For Children

*Summer Reading is up and running at the C.H. Booth Library. This independent reading program is open to children ages 4 through grade 5. Signup is ongoing throughout the eight-week program that offers children an opportunity to discuss what they are reading with a young adult volunteer and earn rewards donated by local businesses. Children can earn free coupons for pizza from My Place, a donut from Dunkin’ Donuts, and a voucher for a Rock Cats game. Raffle tickets are awarded for every five books they read. The more they read the better their chances of winning one of the prizes. The program ends on August 16. The raffle will take place on Monday, August 18. Winners will be notified by phone.

*Marie Walker will conduct a craft workshop for ages 6 and up on Monday, July 7, 3:30 to 4:30 pm. The first project in this year’s craft series will be to paint your own design on a small canvas backpack using fabric paints and stencils. Sign up at the children’s circulation desk. A $3 material fee is due upon registration. No phone registrations needed.

*Artist and teacher Pat Martin will conduct a mask-making workshop using recycled materials for children entering grades 3 through 5 on two consecutive Tuesdays, July 8 and July 15, from 2:30 to 4 pm. This is a two-part workshop. The first stage will be building the structure of the mask, and the second week will focus on decorating and painting. Space is limited to 15 and an $8 material fee is due upon registration.

*Champion board breaker and Karate Master Keith Becker will introduce children to the martial arts in a demonstration for ages 4 and up on July 8 at 3:30 pm in the meeting room. Mr Becker owns and teaches at the Southbury Academy of Karate. He has donated two months of free martial arts training to be held at Edmund Town Hall this fall to ten lucky summer reading raffle winners.

*PJ Story Time will take place on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 beginning July 9 with the puppet play The Three Little Pigs. Recommended for children ages 3–7, no registration is required.

*Zoo educator and host of his own show for PBS, Jim Knox returns on July 10 at 3:30 pm in the library’s meeting room. An educator at the Beardsley Zoo, Mr Knox will bring surprise animal guests for this “Wild Zoofari” for the children to meet close-up and personal. No registration is required. Recommended for ages 4 and up.

*A new summer book club is forming for rising third and fourth graders. The first meeting on Friday, July 11, will focus on the difference between the book Horton Hears a Who by Dr Seuss and the movie by the same name currently showing at the Town Hall Theatre. If you have seen the movie and read the book, sign up to participate in this new group hosted by Mrs Wilson. Sign up at the children’s desk.

Young Adult Programs

*Duct Tape Crafts are ready to roll again! The Booth Library is holding another popular Duct Tape Projects workshop with Katie Stevenson. She will be leading the group in a variety of projects, including trapezoidal bags, roses, wristbands, and iPod Nano/cellphone holders. Participants can also get creative making frames, belts, sun visors, and accessories.

The program will be held Monday, July 14, from 1 to 3 pm. It is limited to 15 students age 10 and up (Rising grades 5–12), with preference given to Newtown students and residents. There is a $6 supply fee, payable at signup. To sign up for the program, visit the main floor circulation desk at the library or call 426-4533.

*Creative Writing Summer Camp signups are open for young people in Newtown entering grades 6 through 9. Kathleen Kudlinski, master teaching artist of the State of Connecticut and author of three dozen books for young adults and children, is returning to lead the summer sessions for young people. She will have many new activities this season.

Camp will meet from 3:30 to 5:30 pm for rising grades 6 and 7, and from 6 to 8 pm for rising grades 8 and 9, on the following Mondays: July 7, 14, 21, 28 and August 11 (no class August 4; makeup August 18 if needed). Participants are expected to attend all five sessions. All sessions will allow time for writing and sharing stories, as well as creative activities and one-on-one communication between adults and young people. Sharing is an important part of all writing groups.

Space is limited to ten in each class, with preference given to Newtown residents and students. Sign up at the library’s main floor circulation desk or call 426-4533. For more information, call Margaret Brown, young adult librarian.

Programs For Adults

*Booth Library Summer Film Series: Join us for free screenings of movies every other Wednesday afternoon at 1:30. The Summer Films series will feature the following:

July 9, Lars and the Real Girl: A lonely guy (Ryan Gosling) finally meets the girl of his dreams. The only problem? She’s a life-size doll he bought on the Internet. Rated PG-13, this film has a running time of 106 minutes.

July 23, Juno: Juno (played by the Oscar-nominated Ellen Page) is a smart teenager facing a tough decision: what to do after she gets pregnant by a friend and classmate (Michael Cera). Deciding to give the baby up for adoption to a rich couple she has full support of both of her parents. But is giving the child away what she really wants to do? Rated PG-13, this film has a running time of 92 minutes.

August 6, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: Based on a true story, Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) was the editor of Elle France. After a major stroke in 1995, he was left completely paralyzed except for his left eye. With just that one eye, however, he was able to blink out his memoir and describe what it was like not being able to move. He also very vividly described wild fantasy worlds he could visit only in his mind. The film is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 112 minutes. Note it is in French with subtitles.

August 20, Once: This Irish romance may be a musical, but it is miles away from the traditional Hollywood idea of people bursting into song. Glen Hansard plays the male lead, known simply as Guy, a street musician who is playing for change when he meets Girl (Marketa Irglova), an immigrant from the Czech Republic. The pair immediately bond over their shared love for music and the film chronicles their tentative relationship. The film is rated R, and has a running time of 85 minutes.

*The annual Friends of the C.H. Booth Library book sale at the Reed Intermediate School, will be July 12 to July 16, with more than 120,000 items in about 80 categories. Admission charge for Saturday, July 12, is $10 from 9 am to noon, and $5 from noon to 5 pm. Numbered admission tickets go on sale July 12 at 7 am. There is no charge for July 13 to July 16. Monday books are half price and Tuesday they are $5 a bag. Wednesday from 9 am to 1 pm all books are free. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

C.H. Booth 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 (closed Sundays in July and August); 426-4533.