July events at Thompson Free Library

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Love a great deal? Want to stretch you summer budget? Forget coupons and Groupon and shopping apps, the best — most valuable — bargains can be found at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft. This July, banish boredom with free programs for all ages.

Our popular Kids Summer Program series returns on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. with an incredible line-up that will entertain, teach, and ignite imaginations.

July 3: Meet some amazing live animals and hear stories of animal rescues with Sparks Ark Animal Services.

July 10: Hear stories about the Wabanaki Nations with the Abbe Museum. The program is a mix of oral storytelling and excerpts from contemporary Indigenous authors as well as hands-on items, all designed with young attention spans in mind.

July 17: Acclaimed picture and chapter book author/illustrator Kevin Hawkes (“The Wicked Big Toddlah,” “Library Lion,” “Chicken Cheeks,” among others) reads from his stories and talks about his drawings. He’ll show how a book comes to life — in a lively, interactive, and humorous way.

July 24: L.C. Bates Museum, a natural history and cultural museum on the campus of Good Will-Hinckley, presents Nocturnal Animals. Explore owls, bats, moths and many more creatures of the night and how they thrive and survive in darkness.

July 31: Blast off with Ms. Jenn’s “Out of this World Storytime.” Her energy is wonderfully infectious! There will be a book, song and dance, planets and parachute and an amazing craft.

Every Wednesday at 2 p.m. through August, young readers are invited to practice their reading skills and gain confidence by reading to Erma, a German short-haired pointer who is a Reading Education Assistance Dog.

Play lawn games, paint and sip (a kid-friendly beverage) and more at SeDoMoCha’s Middle School get together for grades 5-8 on Thursday, July 11 from 5-7 p.m. Ms. Michelle will be there to book talk, do library card sign-ups, and have cool books to check out (a mini-mobile library!).

TFL’s Teen Advisory Board (TAB) has planned some awesome summer activities for grades 6-12.

The History/Global Politics Club meets Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. Past meets present in this spirited discussion group sure to stimulate history buffs and political junkies.

Teen Book Group meets Wednesday, July 10 at 3 p.m. Come talk about a book you’ve read or get ideas about what to read next (attending counts towards the Foxcroft Academy reading requirement).

Coding Club meets for the first time on Friday, July 12 at 3:30 p.m. It’s the place to share your coding projects and pick up new skills.

Board games, card games, and pizza are on the menu for the After-Hours Teen Night on Friday, July 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.—a fun, friendly atmosphere to relax and interact.

If you have ideas about making the library a better place for teens, gain leadership experience, and help plan activities and events like these, consider joining TAB, the next planning meeting is Tuesday, July 23 at 3 p.m.

We’re also offering up many great programs geared toward adults.

Learn about upcoming Aging Well with Technology classes offered by the National Digital Equity Center at an info session on Tuesday, July 9 from 3-4 p.m. These free computer classes will cover connecting with email, texting and social media; protecting your digital presence; and using technology to improve your health and get what you need online.

TFL’s own Michelle Fagan shares her knowledge and passion in Essential Oils 101, Thursday, July 11 at 1:30 p.m. She’ll show us how to make three different fragrances (earthy, floral, and a combination — we get to take home a bottle of our choice!), give the inside scoop on the aromatherapy benefits, explain what carrier oils are and give out a cool handout featuring recipes and tips to captivate our olfactory receptors.

Fiber artist, painter, and Atkinson native Jo Eaton’s creative and varied “Loving the Landscape” collection of artwork is currently on display at the library. She will give an Artist’s Talk on Tuesday, July 16 at 5:30 p.m. Learn about Jo’s inspiration and techniques — from her amazing landscape hats, oil paintings, watercolors, and vibrant hearts.

For an experience the whole family can enjoy, come listen to the wonderful music of singer-songwriter Martin Swinger on Thursday, July 18 at 5:30 p.m. His style is eclectic (ranging from Americana, swing & jazz, traditional, show tunes, and more). Martin “sings smart, story-infused songs people understand, enjoy and remember.” His fans include Pete Seeger, Paul Stookey, Peter Yarrow, and John Waters (source: martinswinger.com).

Save the date: Friday, July 26 at 6 p.m. is TFL’s Free Movie Night — quality cinema you may have missed.

When they say the best things in life are free, they must be talking about summer at the library.

Everything mentioned above is open to the public. For more information call 564-3350, email thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com or find us on Facebook.