Free weekly storytimes for toddlers return to the Loveland Branch Library starting August 5, kicking off a month packed with kids' programs, a scavenger hunt, and book clubs for adults at both the Loveland and Symmes Township branches.

All programs are free.

The events run through the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library system, and most require no registration for in-person attendance.

Storytimes and kids' programs

Toddler Storytime runs Wednesdays on August 5, August 12, and August 19, each session from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The program uses books, rhymes, music, and movement for children ages 18 months to 36 months. No registration is required.

Preschool Storytime follows on August 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., with books, songs, and activities for ages 3–6. No registration needed.

Kids can also tackle the Fairground Fun Scavenger Hunt all month long. Nine hidden fairground-themed pictures are scattered throughout the library; find all nine and earn a sticker. The hunt runs every day through August 31 with no sign-up required.

For teens ages 11–17, Star Spangled Foods with 4-H (Part III) on August 5 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. teaches participants how to make American recipes as part of the America 250-Ohio program. Registration is required, and families should alert staff of food allergies.

Book clubs for adults

The Loveland Branch Book Club meets August 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Loveland Branch Library. In-person attendees can walk in; only Zoom participants need to register.

At the Symmes Township Branch Library, a one-time discussion of Toni Morrison's novel "Beloved" is set for August 27, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event marks the Ohio Humanities Toni Morrison Centennial Celebration, honoring the Ohio native who became the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The branch has set aside 20 copies of the novel on a first-come, first-served basis, and the discussion is open to adults and seniors.