Children's Summer Reading Program & Activities at Thomaston Public Library

Thomaston, Maine - The Thomaston Public Library continues to sign-up kids of all ages for the summer reading program. The reading period began June 15th and will run through August 10, with a grand-finale party on Saturday, August 17, when we will recognize all program participants and cheer the biggest readers.

Particular levels of reading allow you to achieve star- or super-star status. If you're not content with that, head for infinity . . . and beyond!

The library will also feature weekly special events for children. All events are open to kids of all ages. You do not have to be a summer-reading-program participant to attend.

Here's what's happening in July:

Friday, July 5, 11 AM – Teddy Bear Picnic. Bring a sandwich and your favorite stuffed animal to a picnic on
the library lawn with stories, cookies, and a craft!

Thursday, July 11, 3 PM – Rob Duquette Musical Children's Event. Mr. Duquette is a talented and highly entertaining musician who will sing and perform on ukelele, guitar, xylophone, and percussion instruments from around the globe.

Wednesday, July 17, 11 AM – Robots Rule! Come hear cool robot stories and then color and assemble your own boy and girl robots.

Wednesday, July 24, 11 AM – Fun with Hieroglyphics. Learn about the cool script used by the ancient Egyptians and solve The Mystery of the Golden Cat.

Wednesday, July 31, 1 PM – Creative Writing Workshop with Dena Davis. Let your creative juices – and
your stories – flow as Ms. Davis guides you through the creative writing process.

Saltwater Film Society Screening at Thomaston Public Library
On Thursday, June 27, at 6:30 PM, the Thomaston Public Library will host the Saltwater Film Society screening of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, a 1964 Cold War satire directed by Stanley Kubrick. The narrative is split between the deliberations of the War Room committee and the flight of a single B-52 as it delivers its payload.

The cast includes George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens, and Peter Sellers, who plays several of the primary characters. The film was a commercial success and is generally regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.

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

Thomaston Public Library Book Discussion of Maine Readers' Choice Award finalist

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

The Thomaston Public Library will host discussions of two of the three finalists for the Maine Readers' Choice Award this summer. The first discussion – of the novel A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash – will take place Thursday, July 25, at 7 PM.

Dubbed a “literary thriller,” A Land More Kind Than Home follows the investigation of a small church in South Carolina after a tragedy occurs involving a local autistic youth. Insular religious conservatives butt heads with the investigating authorities. Reader reaction to this novel has been wildly enthusiastic. Copies of the novel are available at the library.

When no Pulitzer Prize was awarded in 2012 for fiction, the Maine Library Association, in conjunction with the Maine State Library, created the Maine Readers' Choice Award. Maine readers are encouraged to read the finalists this summer – and all the original contenders as well! – and cast their votes for the winner between September 1st and 15th.

Intergenerational Book Club to Discuss The Fine Art of Murder at Thomaston Public Library

On Tuesday, July 16th, at 2:30 PM, the Thomaston Public Library's Intergenerational Book Club will discuss The Fine Art of Murder by Thomaston author John Noel Chandler. The book is a murder mystery with a refreshing twist: the novel's amateur sleuth is also a renowned art critic.

The novel is concerned with a copycat killer emulating the installation pieces of a sculptor. The detective assigned to the case is flummoxed and enlists the help of critic Winthrop Eliot, the novel's protagonist. The author, Chandler, is a veteran critic himself and uses his considerable knowledge of the art world to create a fully realized scenario.

On the third Tuesday of each 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 July 16 at 2:30  p.m.

Artist Kevin Smith Watercolor Display at Thomaston Public Library

The Thomaston Public Library is pleased to once again display the watercolors of Maine artist Kevin Smith
of Downeast Studio. Mr. Smith's works are especially appealing to display in the summertime because they fill the library with color and bring the outdoors in.

A reception with the artist will be held on Friday, July 5, from 4 to 7. Stop by to browse the art and meet Mr. Smith, who creates his work using both a traditional and what he calls a pouring technique. Smith's watercolors will be on display on both floors of the library through the month of July.

Farnsworth Art Museum Tickets Available at Thomaston Public Library

Thomaston Public Library patrons now have the opportunity to check out passes to The Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland. Two sets of two passes are available, allowing patrons full access to the museum, including the Wyeth Center, dedicated to the three generations of the Wyeth family; the Farnsworth Homestead, a historic property and former home of the museum's original benefactor; and the Olson House, a separate building filled with the works of Andrew Wyeth, itself a subject of many of the artist's paintings.

To check out museum passes, patrons must have a current library card and deposit $5 per pass, which will be reimbursed upon return of the passes. Passes have a 3-day check-out window and are good for any time the museum is open. And remember, children 16 and under get into The Farnsworth for free.

For more information, please call the Thomaston Public Library at 354-2453. For more information about The Farnsworth Art Museum, please see their website: http://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/.