Local branches of the Stanislaus County Library will host a number of craft events and learning experiences for the whole family in May. The month will culminate with the annual Summer Reading Kick-Off event on May 26 in Turlock.
Turlock
May events at the Turlock Library will begin with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) Works session on tangrams at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Following a reading of the book “Round is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes” by Roseanne Thong, children will practice creating different shapes and patterns with tangrams. A tangram is a traditional Chinese puzzle made up of seven pieces that can be arranged to match particular designs. STEAM Works is designed for children in kindergarten and older; children 4 and under must be supervised by a parent.
The Turlock Library Book Club will meet at 10:30 a.m. May 2. This month’s selection is “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls. “The Glass Castle” is a memoir about surviving a willfully impoverished, eccentric, and severely misguided family. A limited number of copies are available at the Turlock Library. Call 684-8100 for more information.
The Friends of the Turlock Library will meet at 6:30 p.m. May 2. All are invited to attend this public meeting of the organization that supports the local library.
The Turlock Library will host a computer basics class at 3 p.m. each Thursday in May. Attendees will learn the basic introduction to computers, including an explanation of the parts of the computer, a tour of Windows, and simple tasks. Advance registration is required. Call (209) 664-8100 to sign up.
Celebrate May the Fourth (Be With You) by making Princess Leia buns and Yoda ears on May 4. This craft will be available to make throughout the day.
Ages 18 and up are invited to learn how to make homemade items to pamper themselves at 6 p.m. May 7. From lip-balms to bath salts, participants can enjoy an evening of fun crafts.
Children can create wild bird seed treats to hang up outside at 4 p.m. May 8. All ages welcome; children 4 and under must have direct supervision from parents or adult guardians.
The Turlock Library’s Teen Advisory Board will meet at 4 p.m. May 9. The Teen Advisory Board offers teens the opportunity to earn community service credit while sharing their ideas on teen library programs and books. For more information, call 664-8100.
The next Caregiver College session will be held noon May 10 and feature nutritional needs for the aging. This free meeting will offer practical information to help you become a better caregiver and can help you prepare for the future. A free lunch will be provided. Advance registration is required; call 209-578-6300 for more information.
The Mystery Lovers Book Club will meet at 10:30 a.m. May 11. This month’s selection is “The Monkey’s Raincoat” by Robert Crais. Taking the mystery community by storm, this Elvis Cole novel was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, Shamus, and Macavity awards and won both the Anthony and Macavity for Best Novel of the Year. When Los Angeles private detective Elvis Cole investigates the disappearance of Ellen Lang's husband and young son, he stumbles into a bizarre nightmare of high-level intrigue, missing drugs, and murder in Hollywood's seamy underworld.
Children are invited to wear their play clothes and come to the library at 4 p.m. May 15 to create unique works of art using golf balls and tempura paint. All ages welcome; children 4 and under must have direct supervision from parents or adult guardians.
The Turlock Library is hosting a Mental Health Fair from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. May 19. Local vendors will be available to discuss therapy and relaxation techniques, activities and fitness, nutrition and more. Participants can also enjoy music, food and giveaways. This event will take place on the lawn outside of the Turlock Library.
Children will have the opportunity to build LEGO displays for the library using the library’s LEGO and LEGO DUPLO blocks at 4 p.m. May 22. LEGO play helps children develop fine motor skills. Children under 4 are welcome but must have direct parental supervision.
Children ages 8 to 12 are invited to come to the library at 4 p.m. May 23 to make a passport to carry as they travel from place to place in the Turlock Library. Participants can bring their completed passports to Wednesday programs throughout the summer and have them stamped to show where they’ve been.
Families are invited to a special Story Time featuring Janice McClendon from the county's Department of Environmental Resources at 11 a.m. May 24. She will read stories, sing songs and talk about the importance of keeping the environment clean! All ages welcome; designed for ages 3 to 6.
Celebrate the start of the Summer Reading Challenge on the lawn outside of the Turlock Library from 10 a.m. to noon May 26. Children are encouraged to wear their play clothes to enjoy fun and messy activities including tie-dying and spin art. The tie-dying activity is designed is for ages 14 and up; younger children must have an adult guardian or parent present to participate. Please bring one white item (t-shirt, socks, etc.) to dye, per person.
The library will host a Family Game Day at 4 p.m. May 29. Playing board games helps teach socialization, sharing, taking turns, and hand-eye coordination. All ages welcome; children 4 and under must have direct supervision from parents or adult guardians.
The library’s first summer passport event will be held at 4 p.m. May 30. Children ages 8 to 12 can make Guatemalan worry dolls to confide in and hide under their pillows and get a stamp on their “passport.”
The Turlock Library is located at 550 Minaret Ave. For more information on Turlock Library programs, call 209-664-8100.
Denair
May events at the Denair Library will kick-off on Wednesday with the Day of the Child/Day of the Book celebration from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The library will offer crafts, activities and a special "Wild About Books" themed Bilingual Story Time. Each child will receive a free new book while supplies last, compliments of the Friends of the Library.
Children can make an egg carton flower for their mother, and a handwritten card to go with it, at 4 p.m. May 10. All materials will be provided, including egg cartons, paint, straws, and pom-poms. Paper, crayons, and markers will also be available to make handwritten Mother's Day cards.
Kids can finish the school year by making their own crazy pencil at 4 p.m. May 17. All materials will be provided, including Stanislaus County Library pencils, feathers, string, beads, pom poms, and other decorations.
The Classic Literature Book Club will meet at 3 p.m. May 26. The book selection for May will be chosen at the April 28 meeting. Contact the Denair Library following the April meeting to find out the May book selection. Copies of the book will be available for checkout at the Denair Library during the month of May.
Adults are invited to get in touch with their artistic sides and relax as they color complex, advanced coloring sheets at 5 p.m. May 31. The library will carefully select and provide the coloring pages, crayons, markers, and coloring pencils for this program. Participants are welcome to bring their own supplies, however, the library asks that paint not be brought to this event.
The Denair Library is located at 4801 Kersey Rd., in Denair. For more information about programs at the Denair Library, call (209) 634-1283.
Keyes
The Keyes Library will hold a Star Wars craft event from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 3. Families can create a glow stick lightsaber inspired by favorite Jedi.
Kids can paint and customize their own LEGO-inspired figurine to take home from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 17.
All ages are invited to come into the library from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 18 and use pistachio shells to decorate and personalize a tree painting.
The Keyes Library is located at 4420 Maud Ave. in Keyes. For more information about programs at the Keyes Library, call (209) 664-8006.
