Summer Reading is Winding Down

News, Information, and Fun Things to Do

from the

Middleborough Public Library

Library Lines

August 11, 2021

Reminder: Lotus Lantern Making Workshop This Saturday on Zoom

For those of you with a confirmed spot in this Saturday's Lotus Lantern Making Workshop, please make sure you've picked your kit up at the Library by the start of the program at noon on Aug. 14. You'll receive the Zoom log-in via email by Friday.

Build a Terrarium at Soule Homestead:

For Ages 12 and Up

Join us at Soule Homestead for a workshop where you'll get to make your own terrarium, Tues., Aug. 24 at 11:00 a.m.

Library plant lady Mary Ann Cunningham will provide all the materials you'll need to get started. Feel free to bring along your own miniature figures, or other decorative items.

Seating is limited so you must register. Please call the Library at 508/946-2470 or email Reference/Adult Services Librarian Libby Fox.

For adults and teens, ages 12 and up.

Thanks to the Friends of the Middleboro Public Library for making this program possible.

Toe Jam Puppet Band Returns!

Be sure to join us on the lawn of the Middleborough Town Hall Sat., Aug. 21 at 10:00 a.m. for the return of beloved entertainers Toe Jam Puppet Band!

Don't miss the fun, laughter, and crazy antics of this hugely popular duo.

Attention Lovers of Nonfiction!

Do you enjoy reading the latest politician's memoir? How about every hand-wringing, knee-gripping adventure story from writers like Jon Krakauer or Daniel Brown? Do you love stories about what makes us tick by authors like Daniel Pink or Malcolm Gladwell?

We're starting a new book group at the Library for all of you that love reading nonfiction books. The best part is there are NO reading assignments. We'll meet once a month to share suggestions with one another of, not only what we've loved, but what we'll suggest you steer clear of. After all, there are so many good books to read, we can all use help in narrowing down the choices.

Email Reference and Adult Services Librarian Libby Fox to sign up for our first meeting, Tues., Sept. 14 at 1:00 p.m. We'll also have a Zoom connection set up for those who can't physically make it to the Library that day.

Our Mountain of Minutes Keeps Building!

Two weeks ago, we announced we'd reached our goal of reading 250,000 minutes, and now we're up to 402,377! How high can we go before the end of the summer?

Our Summer Reading Programs for all ages will wind down in about two weeks, but there's still time to sign up between now and August 26.

As part of The First Lady of the Commonwealth & Blades Summer Reading Challenge, libraries that meet their community reading goals are entered into a drawing for a chance to win Boston Bruins prizes, including game experiences, signed pucks, signed sticks, and signed jerseys. If we win, we raffle off the prize to our readers.

Find out more details about our summer reading programs in this newsletter, on our website, by calling 508/946-2470, or by visiting our Facebook page.

The challenge is a collaboration between the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), the First Lady of the Commonwealth Lauren Baker, and the Boston Bruins. The Statewide Summer Library program is made possible with support from the Boston Bruins, the Massachusetts Library System and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners with Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Adults -- Have a Whale of a Time and

Qualify to Win Great Prizes!

Our Adult Summer Reading Program is nearing the end with just a little over two weeks remaining. If you've completed many activities but haven't logged them to earn badges yet, now's the time to get going.

The more you participate, the more chances you'll earn to win one of five $50 Amazon gift cards or a pair of tickets to a whale watching tour with Captain John Boats out of Plymouth.

Go to midlib.org or download the Beanstack Tracker mobile app to get started.

Summer Reading is On!

Tickets Must Be Entered to Win!

Now is the time to turn in the paper copies of logs and activities so that you're entered into the grand prize drawings including the $50 Amazon gift card, Pizza and Ice Cream Package and the Ponderosa PACA Farm visit and gift. Bring them to the Children's Room.

Have You Entered Your Tickets?

On the web:

Visit the "Ticket Drawings" tab and then click on a drawing. Use the "Add/Remove Tickets" button to add or subtract tickets. Put them all in one drawing or spread them out for a chance at each.

On the app:

When you choose the Tails and Tales program under Current Challenge, you will see a ticket image labeled "Drawings"--here is where you will need to go to add or subtract tickets into prize drawings.

You must do this for every reader.

