Guitarist Larry G. Davis to present holiday concert

Virtuoso guitarist Larry G. Davis will present “A Ridges Mountain Christmas” at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 20, at the Asheboro Public Library. The concert will feature tunes for the holiday season.

Davis, who lives on Ridges Mountain near Asheboro, is a former studio musician who has risen to become one of today’s premier solo guitarists. He is a gifted classical and jazz player and has also mastered genres such as country-western and old time music.

The show, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and the public is invited. The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

Asheboro library offers lapsit storytime for babies and caregivers

It’s never too early to share the building blocks of reading skills with your child.

With that in mind, the Asheboro Public Library Children’s Room is offering a storytime for babies and their parents/caregivers at 10:30 a.m. Mondays.

Parents and caregivers are invited to bring their children ages 0-18 months for a 20-minute lapsit storytime that incorporates age-appropriate books, music, rhymes and movement.

The storytime is free. For further information, contact Melina Simpson at 318-6804.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

Author Philip Gerard to focus on life in NC during Civil War in library talk

The received wisdom about life in North Carolina during the Civil War is not nearly as interesting as what actually happened, says author PhilipGerard.

Hot off a popular series of articles in Our State focusing on personal and thematic elements of the war, Gerard will talk about his discoveries at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 13, at the Asheboro library.

The talk is free and open to the public.

Gerard is the author of many historical novels set in North Carolina, including Cape Fear Rising and Hatteras Light. He has also written nonfiction books addressing topics ranging from the history of the schooner yacht Brilliant (Brilliant Passage) to World War II Germany (Secret Soldiers).

He is the chair of the department of creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and lectures widely on the art and craft of writing history-based stories.

His book Creative Nonfiction: Researching Stories of Real Life is a standard in college classrooms across the country.

Gerard’s appearance it is part of Civil War 150: Exploring the War and Its Meaning Through the Words of Those Who Lived It, a national programming initiative in recognition of the war’s sesquicentennial presented by The Library of America in partnership with The Gilder Lehrman Institute of America, supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The library is locate at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.        

Asheboro library to host ‘Milk and Cookies with Santa’

Children are invited to hear holiday stories told by Santa Claus and make holiday crafts during “Milk and Cookies with Santa” at 3:30  p.m. Thursday, December 6, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The special holiday storytime is free and the public is invited. For more information, call 318-6804.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

Zoo educator to debut polar bear book with library reading, storytime

Discover the real life of Willie, one of the NC Zoo’s polar bears, when author and zoo Visitor Educator Tonya Weeks visits the Asheboro library for a reading and storytime at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 8.

Weeks is author of I Am Polar Bear, a children's book in which readers can learn about Willie’s daily life, polar bear anatomy and ways to protect this endangered species. “I have always been an animal lover and the big guy just spoke to my heart. I had no choice but to tell his story,” Weeks says.

The reading/storytime is free and the public is invited. The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

Kids to get hands-on with science at Asheboro library

Children can make the link between reading and science through free, hands-on after-school science programs at the Asheboro library.

The series, “Hands-On Science,” will kick-off at 3 p.m. Thursday, November 26,  with “Windmills!” Participants will learn about windmills and make one to take home.

Anyone in grades 2-6 is invited to join in. Call the Asheboro library Children’s Room at 318-6804 to register.

“Hands-On Science” will continue on the last Thursday of each month. Librarians will guide kids through a series of experiments, teach them scientific vocabulary, and lead them to the proper conclusions by asking them questions during each science experiment.

Each child will be given all supplies necessary to complete a take home project and will be guided step-by-step.

“Reading and books are directly connected to science and math, and it can all be a lot of fun when we put it all together,” says children’s librarian Melina Simpson.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

Teens, tweens: draw monsters with illustrator Rich Powell at library

Illustrator Rich Powell will show teens and tweens how to draw monsters of all varieties at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 19 at the Asheboro Public Library.

The drawing session, part of “Own the Night,” the library’s Teen Summer Reading Program, is free and open to anyone age 10-18.

In addition to demonstrating drawing techniques, Powell will focus on finding inspiration for monsters; developing them from creatures you see every day; and what makes them scary.

He also will talk about classic monsters – vampires, werewolves and the like – versus science fiction monsters.

