Children’s Programs

*Easter Craft Workshop: Marie Walker will conduct an Easter craft workshop for children ages 6 and up on Saturday, March 22, from 1-2 pm.  A $3 material fee is due upon registration.

Sign up at the children’s desk.  No phone registrations please.

*Story Time Registration: Story time registration begins March 24 and continues through April 2 for children ages 1-5 who reside in Newtown.  The six week session begins the week of April 7 and will end the week of May 19.

Sessions for 12-24 months meet on Thursday or Saturday at 10 am, and 2-3 year olds on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 10 or  Monday and Saturday at 11 am. Four and five year olds meet on Tuesday at 11 am and Wednesday or Thursday at 1 pm.

Register at the children’s desk starting March 24.  No phone registrations will be accepted.

*An Entertaining Afternoon with Shakespeare on the Sound: Come enjoy an interactive storytelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth on Sunday, April 6, at 2 pm. Please note this program will be presented at Newtown Meeting House (31 Main Street, just a few doors away from the library).

The program will be suitable for children ages 8 and up.

Reserve your free tickets by calling the library at 426-4533.  Limited seating.

 

Young Adult

*Battle of the Books signups have ended, and we have 17 teams for this year.

*Calling young authors! Our Mystery & Thriller Creative Writing Group for grades 6-8 is open for signups.  Leader Julie Stern, a professor, writer and Newtown resident, and assistant Philip Kotch, one of the library’s adult writer volunteers, are looking forward to another enthusiastic group.

All sessions will allow time for writing and sharing stories in progress as well as one-on-one communication between adults and young people.  Sharing is an important part of all writing groups.

 The group will meet from 6 to 8 pm on five consecutive Monday evenings, April 7-May 12 (no class on April 14 during spring break; makeup May 19 if needed).  There is a limit of ten students in grades 6-8.  There is no fee.

Participants are expected to attend all five sessions, and preference is given to Newtown students and residents.

For more information, speak to Margaret Brown, YA librarian.  Sign up at the Main Floor Desk or call 426-4533.

Adult Programs

*Book Discussions: The Evening Book Discussion will talk about Ordinary Heroes by Scott Turow on Thursday, March 20, at 7:30 pm; Nonfiction Book Discussion will cover The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell on Tuesday, April 1, at 1 pm; and the Daytime Book Group will discuss  The Master by Colm Toibin on Monday, April 14, at 1 pm. Newcomers are always welcome.

*Author Talk and Book Signing: Come hear Newtown resident Martin Margulies speak about his new book, The Battle of Prestonpans 1745 on Wednesday, March 26, at 7 pm.  Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the time of the talk and refreshments will be served.

*The Searching for Shakespeare series is taking on Macbeth this month. Dr Mark Schenker will lecture about the play on Tuesday, March 25, at 7 pm, and then the play discussion will be hosted by Professor Bill O’Connell on Thursday, March 27, also at 7 pm.

*Just in time for Earth Day (and beyond), the library has coordinated a series called “Hot or Not?  Some Topics in Global Warming,” which will offer a number of programs and presentations as well as a series of film screenings.

“Global Warming: Fact or Fiction?” will begin the series on  Tuesday, April 8, at 7 pm, when local weatherman and meteorologist Art Horn will give background information on global warming.

“Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Cooling Connecticut” will be next, on Tuesday, April 22, at 7 pm. Jack Kozuchowski, an environmental consultant and member of Climate Change Stockholders, will provide concrete examples of small steps individuals can take to reduce their impact on greenhouse gases.

“Green Giving with Rene Hue and Kim Sala” will follow on Tuesday, April 29, at 1 and 7 pm. Being green does not mean sacrificing beauty or creativity.  Learn how to revive the past and infuse the new with found objects in your home. Registration is required.

The films will be interspersed among the presentations. All screenings will begin at 7 pm. The films are as follows: Global Warming: The Signs and Science on Tuesday, April 1; An Inconvenient Truth on Tuesday, April 15; The Great Global Warming Swindle on Tuesday, May 6; Dimming the Sun on Tuesday, May 13; and Kilowatt Ours on Tuesday, May 27.

*Come Play Chess  at the Library!

Beginning Saturday, March 15, US Chess Federation Candidate Master Glenn Budzinski,  will host chess games for all levels.  Sets and boards will be provided.

There are no fees or registration.  Just come and play chess.

*Book Nook: Get ready for Spring!  Get your garden spruced up or brush up on baseball facts with the help of books from the Book Nook.

The library is open Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am to 8 pm; Friday from 11 am to 5 pm; Saturday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm; and Sunday from noon to 5 pm. The library, at 25 Main Street, can be reached at 426-4533 or visit CHBoothLibrary.org.p