All Brookline Libraries will be CLOSED Tuesday, July 15th for Staff Planning Day

Pride 2025 – QRG Recommendation List

Posted on by Percival

Here is a list of book recommendations shared during the Queer Reading Group’s meeting on June 12, 2025. We hope to make this a yearly tradition. Please enjoy this collaborative list!

Click and drag the book covers above to scroll through these suggestions. Each book cover links to the catalog.

Percival
We Both Laughed in Pleasure: The selected diaries of Lou Sullivan
Look Back by Tatsuki Fujimoto

Megan
Leap by Simina Popescu
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

Jacob
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
From the Belly by Emmett Nahil

Carrie
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
Scapegracers by H. A. Clarke

Elizabeth
Black Salt Queen by Samantha Bansil
The First Sister by Linden Lewis

Aidan
Be Sure by Seanan McGuire
Voyage of the Basilisk: a memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan

Sasha
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
Lumberjanes volume 1 by ND Stevenson

Violet
Summer Fun by Jeanne Thornton
Eros the Bittersweet by Anne Carson

Eliana
Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki
I Want to Be a Wall volume 1 by Honami Shirono

Emma
Here for the Wrong Reasons by Annabel Paulsen
You, Again by Kate Goldbeck

Kate
Mamo by Sas Milledge
The Marvels by Brian Selznick

Natasha
Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

Kathy
Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation volume 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Art Exhibit: Amigurumi by Michiko Oyoshi

Posted on by Rose Sweeney

Hello! -About the crafter
My name is Michiko Oyoshi. I am originally from Tokyo, Japan, and have called the Boston area home over 20 years. I’m a scientist by profession, but outside of my lab, I find joy in crafting—jewelry making, sewing, baking, and most recently, crochet. In 2024, I began crocheting amigurumi—whimsical, hand-crafted plush figures—for my daughter, Mia, and our friends. I am excited to share this growing collection with the Brookline community that I have loved for so many years.

About the Collection – Kawaii Meets Crochet
Since childhood, I have adored “kawaii” (cute) miniatures—especially those with tiny moving parts that bring them to life. Pairing that with my love of food and crafting, I have created a collection that blends crochet, miniature playfulness, and storytelling.

Many of these tiny creations are food- or nature-inspired, with a few surprises—some even have moving parts! From a chick peeking from an egg to a mischievous jellyfish disguised as ice cream, each piece invites a closer look and a bit of joy.

This collection is a celebration of joy, imagination, and care in small details. I hope it brings a smile to your face. Please feel free to leave a comment—I would love to hear your thoughts!

With gratitude,
– Michiko

Bjorbaek & Mahoney Spring Art Exhibit

Posted on by Sebastien Sulser

This exhibit includes a mixture of various art pieces and mediums.

Mia Bjorbaek, acrylic painting
– Self portrait, abstract and cupcake, donut and cookie.

Kitt Bjorbaek, colored pencil drawings
– Shopping, ocean with shark and fish skeleton.

Christine Mahoney, oil paintings
– Brookline High School cheerleading and tennis, Beacon Hill and Woodstock, Vermont.

About the artists:
Mia Bjorbaek (15 years) is a freshman at Brookline High School. She is also a member of the spring Brookline High School tennis team.

Her other hobbies include figure skating, and sailing in Boston Harbor and the Charles River.

Kitt Bjorbaek (18 years) is a senior at Brookline High School. She has been a member of the Brookline High School rowing team for four years. And, she is also a lifeguard.

This fall, Kitt will be headed to Westfield State University to pursue a biology degree with a minor in studio art.

Christine Mahoney is Mia and Kitt’s mom. She has always loved art and has a BA in journalism with a minor in Studio Art from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Art Exhibit: “Chaekgado” by Yoonkyoung Ahn

Posted on by Rose Sweeney

Chaekgado is a style of Korean folk art (Minhwa) painting that shows bookshelves filled with books, vases, brushes, and other symbolic objects celebrating wisdom, beauty, and success. Originally created about 300 years ago to inspire learning and bring good fortune, Chaekgado reminds us how knowledge and art can shape a better future.

Artist Yoonkyoung Ahn brings traditional Korean art to life for Brookline students through Chaekgado. Her work blends Korean and North American cultural motifs, inviting students to explore creativity, heritage, and the universal love of knowledge. Through this playful fusion, Ahn builds a bridge between traditions and new generations.

