May 3–June 1
Event listings: page 8–11
www.deschuteslibrary.org/novelidea
Cindy Baldwin
The story is told from the perspective of three generations of women in a legendary family, and through the omnipotent We of the Hawaiian people, using traditional language and dialogue throughout. Hula [conveys] the history and struggles and profound beauty of Hawaii, and also the infuriating story of American colonialism, the consequences of a stolen land, and utter disregard for the sovereignty of the Hawaiian people.
–Cassie Clemans, Advisory Committee and Roundabout Books owner
This is a spectacular graphic novel that I have been recommending to everyone I know. Set in a modern-day Egypt, this speculative work of fantasy imagines a world in which wishes are commodities. You can have everything you’ve dreamed of—if you can afford it. It is a stunning social commentary that promotes some very intriguing discussions and considerations, but that invites readers of a new kind to A Novel Idea through its beautiful visual [graphic novel] format.
–Paige Ferro, Advisory Committee
Dust Child looks at the impact the war in Vietnam had on the people on both sides. The author does an incredible job of demonstrating that war devastates the people. She doesn’t get into the politics of the war but instead the heartache and pain caused to the people. The story portrays how those who experience tragedy can find peace through love, courage, and wisdom.
–Cynthia Claridge, Advisory Committee
Reang’s debut memoir is a bittersweet story of family, generational trauma, survival, and healing. Fleeing the Khmer Rouge regime during the Cambodian Civil War, Reang’s mother boarded a naval boat with her sickly infant daughter in 1975. Reang details her family’s experience as refugees in Corvallis, Oregon, centering on her relationship with her mother. At its heart, Ma and Me is a raw but touching examination of the ties that bind us together and the strength it takes to accept ourselves and those we love.
A stunning exploration of family, friendship, and mental illness. Ten-yearold Julia and her parents are spending the summer in the Shetland Islands. While her father works on the lighthouse there, her mother is fiercely determined to find a Greenland shark. But when her mother’s funding opportunities fall through, her progressively erratic behavior compels
Julia to set out to find the Greenland shark herself. Full of lyrical prose and atmospheric illustrations, Julia and the Shark is a gorgeous and unforgettable story that starts important conversations about mental health and how sometimes, it’s okay to not be okay.
–Erin Heyl, Community Librarian
–Elsa Hager, Advisory Committee
Turtles of the Midnight Moon follows Abby, a middle schooler from New Jersey who loves photography and nature, and Barana, a girl living in Honduras who is passionate about wildlife conservation. The girls meet when Abby joins her father on a work trip to Pataya, Honduras, his homeland. Abby and Barana combine their passions to help end poaching of leatherback turtles in the area. Fitzgerald transports the reader to Honduras through beautiful prose that switches between each girl’s view. Readers are inspired to use their own passions and skills to create a better world, just as the characters in Turtles of the Midnight Moon
–Meagan Looney, Community Librarian
QUESTION What was your inspiration for Shark Heart?
ANSWER Growing up in Oklahoma, the ocean always felt like a wonder and a novelty. And even though I’ve lived near the coast most of my adult life, I still feel so captivated by its mysteries and magnitude. Writing a shark with human sentience was a way of exploring this ecosystem so near and yet so different from our own. I also think Lewis’s transformation into a great white shark mirrored my seeking when I started writing the book. I was questioning everything I thought I knew for sure. I wondered, what do we do with all the grief in this life? What is the meaning of work and the purpose of art? How do I genuinely embrace change? I still don’t have answers, but writing Shark Heart was how I made friends with the questions and began to see the beauty and freedom in not knowing.
Q Did you ever think the premise would be considered “too weird” for readers?
A Honestly, I didn’t! In hindsight, I think the premise’s singularity allowed me to access some ideas and feelings that I wouldn’t have been able to see so clearly were I writing about a real disease. There are so many mysteries, uncertainties, and absurdities that we must accept to live in the world: things we’ll never know about our bodies, our minds, each other, the depths of the ocean, the universe. I really hope the readers see the animal mutations in the same way. Of all the collective absurdities we must accept in life, what’s so strange about a man becoming a great white shark?
Q Even though it seems fantastical, Lewis’s transformation into a great white shark is believable. How did you make Lewis’s transformation seem real?
