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. 

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.

Pages & Pours Book Club May 20th @ Brignole Vineyard

"Yellowface" by Rebecca F. Kuang

Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves. With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently enjoyable.

Register Here: https://www.brignolevineyards.com/pagesandpoursbookclubatthevineyard

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

Rebecca F. Kuang, Babel, Yellowface, Tuesday, May 21st at 7 pm

We welcome you to register for a thrilling conversation with Rebecca F. Kuang (R.F. Kuang) as she chats with us about her New York Times bestselling novel, Yellowface. Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media.

In Yellowface, Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

White lies, dark humor, and deadly consequences await within the pages of Yellowface. With its totally immersive first-person voice, Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable. Register to join the conversation! 

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. 

Wednesday Afternoon at the Movies 

Wednesday, May 22nd at 1pm we will be showing "The Taste of Things"
Rated PG-13, 2 hours 15 minutes.

Synopsis: France, 1889: simmering passions between a master chef and his longtime partner bubble over in this sumptuous award-winning period love story. 

Movie is in French with English subtitles

*sensuality, partial nudity, smoking

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

Come march with us!
Monday, May 27th
9:45am

Join the East Granby Public Library in the town’s Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 27th at 9:45am. Children and families are welcome to join our marching group!

Anyone marching is asked to line up by 9:45am on Nicholson Road near the Cemetery.  Parade starts promptly at 10:00am. 

Come march with us!
Monday, May 27th
9:45am

Join the East Granby Public Library in the town’s Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 27th at 9:45am. Children and families are welcome to join our marching group!

Anyone marching is asked to line up by 9:45am on Nicholson Road near the Cemetery.  Parade starts promptly at 10:00am. 

  The virtual book club meets via Zoom the last Tuesday of the month at 4pm.

  Meeting, May 28th.

  Title: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

  STREAM ON APPLE TV

  A #1 New York Times Bestseller

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. 

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.  


 

  Needle Felting Workshop: Mice

    Join us for a needle felting class with Angelina Fleury. Instruction and materials are included in the

    $15 class fee. Participants must be 18 or older.

   REGISTRATION IS NOT COMPLETE UNTIL PAYMENT IS RECEIVED.

  Payment is required at least 7 days in advance via cash, check, or Venmo @Eastgranbypubliclibrary.

  If payment is not received the spot will be released. 

    Please note: After 3 last-minute cancellations or no-shows - registration will be restricted. Thank you for understanding.

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. 

Wednesday Afternoon at the Movies 

Wednesday, May 29th at 1pm we will be showing "One Life"
Rated PG, 1 hour 49 minutes.

Synopsis: ONE LIFE tells the incredible true story of Nicholas “Nicky” Winton, a young London broker who helps rescue hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from Czechoslovakia in a race against time before Nazi occupation closes the borders on the verge of World War II. Fifty years later, Nicky (Sir Anthony Hopkins) is haunted by the fate of those he wasn’t able to bring to safety. *thematic material, smoking, language

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.

Join us Saturday, June 1st @ 1:00 for Backstage at the Bushnell!

Enjoy a virtual and interactive tour with trained tour guides from the Bushnell.

Guides will share the rich history, take you backstage, and tell stories of their favorite experiences. 

Location: Large Conference Room 

Register now! 

Matthew Shindell, Smithsonian Collaboration, Monday, June 3rd at 2 pm

You’re invited to come learn alongside Matt Shindell, National Air and Space Museum

Curator, as he introduces viewers to historical figures who have made sense of Mars

and its secrets, in an online discussion of the book For the Love of Mars: A Human

History of the Red Planet on Monday, June 3rd at 2 PM via digital live-stream.

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. 

Wednesday Afternoon at the Movies 

Wednesday, June 5th at 1pm we will be showing "Arthur the King"
Rated PG-13, 1 hour 47 minutes.

Synopsis: Over ten days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) and a scrappy street dog companion dubbed Arthur. Based on an incredible true story, ARTHUR THE KING follows Light, desperate for one last chance to win, as he convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes (Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman) for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. As the team is pushed to their outer limits of endurance in the race, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty and friendship truly mean.

