Strolling Through the Park

Sears Park, State Parks, National Parks
Public parks, large and small; urban, suburban, and wilderness, are important parts of our national heritage.  Have some fun in our local and state parks this summer and if you have not had the pleasure to travel to a national park, armchair travel may be just as fun, too.

Sears Park Stickers
The library sells Sears Park stickers to town residents for vehicles and watercraft.  Click here for an overview of requirements. Purchase your stickers during any of the library's 51 public service hours which include day, evening, and Saturday hours.

State Park Pass
Borrow a pass and save some cash! The pass admits passenger vehicles to all state parks and forests and admits 2 adults and 4 children to Dinosaur, Gillette and Fort Trumbull State Parks. Click here for a complete listing of our museum pass offerings which includes a pass to Roaring Brook Nature Center.

National Parks and Forests
Our summer reading program theme is Dream Big Read! Enjoy a selection of books and films about our national parks and forests and the dreamers and doers who helped lead our country's early conservation movements.

Midnight Forests : A Story of Gifford Pinchot and Our National Forests by Gary Hines
The National Parks : America's Best Idea
National Parks Collection
This Land is Your Land by Sylvia Whitman
Adventures in Your National Parks
The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barbara Rosenstock
John Muir : America's First Environmentalist by Kathryn Lasky
Gentle Wilderness by John Muir

and just for fun...
Haunted Hikes : Spine Tingling Tales and Trails from North America's National Parks by Andrea Lankford

Surf's Up
CT DEP : State Parks and Forests
Mapping the National Parks (Library of Congress)
National Park Service

"Shine the Light" for Bevin Bell

Shine On Brightly..
Show your support for a Bevin Bell revival by shining a light in your window using a specially branded LED candle. Lighting the candle is an easy way for you to show your visible and vibrant support for Bevin Bell's rebuilding efforts and the company's commitment to keep the bells in Belltown. For greatest effect, work with your neighbors to "shine the light" up and down your street!

Candle Description
Ivory color hollow candle/wax luminary, 6" tall by 3" in diameter. Candles includes flickering "A" brightness, battery-operated LED inserts and batteries.  The candles are made in the USA.

How Much Do the Candles Cost?
Each candle will be sold at cost for $7. Your cost includes our cost to buy the candles plus a small markup to cover CT sales tax which we must charge when we sell a candle to you.  The price also includes the cost of printing Shine the Light labels; one of which comes with each candle.

Where to Purchase
Stop by the library or the East Hampton Parks & Recreation office to purchase Shine the Light candles beginning June 28, 2012.  Candles may be purchased in a maximum quantity of five (5) candles, against our initial order quantity of 250 candles. Both locations will accept personal checks or cash.

Shine the Light
As our initial quantity of 250 candles sells out, we'll reorder.  We're sure you're all willing to Shine the Light for Bevin Bell, one light... one at a time... in as many windows as possible.

Surf's Up
Bevin Brothers Manufacturing
Keep the Bells in Belltown
P.S.I. Plus

Saving for College : CHET Summer Reading Program

Saving for College

Hi there, parents! If you have a kiddo in the house (any age through age 13), consider entering CHET's (Connecticut Higher Education Trust) 2012 think Big! Save for College! promotion. It's free and it's easy to participate and your child will have the chance to receive a $1,000 contribution to a CHET direct-sold 529 college savings account. Very cool...

About 2012's Promotion
Enroll you child in our summer reading program. Pick up a mail-in entry form at the library or enter online. Mail-in forms must be postmarked by August 17,2012.

And Let Us Not Forget
One of 2011's $1,000 winners was East Hampton's own Charlotte Minnick! Click here to read all about it!

About CHET
CHET is Connecticut's direct-sold 529 college savings plan designed to help families save for a loved one's future college education. The CHET direct-sold plan is sponsored by the State of Connecticut's Treasurer's office, and managed by TIAA-CREF Tuition Financing, Inc., a recognized leader in managing state 529 saving plans. Click here for more info.

Summer Reading Program 2012 Update

Dream Big READ!
Summer reading season at the library, 2012 edition, officially opened on Saturday, June 23.  We've got plenty of books for you to enjoy by the lake or backyard pool, at camp, on vacation, or in the quiet evening hours before sleep.

So fill up your book or beach bags and remember, summer reading is so much more than "an assignment". It's your chance to read books everyone is talking about, get to know characters you'll love, and explore ideas that inspire you to Dream Big!

