Have you read . . .

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon? What an interesting book! Of it, BookPage says, "Imagine having the capacity to calculate every prime number up to 7,057, but an utter inability to express anger, love or fear. That's the brilliant, bewildering reality for Christopher John Francis Boone, the 15-year-old narrator of Mark Haddon's whimsical first novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time."

Haddon's small volume will be the focus of the Happy Bookers book discussion on Tuesday, October 4, at 6 p.m. at the library. Copies of the book are currently available at the library. It's a quick read, and we'd love to hear your opinion!

A week of vacation!

Vacation is just over the horizon! What are you planning to do?

REACH is offering two great programs in the library's Children's Department during Vacation Week.

On Tuesday, April 22, "Northern Berkshire Grows" - plant some seed to nurture and watch, and they'll be planted in the library's garden when the weather gets warm enough. At the same time you can learn about Community gardening!

Then on Wednesday, April 23, "Healthy Kids on the Mooove! presents "Cowabunga Calcium. Can you guess what this will be?

Both programs will run from 11 a.m. to noon. They are free and open to everyone!

Meanwhile, I'm heading out of town for a relaxing week with friends. Let's all enjoy great vacations!

Ideas?

We don't have a whole lot of special programs scheduled at the library for the next couple of months, so would like suggestions from you. Yes, we have our regular StoryTimes, Knitting Circle, Book Discussion, computer classes and Writers' Corner, and on June 19 John Root will be here to inform us about edible wild plants, but we'd like to do more.

What would you like to see offered?

Snow - 1; Gardens - 0

It's hard to tell when you look out the window today, but the Berkshires' gardening season is nearly here. Now, I love gardens as much as anyone, but just don't have the time (or make the priority) to do all the work needed to produce great flowers and vegetables, or keep my shrubs pruned and lawn trimmed. How about you? Do you have some tips and tricks to share?

For those of us who want to have nice gardens without as much work, the library has invited gardening book author and editor Liz Stell to share her experience with us next Tuesday, April 10 at 6:30. Liz has fabulous gardens at her Lanesborough home, and I've always wondered how she manages to produce such great results while being a very busy editor and musician. I'm going to be there to find out, and hope you will too.

And keep your tips and tricks coming!

k