Get to Know Poe this July at Mentor Library

Mentor Public Library is dedicating the month of July to the inventor of the horror genre and detective novel, to an author who mastered both verse and prose, one of the most important writers ever—Edgar Allan Poe.

There will be a film festival, art clinic, writing workshop, a performance by a professional Poe impersonator, a scary video contest and book discussions hosted throughout the city. All of which will commemorate and celebrate Poe!

One Book, One City

Mentor Library has compiled some of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous poems and short stories, including “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart” and more, into books that are available throughout Mentor and Mentor-on-the-Lake. You can pick up copies at any Mentor Public Library branch and Little Free Libraries, as well as Melt, Yours Truly and other locations around the city of Mentor.

Take a book. It’s free! You can then join us at any of these locations for a discussion on Poe and his work. If you’ve always been interested in joining a book club or just love reading, this is a great place to begin.

Let’s get all of Mentor reading! Discussions will be at:

• Monday, July 7, 11 a.m. at Walsh Park
• Tuesday, July 15, 11 a.m. at Melt Bar and Grilled
• Monday, July 21, 7 p.m. at Mentor Public Library Main Branch
• Tuesday, July 22, 2 p.m. at Mentor Beach Park
• Tuesday, July 22, 7:30 p.m. at Yours Truly
• Wednesday, July 23, 1:30 p.m. at Mentor Senior Center
• Friday, July 25, 12 p.m. at the News Herald
• Tuesday, July 29, 6:30p.m. at Mentor Public Library Main Branch
• Wednesday, July 30, 6:30 p.m. at Mentor Public Library Main Branch
• Thursday, July 31, 7 p.m. at Wildwood Cultural Center

Poe Buttons—Collect all 7!

Attend our Poe events and receive a free Poe Button—there’s a different style for each program—collect all 7! While supplies last.

Know Poe Video Contest

From “The Cask of Amontillado” to “The Masque of the Red Death,” nobody told a scary story like Edgar Allan Poe.

Teens and adults can take tools they learned from the master and apply them to a medium that Poe never knew—video.

They can work individually or as a group to make short, scary video (no longer than five minutes.) Videos will be judged on creativity, scariness, execution and Poe-tency.

Some participants will be able to see their video on the big screen at the Great Lakes Mall Atlas Cinemas during the Know Poe Film Festival.

The deadline for entries is July 1.

For more information, call the library at (440) 255-8811 ext. 213.

Know Poe Film Festival at Atlas Cinemas

Edgar Allan Poe may have not lived to see his work on the biggest of screens, but he had an enormous influence on director Roger Corman and actor Vincent Price.

Library patrons can come see four of their classics, as well as Know Poe video contest entries, at the Great Lakes Mall Atlas Cinemas. (Some images and sequences may not be appropriate for all ages.)

The film festival is underwritten by the Mentor Community Arts Commission.

The showing times are:

• Thursday, July 3, 7:00 p.m. The Pit and the Pendulum
• Thursday, July 10, 7:00 p.m. The Raven
• Thursday, July 17, 7:00 p.m. Tales of Terror
• Thursday, July 24, 7:00 p.m. The Masque of the Red Death

Gothic Ink: Poe Inspired Art

Monday, July 7, 6:30 p.m. at Mentor Public Library Main Branch

Want to learn how to draw with ink? Artist Del Borovic will teach teens and adults how to create inspired ink drawings inspired by Poe.

The Gothic Ink program is underwritten by the Mentor Community Arts Commission

Poe’s Mystery on the Lake

Friday, July 11, 2 p.m. at Mentor-on-the-Lake Branch

Celebrate Poe, the inventor of the detective mystery genre and an avid cryptography enthusiast. Become a detective and solve a mystery! Kids will create detective badges and learn how to crack three different types of secret codes. Put your sleuthing skills to the test to solve a mystery and earn a prize. Appropriate for ages 5 to 10. Registration is required.

Whodunnit? Poe Style

Wednesday, July 16, 7 p.m. at Mentor Public Library Main Branch

Families can play a life-sized game of Clue featuring the characters, settings and demises from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe. Bring your detective skills.

