Secret Agents Club - Volunteer Club
7th-12th Graders
Runs thru August 2024
Are you in 7th-12th grade and have an interest in the library or need to complete a certain number of volunteer hours for school or honor society? Then become a member of our Library’s Secret Agents Club. Volunteers will assist with behind the scenes library tasks that will benefit our community!
How it works: Register to become a member of our Secret Agents Club. Once you have joined, we will periodically email you details on upcoming volunteer opportunities. You only commit to the dates that work for you! Volunteer opportunities may include:
- Assisting with programs/events
- Shelving
- Shelf checking
- Cutting/assembling crafts
- Pulling materials for librarians
- Cleaning toys and shelves
- Decorating for the holidays
- Designing bulletin boards and displays
- Assisting with the Storytrails
Come be a part of our volunteer team!
I Love My Kyrgyzstan - Children Art Exhibit
March 12th - May 20th
Promoting peace through arts and culture
Come to the East Granby Public Library and view the artwork created by Kyrgyzstan students 4-17 years of age studying at the Republic Center of Aesthetic Education for Children “Balajan“ in Bishkek. The exhibit celebrates the anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Kyrgyz Republic (also known as Kyrgystan) and the US.
This traveling exhibition is brought to us by the Fermata Arts Foundation and the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic to the USA.
The mission of the Fermata Arts Foundation is to aid in the preservation of peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.
Story Trail: April - November 2024
Family hikers are welcome to explore our story trail now through mid November. Hike the 1/2 mile loop at the Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy Ian Clark Preserve on Kimberly Road in East Granby, CT and enjoy a children's story.
This story trail helps build children’s interest in reading, while encouraging healthy outdoor activity for children and their families. The Story Trail is brought to you by the East Granby Public Library, The Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy, and the Grochowska-Smith Family.
Stories will be updated with the seasons, offering a new experience for repeat visitors.
Current Featured Story: TRIO: The Tale of a Three-legged Cat written and illustrated by Andrea Wisnewski
Directions to Ian Clark Preserve in East Granby, CT:
Peek At Our Peeps! April 24th - May 29th
Visit the library during business hours and see the life cycle of a chicken!
April 24th - May 14th: Eggs incubating
May 15th - May 18th*: Eggs hatching
May 19th - May 29th: Meet the little chicks!
*Dates of hatching are approximate.
CHESS CLUB - SPRING SESSION
Thursdays: May 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd
4:15pm - 5:00pm
Grades 1-8
Both past club members and new players are welcome. Register once for the whole spring club session. Join us for this 4-class introductory chess club session. Class will include talking about the rules, opening play, closing a winning position, and tactics.
Join retired educator, local West Hartford resident and chess lover, John Sherman, for this 4-week chess class.
This club is sponsored by the Grochowska-Smith Family.
Bedtime Stories with Mrs. Ullmann & Mrs. Smith
Monday, May 20th
6:00pm - 6:30pm
Join Allgrove School teachers and friends for bedtime stories. All are welcome to join. Starts at 6pm. Approximately 30 minutes. Register for each bedtime story session separately. Participants are welcome to come in their jammies and bring a small stuffed animal.
A special thanks to the Carl Allgrove teachers for volunteering their time to make these events possible! R
Little Ones Storytime
Spring Session runs from March 20th - June 5th (Note: no classes on April 10th and May 15th)
Wednesdays @ 10:30am
Ages: 18 months – 3 years old with caregiver
Wiggle, rhyme, and sing with diverse books, fingerplays, songs and crafts that encourage language, play, and exploration. Approximately 40 minutes. You only need to register once for the entire spring session.
Terrific Tales 10:30am - Spring Storytime
Thursdays @ 10:30am
Spring Session runs March 21st - June 6th (Note: no class on April 11th and May 16th)
Ages 3 – 6 years old with caregiver
Explore stories, music, fingerplays, crafts and more! Register ONCE for the whole spring session. Approximately 45 minutes.
Terrific Tales 12:30pm - Spring Storytime
Thursdays @ 12:30pm
Spring Session runs March 21st - June 6th (Note: no class on April 11th and May 16th)
Ages 3 – 6 years old with caregiver
Explore stories, music, fingerplays, crafts and more! Register ONCE for the whole spring session. Approximately 45 minutes.
