American Library in Paris

Story Hour: Family Feast (ages 3–5)
2025-11-12 14:30 - 15:30 (Europe/Paris) | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, join us for picture books both factual and fictional written about food and feasting! Stories featured in this event include picture books such as Around the Table That Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill and Jaime Kit (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes.
This program is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Member Services Assistant Colette Dia and Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Claire Delarue will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. Plan to join in, sing along, move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. With your help, we hope to inspire children to become lifelong readers!
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Make and Mend: A Workshop with Ella Springer (ages 12–18)
2025-11-08 14:00 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
The practice of mending has existed for as long as we’ve been creating and wearing clothing. As fast fashion and even faster consumption become the norm, mending skills are slowly being forgotten between generations. In this workshop, participants will learn about what we wear, how we consume, and basic mending skills to make repairs to our clothing. Materials will be provided for practice, and you are also welcome to bring in your clothing items. Jeans are the best place to start!
About Ella Springer: Ella Springer is an artist and designer originally from Michigan and currently based in Paris while completing her thesis at Parsons Paris. Through her work, she is on a mission to revive the skills and communities surrounding clothing repair and sustainable hand making practices. In today’s fashion culture these skills are more crucial than ever. With a needle and thread as a tool for change, Ella leads children to the joy of mending through workshops and creative activities. You can find out more about Ella here. Important information:
This event is free for Library members, and 15€ per teen for non-members. Advance registration is required. All visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons.
Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Saturday Series: Spinning Stories (ages 6–12)
2025-11-08 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
Participants in this workshop will think about characters and settings for original stories, and learn tips for storytelling. After a discussion, everyone will create paper wheels of fortune with the prompts they’ve come up with, which can be used to get stories started at home. All supplies will be provided by the Library.
This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Claire Delarue with the help of Library volunteers. The activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. All participants must be able to understand and speak English in order to participate in the program. Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Teen Night: Mix and Match Comic Strips (ages 12–18)
2025-11-07 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Learn about the language of comics and comic strips, then make your own. We’ll have all the supplies you need to create your own original comics. This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Claire Delarue and Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads, with the help of Library volunteers.
Light snacks and drinks will be provided by the Library. Important information:
This event is free for Library members, and 15€ per teen for non-members. Advance registration is required. All visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. After-hours events for teens, such as Teen Nights, require a signed permission slip, which can be downloaded here. One permission slip is needed per academic year (September–July).
Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

History Tour at the Library
2025-11-07 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-31 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-24 11:00 - 12:00
The American Library in Paris invites you to register for a History Tour. Come visit us in person at 10 rue du Général Camou and discover:

Our origin story: How our Library grew out of a collection of books donated to troops in WWI
The establishment of the American Library in Paris as a private non-profit library
The famous writers of the Lost Generation (Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, Henry Miller, and others) who explored our stacks
The Paris Library School, which brought American innovations to French libraries between the wars
The true stories of the brave librarians who kept the Library open during the Occupation of WWII
How the Library has evolved over its 105-year history into the largest English-language lending library on the European continent

All tours are on Fridays at 11h00, last one hour, and take place in person at the American Library in Paris.
Tours are free of charge and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. Please contact us if you wish to reserve for 5 or more people (do not reserve through the site).
For school or group reservations, or for other questions, please email tours@americanlibraryinparis.org.
This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Florence Gould Foundation and the American Center for Art and Culture.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.

