Summer Readingfor Adults at C.H. Booth Library

No Man is an Island

June 21st - August 19th 2010

Summer Reading Program Goals

Promote the library as a cultural and community center. Sponsor quality programs with a broad appeal. Collaborate with other Newtown groups – area churches, high

school, & civic groups. Have fun and provide an opportunity for patrons to make

some new acquaintances.

No Man is An IslandSummer Reading: What is it?

Book display of staff and patron favorite titlesIntroduction of a new Readers Advisory ServiceSummer Reading contest – with prizesFundraiser for Haitian ReliefSchedule of Events – family programs, film festival, and book discussion series

CH Booth Staff Picks

A display by the front door -

includes a list of staff picks as well

as some great poolside titles.

Readers’ Advisory with Margi Esten

Margi will post book recommendations on our website and FaceBook page as well as Twitter. Her focus will be on adult fiction and mystery books, with an emphasis on good reads that haven’t made the bestseller list

(yet). Margi Esten worked for years in publishing

and continues to be an avid reader. She currently lives in Redding Connecticut with her husband, two yellow labs and lots of sheep.

FaceBook and Twitter are new to CHB this summer, our first experience with social media.

Summer Reading Contest with Monthly Drawings

To be eligible for the drawing participants will read a book, fill out a prize entry form and then put the form in a special box. The prize entry form will give readers the option of reviewing books they’ve read. Favorite titles will become part of the display, What We’ve Read This Summer, highlighting both patron and staff picks.

Prizes are goods and services donated by local businesses

Schedule of Family Programs Visit us at our website for a complete calendar of events

Monday, June 21 at 4 pm and 7 pm Storyteller Rona Leventhal will entertain Newtown audiences

with Mysteries, Puzzles and Mind Twisters to Ponder and Play With at 4 pm & Stories at the Heart of Ourselves – 7 pm

Thursday, July 1 at 6 pmIsland Crafts with local artist Katie Stevenson

Wednesday, July 21 at 3:30 pmKahana Hula with Tiare Kahana

Thursday, July 22 at 7 pm Musical Journey to the Caribbean with Chris Merwin

Wednesday, August 11 at 7 pm Author Talk with Photojournalist, Marc Yves Regis

Readathon: Eight to Eight for Haiti

On Sunday, July 18th from 8 am to 8 pm the Cyrenius H. Booth Library will host a readathon for Haiti.

A collaboration with Newtown High School volunteers and local churches. The readers will solicit sponsor dollars either by hours read or a flat fee. All money donated to the Newtown Rotary’s Haitian Relief Fund. An opportunity for intergenerational cooperation.No library dollars will be used to run this program. 100% volunteer.

Haitian Film FestivalThe AgronomistWednesday, July 7th at 1 pm and July 8th at 7 pmJean Dominque the Haitian radio personality, investigative journalist and political activist who was assassinated in April 2000, is the subject of Jonathan Demme’s informative documentary.On the Verge of a FeverWednesday, July 28th at 1 pm and July 29th at 7 pmAgainst the backdrop of poverty, fear and brutal dictatorship of Haiti in 1971, On the Verge of a Fever is about Fanan, a 15 year old boy who just wants to experience life for himself with his streetwise friend Gege.The KeeperWednesday, August 18th at 1 pmPaul Lamont, a corrections officer and law student, leads a comfortable if culturally bankrupt middle-class existence. Lamont’s marriage is already in trouble when he bails out a mysterious Haitian. Lamont then finds that acts of conscience can have unforeseen consequences.

Book Discussions with Julie SternA Terrible Glory

The Civil War was a tragic conflagration fought on American soil, that carved a permanent scar on the national psyche, shaped the identities of the victors and the defeated, and captured the imagination of future generations right through the present day.

For this series we will be reading four books:E.L.. Doctorow’s The March Wednesday, June 9th at 7:30 pmGeraldine Brook’s March Wednesday, June 23rd at 7:30 pmJames Lee Burke’s White Doves at Morning Wednesday, July 14th at 7:30 pmTony Horowitz’s Confederates in the Attic Wednesday, August 4th at 7:30 pm

The first three are historical novels which depict the carnage of savage battles, the shame and cruelty of slavery, the systematic destruction of a way of life and the courage, idealism, duplicity, cowardice and folly that existed on both sides of the conflict.Finally we will end with Tony Horowitz’s exploration of the phenomenon of Civil War re-enactors, and his analysis of why the American south is still so emotionally involved with the war that ended 150 years ago.Julie Stern is a retired philosophy professor from Western Connecticut State University who leads book discussion series on a regular basis at the library. Multiple copies of the books are available at the circulation desk.

Work in Progress

Carlos Eire, author of Waiting for Snow in Havana

Dr. Lillian Guerra , author of Popular Expression and National Identity in Puerto Rico and The Myth of Jose Marti

As of April 21st we are still waiting to hear back from two authors about a visit to CHB.

Special Thanks toThe Performers/Presenters

Margi EstenTiare KahunaRona LeventhalChris MerwinMarc-Yves RegisKatie StevensonJulie Stern

The CHB StaffAlana Bennison, Children’s Librarian Margaret Brown, YA LibrarianJudy Craven , Adult Circulation Supervisor – Display /book listMarie Walker – Community LiasonJanet Woycik, Director of the CH Booth Library

And Our SponsorsRachel Pollack , Connecticut Humanities Council, The Newtown Bee, Newtown Businesses, & The Friends of the CH Booth Library