“Adventure Begins at your Library” is the theme of this year’s free all-ages Summer Reading Program that kicks off next Friday, May 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. with a Mysto the Magician performance followed by snacks and activities.
Participants can choose their 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 to 4 p.m. 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 to 2:30 p.m. 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 to 11:30 a.m. 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 activities completed, and those results also put your name into a raffle for the grand prize at the concluding party on Aug. 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
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 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 to benefit library
Your library foundation is one of the Pagosa nonprofits benefiting from the 19th Hole music concerts this summer at Pagosa Springs Golf Club, and will benefit the foundation’s renovation and expansion program.
Ours is next Thursday, June 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., when the Jackson Mountain Ramblers will perform. Tickets are $10. We hope to see you there.
Virtual author talks
Our highly popular free online author talks continue in June with three more opportunities for you to interact live with New York Times bestselling authors and ask questions, or watch later. For details and to register go to https://libraryc.org/pagosalibrary/upcoming.
Monday, June 3, at noon will showcase Matt Shindell, Smithsonian curator, discussing “For the Love of Mars: a Human History of the Red Planet.”
Thursday, June 13, at 6 p.m., we’ll interact with Frieda McFadden, known as the “Queen of Twists,” discussing psychological thrillers.
Thursday, June 20, at noon will feature Tiffany Jewell looking at systemic racism in the American education system.
LEGO Club Saturday
Kids aged 6-11 are invited to the free LEGO Club on Saturday, June 1, from 11 a.m. to noon. Bring your own LEGOs or use ours to free build.
Knitting and crochet lessons
Learn to knit or crochet on Monday, June 3, at our free gathering from 2 to 3:15 p.m. for ages 8 and up. Supplies will be provided.
Music fun Monday
Pagosa Unplugged is free from 4 to 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 to 5:30 p.m. There is no minimum skill level needed.
Note this group now meets twice a month, on the first and third Tuesdays.
Therapy dog visit
Next Wednesday, June 5, from 11 to 11:45 a.m., all ages are invited to a free visit with a certified therapy dog. The visits will be limited to 10-15 minutes — just the right amount of time to pet the dog, read to the dog or just say “Hi.”
Dungeons and Dragons
Next Thursday, June 6, 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.
Family storytimes
Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m., join a free educational hour of reading, singing and free play to build early literacy skills.
Elementary tutoring
Children ages 6-11 are welcome at these free sessions on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. where they will build essential skills in core subjects. Preregistration is required.
Pagosa Adult Learning Services (PALS)
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.
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.
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.
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. “The Hunter’s Daughter” by Nicola Solvinic features a successful policewoman who appears to have escaped her father’s history as a serial killer.
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. “The Shadow of War” by Jeff Shaara is a novel about the Cuban missile crisis. “Skin & Bones” by Renee Watson features a black history teacher in Oregon.
Donation guidelines
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 drop box at City Market, please.
Guidelines for donations: Yes to popular fiction books published in 2013 or later, nonfiction books published 2018 or later, and children’s and young adult books — all in excellent condition, please. No to CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray, VHS or cassette tapes; textbooks, outdated travel books or reference books because they do not sell. No more than two boxes at a time because of space constraints.
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.