Toddler Time (ages 1–3)
2025-11-06 11:00 - 11:30 | The American Library in Paris
This event for children ages 1–3 and their caregivers features 30 minutes of stories, songs, and rhymes. Stories presented during our Toddler Time programs include short picture books and board books such as Cinnamon Bun, I Love You 1 by Amy Scwartz, which will be featured during this session. This session will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Laurine Lucie. Enjoy stories, music, movement and rhymes and help develop your child’s early literacy skills. Stay for play and social time after the event.
The program is entirely in English, as are all of our events for children and teens. No translation will be provided. Each child must be accompanied by an adult chaperone, and chaperones are required to remain with their children for the duration of the program. Parents and caregivers are expected to sit with their children beside them, or in their laps, and participate in the program. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. With your help, we hope to inspire children to become lifelong readers! Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Story Hour: Indigenous People (ages 3–5)
2025-11-05 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, join us for picture books both factual and fictional written by and about indigenous people from the Americas! National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages, rich histories, contributions, and stories of Native American and Alaska Native communities. Stories featured in this event include picture books such as Johnny’s Pheasant by Cheryl Minnema and Julie Flett (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes. Ask our children’s and teens’ services staff for recommendations for books to help you learn more about Native Americans. A selection of books will be available during this Story Hour.
This program is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Claire Delarue will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. Plan to join in, sing along, move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. With your help, we hope to inspire children to become lifelong readers!
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