Powell has been illustrating for the past sixteen years while occasionally art directing for the world of computer gaming. His work appears in MAD Magazine, Our State, on greeting cards, t-shirts, posters, book jackets, magazine covers, children’s books, and in national advertising campaigns.

For more information about the library’s Summer Reading Programs and complete schedules, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html

Magical Storyteller Mark Daniel returns to Randolph libraries

Magical Storyteller Mark Daniel will return to Randolph County’s public libraries this summer with his unique blend of magic, puppetry and stories.

He will appear at all seven libraries as follows:

• Archdale, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 25;
• Asheboro, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 25;
• Franklinville, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 26;
• Liberty: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 24;
• Ramseur, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 26;
• Randleman, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 19;
• Seagrove, 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 24.

Daniel’s performances, part of “Dream Big: Read!”, the Randolph County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, are free and the public is invited.

Daniel has been a mainstay of summer reading programs for more than 20 years. His performances have inspired over three million children in thousands of schools and libraries, celebrating the joy of reading and great books. For more information about Daniel, visit www.magicalstoryteller.com.

For a complete schedule of summer events at the libraries, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html or contact your local library.

Poet Bill Griffin to visit Asheboro library as Poetry of Conservation continues

Poet Bill Griffin, a family doctor and geriatrician from Elkin, will keynote a poetry reading and open mic at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Griffin’s appearance is part of the Poetry of Conservation project sponsored by the NC Zoo, the Randolph County Public Library and the Randolph Arts Guild. He is poet-in-residence at the zoo during the week of July 8.

Local poets are invited to join Griffin and read their work – especially nature themed work – during the open mic, which is free and open to the public. The library is located at 201 Worth Street.

Griffin is author of four poetry chapbooks, including Snake Den Ridge, a Bestiary,  in which each poem takes the voice of a creature from the Great Smoky Mountains. In 2009, he received the North Carolina Poetry Society’s Poet Laureate Award.

His most recent book is little mouse, a collection of 32 poems, each 20 lines and each with the title “little mouse.” His work has appeared in regional and national journals, including Southern Poetry Review, Tar River Poetry, POEM, NC Literary Review and Pembroke Magazine.

Griffin also will be featured at a free Lunch and Learn at noon Wednesday, July 11, at the Randolph Arts Guild, and  will conduct workshops at the zoo. For more information, visit nczoo.org.

The Poetry of Conservation is a program that brings three poets to the Zoo through September for week-long residencies to explore nature and conservation in verse, conduct readings and workshops at the zoo and in the community, and select lines of nature-related verse to be sculpturally installed in public areas of the zoo.

Griffin’s library visit also is part of “Between the Covers,” the Summer Reading Program for adults. For more information and complete Summer Reading schedules for children, teens and adults, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html.

'Fish the Magish' to thrill Asheboro audiences with magic

Asheboro magician and educational entertainer “Fish the Magish” will bedazzle children and families with wonderful storytelling and mind-bending magic during a performance at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at the Asheboro Public Library.

The show is free and everyone is invited.

“Fish” – a.k.a. Mike Fisher – will get audience members participating in the magic in a funny, educational performance built around the “Dream Big: Read!” library Summer Reading Program theme.

A graduate of Clemson University, Fisher has been entertaining children in libraries, schools and churches since 1992.

For more information about the library’s Summer Reading Program and complete schedules, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html.

'Poetry of Conservation' poet Pat Riviere-Seel to conduct children's writing workhop, keynote open mic

Acclaimed poet Pat Riviere-Seel will visit the Asheboro Public Library during the week of June 25 to conduct a writing workshop for children and headline a poetry “open mic.”

Her appearances are part of The Poetry of Conservation, a partnership among the North Carolina Zoo, the Randolph County Public Library and the Randolph Arts Guilds that places poets in residence at the zoo to celebrate the beauty and wonder of nature in verse.

School-age children are invited to “Tiger, Where Did You Get Those Stripes?”, a free poetry writing workshop at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 27 at the Asheboro library.

“Wild animals (domestic ones too!) and places are full of mystery and magic. Have you ever wondered how something got to be the way it is? What would you ask the tiger? Or the bear?  In this workshop we’ll use poetry to talk to the animals and explore their mystery,” Riviere-Seel says.

Local poets are invited to join Riviere-Seel and read their work – especially nature themed work –during an open mic at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 28, at the Asheboro library. Following the open mic, Riviere-Seel will share her work and answer questions.

