Puppy time
Kids may be on summer vacation, but the gentle therapy dogs from ROAR (Ridgefield Operation Animal Rescue) are not. They still are willing to sit quietly as the children read to them in the library’s Tales to Tails program on Saturday, July 25, from 11 to noon. Since the dogs are trained to listen peacefully, it’s not much like work for them. Children who are reluctant readers get a chance to read aloud, perhaps helping them to develop a lifelong habit for the love of reading. The program is free; registration is required. Children have to be independent readers.
Teens create
Whether it is old-school crafts or cool technology-driven crafts, the library offers both this week to teens. In Teen Drop-in Crafts on Tuesday, July 28, from 3 to 4:30, kids in grades 6 through 12 can decorate bottles, create magnets, make jewelry and much more. The library provides the supplies while they last; the kids supply the creativity. There is no registration. The program is supported by the John and Patricia Curran Teen Fund. STEMming for Teens is another program on Wednesday, July 29, from 3 to 4:30, where kids in grades 7 through 12 get to show their crafty talents when they make Origami Paper Circuits. Kids will be learning how to make beautiful LED-powered origami paper lights. There is no charge. Registration is required. The program is supported by the Amadeo Family. This program is offered again on Aug. 5 and 12, crafting with LED Mood Lamps and Hand Painted Light-up T-shirts. Along with all this crafting, kids are reminded to join the “Escape the Ordinary” teen summer reading program where prizes and drawings will be based on minutes read. Any questions can be directed to Susan Lauricella, Head of Teen Services, 203-762-3950, ext. 243.
Short stories getting shorter
There are only two more meetings of the New Yorker Shorts series with Susan Boyar that take place on Wednesdays, July 29 and Aug. 5, from noon to 1:30. This very popular series has taken off this summer with short story enthusiasts coming to the library in droves. The stories discussed are from the previous week’s The New Yorker magazine. The current issue of The New Yorker is available in the Reading Room for in-library use, or it can be downloaded free through Zinio or OverDrive. The library’s reference librarians can show participants how to download the stories on their personal devices. Attendees are reminded to bring their own lunches; beverages will be provided. Advance registration is suggested.
Shocking stories
Children will have a chance to meet some of the scientists who studied electricity and hear their profound stories in Wonderful Wednesdays — Heroes of Electricity on July 29, from 3 to 4. Kids in grades 1 and up accompanied by caregivers will see Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Ben Franklin and Alessandro Volta. The kids will see “shocking” demonstrations of how electricity is created, stored and used, from glowing lights to a 4-cylinder engine. The program is supported by the Amadeo Family and part of the “Everything STEMs from Reading” summer reading program. Registration is required; there is no fee.
Final concert in series
The last concert of the season for the Summer Music & More Concert Series goes out in style with Steve Kazlauskas performing the songs of Frank Sinatra on Thursday, July 30, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Steve is returning for his third time to a very appreciative audience who loves his Echoes of Sinatra performance of music from the Great American Songbook era. The concerts are free and open to the public. For the 15th summer, The Village Market is sponsoring the series. Wine is donated by Michael Crystal. The Brubeck Room is the perfect venue for the concerts, allowing the library to hold them rain or shine.
Ongoing reading programs
It’s not just the little ones who have a reading program throughout the summer. This year, adults can sign up for “Escape the Ordinary” and be part of a weekly drawing for Wilton Chamber of Commerce gift certificates, good at participating merchants. Registration in the online system and keeping track of books read makes a reader eligible to win the certificates. Any of the reference librarians would be happy to show people how to enter. The program runs through Aug. 16. Teens in grades 6 through 12 and pre-K kids through fifth graders also have programs in which to enter and be eligible for prizes. The teen program ends Aug. 16; the children’s program ends Aug. 30. Everyone is encouraged to join the fun and have a summer full of reading. Ongoing children’s programs include Minecraft Club, Mad Scientist Mondays, Drop-in Story Times, Wonderful Wednesdays, and Movie Theater Thursdays.
To register for programs, visit www.wiltonlibrary.org and click on Events or call 203-762-3950, ext. 213 for adult programs, ext. 217 for children’s activities and ext. 243 for teen events.