CHESS CLUB - SPRING SESSION
Thursdays: May 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd
4:15pm - 5:00pm
Grades 1-8
Both past club members and new players are welcome. Register once for the whole spring club session. Join us for this 4-class introductory chess club session. Class will include talking about the rules, opening play, closing a winning position, and tactics.
Join retired educator, local West Hartford resident and chess lover, John Sherman, for this 4-week chess class.
This club is sponsored by the Grochowska-Smith Family.
Gavel Club - New members are welcome at anytime!
Sept 14th, 2023 - June 13th, 2024
Meets Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month
5:30pm - 6:30pm
Grades 4-9
Note: No classes on Nov 23rd, Dec 28th, or April 11th.
Register once for the entire series. Improve your public speaking and leadership skills at the Gavel Club. Learn how to craft speeches and present them. Learn skills such as giving constructive feedback, facilitating meetings, using body language and time management. Lead by Toastmaster members Abhinav, Hansika, and Surrender Lenkala.
At the end of a session, there will be contests in which you can show your public speaking and evaluation skills. Empower yourself! New members are welcome at anytime!
Gavel Club is an affiliate of Toastmasters International.
Annual membership fee: $20 per participant
Payment must be made prior to your child's first class. Venmo @Eastgranbypubliclibrary. Or cash or checks can be dropped off at the library front desk. Checks can be made out to East Granby Public Library.
By registering for this series, you are allowing us to share your information with Toastmasters International.
Meeting Dates:
Thursdays:
- Sept 14
- Sept 28
- Oct 12
- Oct 26
- Nov 9
- Nov 23 - Closed for Thanksgiving. No Gavel Club Today.
- Dec 14
- Dec 28 - No class. Winter Break.
- Jan 11
- Jan 25
- Feb 8
- Feb 22
- March 14
- March 28
- April 11 - No class. Spring break.
- April 25
- May 9
- May 23
- June 13 - Last class/Celebration
Little Ones Storytime
Spring Session runs from March 20th - June 5th (Note: no classes on April 10th and May 15th)
Wednesdays @ 10:30am
Ages: 18 months – 3 years old with caregiver
Wiggle, rhyme, and sing with diverse books, fingerplays, songs and crafts that encourage language, play, and exploration. Approximately 40 minutes. You only need to register once for the entire spring session.
Family Movie
Wednesday, May 29th @ 5pm
"Wonka"
Rated PG, 1 hours 56 minutes.
Caregivers to supervise children at all times.
Synopsis:
Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the jewel in the Roald Dahl crown and one of the best‐selling children’s books of all time, “Wonka” tells the wondrous story of how the world’s greatest inventor, magician and chocolate‐maker became the beloved Willy Wonka we know today. This irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock‐full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.
Terrific Tales 10:30am - Spring Storytime
Thursdays @ 10:30am
Spring Session runs March 21st - June 6th (Note: no class on April 11th and May 16th)
Ages 3 – 6 years old with caregiver
Explore stories, music, fingerplays, crafts and more! Register ONCE for the whole spring session. Approximately 45 minutes.
Terrific Tales 12:30pm - Spring Storytime
Thursdays @ 12:30pm
Spring Session runs March 21st - June 6th (Note: no class on April 11th and May 16th)
Ages 3 – 6 years old with caregiver
Explore stories, music, fingerplays, crafts and more! Register ONCE for the whole spring session. Approximately 45 minutes.
Little Ones Storytime
Spring Session runs from March 20th - June 5th (Note: no classes on April 10th and May 15th)
Wednesdays @ 10:30am
Ages: 18 months – 3 years old with caregiver
Wiggle, rhyme, and sing with diverse books, fingerplays, songs and crafts that encourage language, play, and exploration. Approximately 40 minutes. You only need to register once for the entire spring session.
Terrific Tales 10:30am - Spring Storytime
Thursdays @ 10:30am
Spring Session runs March 21st - June 6th (Note: no class on April 11th and May 16th)
Ages 3 – 6 years old with caregiver
Explore stories, music, fingerplays, crafts and more! Register ONCE for the whole spring session. Approximately 45 minutes.
Terrific Tales 12:30pm - Spring Storytime
Thursdays @ 12:30pm
Spring Session runs March 21st - June 6th (Note: no class on April 11th and May 16th)
Ages 3 – 6 years old with caregiver
Explore stories, music, fingerplays, crafts and more! Register ONCE for the whole spring session. Approximately 45 minutes.