John Singer Sargent and Henry James: Painting and Prose in a Gilded Age
2025-11-04 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
John Singer Sargent and Henry James both spent formative years in Paris, then settled in London where they were neighbors and good friends. One working in paint, the other in prose, they vividly captured an era of dramatic social change, with the old aristocracy in steep decline as fresh energies and new wealth emerged. Join Sargent biographer Jean Strouse and journalist Madeleine Schwartz for a conversation on how being American shaped Sargent’s and James’ work, and how our current Gilded Age compares with the last one.
About the speakers:
Jean Strouse is the author of Morgan, American Financier and Alice James, A Biography, which won the Bancroft Prize in American History. Her essays and reviews have appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Review of Books, the New York Times, and elsewhere. She has been a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation and served as Director of the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at The New York Public Library from 2003 to 2017. Her new book, Family Romance, John Singer Sargent and the Wertheimers, was published in 2024.
Madeleine Schwartz is editor in chief of The Dial, the award-winning magazine of international writing. She lives in Paris, where she writes about the rise of the far right, urban politics and art fraud. Her work appears in the London Review of Books, the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books, where she previously worked as an editor. She teaches journalism at Sciences Po. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Tricks & Treats in the Stacks - Halloween at the Library (18+)
2025-10-31 19:30 - 22:30 | The American Library in Paris
🎭 Costume Contest Alert! 🎭
Show off your creativity and win big! This year’s contest features four thrilling categories:
Literary – Bring your favorite book characters to life
Sexy – Flaunt your boldest, most daring looks
Group/Duo – Grab a friend and coordinate an unforgettable ensemble
Scary – Spook, shock, and awe with your creepiest creations
💥 Prizes for the best in each category! 💥
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Stirring the Pot: Paris Dining Today
2025-10-29 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Panelists Lindsey Tramuta, Carina Soto Velasquez, and Nora Bouazzouni explore the evolution of Paris dining—from emerging cuisines to the challenges women face in the industry and the voices shaping the city’s culinary future.
About the speakers:
Lindsey Tramuta has been based in Paris since 2006. She is a bilingual French-English culture and travel journalist, bestselling author, podcaster, and editorial consultant. Since 2012, her work has appeared in T: The New York Times Style Magazine, the New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Fortune Magazine, Afar Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Eater, Bloomberg, Elle, and Vogue, among other international publications.
Carina Soto Velasquez grew up in Medellín, Colombia, and moved to Paris in 2004 to study sociology, supporting herself through restaurant work and discovering a passion for hospitality. She began bartending in 2007, embracing the craft cocktail movement, and her love of agave spirits inspired Candelaria, a taqueria-bar she co-founded in 2011 with Quixotic Projects, followed by Le Mary Celeste in 2013. From 2011 to 2020, Quixotic Projects opened several venues, including Glass, Hero, and Les Grands Verres, and in September 2025 opened À La Renaissance, a Parisian café-bistrot. Carina now consults globally on food and beverage, and has been named among Drinks International’s Bar World 100 Most Influential four times.
Nora Bouazzouni is a French freelance journalist, author and translator. She works for various outlets on food, gender, TV shows and pop culture. She has published four books: Violences en cuisine, une omerta à la française (Stock, 2025), Mangez les riches, la lutte des classes passe par l’assiette (2023), Steaksisme, en finir avec le mythe de la végé et du viandard (2021) and Faiminisme, quand le sexisme passe à table (2017). Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Story Hour: Happy Halloween (ages 3–5)
2025-10-29 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, put on your coolest costume, and join us for picture books all about celebrating Halloween and dressing up! Stories featured in this event include picture books such as A Very Brave Witch by Alison McGee and Harry Bliss (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes.
This program is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Laurine Lucie will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. Plan to join in, sing along, move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. With your help, we hope to inspire children to become lifelong readers!
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Art Without Borders with novelist R. O. Kwon and artist Chloé Quenum
2025-10-28 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Can an object have a nationality? How do artworks change when removed from their context—and what new meanings can displacement create? Novelist R. O. Kwon and visual artist Chloé Quenum join Curator of Cultural Programs Rachel Donadio for a cross-disciplinary conversation on how artists inspire one another, and how movement, theft, and exchange reshape not only objects, but the stories we tell about art itself.
About the Speakers:
R. O. Kwon is the author of the nationally bestselling novel Exhibit, a New York Times Editors’ Choice. Kwon’s bestselling first novel, The Incendiaries, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award and the Los Angeles Times Art Seidenbaum Prize. Kwon coedited the bestselling Kink, a New York Times Notable Book. Her books have been translated into seven languages and named a best book of the year by over forty publications. Other writing has appeared in The New York Times, New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and elsewhere.
As a 2025-26 American Library Visiting Fellow, Kwon is working on her third novel, which is about a Korean American woman who plans a heist of historically significant art.
Chloé Quenum manipulates visual and linguistic elements from different cultures, removing them from their original context and transforming them into decorative works with uncertain origins, inviting audiences to consider how displacement has the power to generate new narratives. Her work has recently been the subject of solo exhibitions, including at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Pau (2023), the Palais de Tokyo in Paris (2021, 2014), the Fondation Pernod Ricard (2021, 2014, 2013), the Centre Pompidou (2019) and the Fondation Louis Vuitton (2015). Her work can be found in several public and private collections, including the Musée national d’art moderne – Centre Pompidou (Paris), the FRAC Alsace, Île-de-France, Grand Large and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, as well as the Crédit municipal de Paris, the Fondation Kadist and the Fondation Lafayette Anticipations. In 2024, Quenum represented Benin at the 60th Venice Biennale. Important information: Please note, this conversation will be in both French and English. The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Halloween Extravaganza: The Haunted Library (ages 8+) (Sold Out)
2025-10-25 18:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
In the evening on Saturday 25 October 2025, the American Library in Paris will turn into a Haunted Library, with guided tours throughout the dark, and winding Library stacks. Grab your bravest friends, and explore the Library as you’ve never seen it before. Tours last 15-20 minutes, and must be booked in advance. Games will be available in the Library’s Reading Room before and after tours.
All Haunted Library guests are invited to join the finale, from 20h00-20h30, which will include a spooky performance by members of the improvisational theater company The Improfessionals. The group has performed more that 150 shows in Paris and around the world. Their new improvised musical comedy is showing now in Paris, with performances in English. The Haunted Library will culminate in a costume contest. First, second, and third prize costume prizes will be awarded. The costume judges are always especially impressed by homemade costumes, and creative ensembles.
Light refreshments will be provided by the Library.
This event is intended to offer surprises and scares for older children, teens, and adults. If your child is easily frightened, please consider purchasing tickets for the Halloween Extravaganza Monster Mash at 15h00. You may be interested in trick-or-treating (no registration required: details here). Important information!
TICKETS REQUIRED: Tickets must be purchased in advance for this event. Library Members may purchase tickets online on this page beginning on Wednesday 1 October at 11h00: 15€ per person. Library members may purchase up to 6 tickets (household members) or 2 tickets (juvenile members). If tickets remain on 15 October, they will then be available for non-members. Each person attending this event must have a valid ticket. All reservations are final and tickets are non-refundable. All children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult chaperone.
Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
Sign-up for the Library’s e-newsletter for more information about events such as this one.

