(920)793-8888 lesref@lesterlibrary.org

2024 SUMMER READING PROGRAM

Begins June 10!

Sign up today.

Use Beanstack to easily maintain your summer reading records. Access it below, or download the free app. Log the books you read to earn digital badges, prizes and automatic entries into drawings for Chamber Bucks.

Need help getting started? Stop at the Help Desk.

Read to Me (Ages 0-5)

Log each book read to you by your favorite reader—or a recorded book you listen to. Earn a reading badge and a FUN PRIZE for every five books! Read 50 books to finish. June 10-Aug 30.

 

Read on My Own (Ages 6-11)

Log each book you read or listen to. Earn a reading badge and a PRIZE for every two books! Read 20 books to complete the challenge. June 10-Aug 30.

 

Teens (Ages 12-17)

Earn reading badges and great PRIZES—backpacks, water bottles, keychains and books!—by logging what you read or listen to. Read five books to finish. June 10-Aug 30.

 

Adults (Ages 18+)

Log the books you read or listen to. Receive a prize for reading just two books! Keep reading to automatically earn entries into weekly prize drawings AND our Grand Prize drawing for $100 in Chamber Bucks. The more you read, the better your odds! June 10-Aug 17.

Bear Came Along

A New Dramatic Adventure

Opens June 10.

 

This summer’s Dramatic Play Center is inspired by one of our FAVORITE books: Bear Came Along written by Richard T. Morris and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. The Caldecott Medal-winning action-packed adventure is about the importance of friendship and community.

 

Play TOGETHER in the forest where Bear and his friends live, and trek the meandering river all the way to the waterfall. Traverse trails. Tackle challenges like making it all the way across a fallen log. Trip-trap across the wooden bridge. Creep through the dark tunnel. Maneuver the stepping stones that lie at the base of the waterfall.

 

Plus, every week a new adventure awaits: grab binoculars, spot clues, and solve a mystery!

families on the go

Families with STEAM To Go • New packs monthly

Team up to tackle projects that incorporate science, technology, engineering, art and math. Geared for families with school-age children. One pack per family per month. No library card required.

Sponsored by NextEra Energy.

    • June 1: Hexbug Nano
    • July 1: Circuit Flowers
    • August 1: Rubber Band Car
Story Time To Go • New packs weekly starting June 10

Each contains books, music suggestions, finger plays, math and science activities, and art. Materials reinforce the five vital early literacy practices: Read, Sing, Talk, Play and Write. One pack per family per week while supplies last.

Geared for ages 0-6. Library card required to check out books that accompany packs.

Youth Art To Go • New packs weekly starting June 10

Packs contain all the supplies needed for fun projects like crumpled paper art and clay flower bouquets. Pick up while supplies last. Geared for school-age children. No library card required.

June 10: Crumpled Paper Art
June 17: Glue Chalk Pastels
June 24: Block Prints

July 1: Jellyfish Suncatcher
July 8: Piet Mondrian Inspired Art
July 15: Cave Painting
July 22: Gray, like Theo van Doesburg
July 29: Kandinsky Heart

Aug 5: Nature Spiral
Aug 12: Clay Flower Bouquet

Teen Art To Go (Ages 12-18) • New Packs weekly starting June 10

Terrific art projects! Packs include supplies needed to create radial paper relief sculptures, sun printed bandanas, henna scratch art and more. Pick up while supplies last. No library card required.

June 10: Radial Paper Relief Sculptures
June 17: Cacti Art
June 24: Acrylic Sun Prints

July 1: Kandinsky Circles Bead Art
July 8: Modern Mosaic Initial
July 15: Scratch Art Henna
July 22: Morse Code Beaded Keychain
July 29: Painted Feathers

Aug 5: Personalized Flower Pots
Aug 12: Ransom Magnets

Youth Adventures

TReasure Quest: June 17-Aug 17!

Follow clues. Solve puzzles. Unravel secrets. Your Mission: Save The Day. You and your compadres will receive a succession of six puzzle packets (assuming you have What It Takes to progress) that require visits to various spots around Our Fair City. Pick up your first packet at the library’s front desk. The citizens are counting on you.

StoryWalks® • all summer long!

Take a joyous journey through outdoor storybooks! Enjoy Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris along the pretty library path. At Zander Park (1406 Parkway Blvd.), revel in the renovated natural area as you read The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward.

Family Game Night • Mondays, 6:00-7:30 PM

Bring the family or meet up with friends for our weekly game night. All your favorites are here: Battleship, Chutes & Ladders, Old Maid and Go Fish, and lots more. Bring drinks and we’ll serve the popcorn. Pick a spot anywhere in the library to play—and make Mondays something to look forward to!

Story Time • Tuesdays, 10:15 AM - June 11-Aug 13*

Weekly stories, movement, learning and FUN! Stories are chosen for preschoolers but children of all ages are welcome. After Story Time, take joy in the journey as you and your child engage in process art and other hands-on activities.

*No Story Time July 2.

Babygarten • Thursdays, June 13-July 25* • 10:15 AM or 6:30 PM

For babies 0-18 months and their caregivers. Share nursery rhymes, songs and books, plus a weekly project. Each class concludes with free time for play. Registration required; call 920.793.8888.

