By Brittany Schaaf, St. Charles City-County Library
Summertime is here, and I don’t know about you, but I am ready for backyard BBQs, swimming under the sunshine, and the annual Summer Challenge at the Library! This year’s theme, COLOR OUR WORLD, celebrates art in all its forms — from painting to dancing, fiber arts, and floral arrangements. There are so many ways that Libraries bring color and imagination to our community.
What is the Summer Challenge? It originally started as a tool to encourage school children to read and learn during the summer months to help them combat the loss of learning known as the “summer slide.” Now, it is open to readers of all ages — babies to adults — to encourage a love of lifelong learning and reading for everyone in our community.
From June 2 to August 9, everyone is invited to track their reading to earn fun prizes such as free books, vouchers to community businesses, and entries into our grand prize drawing.
To get started, pick up a paper game board from any library branch or download Beanstack Tracker from your app store to track your progress online. Earn prizes for reading, visiting the Library, and creating art. Reading books with your little ones, picking up a magazine or newspaper, diving into a physical or eBook, and listening to audiobooks all count toward your goal!
Tour the Library District and earn extra prizes as you ‘Journey through the Arts’ this summer. Each branch features different art mediums and fun activities for all ages. Plus, have the tour sheet initialed by a staff member at each branch you visit — visit 8 to receive a special prize and another entry into the grand prize drawing.
Register today at stchlibrary.org/summer-challenge, or visit your nearest Library to sign up in person. We are excited about another wonderful summer of reading because libraries COLOR OUR WORLD!
Check out these events happening at our Boone’s Trail and Augusta branches in July:
Crafting Connections - I Love Quilts!* - Tuesday, July 1: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. What will you create? Meet other quilt lovers at this monthly event.
Canasta - Hand & Foot* - Tuesdays, July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and Thursdays, July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: 1 to 3:30 p.m. Boone’s Trail Branch - adults. Need to get out of the house? Learn to play Hand & Foot Canasta!
Coffee and Conversation - Thursdays, July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: 9 to 10 a.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Enjoy a cup of coffee, a sweet treat, and conversation with others in the community.
Crafting Connections - Yarn Arts - Thursdays, July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: 2 to 4 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults and teens. Other yarn enthusiasts will keep you company while you work on your knit, crochet, or embroidery project.
Arts & Crafts: Wool Felted Snakes* - Monday, July 7: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Augusta Branch - children and tweens. Wet wool felting is an easy way to create a really fun pet snake! We will wrap a pipe cleaner with wool pieces, mix with warm water and dish soap, and roll out a new friend. These snakes love to read and cannot wait to see you at the Library!
Crafting Connections: Sip & Stitch* - Monday, July 7: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Boone’s Trail Branch - adults and teens. Bring your current work-in-progress and join other yarn artists as we sip, stitch, and talk about our projects.
Arts & Crafts: Finger Crochet Flowers* - Tuesday, July 8: 4 to 5 p.m., Monday, July 28: 10 to 11 a.m. Augusta Branch - children and tweens. Join us to learn how to finger crochet and make a cute finger crochet flower to take home!
Crafting Connections: Woolly Needle Felted Dryer Ball* - Thursday, July 10: 4 to 6:30 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Needle felt your own designs onto premade dryer balls. The wool balls are great to add to your dryer to help clothes dry faster and reduce static electricity.
Read to a Dog* - Thursday, July 10: 5 to 6 p.m. Boone's Trail Branch - children. Bring a book or choose one of ours and read to an attentive, adorable dog.
Make-It Monday* - Monday, July 14: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Grab a friend, come to the Augusta Branch, and work on your unfinished projects! Spend all day or just a little while.
Book Discussion - "The Wishing Game” by Meg Shaffer* - Monday, July 14: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Boone's Trail Branch - adults. Lucy is a teacher’s aide and shares her love of reading with young students, especially
seven-year-old Christopher, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy wants to adopt Christopher, but she doesn’t have the proper funds and stability. She enters a competition and becomes one of four contestants that, if she should win, would secure a better future for her and Christopher.
English Paper Piecing* - Tuesday, July 15: 2 to 4 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Learn how to English Paper Piece, a fun method of sewing fabric pieces together.
Book Discussion - "Killing the Witches” by Bill O’Reilly* - Thursday, July 17: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Boone's Trail Branch - adults. What really happened in Salem Village, Massachusetts, in 1692 and 1693? It began as a
mysterious affliction of two young girls who suffered violent fits and exhibited strange behavior, which soon spread to other young women. Rumors of demonic possession and witchcraft consumed Salem. This book tells the horrifying story of a colonial town’s madness.
Book Discussion - "Before We Were Yours” by Lisa Wingate* - Monday, July 21: 2 to 3 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. In 1939, Rill and her four younger siblings lived on their family’s Mississippi River shanty boat. When their father rushed their mother to the hospital, strangers arrived in force, and the children were thrown into an orphanage and at the mercy of the cruel director. In the present day, a woman returns home to help her father with a health crisis. When a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions, it compels her to look through her family’s long-hidden history.
Vintage Sewing Shadow Box* - Tuesday, July 22: 3 to 6 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Do you have a lot of vintage sewing doo-dads hanging around, such as a tatting shuttle, a thimble, a unique pin cushion, etc.? A shadow box is a place to gather all those treasures in one spot!
Stitchin’ Fun - Embroidery Basics* - Thursday, July 31: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Augusta Branch - adults. Learn a few basic embroidery stitches and leave with an embroidered square. Select your pattern, trace it on fabric, practice a few basic stitches, and stitch something fun!
*Register at stchlibrary.org/join-class-or-event or call Boone’s Trail at 636-398-6200 or Augusta at
636-228-4855 for more information about classes.
The Boone’s Trail and Augusta branches are open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. All St. Charles City-County Library branches will be closed on
Friday, July 4, for Independence Day.