Fox, Ferret, Fur and Fun Featured at the Library

By Susan Braunstein
Programming Library Associate

Author Eric Jay Dolin and Puppeteer Markie Scholz kick off the August library programs with visits planned on the same date, Monday, August 9.

During the day Markie Scholz of Dragons are Too Seldom Puppet Productions, (www.dragonsaretooseldom.com)  will present the show, “The Great Water Rescue II,” at 10 a.m. downtown and 1 p.m. at the library’s north location inside General Beadle Elementary School. This performance is written and performed by Scholz and tells the story of Millie Rabbit and Bob Bobcat who must find the Great Water Crystal to keep their beautiful valley from becoming a desert. Trouble is Pirate PeeWee Fox and his Terrible Assistant Flynn the Fast-footed Ferret have stolen the Water Crystal and taken it to the Seven Seas.

This is the last big performance of the summer reading program which comes to an end on Saturday, August 21 with a celebration at 10 a.m. downtown and 2 p.m. at the north location. Come in and make a craft, turn in your 75 day reading log to get prizes, be entered into drawings for larger prizes and receive a treat. We will accept reading logs through the end of August.

The Library will feature an author talk by best-selling author, Eric Jay Dolin, the evening of August 9 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Dolin will discuss his most recent book, “Fur, Fortune and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America.” Dolin will speak about the dramatic rise and fall of the American fur industry and how the fur trade transformed this country. It is a tale of imperial aspirations, clashing cultures, fluctuating fortunes and bloody wars.

He will describe how the relentless pursuit of furs by trappers and Indians pushed some species to the verge of extinction while at the same time charting a course for American expansionism.

The editors of Kirkus Reviews gave this title a star which signifies it is a book of unusual merit. The book is described as, “The fascinating story of the fur trade, full of heroism, greed, violence and political conflict.”
Peter Drummey, the Stephen T. Riley Librarian at the Massachusetts Historical Society said, “Great storytelling that weaves the commercial, environmental and political threads of the history of the American fur trade into a wonderfully readable narrative..History writing of the highest order…It restores the central role of the American fur trade in understanding the development of the United States.”

Dolin has also written, “Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America” and holds degrees in biology and environmental studies from Brown University with a master’s and doctorate in environmental policy from Yale University and MIT, respectively.

The last Quick Pic Picnic where avid readers can gather over lunch to discuss what they have been reading will be held August 18 from noon to 1 p.m. If you are interested in attending and receiving a free lunch, call 394-4171 and make a reservation by noon on August 16. The Friends of the Library provide the lunch.