The next Friends of the Library bag book sale is coming up. On Thursday, Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., you can fill a bag for $7 (bags provided at the door). Choose from books for all ages, DVDs, music CDs, magazines and puzzles. Gift baskets are also available for sale, sold separately. Only cash or check is accepted.

The Friends have their book sale dates for the upcoming year. Mark your calendars.

• Monday, March 23, 9 a.m. to noon (Friends members only)

• Tuesday, March 24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Wednesday, March 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Thursday, March 26, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Thursday, June 11, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Thursday, Aug. 13, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Monday, Oct. 19, 9 a.m. to noon (Friends members only)

• Tuesday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Wednesday, Oct. 21, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Thursday, Oct. 22, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• December 2026, TBD (1-day sale)

The book sale is located in the book sale room (lower level of the library), which is handicap accessible. Access is available from the main entrance of the library via steps or

lower-level parking (no steps.) We are located at 498 Jefferson St., Mifflintown. Directions to the library can be found on our website. Call us at (717) 436-6378 if you have any questions.

Can’t make the book sale that week? Stop in every Monday morning (9 a.m. to noon) for the Book Cellar. Each item is individually priced as follows: $2 for hardbacks, $1 for soft covers, $1 for CDs, music, DVDs, audio books, craft magazines, 25¢ for other magazines and $5 for postcards.

As always, please spread the word to friends and relatives about the Friends of the Library, who provide wonderful support to our great library.

Book donations to the library

The Friends book sale consists of your generous donations of books, movies and more. We accept book donations during the library’s regular business hours. We accept gently used books, DVDs and music CDs. We do not accept faded/yellow/red/battered/moldy books, textbooks, encyclopedias, VHS tapes or magazines.

Once donated, the books become the library’s property and are evaluated in the same manner as purchased materials. Materials that are useful to the library collection are retained, and other materials are placed in the book sale or disposed of in whatever manner the library deems best. The donor is not notified of the book’s final disposition. The library cannot guarantee that donated items will be added to the collection.

Book of the week!

If you are going to read one book, give this one a try…

My Dog Smudge by Sujean Rim

(New kids picture book: dogs and animals, sounds, friendship) – 24 pages for ages 4-8.

In a nutshell: Rim’s sunny lift-the-flap book winsomely attempts a translation of a dog’s bark.

“Most dogs bark,” a simple first-person narration opens, “My dog Smudge does not.” Heading to a barnyard, a protagonist queries its residents with the repeated question, “Excuse me, do you know what my dog is saying?” From pig to cow and beyond, each animal redirects to another. “BLIIZIZP” the white-and-black pup vocalizes; “Neighhhhhh, that’s not Horse. However, I detect a tad bit of buzz,” replies a friendly-looking equine figure. After Owl, too, confesses ignorance, the child cheerfully abandons their efforts, leaving the dog to close out the story with a final, more easily decipherable sound. Set against white pages, spare visuals have a casual, sketch-like quality, incorporating loose scribbles and thick, smudgy coloring. The naive vibe pairs ideally with the book’s simple plotting, resulting in a warmly playful story about two loved ones reaching an understanding.

Bottom line: A sweet, heartwarming tale that celebrates the universal language of friendship and understanding.

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Vince Giordano has been the librarian and director of the Juniata County Library since 2015.