Windjammers for Wee Mateys

Well folks, summer is finally here. It snuck up on me and I’m not feeling as prepared as I’d like, but I think that’s just the way it goes. I have a few vegetables in my garden at home that are coming up, and our children’s garden at the Library is looking incredible, thanks to New Leaf Gardening.

I remember spending time as a fourth grader here at the Library, plopping down on the floor in Miss Mary’s Children’s Room with two freshly checked-out Nancy Drew books — one to read on the spot and another one to take back home with me. Our experiences as kids are powerful in shaping who we become, and reading is a great way to expand our minds. I hope your kids come by and plop down for a good read this summer too. We have air conditioning these days, so they can stay as long as they’d like and not lose their weight in sweat.

We’re kicking off the summer reading season with our annual Windjammers for Wee Mateys event out on the lawn Tuesday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Maine State Aquarium will be on our lawn too with their traveling touch tank, so don’t miss your chance to hold a sea slug or hermit crab. This year, we’ll have slime making, a splash pool, and a craft related to the Windjammer Parade. I don’t want to say too much because I think we really have a shot at placing in the parade this year! Let’s just say that if you and your kid want to march in the parade with us, you can, but you have to show up on Tuesday and make your “uniform.” That’s all I can say here...You can find out more at Windjammers for Wee Mateys!

On Wednesday, June 28, the Library will close at 3 p.m. on account of the Windjammer Parade. None of us wanted to miss being in it, plus we figured there’d be no parking in town anyway, so we’re locking up early for a fun time.

Friday, June 30, noon-2 p.m., will be our official Summer Reading Kick-Off: a Family Read-In on the Library lawn. Come at noon with a blanket or a chair and set up on the lawn to demonstrate (and celebrate!) our freedom to read. We’ll provide snacks, some games, and plenty of books if you’re not already reading one. At the Read-In, kids can sign up for the summer reading program and will receive a Summer Reading kit full of challenges and prizes, summer activities, raffle entries, and a voucher for a Sea Dogs game! This year, parents who pledge to model reading will get a free book (while supplies last!)

After that busy week, we’ll be putting the finishing touches on the Books in Boothbay: Maine’s Summer Book Fair that’s happening on Saturday, July 8 at the Railway Village. We have so many Maine authors for you to meet and books to look at. I’m thinking that if I focus, I can get half of my Christmas shopping done. Who doesn’t love a signed copy of a fantastic book?

Upcoming events

Artist of the Month RoseAnne Holladay: photography on display in June in the upstairs Community Room.

Windjammers for Wee Mateys: Tuesday, June 27, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Library lawn. We’ll have a splash pool for the little ones, slime making for the bigger kids, and pirate hats for all!

Read-In: Friday, June 30, noon-2 p.m. Kick off our Summer Reading program with a read-in on the Library lawn. Make a statement for knowledge and literacy without saying a word!

Story Hour: Fridays, 10:15 a.m. Hear a story with Miss Desirée, make a craft, and sing a song. Ages birth to 5.

Books in Boothbay Book Fair: Saturday, July 8, 9 a.m.1 p.m., Boothbay Railway Village.

History of the ’50s and ’60s through the Lens of Popular Song: Wednesday, July 26, 8-9 p.m., Library Lawn. Marc Black, recent inductee into the New York Chapter of the Blues Hall of Fame, explores the decades using a wide range of popular songs including favorites like “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” great rock tunes like “Blue Suede Shoes” and moving folk songs like Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.”