The Needham Free Public Library in collaboration with the Needham Community Council’s Mindful Community program, the Needham Online Safety Coalition, and the Becca Schmill Foundation have started something new!  It's an all-new Book Club to discuss the book "ReThink the Internet: How to Make The Digital World a Lot Less Sucky" by Trisha Prabhu for those in Grades 4, 5, and 6!

Join Emm (one of our Teen VolunTeens who will be helping to lead discussions), Erin (our Young Adult Librarian), and Paula (our Children's Department Supervisor) as we learn about the digital world and how to effectively (and safely) navigate life online in a safe environment!  Each participant will be given a book to hold onto while the book club is meeting. - generously provided by the Needham Community Council (thank you!).  This book club aims to help those who have (and who may be looking to get) their first phone and/or social media account(s).  We aim to learn to lead with kindness and stop internet hate (before it even begins).  During our meetings, we will discuss different chapters of this (short) book (less than 150 pages) with each meeting date focusing on the next chapter in the book.  There will be 7 meetings over the course of 3 months meeting on Monday afternoons.  We will also have activities and snacks planned around each chapter's discussion as well!

AND Fun Fact: Author Trisha Prabhu will be Zooming in with us during one of the meetings too!

This first meeting will give us a chance to get to know one and other, so there will be less focus on the book chapters, and more focus on what you are interested in learning in the wide world of Online safety.

Join us for 7 meetings to discuss different chapters of the book each meeting!
Meeting Dates (PLEASE be able to attend all, if not most, meetings!) are as follows on Mondays from 3:30 - 4:30 pm:

March 4th - Intros and Ice Breakers / get the book from the Book Club leaders if you don't already have it.
March 18th - Chapter 1
April 1st - Chapter 2
[SKIP APRIL VACATION]
April 22nd (we will discuss 2 different chapters this meeting as participants will have an extra week to read more) - Chapters 3 and 4
May 6th - Chapter 5
May 20th - Chapter 6
and
June 3rd - Chapter 7 & Closing

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to either Young Adult Librarian Erin (neeya@minlib.net) or Children's Department Supervisor Paula (PDugan@minlib.net).

*Once a student is registered, they will be contacted about how they may be handed the book / when they will be able to pick it up.