Art On View

*Sandi Randall Exhibit: An art exhibit featuring the paintings of Woodbury artist Sandi Randall will open on Friday, July 1, and run through Thursday, July 28, during regular library hours.

Ms Randall, a landscape artist, loves to work outside close to nature. Her art has been defined as abstract realism.

She has won many juried awards and is represented in both corporate and private collections.

 

Children’s Programs

*Summer Reading 2005: Our summer reading program was launched on June 28 and is now ongoing through August 20.

Children ages 4 through grade 5 may sign up to participate in our independent reading program anytime during the eight-week period. Incentives will be given for every five books or every 50 pages read.

Young adult volunteers are available during all library open hours to listen to the children’s reading reports.

*Make and Take Craft Workshops: Marie Walker will conduct seven special craft workshops on Monday afternoons, each to run from 4 to 5 pm.  The workshops are limited to ages 6 and up and you must register at the children’s desk.

There is no fee thanks to a grant given to Mrs Walker earmarked for children’s crafts.

The first workshop will take place on Monday, July 11, at 4 pm. Participants will make and decorate their own sun visor.

*“We Dig Reading” Story Times: Dinosaurs, Pirates, Egypt and The Beach are the topics for a story time and craft for 4-6 year olds.

The story time conducted by Mimi Morin will take place on July 12, July 19, July 26 and August 2, from 10:30 to 11:15 am.

A separate registration is required for each individual program. Sign up sheets will be available the week before each program.

*PJ Story Time: PJ Story Time is an evening program of stories, songs and a puppet show for children ages 3-7. The program begins at 6:30 pm in the library’s main meeting room on the following dates: July 13, July 20, July 27, August 3, August 10 and August 17.

No registration is required, but PJs and blankets are encouraged.

*“We Dig Reading and Science”: Three special science programs will be offered on Tuesdays during the summer in the library’s main meeting room. The programs will begin at 4 pm and are for children ages 5-10.

On July 12, Paulette Morin will present “Having Fun with Fossils and Dinosaurs.” Paulette will tell the story of prehistoric life with the aid of a giant picture book. More than 100 fossils will be on display for children to view and touch. No registration is required, but seating for 75 is on a first come, first served basis.

Future programs: July 26: Walter Heinz, The Fossil Hunter; and August 9: Connecticut Science Center program, “Weird Science.”

*Nutmeg Book Discussions: Our series of Nutmeg book discussions will continue in the summer for children entering grades 4-6 in the fall.

On Wednesday, July 13, at 4 pm, we will discuss Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris, and on Wednesday, July 27, the title will be Trial by Journal by Kate Klise.

We invite any and all newcomers to join these informal lively book discussions.

Young Adults

*Visit the Young Adult Area under the bicycle all summer for fliers and new information on all our programs!

*Video Special Effects Show: Join us at the library on Thursday, July 7, for a Video Special Effects Show that will kick off “Tweens & Teens Summer Reading.”

This program is for Newtown students entering sixth grade and up in the fall.

Join us for pizza at 5:30, followed by the show from 6 to 7, where our audience will be the star in undersea adventures, skateboarding, rafting and other fantastic voyages.

Call the library or sign up in person at the Main Floor Circulation Desk.

*Harry Potter Midnight Madness: We will once again celebrate the release of J.K. Rowling’s next book in her Harry Potter series with a Midnight Madness Party on Friday, July 15, from 9:30 pm to midnight.

The library Young Adult Council welcomes Muggles ages 10 and up or entering grades 5-12 to have fun with games, skits and Hogwarts snacks. Costumes are definitely encouraged.

There will be a midnight release of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince for those who pre-order the book ($20) at the library and attend the party.

Sign up at the Main Floor Circulation Desk or call the library to reserve a spot in this party.

*Creative Writing Summer Camp: A special summer session of Creative Writing for Young Adults is being offered at the library this year.

Writers entering grades 6-9 are invited to attend, at no charge, thanks to the renewal of a grant from Praxair Corporation of Danbury.  Teacher Joan Verniero and several adult writing volunteers will return to work with young writers on Thursdays from July 14 through August 11.

Rising grades 6 and 7 will meet from 10 am until noon, and students in rising grades 8 and 9 will meet from 1:30 to 3:30 pm.

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

Adult Programs

*Summer Book Group: On Monday, July 11, at 1 pm, the Daytime Book Group will meet to discuss Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres.

Extra copies of the book are available at the library, and newcomers are always welcome.

*Summer Concert Series: The next concert in the library’s annual outdoor concert series will be on Saturday, July 16.

The band entertaining us will be Northern Bound, a bluegrass band. The concert will begin at 7 pm at The Pleasance; please park at the library and walk to help alleviate parking problems near the park.

In the event of rain the concert will move to the meeting room of the library.

*Friends of the Library Book Nook News: The Book Nook, the Friends of the Library’s year round sale, is located near the main circulation desk on the library’s second floor. It is continually stocked with new and like-new books for all ages, both fiction and non-fiction, at very affordable prices.

*A Passport to Newtown’s Past: On Saturday, July 30, from 10 am to 2 pm, the public is invited to a kick-off reception for the photographic exhibit, “Passport to Newtown’s Past.”

The collection will be presented during August in the library’s lower meeting room.

The exhibit, which features images from the Newtown Historical Images Archive of daily life in Newtown during the late 1800s through the mid 1900s, is sponsored by The Friends of the Library. The archive is a project of Newtown Historical Society.

*Historical Dance & Music: Patricia Campbell and The Reel Thing will present a participatory social dance repertoire, “Historical Dance and Music in Newtown,” featuring dance and music selections of New England from the early 18th through early 19th centuries.

The free program will be in the meeting room from 2:30 until 3:30 on Saturday July 30, immediately following the reception for “Passport to Newtown’s Past.”

C.H. Booth Library, at 25 Main Street, can be reached at 426-4533.