Besides being home to famous national parks such as Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Saguaro, Arizona boasts 35 state parks and state historic parks. In our own backyard, we have Slide Rock and Red Rock State Parks. Nearby, you can visit Dead Horse Ranch State Park or Fort Verde State Historic Park. Just up the road in Flagstaff, you can explore local history at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park.
 
To learn more about Arizona’s state parks, join award-winning travel writer Roger Naylor at 10:30 a.m. in the community room at Sedona Public Library on Tuesday, November 5. At this program, Roger will share excerpts and photos from his latest book, “Arizona State Parks: A Guide to Amazing Places in the Grand Canyon State.”  
 
During his presentation, the author will describe the scenic wonders, rich history, and recreational opportunities found in Arizona state parks. He will recommend some of the best hiking, camping, fishing, boating, stargazing, and wildlife watching. His book also features attractions, activities, and popular events near each state park.
 
Ashley M. Biggers, author of “Eco-Travel New Mexico: 86 Natural Destinations, Green Hotels, and Sustainable Adventures,” writes about Roger’s book, “With his been-there-hiked-that approach, Roger Naylor has created a definitive guide to Arizona’s thirty-five state parks and natural areas. He takes us there with evocative prose, inviting us to journey into the backcountry for epic hikes, family-friendly swimming holes, and remarkable natural wonders.”
 
A Cottonwood resident, Roger Naylor is one of Arizona’s premier travel writers. In 2018, he was inducted into the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame. His work appears most weeks in the Arizona Republic. He has also written for The Guardian, USA Today, The Week, Arizona Highways, Go Escape, and dozens of other publications. He is the author of several books, including The Amazing Kolb Brothers of Grand Canyon, Boots and Burgers: An Arizona Handbook for Hungry Hikers, and Arizona Kicks on Route 66. For more information, visit www.rogernaylor.com.
 
Roger Naylor’s speaker program is free and open to the public.  Everyone who attends the event will receive a free day pass for Arizona state parks. The author’s books will be for sale following the program, and he will be available to sign them. If you purchase a copy of “Arizona State Parks,” you will receive a free copy of the Grand Canyon National Park Centennial Magazine.  These magazines are only available at the Grand Canyon or from Roger. 
 
This program is supported by a grant from the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are grateful for the support of Friends of the Sedona Library, the City of Sedona, Yavapai and Coconino Counties, businesses and foundations, and individuals like you. Your tax-deductible donation may be sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336, or can be made online at www.sedonalibrary.org.

Sedona Public Library
Column for October 25, 2019
Written by Cheryl L. Yeatts, Manager of Sedona Public Library in the Village

Sedona Public Library is excited to again bring you Spooktacular, a fun day of Halloween activities on October 31. This year we will follow up with a second day of celebration in honor of Día de los Muertos, concluding with our evening Poetry and Prose program, all on November 1. Come on by for loads of fun!
 
On October 31 we welcome visitors and volunteers to join library staff and dress up as the title or a character from a favorite book or movie. We’ll have a photo booth set up to take snapshots of whoever you are, and for those who haven’t dressed up? We’ll have a selection of hats, wigs, and more for you to wear so you can join the photo fun. As always, we’ll play “Who Am I?” at the end of the day. Remember, your librarians love a good challenge. Can you outsmart them?
 
The day will be full of ongoing activities, including the newly added “Pop Up Readings.” Listen to librarians, other staff, and volunteers read ghost stories or poems throughout the day. Maybe you’d like to sign up to tell one of your spookiest stories? Give us a call and we’ll sign you up.
 
We’re again hosting a jack o’lantern contest, so bring your carved or decorated pumpkin in by 3:30 pm. We’ll also have a themed jigsaw puzzle you can work on, a scavenger hunt that will take you deep into the stacks, and book and altar exhibits, as well as coloring pages and creepy boxes. What are those you ask? You’ll have to come in, insert your hand, and find out. (Be careful!)
 
The day will conclude with refreshments in the Si Birch Community Room from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., when we will play “Who Am I?” and announce jack o’ lantern winners. Can’t wait to see your costume!
 
And that’s not all! Similar fun can be enjoyed on Día de Los Muertos, November 1. We’ll again have a photo booth and to help you adorn yourself as Katarina or a sugar skull, we’ll have a face painter from 1 to 3 p.m. Then we’ll again have coloring pages, a jigsaw puzzle, and another scavenger hunt. In case you couldn’t figure out the Halloween hunt, you’ll get another chance!
 
The day will end with Poetry and Prose, our monthly literary program from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Si Birch Community Room. We’re excited to present a fun lineup of spooky readings, music and refreshments, and special guest and award-winning slam poet The Klute.
 
See you on Halloween and Día de Los Muertos at the Library! For questions or more information, please call us at 928-282-7714.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Please support your library at www.sedonalibrary.org.

Sedona Public Library
Column for October 18, 2019
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director

Remember Humpty Dumpty and his great fall? Well, that poor old egg gets back up again in Sedona Library’s new StoryWalk® selection “After the Fall,” a 2017 picture book by Caldecott medalist Dan Santat. The tale begins at the Sunset Park playground and provides a 15-minute outdoor reading adventure for all ages. 
 