Poe Obstacle Course

Thursday, July 17, 2 p.m. at Mentor Public Library Read House

Children from kindergarten through sixth grade can race through a series of 10 obstacles all based on the books of Edgar Allan Poe. Kids will also make a creepy craft.

Poe’s Prose

Saturday, July 19, 11 a.m. at Mentor Public Library Main Branch

Writer and teacher Jacklyn Czekaj will host a writing workshop for teens. Learn the macabre styling of America’s favorite Gothic writer. Writers of all skill levels welcome.

An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe

Monday, July 28, 6:30 p.m. at Mentor Public Library Read House

Join Jim Knight as he interprets some of the famous stories and poems from legendary writer and master of the macabre. Hear such famous Poe masterpieces as “The Tell Tale Heart,” “The Raven” and more come to life in Mr. Knight’s rendering. Also, audience members will hear a brief background on the life of Poe, his times and how his writing influenced his contemporaries. Enjoy a fun and creepy evening illustrating why Edgar Allan Poe is still as relevant (and frightening) today as he was in his own time.

Nail Art Tips & Tricks from Ladies & Gentlemen Salon & Spa

Kayla puts a layer of white polish on her nails.

Some of the ladies of Ladies and Gentlemen Salon and Spa visited the Mentor Public Library Thursday to offer some nail arts tips to our teens.

Here are some cool tricks you can try at home.

Guess what the "H" and "P" on Amanda's nails stand for?

Polka Dot Nails

1. First, prepare your nails by cleaning them off. Then paint each nail with a base coat and one to two coats of nail polish.

2. Once your nails are dry, take the flat end of a lip gloss applicator (the end without foam) and lightly dip it in the polish. You only need a small amount of polish on the applicator. (If you don't have an applicator, other circular objects can be substituted.)

3. Next, take the applicator and dab it on your nail to create polka dots. Dot as many circles on your nails as you want. (Pretty much everything in nail art comes down to lines and dots. The more you practice both, the better and more elaborate designs you'll be able to create.)

4. Allow your dots to dry.

5. Apply a top coat to your nails to prevent them from chipping.

Maddie presses newspaper down so its image transfers to her nails.

Newspaper Nails

1. Once again, apply a base coat and one to two coats of polish.

2. Allow the nails to dry. Then, pour some rubbing alcohol into a small cup.

3. Once your nails are dry, dip them into the small cup.

4. Place the newspaper (or comic book, print book or any other type of paper that has ink on it) on to your nail. Be sure that the nail is still wet with alcohol.

5. Lightly press on the nail to make sure that the ink transfers on to it.

6. After about a minute, peel back the corner of the paper to see if the ink is on your nail. If so, you can remove the paper.

7. Finish your nail design with a layer of clear topcoat.

Rachel paints stripes on one of her nails as an accent.

Thank you to both Ladies and Gentleman Salon and Spa and all the teens who came to the program Thursday. For more information on events and programs at the Mentor Public Library, visit www.mentorpl.org.

A little night music at Mentor Library

A short update today—mostly just wanted to share our video from Mentor Library's jazz age garden party.

We have a couple of other concerts coming up this summer if you're looking for a little night music.

The Travelin' Man Band will perform from 6:30 to 8 p.m. July 23 at our Mentor Headlands Branch. They play everything from Rolling Stones to Janis Joplin, so stop by for some good music and good times. The concert—like all of our programming—is free.

Then, on Aug. 7, we have a special concert for kids to close out our children's summer reading program.

By the way, there's still time to sign up for our summer reading programs—yes, even you grownups.

Have the most beautiful cuticles with DIY Nail Art

Some people are good at painting their nails and some people are nail artists.

Teens who want to take their cuticles to the next level can come to our Nail Art program this Thursday evening at Mentor Library's Main Branch. (Register for it here.) The experts from Ladies & Gentlemen Salon and Spa will be there to offer some of their best tips and tricks.

Before we get to the advanced-level stuff, here's some good advice the Ladies & Gentlemen nail artists offered the last time they visited us.

1. Always try to use a base coat before polishing your nails. This prevents them from yellowing.

2. Never pull at or tear hangnails. Use nail clippers instead.

3. Are you a nail biter and can't seem to break the habit? Always keep a coat of polish on your nails. That will make you less likely to take a bite.