Reading Lists
Links to required/recommended reading lists from area schools, the Connecticut Department of Education, and the Nutmeg Book Awards are shown on the left side panel. Use the links to access title lists, title summaries, book reviews, to place holds, and more.

Summer Reading Game for Kids

Test your research skills by playing our dream catcher board game. Demonstrate your super-duper brain power by correctly answering six questions along one strand in the web and win a small prize. One prize per child, per week.

Sears Park Summer Camp
Book deliveries to Sears Park Summer Camp begin on Wednesday, June 27. See you at camp every Wednesday morning through close of camp in August. Easy-breezy reading days by the lake...

Dream Catcher Craft

On opening day, oodles of local kiddos made their own dream catchers. Owing to popularity of this craft, join us for our regular Tuesday story and craft session set for Tuesday, June 26 at 6:30 p.m.

First 15 kiddos, ages 4-7, are welcomed to join in the dream catcher craze and make a dream catcher of their own.

For Inspiration : Keep a Dream In Your Pocket
A 2009 performance of a 1992 tune by a 1960's-1970's band, The Seekers. The tune may be an oldie but it still comes with a goodie message -- Dream Big!

The Greatest Show

After the Fire
On July 6, 1944, in Hartford, Conecticut, a Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Baily big top went up in flames.  One hundred and sixy eight people were killed and it would be more than three decades before the circus was allowed to return to the city.

Michael Downs' new story collection, The Greatest Show, is less about the fire than the interconnected lives of people affected by the tragedy.  Downs is a Hartford native; this is first fiction book.

Related Books
Masters of Illusion by Mary Tirone Smith
The Circus Fire : a True Story by Stewart O'Nan
Women and Children First : the Horrible Hartford Circus Fire by Donald Roy

Museum Pass Tie-in
The author will read from his new book at the Mark Twain House and Museum on Friday, July 6th, beginning at 5 p.m.  The event is FREE.  Don't forget : a pass to the Mark Twain House is one of twenty passes offered by the library.

Surf's Up
The Author's Blog
Book Trailer

A List! A List! My Kingdom for a List!

Summer Reading 2012
Look on the right side panel, just below the Library Savings Calculator, for a handy set of links to school-assigned summer reading lists issued by area high schools.  Each list will quickly show you title availability (some titles are more popular than others) and provide you with an easy way to place your reserves.

Also find fun Dream Big! reading lists developed for the Connecticut Department of Education by Linda Williams of the Connecticut State Library.

More links to come as we gather other lists and offer a few of our own. Happy summer reading!

Someone's In the Kitchen With Mommy (or Daddy)

Image credit: MomTrends (www.momtrends.com)

Cooking With Kids

Cook up some fun with your kids this summer.  We offer a quick list of kid-friendly books with easy, breezy recipe ideas, including a book on making pet treats!

Cake Mix Cooking With Kids by Stephanie Ashcraft

Cool Pet Treats : Easy Recipes for Kids to Bake by Pam Price

The Princess Cookbook by Sarah Schuette

Easy-Peasy Recipes : Snacks and Treats to Make and Eat by Karen Berman

The Football Cookbook by Sarah Schuette

The Dinosaur Cookbook by Sarah Schuette

Tate's Bake Shop : Baking With Kids by Kathleen King

A Superhero Cookbook by Sarah Schuette

Mayo Clinic Kids' Cookbook : 50 Favorite Recipes for Fun and Healthy Eating

A Monster Cookbook by Sarah Schuette

Best Kept Secrets?

Not Anymore...
If you've never seen Foamhenge (Virginia), been to the Thermometer Museum (Massachusetts), or attended the Emma Crawford Coffin Fest (Colorado), you can travel by armchair with assistance from guidebooks of different sort.  Have fun...


Weird U.S. -- Weird New England -- Weird Massachusetts -- Weird New York -- Weird Florida -- Weird New Jersey.

Creepy Crawly Books for Kids

The "Yuk" Factor
With summer reading season drawing near, the little outdoor or nature and science lover in your home might find a little joy in books about the world of creepy crawlers. Here's a short list of titles well worth enjoying; though do expect a "yuk" and a "gross"... or two.