StoryFaces Show and Summer Reading Kick Off Party!
Friday, June 7th from 3:00pm - 5:15pm
Families are Welcome!
Schedule:
3:00pm - 4:15pm: Fun Stuff!
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Visit the library to check out your summer reading books, register for summer reading, and play in our children's room
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Visit the traveling energy museum and participate in mind-blowing, energy-saving experiments - East Granby Community Center Parking Lot
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Take a walk around the pond on Doreen's Nature Trail and enjoy a children’s story. Trail starts at the library’s back patio.
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Adam’s Ice Cream Truck: purchase a sweet treat! East Granby Community Center Lawn
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Bubble Stations - East Granby Community Center Lawn
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Temporary Tattoos - East Granby Community Center Lawn
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Hula Hoop Fun - East Granby Community Center Lawn
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Button Making - East Granby Community Center Lawn
4:15pm-5:15pm: Christopher Agostino’s StoryFaces Show @ the East Granby Community Center
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See stories come to life on the faces of the audience. StoryFaces is an exciting storytelling show in which Christopher paints the faces of audience volunteers to illustrate the stories he tells them. He engages the audience with uniquely animated tales of world cultures and our shared humanity. This show is not to be missed!
Child and Teen East Granby Public Library
Summer Reading Program 2024 - Read. Renew. Repeat.
June 10th - August 3rd
Come join our summer reading program and earn rewards for reading! For all ages!
Why join a summer reading program? Not only is it fun, the Summer Reading Program encourages children and adults to continue reading and to develop lifelong learning skills. Children will mitigate any summer learning loss, improve reading skills and increase their desire to read.
How does the program work?
- Create an account on our summer reading website, ReadSquared, at egpl.readsquared.com. Caregivers must first create an account for themselves prior to enrolling their child(ren).
- Read this summer! Log your reading on egpl.readsquared.com.
- Children and teens log minutes read. They will get one point for each minute they read.
- Adults log books read. They will get 100 points for each book they read.
- Additional points can be earned by completing missions!
- Get rewarded! For every 100 points reached, children and teens can come into the library to drop a puck into our prize drop and win a prize! And you will receive a virtual badge on your home page. Adults will earn virtual raffle tickets to win a weekly prize! Once you reach 800 points, you will complete our program and earn a completion certificate!
We will also share your completion results with Allgrove & Seymour Schools!
Need more info? Click here for Frequently Asked Questions
Register today at: www.egpl.readsquared.com.
Gavel Club - New members are welcome at anytime!
Sept 14th, 2023 - June 13th, 2024
Meets Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month
5:30pm - 6:30pm
Grades 4-9
Note: No classes on Nov 23rd, Dec 28th, or April 11th.
Register once for the entire series. Improve your public speaking and leadership skills at the Gavel Club. Learn how to craft speeches and present them. Learn skills such as giving constructive feedback, facilitating meetings, using body language and time management. Lead by Toastmaster members Abhinav, Hansika, and Surrender Lenkala.
At the end of a session, there will be contests in which you can show your public speaking and evaluation skills. Empower yourself! New members are welcome at anytime!
Gavel Club is an affiliate of Toastmasters International.
Annual membership fee: $20 per participant
Payment must be made prior to your child's first class. Venmo @Eastgranbypubliclibrary. Or cash or checks can be dropped off at the library front desk. Checks can be made out to East Granby Public Library.
By registering for this series, you are allowing us to share your information with Toastmasters International.
Meeting Dates:
Thursdays:
- Sept 14
- Sept 28
- Oct 12
- Oct 26
- Nov 9
- Nov 23 - Closed for Thanksgiving. No Gavel Club Today.
- Dec 14
- Dec 28 - No class. Winter Break.
- Jan 11
- Jan 25
- Feb 8
- Feb 22
- March 14
- March 28
- April 11 - No class. Spring break.
- April 25
- May 9
- May 23
- June 13 - Last class/Celebration
Riverside Reptiles Show - Animal Adaptions Program
Monday, June 17th
At the East Granby Community Center
5pm - 6pm
All ages welcome. All participants must be able to sit calmy and quitely.
Why can a gecko walk up glass? How can a snake eat something larger than its head? This program features unique adaptations and how they match the habitat in which the animal lives. Animals you might see:
- Giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
- Emperor Scorpion or Tarantula
- Frog
- Turtle or Tortoise
- Legless Lizard
- Lizard: Gecko, Blue-tongued Skink or Bearded Dragon
- Crocodilian
- Smaller snake: Milk, King, Corn or Rat Snake
- Larger Snake: Python or Boa
This event is sponsored by the Grochowska-Smith Family.