A Like the character Lewis, I also have a background in theater, and sometimes when I write, I like to inhabit the character’s inner life, like an actor might. With Lewis, I really tried to imagine and understand what he might be experiencing. So, in bringing the reader to his emotional reality, I hoped that Lewis’s physical reality would become accessible and relatable, too. But more so, I’m beginning to realize that the believability has less to do with my writing and more with humankind’s astounding capacity for love and empathy. The fact that readers are connecting to a fictional man becoming a great white shark is beyond humbling and makes me feel that, for all the doom and gloom in the world, the core of humanity really is loving and good.
Q How did you choose the animals in the book?
A I gravitated toward provocative, predatory animals because they complicate and raise the stakes. (It would be a much different story if Lewis and Angela turned into poodles!) The danger and the drama mixed with circumstantial absurdity made the animal mutations so interesting and creatively satisfying to write.
Q In addition to Lewis and Wren’s relationship, you also explore Wren’s relationship with her mother, Angela. What is the role of intergenerational trauma in the story and how does it influence Wren’s present and future?
A Intergenerational trauma wasn’t something I consciously named while writing this, but I was considering how we are shaped not only by the people in our lives but also by people who lived before our time. I believe our ancestors live within us in both concrete and spiritual ways. Wren would not exist in the way that she does—pragmatic, careful, meticulous, hyper-vigilant—were it not for her childhood, mothering her mother. Wren bravely overcomes hardship and heartbreak multiple times throughout the story; her resiliency and courage is also intergenerationally learned and inherited.
Q What message do you hope readers take from this story?
A I hope Shark Heart is a comfort to readers in some way, the kind of book that makes people feel less alone. I also hope that it connects readers to their own joy and appreciation for the small, good things in life, as so many books have done for me.
Q Describe the role libraries have played in your life.
A When I think of libraries, the things that first come to mind are the two libraries in my hometown, the Ardmore and Chickasaw Public Libraries. As a kid, I read widely, especially in the summer, and I think the resources and freedom offered by those libraries created the foundation for the way I read and write today. In my adulthood, I’ve moved quite a bit, and getting a library card is one of the first things I do when I land in a new city. The Cambridge Public Library, my local library now, is so impressive both in its beautiful physical presence in the community and its virtual one. Browsing Libby on a snowy, cold day is one of my favorite cozy activities.
Read the entire interview at dpl.pub/anovelidea
Like Louise Erdrich’s The Painted Drum, Habeck’s Shark Heart is a novel about life’s perennial questions, the fragility of memories, finding joy amidst grief, and creating a meaningful life.
“Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and being alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You have to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes too near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself that you tasted as many as you could.”
― Louise Erdrich, The Painted Drum
QUESTION When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
ANSWER I have loved books and reading for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are falling asleep to an audio cassette recording of Anne of Green Gables! I loved how books could transport me to anywhere I wanted. When I was in middle school, I got serious about wanting to be a writer as well—I wanted to recreate the magic I’d experienced with my own stories.
Q What sparked you to write the story of Penny and Rose?
A I started drafting No Matter the Distance in April of 2020. I was having terrible writer’s block because of the pandemic, and the book I’d planned to write just wasn’t coming. I finally decided to give it up and jump into drafting a story that combined some of my favorite things: verse, cystic fibrosis representation, and dolphins! I have always wanted to write a book about cystic fibrosis, since there are no other fiction books about CF by authors who share the disease, and I’ve never felt truly represented by any of the (very few) books that exist on the topic. Still, it took me until three books into my career before I felt ready to write about such a deeply personal, and often traumatic, topic! When I started writing No Matter the Distance, there was no connection between CF and dolphins—I just really wanted to write a book about a girl who befriended a dolphin, which has always been my personal lifelong dream. (It was also heavily influenced by my favorite book of all time, A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle.) However, as I researched for the story, I discovered that dolphins are prone to bacterial pneumonia caused by the same rare bacteria that cause recurrent pneumonia in CF patients. This remains the coolest fact I’ve ever encountered in research, and it provided the most beautiful thematic connection between Penny and Rose!
Q Poetry plays a big part in Penny’s journey of self-discovery. What role has poetry played in your life?
