New This Week

*The Royal Wedding: The honor of your presence is requested on Friday, April 29, at 2 pm, in the Antiques Room of C.H. Booth Library, for a viewing of the Royal Wedding.

Tea will be served.

Children’s Programs

*Art Classes To Benefit Tsunami Victims In Japan: Kristine Humber will lead a pair of special art classes on Monday, April 18.

During the first one, from 10 to 11 am, children ages 5-7 will hear a reading of Zen Shorts by Jon Muth, the story of a giant panda who teaches the children of the neighborhood to see the world in new ways. Participants will then create giant panda paintings using crayons, pastels and watercolors.

There is a $5 materials fee, which will be donated to the Red Cross for its recovery efforts in Japan.  Register online.

Then at 1 o’clock, Kristine will offer a similar class. Artists ages 8-12 are invited to this session, which will open with a reading of Ed Young’s moving book, Tsunami!, a story about a rice farmer who saved his village by setting his rice fields on fire to warn them of an impending tsunami,.

Participants will then imitate the author’s collage techniques using rice paper, pastels and crayons. Register online for this workshop, which also has a $5 material fee that will be donated to the Red Cross.

*Housatonic Valley Waldorf School Puppet Play: Teachers from the Housatonic Valley Waldorf  School will present a short puppet play, Mashenka and the Bear, for children ages 2-4 and their parents, in the library meeting room on Thursday, April 21, at 10:30 am.

No registration required. Information about a Waldorf education will be available following the play.

For Young Adults

Creative Writing – Mysteries for young people in grades 6-8 begins on Thursday, May 5.

Julie Stern will lead the group on successive Thursday evenings, meeting from 6 to 8 pm through June 2.  There is a limit of ten participants, who are expected to attend all five sessions.

Sharing is an important part of all writing groups, so sessions will allow time for writing and sharing stories as well as one-on-one communication between adults and young people.

There is no fee for this program. Preference will be given to Newtown students and residents.  Sign up online.

Adult Programs

*Poetry Reading: On Sunday, April 17, at 2 pm, Doris Henderson and Alan Holder will read from their collections of poems in the library’s Antiques Room.

The reading will be followed with a reception and book signing.

*Ghostbusters of Connecticut: On Tuesday, April 19, at 7 pm, two investigators from the Connecticut Paranormal Research Society will come to the meeting room of the library to share photos video sound recordings and great stories about haunted houses and other sites in Connecticut.

This program is not recommended for children under the age of 12. You do not need to register to attend.

*Book Discussions: The Evening Book Discussion on Thursday, April 21, at 7:30 pm, will cover The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot; the next Nonfiction Book Discussion, on Monday, May 3, at 1 pm, will cover Crazy for the Storm by Norman Ollestad; and The Daytime Book Discussion Group will talk about Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout on Monday, May 9, at 1 pm.

Copies of these titles are available at the library, and newcomers are always welcome to join any of the library’s book groups.

*The Ropes of Life — Social Class, Responsibility and the Individual’s Struggle Against the Tide:

The final book in the series being led by Julie Stern is Pride and Prejudice, which will be discussed on Wednesday, April 27, at 7:30 pm.

Multiple copies of the book are available at the second floor desk.

C.H. Booth Library is at 25 Main Street in Newtown. Call 203-426-4533 or visit CHBoothLibrary.org to register for any of the above listings, and for information on additional programs and offerings.