MEXICO — The Mexico Public Library Summer Reading Program theme is “Book a Trip!” For readers ages 2 to 12, registration will start Wednesday, June 14, when participants will receive a tote bag, Sea Dogs ticket, a reading log (passport), bookmark, and sticker sheet.

Reading time can be turned in beginning Wednesday, June 28, and all programs end Thursday, Aug. 17. Readers can register any time after June 14. Registration is required for earning and winning prizes.

Prizes will be awarded for time spent reading, listening to audiobooks, or reading to someone else, based upon age. Readers this summer can earn money toward any book of their choice, to be selected at the end of the summer, and limited food prizes will also be available.

In addition, a pair of tickets to Storyland in Glen, N.H., will be awarded at the Princes and Princesses Picnic, Sidewalk Art, Russian Firebird and World’s Fair events. Only children between 2 to 12 who are registered with the summer reading program as a patron, or by a patron, are eligible to win Storyland tickets.

Teens and adults are invited to participate in the summer program by entering to win a prize of their choice for each title they read. Entry slips will be available at the Circulation Desk, no registration required. Prizes include gift certificates to Far East, Dunkin’ Donuts, the Lure Restaurant and the Mexico One Stop.

An Ice Cream Social will start at noon Saturday, July 1. The event is free and open to the public. The ice cream bar will offer a variety of flavors and toppings.

The Princes & Princesses Picnic will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, July 7, at the Calvin Lyons Hall, next door to the library. There will be games, a picnic lunch, and chances to win a pair of tickets to Storyland. Preregistration is required by July 1. Royal attire is encouraged, but not required. The free event is for ages 5 to 12.

Make Your Own: Sun & Sand will take place all day Friday, July 14, for age 5 and up, or at parental discretion. Materials will be provided for anyone interested in making their own sun catcher or sand art bottles. The event is free.

Sidewalk Art  will take place all day Saturday, July 22. A variety of chalks, stencils, and other outdoor art supplies will be available in the parking spaces behind the library.

Russian Culture will be the topic at 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 3 and 4. The storytelling and workshop series welcomes Marina Forbes, a lecturer, historian, and award-winning artist, who has written extensively on Russian traditional arts, history and the rich tapestry of Russian culture.

“Imperial Russian Faberge Eggs,”  will be presented by Forbes, on Thursday, focusing on the life and work of Russian master jeweler and artist, Peter Carl Fabergé. The history of the eggs and their role in the events of the last decades of Romanov rule in Russian and in the years following the Revolution will also be discussed.

Illustrated storytelling presentation will take place Friday, and is designed to stimulate creativity and imagination focused on the Firebird, which appears in many Russian legends and fairy tales. The program combines storytelling, traditional Russian music and the actual painting of authentic Russian firebird whistles. The hands-on component of the presentation costs approximately $10 for supplies, and is most appropriate for age 6 and up.

Make Your Own: Zen Garden will be offered all day Friday, Aug. 11, for age 5 and up, or at parental discretion. Materials will be provided for anyone interested in making a Zen garden and will include a base, sand, small stones, and one small rake. The event is free.

The World’s Fair, an end-of-summer celebration for all summer participants, will start at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Calvin Lyons Hall. There will be games, awards, and a special lunch exploring signature dishes from around the world. Those who have a dish they’d like to share should contact the library director at 207-364-3281.

The annual summer basket raffle is offering a “Home Office” basket, which includes a used Dell computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and HP all-in-one printer/fax machine. Tickets are one for $5, two for $7, or three for $10.

Other baskets include Taste of Maine, Color Me Relaxed, Paws-n-Things, Culinary Camper, Purple Passion, Car Wash, and Basket of Beauty. Tickets for these baskets are available at one for $1, three for $2, or seven for $5.

Winners will be drawn Friday, June 16, published in the local papers, and contacted by phone. Proceeds benefit patron-centered improvements at the library, such as more comfortable seating.

Movie Nights are sponsored by the Library Advisory Board. At 2 p.m. Friday June 16, they will show “Hook” in celebration of Father’s Day. The movie is free, and concessions will be available for sale, including popcorn, soda, and candy bars. Check the FB page or newsletter, the “Quill Pen,” for upcoming films. Proceeds benefit future movie night programming.

Mystery Experience Boxes, each with a unique and interactive challenge, are available for Saturday Sleuths, who are good as solving puzzles, looking for a rainy-day activity or just like to “figure things out.” Transport yourself to the fictional Forrest City and work independently, or with friends and family, to solve the crime. Free for all ages, new boxes arrive on the second Saturday of each month and are opened at noon. These items are Library Use Only.

The library is a new volunteer with Operation Paperback, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide books and other materials to American troops deployed overseas, veterans, veteran hospitals, and military families. The operation provides children’s books to deployed soldiers who read to their children via webcam, faith-based counseling texts for chaplains, specific titles from military Professional Reading Lists to support service member professional development, as well as recreational reading.

The Library Advisory Board has already shipped over 100 items from materials weeded from the library’s collection, and while the library has the books troops are requesting, the board is looking for monetary donations to help with the cost of future shipments. Donations are accepted at the Circulation Desk.

Children’s Read-Along Sponsorship new equipment is on the way, but the library also needs new read-along CDs for children to listen to while visiting at the library, and for borrowing to listen to and read at home. Sponsor a new read-along book with CD and help grow a high interest children’s listening library.

Sponsors will be listed as donors on the material and are welcome to include a dedication or special note to be included on the inside cover. There are 50 titles to choose from. Costs range between $4 to $18 (higher amounts are for story collections). Sign up at the Circulation Desk to sponsor the title of your choice.

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