A I have loved, and written, poetry since I was a kid. So many people in our culture are intimidated by poetry, but I think that what most people don’t realize is that poetry is often a form with more freedom than prose! (If you don’t believe me, check out the poetry of e.e. cummings.) Poetry became especially important to me when I was a junior in high school and became extremely sick with a long-term viral infection. I spent almost a full year in bed, and had such intense brain fog and cognitive issues that I could barely read or write without becoming exhausted. Poetry—short, spare, and digestible—was much more accessible to me during that time. That period of sickness also really forced me to slow down and pay attention to the world around me in a way I never had before. I started noticing the tiny beautiful things I’d been too busy to see before, and that outward stillness translated into the inner stillness writing poetry requires.
Q What do you hope readers take away from No Matter the Distance?
A Most importantly, I hope that No Matter the Distance helps open a window for healthy readers to understand what it’s like living with cystic fibrosis, and I hope that it helps readers with CF to feel seen and understood. More generally, though, I hope that reading No Matter the Distance can help to show young readers the power of a blank page—that even if, like Penny, they haven’t quite figured out who they want to be yet, they can be the author of their own story and figure out what’s most important to them.
Q The text of No Matter the Distance looks different than most novels. Share your decision to make the book resemble a poem.
A I’ve long loved novels in verse, and always wanted to write one. Not all novels fit the verse format, but Penny’s story felt like it couldn’t be written any other way! I think that verse can be a really effective way to tackle difficult or emotionally overwhelming topics. All that white space on the page can give a sense of emotional space for a reader to take in a hard topic without feeling so overwhelmed by it. Verse also felt like a natural fit for the story of a girl who feels like she hasn’t fully figured herself out—the spare, searching quality verse lends to a story really added to that feeling.
Q What role have libraries played in your life?
A I am a huge library fan! I have had a library card in every city I’ve ever lived in. Growing up my mom rarely bought me books because I read so quickly, so we made regular trips to the library to stock up. As an adult, I utilize my local library system in Hillsboro all the time—usually multiple times a week if you count the digital collection through Libby! I read anywhere from 50 to 150 books a year, and 99% of those come from the library. I also have passed the library love on to my 11-year-old daughter, who feels like going to the library is one of the best errands ever.
Q Anything else you’d like Deschutes County readers to know about you or your book?
A Just like Penny, I had a severe phobia of needles when I was growing up, even though blood draws, vaccines, and IV therapy are a huge part of life with cystic fibrosis. I didn’t fully overcome my fear of needles until I was an adult and learned self-hypnosis when I was pregnant with my daughter!
This is what I know: I could write a thousand poems about Penny Rooney and still never peel back all the layers there are to me.
A small girl, all bones and points— but mighty. Strong. True.
The kind of person who believes in miracles and impossible things, who knows what it feels like to swim beside a creature made of joy.
A friend, a sister, a daughter, defined by all those things— but also just defined by being me.
From “What I know About Penny Rooney” by Cindy Baldwin
1. Why do you think the author chose to give Lewis a fictional condition instead of a real one?
2. Wren and Lewis are quite different from each other and yet, love each other deeply. Have you ever been close to someone who sees the world differently? What are the gifts and challenges of these types of relationships?
3. As Lewis gradually becomes a great white shark, how do his personality changes strain his work and marriage? Beyond the world of the book, how do the ways people naturally change over time challenge or enhance relationships?
4. At Lewis’s “send off,” the partygoers “discovered the same private truth: Lewis and Wren’s situation made them feel better about themselves” (page 136). What do you think this statement says about humanity’s general attitude toward suffering?
5. Lewis realizes that “joy and grief are human birthrights, but mostly, being alive is everything in between” (page 152). Do you agree? Why or why not?
6. At the ocean, Lewis tries to explain his transformation: “It’s like standing in my childhood bedroom.... There are things I cannot unsee” (page 158). What do you think Lewis cannot unsee? What places in your life remind you of how much you’ve grown?
7. George always loves Angela, never wavering in feeling that she was the love of his life, even though they are not together. What do you think about his unrequited love from afar? What is the hardest part about loving someone who is still alive but no longer in your life?
8. Why might Angela have taught Wren to ask herself the question: “What do I need?” What does this question provide Wren? Are there questions like this that you ask yourself? If so, how do they help you?
