What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in June

May 30, 2016May 16, 2016 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

We’re starting off the summer with a lot of great programs for all ages – including a Civil War series and the Summer Reading kickoff party!

Color Yourself Calm

Thursday Jun 2, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

De-stress your busy life with a relaxing night of coloring. We’ll provide coloring pages and supplies, but feel free to bring your own pages, art supplies. This adult only program meets the first Thursday of every month. Please register on our website.

Meet Mary Todd Lincoln

Thursday Jun 2, 2016, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Listen to the personal account of her extraordinary life as first lady and wife of President Abraham Lincoln. Presented by Carol Deleppo. Part of our three part series in honor of the 150th Anniversary Commemoration of the Cheshire’s Civil War Monument. Please register on our website.

Adult Knitting Night

Wednesday June 8 & 22, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Come socialize, learn, and share your techniques with other knitters. Experience the relaxing and calming effect of knitting. We meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month. Advanced adult knitters welcome, no supplies or instruction will be given. Please bring your own supplies and talent, register on our website.

Spaghetti Eddie

Wednesday Jun 15, 2016, 6:00 PM

Ryan SanAngelo, local children’s author, music performer, and all around cool guy will be visiting the Cheshire Public Library on Wednesday June 15 at 6:00 pm. Ryan SanAngelo will read his books, Spaghetti Eddie and Bye Bye Balloon. He’ll also rock the house with his exciting and engaging children’s music. Come be delighted with fun stories. Plus join the dance party!

Off The Beaten Track In The Civil War

Thursday Jun 16, 2016, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Places like Fort Sumter, Gettysburg and Vicksburg and people like Gens. Grant and Lee get most of the attention, but the four years of the Civil War produced all kinds of small and almost forgotten incidents and people whose stories also deserve retelling. Come hear captivating untold stories of these soldiers from local author Neil Hogan. Part of our three part series in honor of the 150th Anniversary Commemoration of the Cheshire’s Civil War Monument. Please register on our website.

Circle of Friends Music

Friday Jun 17, 2016, 10:00 AM

Grab a friend and join us for a lively morning of music and movement! Young children learn best when using all their senses so engaging in a class that provides visual, auditory, physical and tactile stimulation is extremely beneficial for overall growth.
This family music program is best for kids ages 0-5 and their grownups. Presented by Felice Danielson, Director of Circle of Friends Music. Registration required. Register online beginning May 30 for Cheshire residents and June 6 for all others.

Zumba for Kids

Friday Jun 17, 2016, 1:00 – 2:00 PM

Zumba® is an easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired dance-fitness program. Classes specifically for kids are formatted in a way to make getting fit fun. Kids can just let loose and be themselves. It’s referred to as the exercise in disguise. It’s an hour filled with energy and routines created to the latest music, like hip-hop, reggaeton and cumbia. Zumba® also increases focus and self-confidence, boosts metabolism, and improves coordination and balance. For all ages. (Parents and/or caregivers are welcome to participate with their children.) No Registration Required.

Cheshire Anime Club

Friday Jun 17, 2016, 3:00 – 4:30 PM

Konnichiwa, minna-san! Can’t get enough Anime and Manga? Be an “Otaku” and join the Cheshire Anime Club! We meet monthly, read and talk about what’s hot in the world of Manga, and watch some of the latest Anime releases on the big screen! Japanese snacks (like Ramune and Pocky) will be available for refreshments. For grades 7 -12, no registration required.

Magic Workshop for Kids

Saturday Jun 18, 2016, 10:00 AM

This magic workshop will teach kids magic tricks. Learn the “secret” to the tricks and then perform them for the other participants! Please bring a deck of cards if you can. For ages 8 and up. Register online beginning on May 28 for Cheshire residents and June 4 for all others.

${E1031EA9-496A-4F3B-A144-A9CC62CAAC8F}_SlimeTime$ Slime Storytime (Grades K-2)

Mondays, Jun 20 – Jul 25, 2016, 6:00 – 7:00 PM

Enjoy this special STEM based storytime where children going into grades K-2 will listen to stories and do experiments. This will be a messy, hands on storytime so make sure to wear clothes you won’t mind get messy. This event will meet June 20, 27, July 11, 18 and 25. For kids entering grades K-2 in fall 2016. Registration is required. Register online beginning May 30 for Cheshire residents and June 6 for all others. You only need to register one time.