4. Just like with any other beauty treatment -- so much of nail art is taking care of your body (in this instance, your nails and hands, specifically.) Try to keep your hands moisturized to prevent them from looking dry and cracked.

5. Along the same lines as Tip 4, keep the underneath of your nails clean to prevent the growth of bacteria and germs.

For more tips and some next-level nail designs, join us this Thursday.

Throwback Thursday: How to Get to Sesame Street

Sesame Street's been around so long that when you talk about it, you talk about eras. But whether you grew up in the Snuffy-was-still-imaginary era or in a post-Elmo world, you probably have some favorite moments you want to revisit.

But it can be tricky wading through 40 years of programming and dozens of DVDs to find that time Roosevelt Franklin taught the days of the week or Count sang "Lambaba."

So Throwback Thursday is here to help with our guide to your favorite Sesame Street moments (and where you can find them on DVD.)

And, as always, you can check out any and all of these items from Mentor Public Library.

The Old School collections are probably the single best way to find classic moments from the 1960s through early 1980s. Thus far, they've released three volumes (and two CDs.)

In Volume One, you find "Bein' Green," "Rubber Duckie," "I Love Trash," Batman crosses the street, the alphabet with Jackie Robinson and Lou Rawls, "C is for Cookie," "Ladybugs' Picnic," "There's a Bird on Me," Mumford turning Grover into a rabbit, "Martian Beauty," the first and last with Beetle Bailey, "Doin' the Pigeon," Stevie Wonder performing the Sesame Street theme song and Super Grover's ongoing struggle with the telephone booth.

In Volume Two, there's "Telephone Rock," Richard Pryor's (thankfully not profane) alphabet, Kermit and the weather salesman, Grover inventing the wheel, Paul Simon singing "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," "Cookie Disco," Fonzie and Richie Cunningham brushing their teeth and the Grover's continuing adventures as the world's worst waiter.

In Volume Three, you have Snuffy and Gordon running the New York marathon, a visit from R2-D2 and C3PO, "Dance Myself to Sleep," Oscar's Steve Martin parody "Trash Outta Heaven" and a special goodbye to Mr. Hooper.

40 Years of Sunny Days includes memorable moments from the first four decades of Sesame Street, including the first appearances of Telly Monster, Elmo, Zoe and Abby Cadabby, Maria and Luis' marriage, "Put Down the Duckie," Neil Patrick Harris as the Shoe Fairy and cameos from everyone from Robert Deniro to the Plain White Ts to Patti Labelle. (There's also a great book recapping the first 40 years of Sesame Street.)

And, as per other classic Sesame Street moment, if you're looking for Oscar's Patton homage, check out Follow That Bird.

The Sesame gang ice skating? That would be the Christmas special, (which also has my favorite performance of "Sing.")

That time Elmo went to Grouchland? The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. (Yeah, some of these are easier to find than others.)

When in doubt, we always have a bunch of stuff with Elmo. Kids like Elmo, right?

Come back each week for a new Throwback Thursday profile.

Fun with recycling during Trashy Tuesdays

Linsay presses down on her paper so it can dry out and solidify.

What does Mentor Public Library have in common with Oscar the Grouch? (Besides the fact that we—much like the grouch's eyes—never close.)

We both love trash.

Granted, we don't love it for the same reasons. Oscar loves trash because, well, he's a grouch.

We love trash because it gives us a chance to teach kids about recycling and reusing.

Eli helps his recycled paper dry out.

That's why we're teaming with Bonnie Rice from the city of Mentor and Beth Bollas from the Lake County Solid Waste District to have Trashy Tuesdays all summer.

Rice and Bollas will also show children some of the fun ways they can reuse their trash. For example, this week, kids took recycled paper slurry and turned it into sparkly, new construction paper.

Beth and Bonnie are going to have Trashy Tuesday crafts every other Tuesday this summer over at the Read House. They will show kids how to make a wallet, beads and other fun crafts from recyclables.

Sarah makes construction paper out of a bucket of purple slurry.

