Summer reading program in Hampden

HAMPDEN – The Edythe Dyer Library’s Summer Program theme will be “Caution! Readers at Work!”

Signup begins Monday, June 20. Special events will be held Thursdays:

. June 30, 10 a.m., “Magical Artistry of Peter Boie.”

. July 7, 10 a.m., Milkweed Puppets.

. July 14, 1 p.m., “Fur, Feathers and Feet.”

. July 21, 10 a.m., “Trucks! Trucks! Trucks!”

. July 28, 10:30 a.m., “Builders at Work.”

. Aug. 4, 11 a.m., “Build a Better Lunch.”

For information on these programs, call the library at 862-3550, or check the Web at www.edl.lib.me.us

Tuesday tales will continue for 6- to 10-year-olds the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.

Preschool Story Time in Orrington

ORRINGTON – Preschool story time will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesdays beginning June 22 at Orrington Public Library.

After listening to stories, children may browse and choose books to borrow. To become a library book borrower, bring a current piece of mail as proof of residency. To learn more about story time and the library, call 825-4938.

New children’s books in Carmel

CARMEL – Simpson Memorial Library will be open to introduce 56 new children’s books, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, June 25. Activities will include an 11 a.m. reading of Candace Fleming’s “Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!” For information, call 848-7145.

Summer camps at Maine Discovery Museum

BANGOR – Maine Discovery Museum still has openings in some of its summer camp programs for children ages 5-12. Openings remain in the following camp weeks and programs:

. June 20-24: Call of the Wild, for fourth- to sixth-graders. Science exploration with the museums’s science educator, Tony Sohns.

. June 27-July 1: Ancient Wonders, for fourth- to sixth-graders. Hieroglyphics pyramid-building, mummies and more highlight this hands-on discovery week about ancient Egypt.

. July 18-22: Slithers and Scales, for fourth- to sixth-graders. Learn how to spot, handle, identify and appreciate frogs, toads, snakes, turtles and newts.

. July 25-29: Animaniacs, for first- to third-graders. Art and science meet in a week-long exploration of animal adaptations, defenses and behaviors.

. Aug. 1-5: The Life Aquatic, for first- to third-graders. Learn how a naturalist looks at the rivers, sea and ponds, and have fun discovering our big blue planet, from whales to snails.

. Aug. 15-19: Animaniacs, for children ages 5-6. Art and science meet in a week-long exploration of animal life, tailored for the younger set. 8:30-11:30 a.m.

. Aug. 15-19: Ancient Wonders, for fourth- to sixth-graders. Hieroglyphics, pyramid-building, mummies and more highlight a hands-on discovery week about ancient Egypt.

Maine Discovery Museum camps meet 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Bangor public school children in grades three-six are eligible to use Camp Bangor funds, and the museum has some financial aid available for qualifying families. For camp registration, call 262-7200, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. For information about the museum’s programs, including summer camp, visit www.mainediscoverymuseum.

Challenger Learning Center of Maine

BANGOR – Upcoming events at the Challenger Center are:

. Public lecture and family night, 6-8:30 p.m. Friday, June 17. Guest lecturer professor Neil Comins of the University of Maine Department of Physics and Astronomy, will give a talk on the mysteries of black holes.

The presentation will be followed by an opportunity to play the Black Hole Explorer board game, in which the player-scientist launches probes into a black hole to see what may be learned. The program is appropriate for children over age 7. Admission is $5, $3 students.

. Public missions, 6 p.m. Thursdays, June 30, July 28 and Aug. 11. As NASA prepares for the return to flight of the space shuttle this summer, the Challenger Learning Center of Maine offers the opportunity to experience a return to flight as well. The center will offer space simulation missions to the general public. Experience what’s required to complete a successful mission working on a team as astronauts, scientists and engineers to rendezvous with a comet. The experience is open to adults and students ages 10 and up. Students under 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Admission is $20, $18 students. Reservations are required, as space is limited.

. Junior Space Explorers camp for second- and third-graders, 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday and Thursday, June 22-23, or July 13-14. $50 for 2 days, includes materials and snack.

. Space Explorers camp for fourth- and fifth-graders, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, June 27-30, or July 25-28. $350 for four days, with materials and snack.

. Space Explorers camp for sixth- and seventh-graders, 9 a.m-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9-11 a.m. Friday, July 18-22, or Aug. 1-5. $400 for five days with mini-mission the final day.

. Advanced Space Explorer camp for returning seventh-graders and eighth-graders and high school students, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Tuesday, and 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug, 8-10. $200 for three days, includes a mini-mission on the final day.

Register for camps online at www.clcofme.org/missions/summerprograms/ or call 990-2900.