The Turlock Library will host a variety of events in the month of October aimed at encouraging literacy and expanding knowledge for all ages.

The library will get into the spirit of the month with a monster-themed ArtLab event and T(w)een Tuesday event on fall landscapes, both at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Children ages 8 and under can make monsters out of paint in the ArtLab, and explore symmetry by folding their painted paper in half to create mirrored “monster” designs, helping them understand reflection and balance through hands-on art. Dress to make a mess.

Children ages 9 and older can join in the Maker Space and create a beautiful fall landscape using paper. All materials will be provided.

The library will host a Pokémon Party from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 7. Come and meet others who share your passion for Pokémon. Hang out and feel free to trade or battle on your Nintendo Switch, bring your trading cards for a friendly game, hunt for shinies in Pokémon GO, and more. All ages are welcome. Children under 4 must have direct supervision from parents or adult guardians.

The Friends of the Turlock Library will meet at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7. All are welcome to join.

The Mystery Lovers Book Club will meet at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 12. This month, the club will discuss “Not Quite Dead” by Holly Jackson, a twisty thriller about a young woman trying to solve her own murder. The Mystery Lovers Book Club meets on the second Monday of every month in the Turlock Library Community Room.

A T(w)een Tuesday event will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 13. Participants can build LEGO creations using the library’s LEGO blocks and bring them to life with stop-motion film. What stories will your creations tell? This program is designed for ages 9 and older.

Younger children will have the opportunity to build LEGO creations using the library’s LEGO and Duplo blocks at 4 p.m. Oct. 13. This program helps young ones develop critical thinking skills and teaches basic engineering concepts. This program is aimed at children 8 and younger, but all ages are welcome. Children under 4 must have direct supervision from parents or adult guardians.

Adults are invited to participate in a Coffee and Crafts Pumpkin Party event at 10 a.m. Oct. 17. Participants can decorate faux pumpkins while drinking coffee. Open to all skill levels. Materials and coffee will be provided.

A T(w)een Tuesday event on web engineering will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 20. Spiders carefully engineer their webs to catch and trap prey. This allows spiders to save energy since they don't have to chase down their next meal. Participants can learn how spiders build webs. Then test their own web-building skills in a spiderweb-building challenge.

A STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) event on spider webs will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 20. How does a spider catch flies in its web? Can you help the pom-pom flies dodge the webs, or will you end up feeding the hungry spider? This program is designed for children ages 8 and younger, but all ages are welcome. Children under 4 must have direct supervision from parents or adult guardians.

The Turlock Chess Club will meet from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 21. Whether you are an amateur, a master, or somewhere between, bring your board to meet and play against others for practice or friendly competition.

The library will host a Board Game Day from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 24. Community members are invited to join the Central Valley Game Lovers for a day of board gaming. Try a new game or bring your own.

A T(w)een Tuesday event on painted pumpkins will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 27. Participants can join in on pumpkin painting fun. Materials will be provided. This program is designed for ages 9 -18.

Families will get a small pumpkin to decorate however they would like at a craft session at 4 p.m. Oct. 27. Materials will be provided while supplies last. Dress to make a mess. This program is designed for children ages 8 and younger, but all ages are welcome. Children under 4 must have direct supervision from parents or adult guardians.

The library will host a Video Game Day at 3 p.m. Oct. 28. Participants can join in the Maker Space for byte-sized video game fun on the Nintendo Switch. For ages 8 and up, however, please note that some games may have content suitable for ages 10 and up (rated E10+).

The Master Gardeners will host a lecture about composting basics at 6 p.m. Oct. 28. Discover how easy it is to turn kitchen scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich compost. Learn the basics and get simple tips for building and maintaining a successful compost pile.

The Turlock Library is located at 550 Minaret Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. For more information, visit https://www.stanislauslibrary.org/ or call (209) 664-8100.