Wild Rumpus Dance Party

Wednesday Jun 22, 2016, 10:00 AM

Dancing is a great way to bond with your child and burn a little energy at the same time. Not only are you having fun but you are developing helpful skills. Here are just a few skills children develop while dancing: balance, coordination, rhythm, social skills, self-esteem, body-awareness, listening skills, gross motor, and fine motor. For ages 1-3, no registration required.

Zumba!

Wednesday Jun 22, 2016, 6:00 – 7:00 PM

Have you been wondering what Zumba is and if it’s right for you? Zumba is a popular dance based fitness program inspired by Latin music and dance. It’s different, it’s fun, it’s effective and it’s easy to do. Come try it out! Zumba demonstration for ADULTS presented by Donna Paventy-certified Zumba instructor from the Cheshire Community YMCA.

SUMMER READING KICKOFF @ARTSPLACE!

Thursday Jun 23, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Join us for our Summer Reading kickoff hosted at Artsplace, 1220 Waterbury Road in Cheshire. Express your inner artist and learn new art techniques with Artsplace artists, play with art robots, and use our green screen to make funny pictures and videos and learn to Hula with a professional Hula dancer. . Light refreshments will be served. For all ages, no registration required.

Cheshire’s 150th Year Old Civil War Monument

Thursday Jun 23, 2016, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Come hear Bob Larkin, address the upcoming commemoration of the Cheshire’s 150th Anniversary of the Civil War Monument, one of the first in the state and among the earliest in the nation. Bob spearheaded having the only CT monument placed at Vicksburg National Military Park. Please register on our website.

Books that Defy Genre Labels and Description

May 25, 2016May 10, 2016 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Part of my job in labeling and cataloging books includes deciding if it needs a genre label and which one(s). Some books are easy. With some books I know right away that it needs a mystery, fantasy, or science fiction sticker. Particularly if the publisher is nice enough to include that information in a subtitle or in the book description. Sometimes it takes a little more research, but the author or publisher often include the intended genre pretty clearly somewhere, if you know where to look. However, there are some books that are simply beyond categorizing. Sometimes this is because the book covers so much ground very well, sometimes it is because it simply defies description, and sometimes it is because it crosses so many genre lines that there is not enough room to include all the relevant genre stickers.

Here are a few examples of fascinating reads that defy simple genre classifications:

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
Interweaves six narratives spanning the period between 1984 and the 2030s to chronicle a secret war between a cult of soul-decanters and a small group of vigilantes who would take them down. By the award-winning author of Cloud Atlas.

Flatland: a Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott
A century-old classic of British letters that charmed and fascinated generations of readers with its witty satire of Victorian society and its unique insights, by analogy, into the fourth dimension.

Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami; translated by Alfred Birnbaum
Tracking one man’s descent into the Kafkaesque underworld of contemporary Tokyo, Murakami unites East and West, tragedy and farce, compassion and detachment, slang and philosophy.

2666 by Roberto Bolaño; translated from the Spanish by Natasha Wimmer
An American sportswriter, an elusive German novelist, and a teenage student interact in an urban community on the U.S.-Mexico border where hundreds of young factory workers have disappeared.

The Incarnations by Susan Barker
Receiving mysterious letters from someone claiming to be his soulmate, a Beijing taxi driver learns about their shared relationships in numerous past lives before becoming increasingly certain that someone is watching him.

More suggestions for indescribably interesting reads include: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, Valis by Philip K. Dick, Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, Here, There be Dragons by James A. Owen, Frost in May by Antonia White, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino,Gun, With Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethe,Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke,The Marvels by Brian Selznick, In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters, and The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.

Have you ever read a book that left you changed but still somehow wondering what exactly it was that you just read? What is your favorite book that left you speechless when it came down to recommending it or describing it to someone else?

