A Gift To The Town

To the Editor:                                                                                                     

I would like to publicly thank the staff at C.H. Booth Library for two great months of NewtownREADS. The selection of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was their first stroke of genius! The book is an American classic, is appropriate for many age groups, and is ripe for discussion. Many of us read the book in high school and this was a great opportunity to read it again with a new perspective.

I thoroughly enjoyed the viewing of the Gregory Peck movie and the subsequent discussion, led by a WestConn historian Jack Leopold. Charles Shields, the author of the only biography on Harper Lee, gave a fascinating talk at NHS. The mock trial at the Meeting House was just terrific — I felt transported to Alabama! And, of course, spotting “The Ham” walking down Main Street or hanging out at Edmond Town Hall just added to the fun!

While I was unable to attend the book discussions offered, I took part in many informal discussions about To Kill a Mockingbird. Some of these discussions took place at our neighborhood bus stop and involved both adults and children. Parents commented that reading this book with their children had encouraged them to talk about difficult, but important topics, such as race, prejudice, and rape. The children commented that the Dill in the movie looked nothing like the Dill in the book — a great lesson in the power of one’s imagination! I’m sure that similar impromptu discussions were popping up all over town.

NewtownREADS was truly a community event, open to people of all ages, and a wonderful way to strengthen and unite our community. I kept feeling as though the library was giving this great gift to the whole town. I know that it took a tremendous amount of work, energy, and surely some headaches to pull it all off and I just want to thank those people who were instrumental in making it happen.

Sincerely,

Wendy Leon-Gambetta

18 Sawmill Ridge Road, Newtown                                    May 1, 2007