Summer-time is almost here, and the Maple Ridge Library is gearing up for all kinds of summer fun.

Now is the time to break out the sunscreen, get outside, and bring a good book along with you. And, now that the weather is warm, why not start your own gorgeous garden?

For those who find themselves wishing for a green thumb, grab Get Growing: An Everyday Guide to High Impact, Low Fuss Gardens by Frankie Flowers.

Flowers is a highly regarded Canadian gardener who shares his expertise in a clear and easy-to-read manner, with plenty of helpful instructions and tips and striking photography.

Whether you're looking to grow a vegetable garden or just improve your lawn, this book is a great place to start.

If you're looking to get crafty in the garden this year, pick up Handmade Garden Projects: Step by Step Instructions for Creative Garden Features, Containers, Lighting and More by Lorene Edwards Forkner. This book is bursting with beautiful and creative ways of using everyday materials to infuse your garden with personality and fun.

Along with a whole range of other gardening books, the library carries a number of instructional gardening DVDs.

For example, The Five Secrets of Great Gardening provides easy instructions on garden design, pruning, pest-management, and more.

DVDs give useful visual demonstrations of important techniques and can be wonderful learning tools.

While you're gardening, why not entertain yourself with a good book? Playways are all-in-one audio books that are small enough to fit in your pocket. There are hundreds of titles available, and for a limited time, you can pick up a free battery and set of earphones at the reception desk when you borrow these handy gadgets.

JUNE IS SENIORS MONTH

The library will be celebrating seniors month in June with special events in recognition of the many wonderful contributions that seniors have made to our community.

Everyone is welcome to join in! To kick things off, join us for Strange but True: Stories from Our Past, delivered to you by Val Patenaude, director of the Maple Ridge Museum & Archives. Even if you are a long-time Maple Ridge resident who knows everything about this town, prepare to be amazed by interesting, lesser known and completely true stories about Maple Ridge.

This fascinating event will take place on Wednesday, June 13 at 2 p.m. in the Fraser Room.

And, the Silvertones are back! Come for an entertaining afternoon of beautiful music with the Silvertones choir on June 21 from 2 to 3 p.m. Songs will be sung, poetry will be read, and tea and cookies will be served to honour and celebrate seniors in our community.

Everyone welcome!

ALSO COMING UP THIS SUMMER

Maple Ridge Library is taking a look at estate planning this summer, too.

On June 7 at 2 p.m, expert financial planner Anna McNeil will help you preserve what you have worked so hard to acquire: your wealth.

Organize your future by understanding how to provide for dependents, how to guarantee fair treatment of beneficiaries, how to minimize income taxes and how to ensure that your charitable objectives are achieved with minimal delays.

Registration at the first-floor information desk is appreciated.

Then McNeil is returning July 5 at 7 p.m. to discuss your vacation property.

She'll deliver advice on vacation property topics such as capital gains tax, principle residence exemptions, gifting versus selling, ownership transfer, and joint ownership. Please register at the first-floor information desk.

READING CLUB STARTS SOON

School is almost out, and that means stopping in at the Maple Ridge Library to sign up for Summer Reading Club.

This year's theme, Strange but True" celebrates stories that you have to read to believe.

Kids of all ages can sign up for this free program to receive their very own reading record to kick off their summer of reading, activities, and prizes.

Teen summer reading club will also be starting up, and the prizes this year are better than ever. Sign up and enter for your chance to win a Kobo wireless e-reader, an IPod Shuffle, and more.

Adults can even get in on the action with their own summer reading club.

Come in for a reading record and return weekly to enter our regular prize draws.

Summer reading club also starts a whole season of great programming for all ages.

Pick up our new summer program guide to find out more.

Looking forward to seeing you in the library this summer!

- Sarah Dearman is a librarian at the Maple Ridge Library