We hope the kids who come to any of the Trashy Tuesday sessions have a lot of fun, learn something about recycling, and even bring those lessons home to their families

All of the Trashy Tuesday programs are free and open to kids of all ages.

However, we ask that parents register their children beforehand. They can do so by calling Mentor Public Library at (440) 255-8811 ext. 221 or on the library’s website.


For more photos from our first Trashy Tuesday, check out our Facebook page.

Flash libraries popping up in your neighborhood

Kristin, one of our reference librarians, at a flash library in Veterans Park.

In a perfect world, nobody would live more than a block from the library. Every person—child, teen or adult—could come to the library on a whim.

However, we live in a world of finite resources, and it would be impossible for us to build a branch on every block. So we try to do the next best thing and bring the library to you.

We do it in a lot of ways: our digital services that let you download eBooks, stream video and music, or download mp3s from home; our little free libraries; Beach Reads.

And our Flash Libraries are going to be springing up at parks, cul-de-sacs and farmers' markets this summer.

If you're not familiar with a Flash Library, they're similar to Bookmobiles. We come to your neck of the woods with popular movies and books. If you have a library card you can check them out—same as if you were in a brick-and-mortar library. And if you don't have a library card, well you can get one of those too. (And you really should have a library card.)

We have already brought our Flash Library to Lake Metroparks Veterans Park and you'll likely see us there again soon.

We're also bringing our Flash Library to the city of Mentor's Final Fridays, Headlands BeachFest on July 26 and Concord Community Days on Aug. 16.

Where else do you want to see our Flash Library? How can we help bring Mentor Library to you?

Kids learn how to train their dragons at Mentor Library

Kids had a chance to catch and train their own dragons last week at Mentor Library. (Don't worry. No children or dragons were injured during the dragon-training process.)

The fun was in anticipation of How to Train Your Dragon 2's premiere. If you want to get caught up on your dragon training, you can borrow both the first movie and the books from us.

More than 1,000 kids and 100 teens have already signed up for our summer reading program, but there's plenty of room for more.

This year’s summer reading program is dedicated to science, and we're hosting fun programs—many dedicated to science—all summer.

We’ll be having Mad Science Mondays where children can perform hands-on experiments and make crafts using different themes each week. We’re also hosting Trashy Tuesdays every other week where kids can make fun crafts using recycled supplies.

Teens will have Weird Science Wednesdays throughout June that feature experiments with photography and weather. (Last week, we created soda-pop explosions.)

Everyone who participates in our summer reading programs—either by reading and/or attending library programs—has a chance to win prizes. Grand prizes include a $100 gift card from Toys ‘R’ Us for kids and Nook eReaders for teens and adults. The more someone reads, the better chance they have of winning something.

If you want to sign up for summer reading, you can register for it at any of our branches.

Blowing things up in the name of science

Who hasn't wanted to drop a pack of Mentos into Diet Coke to see what kind of carnage it wreaks?

Pretty much anyone who has ever heard about it in their middle school science class or seen Wreck-It Ralph, right?

Well, we took it a step farther during our inaugural Weird Science Wednesday. Teens who came to our program tested to see what soda-Mentos pairing caused the biggest explosion. (You win if you guessed lemon-lime.)

But our Weird Science experiments have just begun. On June 18, we’ll use Sun Paper to show how pre-digital photography worked. (Yes, there is such a thing as pre-digital photography.)

Finally, on June 25, we’ll experiment with the science of weather, which means you can help us make miniature versions of tornadoes, volcanoes and tsunamis.

Teens can sign up for both these programs on our website or by calling (440) 255-8811 ext. 215.

And, while you're here, why not sign up for our summer reading program? Every teen who participates in Spark a Reaction, either by reading or coming to Mentor Library programs, has a chance to win prizes. Those include gift certificates from Retroland Toys, Zoup, Great Lakes Game Emporium, Tryst Salon & Spa and our grand prize, a Nook eReader from Barnes & Noble.

And the more you read, the better chance you have of winning.

Fan Favorite Friday: Disney Princesses

If you have a daughter between the ages of three and 14, no introduction to the Disney princesses is necessary.

In fact if you've ever met or been a kid, you likely have a passing familiarity with Disney's roster of royalty.

