Banish boredom with the Thompson Free Library
By Kim Brawn, Thompson Free Library
Our goal this June at the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft is to eliminate the words “I’m bored” from your vocabulary. Yes, we can deliver the goods.
Out of the gates, summer reading sign up begins Tuesday, June 1. Open enrollment continues until the end of June and the program runs until Aug. 31. Use the Beanstack App or keep track on paper. The first 25 kids who sign up (app or paper) will get a special logbook to track their progress. An alternative for adults and teens who participate is a bingo sheet available at the library. “Free ice cream, books, and other prizes will be given to readers of all ages,” said Youth Services Librarian Michelle Fagan (a.k.a. Ms. Michelle).
Thursday, June 3 at 6 p.m. under the TFL tent Jim Nelson, award-winning author of maritime fiction and nonfiction and a Lewiston-native, presents “Blusters, Bunglers & Boneheads” a talk about the naval battles in Maine during the Revolutionary War and how each ended in disaster. Nelson a UCLA film & TV grad, whose enthusiasm for Hollywood waned while his passion for the nautical world deepened, spent six years exploring the high seas. He worked on traditional sailing ships like the Golden Hinde where he met Lisa, his shipmate turned soulmate. Nelson has appeared on the History and Discovery channels and written over 20 books that run the gamut from Vikings to piracy in Colonial America, naval action in the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War.
Join TFL’s Philosophy Circle on Friday, June 4 at 3:30 p.m. under the tent to contemplate Mary Wollstonecraft, the 18th-century English writer, philosopher and advocate of women’s rights.
TFL’s 101 Series reconvenes in-person under the tent on Thursday, June 10 at 1:30 p.m. for “Practicing Good Forestry on Your Own Land” co-sponsored by Piscataquis County Soil & Water Conservation District. Jim Ferrante, Maine Forest Service district forester, shares what landowners can do to enhance their property and achieve their homesteading goals. He’ll focus on strategies like harvesting wood products such as firewood and sawlogs, techniques to strengthen wildlife habitats, small scale sugar bush management, and touch on silvopasture and invasive plant control.
“Anxious People” by Fredrik Backman is the featured book for TFL’s Reading Group that meets Thursday, June 10 at 6 p.m. under the tent. People Magazine calls it “[A] quirky, big-hearted novel…Wry, wise, and often laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a wholly original story that delivers pure pleasure.” Copies available at TFL.
Maine author Matt Cost stops by on Tuesday, June 15 at 6 p.m. under the tent to talk about his book ”Mainely Power,” a mystery set in Brunswick, which has been selected as the Maine Humanities Council’s Read ME book of the year. Find out how this former teacher, coach, and video store, bookstore, and gym owner came to create his well-received Goff Langdon detective series and what new characters are on the horizon.
TFL partners with Spirit Warrior and Winds of Change Ranch on Thursday, June 17 at 2-4 p.m. for an Introduction to Horsemanship Basics for ages 6-9. Spirit Warrior is located at the Winds of Change Ranch (186 Garland Line Road) and offers classes in therapeutic horsemanship, equine experiential learning and riding instruction. Space is limited so registration is a must. Contact Ms. Michelle at TFL by phone or email (mfagan534@gmail.com).
Attention Sasquatch believers, skeptics and the curious, writer Michelle Souliere joins us online via Zoom on Thursday, June 24 at 7 p.m. to discuss her new book “Bigfoot in Maine” which explores the history of sightings and encounters of the cryptid kind in the state’s dark woods. Souliere is an illustrator who owns Green Hand Book Shop in Portland. Her fascination with “anomalous stuff” led to her popular 2010 book “Strange Maine.” Find the Zoom link on our Facebook page or contact TFL.
Kids will enjoy the sounds of science in a two-part Sound Science program (held under the tent) from Hunt and Allison Smith. During the first session on Tuesday, June 29 at 2 p.m., the Smiths will play a variety of instruments and conduct interactive science experiences. Part Two (Friday, July 2 at 2 p.m.) finds the pair working with participants to create “invented musical instruments” culminating in a group “jam session.” Sign up required, contact Ms. Michelle.
STEAM guide Alicia Millette has been a busy bee creating more take-home kits to captivate the kiddos. This month’s line-up features: Rubber Band Car, Owl Lifecycle Activity, Make Your Own Barometer and Steam Boat. Plans are in the works for larger theme-related kits that can be checked out. Subjects include the human body, geology and Maine nature. Each plastic tote will contain a collection of hands-on activities as well as a book and field guides. Stay tuned.
Finally, Story Walks — fun times for the whole family — return to SeDoMoCha’s Dot Warren Nature Trail and the Law Farm. Follow our Facebook page for updates.
To recap: history, mystery, forestry, horses, Mary Shelley’s mom, science, a bestseller with 8 strangers in a Swedish apartment, more science, reading in nature, and … wait for it … Bigfoot! Case closed, receipts brought, boredom banished!
Please note: The Thompson Free Library will still require face coverings inside the library in order to balance patron privacy with the new CDC guidance. However, masks for outside events only will be optional, though we ask you to distance from those not in your party. We will continue to update our policies as new guidance comes out.
TFL is open to the public Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit our website (https://www.thompson.lib.me.us), Facebook page or contact us at thompsonfreelibrary@gmail.com or 207-564-3350. Find us on Instagram @tf_library.