21st Annual Taste of Durham

Preparations have begun for the 21st Annual Taste of Durham! Bernadette and Bailey have been putting up decorations for the event.  Tickets are available in person at the library or online:  https://www.tasteofdurhamct.com/

Call 860-349-9544, ext. 1 if you have any questions.

PATRON PICKS--THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS

Kassie's pick is The Light Between Oceans, by M. L. Stedman (audio book)

About the book:  After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day's journey from the coast.  To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel.  Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby's cries on the wind.  A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

Tom, who keeps meticulous records and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately.  But Isabel insists the baby is a "gift from God," and against Tom's judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy.  When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world.  Their choice has devastated one of them. (From Amazon)

Kassie says:  A lighthouse keeper in post-WWI Australia.  Austere narrative of loss and deep sadness.  Beautifully read, but his soft voice required frequent volume adjustments.

VISIT OUR THANKFUL TREE!

When you stop by the library, be sure to visit our Thankful Tree!  Take a minute to write down on one of the leaves the name of a book you love or a book that was meaningful to you in some way.  Write down the title, the author, and your name (optional) and hang the leaf on the tree.  For all ages!  

PATRON PICKS--ROOM

Kassie's pick is Room, by Emma Donoghue

About the book:  To 5-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world.  It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play.  At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for 7 years.  Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack.  But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him.  She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck.  What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.  

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic 5-year-old Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.  (From Amazon)

Kassie says:  Darker, more complex than I had expected.  The exploration of what and who is real makes it more than a domestic drama.  And Jack is astounding.

PATRON PICKS--Thy Children's Children

Patricia's pick is Thy Children's Children, by Diana Ross

About the book:  Thy Children's Children traces five generations of a real New England family through the turbulent decades that saw a handful of American colonies transformed into a young nation on the cusp of the modern industrial era.  The seeds of a grassroots dynasty that flourishes to this day were planted when John and Hope Lyman began life on a small Connecticut farm in 1741.  Here the first five generations of Lyman men and women built and maintained a family homestead, facing challenges large and small, with courage and conviction.
(from Amazon)

Patricia says:  Wonderful history of Middlefield and Durham, written as a historical novel.  Follows the Lyman family's lives.  Engrossing depiction of colonial life on a local level.

Museum Passes Available at the Durham Public Library

Did you know that you can use your library card to check out passes to Connecticut museums and state parks? We have reduced price and free admission passes available. Come check them out!

The Children's Museum & Roaring Brook Nature Center 
Florence Griswold Museum
Maritime Aquarium
Mystic Aquarium 
Mystic Seaport
Connecticut River Museum
Peabody Museum
New England Air Museum
Connecticut State Park Passes
Connecticut's Old State House
New Britain Museum of American Art
Wadsworth Atheneum

Passes are free for two days.  There is a $5.00 per day late fee.  Any adult with a valid Connecticut library card may borrow the passes.  We'll hold the pass for one hour if you call the day you intend to use it, but we do not take reservations.  One pass per family at a time.  Please return the passes inside the library. 

Sponsored by P.A.L.S. (Friends of the Durham Public Library)

MONEY SMART WEEK April 23-30

The Durham Public Library is Presenting Money Smart Week, April 23-30!  Money Smart Week is a national public awareness campaign designed to help consumers of all ages better manage their personal finances through free financial literacy programming.

We'll be offering Fine Forgiveness for overdue books during Money Smart Week.

March 15 to May 15:  Play Dash for the Stash--Enter for a chance to win a $1,000 IRA!  Must be 18 & over to play.

We are also offering many programs for all ages:

Estate Planning.  Tuesday, April 26, 7:00pm.  Learn why Estate Planning is important, hear about common planning strategies, and leave with ideas for an action plan.  Registration required.

Welcome to the Real World Connecticut Simulation.  Wednesday, April 27, 6:30-8:30pm.  Ages 12-18.  Imagine your future life at this fun and interactive program designed especially for teens.  Registration required.  Program is provided by UCONN Extension Family Economics and Resource Management.  The University of Connecticut is an equal opportunity employer and program provider.

Accessories Swap.  Thursday, April 28, 6:30-7:30pm.  Adults Only.  "Why Shop When You Can Swap."  We'll be collecting the following Accessories:  Scarves, Jewelry, Gloves, Hats, Handbags, Belts, Keychains.  You must donate something to attend.  Details at the Durham Public Library.

Free Financial Family Fun Fest.  Saturday, April 30, 11:00am -1:00pm.  Drop in for: Crafts for ages 3-11.  Scavenger Hunt, ages 8 & up:  Complete the hunt and enter your name to win a prize.  Free Financial Information for the Adults:  Fournier Legal Services and Representatives from People's Bank will be here to answer your Financial Questions.  Also, cookies, juice, free balloons for the kids!

  

Stop by the Durham Public Library to register or call 860-349-9544, ext. 1.