The Disney princesses have an approval rating that no real-life royal family could ever match, making them the perfect subject for this Fan Favorite Friday. (And, remember, you can borrow any and all of these movies, books and CDs from Mentor Public Library.)

Now, the first thing one must know about the Disney princesses is that there are levels to immersion. One begins, of course, with the movies: Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, Brave, The Princess & the Frog, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Pocahontas, Mulan and Tangled.

(Disclaimer: With all due respect to Sofia the First, The Ice Princess, Tinkerbell and personal favorite Princess Vanellope Von Schweets, only the royalty pictured above are official Disney-sanctioned princesses. Expect to see the ladies from Frozen join them soon.)

However, if your kid loves Aurora or Mulan or Merida or any of this royal coterie, you've probably already memorized the movies and maybe even the sequels.

That's why we have the Princess Story DVDs that you can borrow. (Perfect for themed birthday or Halloween parties.) And the Disney Princess volumes. And the Sing-A-Long Song videos.

The princesses also feature in a panoply of books—everything from 5-minute stories for bed time to the Princess Encyclopedia for the exhaustive. Princess Tiana even has a cookbook for kids.

If your child prefers something more interactive, there are also Disney princess games: pre-reading games for the young'ns and The Enchanted Journey for kids who are a bit older.

And if your child has already watched the movies, read the books and played the games, there's always the music. (That is, if you or your child need a break from the Frozen soundtrack.)

There are Disney Christmas albums, tea party albums, fairy tale songs, Spanish recordings and, por cierto, original soundtracks. If you need somewhere to start, may I recommend the Disney Princess Ultimate Song Collection?

So the next time your kid is in a Disney mood, we have dozens of ways to indulge them. Let them put on their tiara, have a tea party, sing "Part of your World" and watch a classic.

After all, we all deserve to feel royal sometimes.

Come back each week for a new Fan Favorite Friday.

Throwback Thursday: Father's Day Edition

Father's Day is this Sunday. You still have time to buy him a tie he'll never wear. Or you can just borrow a movie from the library that he'll actually want to watch.

We're even willing to offer some suggestions.

(As always, you can check out any and all of these movies and books from the Mentor Public Library. We’ve even linked to our collection so you can put them on hold wherever you are.)

1. James Bond. Whether your dad prefers Daniel Craig, James Bond, Pierce Brosnan or Roger Moore—we refuse to acknowledge that anyone might prefer George Lazenby—we have what he wants. If he also likes the Ian Fleming novels, we have those too.

2. Rocky. Want a fun idea for Father's Day? Rent your dad all the Rocky movies—well, you can probably skip Rocky 5—and let him spend the day watching those. He'll laugh as Rocky tussles with Thunderlips, cry as he calls for Adrian and cheer as he beats communism by punching it. I promise you'll be his favorite kid. (Unless one of your siblings got him all the James Bond movies.)

3. ESPN's 30 for 30. It's OK if you haven't heard of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series. Your father has. they've covered everything from the rise of fantasy football to the twilight years of Ali's career. From baseball to bowling, ESPN's covered a moment of your dad's favorite sport in the sort of detail that only a father could love.

4. Die Hard. Also doubles as an excellent Christmas gift.

5. Fast and the Furious. If your dad's a bit older, try Bullitt.

6. Clear and Present Danger. I'm actually talking about the book this time. Just playing the statistics here: There's a good chance that your dad likes Tom Clancy novels and you might not even know it.

7. Indiana Jones. Another opportunity to borrow the whole series. Fair warning: Crystal Skull is to the Indiana Jones series as Rocky 5 is to Rocky.

8. Star Wars. You're dad probably wants to see Episodes IV-VI. (If your dad is a huge Star Wars fan, have him watch the Clone Wars series.)

9. Con Air. This film-length explosion features the Father's Day All-Stars: John Malkovich, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, Danny Trejo and Nicolas Cage.

10. Or you could get your dad what he really wants, which is pretty much anything with Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Come back each week for a new Throwback Thursday profile.

Kicking Off Summer Reading with COSI

In 10 days, nearly 700 children, 200 adults and about 75 teens have already signed up for our summer reading program, but there’s always room for more.

