Children’s Programs

Mother Daughter Book Club: The C.H. Booth Library is pleased to offer a series of Mother-Daughter book discussions for girls in grades 3-4. The four-part series, “Power Talks II, Courage Under Fire,” begins with a discussion of the book Meet Molly: An American Girl. Multiple copies of the book are available in the children’s department. The program will take place on Wed, Oct 11, at 7 pm in the library meeting room. This program is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council and the Friends of the Library. Pat Miniter, a 31-year veteran of New Haven school system, will lead the discussions.

Young Peoples Productions

Harry Potter Fans: Liz Arneth is back with another creative H.P program: “Harry Potter Nimbus Shazam 2000.” This original trivia game based on the popular series of children’s books will be offered on Tues, Oct 3, from 6:30-7:30. Enrollment is limited to 25. A sign up sheet will be available in the children’s dept.

First Author/Illustrator Visit: The Bruce Degan fund for visiting authors and illustrators will sponsor a program by author Stephanie Calmenson on Sun, Oct 15, at 2pm. The author of more than 50 books for children, including the popular Gator Girls series and Dinner at the Panda Palace, Ms Calmenson will present a funny and informative slide presentation, “A Day in the Life of a Children’s Book Writer.” Following the program Ms Calmenson will autograph copies of her books. (Available for purchase on the day of the presentation.)

Adult Programs

Historical Society: The Newtown Historical Society is sponsoring a talk on Civil War Medicine on Mon, Sept 11, at 7:30 pm in the meeting room of the library.

Based on actual letters and journals, Dr Stewart Petrie will provide a vivid account of life inside the battle lines of the Civil War through the eyes of a young field surgeon, his grandfather. Admission is free.

Revolutionary War Talk: On Tues, Sept 12, at 7:30 pm renowned author and historian Richard Buel will give a talk entitled “Cows, Corn, and Cuba: Critical Factors in the Winning of American Independence.” The talk will feature his latest work, In Irons: Britain’s Naval Supremacy and the American Revolutionary Economy, a wonderful read, full of fascinating details that bring the revolutionary economy to life. This groundbreaking book addresses for the first time the impact of naval warfare on the agricultural sector of the American economy as the British Navy denied Americans access to overseas markets. The program is free and will take place in the meeting room of the library. Mr Buel will have a book signing at the conclusion of his talk.

Victorian Lady: On Mon, Sept 25, at 7 pm the Victorian Lady, Kandie Carle, will be dressing from corset to gloves in the attire of a Newtown woman living in the 1860s. As she adds layer upon layer of clothing she will discuss the history of the undergarment, fashion of the day, role of the servants, rules of etiquette, leisure activities, inventions, along with the social history of the time. This promises to be a very entertaining and educational program suitable for young (10 years and up) and old alike. Please sign up at the circulation desk as space is limited.

Mystery Lovers! The Friends of the Library are sponsoring an exciting new book discussion series, “Female Detectives: What Makes Them Different?” The series, which features four best selling mysteries, will begin on Tuesday, Sept 26, at 7:30 pm. The first book to be discussed will be Agatha Christie’s A Body in the Library. On Oct 10, All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell; Oct 24, Ill Wind by Nevada Barr; and on Nov 7, One For The Money by Janet Evanovich.

Book Group is back: The Booth Library Book Discussion Group will be starting up again on Thurs, Sept 21 at 7:30 pm in the Special Collections room. The book to be discussed will be The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger. The Perfect Storm is the tale of a doomed ship caught in what some meteorologists have called the storm of the century.