*No class July 4.

Blast Off: Explore the Universe! • Wednesday, June 19 • 1:30 PM

Welcome aboard! STEAMpunk FIRST Robotics Competition Team #4531 proudly collaborates with NASA to deliver an afternoon of enriching and interactive learning experiences. For school-age kids (younger with a grownup).

Some activities take place outside.

Adventure: BUILD! • Wednesday, June 26 • 1:30 PM

Traverse the StoryWalk® trail at Zander Park (1406 Parkway Blvd.) as we read The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward. Build a kid-size fort with cardboard and natural materials. For school-age youth (younger with adult). Canceled if raining.

Adventure: Journey thru Discovery! • Wednesday, July 10 • 1:30 PM

A dynamic afternoon packed with hands-on activities fueled by the STEAMpunk FIRST Robotics Competition Team #4531’s collaboration with NASA. Explore the realms of science, technology, engineering, art, and math, and ignite your curiosity in the wonders of the universe. For school-age kids (younger with a grownup).

Some activities take place outside.

Adventure: ART! • Wednesday, July 17 • 10:30 AM-12:30 PM & 1:30-3:30 PM

Spray art, splat art, a tons-of-glue-required community sculpture and more. A come-and-go outdoor event for school-age youth (younger with a grownup). Wear clothes suitable for extreme artistic expression. Canceled if raining.

Illumination: Spark Creativity! • Wednesday, July 24 • 1:30 PM

A vibrant celebration of creativity and ingenuity as the STEAMpunk FIRST Robotics Competition Team #4531 partners once again with NASA. Unleash imagination in an immersive experience of STEAM exploration and activities. For school-age kids (younger with a grownup).

Some activities take place outside.

Movers & Shakers • Wednesdays, July 31-Aug 28 • 10:15 AM & 6:30 PM

Movin’, groovin’ and learnin’ for children 18 months-3 years along with their caregivers. Toddlers need to MOVE to learn! Active storytelling, engaging play, music and more. Registration required; call 920.793.8888.

Adventure: WIND! • Wednesday, July 31 • 10:30 AM-12:30 PM & 1:30-3:30 PM

Make magnificent wind flags. Design a kite. Explore lift and drag at the new wind tunnel table. A come-and-go outdoor event for school-age youth (younger with a grownup). Inside if raining.

Tom Pease • Wednesday, Aug 14 • 1:30 PM

Get ready to dance, sing and LAUGH: Tom Pease entertains on the lawn! Brat fry starts at noon. Fun for all ages!

Rain date: Aug 16.

 

 

Brat Fry • Wednesday, Aug 14 • Noon-3:00 PM

Buy lunch and help build community health and early literacy! Proceeds benefit Healthiest Manitowoc County Investing Early Coalition.

cheeseburgers $4 • brats & burgers $3 • hotdogs $2 • popcorn, sodas & water $1

 

teen adventures

Teen Art To Go (Ages 12-18) - New Packs Weekly starting June 10

Terrific art projects! Packs include supplies needed to create radial paper relief sculptures, sun printed bandanas, henna scratch art and more. Pick up while supplies last. No library card required.

June 10: Radial Paper Relief Sculptures
June 17: Cacti Art
June 24: Acrylic Sun Prints

July 1: Kandinsky Circles Bead Art
July 8: Modern Mosaic Initial
July 15: Scratch Art Henna
July 22: Morse Code Beaded Keychain
July 29: Painted Feathers

Aug 5: Personalized Flower Pots
Aug 12: Ransom Magnets

TReasure Quest: June 17-Aug 17!

Follow clues. Solve puzzles. Unravel secrets. Your Mission: Save The Day. You and your compadres will receive a succession of six puzzle packets (assuming you have What It Takes to progress) that require visits to various spots around Our Fair City. Pick up your first packet at the library’s front desk. The citizens are counting on you.

Teen Late Nights (Grades 6-12) • Mondays, June 17, July 15 & Aug 12 ● 8:30-10:30 PM

Make a carabiner water bottle sling (June), earbud holders (July), and braided link bracelets (August). Snacks and Capture the Flag too.

Registration required; call 920.793.8888.

just for grownups

Book Discussion Group (18+) • 1st Wednesday of the month ● 4:00 PM

Meet to discuss great books the first Wednesday of each month. Selections include both fiction and nonfiction. New members always welcome!

June 5: Unfit Heiress: The Tragic Life and Scandalous Sterilization of Ann Cooper Hewitt by Audrey Clare Farley
In 1934 the socialite Maryon Cooper Hewitt had her “promiscuous” daughter declared feebleminded and sterilized without her knowledge. She did this to deprive Ann of millions of dollars from her father’s estate, which contained a child-bearing stipulation. A sensational court case ensued, and powerful eugenicists saw an opportunity to restrict reproductive rights in America for decades to come.