Halloween Extravaganza: Monster Mash (ages 6+) (Ticketed Event) (Sold Out)
2025-10-25 15:00 - 16:30 | The American Library in Paris
This family event for Library members features a story time for families, and a live performance, as well as games and surprises throughout the Library. The event will culminate in a costume showcase for children and their chaperones with costume prizes awarded in several categories for children, and a special prize for parents.
This event will include a live musical performance from Jessica Moore and Thibault Hidalgoa, as well as a spooky performance by members of the improvisational theater company The Improfessionals. The group perform has performed more that 150 shows in Paris and around the world. Their new improvised musical comedy is showing now in Paris, with performances in English.
Costume prizes will be awarded in the following categories. The costume judges are always especially impressed by homemade costumes, and creative ensembles:

Funny
Literary
Scary
Classic Halloween
Animal
Pretty
Creative
Superhero
Parent
Duo/Group costume

Light refreshments will be provided by the Library.
On 25 October, we encourage you to follow the trick-or-treating route we’ve set up, and visit nearby businesses in the 7th arrondissement. Important information!
TICKETS REQUIRED: Tickets must be purchased in advance for this event. Library Members may purchase tickets online on this page beginning on Wednesday 1 October at 11h00: 15€ per person. Library members may purchase up to 6 tickets (household members) or 2 tickets (juvenile members). If tickets remain on 15 October, they will then be available for non-members. Each person attending this event must have a valid ticket (except babies under one). All reservations are final and tickets are non-refundable.
Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
Sign-up for the Library’s e-newsletter for more information about events such as this one.

Halloween Extravaganza: Halloween Hop (ages 0–6) (Ticketed Event) (SOLD OUT)
2025-10-25 11:00 - 12:30 | The American Library in Paris
This family event for Library members features a story time for young children, and a live performance from Jessica Moore and Thibault Hidalgo, as well as games and surprises throughout the Library. The event will culminate in a costume showcase for children and their chaperones with costume prizes awarded in several categories for children, and a special prize for parents.
Costume prizes will be awarded in the following categories. The costume judges are always especially impressed by homemade costumes, and creative ensembles:

Funny
Literary
Scary
Classic Halloween
Animal
Pretty
Creative
Superhero
Parent
Duo/Group costume

Light refreshments will be provided by the Library.
On 25 October, we encourage you to follow the trick-or-treating route we’ve set up, and visit nearby businesses in the 7th arrondissement. Important information!
TICKETS REQUIRED: Tickets must be purchased in advance for this event. Library Members may purchase tickets online on this page beginning on Wednesday 1 October at 11h00: 15€ per person. Library members may purchase up to 6 tickets (household members) or 2 tickets (juvenile members). If tickets remain on 15 October, they will then be available for non-members. Each person attending this event must have a valid ticket (except babies under one). All reservations are final and tickets are non-refundable.
Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
Sign-up for the Library’s e-newsletter for more information about events such as this one.

Trick-or-treating (all ages) (open to the public)
2025-10-25 10:00 - 19:00 | The American Library in Paris
From 10h–19h on 25 October, the Library invites you to follow the trick-or-treating route we’ve set up, and visit nearby businesses in the 7th arrondissement.
Pick up your trick-or-treating maps at the Library on Saturday 25 October 2025 anytime between 10h00–18h00. They are free for Library members and 10€ per family for non-members. You do not need to pre-register in order to trick-or-treat.
This is a self-led activity.
How to trick-or-treat:

Put on your costume.
Find a bag for your candy.
Find your grown-up (they’ll need to be with you from now on!).
Pick up your map at The American Library in Paris.
Follow the map to the trick-or-treating spots.
At each spot, say: “Trick or treat” and take one piece of the candy.
Say: “Thank you! Happy Halloween!” before you leave.
Walk (don’t run) on the sidewalk (with your grown-up) to the next spot.
Trade the candy with friends if there’s something you don’t like.
Take your candy home to enjoy after your grown-up looks it over.

