BUP

Cat & Mouse Tales
2025-05-25 11:30 - 15:00, 2025-05-26 11:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | The Puppet Co. Playhouse, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo, MD, 20812, United States
This show will have kids squeaking with delight as they journey through several folktales featuring these furry friends, set to an early rock beat. Will the cat ever catch the mouse, or can these natural enemies ever be friends? Stories include “The Lion and the Mouse” (Aesop), “Why Siamese Cats Have a Kink in their Tales” (Thailand), and “Why Cats Chase Mice” (Myanmar)
Recommended for 4+. Run time of approximately 45 minutes.

Invent the Future Expo
2025-06-01 10:00 - 14:00 | KID Museum, 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Join us on Sunday, June 1st for an inspiring day for the whole family! Celebrate the inventor in all of us student exhibitions, a drone obstacle course, skill building workshops, invention challenges, and so much more! Tickets are free, but registration is required.

Pajama Storytime at Connie Morella
2025-06-04 18:30 - 19:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
An evening storytime where pajamas are encouraged but not required. These 25-30-minute evening programs are designed to delight children of all ages and are filled with diverse stories and activities that promote and develop language skills and imagination. These programs encourage children to develop a lifelong love of reading and learning and introduce them to the culture of reading.
Tickets required! Free tickets are available at the Information Desk 30 minutes prior to the start of the program.

Starry Like Van Gogh: Art Class with Raeann Soto (Ages 8-13)
2025-06-07 14:00 - 16:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Art Class for Ages 8 to 13. Student artists will learn about artist Vincent Van Gogh, his art, and create a Van Gogh-inspired work. All supplies provided!
REGISTRATION REQUIRED! Sponsored by Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Inc.

Dory Fantasmagory
2025-06-28 - 2025-08-03 | Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
It’s tough being the youngest. Dory’s siblings won’t play with her and there are monsters to battle all over the house, like the hair-raising Mrs. Gobble Gracker. With the help of her fairy godfather, Mr. Nuggy, her monster-friend, Mary, and her mighty imagination, Dory sets out to win what she wants most: her family’s attention.
Weekday and weekend matinees.

Toddler Storytime at Connie Morella
2025-07-03 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-08 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-10 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-15 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-17 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-22 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-24 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-29 10:30 - 12:00 and 1 more date | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Get up and get moving at storytime! These 20-30-minute programs are full of a diverse collection of books, songs and fun activities. They are designed to introduce your child to the culture of reading and help develop your child’s language skills. Children are encouraged to engage with the stories and activities, and their grownups are encouraged to participate in the program along with children. ​
Toddler Storytime is held at 10:30 AM and again at 11:15 AM.

Magician Mike Rose - Colorful Magic
2025-07-03 14:00 - 15:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Experience the magic with Mike Rose! Impossible magic tricks and off the wall comedy to “color our world,” along with lots of audience participation. TICKETS REQUIRED! FREE tickets can be obtained at Information Desk 30 minutes prior to event.

Great Lakes National Puppet Theater presents: The Frog Prince
2025-07-05 - 2025-07-20 | The Puppet Co. Playhouse, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo, MD, 20812, United States
Great Lakes National Puppet Theater presents another classic fairytale. “The Frog Prince”, was first published in Germany, in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm. It is the story of a prince, who is placed under a spell by a wicked witch and can only be restored by the kiss of a beautiful princess. Performed using brilliantly crafted marionettes, as well as theatrical lighting and special effects, this production is perfect for school, library, theaters, and family series programming.
Recommended for 4+. Run time of approximately 45 minutes.
Thursdays and Fridays at 10:30am
Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30am, 1pm & 3pm

Ticket Price: $16 per person
Tickets required for all ages 2 and up.

