Thomaston Library Events

Intergenerational Book Club to Discuss

The Snoring Bird by Bernd Heinrich

On Tuesday, June 17th, at 2:30 PM, the Thomaston Public Library's Intergenerational Book Club will discuss The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology by Bernd Heinrich.

In The Snoring Bird, the New York Times says, author Bernd Heinrich, "who combines his keen scientific eye with the soul of a poet, enthralls."  Heinrich is a professor emeritus in the biology department at the University of Vermont and the author of approximately 20 lyrical books about nature -- animal behavior, biology, ecology, and evolution -- including Mind of the Raven and A Year in the Maine Woods. He's also an ultra-marathoner. And he knows a thing or two about bumblebees.

In this memoir, Heinrich tells the story of his German family, particularly his father, through which he weaves the history of twentieth-century biology, and concurrent world history, to tell a vast, sprawling, fascinating tale of passion, war, relocation, and ichneumon wasps, his father's primary biological interest. That particular wasp, Gerd Heinrich said, has “disciplined my time and energy, excepting the interruptions of wars, a revolution, invasion, expulsion, starvation and emigration.” They're all in the book, which qualifies as a monumental labor of love, though there is nothing sugarcoated about it.

On the third Tuesday of every month, the Intergenerational Book Club, a group of men and women of all ages, comes together to share their opinions and ideas about the book selection. Extra copies of the books are purchased by the Friends of the Thomaston Public Library from the Annual Appeal funds. We thank you for your donations. All are welcome at the Thomaston Library on June 17th at 2:30 p.m.

If you live in Thomaston and would like to attend but need a ride, please call the library at 354-2453 a week before the discussion date.

 

40 Days of Summer Children's Program Starts June 23rd

Thomaston Public Library is now signing children up for their summer reading program, a food-and-fun-filled series of events that will begin June 23rd and wind up August 15th. Kids from 4 to 18 can attend for a week, for a month, or every single day -- whatever works with their schedule.

Each week's events will take place from 11 AM to 1 PM, Monday through Friday (with one exception in August, when fabulous kids' musician Rob Duquette will perform at 2 PM). A picnic-style lunch will be available each day, along with crafts, games, great books, stargazing, music, and much, much more.

Here's the line-up for the first four weeks of summer fun:

Week 1: Playground Fun - Outdoor games, bubbles, chalk-drawing, zumba, and qi gong.

Week 2: Puppets! - Make everything from finger puppets to stick puppets to sock puppets.

Week 3: Animal Week -- Books and crafts and visits from a trio of alpacas, pet-shop pets, and the Humane Society, and a wonderful slide-show and T-shirt craft on furry, flying bats.

Week 4: Astronomy Week with lots of cool stars-and-planets crafts and a visit from a traveling planetarium

The second four weeks will be devoted to the themes of crafts, art, music, and food. A complete schedule of events will be available soon at the library. Sign-ups have started so stop by the library to complete the brief registration form and you'll be all set for 40 days of summer fun!

 

Saltwater Film Society Screening of Moonrise Kingdom

On Thursday, June 19th, at 6:30 PM, the Thomaston Public Library will host the Saltwater Film Society screening of Moonrise Kingdom, directed by Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, The Grand Budapest Hotel), a filmmaker known for his ironic sense of humor.

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the 1960s, Moonrise Kingdom follows a young boy and girl who fall in love and are moved to run away together. Various factions of the town mobilize to search for them and the community is turned upside down -- which might not be such a bad thing. Moonrise Kingdom features a stellar cast that includes Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, and Tilda Swinton.

For more information about the Saltwater Film Society, please see their website, http://www.saltwaterfilmsociety.org/.

Introductory Taijiquan (Tai Chi) Session

An introductory session of the Kennebec Taijiquan Association will be held at the Thomaston Public Library on Wednesday evening, June 18th, at 7 PM.