Join Us For An Evening with a Dog Listener on May 19th

May 16, 2016March 22, 2016 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Having a pet is a lot of work. The four legged members of every family are important, and while we love them dearly, sometime they can cause as as much stress and frustration and love and joy. If you have a dog, or are planning on adopting on in the near future, you might want to register for an upcoming program. On May 19, 2016 we are hosting An Evening with a Dog Listener, Pat Wright, from 6 to 8 pm.

The program will help teach how to bring your dog to peace and solve the problem of unwanted behaviors. Some of the many topics discussed are pulling on the lead, jumping up, aggression, separation anxiety, and excessive barking. You will also learn how to get willing cooperation with your dog to perform any task at hand. Participants should bring their questions and concerns about the canines in their life, but please do not bring along the dogs in question. Registration is required, which can be done online, or by calling 203-272-2245, and choosing extension 4.

Pat Wright has studied in England with the original Dog Listener, Jan Fennell, and has graduated from all class levels offered. Pat has also worked as the highest ranking Dog Listener in the United States of the Jan Fennell International Team of Dog Listeners as well as a mentor to other Dog Listeners around the world. Pat has studied wolf behavior with some biologists in Yellowstone Park, Wyoming on three different occasions. Pat mixes in some very entertaining experiences from her many years of Dog Listening through out New England.

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If you are eager to get started, need help now, or just want to do a little research on your own beforehand, here are some suggested titles on understanding and/or training your pooch; Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet by John Bradshaw, Don’t Dump the Dog: Outrageous Stories and Simple Solutions to your Worst Dog Behavior Problems by Randy Grim with Melinda Roth, Why Does my Dog Act That Way?: a Complete Guide to Your Dog’s Personality by Stanley Coren, The Loved Dog: the Playful, Nonaggressive Way to Teach your Dog Good Behavior by Tamar Geller, with Andrea Cagan, Decoding your Dog: the Ultimate Experts Explain Common Dog Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones from the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, Cesar’s Way: the Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems by Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier, Citizen Canine: Ten Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know by Mary R. Burch, or Before & After Getting your Puppy: the positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog by Ian Dunbar.

Here are the 2017 Nutmeg Nominees!

May 2, 2016April 27, 2016 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

The Nutmeg Children’s Book Award is the “Children’s Choice” Award for Connecticut. The goal of the committee is to encourage children in grades two through twelve to read quality literature. Here is a listing of the nominees, divided by the four grade based categories. The library has purchased and cataloged multiple copies of each book. There might be a waiting list for the book(s) you are interested in most, but if you place a hold on the item we will contact you when it is your turn.

The links that I have included for each title are for searches that include all formats of the material that we own, including the print copy, audiobooks, and digital formats. How many have you already read? Are there any that you loved, hated, or are surprised by?

High School (Grades 9-12)
Mosquitoland by David Arnold
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta
A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
Jackaby by William Ritter
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
Sway by Kat Spears

Teen (Grades 7-8)
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
Turn Left at the Cow by Lisa Bullard
The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Swagger by Carl Deuker
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks
Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington
The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson
Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

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Intermediate (Grades 4-6)
Gaby, Lost and Found by Angela Cervantes
Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky by Sandra Dallas
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Masterminds by Gordon Korman
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel
Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile by Marcia Wells

Elementary (Grades 2-4)
Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis & Gilbert Ford
Phineas L. MacGuire Gets Cooking by Frances O’Roark Dowell & Preston McDaniels
Skateboard Party (The Carver Chronicles) by Karen English & Laura Freeman
Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully
Grandma in Blue with Red Hat by Scott Menchin & Harry Bliss
Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner
One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul & Elizabeth Zunon
Quinny and Hopper by Adriana Brad Schanen & Greg Swearingen
Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen
Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth VIolin by Chieri Uegaki & Qin Leng
In a Village By the Sea by Muon Van & April Chu
Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon
Lulu’s Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst & Kevin Cornell
Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick

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Who do you think will win?

