Library Offers 'Little Read' Special Programs

Oceanside Public Library is proud to bring its seventh Big Read program to Oceanside, in partnership with Buena Vista Audubon Society, KOCT, Oceanside Historical Society, Oceanside Museum of Art, Plants, People, Community, San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians and Studio ACE, through May 1, 2026, centered on the novel The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson. The Big Read includes a component for kids and families, called the Little Read, featuring the book Where We Come From by John Coy, Shannon Gibeny, Sun Yung, and Diane Wilson, exploring where we come from, connecting the past and present in this accessible and visually striking look at history, family and identity.

The Library and its partners will host an exciting array of special programs for kids, all free and open to the public, inspired by the Little Read book:

• Rooted in Community: Art with Studio ACE at the John Landes Community Center Library on April 2 at 3 p.m. and at the Civic Center Library on April 6 at 3 p.m., where participants will make seed- and nature-inspired artwork celebrating roots, growth, and community. For all ages.
• Art for All, Native Plant Clay Seed Bomb Workshop at the Oceanside Museum of Art on April 5 at 12 p.m. Craft small, sculptural clay forms filled with local, pollinator-friendly native seeds. For all ages.
• Kids Nature Club House for kids ages 5-10 will be held at the Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center on April 12 at 11 a.m. Participants will create a self-portrait mixed media collage, before heading out on the trail to learn about some native plants and their traditional uses by the indigenous inhabitants of our region.
• Little Read Creative Writing and Art Workshops for kids ages 6-11 at the Civic Center Library on April 7 at 4 p.m. and at the Mission Branch on May 5 at 4 p.m.Projects will focus on themes, of family and one's identity, explored in the book Where We Come From.
• Family Book Club at the Library for ages 6-11 will be centered around the Little Read title and free copies of Where We Come From will be given out to those who register while supplies last. Book clubs meet on April 14 at Civic Center Library at 4 p.m. and on April 21 at the Mission Branch at 4 p.m. For younger kids, ages 2-8, there will be a special Pajama Storytime at the Mission Branch Library at 6 p.m. on April 20. Free copies of Where We Come From will be available at this program as well while supplies last.
• Toddler Art classes with Studio ACE for ages 2-5 and their caregivers will be held at Civic Center Library on April 10 at 9 a.m. and at the Mission Branch April 24 at 9 a.m. Registration is required for the Toddler Art classes.

For more information on the Big Read or Little Read in Oceanside, additional events, or other Library programs, please visit the Library's website at oceansidelibrary.org, call 760-435-5600, or follow the Library on Instagram @oceansidelibrary.

The Big Read in Oceanside is funded through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, with support from the Friends of the Oceanside Public Library and the Oceanside Public Library Foundation, and Oceanside CA Cultural District, in partnership with Buena Vista Audubon Society, KOCT, Oceanside Historical Society, Oceanside Museum of Art, Plants, People, Community, San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians and Studio ACE.