9. Angela feels like her body has betrayed her. Have you ever felt this way? And conversely, when do you feel that your physical body is a source of strength or protection?
10. How did Angela’s condition prepare Wren to take care of Lewis? Was Wren’s prior caretaking experience ever an impediment during her time with Lewis?
11. In his transformation from man to great white shark, Lewis became much more cynical, which contrasts Margaret C. Finnegan’s unyielding optimism. How do these attitudes reflect the differing ways in which people adapt to change and hardship?
12. Why do you think Lewis and Angela have the same dream about being the stem of a pear? What do you think the dream means in each of their contexts?
13. The author uses a unique writing style, blending prose, poetry, and playwriting. Why do you think she chose these styles? In sections with sparsely written pages, what does the empty space evoke?
14. What do the transformations in Shark Heart say about the connection between humans and animals?
For information to enhance your discussion experience, go to dpl.pub/anovelidea
includes scenes of domestic violence, generational trauma, and grief. There are resources in Central Oregon, including library programs, that support individuals navigating those spaces.
Saving Grace: www.saving-grace.org
Death Café: www.deschuteslibrary.org/calendar KIDS Center: www.kidscenter.org
is told from the point of view of Penny Rooney who has cystic fibrosis. For more information about how you can support cystic fibrosis research, visit: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: www.cff.org
1. At the beginning of the book, Penny’s teacher assigns them to write a poem about “What I Know About Myself.” Penny feels like she knows others in her life, such as her family and friends, better than she knows herself. What you do you feel you know about yourself? What do you think your family and friends would say about you?
2. Penny’s best friend, Cricket, has “known forever what she wants”—to work for NASA (page 7). Even the decor in their bedrooms (described on pages 154–155) shows their differences. Compare and contrast the characters of Penny and Cricket. How are they similar? How are they different? Do you think that they are good friends because of, or in spite of, their differences?
3. After Penny and Liana see the dolphin in the creek, Penny tells her Mama what they saw. Mama is skeptical, doubting that a dolphin could really be stranded in the creek behind their house (pages 28–29). After Mama’s reaction, Penny is nervous to bring the dolphin up again, worrying her family won’t believe her. Have you ever had an experience that was hard to explain to others, or that others found hard to believe?
4. Because the story is grounded in Penny’s point of view, we only get her perspective on the conversation detailed in “Telling Mama” (pages 28–29). How do you think Liana or Mama might tell their perspective on what happened? Does exploring alternate points of view make you think Penny was right, or wrong, to be worried to say anything else about the dolphin to her family members?
5. Penny’s feelings about having cystic fibrosis are complicated. Sometimes, it seems like no big deal, while other times, it’s really hard and she wishes she could be “normal.” How do you think Penny’s life might be different if she didn’t have CF? Are there any positive things that come into her life during the book as a result of CF?
6. Cindy Baldwin, the author of No Matter the Distance, has cystic fibrosis. How do you think this affects the way she tells Penny’s story? Do you think it makes a difference when an author shares an identity with the characters they write? Do you think authors need firsthand experience to write stories, or not?
7. Throughout the story, Penny talks about how she is often told that she is “lucky” because her cystic fibrosis is less severe than some patients. Explore how the theme of “luckiness” changes throughout the story (check out pages 44–46, 97–107, 219–224, 294, 343–344, and 350–351). Ultimately, do you think Penny is lucky? If you were Penny’s parents or her doctor, how would you think she should feel?
8. Many of the poems in No Matter the Distance use different formatting styles, line lengths, and arrangement of lines on the page. Why do you think the author chose to change the styles and shapes of the poems throughout the book? What do you think having different styles of poetry throughout the story conveys about the story, or about Penny herself? What are some of your favorite poem layouts?
9. Can you find examples of figurative language, such as simile and metaphor, in No Matter the Distance? What role do you think figurative language plays in building up Penny’s voice?
10. Penny has a special bond with Rose, the lost dolphin. Why do you think Penny feels more connected to Rose than the rest of her family? How do you think her friendship with Rose helps Penny to process the difficult turns her CF takes during the course of the book? How do you think that friendships with animals can help real kids get through tough times in their lives? www.cindybaldwinbooks.com/class-resources/no-matter-the-distance
n No Matter the Distance, Penny receives an assignment to write a poem on the topic of “What I Know About Myself.” Cindy has created a writing activity that helps students explore their own identity and build that understanding into a poem like Penny’s. You can find the activity in the downloadable PDF (link above).
