Books open a world of adventure

Do you remember “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” “The Phantom Tollbooth,” “How to Eat Fried Worms,” “Horton Hears a Who,” “The Boxcar Children,” “Encyclopedia Brown” or “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?” If you do, I bet you like to read. I bet you remember actually living in the world of those books, being a part of the story, and maybe even doing a little daydreaming about how your life would change if you could be in those situations.

I remember reading “Horton Hears a Who” as a child. It was both a good and bad experience. I loved the story because I had already thought that our world was just an electron moving around the sun nucleus. I cheered Horton on, almost to tears, hoping he would succeed.

But I was a little dismayed that someone else had actually thought that there might be smaller worlds in our own world, ones we couldn’t see. I thought I was the first one to think about the universe that way. Sometimes when I look out at the stars, I remember talking to my dad about the stars and the way the universe works, and I remember Horton.

Reading has always been such an important part of my life. I can’t imagine anyone who doesn’t do it on a regular basis. Often I use it as a brief escape from the busyness of life, but I had a grandfather who told me that if you can read, you can do anything – and that was before the “Dummies” books.

So I read to find out how to do things, from cooking to finding out how to get more out of my vacation or even to find the best way to invest my money. I read at least one newspaper every day to find out what’s happening in the world, and I read magazines to find out how to make my house look better, or sometimes just to read the cartoons and laugh. Yes, I have high-speed Internet access at home and at work, but somehow that doesn’t satisfy like something written on paper.

I’m hoping in this information-saturated world that children are still finding time to read books, books that expand their minds and let them be a part of a good story.

The library is still here with lots of stories to lend. The theme for this year’s summer reading is “Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds.” There’s a chance to win a prize with every book read. There are programs for all ages from preschool to 102. The summer reading program begins June 22 with the Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers presentation of “Legend of the Banana Kid.”

Here is a list of Bangor Public Library programs through the end of June. Everyone is welcome and all programs are free.

. Children’s concert by Kneisel Hall musicians, 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 21.

. Bangor Band’s first summer concert at the library, 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 21.

. The Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers, 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 22.

. Children’s Medieval Fair, 10 a.m. Thursday, June 23.

. Teen Medieval Fair, 10 a.m. Thursday, June 23.

. Peace Corps Adventures with Maria Kreilkamp, 10 a.m. Friday, June 24.

. Meet the author, Kathy Lynn Emerson, 2 p.m. Friday, June 24.

. Make your own family crest, 10 a.m. Monday, June 27.

. Fuel Your Body, Fuel Your Mind, 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 28.

. Mother Goose Storytime, 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, June 29.

. Summer storytime, 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 29.

. Kneisel Hall Concert, 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 29.

. The Harp with Kristen Dillon, 10 a.m. Thursday, June 30.

. Red, White, and Blue Day, 10 a.m. Friday, July 1.

Barbara McDade is director of Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow St. For information, call 947-8336.