This year’s summer reading program is dedicated to science. So when the library held its kickoff party Saturday, we invited the COSI to participate too.

Lucy learns about friction and kinetic energy by playing with the magnetized marble slides at our summer reading kickoff party.

COSI brought science kiosks that allowed kids to perform small experiments and games that taught the kids about magnetism, friction, air pressure, kinetic energy and more.

The library will host fun programs—many dedicated to science—all summer.

Gabriel stands on his father’s knee so he’s tall enough to reach the blocks.

We'll be having Mad Science Mondays where children can perform hands-on experiments and make crafts using different themes each week. We're also hosting Trashy Tuesdays every other week where kids can make fun crafts using recycled supplies.

Teens will have Weird Science Wednesdays throughout June that feature experiments with photography and weather.

Jordan is stymied by one of COSI’s puzzles.

Everyone who participates in our summer reading programs—either by reading and/or attending library programs—has a chance to win prizes. Grand prizes include a $100 gift card from Toys ‘R’ Us for kids and Nook eReaders for teens and adults. The more someone reads, the better chance they have of winning something.

If you want to sign up for summer reading, you can register for it at any of our branches.

Elizabeth tries to balance COSI's rod and learns an object lesson in gravity and momentum.

Visit our Facebook page for more photos from our summer reading program kickoff party.

Join Mentor Reads & Get Ready to Know Poe

You can pick up Edgar Allan Poe's selected works for free at any MPL branch.

As part of our Know Poe month in July, we're holding a city-wide book club called Mentor Reads.

We've compiled some of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous poems and short stories, including “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart” and more, into books that are available throughout Mentor and Mentor-on-the-Lake.

You can pick up copies at any Mentor Public Library branch and Little Free Libraries, as well as Melt, Yours Truly, Java Express and other locations around the city of Mentor.

Take a book. It’s free! You can then join us at any of these locations for a discussion on Poe and his work. If you've always been interested in joining a book club or just love reading, this is a great place to begin.

Discussions will be at:

• Monday, July 7, 11 a.m. at Walsh Park
• Tuesday, July 15, 11 a.m. at Melt Bar and Grilled
• Monday, July 21, 7 p.m. at Mentor Public Library Main Branch
• Tuesday, July 22, 2 p.m. at Mentor Beach Park
• Tuesday, July 22, 7:30 p.m. at Yours Truly
• Wednesday, July 23, 1:30 p.m. at Mentor Senior Center
• Friday, July 25, 12 p.m. at the News Herald
• Tuesday, July 29, 6:30p.m. at Mentor Public Library Main Branch
• Wednesday, July 30, 6:30 p.m. at Mentor Public Library Main Branch
• Thursday, July 31, 7 p.m. at Wildwood Cultural Center

You can come to one or all of them. We can't wait to hear what you think.

If you have questions or you want a free copy of Edgar Allan Poe's selected works, visit your Mentor Library or call (440) 255-8811 ext. 213.

Tangram Tales: It's Hip to Be a Triangle

Ever heard of tangrams? They're a kind of puzzle, originating in China, made of seven different shapes.

The smaller shapes can be used to form pictures and even tell stories.

On Thursday, June 19, the Mentor Library will host a special story time at its Main Branch using tangrams. Kids from ages three to 12 (along with an adult) can then make tangram patterns of their own.

You can register for Tangram Tales on our website or by calling (440) 255-8811 ext. 221.

Read your dreams and make them true

Geoffrey Landis loved science fiction as a kid—Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury, all the big names. He loved science fiction so much that he started to love the science behind it.

Now, he's a scientist for NASA. And an award-winning science-fiction author.

Reading can help you become whatever you want. It helped Landis build Mars rovers for NASA. It can help you (or your kid) become an archaeologist or paleontologist or artist.

Reading can be (and often is) the first step for making a dream come true.

Then again, reading isn't where a dream ends. (Unless, of course, your dream is to read a lot. And that's a perfectly wonderful dream.)

Landis himself said, "The heart of science is doing things... Any place you can go and interact with the world, that's science."

So we don't want you to just read about science this summer, though we want you to do that too. We want everyone to get involved in science.