Candy Donations: The Library happily accepts donations of individually-wrapped, store-bought candy for Trick-or-Treating for this community event. If you would like to help out, please drop off your donation at the Children’s and Teens’ Services Desk at the Library any time during open hours.
Questions? Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Story Hour: Cool Costumes (ages 3–5)
2025-10-22 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, put on your coolest costume, and join us for picture books both factual and fictional about costumes and dressing up! Stories featured in this event include picture books such as This Year a Witch Zoey Abbott (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes.
This program is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Children’s and Members Services Assistant Colette Dia will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. Plan to join in, sing along, move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. With your help, we hope to inspire children to become lifelong readers!
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Why We Love Mythology with Julia Paré and Guests (ages 8–adult)
2025-10-18 17:00 - 18:30 | The American Library in Paris
Why do we love old stories enough to come back to them, time and time again? Join a panel of diverse children’s authors and Social Impact Fellow Julia Paré for an interactive discussion on the power of myth, creative reworking, and folklore. Authors will share selections from their work and discuss their process and inspiration when making new books out of old stories. Julia Paré will be moderating this panel. She will be in discussion with Dr. Anne Chassagnol, a professor at Paris VIII, whose work on fairy tales examines their significance for audiences through time; Tom Pollock, author of the Skyscraper Throne trilogy, which reworked Roman notions of local divinities; Shana Targosz, whose novel The Underwild: River of Spirits is heavily inspired by Greek mythology; and Tracey Baptiste, whose Jumbies trilogy draws on Caribbean folklore.
About the moderator: Julia Paré will be moderating this panel as part of a Social Impact Fellowship through Princeton University’s partnership with the American Library. Julia Paré holds a BA in Classics from the Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College (CUNY) and an MA in Classics from the University of Arizona were she wrote a thesis analyzing Euripides’ Hecuba through the lens of trauma studies. After this brief sojourn in the desert, she returned to Brooklyn, where she taught middle school Latin before joining the Classics department at Princeton in 2021.
About Shana Targosz: Shana Targosz is the New York Times bestselling author of The Underwild: River of Spirits. She writes about magical girls, budding friendships, ghosts who may or may not be friendly, and fiercely-held hope. Shana is an Oregon Literary Arts Fellow and the 2021 recipient of the Edna L. Holmes Fellowship for Young Readers.
About Tom Pollock: Tom Pollock is the award-winning author of White Rabbit, Red Wolf, Heartstream and The Skyscraper Throne trilogy. His non-fiction has appeared in The Guardian and The Independent. He lives in London, in a flat full of books, cats and chocolate.
About Anne Chassagnol: Anne Chassagnol is a lecturer at Universite Paris-8. She is particularly interested in children’s and Young Adult literature. She is the author of La Renaissance féérique à l’époque victorienne (The Fairy Renaissance in the Victorian Age: Tales and Pictures), among other works.
About Tracey Baptiste: Tracey Baptiste is a New York Times bestselling author, best known for the creepy Caribbean Jumbies trilogy. She is also the author of Minecraft: The Crash, African Icons: Ten People Who Shaped History, and the graphic nonfiction Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes. She is a former elementary school teacher, curriculum designer, and editor.