Examples can be found on pages 350–351 of No Matter the Distance, as well as in the Google doc on Cindy’s website. If you use this activity, Cindy would love to see what you come up with! Feel free to contact her by email or tag her on Instagram (@cindybaldwinbooks) or Twitter (@beingcindy).
Visit dpl.pub/anovelidea to learn more about these programs. Programs with an * require registration.
Celebrate the kick-off of A Novel Idea 2024 with live music and, for those over 21, a pint of A Novel Idea beer, hand-crafted by Kobold Brewing. Music on May 3 by Erin Cole-Baker, and on May 4 by Matthew Gwinup.
Friday, May 3 • 5:00 p.m.
The Lair
1043 NW Bond St., Bend
Saturday, May 4 • 2:00 p.m.
The Vault
245 SW 6th St., Redmond
Shark Heart Book Discussions
Delve deeper into Shark Heart by discussing the book with friends and neighbors.
Monday, April 15 • 6:00 p.m.
Online Only
www.sunriverbooks.com
Monday, April 22 • 4:30 p.m.
Sunriver Books & Music
57100 Beaver Dr., Sunriver
Thursday, May 2 • 1:00 p.m.
Becky Johnson Community Center
412 SW 8th St., Redmond
Saturday, May 11 • 11:00 a.m.
East Bend Library
Tuesday, May 21 • 1:30 p.m.
La Pine Library
Wednesday, May 22 • 5:30 p.m.
Online Only
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89721787327
Friday, May 24 • noon
Downtown Bend Library
Exhibit Sneak Peek—Read/Create: A Novel Idea 2024
Get a sneak peek of the exhibit highlighting this year’s A Novel Idea. See the literary-inspired quilts that have become a beloved part of the A Novel Idea experience.
Friday, May 3 • 4–6:00 p.m.
Deschutes County Historical Museum
129 NW Idaho Ave., Bend
Read/Create: A Novel Idea 2024 Exhibit
See this year’s A Novel Idea exhibit, curated by our friends at Deschutes County Historical Museum. Show your library card throughout the month of May for free admission.
Saturday, May 4 • 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Deschutes County Historical Museum
129 NW Idaho Ave., Bend
Bird Watching*
In Shark Heart, Wren’s mother, Angela, loved to birdwatch. Learn to identify birds by sight, sound, and habitat preferences with Damian Fagan, a former National Park Service ranger and field biologist. Be prepared to walk up to two miles on uneven terrain. Registration required.
Sunday, May 5 • 7:30 a.m.
La Pine State Park
Wednesday, May 8 at 7:30 a.m.
Hatfield Ponds
Mother’s Day Card Making*
Shark Heart is a story of love and connection— between husband and wife, friends and family, and mother and daughter. Learn the art of iris folding with Kristin Darnell to create a card for someone special in your life. Registration required.
Sunday, May 5 • 10:30 a.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Thursday, May 9 • 6:00 p.m.
Becky Johnson Community Center
412 SW 8th St, Redmond
Reader’s Theatre: Thornton Wilder’s Our Town (Parts I and II)
Before Lewis’ transformation, he is an enthusiastic high school drama teacher directing his students in Thorton Wilder’s play Our Town. We’ll take on characters from the play and read the script together, walking the streets of the small 1930s American town, Grover’s Corners. Beginners welcome in this low-stress theatre environment led by Glo Hegidio.
Part I: Sunday, May 5 • 2:00 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Part II: Wednesday, May 8 at 6:00 p.m.
East Bend Library
Diving the Deschutes
In Shark Heart, as Lewis transforms into a great white shark, his wife, Wren, decides to learn to scuba dive. Discover the local impact scuba diving has on the community with Jonathan Ingram from Central Oregon Dive.
Tuesday, May 7 • 6:00 p.m.
East Bend Library
Sew Felt Sea Creatures 18–25 YRS
Learn basic sewing skills and create a shark or dolphin of your very own. Program intended for young adults ages 18–25.
Wednesday, May 8 • 3:00 p.m.
