Calendar

Siblings run away from home and decide to move into the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art , where they soon discover there is a mystery to be solved.

The Insect Discovery Lab

The Center for Ecosystem Survival presents The Insect Discovery Lab.  Real live insects for you to learn about and maybe even hold!

Love LEGOs? We do too! Join us to build fabulous LEGO projects. Ages 5 and older.

Magician Gerald Joseph will WOW you with amazing sleights of hand and magic! For ages 4 and up.

Join us for a reading and booksigning with Alysia Abbott, author of Fairyland,  a  vibrant memoir about growing up motherless in 1970s and ’80s San Francisco with an openly gay father.

After his wife dies in a car accident, bisexual writer and activist Steve Abbott moves with his two-year-old daughter to San Francisco. There they discover a city in the midst of revolution, bustling with gay men in search of liberation—few of whom are raising a child.

In Alysia’s teens, Steve’s friends—several of whom she has befriended—fall ill as AIDS starts its rampage through their community. While Alysia is studying in New York and then in France, her father tells her it’s time to come home; he’s sick with AIDS. Alysia must choose whether to take on the responsibility of caring for her father or continue the independent life she has worked so hard to create.

Reconstructing their life together from a remarkable cache of her father’s journals, letters, and writings, Alysia Abbott gives us an unforgettable portrait of a tumultuous, historic time in San Francisco as well as an exquisitely moving account of a father’s legacy and a daughter’s love.

This event is co-sponsored by the Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center and the San Francisco History Center.

Magician Gerald Joseph will WOW you with amazing sleights of hand and magic! For ages 4 and up.

Learn Hip Hop dance techniques while learning community awareness and conflict resolution skills. Through this process, gain body awareness and develop confidence. For children of all ages

Celebrate the Summer Solstice with a perfect introduction to the joys of gardening. In this hands-on workshop, Jonathan Silverman, Founder and Managing Director of Feel the Earth, will offer LEARN the ART of SEEDING for children and their families. You will learn how seeds work, best ways to plant seeds, how to care for your seedlings, and begin to cultivate fresh produce or blossoms. Research shows that gardening improves children’s learning, self-confidence, health & feeling of community spirit. For ages 2 and older.

Learn  dance techniques while learning community awareness and conflict resolution skills. Through this process, gain body awareness and develop confidence. Space is limited. Please call 415-355-2838 for a reservation up to six days in advance.

Clown around with gentle Jimbo and his accordian!

Featuring music, clowning, juggling, and audience participation. For ages 5 and younger.

Join the fun and sing along with Alison Faith Levy, a wonderful children's musician, songwriter, and formerly "Sippy Alison" from the beloved San Francisco band The Sippy Cups!

Brave San Francisco firefighters will come to talk simply about fire safety and show off their marvelous firetruck. A must for all firetruck fans! Firefighters are on duty, so there is a chance they will get called away to fight a fire.  For ages 5 and under.

Come and play games galore!  We will have a lot of your favorite board games available: Monopoly, Clue, Connect Four, Twister, and MORE. For ages 4 and up.

Simple Machines

Recommended ages: 8+

Simple Machine & Powered Machines were designed for ages 8-up.  The kits enable children to be young engineers, designers & scientists.  Through use of the materials children are encouraged to think creatively about how things work and establish links between cause and effect.  The materials provided enable children make machines such as windmills, power cars, dogbots, clock mechanisms, fishing rods, letter balances & various vehicles. Limit 10 children. Please call for a reservation. 355-2822

Bonnie Lockhart - Songs and Stories!

For children of all ages

Join Tammy from Destiny Art Center and learn a new skill! Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial-art that incorporates dance, agility, grace, music, instrumentation and play. Participants will learn the fundamentals of capoeira movements, philosophy, instruments and call and response songs. For ages 5-up, space limited to 30 participants arriving day of class.

In this hands-on workship with Jonathan Silverman children will learn how seeds work, best ways to plant seeds, how to care for their seedlings, and begin to cultivate their own fresh produce or blossoms! For ages 5 and up.

