First Posted: 4/4/2012

Welcome to April, a month chock full of library events. You’ll really need your calendar and pen ready to make note of these exciting events.

Monday, April 9 is the first date of note. At 7 p.m. at the Scranton Cultural Center, Laura Lippman will be the featured speaker for the first of the 2012 Lackawanna County Library Lecture Series. Ms. Lippman, the New York Times best selling author of the Tess Monaghan crime novels, is the recipient of numerous awards for her writing. Her first novel in the

Tess Monaghan series, “Baltimore Blues,” is also the “On the Same Page” selection for the Lackawanna County Book Club. A bit of trivia re Ms. Lippman – she’s a former reporter for the Baltimore Sun as is her dad, the notable writer, Theo Lippman. And her sleuth, Tess is a former newspaper reporter turned private eye. Admission is free with a library card or you can pick up a ticket at any of the Lackawanna County libraries.

Next jump ahead to Saturday, April 21, when our library will be holding its spring Book and Bake sale. Both books and lots of homebaked goodies will be available from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and all funds raised support our library. The selection of books is most varied and the price for each hardcover is just $1; paperbacks sell for $.50. Our Dalton bakers usually provide Welsh cookies, breads, cookies, cakes, pies and other seasonal treats. Come early to get the best selection of all items. (Members of the Friends of the Dalton Community Library have an added bonus- an early chance to select books on Friday afternoon from 3-5 p.m.)

Then on April 28, our Saturday Spotlight book club will be discussing Laura Lippman’s “Baltimore Blues,” the first novel in her Tess Monaghan series. Monaghan, an unemployed Baltimore journalist, is hired by her rowing friend, Rock Paxton, to shadow his fiancee. Monaghan discovers that the fiancee is involved with a notorious Baltimore attorney and when the attorney is strangled to death, Rock, of course, becomes the chief suspect. Tess’ challenge, to find the guilty party, involves escapades that might lead to her being another one of the many murder victims in the crime ridden city of Baltimore. Jean Marie Lynn of the Taylor Community Library will be our guest facilitator and those who attend are in for a great discussion. At last check, there were still copies of the book available at the circulation desk at the Dalton Community Library and there’s a real plus: the books are free (thanks to the Lackawanna County Library System’s “On the Same Page” program).

And on April 30 at 6 p.m., local young children are in for a very special program. Amos McGee is coming to read “Stop Snoring Bernard,” (the book selection for the PA One Book for Every Child program) and “A Sick Day for Amos McGee.” (Both books are award- winning selections; the story about Amos won the 2011 Caldecott Medal and Bernard’s story won the 2011 Society of Illustrator’s Founders Award.) “Stop Snoring Bernard” is about an otter who snores, not just quiet little snores, but extremely loud snores that annoy the other animals in the zoo. What will Bernard do? Come and find out. Once the challenge for Bernard is resolved, the children can also hear Amos McGee, the zookeeper, read his own story about the day he got the sniffles and couldn’t care for the animals in the zoo. What will the animals do without their beloved zookeeper? Amos will tell you exactly what these clever animals did to make him feel better.

In case you lose your copy of this article or can’t find your calendar, the brand new addition to our library will keep you up to date. Yes, our electronic bulletin board is up and running. It’s behind the circulation desk and features all the current library events and activities. Check it out.

Don’t forget all the other programs at our library. All the adult programs continue: Mah Jong on Monday mornings at 10:15, bridge on Tuesday mornings at 10:15, Conscious Conversations on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., and the book club, Saturday Spotlight on Sat., April 28 at 10:30 a.m. If you are interested in continuing to play Euchre, please contact Janet Geeza ( 563-2014) for further details. And parents, make sure you bring your little ones to the weekly story hour on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Whenever I see the tots emerging from their story hour with Janet Geeza, they are so excited and chatting away about the stories they’ve heard. Kreative Kids for 4-6 graders continues to meet on Mondays from 4-5 p.m. Oh, the things they create in just one hours each week; they are one talented group of elementary school students!

Don’t forget our Book and Bake Sale- Saturday, April 21at 9 a.m. It’s a great opportunity to find the perfect book for yourself, your child, or a friend who loves books. And why not pick out a goodie from our baked goods table. Then you’ll be all set to nibble on something delicious as you relax in your favorite spot and read your new book.