Yoonkyoung’s work is on display in Hunneman Hall from May 1 to June 30 and in the Lobby and Emery cases at Brookline Village Library from May 1 to May 31.

Celebrating Pride Month at the Library!

Posted on by Elissa Martel

This Pride Month, the Library is celebrating LGBTQIA+ history and culture with programs and displays for adults and kids of all ages! Visit any Library location to browse our displays, and check out the programs we’ll be holding throughout the month.

Events

We’re excited to be hosting Pride Month programs for library-goers of all ages this June! Here’s our current lineup:

Pride Month Scavenger Hunts

Kids & Tweens | All Month at the Brookline Village, Coolidge Corner, and Putterham Libraries

Swing by our Children’s Rooms at Brookline Village and Coolidge Corner or the main desk at Putterham, and ask for a scavenger hunt sheet to search for as many different Pride flags or LGBTQIA+ figures as you can find!

Kings & Queens: A Brief History of Drag Exhibit

All Ages | All Month at the Brookline Village Library

Curated and written by The History Project, Boston’s queer community archives, Kings & Queens: A Brief History of Drag is a pop-up exhibit celebrating the dynamic history of drag performance. Drag is an art form that explores and challenges gender roles and expectations, often intertwining performance, celebration, activism, artistry, and identity. This exhibit introduces and traces the centuries-old history of drag, from theatrical stages to ballrooms, the Stonewall Riots in New York City, and Boston’s Beaux Arts Ball.

Pride Printmaking with Alex Makes Art

Teens & Adults | Monday, June 2 at 6 PM at the Brookline Village Library

Join Alex Makes Art to kick-off Pride with a fantastic printmaking experience! Whether you’re a seasoned printmaker or just want to learn the basics, this event is all about unleashing your creativity. This is a drop-in program, but registration is strongly encouraged.

Felted Rainbow Pins with Pop Up Art School

Kids Ages 8+, Tweens, and Teens | Thursday, June 5 at 6:30 PM at the Brookline Village Library

Join Pop Up Art School to celebrate Pride Month and make a unique, felted rainbow pin! Space is limited and registration is required.

Cardboard Rainbow Collages with Alex Makes Art

Kids Ages 4-10 | Friday, June 6 at 2 PM at the Coolidge Corner Library

Kids ages 4-10 and accompanying siblings and grownups are invited to join Alex Makes Art at Coolidge Corner for a joyful afternoon of community crafting! Using recycled cardboard, colorful materials, and mixed media techniques, kids will create their own unique rainbow sculptures.

Queer Reading Group

Adults | Thursday, June 12 at 7 PM at the Brookline Village Library

Read and discuss books by queer authors in a variety of genres. This group has a stress-free structure, where the conversation we develop about identity, gender, race, and all intersections that these generate is just as important as reading the book. We make space to feel seen, safe, ask questions, and learn! For this Pride Month gathering, we’ll be creating a collaborative book list for Pride. Bring up to two of your favorite books to add to the list! Join us in-person or virtually.

Queer YA Author Panel

Teens & Adults | Tuesday, June 17 at 6 PM at the Brookline Village Library

The Library is proud to present an evening with local Queer YA authors Sara Farizan, Sacha Lamb, and Kasey LeBlanc! Teen Librarian, Tori, will moderate the conversation and facilitate audience questions. Following the event, Brookline Booksmith will be on-site selling the author’s titles and the event will conclude with a book signing from all three authors. While this event is geared toward teens, all are welcome!

Pride at the Library

All Ages | Saturday, June 21 at 1 PM at the Brookline Village Library

Join us for the culmination of our Pride Month celebration! This event will feature The Femmes Band, a family-friendly drag show with Dottie Ave, a photobooth, and more! All are welcome.

Art Exhibit: Eiko Tabata

Posted on by Rose Sweeney

Eiko was born and raised in Hokkaido Japan, where she was surrounded by mountains and farmland. She started showing a deep appreciation to nature which would become reflective in her artwork. Eiko is a self-taught artist, focused on realism with a mission to convey beautiful landscapes/seascapes to her viewers.

Eiko’s art will be on display at Coolidge Corner Library for the months of May and June 2025.

Kids April 2025 Vacation Week Programs

Posted on by Elissa Martel

With school break coming up, we’ve got exciting children’s programs at all three Public Library of Brookline locations. We hope you’ll join us to learn, create, and explore! Click on the links below to visit the event page and learn more about the program.