July 10*: Maniac by Benjamin Labatut
A prodigy whose gifts terrified the people around him, John von Neumann transformed every field he touched, inventing game theory and the first programmable computer, and pioneering AI, digital life, and cellular automata. Through a chorus of family members, friends, colleagues and rivals, see the evolution of a mind unmatched. *delayed due to holiday

Aug 7: Move Like Water by Hannah Stowe
As a young girl, Stowe was raised at the tide’s edge on the Pembrokeshire coast of Wales, falling asleep to the sweep of the lighthouse beam. Now in her mid-20s, working as a marine biologist and sailor, Stowe draws on her experiences sailing tens of thousands of miles to explore the human relationship with wild waters. With stories of six keystone marine creatures—the fire crow, sperm whale, wandering albatross, humpback whale, shearwater, and the barnacle—Stowe invites readers to discover the wonder and vulnerability of the underwater world.

Strictly Fiction (18+) • 1st Monday of the Month ● 6:30 PM

Meet to discuss books of different genres on the first Monday of each month. New members always welcome!

June 3: Witch of the Wild Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (romance)
When new feelings for her partner in botany sleuthing take root, Sage Flores, using her ability to communicate with plants to locate rare species, doesn’t have time for romance, especially with a dead sister who brings her coffee and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning.

July 1: The Mickey7 by Edward Ashton (science fiction)
Mickey7 is an Expendable—a disposable employee on a human expedition. Whenever a mission is too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most memories intact. Then Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. By the time it returns to the colony base, there’s a new clone, Mickey8, reporting for duty.

Aug 5: Lovely War by Julie Berry (young adult)
When immortals Ares and Aphrodite are caught in a World War II-era tryst by the latter’s jealous husband, Aphrodite defends her actions by imparting the tale of four young humans who became connected during World War I.

Book to Art club (18+) • 4th Saturday every other Month ● 11:00 AM

About the club: Read a book and create art it inspires. Meet to share impressions of the written work, show your art and describe your creative process. Meet the fourth Saturday every other month. New members always welcome!

June 22: The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck
Charlotte Malone is getting married. Yet all is not settled in the heart of Birmingham’s chic bridal boutique owner. Charlotte can dress any bride to perfection—except herself. When she discovers a vintage mint-condition wedding gown in a battered old trunk, Charlotte embarks on a journey to discover the women who wore the gown before her.

Aug 24: The Glass Château by Stephan P. Kiernan
One month after the end of WWII, Asher, a former assassin in the Resistance burdened by grief and guilt, arrives at le Château Guérin. All he seeks is a decent meal. Instead he finds a sanctuary, an oasis—despite being filled with people every bit as damaged as him. There he discovers the redemptive power of art as he helps create glass windows for the bombed cathedrals of France.

LPL Flix (18+) • 1st Friday of the Month ● 1:00 PM

Watch a recently released feature film on our big screen. Bring a beverage and we’ll furnish the popcorn.

Card Class • 2nd Monday of the Month ● 1:00-8:00 PM

Carolee Crabb provides instruction in creating handmade cards the second Monday of each month. Drop in any time during the session. Cost is $7 for materials. Bring double-stick tape and scissors. Meet in the library’s Community Room.

International Films (18+) • 3rd Tuesday of the Month ● 6:00 PM

Enjoy award-winning films from other cultures. Bring a beverage; we’ll furnish the popcorn. 

June 18: Driving Madeleine
Madeleine, 92, calls a taxi to take her to the retirement home where she’ll live. Charles, a disillusioned driver with a tender heart, agrees to drive by the places that affected Madeleine’s life. Through the streets of Paris, her extraordinary past is revealed, and the two forge a friendship that will change their lives forever. Runtime: 1:31.

July 16: Io Capitano
Two Senegalese teenagers living in Dakar yearn for a brighter future in Europe. But between their dreams and reality lies a treacherous journey through checkpoints, the scorched Saharan desert, a fetid North African prison and the vast waters of the Mediterranean where thousands have died packed inside vessels. Runtime: 2:02.

August 20: The Taste of Things
Cook Eugenie and her boss Dodin grow fond of one another over 20 years, and their romance gives rise to dishes that impress even the world’s most illustrious chefs. When Dodin is faced with Eugenie’s reluctance to commit, he begins to cook for her. Runtime: 2:16.

craft adventures

Driftwood & Pebbles Art • Saturday, June 15 ● 10:30 AM

Use beautiful bits of driftwood and smooth pebbles from our lakeshore for this exquisite little project. Select your pieces and play with placement. Once satisfied with your layout, paint the background with acrylics and affix the natural materials onto canvas.

Registration required; call 920.793.8888.  Ages 18+

UV Resin Charms • Friday, July 19 ● 1:00-3:45 PM

Make a pendant, keychain, magnet or earrings. We have botanicals, polymer accents, metallic flakes and other interesting items to embed in the resin. If you have your own tiny items you wish to include, bring them.

Start times are scheduled throughout the afternoon at 15-minute intervals; schedule yours when you call to register.

Registration required; call 920.793.8888.  Ages 16+

Nature-Print Jewelry • Saturday, Aug 10 ● 10:30 AM

We’ll have pretty pieces already imprinted and dry for you to select and paint. Plus, use botanicals and “fresh” clay to make your own unique pieces to take home to dry and paint.

Registration required; call 920.793.8888.  Ages 18+