Celebrate the opening of the new St. Johns Farmer's Market with a berry-themed storytime evoking all the fun and flavor of summer!  Featured stories include Bruce Degen's rollicking rhyming Jamberry and Blueberries for Sal, the classic favorite by Robert McCloskey.  Afterward, stay with us for an open singalong hour with Mark & Scott.

Do you love to sing old-time and folk favorites?  Join us for an open sing in the DIY spirit--our own voices, with musical support from Mark & Scott.  Funny songs, work songs, kids' songs, and spirituals are all fair game.  We use the tried-and-true Rise Up Singing songbook as our guide--a reference copy is on hand in the store for guests to use.  We will sing each week during the 12-week run of the St. Johns Farmer's Market.

Curated by poet Dan Raphael, the Market Day Poetry Series is a collaboration between St. Johns Booksellers and the Arts Committee of the St. Johns Farmers' Market.

Today's reading includes:

Laura Winter, author of the new bilingual collection of Northwest desert poems, coming here to be alone

Maryrose Larkin. whose work uses various formats, from calendar to alphabet

to poetry books

Dan Raphael, who performs throughout the Northwest reading from books like

Breath Test and Showing Light a Good Time

While Japanese and American forces fight mercilessly for control of
the Philippines in 1945, two men, a Japanese infantry officer and an
American P-51 fighter pilot, meet in a fearsome battle that leaves the
Japanese officer dead. Half a century later, the fighter pilot’s son,
author Frederick E. LaCroix, inherits the officer’s bloodied,
Kanji-inscribed Imperial battle flag, which was given to the father as
a memento of his victory. The flag, coupled with his father’s wartime
correspondence, propels LaCroix on a six year journey across eastern
Asia to find the dead officer’s family and return the flag.

The Sky Rained Heroes details the emotional true stories of
two soldiers from vastly different cultures, their families, and the
diverse paths that led them to their fatal meeting. Drawing from their
actual wartime experiences, the book is a unique and powerful narrative
that brings the dramatic events of World War II to life and honors
those who fought so bravely.