Holiday On The Green

Topsfield's Holiday on the Green event is this Saturday! Be sure to stop by the library at 5:00pm to enjoy some sweet treats, cider, and hot cocoa in the Topsfield Library Activity Room! This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Topsfield Library.

Want to help out? We are accepting donations of home-baked or store-bought goodies for this event. Contact [email protected] if you would like to contribute!

An Evening with Henry Swenson
Spreading Cheer with Holiday Lights on Orchard Lane!

The Topsfield Town Library is excited to host Henry Swenson on November 29th at 5:30pm! 

Drive by Orchard Lane in December? You are definitely familiar with his work. This year, he estimates there will be over 100,000 lights decorating the house on Orchard Lane! 

Henry will chat about putting together this enormous display that lights up Topsfield's holiday season, answer questions you may have (what's the electric bill like!?!), and more! His display will be featured on The Great Christmas Light Fight this December 19th at 9 PM, ET on ABC.

This event will be held in person, in the Topsfield Library Activity Room, no registration required.

This week's events:

Topsfield Library events in purple (View the Topsfield Library's calendar here)

A Visit with Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library: Tue 11/28, 12:30pm-1:30pm: The Tewksbury Public Library is hosting Erin Fragola, Outreach Coordinator for the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library. Erin will be discussing all of the accessible materials and services offered by Perkins, including braille books, large print books, talking books, Newsline, and Braille & Audio Reading Download (BARD).  There will be a Q&A period following the presentation. In person at the Tewksbury Public Library. For more information and to register, click here.

Mah jongg: Tue 11/28, 1pm-4pm: Drop-in Mah jongg. All levels welcome, no sign-up necessary.

Craft and Chat: Tue 11/28, 5pm-6:30pm: Bring your current project to the library to work in the company of fellow crafters. This is a drop-in program, come when you can, leave when you need. Any and all crafts welcome; tables, chairs, and access to the library craft swap materials provided!

CFCE of the North Shore - Music and Movement Playgroup: Wed 11/29, 10:30-11:30am: Coordinated Family Community Engagement (CFCE) manages and runs this fun event! Music and movement are important at every stage of a child’s development and can be brought together in this fun, interactive program. CFCE's programs include music with activities to further refine children's fine and gross motor skills.

Intro to Dungeons & Dragons: Wed 11/29, 1:30pm-3:30pm: Are you curious about Dungeons & Dragons or role-playing games in general?  Join us on this afternoon (an early release for Masco schools) for a casual introduction to D&D and see what the kids of "Stranger Things" were all excited about. Ages 12 & up.  All materials provided.  Registration required. Sign up here.

An Evening with Henry Swenson: Spreading Cheer with Holiday Lights on Orchard Lane!: Wed 11/29, 5:30pm-6:30pm: We are excited to have Henry chat about putting together this enormous display that lights up Topsfield's holiday season, answer questions you may have (what's the electric bill like!?!), and more! In-person event in the Topsfield Library Activity Room.

Gingerbread House Decorating!: Fri 12/1, 6pm/ Sat 12/2 10am-2pm: The annual Friends of the Topsfield Town Library gingerbread house decorating fundraiser! Sign ups are required. Sign up in the Children's Room (in-person only).

Holiday on the Green-Treats with the Friends: Sat 12/2, 5pm-6pm: Come by the library for some sweet treats, cider, and hot cocoa in the Library Activity Room! Sponsored by the Friends of the Topsfield Library.

Author Talk!

Welcome to local author, Lindsay Fera! 

Join us as we host local author Lindsey Fera at the Topsfield Town Library! Lindsey is the author of Muskets & Minuets (2021) and Muskets & Masquerades (2023), with the third novel of the trilogy in the works. Lindsey will chat about her passion and inspiration for writing, love of history, her research process,  career as a nurse, and more!

Our event will be held in the Topsfield Library Activity Room, and be recorded and aired on Boxford Cable Access TV (BCATv) and Topsfield Cable Access Media (TCAM) and air live on the Boxford Cable Access Tv website.

Staff Picks!

What have the Topsfield Librarians been reading lately?

Our Missing Hearts

By Celeste Ng

Set in a dystopian future that Ng makes feel uncomfortably close, Our Missing Hearts follows the story of a young Chinese American boy named Noah who lives with his father on the campus of Harvard. Three years ago, Noah's mother disappeared and hasn't been heard from until the day Noah receives a mysterious post card. Noah embarks on a journey to find his mother and discovers the truth about her disappearance and the world he lives in. Our Missing Hearts wraps a mystery in with themes of racism, book banning, nationalism and parent child relationships. -Meghan's Pick!

Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere

By Maria Bamford

From “weird, scary, ingenious” (The New York Times) stand-up comedian Maria Bamford, a brutally honest and hilariously frenetic memoir about show business, mental health, and the comfort of rigid belief systems—from Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, to Suzuki violin training, to Richard Simmons, to 12-step programs.

"I listened to this audiobook while the power was out during that wild thunderstorm we had a few months ago. I really enjoyed Maria's humor (her voice acting is AMAZING in the audiobook) and I found her experiences very interesting to read about. Trigger warning that she does make fun of some groups that she tried and pokes fun at some of the difficult disorders she struggles with." -Becca

Bookshops and Bonedust
By Travis Baldree

Escape to a remote seaport populated with orcs, dwarves, elves, and other fanciful, endearing characters, living their "normal" lives despite various threats of doom and destruction that loom nearby.  

"This story had a refreshing lack of stereotypical gender expression, lots of book-worshipping and pastry-eating... it was my introduction to the Cozy Fantasy genre, and I'm looking for more to read this holiday season!"- Anna.