Here Comes Maisy

Children’s author Lucy Cousins’ story-book character, Maisy, is making the rounds to all the Island libraries. Children are invited to come and meet Maisy during the following story times:

Chilmark Public Library, Saturday, Jan.24, 10:30 a.m.

West Tisbury Public Library, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 10:30 a.m.

Edgartown Public Library, Saturday, Jan. 31, 3 p.m.

Vineyard Haven Public Library, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 10 and 11 a.m.

Felix Neck offers summer camps for children 4 to 13 on its 350-acre wildlife sanctuary, with programs that encourage kids to actively investigate and observe their surroundings, make their own discoveries, appreciate nature and have fun. The camps incorporate outdoor games, activities, hikes, stories and crafts.

If you would like a brochure mailed to you, call 508-627-4850 or e-mail [email protected] — or you can download it from the Web site massaudubon.org. Registrations are taken on a first come, first serve basis.

Theatre Tryouts

This Sunday, Jan. 25, the Island Theatre Workshop, Inc. is holding tryouts for two programs of one-act plays to run at the end of March. Artistic director Lee Fierro and board member Kevin Ryan will be joined by Leslie J. Stark to direct the five plays. The tryouts will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Katharine Cornell Theatre. For details, call 508-693-5290.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts is sponsoring a free family-to-family educational course in Oak Bluffs for family members of individuals with a serious mental illness. The course has been given nationwide to over 100,000 family members since its inception. It is taught by two trained family member volunteers and is intended to help family caregivers cope with a close relative’s mental illness.

Teachers and parents from across Massachusetts took part in the Rising Stars of Massachusetts celebration, an annual event sponsored by the Early Education for All campaign to highlight the positive impact high-quality early education has on young children and families. But the real starring role was played by pre-kindergarteners from Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Early Childhood Program.

On display at the Steamship Authority’s Vineyard Haven terminal Thursday, Jan. 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. will be a special collection of works by young artists Islandwide. Their subject: Vineyard smiles. The show is meant to be a teaser for National Children’s Dental Health Month, coming up in February. Sponsored by Vineyard Smiles, an oral health initiative of Island Health Inc. and the Vineyard Health Care Access, the purpose of the show is to increase youth awareness of the importance of dental hygiene.