“Adventure Begins at your Library!” is the theme of this year’s free all-ages Summer Reading Program that kicks off tomorrow, Friday, May 31, from 2-4pm with a Mysto the Magician performance followed by snacks and activities.
Participants can choose your own adventure from the Smokey Bear reading challenge celebrating Smokey’s 80th birthday, a travel journal challenge where you document your experiences as you try new things and visit new places in the area, and a Camp Ruby Sisson bingo challenge that brings back our much-loved bingo sheets.
Here are three special Summer Reading programs:
Mondays in June from 3-4pm is Tween Exploratorium when tweens are invited to get together with friends to explore the world’s geography through maps and flags, travel games and more.
Wednesdays in June (except for June 19) from 1 – 2:30pm is Camp Half-blood for teens. It is based on the very popular Percy Jackson novels and will allow young fans to participate in Escape Room- style activities centered around Greek myths, just like Percy Jackson. Each week teens will be presented with puzzles and STEM challenges like “Create a device that will locate and capture the bugs that escaped from Pandora’s box” or “Arachne left webs to help you find a way through a secret passage in the labyrinth. Look for them to find your way out, but be careful because some might just be regular spider’s webs.”
Thursdays in June from 10 – 11:30am will be a special time for kids to explore insects, plants, fossils and animals, sometimes with special guests.
Prizes are available for all ages for each week of Summer Reading activities completed, and those results also put your name into a raffle for the grand prize at the concluding party on August 9, Smokey’s birthday.
Sign up now in person or online and watch for details in this Library News column of all the fun free Summer Reading events coming your way.
Jane Austin 250th birthday series starts Monday
From June 3 through July 1, local fans of Jane Austen can join booklovers and libraries across the globe in celebrating the 250th birthday of this beloved English author, whose works include “Pride and Prejudice,” “Sense and Sensibility” and “Emma.”
Your library is presenting a special free five-week all-ages series hosted by Jenny on Monday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon, which will provide opportunities for hand-on fun learning about one of the most published authors of all time. This multigenerational program will introduce themes relating to Jane Austen’s stories, books and film adaptations.
Each week will feature a different topic, including the author’s life as a woman in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Regency-era English history, fashion, food and dance. The series highlight will be a tea party and English country dancing. Call Jenny at 240-426-7887 for more information.
19th Hole concert benefits library
Your library foundation’s renovation and expansion program is one of the Pagosa nonprofits benefiting from the Pagosa Springs Golf Club’s music concerts this summer. Ours is next Thursday, June 6 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. when the Jackson Mountain Ramblers will perform. Tickets are $10. We hope to see you there.
LEGO Club Saturday
Kids aged six-11 are invited to the free LEGO Club on Saturday, June 1 from 11 a.m. – noon. Bring your own LEGOs or use ours.
Knitting and crochet lessons
Learn to knit or crochet on Monday, June 3 at our free gathering from 2 – 3:15 p.m. for ages eight and up. Supplies provided.
Music fun Monday
Pagosa Unplugged is free from 4-6 p.m. Monday, June 3 for amateur musicians who would like a safe, supportive, non-bar setting to play, sing or both with other people. For information contact Susan at 970-946-3396.
Spanish conversation
Practice your Spanish in a free group setting on Tuesday, June 4 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. No minimum skill level needed. This group meets twice a month, on the first and third Tuesdays.
Elementary tutoring
Free tutoring for children ages six-11 will resume in October.
Writers Guild
Thursdays from 9-11 a.m. Ruby’s Writers Guild welcomes writers looking for opportunities, support, resources and camaraderie with other writers at this free gathering.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 2-4 p.m. Thursdays. Judy helps you with basic questions relating to computers, smartphones and tablets and also provides assistance in accessing any of the library’s online resources. No appointment is needed for these drop-in sessions, but please bring your device’s charger and passwords with you.
Pagosa Adult Learning Services (PALS)
Join Mark or Sally for free PALS sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 – 8 p.m. to help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. PALS stands for Pagosa Adult Learning Services.
Nonfiction
“The Complete Book of Pickleball” by Kurt, Mike and Brett Brungardt is a training guide for players of all levels. “You Never Know” by Tom Selleck is a memoir by one of Hollywood’s icons and beloved leading men. “Trippy” by Ernesto Londono looks at the peril and promise of medicinal psychedelics. “My Mexican Mesa, y Listo” by Jenny Martinez contains authentic Mexican family style recipes. “Knife” by Salman Rushdie is the author’s account of a brutal attempt on his life 30 years after a fatwa was ordered against him.
Books on CD
“Toxic Prey” by John Sandford is a Lucas and Letty Davenport mystery. “It Had to be You” by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke is a thriller in the Under Suspicion TV program series.
DVDs
“Ordinary Angels” is a family romance based on a true story. “Cat Daddies” showcases nine men whose lives were changed by their love of cats. “Baby Animals Top” is a three-disc set about special animals. “Dune” is part two of the sci-fi mini-series. “Ancient Empires” is the History Channel program. “What Rhymes with Reason” is a coming-of-age film for teens. “One Life” is the true story of a man who rescued hundreds of Jewish children from the Nazis.
Mysteries, thrillers and suspense
“The 24th Hour” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is a new Women’s Murder Club mystery. “The Gathering” by C.J,. Tudor begins with a vampire killing in a small Alaska town. “An Inconvenient Wife” by Karen E. Olson is a crime novel inspired by the Tudor era. “Hunted” by Abir Mukherjee begins with a bombing in an LA shopping mall. “A Game of Lies” by Clare Mackintosh centers on a reality show in the Welsh mountains.
Other novels
“Wives Like Us” by Plum Sykes is a comedic story of rich people’s lives in a grand country English house in the Cotswolds. “The Summer We Started Over” by Nancy Thayer features two sisters reconnecting on Nantucket. “Ella” by Diane Richards is a reimagining of the turbulent and triumphant early years of Ella Fitzgerald. “The Living Force” by John Jackson Miller is a Star Wars adventure.
Thanks to our donors
We are grateful to Joane Furko for materials donations. When we are open, material donations are accepted for the Friends of the Library at the front desk – not down the outside returns slot at the library or the dropbox at City Market, please.
Quotable Quote
“When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, it’s a sure sign you’re getting old.” – Mark Twain (1835-1910), American writer, humorist and essayist.
Website
For more information on library books, services and programs – and to reserve books, e-books, books on CD and DVDs from the comfort of your home – please visit our website at https://pagosalibrary.org
The Ruby Sisson Memorial Library has been located at 811 San Juan Street (corner of S. 8th and Hwy 160) since 1989. The library is overseen by the Upper San Juan Library District, a tax-funded special district in Archuleta County.