Coming Up In June @ PFPL
June 2025
In this Issue
Summer Reading Kick-off
Plant Swap: Garden Edition!
Lunch & Learn: Identity Theft
Beaded Suncatcher Craft
Upcoming Events For Children
Upcoming Events For Teens
Ongoing Events For Adults
Cindy's Recipe Corner
Staff Picks

This month's Board of Trustees meeting will take place on Thursday, June 5 at 7:00pm!

Summer Reading Kick-off
Saturday, June 21, 10:00am - 12:00pm
 
Join us for a colorful start to summer reading! Enjoy a live magic show for the family. Stay for face painting, Rita's Ice, crafts and games. Sign up for our 'Color Our World' summer reading program that day and be entered for a chance to win our door prize: A family membership to Walter's Park Pool and other fun prizes!
All ages welcome! Free for all!
 
 
Plant Swap: Garden Edition!
Tuesday, June 10, 6:30pm
 
Got a zillion zucchini? A ton of tomatoes? A bounty of basil?
 
Join us for an evening of conversation, light refreshments, and of course - plants! Bring your extra vegetable and herb seedlings to swap with fellow gardeners! 

Call the library to sign up, or register online!
 
Lunch & Learn: Identity Theft
Thursday, June 12, 11:00am
 
Join Franni Monari of First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union to learn how to guard yourself against a potential identify theft what steps to take if your identity is stolen. Lunch will be served. Registration is required

Call the library to sign up, or register online!
 
 
Beaded Suncatcher Craft
Tuesday, June 24, 6:00pm
 
Turn a wooden embroidery hoop and some chicken wire into a unique and colorful suncatcher! All necessary materials will be provided, but participants may also bring their own beads if they wish. Registration is required

Call the library to sign up, or register online!
 
 
Upcoming Events For Children
Our summer reading program starts this month - be sure to join us for our kick-off program on Saturday, June 21, 10:00am - 12:00pm!
 
Storytime with St. Luke's Pediatric Therapy
Thursday, June 12, 10:00am
 
Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Physical Therapists from Pediatric Therapy at St. Luke's will present an interactive, colorful story time filled with fun activities for children followed by an opportunity to chat with the professionals about developmental norms and the services provided at the Hillcrest office. There will be fun prizes and valuable information 
for all!
Little Movers
Mondays, June 23 & 30, 10:00am
For ages 6-24 months
 
An active program of rhymes, music, play, and stories for babies and their adult caregivers.
 
 
Color Our World Adventure:
Paint and Play
Wednesday, June 25, 3:00pm - 5:00pm
For ages 3-12
 
Drop in and get creative! Each week we'll dive into a new art technique-from painting and collage, to sculpture and edible art. Come anytime during the session and explore, experiment, and make your very own masterpiece. All materials provided .No registration required-just bring your imagination!
 
This week, explore different painting techniques-bubble wrap prints, marble painting, straw blowing paint, finger paint, and 
resist art.
 
 
Preschool Storytime
Thursdays, June 26, 10:00am
For ages 2 - 5
 
Our Storytime programs are filled with stories, flannel boards, songs, and fun!
 
 
Upcoming Events For Teens
Pride Create Teen Night
Thursday, June 5, 4:00pm
 
A safe and inclusive environment where teens can come to explore identities, find their voices, and celebrate their uniqueness through art, poetry, and community. For ages 12-18. Food provided. No registration required!
 
Magic: The Gathering
Monday, June 9, 3:30pm
 
Learn, trade, and play the hit trading card game at Phillipsburg Free Public Library. Registration recommended but not required.
Players from 6th to 12th grade, of all skill levels are welcome to attend! Register online at https://forms.gle/cUVZh8DgXkjaDWQP8
 
Bad Art & Pizza
Thursday, June 26, 4:30pm

Ready to unleash your wildest creative disasters while munching on pizza? This one’s for all teens from 6th to 12th grade. Sign up online or swing by the teen spot!
 