That's why we're bringing COSI our summer reading kickoff party this Saturday. That's why we're hosting Weird Science Wednesdays all this month. That's why storm chasers are coming to the library next month.

We want you to get out there, learn something new and have fun while doing it.

Landis did that and it took him all the way to Mars. Who knows where it can take you?

Throwback Thursday: All Aboard the Magic School Bus

We're celebrating science all summer long with this year's summer reading program.

And we're starting things off with a bang during our kickoff party this Saturday at the Read House. COSI (the Center of Science and Industry) will bring its traveling exhibits to the party and show kids how much fun science can be.

Even Throwback Thursday's getting involved. This week, we're highlight the scientific wayfarers aboard the Magic School Bus.

(As always, you can check out any and all of these movies and books from the Mentor Public Library. We’ve even linked to our collection so you can put them on hold wherever you are.)

The Magic School Bus began as a series of books that were written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen. The books took us inside of both the earth and the human body, out to the solar system, back to the dinosaurs and more. They are still classics (and still available at your local library.)

Of course, there's an entire generation that got to know the Magic School Bus via its TV show on PBS. If you're feeling nostalgic for a supernatural field trip, there are a bunch of ways to revisit Arnold, Wanda, Carlos and the rest of the gang.

You can borrow individual episodes or even the entire series from the library. Or, if you think DVDs are passe, you can stream episodes directly to your computer, phone or tablet for free via Hoopla, as long as you have a MPL card. (Click here if you need a refresher course on how to use Hoopla.)

So get on the Magic School Bus! It doesn't matter if you prefer reading the books, watching the show or even playing the games. What matters is that you learn something new and have fun while doing it.

It's what the Frizz would want.

Come back each week for a new Throwback Thursday profile.

Teens can Spark a Reaction this summer at Mentor Library

Teens throw colored dye at one another during our Holi celebration last summer.

Summer reading isn't just for kids. Anyone can learn something new and have fun while doing it this summer.

That's why we have a summer reading program specifically for teens, Spark a Reaction. You can sign up for it at any of our branches. It's dedicated to weird science and fun experiments.

Starting June 11, we'll be having Weird Science Wednesdays every week in June outside of our Main Branch. We're kicking it off with their own version of Mythbusters. We'll see if we can make a Coke-Mentos volcano, if toast always lands butter-side down and test other popular myths.

The week after that, we'll use Sun Paper to show how pre-digital photography worked. (Yes, there is a such thing as pre-digital photography.)

Finally, on June 25, we'll experiment with the science of weather, which means you can help us make miniature versions of tornadoes, volcanoes and tsunamis.

You can sign up for any and all of these programs on our website or by calling (440) 255-8811 ext. 215.

Every teen who participates in our Spark a Reaction, either by reading or coming to Mentor Library programs, has a chance to win prizes. Those include gift certificates from Retroland Toys, Zoup, Great Lakes Game Emporium, Tryst Salon & Spa and our grand prize, a Nook eReader from Barnes & Noble.

And the more you read, the better chance you have of winning.

So come to the library. Read something new. Learn something fun. Spark a reaction.

And the winners are...

You hit us with your best snapshots, and now we're back to congratulate the winners of our first ever kids' photography contest!

And the winners are...

• People: "Grammy's Moth" taken by Noah Scanlon, Age 6
• Place: "Color of Winter" taken by Megan St. John, Age 12
• Artistic: "Lightning Bolt" taken by Marley Lugo, Age 7

Congrats to our young shutterbugs who will receive Target gift cards for winning.

And thanks to everyone who participated in our inaugural photo contest. We loved seeing and sharing your beautiful photos!

By the way, our summer reading kickoff party is this Saturday at the Read House, which is next door to the our Main Branch. COSI (the Center of Science and Industry) will bring its traveling exhibits to the party and show kids how much fun science can be.

And, of course, both our party and summer reading program is free and open to everyone.

Everyone who participates in summer reading at Mentor Library (that includes teens and adults) has a chance to win prizes—from gift cards at Toys ‘R’ Us to Lake County Captains tickets to Nook eReaders. The more someone reads, the better chance they have of winning.

For more information on Mentor Library’s summer reading program, call 440-255-8811 or visit your nearest branch.