Simple Machines

Recommended ages: 8+

Simple Machine & Powered Machines were designed for ages 8-up.  The kits enable children to be young engineers, designers & scientists.  Through use of the materials children are encouraged to think creatively about how things work and establish links between cause and effect.  The materials provided enable children make machines such as windmills, power cars, dogbots, clock mechanisms, fishing rods, letter balances & various vehicles. Limit 10 children. Please call for a reservation. 355-2822

San Francisco has some of the greatest landmarks in the world. Join Felicia as she shares a little history. Create an edible mosaic of the site you like best. Ages 5 and up. Advance sign-ups required.

Feel the Earth and Learn the Art of Seeding:  In this hands-on workshop learn how seeds work, the best ways to plant seeds and begin to cultivate fresh produce or blossoms. Take home your very own seedling and learn how to take care of it.  Open to children 2 yrs. old and their families.

Warm up to some cool, cold-blooded creatures. The Lizard Lady will show and share her extensive knowledge of snakes, lizards and exotic reptiles. For ages 5 and older. Groups, please call for reservations at (415) 355-5770.

Green Golly Project presents "Little Kids Little Songs". A wonderful introduction to live music, comedy and theatre for little kids. Space is limited. Please call 415-355-2838 up to six days in advance for a reservation. For children of all ages.

Gary Lapow - Musician & Singer

Enjoy a wonderful musical performance by Gary Lapow!

Explore the world of sharks, skates and rays with a naturalist from Aquarium of the Bay. Through hands-on activities find out how sharks are a special kind of fish with unique adaptations. Discover the importance of sharks in marine environments. Best for children ages 6-10. Space is limited; call 355-5770 to sign-up.

Rock out with your little one(s) to the tunes of Alison Faith Levy, kid rocker extraordinaire.

Sing along with awarding winning musician Tim Cain.

The Lizard Lady will introduce you to some of her creeping, crawling, slithering pals. She might even invite you to touch one, if you dare!

Warm up to cold blooded critters with Lizard Lady Teressa Killeen and her wonderful reptiles!

Craft your own delicious San Francisco treat in the form of a mosaic. Space is limited. Please call 415-355-2838 up to 6 days in advance for reservations. For children of all ages.

Mark Bunnell, the Juggling Tornado, brings a fast-paced prop comedy show with hilarious stunts and audience participation. For children of all ages.

"The Carnival of Chaos!"

With Mark Bunnell, juggler & acrobat extraordinaire

Come and see a real fire engine up close and say hello to the fire fighters. Learn about fire prevention during this fun and educational program. Note that the fire engine visit is subject to emergency need, and in the event that it is required for duty, the visit will have to be cancelled.

Toddler tales

Cozy up to some cool cold-blooded critters. The Lizard Lady will show us snakes, lizards, tortoises, and other reptiles. For children ages 3 and older and their caregivers.

The Insect Discovery Lab provides youth with an opportunity to handle and explore the fantastic lives of millipedes, walking sticks, whip scorpions and more while learning about the extraordinarily diverse world in which they live and their key role in the web of life. Ages 5 and up. Advance sign-ups required

The Radar Reading series features underground and emerging writers.  This month features Cathy de la Cruz, Matt Rohrer, Julianna Delgado and Marisa Crawford.  Hosted by Michelle Tea.

The lizard lady presents a wildlife experience that children love! Come see reptiles, some local, some from far away, many endangered. Ages 3 and older.

Meet author C.W. Gortner, author of the historical novels The Last Queen and Confessions of Catherine de Medici.  He will read and discuss his new book The Queen’s Vow.  This historical novel talks about Isabella of Castile who united Spain and transformed it into a world power and sent Columbus to discover a new world.   A book sale by Readers Books follows the event. Sponsored by the Institute for Historical Study and the Historical Novel Society, Northern California Chapter.

Local historian Jacqueline Proctor presents a view of San Francisco's development from west of Twin Peaks, home to some of the city's most beautiful neighborhoods and influential citizens.  The suburbs that spread from the city's highest point form a unique part of the San Francisco tapestry.

Veteran beekeeper Tim Muhrlin leads a program on all the things that keep bees busy--tastings included!

Buzzy Bee's Traveling Hive brings the wonder & mystery of bees to Richmond Branch. Veteran beekeeper Tim Muhrlin will present a program about the complex behavior of the honey bee – honey tastings included!  For children ages 3 and older.

The Lizard Lady presents a wildlife experience that children love! Come see reptiles, some local, some from far away, many endangered. Ages 5 and older. Advance sign-ups required.

