A big Hello from the Jane B. Holmes Public Library in Helena! Excitement is building toward upcoming programs at the library, as the library staff make preparations for our biggest season…Summer!

The theme for the Summer Reading Program this year is “Adventure Begins At Your Library”. We appreciate the City, County, and State partners who contribute resources, as well as the volunteers and other supporters who pitch in to make our program one of a kind! Look for all kinds of neat events from a magician, a cowboy/cowgirl duo, an appearance from the McWane Science Center, and more!

In addition, the summer features many other programs such as crafts, storytimes, and board game afternoons. Of course, these opportunities are FREE, and there are prizes if you participate. Learning is important over the summer, and you want to keep those skills sharp.

Obtaining or updating your library card is crucial to your future success and happiness! There are some great resources to check out at the public library, and they are provided to you for FREE. As a staff, we want to strongly encourage everyone to visit before June 1 if possible. This makes things much smoother for the library and patrons alike, and we want to make sure you are READY to READ as summer approaches.

We would like to thank the local teenagers who visit the library and provide a good example for younger kids in Helena. In addition to some persistent students and readers from our community, we would like to recognize the Helena Teen Council for volunteering and attending programs. We consider ourselves very fortunate that these patrons frequent our shelves, and that they are polite and courteous.

This includes the National English Honor Society, a group of Helena High School students who volunteer their efforts each year towards a book drive for our public library. These students donate books to benefit the goal of encouraging reading, and we appreciate their efforts. Special thanks to their sponsor, Helena High School English Teacher Lindsey Rigdon, as well as Dr. Michelle Wilson and Mrs. Mallory Swinsick, the Helena High School Librarians.

Please visit the library soon,

Daniel Dearing, library director

May’s Top Book Picks

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS

By Lisa Scottoline | Adult Fiction

A pulse-pounding domestic thriller about family, justice, and the lies that tear us apart.

FUNNY STORY

By Emily Henry | Adult Fiction

A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common. A charming tale of love after loss.

THE BACKYARD HOMESTEAD GUIDE TO GROWING ORGANIC FOOD: A CROP-BY-CROP REFERENCE FOR 62 VEGETABLES, FRUITS, NUTS, AND HERBS

By Tanya Denckla Cobb | Adult Nonfiction

This essential guide to growing a bountiful food garden includes detailed seed-starting, growing, and harvesting information for 62 vegetables, fruits, and herbs, a complete companion-planting guide, and organic pest-control handbook.

HIDDEN TRUTHS

By Elly Swartz | Juvenile

Told from alternating points of view, Hidden Truths is a story of changing friendships, the lies we tell, the secrets we keep, and the healing power of forgiveness.

WHAT’S INSIDE A BIRD’S NEST?

By Rachel Ignotofsky | Juvenile Nonfiction

Find out more about the bird that chirps outside your window, from the moment they hatch, to how they create their homes in this perfectly detailed and soon-to-be springtime favorite read!

ROCKET SHIP, SOLO TRIP

By Chiara Colombi | Easy/Picture

A delightful, rhyming picture book that captures all the excitement and nervousness of life’s big firsts.