FERRIS PUBLIC LIBRARY: More than Books (April 24, 2025)

  Early voting for the 2025 Joint General and Special Elections will be held at the Ferris Public Library on Monday, April 28 and Tuesday, April 29, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Saturday, May 3, Election Day, voting will also be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. here at the library.

The Ferris Public Library has recently started two programs designed to spark creativity, build community, and offer hands-on fun for all ages. LEGO LAB invites children and families to engage in imaginative play in a fun, relaxed environment. The next Lego Lab is scheduled for Thursday, April 24 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. HOOK & NEEDLE is a welcoming space for knitters and crocheters of all skill levels. On Monday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., we encourage you to bring your supplies and connect with others who share your passion. 

STORY TIME is hosted every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Children are treated to stories, fun activities, and a snack. Before leaving, your child may choose a prize from the treasure chest to take home. 

AFTER-SCHOOL GAME TIME is held each Thursday from 3:30 to 5 p.m.. Children can play the PS5 on the large screen in the meeting room and board games are also available.

NEW BOOKS:  “Elphie: A Wicked Childhood” by Gregory Maguire, “Fight or Flight” by Fern Michaels, “The Stolen Queen” by Fiona Davis, “Harlem Rhapsody” by Victoria Christopher Murray, “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo, “The Ragpicker King” by Cassandra Clare,  and “A Better Ending: A Brother's Twenty-Year Quest to Uncover the Truth About His Sister's Death” (Dewey 364) by James Thomson.  

BOOK BLURB: “Elphie: A Wicked Childhood” by Gregory Maguire, released March 2025.

What happened to young Elphaba before her witchy powers took hold in Wicked? Almost 30 years after the publication of the original novel, for the first time Gregory Maguire reveals the story of prickly young Elphie, the future Wicked Witch of the West.

Young Elphie is shaped and molded by the behaviors of her promiscuous mother, Melena, and her pious father, Frex. She suffers ordinary childhood jealousies when her sister, saintly Nessarose, and brother, junior felon Shell, arrive. She first encounters the mistreatment of the animal populations of Oz, which live adjacent to but not intertwined with human settlements, haunted by a monkey and receiving aid from dwarf bears. She thrashes through her first bruising attempts at friendship, a possible lifeline from her tricky family life. And she gleans the benefits of an education, haphazard though it must be – until she arrives at the doors of Shiz University, about to meet the radiant creature that is Galinda.

The library is located at 301 E. 10th St., across from Mutz Ballpark. Library staff may be reached at ferrislibrary@ferristexas.gov or (972) 544-2110, Option 9.