The open mic is free and the public is invited.

Riviere-Seel teaches in UNC-Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and is the author of two poetry collections, The Serial Killer’s Daughter (2009) which won the NC Literary and Historical Society’s Roanoke Chowan Award for Poetry and No Turning Back Now (2004) which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She earned her MFA in Poetry from Queens University of Charlotte and is a past president of the North Carolina Poetry Society.

The Poetry of Conservation is a program that will bring three poets to the Zoo through September for week-long residencies to explore nature and conservation in verse, conduct readings and workshops at the zoo and in the community, and to select lines of nature-related verse to be sculpturally installed in public areas of the zoo.

Riviere Seel’s library visits also are part of “Dream Big: Read!”, the library’s Summer Reading Program for children, and “Between the Covers,” the Summer Reading Program for adults. For more information and complete schedules, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html

Teen events begin, more during Randolph library Summer Reading Program week of June 18

Teen events kick off, and adults can learn about container gardening and ebooks, as “Dream Big: Read!”, the Randolph County Public Library Summer Reading Program, continues during the week of June 18. Meanwhile, storytimes and other activities for children continue, as Ronald McDonald visits two libraries and two libraries host family films.

As part of “Own the Night,” the Teen Summer Reading Program, teens are invited to make zombie felties and monster masks at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at the Asheboro library. At the Randleman library, the Mad Science for Teens series gets underway with Random Science at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 20.

"Between the Covers,” the Adult Summer Reading Program, offers Container Gardening with Master Gardeners Peggy Heath and Barbara Luther at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, at the Randleman library. The Asheboro library will provide ebook and e-reader basics with “Ebooks – On the Go!” at 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 19.

Children’s programs continue at all libraries. Ronald McDonald will promote reading at the Liberty library at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 19 and at Seagrove at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 19.  The Asheboro school-age program will feature author Midge Noble at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and Randleman will host Cold Blooded Animal Encounters at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 21.

The Archdale library will encounter Nocturnal Animals at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 21, and host Kindermusic at 10:30 a.m. the same day.

Movies include A Bug’s Life at 7 p.m. Friday, June 22, at the Asheboro library and Puss in Boots at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at the Randleman library.

A complete schedule for all libraries and all age groups can be found at www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreading.html, visit your local library or call 318-6804.

The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library supported in part by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant via the Randolph Arts Guild. Local sponsors also include Kiwanis International, Weston’s Feed and Seed, Something Different Restaurant and Advisors Financial Center.

Prizes, reading awards, programs or program support are provided as of this writing by Asheboro Copperheads, Big Daddy’s Pizza of Ramseur, Chick-fil-A, CommunityOne Bank, Domino’s Pizza of Ramseur, Greensboro Children’s Museum, Hardees, Energizer, First Bank of Archdale, Lowes Foods,  North Carolina Aviation Museum, McDonalds, North Carolina Zoological Park, PNC Bank of Ramseur, SciWorks, Sheetz, Walmart and Wendy’s.

Big Bang Boom kicks off Summer Reading Program

Big Bang Boom, the children’s rock ‘n’ roll band from Greensboro, kicks off “Dream Big: Read!”, the Randolph County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program, with performances at all seven libraries during the week of June 11.

The band, made up of bassist/vocalist Chuck Folds, guitarist/vocalist Steve Willard and drummer/vocalist Eddie Walker – play parent-friendly power pop that gets kids moving in a high-energy performance. The concerts are free and the public is invited.

The schedule is as follows:

·        Asheboro, 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 12

·        Archdale, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 13

·        Franklinville, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 14

·        Liberty, 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 12

·        Ramseur, 1-:30 a.m. Thursday, June 14

·        Randleman, 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 13

·        Seagrove, 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 12.

Also on tap for the week, children’s author Micki Bare will bring her creation Thurston T. Turtle to the Asheboro library at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 16, for a reading and signing with refreshments.

Steel drummer Tracy Thornton will be the special guest during the Asheboro library’s School Age Program at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, and the Randleman library will screen Kung Fu Panda II at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 14.

Storytimes at the Asheboro library include All Ages Storytime, 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays and 10:30 a.m. Thursdays; Family Storytime, 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Spanish/English Storytime, 6 p.m. every other Wednesday beginning June 13; and Toddler Time, 10:10 a.m. Thursdays.

Meanwhile, things get haunting for teens and adults as Ghosts of the Triad authors Michael Renegar and Amy Spease appear at the Asheboro library at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, and the team from Carolina Supernatural Investigations visits the Archdale Public Library at 7 p.m. Friday, June 15.

All events are free and the public is invited.

“Dream Big: Read!” at Randolph library this summer

“Dream Big: Read!” during the Randolph County Public Library’s nighttime-themed Summer Reading Program, which kicks off June 11 with over 130 storytimes, performances, movies, special events and more at all libraries through early August.

The aim of the annual program is to keep kids reading while school is out, but teens can get in on the act with the return of LegoMania and other events, while adults can hear a lineup of authors and join in book discussions. All ages are eligible to register for reading rewards and prizes.

“Library summer programs are exciting, entertaining and educational. They’re close to home and they’re all free,” says Children’s Librarian Myra Long.

  

The summer starts of with a bang – a Big Bang Boom, to be exact, as the children’s rock ‘n’ rollers from Greensboro bring their high-energy, parent-friendly power pop to each library during the week of June 11 in a show that’s guaranteed to get kids moving and cheering. There will be magic, too, as Fish the Magish visits the Asheboro library in early July and the ever-popular Magical Storyteller Mark Daniel appears at all libraries in late July.

Kids: Dream Big!

Each library will host one or more weekly events for children. At the Asheboro library, weekly storytimes include All Ages Storytime, 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays and 10:30 a.m. Thursdays; Family Storytime, 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Spanish/English Storytime, 6 p.m. every other Wednesday beginning June 13; and Toddler Time, 10:10 a.m. Thursdays.

              

The Asheboro library also invites kids in grades K-5 to school-age programs at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Special guests will include steel drummer Tracy Thornton, Ronald McDonald, Loretta Brady the Butterfly Lady and poet Pat Riviere-Seel.

Over the summer, the Archdale library will present “Nocturnal Animals: Cold Blooded Encounters”; Liberty will host Carolina Tiger Rescue; Ramseur will bring in bluegrass musicians Just N Time; and Liberty and Randleman will “Dare to Dream” with Steve Somers, The Amazing Teacher – among many other exciting events. For details and schedules for all libraries, go to www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreadingkids.html, visit your local library or call 318-6804.

Teens: Own the Night

The library also is lining up big events for teens, including the 4^th Annual Lego Mania on Thursday, August 2, at the Asheboro library; survival skills; making zombie masks; monster cartooning with Rich Powell, screen printing with Derek Toomes and more. A public mural project also may be in the offing for Asheboro teens.

Archdale will host Carolina Supernatural Investigations and Dr. Phil Senter, the Dinosaur Guy, and Randleman will offer weekly “Mad Science” programs at 4 p.m. Wednesdays beginning June 20.

Register to participate and for reading rewards at any library, and find schedules and details at www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreadingteens.html.

Adults: Between the Covers

Adults can bolster their summer reading with book discussions and author appearances. Our State Editor Elizabeth House will visit the Randleman library, and Ghosts of the Triad authors Michael Renegar and Amy Spease will haunt the Asheboro library.

Poets Pat Riviere-Seel and Bill Griffin will read their work and share the floor with local poets as part of the Poetry of Conservation project, and “Ebooks on the Go” workshops will provide guidance on ebooks and e-readers. Find full schedules and details at www.randolphlibrary.org/summerreadingadults.html.

The Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library supported in part by a North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Grant via the Randolph Arts Guild. Local sponsors are Kiwanis International, Weston’s Feed and Seed, Something Different Restaurant and Advisors Financial Center. Prizes, reading awards, programs or program materials are provided as of this writing by  Chick-fil-A, Hardees, First Bank of Archdale, Lowes Foods,  North Carolina Aviation Museum, McDonalds, North Carolina Zoological Park, Walmart and Wendy’s.

Friends to host Dickens expert Dr. Elliot Engel

It’s the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, and who better to celebrate it than scholar, performer and lively lecturer Dr. Elliot Engel?

The popular Dickens expert will keynote the Friends of the Library annual meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 10, in the second-floor meeting room of the 1909 Historic Courthouse at 145 Worth Street in Asheboro. Engel’s talk is free and the public is invited.

Using anecdote, analysis and large doses of humor, Engel will bring Dickens to life in an imaginative, delightful presentation filled with infectious enthusiasm and radiant wit.

Engel, who lives in Raleigh, has taught at UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, Duke and UCLA. He is author of ten books, and his lecture series on Dickens ran on PBS stations across the country.

Proceeds from the sale of his books, CDs and DVDs have raised funds for the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London, which Dickens helped found in 1852.

Asheboro library to exhibit pre-k student art in May

Art by children in local preschools will be on display at the Asheboro library May 5-May 21, with a reception featuring performances by the children at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 15.

The exhibit, entitled “The Hundred Expressions of Children,” sponsored by the Randolph County Partnership for Children, will travel to the Randolph Arts Guild after its stay at the library.

It includes work from The Children’s Center of Asheboro, The Growing Place, Precious Memories Preschool and the Early Childhood Development Center. The artwork arose from projects that kids in each school have undertaken to learn more about a topic or interest.

Each project incorporates skills that promote cognitive, language/communication, physical, social and emotional development.

During the reception, three of the preschools will present performances based on their projects. Precious Memories will present “Hula Hoop Extravaganza at 5:15 p.m.; The Growing Place will present “Rockin’ Alaskan Guitarists” at 6 p.m.; and The Children’s Center will present “Mail by Rail” at 6:30 p.m.

The exhibit and the reception are open to the public.

Elder law specialist to present free seminars at library

Asheboro attorney Bob Mason will present three seminars on elder law and care during May at the Asheboro library.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the seminars are free and the public is invited.

The first session, “How to Avoid and Elder Law Train Wreck,” 2 p.m. Thursday, May 10, will cover wills and trusts, powers of attorney, health care advance directives, long term care planning and more.

The second session, “How to Pay for Nursing Home Care Without Losing Your Shirt,” 2 p.m. Thursday, May 17, will address planning for nursing home costs, which can reach more than $7,000 per month.

The third session, “Make Sure Your VA benefits Aren’t AWOL,” 2 p.m. Thursday, May 24, will raise awareness about often-overlooked long term care benefits for veterans and the spouses of deceased veterans.

Mason is a Board Certified Specialist in Elder Law by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, and a Certified Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation. He also is a past chair of Hospice of Randolph County.

              

He is a frequent speaker on elder and disabilities law issues. 

Asheboro library Children’s Room to host mother-daughter tea

Come dressed in your best tea party attire for “Tea for Two,” a mother-daughter tea and storytime at 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 4, at the Asheboro library.

It’s free but space is limited, so registration is required; call 318-6804 to sign up. Each child must be accompanied by an adult.

               

The tea is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Poe couple to present 100 courthouse travelogue

Avid travelers David and Barbara Poe will present “North Carolina Counties, County Seats and Court Houses” at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 19, at the Asheboro library.

The travelogue will document the couple’s visits to all 100 of state’s courthouses, focusing on about 30 key buildings. The Poes will share unique bits of information they learned and interesting tales from their travels.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the travelogue is free and the public is invited.>/p>

The Poes live in Asheboro. David is a retired educator, and Barbara retired after working in a variety of fields from textiles to real estate.

Library to pair kids, therapy dogs for reading success

Beginning in April, man’s best friend will become a kid’s best reading pal as the Randolph County Public Library kicks off “Tails to Read.”

"Tails to Read” invites children ages 6-12 to improve their skill and confidence by reading to one of five certified therapy dogs at the Asheboro Public Library.

Each child participating will spend 15 minutes getting to know and reading to one of the dogs during an initial session, and can return to read each week. Dog owner-handlers will be present during all visits between children and the dogs.

Saturday sessions will begin at 10 a.m. April 14 and continue weekly through the end of May. Thursday sessions are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 12 and April 26.

The program is free, but registration is required. To sign up a child, visit the library’s Children’s Room or call 318-6804.

A special “Tails to Read” Kick-off will take place at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, at the library. Anyone interested in participating is invited to meet the dogs and their owners, learn more about the program, learn how to interact with the dogs, and sign up for reading sessions.

Studies show that reading aloud to dogs has positive effects on children’s desire and ability to read. The loving, non-judgmental canine audience-of-one increases a child’s engagement with reading and helps build confidence.

Each child participating will receive a “PAW-some Reader” dog tag or wristband after the first session. Those who continue for five sessions will receive a free book.

The canine reading pals include:

• Emme, a seven-year-old yellow lab;
• Morgan, a seven-year-old Bernese mountain dog;
• Casey, a seven-year-old mixed breed;
• Charm, a seven-year-old collie

A fifth dog will be announced shortly.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro. For more information, call 318-6804 or visit http:www.randolphlibrary.org/tailstoread.html.

Gear up at Asheboro library for Hunger Games premier

Gear up for The Hunger Games movie premier, and possibly win free tickets or posters, during a craft event and book discussion at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, at the Asheboro library.

Talk about what you love about the books and your expectations for the movie in discussions led by library staff. Then, make your very own Mockingjay pin.

The event, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free and all Hunger Games fans are invited.

Door prizes provided by Cinemark 7 at Randolph Mall include posters and tickets to the movie.

Refreshments will be served.

Based on the acclaimed teen trilogy by Suzanne Collins, the movie debuts March 23. May the odds be ever in your favor!

Asheboro author Ashley Memory to talk about first novel

A novel in which the hero is an amateur chef will net someone an authentic French crepe pan during author Ashley Memory’s talk at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 22, at the Asheboro library.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, her appearance is free and the public is invited.

Asheboro native Memory will read an excerpt from her novel Naked and Hungry and discuss her journey as a writer, signing books afterwards. She also will give away the crepe pan to the winner of a random drawing.

Naked and Hungry, about an out-of-work loan officer who retreats to the wilderness only to find it under ecological attack from shadowy villains, was named one of the season’s most promising debuts by Library Journal.

Memory is a two-time winner of the Doris Betts Fiction Prize and a nominee for the Pushcart Prize.

Appleseed biographer Howard Means to speak at Asheboro library

The real man behind the Johnny Appleseed myth will be revealed when historian and author Howard Means talks about the tree-planting frontiersman at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 15, at the Asheboro library.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library and Trees NC in recognition of North Carolina’s March 16 Arbor Day, the program is free and the public is invited.

Means is author of the acclaimed Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story published in 2011 by Simon & Schuster. The book traces the story of John Chapman, who moved west from his Massachusetts farm in the 1790s, planting apple trees across the country and earning the “Appleseed” moniker.

Means was senior writer for Washingtonian magazine from 1977-1982, and editor from 1989-2000. He was critic-at-large and an editorial board member at the Orlando Sentinel, and a columnist for King Features Syndicate.

His previous works include the Money and Power: The History of Business, a companion book to a CNBC documentary series; Colin Powell: Soldier/Statesmen—Statesman/Soldier, first biography of Powell; and The Avenger Takes His Place: Andrew Johnson and the 45 Days that Changed America. A Lancaster, PA, native, he now lives in Millwood, Virginia.

Zoo specialist to present The Lorax for children

The famed Dr. Seuss tale The Lorax will come to life in a special Arbor Day storytime presented by North Carolina Zoological Park interpretive specialist Bob Langston at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 16 at the Asheboro library.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Library and Trees NC, the storytime is free and the public is invited.

The Lorax “speaks for the trees, as the trees have no tongues” against the greedy Onceler, who chops down trees to knit garments for sale.

Langston, a former radio announcer, has worked in parks and recreation since 1990. He joined the Zoo staff in 2000.

Author Tara Fuller to debut teen novel at library

Author Tara Fuller will debut her teen-oriented, paranormal-themed novel Perigee Moon in a Friends of the Library program at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 1, at the Asheboro library.

Fuller’s talk is free and the public is invited.

Fuller grew up in Oklahoma, reading R.L. Stine novels by flashlight and dreaming of becoming a writer. Now living in Asheboro, and having become a writer, she admits to a shameless addiction for zombie fiction, Mystery Science Theater 3000 and black and white mochas.

She says her novels are delightfully full of teen angst and kissing.

Perigee Moon is set in a small Massachusetts town and follows seventeen-year-old Rowan Bliss, whose mother has perished in a fire. Rowan meets a mysterious boy named Alex, who holds the key to unlocking her families dark secrets.

The novel was published this month by Crescent Moon Press.

Library to host birthday party for Dr. Seuss

Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s 108th birthday with a party at 11 a.m. Friday, March 2, at the Asheboro library.

Children of all ages (even grown-ups) are invited.

Come dressed as your favorite Dr. Seuss character, if you like. There will be a big birthday card that everyone can sign, and it will be on display in the library through the month of March.

There will also be stories, games, activities and prizes — and attendees can expect a visit from the Cat in the Hat.

The party is free; refreshments, including birthday cake, will be served.

Master storyteller Foust to present potpourri of tales

Third-generation master storyteller Betty Foust will present “A Potpourri of Tales” at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 16, at the Asheboro library.

The program, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is free. All ages are invited.

Foust will tell stories about Harriet Tubman, the Devil’s Tramping Ground, and African animals.

Foust has been a featured storyteller at conferences and conventions for over 20 years. “If Dolls Could Talk,” “Let My People Know,” “Ance Stories,” “The Many Faces of Tales” and “When Animals Talked” are just a few of the programs she has developed and performed throughout the South and as far away as Nevada and Connecticut.

She says her passion in life is to help young and old discover and delight in their own stories.

Get creative, make Valentine’s Day cards at the library

Bring the whole family and make creative cards for Valentine’s Day at 4 p.m. Thursday, February 9, at the Asheboro library.

Children, teens and parents can get in on the act. You supply the labor and creativity, and library staff members Amy Keith Barney and Margee Jones will provide all the supplies needed and instructions on how to make a variety of cards.

Get creative with paper, markers, glitter and more!

The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library and is free. Children under age 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information contact Amy Keith Barney, 336-318-6824 or akeith@randolphlibrary.org.

Story times, computer classes for Spanish-speakers to get underway at library

Bilingual family story times and computer classes for Spanish-speakers will begin at the library in February.

At the Asheboro library, family story times will take place at 6 p.m. every other Wednesday beginning February 1, and computer classes will be offered from 6:30-7:30 p.m. every other Wednesday beginning February 8. Computer classes at the Franklinville library are being developed; a schedule will be announced soon.

Both the story times and the computer classes are free and the public is invited.

The programs are part of the American Dream Starts @ Your Library project to help promote both reading literacy and computer literacy among native Spanish-speakers, for which the library received a $5,000 grant from the American Library Association funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

For further information contact Claudia Alemán de Toomes, 318-6802 or catoomes@randolphlibrary.org.

Asheboro library introduces ‘Men In Black’ sci-fi book club

The Asheboro Public Library’s Men In Black Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book club is ready to go where no book club has gone before.

Submitted for your approval: library staff members Dave Bare and George Taylor will launch a book club that caters to the Martian, Hobbit, space explorer, zombie, adventurer and wizard in all of us.

The discussion group will meet at noon on the third Thursday of each month at the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth Street in Asheboro, with its first meeting on January 19. The club is free and open to anyone; participants are welcome to bring a lunch.

The first book up for consideration is World War Z by Max Brooks, a tale about a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a zombie plague in which the intrepid narrator interviews people from around the world about their experiences during the zombie war.

Copies of the book are available for checkout and an ebook is available from the Digital Depot (via randquest.org).

At the first meeting, participants will plan titles for the rest of the year. For more information, call 318-6814.

Library to host special Friday screening of The Help

An aspiring writer upends her traditional Southern world when she helps give voice to the African American women who have spent their lives serving wealthy families in The Help, a Friday Evening Film at 7 p.m. January 13, at the Asheboro Public Library, 201 Worth St.

Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, the film follows Skeeter (Emma Stone), a southern society girl returned from college, as she interviews her friends’ housekeepers. Aibileen (Viola Davis) is the first to open up, to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community. Despite Skeeter's life-long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Aibileen continue their collaboration and soon more women come forward to tell their stories –and as it turns out, they have a lot to say.

The movie is free and the public is invited; refreshments will be served. Find our more at www.randolphlibrary.org/asheboromovies.html or call 318-6819.

Library’s ‘E-Readers 101’ workshops continue in Asheboro, Randleman, Liberty

Popular E-Readers 101 workshops will continue at three Randolph County libraries.

The free introductions to e-readers and ebooks will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 14 at the Asheboro library, 201 Worth Street; 11 a.m. Wednesday, January 18 at the Randleman library, 122 Commerce Square; and 10 a.m. Saturday, January 21 at the Liberty library, 239 S. Fayetteville St.

Included are a how-to on using the library’s Digital Depot ebook website (via randquest.org), tips for purchasing e-readers and hands-on experiences with Kindles and Nooks. For more information, call 318-6808.