Drop-in and get creative building with LEGOs. We provide all the pieces you'll need to make vehicles, castles and more.

Bees are the best!  Veteran beekeeper Tim Muhrlin leads a program for the very young on all the things that keep bees busy--tastings included!  For ages 3-5.

Brave San Francisco Firefighters will come for a simple talk on fire safety and to show off their marvelous firetruck. A must for all firetruck fans! For ages 5 and younger.

Toddler tales

Jonathan Silverman, of Feel the Earth, will present LEARN the ART of SEEDING for children and their families.  Find out how to plant seeds.  Take home your very own seedling and learn how to take care of it. 

A Vision of Angels (Owl Canyon Press is on one hand, a page-turning thriller) A terrorist threat for Easter Sunday in Jerusalem sets off a chain of events that weave together the lives of an American journalist, Israeli war hero, Palestinian farmer, and Arab-Christian grocer. On the other hand, it's a commentary: There's a lot in the book about torture in the Israeli prison system as well as systematic human rights violations of other kinds. Raised a Zionist, Tim lived in Jerusalem in the mid-1990s, managing a US government multimillion-dollar project to assist Palestinian businesses regain market access. He has said he would like his Angels to do for the Palestinians what Leon Uris's book Exodus did for the Jews: Give them a fair and sympathetic shake.

Timothy Jay Smith's first published novel, Cooper’s Promise, was selected by Kirkus Reviews as one of the Best Books of 2012 and won the 2008 Paris Prize for Fiction; his first staged play won the prestigious Stanley Drama Award.

Join us for an author reading with David Talbot who will talk about his latest bestseller Season of the Witch, the On the Same Page book club selection for May and June. In a kaleidoscopic narrative, David Talbot recounts the gripping story of San Francisco in the turbulent years between 1967 and 1982 - and of the extraordinary men and women who led to the city's ultimate rebirth and triumph. Season of the Witch is the first book to fully capture the dark magic of San Francisco in this breathtaking period, when the city radically changed itself - and then revolutionized the world.

A book sale and signing will follow the program.

Jonathan Silverman with Feel the Earth!

Learn the Art of Seeding!

An opportunity to learn about seeds and cultivating the soil. Space limited.  Unfortunately no classes or groups.  Call Tim at (415) 557-4549 for more information.

Love LEGOs? We do too! Join us to build fabulous LEGO projects. Ages 5 and older.

Legos for all ages!  It's summertime,  there is no school tomorrow,  maybe work but what the heck -- come to Bernal Branch and build some wild and crazy creations.  Family participation is encouraged.  

Join us for an amazing and hilarious show with magic, comedy, juggling, and lots of audience participation.

Buzzy Bee's Traveling Hive brings the wonder & mystery of bees to the Merced Branch. Veteran beekeeper Tim Muhrlin will present a program about the complex behavior of the honey bee – tastings included!  For children ages 3 and older.

Join Cherry Hoops for  a fun hoopdance class at the Library.  High-quality instruction and professional hoops make it easy to learn this mesmerizing art form. Play, laugh, and get fit with Cherry Hoops!  Best for children  age 5 and up.

Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mitz-Plasse

Focus Features; Directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell

Rated PG; 92 minutes; 2012 When a small town comes under siege by zombies, who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman, who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst, of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

Join us for a crafty time and create a unique button for yourself or to give! Ages 5 and up. Space is limited. Advance sign-ups required.

Baby Yoga & Massage for newborn to pre-crawling

Introduce your baby to the many benefits of yoga from the beginning of life. This sweet program includes yoga movement, songs and infant massage for babies that enrich their development and deepen the parent/caregiver and child bond.

Ages 0 - 18 months. Space is limited, please call for reservations.

Did you know that worms will eat your food scraps and turn them into compost?  Come learn how to make a special house for worms called a "worm bin."  Free red wiggler worms will be given away to participants who bring an adult to help care for the worms.  Ages 6-12.

Bay Area Beauty by Jacquie Proctor

How did an artistic Englishman become of San Francisco's most creative post 1906 architects? From storybook cottages and Mediterranean villas, to Art Deco masterpieces, historian Jacquie Proctor describes how Harold Stoner played a key role in establishing this "City Beautiful Movement" aesthetic in the western neighborhoods of San Francisco and beyond.