Haven't signed up yet? There's still time! The Children's Summer Reading Program runs through August 26. Click here for more information .

Looking for a screen-free summer? Stop by the Library to pick up a paper BINGO sheet and reading log. You can enter the information online yourself after your child completes it or send it in to the Library and we'll do it for you.

Tails & Tales is sponsored by the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, CSLP and supported by the National Women's Hockey League team Boston Pride and by the generosity of the Friends of the Middleboro Public Library.

Two Summer StoryWalks for Families End

This Sunday

Into mid-August, visitors to the Town Pool can enjoy A Beach Tail StoryWalk(R) by Karen Lynn Williams when the pool is open. Please be sure to contact the Middleborough Parks Department at 508/946-2440 before your visit for up-to-date hours of operation.

The Town Pool is located at the Peirce Playground.

Visit Soule Homestead for a StoryWalk(R) featuring Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin from now until Sun., Aug. 15. Travel to each page beginning near the goat pen. Read this humorous story and follow the prompts.

Soule Homestead is located at 46 Soule St. in Middleborough. Don't forget to log this as part of your child's summer reading!

This program is made possible through the CARES Act funding to Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

More Wonderbooks are Here

Thanks to a generous donation from the Sylvia Trust, we've recently purchased a number of new Wonderbooks for our collection.

For those of you who haven't discovered these yet, a Wonderbook is a read-along experience brought to you by the people who created Playaways. Every Wonderbook is a print book with a ready-to-play audiobook inside. Kids can press a button to read along with their favorite book then switch to the learning mode to help them develop their reading skills. They even have a headphone jack for quiet listening. Below, you'll find just a few of the new titles we have.

Click on the cover image to place a hold in the SAILS online catalog.

Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey

Eyes That Kiss in the Corners

by Joanna Ho

Gustavo the Shy Ghost

by Flavia Z. Drago

Two Dogs in a Trench Coat Go on a Class Trip

by Julie Falatko

Eek, You Reek! Poems About Animals That Stink, Stank, Stunk

by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple

Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood From Sports Legends

by David Stabler

Miss Lori's Animal Fun Facts Fridays:

Grassland and Tundra Biomes

Fri., Aug. 13: This week, learn about animals that live in temperate grasslands like black-footed ferrets, lions, and bison, whose mood you can determine by looking at their tails.

Fri., Aug. 20: The first group of animals we'll learn about from the tundra biome all live in the Arctic. This includes Snowy Owls, Tundra Swans, and Arctic Foxes whose fur turns a beautiful snow white during winter.

STEM Kits for Kids

Call to reserve a STEM kit and make your own walking animal robot!

Best for ages eight and up. Adult supervision may be needed. Glue gun not included.

Watch this video tutorial so you can make it on your own time.

Two More Weeks Left!

Teens in grades 6-12 have been reading up a storm this summer, recording more than 2,600 hours of reading!

When you log 12 hours of time over the summer, you'll earn a free book (come in and see our selection) and--for Nichols Middle School students--you'll have fulfilled your school summer reading requirement.

Be sure to log your time and put your virtual tickets into your desired drawings by August 26 to be eligible for the Grand Prize raffle. Remember, the more you read and do, the more virtual tickets you'll earn. Check out the Activity Badge tab in your reading account for some simple and fun ways you can earn extra tickets.

For more information, visit our Teen Summer Reading page.

For reading suggestions for middle school and high school readers, check out our What to Read Next teen page. We've added new booklists recently, including Teen Beach Reads, Middle Grade Science Fiction, and Stories About Friendship.

Funding for this program was made possible by the generous support of Dairy Queen and the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.

Did You Know?...

...NoveList has some really cool features besides Read-Alikes and book summaries?

One we recently discovered is called "Media Mentions" and you can use it to find books discussed on your favorite programs, whether it's network news morning shows or radio programs like NPR's "All Things Considered."

Here's how it works:

NovelList tracks stories about books in national news outlets in the US and Canada all the way back to January 2019. This means if you come into the Library now and ask us to find the name of a book you saw mentioned on Stephen Colbert's show in June, or the name of the Today show's "Read with Jenna" book club selections from the last six months, for example, we should be able to quickly find the answer for you.

You also can access NoveList yourself here or on the home page of our website.