Plant sale.
Details
Let’s Create a Fabulous Spring Planter
Tuesday, April 16th
Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens
631 Berwyn Baptist Road, Devon
In this demonstration you will learn how to plant your own containers for spring using annuals, perennials, tropical, and simple ‘found items’ making your containers unique and spectacular. Pre-registration is encouraged.
Details
35th Darby - Cobbs Watershed Cleanup
April 13th
9:00 AM
Various Locations
Each Spring since 1984 the Darby Creek Valley Association hosts a watershed-wide clean up event focusing on removing trash, tires, and other debris from regional waterways. During this event, volunteers work together to clean up sites located throughout the watershed.
Details
BioBlitz at Bartram’s Garden
Saturday, April 27th
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd. Philadelphia
A BioBlitz is an event where people search out & document as many plants and animals as possible in a certain area. Anyone welcome to drop in at any time to help find different species on Bartram's Garden site. Naturalists will be around to answer questions & offer tips on where to look for certain creatures.
Details
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| EGGY EVENTS
Easter Egg Hunt & Lunch
Saturday, April 13th
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Glen Providence Park
550 W. State St., Media
After the hunt, join the Easter Bunny for a special luncheon. Food, fun and games for all.
Details
Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday, April 13th
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Reeves Park
401 Main St., Phoenixville
Bring your baskets! Separate egg hunts for ages three and under, 4-7 and 8-12. Free and open to the public.
Details
Malvern Borough Easter Egg Hunt
Sunday, April 14th
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Paoli Battlefield Historical Park
1st & Wayne Aves., Malvern
Join the Malvern Parks & Rec Committee for the borough’s 9th Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Bring your baskets!
Details
The Great Reading Terminal Market Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday, April 20th
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Get your picture taken with the Easter Bunny from 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM. Hunt for eggs around the market until the eggs last! Bring your own basket. Story time in the Book Nook at 9:00 AM. Egg dyeing in the City Kitchen from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM. This event is free & open to the public.
Details
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| SELF-HELP and HELPING OTHERS
Katie Sampson Lacrosse Festival
Saturday, April 27th
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Radnor High School
130 King of Prussia Road, Radnor
This year marks the 19th anniversary of the Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival and will feature a record setting 54 teams. Exciting and competitive games will take place between many of the region’s top-ranked high school lacrosse teams. The event will include a roster of 26 boys teams and 28 girls teams.
To provide benefits for medical research and quality-of-life programs.
Details
DMAX Foundation 5th Annual Educational Event: Finding Strength in Broken Places
Wednesday, April 24th
5:45 PM – 9:00 PM
The Shipley School
825 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr
DMAX’s mission is to eliminate stigma and encourage safe and caring conversations about mental health issues and emotional pain in your youth. Keynote speaker is Dr. Lise Deguire, psychologist, author, survivor of four family suicides and burns. Other speakers: Tom Burgoyne, author and Phillie Phanatic, and Dr. Pamela Corson, 2019 Leadership Awardee. Moderated by Darcy Gruttadaro, Director of the Center for Workplace Mental Health.
Details
The Love Boat Gala
Thursday, April 25th
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Phoenixville Foundry
2 N. Main St., Phoenixville
Come aboard for an evening of music, dancing, dinner, cocktails, casino action, silent auction, and fun to support Handi-Crafter’s fund-raising event.
Details
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Fun, creative art activities to keep kids engaged and busy when school’s not in session. Register for one day or all five!
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Whether furnishing your home, picking up a new outfit,
hitting the gym or looking
for a date night spot,
Suburban Square has it all!
suburbansquare.com
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Our mission is to create wholeness for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities through education, therapy, and a protective, socially and emotionally rich environment.
camphillschool.org
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Comprehensive Liquidation Solutions for Downsizers, Seniors, Estate Settlement, & Special Collections
Let Briggs Auction be your one source solution with free, in-home evaluation, bi-weekly public discovery auctions and monthly fine estate/special collection auctions in our spacious showroom.
Call or email to get started.
610.566.3138
info@briggsauction.com
BriggsAuction.com |
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For 125 years, Shipley has inspired and prepared thousands of students to make meaningful change in their communities and beyond.
Visit us to learn more!
Shipley School |
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Friends' Central to Host Cognitive Neuroscientist and MIT Professor Rebecca Saxe
It's the Thought that Counts: Progress Towards a Neuroscience of Theory of Mind
Don't miss 2019 Distinguished Visiting Scientist Rebecca Saxe, cognitive neuroscientist and professor. Dr. Saxe, an associate member of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, is best known for her discovery of a brain region that is specialized for "theory of mind" tasks that involve understanding the mental states of other people and constructing abstract thoughts.
This evening is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
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50 years after she played
Peter Pan as a girl, Ann leads her siblings on one final journey to Neverland as they confront
growing old and growing up.
For tickets:
610.644.3500
peopleslight.org |
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Since 1970 Benchmark School has been a leader in preparing bright children who learn differently to be self-advocates who take charge of their own learning and meet with success in public and independent high schools, college and beyond.
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Indoor Golf Center 9 PGA TOUR® Simulators 70+ Golf Courses and Games Rental Clubs Available BYO Beer/Wine & Food!
We make it FUN!
Reserve times at
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Bryn Mawr Hospital's Patient Pavilion is now open and will offer the community a place to get well and stay well, now and for generations to come.
Visit Bryn Mawr Hospital's Patient Pavilion is now open and will offer the community a place to get well and stay well, now and for generations to come.
Visit mainlinehealth.org |
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For those who like to plan ahead, grilling season will be here soon.
What a perfect time to remodel your kitchen!
175 N Whitehorse Rd
Phoenixville
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Dr. Amy Shoumer and her team are committed to dentistry and to your smile! Her mission is to partner with you to achieve optimal dental health, comfort, and beauty.
dramyshoumer.com |
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Practice Entrance Exam -
Saturday, April 13
Middle School Preview Morning - Thursday, April 25
Register today! |
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Don't miss this hilarious musical adaptation of the popular movie
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”
March 29th - April 14th
@Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center in West Chester
RTCwc.org
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