BRIDGTON – Bridgton Public Library will present a special Adult Summer Book Discussion Series, “Not For Children Only!,” at 7 p.m. from June 23 through Aug. 18, on alternate Wednesdays. Made possible by grants from the Maine Humanities Council and the Belvedere Fund, the free, five-part series of programs will be led by humanities scholar Claire Knox.

Using texts from children’s literature, participants will enter the timeless realm of fables and folk stories from many lands. Beginning with the modern classic, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the series will move back through time with tales, chronicles and sagas, ending with Maine’s great contribution to this genre, “Charlotte’s Web.”

Universal themes common to all cultures are the essence of children’s literature, embedded in books for adults: adventure, discovery, danger, family, love and death.

Stories of great adventure, journeys fraught with excitement and the need for ingenuity, tales of self-discovery and insight, of confrontation with evil, stories of pure delight and of satisfying conclusions are the kernel of all literature, and appeal to everyone.

Similar narratives featuring these common human experiences have evolved in every nation; more than 700 tales of a Cinderella-type character have appeared, including a Chinese version from the ninth century.

Leading the Series will be Bridgton resident Claire Knox, longtime lecturer in the humanities at Northeastern University in Boston, the University of New Hampshire, and most recently at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Maine.

Books may be picked up at the main circulation desk; programs will be held in the library’s meeting room on the ground floor. Texts to be read: June 23, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”; July 7, “The Classic Fairy Tales”; July 21, “Tatterhood and Other Tales”; Aug. 4, “Bridge to Terabithia”; and Aug. 18, “Charlotte’s Web.”

For more information on the series and other summer activities and programs at Bridgton Public Library, call 647-2472 or pick up a schedule of events at the circulation desks. The library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Friday. noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.