BY BRANDY GOODWIN

Hello readers! It’s that time of year again. Summer reading season has officially arrived! The Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library invites you all to join us on a sensationally colorful nine-week journey as we discover the importance of art, creativity, and self-expression. Grab your paint brush and palettes, folks. We need your help to “Color Our World.”

The staff here at the library has been working very hard to build a unique and entertaining summer reading program which is sure to please patrons of all ages! As a librarian, the level of inventiveness displayed by staff members every summer amazes me. The ladies here at the Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library are absolute rockstars, brainstorming and planning during the height of our Harry Potter Extravaganza which is beyond commendable. Our summer reading programs kicks off on Tuesday, June 17th at 10:30 AM with a presentation from a dear friend to the library, Magician Gary Shelton! The library will run programs all summer long on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays so make sure to clear you calendars so you can attend our various programming sessions!

Our Tuesday programs will feature guest artists who will conduct presentations for all ages; these guest performers include: Storyteller Jon Sundell, the North Carolina Symphony, Joe Brickhouse and the Windy Acres Petting Zoo crew, Jenna Mercier from the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island, the NC Science Museum, Sylvan Heights Bird Park, and the Didario’s from OBX Lizard Land. All of our Tuesday programs will begin at 10:30 AM. Our usual Wednesday “Storytime with Miss Lee” sessions for babies and toddlers at 11:00 AM will continue with additional programs for children ages 6-12 held at the same time. We get crafty with our teens on Thursday afternoons at 1:30 PM as the SP staff brings a variety of handicrafts to life. Many of our teen programs must be registered for due to the limited number of supplies we have on hand so please call the library at (252) 482-4112 to reserve your space. The programs requiring registration are the following: Tie-Dye (6/26), cyanotyping (7/10), sand art (7/17), cookie decorating (7/24), and tiny 3D bookcase making (7/31).

On Friday afternoons, we will host family movie matinees at 2:00 PM. Free refreshments will be provided to all attendees so plan on joining us for a wholesome, fun time! For information on the films,  we plan on showing, please speak to any of our staff members to be kept in the loop. Our summer reading season will conclude on Tuesday, August 12th with an awards ceremony and end-of-summer picnic! The Friends of the Library will be grilling up some delicious hot dogs and we will have a face painter on site so make plans to attend!

If you need a refresher on the programs we are offering all summer long and do not have a copy of this article close by, a hard copy schedule will be made available at the library and on our social media pages. You can also give us a call and our staff will be happy to give you a run down and answer any questions. We also would like to let you all know that the Friends of Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library will be hosting a sponsor night at Historic Hicks Field during one of our Edenton Steamers home games on Thursday, June 12th. Stop by and chat with our Friends and library staff, grab a summer reading schedule, and cheer on  “The Boys in Teal and Black” as they battle the Tarboro River Bandits, a known rival. We look forward to seeing you this summer at the library!

On the Shelves: 

Large Print Fiction: 

• Nightshade – Micheal Connelly 
• Never Flinch – Stephen King 

Adult Fiction:

• The Ashtrays Are Full and the Glasses Are Empty – Kristen Mickelwait 
• A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality – Kate Khavari 
• A Thousand Distant Ships – Buck Turner 
• Speak to Me of Home  – Jeanine Cummins 
• Never Flinch – Stephen King
• Abduction of a Slave – Dana Stabenow 
• Going Home in the Dark – Dean Koontz 

Non-Fiction/Reference:

• Encyclopedia of North Carolina – William S. Powell and Jay Mazzocchi
• North Carolina Extension Gardner Handbook 
• Sawdust in Your Pockets – Eric Medlin

Juvenile Fiction:

• Sleuths on the Loose – G.T. Karber 
• Revenge of the Raccoons – Susan Tan

Juvenile Non-Fiction: 

• Who is Willie Nelson? – David Stabler

Juvenile Easy Fiction:

• Chooch Helped – Andrea L. Rogers 

Easy Board Books:

• Bandit – Bluey
• Bluey – Bluey 
• Bingo – Bluey 
• Chili – Bluey 

Brandy Goodwin is the librarian at Shephard-Pruden Memorial Library.