Natural Weaving Loom
All Ages with caregiver
Summer 2024
Through teamwork we will create a loom masterpiece! Our weaving loom will be located on our back patio. Come during business hours this summer, gather flexible vines, flowers, and leaves and weave them into our loom.
Read. Renew. Repeat. Storytime!
Featured Story: Pesky Plastic
July 3rd at 10:30am
Ages 3-12 years w/caregiver
Explore our summer reading theme, “ Read. Renew. Repeat.” through stories with the Kellogg Environmental Center. They will bring materials from local habitats to compare with those discussed in the stories to show the diversity of life on Earth and the role all things play in keeping the balance of habitats going. And learn what you can do to become better stewards of our natural resources!
What can we do about the problems of marine plastic? Learn about the challenges ocean creatures face from plastic as it becomes smaller and smaller in water and sand.
Family Movie - Wish
Tuesday, July 9th @ 10:30am
Join us for a family movie and popcorn! Space is limited.
Rated Parental Guide (PG)
Running time: 1 hour and 35 minutes. Caregivers to supervise children at all times.
Read. Renew. Repeat. Storytime!
Featured Story: Redwoods by Jason Chin
July 10th at 10:30am
Ages 3-12 years w/caregiver
Explore our summer reading theme, “ Read. Renew. Repeat.” through stories with the Kellogg Environmental Center. They will bring materials from local habitats to compare with those discussed in the stories to show the diversity of life on Earth and the role all things play in keeping the balance of habitats going. And learn what you can do to become better stewards of our natural resources!
Compare the Redwoods and the amazing habitat they live in with our forests found here in Connecticut. Learn how trees provide so much to the environment. Write a thank you to trees using acorn ink, recipe included!
Drop-in Maker Space
Thursday July 11th
10:30am - 12:00pm
Ages 4 - 12 with caregiver
Put your imagination to work and see what you can create! Our Maker Space cart and other supplies will be provided. Caregivers to supervise their children at all times. Maker Space may contain small pieces that are choking hazards to small children.
Earth Agent Kits
Ages 7-12 years
$5 per kit
July - August
Explore the natural world around us through UConn 4-H’s Earth Agents Activity Kits! Kits contain materials for construction and are accompanied by instructional videos and resources. Kits will be available for pick up at the East Granby Public Library in mid July.
Earth Agent kits have been developed in support of our 2024 Summer Reading theme, “Read, Renew, Repeat.” Youth will explore physical and biological sciences while developing problem solving skills and learning about conservation efforts. Each activity has a tutorial video featuring Mr. Marc, which you can access on the UConn Extension YouTube channel or on the UConn 4-H website. There will be recommended books that go with each activity, instructional sheets that detail the process of making each kit, career connections related to conservation, natural sciences, and environmental education, along with additional resources for your use.
Each kit will contain the following activities:
- Pizza Box Solar Oven
- Create Your Own Compost
- Nature Scavenger Hunt & “Bug Hut” Build
- Bee Bots
- Food Web Board Game
Cost is $5 per kit. Payment is required at the time of pick up via cash, check, or Venmo @Eastgranbypubliclibrary. If your kit is not paid for and picked up in a timely manner, the kit will go to the next person on our wait list, as our quantities are limited.
Summer Storytime! Wednesdays: July 17th, 24th, & 31st
10:30am - 11:15am; All ages with caregiver
Wiggle, rhyme, and sing with diverse books, fingerplays, and songs that encourage language, play, and exploration.
After each class, kids will be able to plant a seed to take home and care for.
Register only once for all three classes.
Drop-in Maker Space
Thursday July 18th
10:30am - 12:00pm
Ages 4 - 12 with caregiver
Put your imagination to work and see what you can create! Our Maker Space cart and other supplies will be provided. Caregivers to supervise their children at all times. Maker Space may contain small pieces that are choking hazards to small children.
Family Movie - Trolls Band Together
Tuesday, July 23rd @ 1:30pm
Join us for a family movie and popcorn! Free troll headbands will be given to child attendees while supplies last! Space is limited.
Rated Parental Guide (PG)
Running time: 1 hour and 31 minutes. Caregivers to supervise children at all times.
