Summer Reading Party, Action Drawing and Kickoff to Kindergarten planned

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By Carole Howard  | PREVIEW Columnist, and the library staff 

If you are participating in our free Summer Reading Program, be sure to join us tomorrow, Friday, July 28, from 2 to 5 p.m. for the all-ages ending celebratory party and bingo grand prize presentations. 

You’ll watch performers from the Salida Circus, learn about community resources through a touch-a-truck event, add to the community chalk mural, play yard games and enjoy ice cream. This is a perfect ending to a wonderful summer of reading and fun.

Action Drawing
for teens, tweens

This month we have a free art program for teens and tweens called Action Drawing every Tuesday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. led by Dean Dempster. 

You’ll take turns posing for each other in playful exercises and learn to capture the essence of your friends quickly and freely. You’ll also learn the basics of sketching figures, portraits, hands and feet. Registration is required.

Kickoff to Kindergarten

A free four-week school readiness program for ages 4.5 to 6 to prepare youngsters for the first year of school happens on Thursdays, Aug. 3, 10, 17 and 24, from 10 to 11 a.m. 

Activities will include circle time, group activities, playtime and storytime while exploring reading, writing and math. Parents can participate for limited time periods each week. Preregistration required in person or by phone at (970) 264-2209. Attendance at all four sessions is recommended. 

Activities calendars

Pick up monthly events calendars at the library so you don’t miss any of the free activities available to you and your family this summer.

Online author talks 

There will be three talks in August in our free online virtual series featuring New York Times bestselling authors with an opportunity to ask questions. You can listen live or access the recorded talk. 

On Aug. 15 at 2 p.m. we will interact with Robert Jones Jr., author of the epic love story “The Prophets.” 

Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. will feature “The Mortal Instruments” young adult fantasy series by Cassandra Clare. 

Aug. 30 at noon will showcase higher education journalist Jeff Selingo, author of “A Year of College Admissions,” which explores who gets into college and why.

Summer Reading
Club today

Our last free weekly Summer Reading Club for those in kindergarten through fifth grade takes place today, Thursday, July 27, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. with crafts, guest speakers, stories and more. No registration is required.

Book club for third- through fifth-graders

Junior Page Turners, a free book club for third- through fifth-graders, happens tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 1, from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m. 

It is geared for children reading at or above grade level. Pick up the August book, “When You Trap a Tiger,” at your library.

Dungeons and Dragons

Next Tuesday, Aug. 1, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., join our Dungeons and Dragons game free for teens and young adults. Preregistration is required because space is limited. Contact Josie@pagosalibrary.org to join.

STEAM program 

Camp Connect is a free STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) program for fifth- through eighth-graders next Wednesday, Aug. 2, from noon to 2 p.m. Registration is required. 

Wacky Wednesdays 

Ages 6-11 are invited to get silly and play next Wednesday, Aug. 2, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Each week will be a different free fun activity.

Family storytimes

Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m., join us for a free educational hour of reading, singing and free play to build early literacy skills. 

Writers support group

Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m., Ruby’s Writers Guild welcomes writers looking for opportunities, support, resources and camaraderie with other writers at this free gathering. 

Change in ESL
class times

Free in-person evening classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and there is a change in the way the time is divided: 4 to 5 p.m. is reserved for beginners, 5 to 6 p.m. for intermediate and 6 to 7 p.m. for advanced students. Please help us spread the word about these classes to others in our community who would be interested, and contact us by phone or email if you have any questions. 

Note there will be no class Aug. 1.

Tech Time 

Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and 2 to 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 needed for these drop-in sessions, but it is important that you bring your device’s charger with you. 

Note there will be no Tech Time the first week of August.

PALS/GED adult
education 

Join Mark or Sally for free PALS sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. to help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. Note there will be no PALS/GED Aug. 1.

Downloadable books 

CloudLibrary has a wide variety of downloadable e-books and audiobooks for all ages. To access this free digital collection, download the cloudLibrary app, answer a few simple questions, select AspenCat Union Catalog for the name of your library, then enter your library card number and four-digit PIN. Library staff are happy to help you set up your device if you need assistance.

Local authors and
local topics

“Stand Fast” by Lynn Moffett is book seven in the local author’s Incursion series as Rose and Seth come face-to-face with 1 Corinthians 16:13, which reads, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” “Refugee” by American Book Award-winning local author Pamela Uschuk is a collection of poems about political refugees as well as refugees from racism, domestic violence, environmental destruction and disease. “God-Consciousness and the Beginning and Spread of Christianity” by Fred Rose is a revised edition of this local author’s book.

We have added two new books to our Hershey Collection: “Images on Stone” by Donald E. Weaver Jr. covers prehistoric rock art of the Colorado Plateau. “Ancient Ruins of the Southwest” by David Grant Noble is a revised and expanded third edition of the archaeological guide.

“Where They Bury You” by Steven W. Kohlhagen is a historical fiction book. It explores the murder of a U.S. Army major near what is now the Hubbell Trading Post in Arizona and the loss of a million dollars in cash and belongings in his saddlebags during Kit Carson’s roundup of the Navajo in 1863.

Nonfiction

“Old Lady on the Trail” by Mary E. Davison is a memoir of a 76-year-old hiker from Washington state who completed the iconic Appalachian, Pacific Coast and Continental Divide trails. “A Train Near Magdenburg” by history teacher Matthew A. Rozell details the liberation by American soldiers of a death train in Nazi Germany.

Novels

“The Last of the Seven” by Steven Hartov tells of a little-known team of European Jews who joined the British Army to return home and exact revenge on Hitler. “In The Lives of Puppets” by T.J. Klune is a fantasy adventure about a family of robots. “Murder Your Employer” by Robert Holmes is set in a luxurious conservatory dedicated to the fine art of murder. “Honey & Spice” by Bolu Babalola features a popular African-Caribbean radio show host who falls into an unexpected relationship. “Ink Blood Sister Scribe” by Emma Torzs features a family guarding a collection of books on magic.

DVDs

“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” is the movie adaption of Judy Blume’s beloved book. “Wild Scandinavia” is a BBC documentary.

Quotable quote 

“Begin to notice what you have in your life that you are grateful for, and when you look at life through the lens of gratitude you don’t see as many obstacles or hindrances, You see potential, you see possibilities.” — Michael Bernard Beckwith, minister, author, and founder and director of the Agape International Spiritual Center in Beverly Hills. 

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.