Tuesday

• 10:30 a.m. — Art Masters (recommended for grades 2-6): Children will design their own museum room and miniature exhibit.

• 2 p.m. — The Express Yourself Teen Book Group (Grades 6-12) will discuss Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange.

Wednesday

• 10:30 a.m. — Storytime (recommended for grades PreK-2). This week’s theme is “A World of Imagination”. Join us for stories, songs and a short craft.

Thursday

• 10:30 p.m. — Learn all about the world of dance from this week’s guest artist, Heather Stroud. This will be a fun program for all ages.

Friday

• 10:30 a.m. — Music and Movement (Grades PreK-2) Celebrate the end of our summer reading program with songs about love and friendship.

The follwing books are available at the Portales Public Library

Free Range Kids: Giving Our Kids the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry by Lenore Skenazy

About a year ago, a New York mother by the name of Lenore Skenazy allowed her nine-year-old son to ride the subway home by himself. The media frenzy that followed—in which Skenazy was dubbed “America’s Worst Mom”—spawned a new movement. In her book, Skenazy defines her philosophy as not anti-safety—she’s all for bike helmets and seat belts—but rather letting your children go outside without a full security detail. With a dry wit bordering on sarcasm she challenges long held assumptions about everything from stranger abductions to Halloween candy, to my personal favorite, eating raw cookie dough. Reading this book will make you laugh out loud, and possibly reconsider your own ideas on how you protect your kids—or what you’re protecting them from.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone with a foreword by Margaret A. Weikamp, Curator of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

We’re all familiar with the men with the “right stuff” who became the Mercury 7 astronauts, but you probably haven’t heard of the Mercury 13. These women underwent the same testing as the men, performing just as well—and sometimes better—yet were denied participation in one of the greatest adventures of their time simply because of their gender. Stone chronicles the fascinating story of these pioneers, using information from interviews, correspondence, and other primary sources. Also included are photographs, a webliography, and complete source list for those who want to continue learning about this amazing group of women.

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax? By Jonah Winter & André Carrilho

Baseball season is in full swing so pick up this book about one of the greats. The stylistic artwork emphasizes the speed and fluidity of an ace pitcher. Winter’s engaging voice feels like an old timer telling stories on the back porch. And oh what stories! Like most legends, Koufax full of paradoxes and complexities. Baseball fans will be inspired by his story and will also enjoy reading tidbits and statistics posted in text boxes alongside the pictures. Pick up this book for baseball fans old and young.