Virtual Author Meet with Elizabeth Acevedo
Tuesday, July 23rd @ 2pm
Grades 9-12
Learning the Power of Poetry with Bestselling Author Elizabeth Acevedo
You’re invited to learn about the power of poetry with Elizabeth Acevedo! In this exciting author conversation and Q&A, Acevedo will provide a short reading from her National Book Award winning and New York Times bestselling novel-in-verse, The Poet X serving as the backdrop to this amazing chat!
The Poet X is about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth. Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking. But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about.
With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself. So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out. But she still can’t stop thinking about performing her poems. Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.
A virtual author talk you don’t want to miss–come create out loud with Elizabeth Acevedo! Register now!
About the Author
Elizabeth Acevedo is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie medal, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award. She is also the author of numerous other titles including Family Lore; With the Fire on High, which was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal; and Clap When You Land, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor book and a Kirkus finalist. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer’s Workshops. She is a National Poetry Slam Champion, and resides in Washington, DC with her husband.
Register here: https://libraryc.org/egpl/50852/register
Summer Storytime! Wednesdays: July 17th, 24th, & 31st
10:30am - 11:15am; All ages with caregiver
Wiggle, rhyme, and sing with diverse books, fingerplays, and songs that encourage language, play, and exploration.
After each class, kids will be able to plant a seed to take home and care for.
Register only once for all three classes.
Baseball Night!
Monday, July 29th, 2024
5:30PM - 6:30PM
Ages: 5-12 years
Join Mr. Carroll for an amazing night of baseball stories, trivia, prizes, and ice cream!
We hope to toss and hit some balls too - weather permitting!
Virtual Author Meet with Dan Santat
Tuesday, July 30th @ 2pm
Grades 5-8
Graphic Novels are Life! Telling Your Own Story in a Graphic Novel with Dan Santat
Join this year’s winner of the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Dan Santat, as he inspires tweens and teens to tell their own stories through graphic novels. His winning book, A First Time for Everything, is a graphic memoir based on his own awkward middle school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life.
Dan Santat began drawing as a young boy and although he first studied microbiology, he pursued his passion in illustration. He spent many hours as a child and teenager teaching himself to draw by copying illustrations from comic books until he developed the unique, recognizable style that we see today. His talk will inspire listeners to draw their own story as well as give them practical tips on the creation of graphic novels.
About the Author
Dan Santat is a Caldecott Medal winner, a National Book Award winner, and a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. His artwork is also featured in numerous picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels. Santat created the animated television show, "The Replacements," as well. He lives in Southern California with his wife and two children.
Register here: https://libraryc.org/egpl/51280/register
Summer Storytime! Wednesdays: July 17th, 24th, & 31st
10:30am - 11:15am; All ages with caregiver
Wiggle, rhyme, and sing with diverse books, fingerplays, and songs that encourage language, play, and exploration.
After each class, kids will be able to plant a seed to take home and care for.
Register only once for all three classes.
Touch a Truck & Construction Zone
Wednesday, August 7th
10:30am-12:00pm
Families are welcome
*Event is weather permitting*
Visit a fire truck, ambulance, and the DPW trucks out in our parking lot. Come see them up close and explore the vechicles our town uses to keep our town safe and beautiful! Adam Ice Cream truck will also have sweets for sale!
Also visit our Construction Zone inside our library. Meet with friends and build with Legos and other materials! NOTE: Construction Zone may contain small pieces that are choking hazards to small children.
Kindergarten Connection
Monday, August 19th @ 10:30am
For children (with caregivers) entering kindergarten in 2024
Let’s help ease the transition to Kindergarten. Join The East Granby Public Library for stories, ice breakers, songs and open play with friends. Session to last approx 45 minutes.
Note: There is another session offered on Wdnesday, August 21st at 5:30pm. Both sessions will be identical. Please only register for one session and be sure you are registering for the correct date.
Kindergarten Connection - Evening Session
Wednesday, August 21st @ 5:30pm
For children (with caregivers) entering kindergarten in 2024
Let’s help ease the transition to Kindergarten. Join The East Granby Public Library for stories, ice breakers, songs and open play with friends. Session to last approx 45 minutes.
Note: There is another session offered on Monday, August 19th at 5:30pm. Both sessions will be identical. Please only register for one session and be sure you are registering for the correct date.
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