Cool Concerts for Kids
2025-07-10 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-07-17 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-07-24 19:00 - 20:30 | The Mansion at Strathmore
Join us all summer long!
Settle on the lawn each week for FREE Cool Concerts for Kids on select Thursdays. Enjoy food from our BBQ tent or bring your own. Cool Concerts for Kids promise to offer soul-stirring tunes for people of all ages while creating fun ways for younger audiences to interact with the music. Mark your calendars and RSVP today!
July 10: Divi Roxx Kids
July 17: Old-Time Music & Dance Party with Becky Hill, Rachel Eddy & Friends
July 24: Cool Concerts for Kids: Lucy Kalantari & The Jazz Cats

Toddler Storytime at Connie Morella Library
2025-09-02 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-09-09 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-09-16 10:30 - 12:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Get up and get moving at storytime! These 20-30-minute programs are full of a diverse collection of books, songs and fun activities. They are designed to introduce your child to the culture of reading and help develop your child’s language skills. Children are encouraged to engage with the stories and activities, and their grownups are encouraged to participate in the program along with children. ​
Space is limited! FREE tickets are available on a first come, first served basis at the Information desk beginning 30 minutes before the program. Toddler Storytime occurs at 10:30 and 11:15.

Pajama Storytime at Connie Morella Library
2025-09-03 18:30 - 19:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States

My First Bookclub
2025-09-04 16:15 - 17:15 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
My First Book Club is a reading program designed to provide students in grades K-1 a unique opportunity to improve literacy and language arts skills through group reading, discussion, and related activities. Participants should be attending kindergarten or first grade, or the equivalent, but do not need to know how to read independently yet. This program does not teach kids how to read but rather serves as a fun and interactive way for beginning readers to practice reading aloud, listening to others read, and talking about stories and characters and language arts concepts, such as theme and setting.
Each session will focus on 1-2 short books with related discussion, activities, games, and/or crafts. You do not need to read the book(s) ahead of time! Copies of the books will be provided by the library at the event, and everyone will have the choice to volunteer to read aloud, including adult caregivers and the librarians. Questions and discussion topics will be carefully structured to promote skills such as reading comprehension, word recognition, pronunciation, and vocabulary-building.
My First Book Club can serve as a transition for kids ages 5-6 who have advanced from typical library pre-school Storytimes but might not yet be ready for elementary school programs like a traditional book club. Key goals are to get them excited about reading on their own and show them how to find books and use various learning resources that are available from the library and the librarians. The program is inclusive: regardless of a child’s initial reading abilities, the goal is to help them improve their skills and confidence by engaging with the reading materials and other kids in a supportive learning environment.

Storytime at Wonderland Books
2025-09-06 10:30 - 11:00 | Wonderland Books, 7920B Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Ndidi Amadi will read from her book Chichi And Didi Love Their Names, an empowering and joyous picture book that shows kids the importance of loving your name, having pride in your culture, and standing up for yourself.

No Shelf Control - Book Club Grades 4-6
2025-09-10 18:30 - 19:30 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
All readers in Grades 4-6! “No Shelf Control” starts its 3rd year with a discussion of Jasmine Warga’s “A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall,” which features an art theft, friendship, and a turtle!

Welcome to Year 3 of No Shelf Control! If you are in grades 4, 5 or 6 and love to read and have fun talking about books and characters, this just might be the place for you! No Shelf Control meets monthly for discussion and activities related to a book chosen by a librarian just for this age group, freely available through the library, and read ahead of time.
Our first selection for the 2025-2026 school year is “A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall” by Jasmine Warga, which involves a stolen painting, a mysterious girl that only a few people can see, a pair of unlikely 6th grade detectives, a very old and private secret, and a very curious and determined turtle. The author’s previous books include the acclaimed “Other Words for Home,” a novel in verse about an immigrant girl and her family adjusting to life in the United States. “A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall” is currently a nominee for the Maryland Association of School Libraries’ Black-Eyed Susan Award for Children’s Fiction.
You can borrow a copy of the book, along with a specially prepared reading guide for our group, from the Connie Morella Library; just ask at either the Circulation Desk or Information Desk for the book for the next meeting of No Shelf Control. The book is also available in electronic formats from the library’s free services: on Hoopla as an e-book or e-audiobook; and on Overdrive or the Libby app as an e-book or e-audiobook. If you use an electronic version, please contact librarian Jeff Coster (Jeffrey.Coster@montgomerycountymd.gov) to request a copy of the reading guide. He can also be contacted with any questions about the program and participant eligibility.
Over the course of the school year, we’ll read books from a wide range of genres—realistic fiction, mystery, humor, science fiction, fantasy, adventure—featuring characters your age and themes such as friendship, family, overcoming adversity, confronting challenges, sorting through conflicting values and other people’s expectations, and navigating life, school, sports and other extracurricular activities, while expanding their knowledge of themselves and the world around them. We often use new books published within the last 2-3 years and titles from such award programs as the Black-Eyed Susan. Each session’s interactive discussions and hands-on activities will relate to the major topics and themes of the book in a fun and engaging way.
Library Program Attendance (both virtual and in the branch) is limited to participants within the suggested age range of the program. Children attending an MCPL program under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Adults attending a program intended for children must have an accompanying child.

