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Calendar

On Stage

"Alice in Wonderland." In this production, the audience follows Alice herself down the rabbit hole, across the pool of tears and more. Weekends through Sept. 19, 1-4 p.m. $10-$20. Theatre in the Woods, 2170 Bear Gulch Road West, Woodside.

"The Wanderings of Odysseus." Stanford Summer Theater presents the story of Odysseus' return to his island home of Ithaca after the Trojan War. Weekends, July 22-Aug. 15, 8 p.m. $10-$20. Nitery Theater, Old Union, Stanford. summertheater.stanford.edu

Talks/Authors

Birth of Impressionism. Fine Arts Museum docents will present "Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay." In the 19th century, Paris was the artistic center of the universe. Artists looked for a new way to express their pleasure in their surroundings while challenging the long-held ideals of art. Aug. 19, 7 p.m. free. Portola Valley Library, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Call 650-851-0560 .

Shanghai: Art of the City. Shanghai explores, through the mirror of its art, the tumultuous history that has resulted in one of the world's most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities. This exhibition features oil paintings, Shanghai Deco furniture and rugs, revolutionary posters, works of fashion, movie clips and more. Aug. 13, 3:30 p.m. free. Woodside Library, 3140 Woodside Road, Woodside. Call 650-851-0147 .

Author Mary Roach discusses her new book: "Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void," at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 23, at Kepler's bookstore, 1010 El Camino Real in Menlo Park. Howard Norman's "What Is Left the Daughter." Norman discusses his new book, in which a 17-year-old is sent to live with relatives. Wed, Aug. 25, 7 p.m. Free. Kepler's, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Call 650-324-4321.

Vendela Vida discusses her new novel, "The Lovers." Wed, Aug. 11, 7 p.m. Free. Kepler's, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Call 650-324-4321. www.keplers.com

Kids & Families

Family Storytime. Monthly story time. Books, fun activities, and a simple craft. Aug. 14, 11-11:30 a.m. free. Atherton Library, 2 Dinkelspiel Station Lane, Atherton. Contact atherton@smcl.org. www.smcl.org

Ready, Set, Preschool Event & Book Signing. Jennifer Wana, author of the new book "How to Choose the Best Preschool for Your Child: The Ultimate Guide to Finding, Getting Into, and Preparing for Nursery School, presents tips for preparing a child for the first day of preschool. Aug. 15, 10-11 a.m. Free. Pottery Barn Kids, Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto.

Summer Reading Carnival. Celebrate the end of the summer reading Club with games, prizes, ice cream and more. Aug. 13, 1-3 p.m. Free. Atherton Library, 2 Dinkelspiel Station Lane, Atherton. Call 650-328-2422. www.smcl.org

Et Alia

Exhibition by Frances Freyberg. The Portola Art Gallery presents "Flowers, Fields and Forests: Photographs from the Bay Area and Beyond," a collection of images by photographer Frances Freyberg of Menlo Park. The exhibit will highlight many local landscapes, from the trails of Purisima Creek to the hills of Arastradero. Free. Portola Art Gallery, 75 Arbor Rd., Menlo Park. Call 650-321-1220. www.francesfreyberg.com

Green Dream Team Panel: Do It Yourself from Acterra Green@Home . Speaker: Twana Karney, Green@Home program director. 5 p.m. Free. Kepler's, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Call 650-324-4321. www.keplers.com

Salon Menlo Shares Shakespeare. Join Salon Menlo for a free discussion of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" featuring scene reading, clips from 20th century film adaptations and background on the play. Farmers' Market brunch will be served. Sun, Aug. 22, 1-4 p.m. Free. Menlo Park Recreation Center, 900 Alma St., Menlo Park. Call 650-533-4088.

Paris Window Shopping. Paintings of Paris shop windows by local artist Susan Payne-Trutna are on exhibit at the Atherton Library through Aug. 15. Free Atherton Library, 2 Dinkelspiel Station Lane, Atherton. Call 650-328-2422. www.smcl.org

Monday Hikes at Little House. Hikes with Nancy on Mondays in August, three to five miles, starting and ending at Little House. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $30 PV Inc Little House, 800 Middle Ave, Menlo Park,. Call 650-326-2025. www.penvol.org

Artists' Month at Little House. Each Thursday in August three different artists or arts organizations present information on resources for local artists: exhibition opportunities, networking, ideas sharing, teaching, participating in and providing creative workshops. 2-3:30 p.m. $7 per session PV Inc Little House, 800 Middle Ave., Menlo Park. Call 650-326-2025. www.penvol.org

For all listings

Go to AlmanacNews.com to see all Calendar listings. Click on the "Community Calendar" link in the green navigation bar on the left and that will take you to the Palo Alto Online Master Community Calendar.