This event is part of the ‘Ways of Seeing’ series, which explores how literature and visual art inspire each other, and invites audiences to uncover connections between different perspectives and media. Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. The activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. All participants must be able to understand and speak English in order to participate in the program. Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Teen Night: Scary Movies (ages 12–18)
2025-10-17 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Vote on the horror film to you’d like to watch when you register for this event. Participate in scary movie trivia at the start of the evening, then settle in with popcorn and enjoy a screening in the Library’s comfortable reading room. We’ll discuss the film as a group at the end of the night. This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Claire Delarue.
Drinks and light snacks will be provided, as well as lots of popcorn. Important information:
This event is free for Library members, and 15€ per teen for non-members. Advance registration is required. All visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. After-hours events for teens, such as Teen Nights, require a signed permission slip, which can be downloaded here. One permission slip is needed per academic year (September–July).
Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

History Tour at the Library
2025-10-17 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris

Berthe Weill and the Parisian Avant-Garde with Curators Lynn Gumpert and Sophie Eloy
2025-10-15 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join curators Lynn Gumpert and Sophie Eloy for an insightful conversation about the Musée de l’Orangerie’s current exhibition “Berthe Weill. Galeriste d’avant-garde,” which traces the story of one of the first female art dealers in Paris. A pioneering figure of the early 20th century, Weill championed avant-garde artists such as Picasso and Modigliani, helping to shape the course of modern art.
This event offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the exhibition and the curatorial vision that brings Weill’s remarkable influence to life at one of Paris’s most celebrated museums.
This event is in partnership with the American Friends Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie.
About the speakers:
Lynn Gumpert has organized exhibitions on four continents. For 28 years, she served as Director of New York University’s Grey Art Museum. There she oversaw over 80 exhibitions, including Make Way for Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde (2024–25) and The Downtown Show: The New York Art Scene, 1974–1984 (2006). From 1980–88, she worked at the New Museum, NY, and, in 1992, authored a monograph on Christian Boltanski (Flammarion). In 1999, the French government named her Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters.
Sophie Eloy is an art historian. She has held positions at the National Contemporary Art Fund, the Louvre Museum’s Department of Paintings, and the Musée de la Vie Romantique in Paris, where she was deputy director from 2011 to 2018. Since 2018, she has been part of the conservation team at the Musée de l’Orangerie, where she works as a collection curator, with particular responsibility for the Contemporary Counterpoints program. She has curated exhibitions by Philippe Cognée, Amélie Bertrand, David Claerbout, Wolfgang Laib, and Isabelle Cornaro. She has also curated a number of exhibitions, including “Sam Szafran. Obsessions d’un peintre“ with Julia Drost and ”Berthe Weill, galeriste d’avant-garde” alongside Anne Grace, Lynn Gumpert, and Marianne Le Morvan in the fall of 2025.
Rachel Donadio, the Library’s Curator of Cultural Programs, is a Paris-based writer, journalist and critic, a contributing writer for the Atlantic, a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books and a former European Culture Correspondent and Rome Bureau Chief of the New York Times.