September's Read to a Dog - In Person
2025-09-11 16:00 - 17:00 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Read to a Dog develops reading skills and confidence as you share a book with a dog. Bring your own book or choose one from our collection!

This program is targeted to children 5 years old and up who have some ability to read aloud on their own. Sign up at the Information Desk up to 30 minutes before the program, for a 10-minute one-on-one reading session. First come, first served. Every second and fourth Thursday of the month. Located in Meeting Room 2.

Storytime: The Penguin of Ilha Grande by Shannon Earle
2025-09-13 10:30 - 11:00 | Wonderland Books, 7920B Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
A man rescues a penguin off the coast of Brazil and finds a lifelong connection in this true story about the power of friendship. (Ages 4-7, but everyone welcome!)

September's Cover to Cover! A Book Club for Grades 2-3
2025-09-16 16:15 - 17:15 | Connie Morella Library, 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD, 20814, United States
Cover to Cover is a NEW monthly reading, discussion & activity group for students in grades 2-3. We’ll start by reading “Third Grade Angels” by Jerry Spinelli, about an unusual school competition.

What would happen if every student tried to be the nicest, kindest, most well-behaved kid they could be? Find out in this very funny story of a different kind of competition to start the school year for the third graders in Mrs. Simms’ class!
You can borrow a copy of “Third Grade Angels” by Jerry Spinelli–along with a specially prepared reading guide for our group–from the Connie Morella Library; just ask at either the Circulation Desk or Information Desk for the book for the next meeting of Cover to Cover! The book is also available in electronic formats from the library’s free services: on Hoopla as an e-book or e-audiobook; and on Overdrive of the Libby app as an e-book or e-audiobook. If you use an electronic version, please contact librarian Jeff Coster (Jeffrey.Coster@montgomerycountymd.gov) to request a copy of the reading guide. He can also be contacted with any questions about the program and participant eligibility.
Cover to Cover is a brand-new monthly reading, discussion, and activity group created for students in 2nd and 3rd grade. Each month, we will read a different chapter book that you can check out ahead of time from the Connie Morella Library (or read or listen to on one of our free e-book apps, if available), along with a specially prepared reading guide to help you get ready for the group’s next meeting. At each session, we’ll have an icebreaker activity and discuss the plot, characters, topics, settings, and themes of the book in a variety of different ways, from traditional question-and-answer discussion to role plays, think-pair-share, fishbowl, and more to encourage fun interaction among the participants. Then we’ll finish with an activity related to the book–for example, a small art or craft project or interactive game–to reinforce the main themes or topics. Books will be chosen from among a variety of genres–adventure, humor, realistic fiction, science-fiction, fantasy, mystery–with a range of diverse characters in a variety of different cultural backgrounds and life circumstances. Many of the books used will be from lists of nominees at the appropriate age-level for honors such as the Maryland Association of School Libraries’ Black-Eyed Susan Award and the Maryland Library Association’s Youth Services Division’s Blue Crab Young Reader Award.
We’ll start this year’s program as a hybrid of a traditional book club with a shared read-aloud component. Volunteers can practice reading out loud to their peers the first chapter of the next month’s book, say, or perhaps a short story or poems chosen for their suitability. This program is designed to support students transitioning from beginning readers and simple chapter books into the next challenge of longer chapter books with more complex vocabulary, different writing styles, and fewer pictures, but all materials chosen for use will be in the general on-level range for 7–9-year-olds.
Library Program Attendance (both virtual and in the branch) is limited to participants within the suggested age range of the program. Children attending an MCPL program under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Adults attending a program intended for children must have an accompanying child.