The purpose of the Association is to offer the opportunity to learn a "T'ai C'hi" long form and to
practice it with others who enjoy taijiquan. Life can be a challenge in many ways. The long, slow practice of taijiquan, which deepens across the years, brings profound satisfaction and surprising benefits.

One begins by learning the form and then slowly adds the principles of practice to a daily effort of two long forms. For those who are social, the Association gives you the opportunity of meeting others to practice with. For those who are dedicated, it gives you the opportunity of learning how to deepen your practice. There are no fees, no dues.

There is no hierarchy in the Association, no teacher-student relationship. Those who enjoy taijiquan are here to teach those who wish to learn. Whether you are completely new to taijiquan or would like to share your practice with others, the Kennebec Taijiquan Association welcomes you.

Playground Fun!

Monday, June 23rd: Sidewalk Chalk Madness -- create works of art, hopscotch and four-square boards, and more!

Tuesday, June 24th: Kids' Zumba Workshop with Thomaston Zumba instructor Emily Lawry

Wednesday, June 25th: Fun with Bubbles Big and Small

Thursday, June 26th: Kids' Qi Gong Workshop with Thomaston Qi Gong instructor Tim English

Friday, June 27th: Game Day Free-for-All -- fun in the sun with a variety of outdoor games

Registration for "40 Days of Summer" will continue right up until the program starts, so stop by the library to pick up a registration form. A full schedule of events will be available the first day of the program so you can plan your summer fun!

Head-to-the-Beach Book Sale in Library's Hallway Bookshop

Summer's here! Through the month of June, all paperbacks in The Friends of the Thomaston Public Library's Hallway Bookshop are on sale two-for-the-price-of-one. The bookshop is loaded with great novels you can stuff in your beach bag and read while you bask in the sun.

Small (mass-market) paperbacks are on sale two for fifty cents and larger (trade) paperbacks are two for a dollar. The sale is open to the public during all open library hours, including Saturdays from 9 to 1. Come over to Saturday's Farmers' Market and then grab some great beach reads before you head home.

 

 

Library the Site for Thomaston Farmers' Market

Every Saturday 9 to 1

The Library is open on Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM, which is exactly when the Thomaston Farmers' Market happens -- right outside the library's back door. Visitors can browse the library's books and movies and also load up on the market's wonderful produce; fine, organic meats; deliciously-fresh desserts and baked goods; seedlings; herbs; candles and scents; coffee and kombucha (stop by to find out what kombucha is!); and a host of other great fare.

Fresh early greens and lettuces are a particular attraction just now, along with many other early-summer vegetables. Among the meats for sale are steaks, a variety of sausage flavors, lamb, chicken, and pork chops, all of the finest quality. The baked goods range from candy, muffins, and cookies to pies, whoopie pies, bars, and sweet quick breads. There's something for everyone.

The market's vendors are set up in the parking lot behind the Academy building. The library sets up a booth among them, so market shoppers can stop by for information on the library's upcoming events and choose among some of the Hallway Bookshop's sale books.

Don't miss the this one-stop, book-and-food shopping opportunity every Saturday morning at the library!

40 Days of Summer, Library's Summer Program for Kids,

Heads into Week Two: Puppets, Puppets, and More Puppets!

Puppets, Puppets, and more Puppets! is the theme for Week Two of Thomaston Public Library's 40 Days of Summer kids' program. The program, organized around weekly themes, features daily activities and events, a story or two, and some fun in the sun, including a picnic lunch outside, weather permitting. Each day's fun happens from 11 AM to I PM, Monday through Friday. 

Here's what's happening during Puppets week:

Monday, June 30th: Create your own paper-bag puppet

Tuesday, July 1st: Make a stick puppet or two

Wednesday, July 2nd: Try your hand at a sock puppet

Thursday, July 3rd: Choose one or more puppets to play with and put on a real puppet show!

Friday, July 4th: Library closed in celebration of the 4th of July

In addition to making puppets, kids can create a puppet landscape to use as the set for a grand finale puppet show. Come have fun and get creative (you can even write a script).

 

 

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