Children’s Programs

*Holiday Music: Professional singer-songwriter Francine Wheeler will lead children of all ages in a holiday sing-along on Saturday, December 8, at 11 am. No registration is required; just bring your best singing voice.

*Gingerbread House Workshop: Ages 4-10 are invited to decorate your own graham cracker gingerbread house (the house is already done for you) with royal icing and festive candy on Saturday, December 15, from 3-4 pm, in the meeting room.

This popular program fills up quickly. A $3 material fee is due upon registration, which must be done in person in the children’s department.

Programs For Young Adults

*Return of The Writers Salon: The 5th Annual Young Writers’ Salon for ‘tweens and teens who like to write will be on Sunday, December 9, at 3 pm. Young people in grades 6-10 are invited to read their original poetry, stories, and other work to an admiring audience in our coffeehouse atmosphere. Snow date is December 16.

There will be a rehearsal with snacks at 1 on Sunday. Additional information is available from Young Adult Librarian Margaret Brown.

*Creative Writing — Fiction: This next session of our Creative Writing series will meet on Mondays, January 7 to February 25 (no class on January 21), from 6 to 8 pm each week.

Newtown author and teacher Wally Wood and assistant Liz Abraham will again lead the group, which is open to Newtown students in grades 6-8. There is no fee.

Participants are expected to attend all five session.

For more information visit Young Adult Librarian Margaret Brown or call the library.

Adult Programs

*Searching for Shakespeare… at the movies: This month the Searching For Shakespeare series will depart from its regular programming and offer instead a set of free movie screenings. Also, instead of being direct adaptations of Shakespeare, these moves are each loosely based on the stories of or about the Bard.

Join us on Wednesday, December 26, for 10 Things I Hate About You, a 1999 film starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles loosely based on The Taming of The Shrew; Thursday, December 27, for She’s the Man (2006), a modernization of Twelfth Night, or What You Will that stars Amanda Bynes; and Friday, December 28, for Shakespeare in Love, the 1998 film that won seven Oscars including Best Actress in a Lead Role for Gwyneth Paltrow and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Judi Dench.

*Ben Abbott is Back: Newtown author Justin Scott will be visiting the library on Sunday, December 9, at 2 pm, to share the latest news from Newbury, which fans of Justin already know can be found in the new release Mausoleum, his new book.

Snooty Newbury, Conn., has been burying people in its village cemetery for 300 years, but this corpse is different.  In life it was Brian Grose, slick operator, world-class egotist and owner – better say perpetrator – of a gaudy eyesore of a mausoleum locals have dubbed McTomb.  As the result of three well placed bullets, McTomb is about to be occupied earlier than foreseen. Irked by negative publicity, the trustees of Newbury Cemetery Association decide that it’s time for real estate agent Ben to dust off his private-eye license.

Publishers Weekly writes “the well-crafted fifth Ben Abbott whodunit … features a cast of fascinating characters and an honest look at the effects of modern ideas and design on a steadfast New England town.”

Join us for a fun afternoon of mystery and treats. Please call the library to reserve a place by calling the circulation desk at 426-4533. Hors d’oeuvres will be served and there will also be an opportunity to purchase Mausoleum at the discounted library price ($20). 

*Book Nook Note: Books make the perfect gift for everyone on your list! Fine fine, gift-quality books at reasonable prices at The Book Nook, just around the corner from the main circulation desk.

The library recently expand its hours and is now open earlier every morning. The new hours are Monday through Thursday and Saturday, 9:30 am to 8 pm; Friday from 11 am to 5 pm; and Sunday from noon to 5 pm. The library, at 25 Main Street, can be reached at 426-4533 or visit CHBoothLibrary.org.