Have you seen our new book displays? To reflect Library Card Sign-Up Month’s Transformers theme, we’re showing off books that prominently feature vehicles of all kinds, from submarines to spaceships – and a few about robots, as well. Stop by to learn about our many modes of transportation, read about characters on road trips and cruises, or get inside the mechanical mind of a machine!
Thank you to everyone who took part in our Adult Summer Reading Raffle!
The complete Butterfly Tree, which showcases our adult patrons’ favorite books from their childhoods, will temporarily be on display upstairs in the magazine area. It includes books and series for the full range of young readers, from picture books to full-length novels and everything in between. The full list of submissions is below; whether you’re reminiscing or looking for a new favorite, there’s sure to be something for you!
Adult Summer Reading Submissions:
A Little Princess – Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Series of Unfortunate Events (Series) – Lemony Snicket
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith
A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K. Le Guin
A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle
Anne of Green Gables – L. M. Montgomery
Appointment with a Stranger – Jean Thesman
“B” is for Betsy – Carolyn Haywood
Berenstain Bears (Series) – Stan and Jan Berenstain
Black Beauty – Anna Sewell
Blueberries for Sal – Robert McCloskey
Danny the Champion of the World – Roald Dahl
Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet – Jane O’Connor
Fantastic Mr. Fox – Roald Dahl
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – E. L. Konigsburg
Go, Dog. Go! – P. D. Eastman
Gooseberry Park – Cynthia Rylant
Harriet the Spy – Louise Fitzhugh
Judy Bloom (Author)
Julie of the Wolves – Jean Craighead George
Knight’s Castle – Edward Eager
Little Critter (Series) – Mercer Mayer
Little House on the Prairie (Series) – Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
Madeline – Ludwig Bemelmans
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel – Virginia Lee Burton
Miss Nelson is Missing! – Harry Allard
Misty of Chincoteague – Marguerite Henry
Nancy Drew (Series) – Carolyn Keene
Pinkalicious – Victoria Kann
Popcorn – Frank Asch
Rosebud – Ed Emberly
The Babysitters Club (Series) – Ann M. Martin
The Contented Little Pussycat – Frances Ruth Keller
The Giving Tree – Shel Silverstein
The Hobbit – J. R. R. Tolkien
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe – C. S. Lewis
The Little Engine That Could – Watty Piper
The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The Little Red Hen – Folk Tale
The Little White Horse – Elizabeth Goudge
The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Language – Ursula Nordstrom
The Secret of the Caves (Hardy Boys) – Franklin W. Dixon
The Story of Doctor Dolittle – Hugh Lofting
The Swiss Family Robinson – Johann David Wyss
The Velveteen Rabbit – Margery Williams
The Westing Game – Ellen Raskin
The Yearling – Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Uglies – Scott Westerfield
Where the Sidewalk Ends – Shel Silverstein
White Fang – Jack London
An artist reception will be held on August 24th, 3:00 – 4:30 PM for the local artist featured in our Arts@Clark! exhibits for August and September, Kim Ahrens. Her work will be shown in the Community Room and the downstairs display cabinets from Saturday, August 3rd, until Thursday, October 3rd.
Kim is a Bethany resident whose favorite subjects include landscapes, chickens and other animals, and flowers, mostly painted in watercolor or acrylic. She paints almost daily in her studio, and hopes her creativity is an inspiration to all who see her work.
Stop in during Library hours to take a look!
Clark Memorial Library is proud to host the works of the Bethany “Art Gang”, a group of friends who meet each Thursday at the Town Hall to create and experiment with artistic techniques. The “Art Gang” is sponsored by Bethany Senior Services and led by local artist Mary Lou Narowski; it began as a weekly hour-long watercolor class, but soon branched out into a wide variety of techniques and now normally runs for at least two hours. For more information, contact Robin Glowa, Director of Bethany Senior Services, at 203-393-2100 x1124. The Gang’s art is being displayed upstairs, on the table to the left of the checkout desk and the shelves across from it. Be sure to stop by during Library hours to take a look!
Some of the Gang’s work will also be part of our 5th Annual Public Art Exhibit, which will take place on July 28th, 1:00-5:00 PM. Save the date!
The Arts@Clark! Fifth Annual Public Art Exhibit will take place on Sunday, July 28, from 1:00 – 5:00 PM!
Parking will be available at the Bethany Historical Society (512 Amity Road) and the First Church of Christ Congregational Church (511 Amity Road).
This event is our gift to the community: it is free to all participants – artists, would-be artists, and those who are simply looking to enjoy, renew, and relax on a beautiful summer afternoon. Twenty-six local artists will have their artwork on display on the library grounds – with a wide variety of styles and mediums, ranging from paintings and drawings to needlework and sculpture! There will be live music provided by local musicians, a bake sale sponsored by the Friends of the Library, a display showcasing our newly expanded collection of art books, and even “plein air” art activities for visitors to try out the creative process for themselves!
In celebration of the upcoming Arts@Clark Fifth Annual Outdoor Art Exhibit – which will take place on July 28th, 1:00 to 5:00 PM – our displays for this month will feature books about artists of all kinds, their works, and the process of making art in general. Take the chance to learn about the people who bring so much wonder and color into all of our lives, and make sure to mark the Outdoor Art Exhibit on your calendar so you can meet the artists in our community in person!
An artist reception will be held on June 15th, 2:00 – 3:30 PM for the local artists featured in our Arts@Clark! exhibits for June and July, Karen & Tom Cebula.
Karen, a Northford artist, studied art at Southern CT State University and taught art at public schools for 25 years. Now retired, she focuses on painting with acrylics and is inspired by nature: “I am moved by the light, the color and the texture – the feel of the place.” Her work will be on display in the Community Room.
Wooden carvings made by Karen’s husband Tom will be on display in the downstairs display cabinets. Early in life, Tom chanced upon a display of decoys carved by famous carvers. He was inspired to try his hand at carving and enrolled in workshops with Connecticut woodcarvers Joe Cieslowski and Frank Swiatek to develop skills from knowledgeable instructors. Tom has focused on letter carving signs, as well as three dimensional animals such as fish, birds, and decoys.
Be sure to stop by during Library hours and take a look at both of their work!
Our book displays have metamorphosed to match the theme of our Summer Reading Kickoff for June! Read about bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, learn more about insects and their relationships with humans and the environment, or enjoy some fiction featuring not-so-creepy-crawlies in starring and supporting roles. Stop in and pick up a book today… and don’t forget to attend our special What’s the Buzz? Presentation on June 8th, 2:00–3:30 PM!
The growing season is in full swing! Garden Tomes are sprouting on the Library’s displays, featuring guides for gardeners and aspiring botanists, stories set in gardens and on farms, and protagonists who care for their local natural and green spaces.
Stop by and pick a few!
Don’t forget, there’s a permanent Horticulture and Gardening display upstairs, just outside of the Teens & Tweens area – and our nonfiction collection also includes a selection of books recommended by Sustainable Bethany.
Our book displays this month feature poetry collections, books written in verse, and the biographies of famous poets, and out on the front lawn our storywalk showcases a selection of spring-themed poems and rhymes!
It’s all in honor of National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry’s important place in our lives and poets’ integral role in our culture. Launched by a nonprofit charitable organization called the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world! This year’s National Poetry Month poster features a line of poetry by a former Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, Lucille Clifton, and artwork by children’s author and illustrator Jack Wong.