Register online at: https://forms.gle/dJHQRg2FSVEvvxm38
 
 
Ongoing Events For Adults
Dungeons & Dragons
Monday, June 2 & 16, 5:00pm

Adults - join us for an exciting 2nd Edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign set in the enchanting world of the Forgotten Realms! Whether you’re a seasoned adventurer or a curious newcomer, this is the perfect opportunity to dive into a rich storytelling experience where roleplaying takes center stage over mere dice rolls. Space is limited.
 
Registration is required. Call the library for more information, or register online!
 
 
PFPL Writers Group
Monday, June 2 & 16, 7:00pm
 
Do you have a story to tell? Join the PFPL Writers Group! We welcome all levels of writers from beginner to published professionals. We'll discuss fiction, poetry, nonfiction (including memoir), and more. Bring your ideas, a notebook, and your magic pen! This event will be held on Zoom. Call the library for more information, or register online!
 
 
 
Classic Book Club
 Wednesday, June 11, 7:00pm

“Classic” books are classic for a reason – their literary excellence transcends passing fads, and they continue to engage readers generation after generation. If there are classics you have always meant to read “someday,” or if you read them in school before you were ready to appreciate them, now is the time to enjoy them with other adult readers. This month we're reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Call the library for more information, or register online. See the Classic Book Club webpage for more information!
Game Night/Game Day
Thursday, June 12, 1:30pm
Tuesday, June 17, 5:30 pm
 
Join us for some lively game sessions where people bring their favorite games to share! Some games will also be provided for your enjoyment. This month, the featured game will be The Game of Life. If you have your own copy of Life, please feel free to bring it in to share. You are also welcome to bring any game of your choosing or select from our library-provided games. It's a fun and friendly day where new friendships are formed and old friendships are rekindled over shared games, quests, and friendly competition. 
 
Registration is strongly recommended!
Call the library for more information, or register online!
 
 
 
Stitch & Sip Yarn Group
Friday, June 13 & 27, 10:00am
 
Calling all knitters, crocheters, and other fiber artists! Join us on the second and fourth Friday of each month - Bring your latest WIP, and help yourself to a cup of tea provided by us! Call the library for more information, or register online!
 
 
Flirty Fiction Book Club:
Mistakes Were Made
Saturday, June 14, 10:00am
 
Phillipsburg Free Public Library’s Flirty Fiction Book Club will be reading a wide variety of romance novels — ranging from second chance to romantasy to thrillers and more. If you’ve been looking for a place to discuss the many aspects of romance with other readers, this is the book club for you! We meet every second Saturday of the month from 10am-11am. This month's selected is Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner.
 
Call the library for more information, or register online!
See the Flirty Fiction Book Club webpage for details!
 
 
EveryDay Art
Wednesday, June 25, 6:30pm
 
EveryDay Art workshops focus on mindfulness, intention, preparing a work of art with purpose; maybe to give to someone as a gift for outstanding service or just because we care or love the other person. We also can keep the artwork for ourselves! Each month usually has a topic or theme, and it is always a surprise! 
**Please Note** Bring your own coloring pencils or markers-some will be available.

Call the library for more information, or register online!
 
Happy Bookers Discussion Group: 
The Red Hotel
Wednesday, June 25, 7:00pm
 
In The Red Hotel, Alan Philps explores the untold history of Moscow's Metropol Hotel--a fervent spot of intrigue, secrets, and the center of Stalin's nefarious propaganda during WWII.

Multiple copies of the book are available for reserve. See
the Happy Bookers webpage for more information, and register online!
 
 
Adult Lego Club
Thursday, June 26, 6:30pm
 
Join us on our building adventures as we explore the world through the library and Legos. This is an adult Lego program, for 18 years and up.
 
Registration is strongly recommended! Call the library for more information, or register online!
 