What is StoryWalk? Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, created and trademarked StoryWalk in 2007, and, as she describes, “The idea was quite simple—take the pages from a children’s picture book, attach each one to a stake, and line them up along a path for folks to read and enjoy.” From a wonderfully simple beginning, the StoryWalk idea has been adapted by many, and projects can be found in all 50 states and in at least 12 countries.
 
In 2017, Sedona Public Library director Virginia Volkman came across a StoryWalk installation in her travels and brought the idea back to our library’s youth services staff.  We immediately developed a pilot project to see if StoryWalk was a fit for our community.
 
Story pages of “If You Plant a Seed,” by Kadir Nelson, were laminated and assembled with the help of five teen volunteers, and, with permission and support from the City of Sedona, Sunset Park perimeter fence became the temporary test site. After a summer of stories along the fence and 227 participants tracked in one month, survey results indicated that a permanent StoryWalk installation would be well received.
 
Library development director Anne Marie Mackler pursued funding for the project. Thanks to the Arizona Community Foundation, the City of Sedona Public Works Department, the Langston Family Foundation, and individual donors, we were ready to work on our dream of creating a permanent, outdoor, literacy skill-building activity for young families.  
 
After researching various vendors and comparing products that would best suit our climate, trail location, and target audience, and, after picking the brains of StoryWalk veterans, we made our decision.  Aluminum frames with removable, UV-resistant, acrylic sheets and matching aluminum posts were purchased in October 2018 and installed along the paved walking path that joins Shelby Road to Sunset Park.
 
Now every three months, a new children’s book is featured on the trail, and youth services assistant Meghan meticulously prepares every page. The first step is choosing an appropriate book and purchasing two copies to be disassembled. We develop activity prompts and tips in English and Spanish, which are then incorporated into the design of 18 color posters.  After these posters are printed, they are laminated for protection, trimmed, and finally inserted into our display signs.
 
StoryWalk selections are books that you will want to read again and again.  A local father says, “My 3-year-old and I do StoryWalk at least once a week. It has become this cool thing that we love to do together.”
 
The new story is up, and the weather is perfect for your StoryWalk experience!  Stop by Sunset Park today and find out what happens to Humpty Dumpty, after the fall.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are grateful for the support of Friends of the Sedona Library, the City of Sedona, Yavapai and Coconino Counties, businesses and foundations, and individuals like you. Your tax-deductible donation may be sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336 or can be made online at www.sedonalibrary.org.

​Sedona Public Library
Column for October 11, 2019
Written by Karen Mack, Youth Services Librarian

Local writers are invited to attend Indie Author Day at Sedona Public Library on Saturday, October 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Si Birch Community Room. Indie Author Day is a day when libraries around the country welcome their local indie authors for educational workshops, networking, and mingling.
 
All writers are welcome to participate in Indie Author Day, including self-published and traditionally published authors, as well as aspiring authors who have never been published.  The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin with a short meet and greet at 1 p.m., followed by presentations that will give writers the opportunity to learn from other locals who are knowledgeable about different aspects of indie publishing.
 
The Library’s Indie Author Day program includes these presentations:
 
1:15 p.m.--Turning Real Life into Fiction by Robert Louis DeMayo. The presenter is the author of six books that have won eight national awards. His latest, "The Sirens of Oak Creek," is a historical mystery spanning 12 centuries. During his presentation, DeMayo will discuss his journey into self-publishing, how his travels have influenced his writing, his process and journey into self-publishing, and what he’s learned along the way. 
 
2:15 p.m.— There’s More to Publishing than Just Writing a Book by Kim Boykin. Author of four novels (including "The Wisdom of Hair" and "Echoes of Mercy") and six novellas, Boykin has published with Penguin and small presses, and has self-published. She will discuss the ins and outs of the publishing world and the importance of finding and embracing your own process.
 
3:15 p.m.— Critical Tools for Marketing Your Book by Diana Phelps. Your success and sales as an author depend on mastering the right marketing tools to help promote your book. Phelps will start with a discussion of PR and events and then concentrate on websites and important social media tools. She is a Sedona resident who spent over 30 years in corporate and academic marketing before self-publishing several books, including "The Author’s Concise Guide to Marketing: How to Jumpstart Sales of Your Self-Published Book." 
 
Indie Author Day is your chance as part of the Verde Valley indie writing community to build connections with other writers and learn more about independent publishing. Please share this information with your author friends. We hope to see you there! Happy writing!
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization. We are grateful for the support of Friends of the Sedona Library, the City of Sedona, Yavapai and Coconino Counties, businesses and foundations, and individuals like you. Your tax-deductible donation may be sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336 or can be made online at www.sedonalibrary.org.
 
The Library is located at 3250 White Bear Road in West Sedona. For more information call 928-282-7714 or visit sedonalibrary.org.

Sedona Public Library
Column for October 4, 2019
Written by Judy Poe, Assistant Library Director