East Bend Library
Friday, May 24 • 4:30 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Friday, May 31 • 4:00 p.m.
La Pine Library
Learn new techniques in Paint a Watercolor Shark
Eggshell Garden Starts
Angela, Wren’s mother in Shark Heart, could grow a garden from an eggshell. Learn this skill with Denise Rowcroft from The Environmental Center. Materials provided on a first come, first serve basis (participants may bring their own eggshells/ carton if desired).
Wednesday, May 8 • 6:30 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Paint a Watercolor Shark 18–25 YRS
Explore basic watercolor techniques, then use your new skills to create your shark masterpiece. Program intended for young adults ages 18–25.
Friday, May 10 • 4:30 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Mystic Vibrosis: A Guide to Living Indubiously ALL AGES
Cystic fibrosis (CF) plays a focal role in the life of Penny Rooney in No Matter the Distance. Learn how CF affected real-life brothers and musicians Spencer and Evan Burton through the story of their band Indubious. Indubious began their career in Oregon, and Evan currently resides in Bend as a professional musician.
Friday, May 10 • 6:00 p.m.
High Desert Music Hall
818 SW Forest Ave., Redmond
Healthy Eating at Arome* ALL AGES
No Matter the Distance tells the story of Penny Rooney, who has cystic fibrosis (CF). Good diet and nutrition habits help people with CF control symptoms common to the disease. Check out some healthy recipes using quality protein, produce, spices, and oils. Registration is required.
Wednesday, May 15 • 5:30 p.m.
432 SW 6th St., Redmond
Roundabouts Improv Comedy Show
Diving the Deschutes with Jonathan Ingram
Lewis is an aspiring actor and playwright turned Shark Heart. He shares his love of theater with his wife, Wren, including improvisation—“Yes, AND?” Experience the art and the humor of improv with The Roundabouts.
Wednesday, May 15 • 7:30 p.m.
High Desert Music Hall
818 SW Forest Ave., Redmond
Wednesday, May 29 • 7:30 p.m.
The Webfoot Garage at Silver Moon Brewing 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend
Sushi-Making Workshop*
Feeding her husband seafood as he transforms into a great white shark proves difficult for Wren, the protagonist of Shark Heart. In this workshop, participants explore a more refined way of consuming fish: the art of rolling sushi. Registration required.
Sunday, May 19 • 11:00 a.m.
East Bend Library
The Art of Falconry: Ancient Sport in a Modern World ALL AGES
In Shark Heart, human-to-animal mutations are a very real fate; Wren forms an unusual friendship with a woman pregnant with falcons. Local falconer Hank Minor and his hawk, Molly, demonstrate how raptors and people can form partnerships in our world.
Sunday, May 19 • 3:00 p.m.
Sisters Firehouse Community Hall
301 S Elm St., Sisters
Roundabouts Improv Comedy Show with a true cast of characters
Screen Mystic Vibrosis: A Guide to Living Indubiously MAY 10
MAY 19 & 23
MAY 28 & 29
Shark Heart in Real Life: The Science of Studying Sharks with Dr. Alexandra McInturf
MAY 22 & 24
Create a Customized Gratitude Journel with Kristin Darnell
Curious how to approach Shark Heart and the plot device of humans transforming into animals? Learn more about the literary genre of magical realism, the unique style of storytelling that blends realistic settings and characters with elements of fantasy and myth.
Sunday, May 19 • 3:00 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Thursday, May 23 • 6:00 p.m.
Becky Johnson Community Center
412 SW 8th St., Redmond
Shark Heart author Emily Habeck leads this workshop designed to spark your imagination. This workshop is a fundraising event for the Deschutes Public Library Foundation. Tickets are required and are available beginning May 6 at www.dplfoundation.org.
Saturday, June 1 • 10:00 a.m.
Downtown Bend Library
A Novel Idea Author Emily Habeck
Join us for this capstone event, as Emily Habeck takes the stage to discuss her book, her writing process, and more. Free tickets are required and are available online (www.dplfoundation.org) starting May 13. Limit two tickets per person.
Saturday, June 1 • 6:00 p.m.