 

Cindy's Recipe Corner
Lemon Berry Shortcake
I had a request for a recipe using berries and who doesn’t want a fancy-looking cake that starts with a cake mix. This cake is a light dessert, perfect for warmer weather since it’s served chilled.  If you don’t want to use lemon cake, other flavors would work well. Be adventurous. If you really want to mix things up, swap the strawberry jam and sliced strawberries for raspberry. Want more lemon flavor? Zest an additional lemon and stir that into the whipped topping before spreading it on the cake. I like recipes that allow for modifications so you can make something you will enjoy. This cake does just that.
Visit https://www.pburglib.org/cindys-recipe-corner/ to view the recipe!

Staff Picks
Mary Jane: A Novel
by Jessica Anya Blau

Taking a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor, straight-laced Mary Jane is introduced to a world of sex, drugs, and
rock-and-roll, which helps her figure out what she really wants out
of life, and what kind of person she's going to be. Selected by Carly, Library Assistant
How to Love: A Guide to Feelings & Relationships for Everyone
by Alex Norris

A popular web comic artist presents this humorous, honest handbook, inclusive of all genders and sexualities, that offers valuable insights on everything from first love to self-love and love ever after. Selected by Alyssa, Library Assistant
First-Time Caller
by B. K. Borison

Secretly disillusioned with love, romance radio host Aiden Valentine goes viral after giving dating advice to a young girl's mom, Lucie Stone, forcing them both to confront their feelings as sparks fly behind the scenes. Selected by Norah, Library Assistant
A Marvellous Light
by Freya Marske

Robin Blyth is accidentally named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society and is forced to contend with the beauty and danger operating beneath normal reality while uncovering what happened to his predecessor. Selected by Elana, Library Associate
Heartwood: A Novel
by Amity Gaige

In the heart of the Maine woods, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker goes missing. She is forty-two-year-old Valerie Gillis, who has vanished 200 miles from her final destination. Alone in the wilderness, Valerie pours her thoughts into fractured, poetic letters to her mother as she battles the elements and struggles to keep hoping. At the heart of the investigation is Beverly, the determined Maine State Game Warden tasked with finding Valerie, who leads the search on the ground. Meanwhile, Lena, a seventy-six-year-old birdwatcher in a Connecticut retirement community, becomes an unexpected armchair detective. Roving between these compelling narratives, a puzzle emerges, intensifying the frantic search, as Valerie's disappearance may not be accidental. Selected by Lori, Supervising Library Assistant
The Wartime Book Club
by Kate Thompson

Ordered by the Nazis to destroy books that threaten the new regime, Grace, the Isle of Jersey's only librarian, instead forms the Wartime Book Club, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading, but when tensions turn to violence, she is forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance. Selected by Kim, Senior Library Assistant
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
by Bessel A. Van der Kolk

A forefront expert on traumatic stress outlines his own take on healing, explaining how traumatic stress affects brain processes and how to use innovative treatments to reactivate the mind's abilities to trust, engage others and experience pleasure. Selected by Vic, Library Assistant
This Changes Everything: A Surprisingly Funny Story About Race, Cancer, Faith, and Other Things We Don't Talk About
by Tyler Merritt

Blends humor and reflection as the author recounts his journey through cancer diagnosis and treatment, exploring how the proximity of death reshaped his understanding of life, mortality and time. Selected by Cindy, Senior Library Assistant
Tilt: A Novel
by Emma Pattee

Nine months pregnant and stranded in a chaotic, earthquake-ravaged Portland, Annie journeys home on foot, navigating human desperation and kindness while reflecting on her struggling marriage, stalled career and hopes for a fresh start with her baby. Selected by Shannon,
Library Associate
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HOURS  
Monday - Thursday: 9:30am – 8:00pm
Friday: 9:30am – 5:00pm
Saturday: 9:30am – 1:00pm
 
Phillipsburg Free Public Library
200 Broubalow Way
Phillipsburg, New Jersey 08865
908-454-3712
http://www.pburglib.org/