By Pam Everhardt Bloom

Rowan Public Library

Summer is ending and fall programs in the Children’s Room at Rowan Public library are in full swing.

In addition to our weekly storytime and art programs beginning Sept. 12 at all branches, your library also offers two monthly clubs, Explorer and Adventure Club, for second- through fifth-graders on selected Saturdays at Headquarters.

Club dates are Sept. 10 and 24, Oct. 1 and 15, Nov. 5 and 12 from 11 a.m. to noon.

Explorer Club’s focus this fall is on life skills. At our Sept. 10 meeting, “Dewey See It?” children will play “Stump the Librarian” and learn how to access the collection in the Children’s Room.

More than a traditional book club, Explorer Club takes a different twist. Instead of reading a selected book before they arrive, children are introduced to different books from the collection and challenged to read something they might never consider trying.

Fun activities this month for children focus on using Dewey Decimal and exploring library themes within fiction and picture books. One book, “Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library,” by Chris Grabenstein, has been a favorite of kids and adults since it was published in 2013.

We expect excitement when young patrons discover more Grabenstein selections that continue the same literary connections, puzzles and surprises loved in the original.

Indeed, “Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics” and “The Island of Dr. Libris” hold fast to the author’s original format of mystery and action, providing literary clues as well as an author’s list of challenges and great classics to read.

A more contemporary version of The Magic Treehouse series, C. Alexander London’s book, “We Sled with Dragon,” lands twins Oliver and Celia in yet another Accidental Adventure series as they search for the long-lost Library of Alexandria.

Other selections the club will explore could entice readers of all ages. Those books include, “Richard Wright and the Library Card” by William Miller, “Tomas and the Library Lady” by Pat Mora, “A Summer of Sundays” by Lindsay Eland, “The Legend of Spud Murphy” by Eoin Colfer, “The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand” by Jenn Swan Downey, “The Library Card” by Jerry Spinelli, “Under Copp’s Hill” by Katherine Ayers, “The Dragon in the Library” by Kate Klimo and older classics such as Gertrude Chandler Warner’s “The Deserted Library Mystery” from her timeless Box Car Children Series.

Continuing the theme of life skills from the first Explorer meeting this fall, our two club programs will continue to include a chance to think and do.

Adventure Club programs focus on hands-on science and/or craft based activities. September 24’s Adventure Club is not to be missed.

Kids will find the Makey Makey controller experience electrifying. Come October, Explorer Club will visit the COOP, RPL’s new Cooperative Lab Maker Space at headquarters and activities will include a demonstration of our new 3-D printer.

Don’t miss the fun. Mark your calendar for two different club meetings each month in the Children’s Room at Headquarters, September through November, and check the RPL postings for details about weekly programing and other special events for children this fall at all branches. All programs are free and open to the public. See you in September.

September Movie Series: Celebrate Library Card Sign-up month and enjoy film adaptations of classic books from childhood. Sept. 9, “The Secret of NIMH, 3 p.m., headquarters. PG, recounts the adventures of Mrs. Brisby as she fights to save her family from the farmer’s deadly plow. Popcorn and lemonade will be served; this event is free and open to the public. All ages are welcome. Sept. 21, 6:30 p.m., “The Indian in the Cupboard.” Sept. 26, 6:30 p.m., “The Neverending Story.”

Dr. Who’s Days: Sept. 13, 4:30-6 p.m., headquarters, Travel through time and space with screenings of the classic BBC program, “Dr. Who.”

Book Bites Book Club: South (China Grove), Tuesday, Sept. 27, 6-7 p.m. Free, open to the public. We discuss a different book each month and serve refreshments loosely related to the theme.”The Graveyard Book.” Need a copy? Call 704-216-7731.

Back to School De-Stress Fest: School got you down? Come chill out with us and relax for a while. Teens will engage in a variety of activities and learn about healthy behaviors to learn how to minimize stress during the school year. All programs, 4:30-6 p.m., Sept. 20, headquarters; Sept 22, South; Sept. 26, East.

Friend of RPL and Cheerwine Concert Series: Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen. Sept, 27, 7 p.m., doors open 6:30 p.m. For years, Pat sang in New Orleans six nights a week, performing at venues including the House of Blues, until Katrina destroyed her home and she moved to North Carolina. During her performances, she unfurls the tapestry of her experiences to her audience in soulful words and music.

Stories by the Millstream Festival: Sept. 16, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Due to Rowan Salisbury School’s schedule for Sept. 16, this event will not be held at Sloan Park. Contact Emma Rose at 704-216-7729 for details, for all Rowan County second-graders.

Meet Gale! introduction class: Sept. 6, 7-8 p.m., headquarters second floor computer lab. Try out our free online classes. This is online learning anytime, anywhere. Learn about course offerings, video, registration before first online class begins on Sept. 14. Space is limited. Call 704-216-8248 or email info@rowancountync.gov to register.

Money Mondays — Changing Your Life Through Better Money Management: Sept. 12, 6-7:30 p.m. or Sept. 19, 6-7:30 p.m., headquarters, study room 4, second floor. Will include topics, such as understanding your paycheck, stretching your food dollars, designing a spending plan, avoiding high cost financial services, understanding credit and debt and starting a habit of saving money. Space is limited, so register today. Call Abigail Hardison at 704-216-8248 or email Abigail.Hardison@rowancountnc.gov Course material provided by the National Endowment for Financial Education, a non-profit organization. These free materials are accessible at nefe.org

Technology Tuesdays — Microsoft Excel Basics: Sept. 13, 7-8 p.m., headquarters, second floor computer lab. Come learn about spreadsheets and formulas (more fun that it sounds). Space is limited. Call 704-216-8248 or email info@rowancountync.gov to register. Sept. 27, Tablet tutorial.

Genealogy class: Sept. 17, 9 a.m.-noon, headquarters. “Expanding Your Family History with DNA” with Cynthia Wells, a regional speaker with the International Society of Genetic Genealogy. The presentation will include examples of how DNA has helped explore the genealogical mysteries and expand the understanding and knowledge of family history. This event, co-hosted by the Genealogical Society of Rowan County and the History Room of RPL, is free and open to the public.

Gale lessons class: Sept. 20, 7-8 p.m., headquarters, second floor computer lab. Access your Gale class from the RPL computer lab, where staff are on hand to assist, if needed. Space is limited. Call 704-216-8248 or email info@rowancountync.gov to register.

Displays: Headquarters, DAR Constitution Week and Star Trek 50th Anniversary; East, Chiari Malformation Awareness; South, jewelry by Myrtis Trexler.

Literacy: Call the Rowan County Literacy Council at 704-216-8266 for more information on teaching or receiving literacy tutoring for English speakers or for those for whom English is a second  language.