Greetings from the Great Bend Public Library! Our Summer Library Kickoff is Friday, and we are so excited for all the summer fun we have planned for everyone. Our big kickoff starts at 5 p.m. with live music provided by Jimmy Dee and the Fabulous Destinations.

The group formed in Victoria, Kansas, during the 1970s. Their setlist features major hits from the 1950s and 1960s. Get ready for a high-energy show that will get everyone wanting to dance the night away. Jimmy Dee will be performing on the front lawn so there will be plenty of room to dance and groove.

During the concert, we will also have lawn games to play and enjoy with friends and family. From 5 to 6 p.m., we will be providing free snow cones from Mike & Ice. Our summer kickoff is also the time to get registered for our summer library program. Registration is open for all ages and gives you the chance to win some really amazing prizes by reading and attending our fabulous events we will be having all summer long! So pick up a registration bag and get busy reading.

To wrap up the evening, we will have our Adults’ Night Out Movie showing in the library starting at 7 p.m. – with free popcorn, of course.

But this is just the beginning of what’s to come this summer. We have so many things to look forward to next week, starting with our Scooby Doo Scavenger Hunt, which runs from Monday, June 5, through Friday, July 28. Swing by the Children’s Section to grab your detective bag and follow the clues around town to solve the mystery!

Also happening Monday we have our “Builders, Assemble!” event at 4 p.m. Teens in grades 6-12 can join us in the Teen Spot for some LEGO challenges. Think you’ve mastered LEGO? Put your skills to the test against your fellow teens.

Weekly Story Time starts back up next Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. This summer we are offering Baby Bounce Story Time, a time for babies and parents/caregivers to engage babies through lap reading, rhymes, music and motion, followed by tummy time and free play to allow parents to connect with other parents. At 10:30 a.m. we will have Friendship Circle Story Time, which is a great time to make new friends and keep the old as we celebrate friendship and kindness through stories, songs, crafts, and more. Concurrently at 10:30 a.m., we have the Kindness Kids Book Club. Listen to stories and create crafts and items to share with others during this hour of book club.

While families are welcome to come to the story time that works for your schedule, we recommend ages 0-2 for Baby Bounce, 3 years through 1st grade for Friendship Circle, and grades 2-5 for Kindness Kids Book Club.

We have a new event this summer called What’s Next Wednesday. This is a time when we encourage you to ask a librarian for a reading recommendation if you’re not sure which book to pick up next. 

At 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, award-winning songwriter and performer Jammin’ Randy will be here in concert for our All Together Now program filled with music, dancing, instruments, and fun in his “Be Kind” show.

Thursday we have a jam-packed day of fun planned, starting with 123 Andrés at 10:30 a.m. 123 Andrés are a Latin Grammy-winning music duo whose catchy songs and lively concerts get the whole family dancing and learning, in Spanish and English.

At 3 p.m. Thursday we have Tween Scene. Too old for story time but too young to hang out with the teens? Get a taste of teen programming this summer during Tween Scene (for children going into 4th grade through 6th grade)! For our first Tween Scene, we will be doing Shrinky Dinks and boho peace sign wall art. 

At 4 p.m. we have our teen program Upcycle It!, where we will learn how to turn trash into treasure. This time we will be making mini hanging gardens from plastic bottles.

At 6 p.m. we have our June Adult Craft where we will be making macramé keychains.

Lastly, at 7 p.m. Thursday we have Decades Trivia Night at Dry Lake Brewery. Test your knowledge of the two grooviest decades for a chance to win free beer and other fabulous prizes.

To see what else we’re up to this summer at the library, visit our Facebook page and our website, greatbendpl.info. You can also message us on Facebook, email us at gbcirc@gmail.com, or give us a call at 620-792-2409 for any questions about our programming or services.

Book Nook is written by Hannah Grippin, outreach manager at the Great Bend Public Library.