About the American Friends Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie:
American Friends Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie (AFMO) is a non-profit organization with a mission to raise public awareness and financial support for the Musée d’Orsay and its sister institution, the Musée de l’Orangerie. AFMO provides critical support for the museums’ special exhibitions, education programs, conservation efforts, and gallery improvements. Since its founding in 2009, AFMO has nurtured French-American friendship and partnerships in the arts on behalf of the two museums. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Story Hour: Silly Ghosts (ages 3–5)
2025-10-15 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, join us for a reading of picture books about silly—not scary—ghosts! Books for each program are selected by the Library’s children’s and teens’ services staff. Stories featured in this event include picture books such as Little Ghost Makes a Friend by Maggie Edkins Willis (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes.
This program is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Laurine Lucie and Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Claire Delarue will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. Plan to join in, sing along, move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. With your help, we hope to inspire children to become lifelong readers!
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Saturday Series: DIY Halloween Decorations (ages 6–12)
2025-10-11 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
Just in time for Halloween, come in and make your own seasonal decorations. We’ll have all the supplies you need to make fun decorations to take home.
This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. All participants must be able to understand and speak English in order to participate in the program. Caregivers and parents of young children are encouraged to participate in this event with their children. Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.
This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Claire Delarue and Member Services Assistant Colette Dia with the help of Library volunteers.
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Teen Night: Halloween Decorating Party (ages 12–18)
2025-10-10 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Create handmade Halloween decorations for yourself or the Library, then help us decorate the Library and set the mood for Halloween. We’ll have all the supplies you need to create original festive decorations. This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads, Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Claire Delarue with the help of Library volunteers.
Light snacks and drinks will be provided by the Library. Important information:
This event is free for Library members, and 15€ per teen for non-members. Advance registration is required. All visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. After-hours events for teens, such as Teen Nights, require a signed permission slip, which can be downloaded here. One permission slip is needed per academic year (September–July).
Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Story Hour: Abracadabra! (ages 3–5)
2025-10-08 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, join us for a reading of picture books about witches, wizards, magic wands and more! Books for each program are selected by the Library’s children’s and teens’ services staff. Stories featured in this event include picture books such as Winnie and Wilbur: The Magic Wand by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes.
This program is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Members Services Assistant Colette Dia will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. Plan to join in, sing along, move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. With your help, we hope to inspire children to become lifelong readers!
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Inside the CIA with Tim Weiner and Pierre Haski
2025-10-07 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tim Weiner and distinguished journalist Pierre Haski for a revealing conversation about Weiner’s new book The Mission, a definitive account of the CIA’s evolution since 9/11. Drawing on exclusive interviews with former CIA Directors, operations officers, and the top spymaster, Weiner uncovers how the agency adapted to the challenges of the war on terror, rebuilt its espionage capabilities, and now faces unprecedented global threats in a complex and shifting world.
About the speakers:
Tim Weiner has won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on American national security and the National Book Award for Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. At the New York Times, he covered the CIA in Washington and conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and many other nations. Legacy of Ashes was acclaimed as one of the year’s best books by The New York Times, The Economist, The Washington Post, Time, and many other publications. His new book, The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century, was ranked #3 on the New York Times bestseller list upon its publication. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Kate Doyle, an expert in human rights and freedom of information.
Pierre Haski has worked as a journalist for over five decades, first at Agence France-Presse and later at the French daily Libération. He was a foreign correspondent posted in Johannesburg, Jerusalem and Beijing. In 2007 he cofounded the news website Rue89.com. He has a daily Geopolitics column on France Inter, France’s number one radio. Since 2017, he is President of Reporters sans frontières (RSF), a Paris-based international NGO. He is the author of several books as well as documentaries for Arte, including L’Amérique en guerre (2025). Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Writing Historical Fiction with Amy Plum (ages 12–18)
2025-10-04 14:00 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
Discover the spectrum of historical fiction, from alternative history to fictional biographies. During this workshop, participants will learn essential tips for researching, world-building, and plotting their own historical fiction.
Light snacks will be provided by the Library.
About Amy Plum: Amy Plum is the author of Die for Me, an international bestselling Young Adult series set in Paris. Her books have been translated into thirteen languages. Her second series is a duology After the End and Until the Beginning, which she describes as “a faux-post-apocalyptic, road trip, adventure, romance, thriller with a bit of magic.” Her third series is the Dreamfall duology: Dreamfall and Neverwake. Amy grew up in Birmingham, Alabama before venturing further afield to Chicago, Paris, London and New York. An art historian by training, she can be found on most days either daydreaming or writing (or both) in a Parisian café. To find out more about Amy, and writing classes in Paris, visit her website.

THIS EVENT WAS ORIGINALLY SET TO TAKE PLACE ON 27 SEPTEMBER AND HAS BEEN RESCHEDULE FOR 4 OCTOBER. Important information:
This event is free for Library members, and 15€ per teen for non-members. Advance registration is required. All visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons.
Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Saturday Series: Magical Mix Up (ages 6–12)
2025-10-04 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
How well do you know the magical fantasy worlds of Earthsea, Narnia, Hogwarts, Middle Earth, Oz, Orïsa, and Neverland, and the terrain of Camp Half-Blood? Working in teams, you’ll answer trivia and match up spells based on magical places from books. Children are invited to bring along a grown up fro this event!
This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads with the help of Library volunteers. The activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. All participants must be able to understand and speak English in order to participate in the program. Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
