Library Lines: Free Comic Book Days returning to Contra Costa branches

Celebrate Free Comic Book Days this year from May 6 through May 11 in the Contra Costa County Library system. Visit your local library to pick up free comics and fun take-home activities. Stay a while and enjoy in-person activities as well as register for other workshops and events.

Celebrating heritage: May is a month filled with cultural richness as the library celebrates the heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and of Jewish Americans. Throughout the month, you can enjoy activities and resources that explore these cultures.

Find booklists with captivating stories that celebrate the narratives, traditions and experiences of AAPI and Jewish American communities. From heartfelt memoirs to gripping historical fiction, these curated booklists promise a journey of discovery and enlightenment.

Use your library card and the libraries’ Discover & Go program to enjoy free passes to places like San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum and Contemporary Jewish Museum.

Washington Post: Coming in mid-May, library patrons will get access to the Washington Post, with online access to expert reporting and analysis from Washington and around the world, including award-winning investigative coverage and editorial commentary.

Also included will be a searchable 15-year backfile, recipes and crossword puzzles.

Flipster: Get access to dozens of free digital magazines on Flipster, including titles that are only available on this platform like People, Time and Consumer Reports. New to the service are more children’s magazines, including several titles from Cricket Media that contain stories and poems for all ages and levels.

Visit ccclib.org to sign up for a library card and get connected to books and resources. For questions about Contra Costa library services and programming or account information, contact the library system via online chat, email ask@library.cccounty.us or text questions to 925-290-7627.

Brooke Converse is the Contra Costa County Library system’s public information officer and can be reached at brooke.converse@library.cccounty.us.

Libraries events calendar

Smokey Bear Reading Challenge: Now through May 17. Help Smokey celebrate his 80th birthday by learning how to prevent wildfires and help the environment. To participate, read three books on wildfire prevention or the environment.

Track your progress on Beanstack to earn four activity badges and complete the challenge. Badges are earned by completing at least one activity in each section. Earn your first badge by taking Smokey’s Pledge. You can select books from Smokey Bear reading lists created by librarians or choose your own.

Bilingual Learning and Children: 4 p.m. May 1 via Zoom. In this virtual discussion, panelists discuss the benefits of bilingual learning, common questions and concerns and how families can encourage and support their children learning to speak, read and write in multiple languages.

Registration is required. Closed captioning will be provided for this program.

Magician Perry Yan: 3 p.m. May 8 in the Martinez Library. Experience one of the Bay Area’s top kids’ magicians in action. His show features astonishing magic, laugh-out-loud comedy and storytelling. Kids and adults will be entertained so bring the whole family.

Comic Panel Workshop with Jen de Oliveira: 5 p.m. May 9 in the San Ramon Library. Celebrate Free Comic Book Days with an exciting drawing workshop with Jen de Oliveira, the author of “Reggie: Kid Penguin.”

Jen will guide patrons through crafting their own four-panel comic strip. All materials will be provided. Registration is required. This event is intended for tweens and teens (ages 11 through 18).

Mother’s Day Plant Swap: 11 a.m. May 11 in the Hercules Library. Looking for a gift for mom or just want to add something new to your garden? Come join the Hercules Library for a Mother’s Day plant swap. Bring cuttings or seeds from your garden to trade with fellow local gardeners.

All varieties of plants are welcomed. Fear not if you don’t have any cuttings or seeds of your own — there will be plenty for you to take to start your garden!

Science Show with Mike Meneghetti: 6:30 p.m. May 14 in the Pleasant Hill Library. Soundwaves, optical illusions, chemical reactions and electricity plus more science fun will be featured for families with elementary school-age children. Join in live experiments that require audience participation and stay for a take-home STEM craft.

Chinese Calligraphy Workshop: 6:30 p.m. May 16 in the Lafayette Library. In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, the county library system is offering an in-person workshop on Chinese Calligraphy.

Join this immersive experience and discover the beauty of strokes, characters and cultural expression. Attendees will take home creations from the event. This is an adults-only program, and registration is required.