"Make a Book Workshop!"

Presented by the Academy of Art University

Learn how to make a book!  Children 5 and above.

Jonathan Silver of Feel the Earth will present LEARN the ART of SEEDING for children and their families. Find out how to plant seeds. Take home your very own seedling and learn how to take care of it. For children ages 2 and older and their families.

Bonnie Lockhart  performs a sing-along, move-along family concert to celebrate the library’s Summer Reading Program.

Meet Nyna Pais Caputi , the director of the film Petals In The Dust: The Endangered Indian Girls.   She will discuss how age-old beliefs, intolerance and a preference for sons, combined with growing materialism and technology is leading to increased incidences of discrimination, violence and the horrific and tragic murder of millions of Indian girls and women in India. She will show a short trailer for the film, talk about the work of activists who are working to end the violence and take audience questions.Co-sponsored by the International Museum of Women.

Take a dip into the ocean and discover the amazing and mysterious water world that makes up the bulk of our planet.

How did an artistic Englishman become one of San Francisco's most creative post 1906 architects? From storybook cottages and Mediterranean villas, to Art Deco masterpieces, historian Jacquie Proctor describes how Harold Stoner played a key role in establishing this "City Beautiful Movement" aesthetic in the western neighborhoods of San Francisco and beyond.

Explore the fantastic lives of beetles, millipedes, tarantulas, walking sticks, whip scorpions and more.  Learn about the extraordinarily diverse world in which they live and their key role in the web of life. For ages 5 and up.  Participation limited to 25 children.  Please call 355-5666 to reserve your place now!

Enjoy the juggling, magic, and hilarious antics of Boswick the Clown! Boswick Turnstyle is a former Ringling Brothers Circus clown with a ridiculous slapstick style. Children of all ages.

Summer is the time for bubbles and no one blows bubbles like Rebecca Nile. She will astound you with her unique bubble creations!

Groups please call for reservations.

Come have fun with Tony Borders, hilarious puppeteer, magician, and ventriloquist!  Age 3-11.

Come and play games galore!  We will have a lot of your favorite board games available: Monopoly, Clue, Connect Four, Twister, and MORE. For ages 4 and up.

Experience the wonderful world of Tony Borders: puppeteer, ventriloquist and magician. Children and caregivers will delight in this exciting, interactive and laugh-out-loud show. Best for children ages 3-11.

Toddler tales

Magician Gerald Joseph will WOW you with amazing sleights of hand and magic! For ages 4 and up.

Author Maxine De Felice will read from her book "May The spirit Be Unbroken." Her book is  a story about the resilience of the human spirit, following three generations of activist families and the author as child and adult in the context of radical change movements of the twentieth century. The constant chant from the author's mother, "When all the children in the world are happy, only then do you have a right to be" was character defining, as were her many traumatic experiences growing up during the McCarthy era "witch hunts" of the 1940s and 1950s. The history of her grandparents participation in an educational commune, alternative living styles, and  labor union history provide an exciting backdrop.

Having a ruff time? Come and meet Kathy Brody and her furry friends from SF SPCA.

Join Sophie in a  fun filled evening of family crafts.  All ages welcome!

Come hear from Lori Eanes and meet some special guest animals!

Backyard Roots is a unique project by California-based photographer Lori Eanes that evocatively and intimately explores the lives of 35 urban farmers in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

The burgeoning range of people now turning their urban backyards into homesteads is wide and varied, from families with young children, to immigrants recapturing their original culture, to idealistic twenty-somethings seeking community. Many of these farmers have a special lesson or inspiration to share with those who aspire to, or simply appreciate, the urban farm lifestyle.

Book sales and signing follow.

Come hear from Lori Eanes and meet some special guest animals!

Backyard Roots is a unique project by California-based photographer Lori Eanes that evocatively and intimately explores the lives of 35 urban farmers in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

The burgeoning range of people now turning their urban backyards into homesteads is wide and varied, from families with young children, to immigrants recapturing their original culture, to idealistic twenty-somethings seeking community. Many of these farmers have a special lesson or inspiration to share with those who aspire to, or simply appreciate, the urban farm lifestyle.

Book sales and signing follow.