Tag Archive for: reading

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School Field Trip Through Time

Children’s author Leah Payne takes children on a journey to discover how school has changed over the years. What kids think is normal now was certainly NOT normal in the past, and vice versa! Maybe your childhood school experience was different too!

Join us at the Main Branch for this special story time and activity is suitable for children in grades 2-5, learning about how we learn!

Leah Payne is an author, editor, and mom. She’s also an auxiliary librarian at the New Westminster Public Library. Leah holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Simon Fraser University and a master’s degree in Library and Information Studies (MLIS) from the University of British Columbia. Her books include Less Is More (2023), Get Outside! (2024), and Time for School (2026), all published by Orca Book Publishers. When Leah’s not working, you’ll probably find her doing a jigsaw puzzle while listening to an audiobook and drinking a cup of tea.

The Writer’s Chair: Maria Reva

Join us for the New Westminster gala at the 2026 Fraser River Literary Festival!

New Westminster’s own, Maria Reva, draws on her family background in Ukraine to craft novels and stories that explore connection, culture, climate, and the human condition. Her debut novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize and won the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, the Aspen Words Literary Prize and the Amazon Canada First Novel Award. The Writer’s Chair highlights Maria’s work in conversation with JJ Lee.

Maria Reva writes fiction and opera libretti. She is the author of Good Citizens Need Not Fear, set in an apartment block in Ukraine, as well as the novel Endling (longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, winner of the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize). Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, McSweeney’s, The Wall Street Journal, The Best American Short Stories, and elsewhere.

Maria’s opera libretti have been commissioned by organizations including City Opera Vancouver, Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Opera Roadshow, Ad Astra Music Festival (Russell, Kansas), Musique 3 Femmes, and most recently, Opéra de Montréal. Her musical works have been performed at venues such as Théâtre Maisonneuve in Montréal and Berlin’s ufaFabrik.

Maria was born in Ukraine and grew up in New Westminster.

Photo by Anya Chibis

 

 

 

Please note, this event is general admission in the Anvil Theatre. Free Tickets must be reserved through the registration below.

Anvil Centre. New Westminster.

After-School Kids Club (8-11 years)

Hang out with other kids, share fun books and enjoy a variety of activities in this drop-in after school program.

Drop-in.

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Summer Reading Club Wrap-Up Party!

Celebrate a summer of reading at our free Summer Reading Club Wrap-up Party!

  • Family Dance Party with DJ Rock ‘N’ Beau
  • Free book giveaway with Literacy New West
  • Photo station, craft table, colouring
  • Sensory-friendly space
  • Toddler zone with New West Family Place
  • Activities with the New West Museum and Archives and the Fraser River Discovery Centre
  • Live visit from a mermaid!

Please note that the party will take place at the Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia Street.

 

Library staff may take photos during this event to be used for internal promotional purposes by the library. If you prefer not to have your picture taken, please speak to a staff member. 

French Reading Buddies (6-9 years)

French Immersion students who can already read in French but need a little extra practice are paired with teen buddies to read and do other activities together in a fun and encouraging environment.

 

French Reading Buddies (6-9 years)

French Immersion students who can already read in French but need a little extra practice are paired with teen buddies to read and do other activities together in a fun and encouraging environment.

Register below, starting July 30. 

Teens aged 14 and up who would like to volunteer in this program should visit nwpl.ca/teens for more information on how to volunteer at the library.

If the program is full, please email youth@nwpl.ca to be added to the waiting list.

 

Reading Buddies (6-9 years)

Children who can already read but need a little extra practice are paired with teen buddies to read and do other activities together in a fun and encouraging environment.

 

Reading Buddies (6-9 years)

Children who can already read but need a little extra practice are paired with teen buddies to read and do other activities together in a fun and encouraging environment. Register below, starting July 30. 

Teens aged 14 and up who would like to volunteer in this program should visit nwpl.ca/teens for more information on how to volunteer at the library.

If the program is full, please email youth@nwpl.ca to be added to the waiting list.

 

Teen Summer Reading Club Starts! (Grade 6-12)

This is a fun, FREE program for youth in grades 6 to 12.

 

Earn badges by reading at home and completing fun challenges, and get entered into our weekly summer prize draws. You could win GREAT PRIZES!

 

Visit nwpl.ca/src to learn more.

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Summer Reading Club Starts! (3-11 years)

Join your friends at the library this summer! Summer Reading Club is a fun, FREE program that encourages children to read while school is out.

 

Children earn a sticker for every week that they read at least 15 minutes a day. Everyone who reads for 7 weeks (or more!) will earn the Summer Reading Club medal!

 

Register and pick up your reading log in person at your nearest library, or join the province-wide online program at bcsrc.ca. You can also find contests, activities, and more at this website.

 

Visit nwpl.ca/src to learn more.