Caldera High School 60925 SE 15th St., Bend
Create a Customized Gratitude Journal*
Shark Heart is a story about finding joy amidst grief. Practicing gratitude can have a positive impact on feelings of well-being. Using beautiful papers, stamps, and inks, you’ll design and assemble your gratitude journal with Kristin Darnell. Registration required.
Wednesday, May 22 • 6:00 p.m.
East Bend Library
Friday, May 24 • 11:00 a.m.
DRRH Neighbors’ Clubhouse
17200 Milky Way Rd., Bend
Shark Heart in Real Life: The Science of Studying Sharks
Sharks play a critical role in maintaining vibrant ecosystems yet face global population declines. Learn about key characteristics of sharks and current research at OSU’s Big Fish Lab with research associate Dr. Alexandra McInturf, cocoordinator of the Irish Basking Shark Group.
Tuesday, May 28 • 6:00 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Wednesday, May 29 • noon
Sisters Library
Gelli Plate Print-Making Workshop with Anastasia
MAY 18
“What I Know About Myself” Collage 6–11 YRS
Create a collage inspired by the poem from No Matter the Distance. Familiarity with the book is not required. If you have or work with a child or adult that is neurodivergent and attending in-person programming is difficult or uncomfortable, please reach out to Erin at erinh@deschuteslibrary.org to request a takehome kit with instructions and materials.
Wednesday, May 1 • 3:00 p.m.
Sisters Library
Monday, May 13 • 2:45 p.m.
Three Rivers School 56900 Enterprise Dr., Sunriver
Tuesday, May 14 • 4:00 p.m.
Redmond Senior Center
325 NW Dogwood Ave., Redmond
Friday, May 17 • 4:00 p.m.
La Pine Library
Thursday, May 30 • 4:00 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Friday, May 31 • 4:00 p.m.
East Bend Library
Gelli Plate Print-Making Workshop* 10+ YRS
Artist Anastasia Zielinski guides students through the process of making gelli plate monotype prints. We’ll use imagery from No Matter the Distance to create unique, multi-layered, experimental, textural art pieces. Registration required. Children 10 and over may attend unaccompanied by a caregiver.
Wednesday, May 8 • 3:40 p.m.
Sisters Library
Tuesday, May 14 • 4:15 p.m.
La Pine Library
Family Kayaking Expedition* 5+ YRS
Just as Penny Rooney, protagonist of No Matter the Distance, embarks on the kayak adventure of a lifetime, families are invited on a Deschutes River excursion with Wanderlust Tours. All children must be accompanied by a caregiver. Registration required (every attendee must reserve a registration slot).
Saturday, May 11 • 9:00 a.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Wednesday, May 15 • 1:30 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Healthy Eating at Arome* ALL AGES No Matter the Distance tells the story of Penny Rooney, who has cystic fibrosis (CF). Good diet and nutrition habits help people with CF control symptoms common to the disease. Check out some healthy recipes using quality protein, produce, spices, and oils. Registration is required.
Wednesday, May 15 • 5:30 p.m.
432 SW 6th St., Redmond
No Matter the Distance Book Discussion
8–14 YRS
Join in with friends and neighbors to discuss No Matter the Distance
Thursday, May 16 • 4:00 p.m.
East Bend Library
The Art of Falconry: Ancient Sport in a Modern World ALL AGES
In Shark Heart, human-to-animal mutations are a very real fate; Wren forms an unusual friendship with a woman pregnant with falcons. Local falconer Hank Minor and his hawk, Molly, demonstrate how raptors and people can form partnerships in our world.
Sunday, May 19 • 3:00 p.m.
Sisters Firehouse Community Hall 301 S Elm St., Sisters
Three-Part Storytelling Workshop with author Cindy Baldwin* 10–14 YRS
Author Cindy Baldwin teaches students how to use the three parts of a story to create strong, exciting stories of their own. Participants put principles into practice by building a story together. Registration required. Children 10 and over may attend unaccompanied by a caregiver.
Saturday, May 18 • 10:00 a.m. ¦ Downtown Bend Library
Struggles Into Superpowers ALL AGES
Author Cindy Baldwin talks about how growing up with cystic fibrosis influenced her author journey, teaching her resilience and the true power of books. She’ll show us how the hardest things in our lives can lead to our strongest superpowers.
Saturday, May 18 • 2:00 p.m. ¦ Downtown Bend Library
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