The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery
Bugs : Poems About Creeping Things by David L. Harrison
Spiders by Nic Bishop
Paleo Bugs : Survival of the Creepiest by Timothy J. Bradley
Creep and Flutter : The Secret World of Insects and Spiders by Jim Arnosky
Face to Face with Caterpillars by Darlyne Murawski
The Bat Scientists by Mary Kay Carson
Bug-a-licious by Meish Goldish 
The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs by Sandra Markle
It's Disgusting and We Ate It! : True Food Facts from Around the World and Throughout History by James Solheim

A Day for Dads

Father's Day 2012
The first Mother's Day was celebrated in 1914. A day to honor fathers came much later, in 1966. Click here for an historical overview of Father's Day, courtesy of the Library of Congress.

For Father's Day 2012, we offer quick lists of a variety of library resources for the very young and preschool crowd.  Celebrate your Dad with big hugs all around on June 17!

Board Books for Little People
My Dad Is the Best Playground by Luciana Navarro Powell
Daddies and Their Babies by Guido van Genechten
A Wild Day With Dad by Sean Callahan
Daddy and Me by Karen Katz
Kisses for Daddy by Frances Watts
The Very Best Daddy of All by Marion Dane Bauer
Daddy Hugs by Karen Katz
My Dad Loves Me by Marianne Richmond
Daddy's Girl by Garrison Keillor

For Preschoolers and Early Readers
I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman
What Dad's Can't Do by Douglas Wood
My Dad by Anthony Browne
I Love My Daddy by Sebastien Braun
The Night Before Father's Day by Natasha Wing
Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer
Because I Am Your Daddy by Sherry North
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
Tyrannosaurus Dad by Liz Rosenberg
My Father Knows the Names of Things by Jane Yolen

Fun Stuff to Borrow and Do...

Image courtesy of Manhattan-Elwood 

Public Library District

Thinking Big About Library Services
Beyond traditional services -- lending books, music and movies -- we offer a quick list of library services : better known, lesser known, and downright unusual.  Fun stuff!

Energy Meters

Borrow an energy meter and use the meter to determine how much power your home appliances or gizmos and gadgets consume.  Use these as a stepping-off point and take the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge!

Sign Up for Emergency Alerts

If you don't own a computer, stop by the library to sign up for East Hampton Alerts Townwide Notification System.  If you're not computer savvy, we can help you navigate the sign-up process.

Museum Passes
Visit a premier museum or attraction for free or at discount off regular admission.

Art Prints
If you are home-staging, would like to enhance your office decor, or are otherwise looking for a change of view, the library lends art-to-go.  Most of our art-to-go selections were created by local artists.

Early Childhood Literacy Kits
Does your kiddo like fish? Bears? Big rigs or trains?  Try one of our multimedia kits which include a variety of theme-related books and media materials.

Sear's Park Stickers
Purchase a Sears Park sticker for your automobile, watercraft/boat, or both during any of the library's 51 public service hours.

Book Club Support
If you're running a local book club, the library can help you obtain multiple copies of your club's selected reads, subject to availability. Phone the library for information on how to get started.

Video Games
Find a growing collection of video games for Wii, PS3, and X-Box 360.

Master of Sci-Fi and Then Some

Ray Bradbury (1921-2012)
Influential sci-fi icon, Ray Bradbury, passed away today.  He cared about books and his books have stood the test of time. His voice will be dearly missed by the legions of real people who were moved by his words.

Bradbury received the 2000 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the 2004 National Medal of Arts and a 2007 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation.

Read or re-read Bradbury's classics this summer.  Our summer reading program theme is Dream Big READ! and Bradbury's dreams for everyone who appreciates a well-told story, told so personally, were very big indeed.

The Martian Chronicles
The Illustrated Man
Fahrenheit 451
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Dandelion Wine

Reading Your Way Around the World

A Short Trip Through Recent Books

Find memoirs, reportage, and literary flavor in this short list of recent non-fiction, compiled by library staff member Phil Carr.  Great reads, all.

Key West : Mile Marker Zero by William McKeen

Haiti : Haiti After the Earthquake by Paul Farmer

England : Gypsy Boy by Mikey Walsh

Italy : Extra Virginity : the Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil by Tom Mueller

Kenya : You Will See Fire by Christopher Goffard

Somalia : The Pirates of Somalia : Inside Their Hidden World by Jay Bahadur

Zimbabwe : Cocktail Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller

Pakistan : Buried in the Sky : the Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day by Peter Zuckerman and Amanda Padoan

India : Behind the Beautiful Forevers : Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo