Second ‘Randolph Reads: Invisible Man’ discussion slated

The second book discussion of the Randolph Reads: Invisible Man community reading initiative will take place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 24, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Led by Assistant Library Director George Taylor and English teacher Mandie Edwards, the discussion will focus on the second section of the book but will cover any aspect that participants wish to consider. Discussions about the final portion of the novel will take place on the fourth Thursday in August.

Randolph Reads: Invisible Man invites the entire community to read, learn about and talk about Ralph Ellison’s classic novel, and will culminate in September with performances, discussions and other events related to the book. For more information, visit www.randolphreads.org.

For more information about the discussion, contact Taylor at 318-6814.

The Asheboro library is located at 201 Worth Street.

Lego Mania returns to Asheboro library August 1

ASHEBORO – The Asheboro Public Library’s raucous and immensely popular Lego Mania competition returns for its sixth year at 2 p.m. Friday, August 1.

Teens and younger kids ages 10-18 are invited to create ingenious Lego structures for fun and prizes. The event is free but registration is required; call 318-6803 to sign up.

Participants will be divided into teams and age-appropriate groups to compete for prizes to be awarded by community judges.

Lego Mania is sponsored by the Friends of the Library and is part of “Spark a Reaction,” the library’s Teen Summer Reading Program. For more information about the library’s Summer Reading programs and a complete schedule of events, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summer.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

Friends bookshop offers deal on cookbooks

ASHEBORO – Get cooking during an end-of-month sale on cookbooks at the Friends of the Library bookshop in downtown Asheboro.

All cookbooks will be 50% off already low prices on Saturday, July 26; Tuesday, July 29; and Thursday, July 31.

The bookshop is open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. It’s located at 226 Sunset Avenue.

All proceeds from the sale of used books go to support Randolph County Public Library book budgets.

For further information, contact the bookshop at 629-1536.

Get ‘weather wise’ with Van Denton at Asheboro library

ASHEBORO – Fox8 Meteorologist Van Denton will present a talk called “Weather Wise” at noon Thursday, July 17, at the Asheboro Public Library.

He will talk about his experiences as a meteorologist and the weather in North Carolina, and open the floor for audience questions.

Denton’s appearance is free and family-oriented; all ages are invited.

The event, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, is part of “Literary Elements,” the library’s Summer Reading Program for adults. For complete Summer Reading details, visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summer.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street.

Mad Science to conclude library Summer Reading with a bang

ASHEBORO – Finish the summer with a bang as Mad Science of the Piedmont brings its highly interactive, action-oriented science demonstrations to all seven libraries during the last two weeks in July.

Mad Science’s visit, part of “Fizz, Boom Read!”, the library’s Summer Reading Program, is free and the public is invited.

The group will present at the libraries as follows: 

• Archdale, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 30 (at Archdale Parks & Recreation)
• Asheboro, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 23
• Franklinville, 2 p.m. Thursday, July 31
• Liberty, 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 29
• Ramseur, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 31 (at the Ramseur Municipal Building)
• Randleman, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 24;
• Seagrove, 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 29.

Mad Science is an international group with local chapters that bring science education to children and encourage science literacy through fun, eye-popping science activities.

More Summer Reading events are going on weekly at all the libraries. Visit www.randolphlibrary.org/summer for complete schedules and information.

The Summer Reading Program is primarily sponsored by Friends of the Library with support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, through the Randolph Arts Guild. It’s part of a national effort to keep children reading during the break from school; research shows that kids who read during the summer do better in school the next year.

Team to present robotics demo at Asheboro library

ASHEBORO – NC FIRST Robotics Team Triple Strange will present a robotics demonstration at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, at the Asheboro Public Library.

Part of “Spark A Reaction,” the Teen Summer Reading Program, the demo is free and the public is invited. It’s sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Team Triple Strange, a talented group of high schoolers, will bring the robot that they built and used in competition for the NC FIRST Robotics Challenges. Team members will show off all of their ‘bot’s abilities, and discuss how to join robotics competition teams.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.

‘Virals’ co-author Brendan Reichs to visit Asheboro library

ASHEBORO – Author Brendan Reichs will talk about his “Virals” series of teen novels at 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, at the Asheboro library.

His visit, part of “Spark A Reaction,” the Teen Summer Reading Program, is free and the public is invited. It’s sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Reichs co-authors the series with his mom, famed “Bones” novelist Kathy Reichs. The Virals are a group of teens led by Tory Brennan, niece of forensic anthropologist Temperance “Bones” Brennan. Their exposure to a canine virus at an animal research facility has left them with heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes — leading them into all sorts of dangerous situations.

Books in the series to date are Virals, Seizure, Code and Exposure.

Reichs, who grew up in Charlotte and graduated from Wake Forest University, left a career in the law to write. He lives in Charlotte with his wife Emily and their two children.

The library is located at 201 Worth Street in Asheboro.