Upcoming Family Friendly Events

Want to get the whole family involved with Citywide Reads?

• The documentary Deep Blue will be screened on Tuesday, April 29 (with closed captions) at 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday, May 3 at 3:30 in the Main Library's Marting Luther King Jr. Auditorium. This breathtaking BBC film features underwater and seaside life and is appropriate for all ages.
• Entertainer Paul Tracey is coming! He will be in the Main Library's Children Activity Room on Thursday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. with his eight-foot globe. Paul Tracey encourages children to care for our planet by using music.
• Don't forget that entries for the Teen Book Cover Art contest are due on April 30. Teens, aged 13 to 18 or in grades 8 to 12, can design a cover for The Highest Tide. Entry forms are available at the Youth Reference Desk at the Main Library.

Learn about the Santa Monica Bay

On Thursday, April 24, Heal the Bay teams up with the Library for another Citywide Reads program. The unique ecology of Santa Monica Bay will be discussed, with a focus on the causes and consequences of ocean pollution. Learn what you can do to decrease your impact on Santa Monica Bay. The program begins at 7:00 pm in the Main Library's Multipurpose Room.

We Got to Know Rachel Carson – the Quiet Rebel

A very interested group attended our special Citywide Reads program on Rachel Carson on Tuesday night. Tara Treiber, the Education Manager for Heal the Bay, Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, led us through the life and times of this pioneering scientist and environmentalist, and revealed background information on her leadership of the anti-pesticide movement. Growing up during the depression and going into “real” science during a time when women just didn’t do that, Rachel Carson became a hero to many, including Miles O’Malley, the protagonist in this year's Citywide Reads selection, The Highest Tide.




We got a real sense of Ms. Carson’s appeal when an audience member, Robert van de Hoek, informed us that he’d come all the way from Palos Verdes for tonight’s talk. Mr. van de Hoek, co-director of the Ballona Institute, shared a common concern for many of us in this area, the health of our bay. Fortunately, our next Citywide Reads special event will cover just that topic. Heal the Bay will discuss the Santa Monica Bay on Thursday night, at 7:00 pm in the Main Library’s Multipurpose Room. Join us to take part in this exciting event.

The Highest Tide's Quiet Hero: Rachel Carson

One of the things we're hearing most about The Highest Tide from readers is how believable and real Miles O'Malley's fictional world feels. One element that sticks out for many is Miles' reverence for real-life environmental hero, Rachel Carson.





From Chapter 5, in a scene where Miles and his teenage buddy Phelps are clamming together and Phelps is questioning Miles about Carson, there is this touching exchange:

"You know everything about her, don't you?" [Phelps asked.]


I didn't say anything for a couple beats. "I know she was brave and brilliant."

Brave and brilliant is definitely an assessment that many who know Rachel Carson would wholeheartedly agree with. At a time when women were often roundly ignored and disregarded, Rachel Carson made a significant mark on the scientific community and the world at large. A scientist, a biologist (both marine and land), and a writer, Carson is often credited with spearheading the modern environmentalist movement. Her books include The Sea Around Us, The Edge of the Sea, The Sense of Wonder, and the seminal environmental classic Silent Spring, which warned of the dangers of pesticides.


Yet there are many who don't know who Rachel Carson is, or know little about her. On Tuesday, April 22, we hope to change that with another of our Citywide Reads special events, "Getting to Know Rachel Carson." Tara Treiber, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium's Education Manager, has graciously agreed to join us to lead this introduction, and we hope you can join us. The lecture gets started at 6:30 p.m. in the Main Library's second floor Multipurpose Room. For more information, click here for a PDF of the flyer posted below.

Santa Monica Explores Our Environment with Cousteau

Citywide Reads had a fantastic kick-off event with a memorable afternoon with Jean-Michel Cousteau. One hundred and fifty people learned about our oceans and ways to help when he gave a presentation and answered audience questions.


After the presentation, attendees and numerous other library patrons learned even more at hands-on booths provided by the Ocean Futures Society, Catalina Environmental Leadership Program, and Ambassadors of the Environment. Cookies baked in a solar oven were a crowd pleaser!

Jean-Michel graciously stayed for over an hour answering questions and posing for photographs, here with librarians Julie and Erica.

Jean-Michel thanks his amazing, hardworking team.

Thanks also to the Environmental Programs Divison for sponsorship.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Is Coming!

Jean-Michel Cousteau is coming to the library next Sunday, April 13 at 2:00 p.m. in the MLK Auditorium. He is continuing his father's legacy by addressing the issues of environmental education, ocean conservation, and sustainable education. Hands-on demonstrations and booths will be available after Mr. Cousteau speaks. All ages are welcome!