I’m writing this on the third official day of summer break for Murfreesboro City Schools, and y’all, I am already wondering when school begins again! In addition to upcoming events, check out my list of recommended activities for kids if you, like me, need something bookish to get your littles involved in so you can have some quiet time!
Upcoming Events
Now through August 14th at Read to Succeed (910-A Ridgely Rd, Murfreesboro): New Teacher Book Giveaway
If you’re a first-time teacher in Rutherford County and want some books for your classroom, Read to Succeed has got you covered! Drop by to get stocked up on books for your kiddos! Click the video above for more info.
Friday, June 5th, 10 AM-6 PM, at The Spine (244 S Lowry St, Smyrna): Scale Sale
Lindsay at The Spine is trying something new! Bring your own bag, fill it with books, and whatever the scale says, your books are $5 a pound! What a fun way to shop! Click the image for more info.
Saturday, June 6th, 13th, and 27th, 8 AM-12 PM, at 115 Front St, Smyrna: Local Authors with The Spine at the Smyrna Farmers Market
Lindsay is also going to have a tent set up at the Smyrna Farmers Market, and each week, a different local author is going to be there! On June 6th, it will be Leigh Scott; the 13th may have a certain someone writing this very blog; and the 27th will have Sherry Roberts. Get some produce and support local authors too!
Tuesday, June 9th, 6-8 PM, at The Spine: Author Event with Dr. Sherry Hamby
Come by The Spine to meet Sherry and get a copy of her brand new book Stronger than You Think: Building Lifelong Resilience (which will be available for sale at the event). Click the image for more info!
Sunday, June 14th, 1:30-3:30 PM at Dapper Owl’s Studio: The Write Words Workshop with Kory Wells and Bryanna Licciardi
We’re trying something new! The Dapper Owl has opened up a back meeting room they’re calling The Studio, and we’re trying some out some ways to utilize the space. We’re sending in our best people for the first event; Kory and Bryanna are going to be leading a writing workshop, where they will coach you through some writing and provide gentle feedback. Register here and click the image above for more info!
Sunday, June 14th, 3-5 PM, at Dapper Owl: Writers’ Mingle with Antsy McClain
Yes, you’re reading that right! Back-to-back events in the same place! After you’re done with Kory and Bryanna, come hang out with writers from around the area and hear the amazingly talented Antsy McClain give a little talk! (I might fangirl a little.) Click the image above for more info.
Saturday, June 20th, 5-7 PM at Trellis & Vine (27 S Lowry St, Smyrna): Hugs of Happiness Book Release Party with Maryanne VanDyke
Come to Trellis & Vine to see some lovely art, meet the lovely writer and illustrator Maryanne VanDyke, and buy a copy of her lovely children’s book! More information (and presale info) is available here!
Sunday, June 28th, 12-5 PM, at Crying Cat (504 N Maney Ave, Murfreesboro): Queer Pride Party
June is Pride Month, and Crying Cat is hosting a party to celebrate! More details to come, but check out their socials to keep up to date.
Sunday, June 28th, 6 PM at The Dapper Owl: Poetry in the Boro Open Mic
And after you’ve partied at Crying Cat, come listen to some poetry! We’ll have a featured poet as well as an open mic portion to hear some local poets—and maybe perform some of your own stuff! Details are TBA, but keep up with PitB socials as info rolls in!
And now for the Kids …
Many of the summer events for kids are in two categories: summer reading programs and story times. And first of all, I want to look at the kids’ calendar of events for RCLS because holy guacamole is it jam packed!!
So the first thing to notice is that the RCLS Summer Reading Program began on May 22nd and is going until July 25th, with their theme “Unearth a Story.” All the libraries are participating in different ways, but Linebaugh and Smyrna are especially heavily involved. The kickoff party at Linebaugh is on June 1st, and Smyrna’s is the next day, on June 2nd. If your kids like history, dinosaurs, excavators, archeology, and/or reading, this would be a great way to keep them going through the summer! (My girls and I plan to attend!)
Happy Bookstack is also having a Summer Reading Program, starting on June 1st, where kids can fill out a raffle slip for every book they read each month of the summer, and there will be prizes drawn on Sundays! Check out more info here.
Even the chain stores are getting in on summer reading! Barnes & Noble’s program takes a little forethought; you go get a journal from them, record 8 books you’ve read over the summer, turn in your journal any time in July, and get a free book! Check out more info here.
Now, storytimes. Again, the libraries have A TON, and they’re curated by ages and interests too, so make sure to check the calendar above for that and ask your specific library for details. But in addition to that, places like Books-a-Million, Barnes & Noble, and The Spine have story times for kids too that are often once or twice a week.
In addition, notice that Smyrna and Linebaugh Libraries are free lunch locations. If you or someone you know is struggling with food security this summer, check the calendar to know how kids can get lunch for free.
And finally, if you’re looking for a book-themed playground, check out the Smyrna library (from the banner image above)! There’s a walking path that has a story-on-the-go, and the playground is very Seussian, with a wall that looks like a shelf of books and a climbable stack of books up onto the playground.
And, hey, if you’re still in need of a bookish thing for your kids to do, just email me. We can have a playdate and talk about reading and writing. ;)
I think that will do it! Hopefully this is enough to get your summer started right—with words, creativity, imagination, and maybe even a little bit of quiet time. As always, check out your local library and bookstore to see if there are any events going on that I’ve missed, and if you have anything you’d like to be highlighted in a future blog, shoot me an email at taffetachimewrites@gmail.com. See you in July!
Banner image: Playground at Smyrna Public Library; credit Taffeta Chime