Monday, April 21

The Library is closed for Patriots’ Day.

Tuesday, April 22

Join us at the Coolidge Corner Library at 3 PM to learn All About Bird Beaks with Hands on Nature! Discover the variety of local birds and what makes their beaks special. This program is intended for kids ages 5-10 and their families. Capacity is limited, so a free ticket can be picked up at the Coolidge Corner Library Children’s Desk starting at 2:30 PM on the day of the event.

Wednesday, April 23

Do animals get earaches? Sore throats? Stomach aches? Find out the answers to these questions and more at Dr. Rosie Helps the Animals with author and educator, Jennifer Welborn! Participants will hear a story, and get to diagnose and treat a stuffed animal. This program will be held at the Brookline Village Library, and is ideal for kids ages 4-8 and their grownups. We will hold two sessions of this program, at 2:30 PM and 4 PM. Free tickets are required, and can be picked up at the Brookline Village Library Children’s Desk 30 minutes before each session.

Thursday, April 24

Join magician and balloon-sculptor Ed Popielarczyk for a Family Magic Show that will entertain and amaze! The show will take place at the Coolidge Corner Library at 2 PM. This program is intended for children ages 3+ and their families. Space is limited, so a free ticket is required and can be picked up at the Coolidge Corner Library Children’s Desk starting at 1:30 PM on the day of the event.

Friday, April 25

Comics are great tools to communicate information, from history, to science, and even how to cook! Learn all about Informational Comics with local cartoonist, Jonathan Todd. The workshop will take place at the Putterham Library at 1 PM. This program is best-suited for kids ages 8 and up. Capacity is limited, so a free ticket can be picked up at the Putterham Library Main Desk starting at 12:30 PM on the day of the event.

Where does our honey come from? And why don’t beekeepers get stung? Meet a beekeeper and get all of your bee questions answered at The Mighty Honey Bee with Nora Neale! You’ll even get to see real honeybees in an observation hive. This program will take place at the Brookline Village Library, and is for kids in grades K-7. We will hold two identical sessions, at 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM. Free tickets are required, and can be picked up at the Brookline Village Library Children’s Desk 30 minutes before each session.

Saturday, April 26

Join us for Pollination with the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at the Putterham Library! Explore the hidden world of flowers and pollinators that are so important to our natural world. This program is intended for children in grades K-5 and their families. Capacity is limited to 25 attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. We will host this event outdoors at 10 AM on the Library lawn.

The History of Nintendo with One Up Games brings a walkable/playable museum to the Brookline Village Library! Players will learn how Nintendo started, and see how the iconic console evolved to where it is today. This program is intended for kids ages 8+, tweens, teens, and adults. It will take place at 1 PM in the Brookline Village Library Tween Room, located on the ground floor.

Posted on by Sebastien Sulser

Besides working as an Art Manager and Tutor, I love drawing—it’s my sanctuary, bringing me peace and relaxation. Since I was little,I’ve loved sketching everything from things around me to fictional characters or just practicing. My favorites are line art, watercolor, and digital art. Check out more of my work at www.chompunut.com or follow me on Instagram @meena_art.design.”

From the Public Library of Brookline Archives & Special Collections: Views from Library History

Posted on by Sam Valentine

Love your local Public Library of Brookline Branch? Are you curious about – or do you fondly recall – how each Library has looked and felt in the past? Drop by to see a selection of historical photographs of views from our Brookline Village, Putterham, and Coolidge Corner branches!

Photographs courtesy the Public Library of Brookline’s Archives & Special Collections; on display in the Lobby Exhibit Case at Brookline Village now through May 2025. Explore more from the Public Library of Brookline Photograph Collection online.

Courage, Community and Democracy—Books for Young People

Posted on by Rose Sweeney

During March, display cases at the Brookline Village Library will feature books for young people with themes of courage, community, and democracy. Good books are wonderful for introducing readers to people who spoke out for strong communities, to advocates who worked hard on behalf of our government’s founding values, and to people who made their way in unknown territories for a better life for themselves and others. Brookline resident Rusty True Browder (founder of The Children’s Book Shop in Brookline Village and retired Lawrence School librarian) collects and writes about books with themes of a strong democracy and key events in American history, sharing some of them in this display. Visit Rusty’s Substack newsletter for even more book suggestions.

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