What’s Happening at Cheshire Library in May

April 29, 2016April 15, 2016 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Welcome to May at Cheshire Library! We have lots of wonderful programs for all ages springing up throughout the month – here’s a sample:

Cheshire Cats Classics Club

Monday May 2, 2016, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

The Cheshire Cats Classics Club meets once per month on a Monday evening, to discuss a classic book. This month’s book is The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. There is limited seating for this event. For more information and to register for this program, contact program moderator Jennifer Bartlett at jbartlett@cheshirelibrary.org.

Tune Time for Tots

Thursdays in May, 9:30 – 10:15 AM

Enjoy music and movement in this high energy program. Songs help children develop listening skills and pay attention to the rhythms and rhymes of spoken language. Clapping along to rhythms helps children hear the syllables in words and helps them improve motor skills. Children must be accompanied by a care giver. For ages 1 to 3 years old. No registration required.

Rhythm & Rhyme Storytime

Thursdays in May, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Shake your tail feathers during this interactive storytime with songs, rhymes, and plenty of movement. Stay afterwards for a relaxed open play session. Children must be accompanied by a care giver. For ages 2 to 3 years old. No registration required.

S.T.E.A.M. Punks – Middle School Edition

Thursday May 5, 2016, 3:30 – 4:30 PM

Investigate the many elements of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math. We’ll explore robotics, electronics, arts & crafts, food science and much, much more. We’ll put things together, take things apart, play games, and have a ton of fun! For grades 6-8, no registration required.

Local Author Day

Saturday May 7, 2016, 12:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Local authors will be present to sell their books and to share their knowledge about their subjects and their advice about the world of publishing with area residents who are seeking to publish books of their own.

Parent Program: Baby Brain Development

Thursday May 12, 2016, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Join us for a discussion on early baby development including learning, memory, and brain development, based on the latest research at UConn Waterbury. Presented by Kimberly Cuevas, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology. Visit UConn KIDS to learn more about current research in child development and explore opportunities to participate. Please register online.

Gardening Tips & Tricks

Saturday May 14, 2016, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Do you want to be a better gardener? Looking ways to improve your technique? Join us for a presentation by Julie Harrison, a landscape designer and decorator, who has a flair for creative and imaginative designs that are infused with her own unique sense of style. She knows that a good horticulturalist has to “get their hands dirty in order to get green.” She will present unique ways and tricks to be a better gardener. Please register online.

Parent Workshop: Juggling Two- Handling Sibling Relationships

Wednesday May 18, 2016, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Participants explore what it means to add a new child to the family. Discuss emotional and practical challenges for parents and older siblings. Learn tips and strategies to nurture lifelong healthy sibling relationships. This parent workshop is presented by Christine Foster, Director of Community Relations from The Independent Day School. Please register online beginning April 25.

An Evening with a Dog Listener

Thursday May 19, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Spend the evening with Dog Listener Pat Wright. Learn how to bring your dog to peace and solve the problem of unwanted behaviors. Some of the many topics discussed are pulling on the lead, jumping up, aggression, separation anxiety, and excessive barking. You will also learn how to get willing cooperation with your dog to perform any task at hand. Please register online.

Drop-in Tech Help – Weekend Edition!

Saturday May 21, 2016, 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Do you have questions about your computer, smartphone, or iPad? Do you need help navigating Facebook or downloading an ebook? Bring your technology-related questions to Cheshire Public Library’s Tech Open House. NOTE: Please be sure your device is fully charged beforehand. In the event your question or issue is more involved, we may ask you to schedule an appointment and come back for one-on-one help. No registration required.

How to Use Facebook to Connect with Family and Friends

Wednesday May 25, 2016, 6:00 – 7:30 PM

Come to the Cheshire Public Library and learn how to create a Facebook account, connect with friends, family, share photos and videos, send messages, get updates and more. No registration required, you may bring your own device to class.

All NEW! Teen Games

Friday May 27, 2016, 3:00 – 4:30 PM

We just got a Nintendo WiiU with Super Mario 3D World, NintendoLand, Mario Kart 8, Super Smashbrothers, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, and The Wonderful 101! We’ve got all-new card and board games too- like Channel A, Killer Bunnies, SuperFight! and Munchkin- so come play games and nibble snacks, FTW! No registration required, Grades 6—12.