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.

Transitioning from School-based Services to Adult Services

Thursday, June 6th at 6:30 pm 

Join transition advisor Rachel Fox from the CT Department of Developmental Services to learn more about the agency and the services they provide.

- Including DDS's mission
- Eligibility
- Helpline Supports
- Transition from Special Education to employment or day services.

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!

• Visit the library to check out your summer reading books, register for summer reading, and play in our children's room

• Visit the traveling energy museum and participate in mind-blowing, energy-saving experiments - East Granby Community Center Parking Lot

• 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.

• Adam’s Ice Cream Truck: purchase a sweet treat! East Granby Community Center Lawn

• Bubble Stations - East Granby Community Center Lawn

• Temporary Tattoos - East Granby Community Center Lawn

• Hula Hoop Fun - East Granby Community Center Lawn

• Button Making - East Granby Community Center Lawn

​4:15pm-5:15pm: Christopher Agostino’s StoryFaces Show @ the East Granby Community Center

• 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.

Adult 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 adults to continue reading, improve reading skills and increase your desire to read.

How does the program work? 

• Create an account on our summer reading website, ReadSquared, at egpl.readsquared.com.
• Read this summer! Log your reading on egpl.readsquared.com.
  • Adults log books read. They will get 100 points for each book they read.
• Get rewarded! For every 100 points reached, 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!

Need more info? Click here for Frequently Asked Questions

Register today at: www.egpl.readsquared.com.

In-Person Book Club
The book club meets in person at the East Granby Public Library, conference room, the second Monday of the month at 10am.
Meeting, June 10th, 2024

Beloved Stars by Toni Morrison

Pulitzer Prize Winner & New York Times Bestseller

Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has borne the unthinkable and not gone mad, yet she is still held captive by memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. Meanwhile Sethe’s house has long been troubled by the angry, destructive ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.

Sethe works at beating back the past, but it makes itself heard and felt incessantly in her memory and in the lives of those around her. When a mysterious teenage girl arrives, calling herself Beloved, Sethe’s terrible secret explodes into the present.

Combining the visionary power of legend with the unassailable truth of history, Morrison’s unforgettable novel is one of the great and enduring works of American literature.

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

Freida McFadden, The Housemaid, Thursday, June 13th at 8 pm

Get your popcorn and take a seat as we pick the brain of the queen of twists herself, Freida McFadden! McFadden will join us to chat about writing psychological thrillers, her mega-bestselling hit The Housemaid series, in particular her forthcoming (June 11, 2024) third installment, The Housemaid Is Watching. 

The next installment is full of unbelievable twists and tension as it continues to follow Millie Calloway. She used to clean other people’s houses—now, she can’t believe this new home is actually hers. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where her kids can play. She and her husband saved for years to give their children the life they deserve.

Even though she’s wary of their new neighbor, Mrs. Lowell when she invites them over for dinner, it’s their chance to make friends, so they accept the invitation. Mrs. Lowell’s maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. Millie knows exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But the maid’s cold stare gives her chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on their street. Millie’s sure she sees a shadowy figure watching them. Her husband leaves the house late at night. And when she meets a woman who lives across the way, her words chill to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Millie wonders: Did they make a terrible mistake moving their family here?

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.

​

Pages & Pours Book Club June 24th @ Brignole Vineyard

"Tom Lake" by Ann Patchett

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.

Register Here: https://www.brignolevineyards.com/pagesandpoursbookclubatthevineyard

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.

Play-doh Fun! Drop in Program
Tuesday, June 25th and Thursday, June 27th
Tuesday, August 13th and Thursday, August 15th
10:30am - noon
Ages 2-12 years with caregiver

Come and hang out with friends and make play-doh creations in our children’s room. No registration required. 

  The virtual book club meets via Zoom the last Tuesday of the month at 4pm.

  Meeting, June 25th.

  Title: The Biggest Bluff by Maria Konnikoua

   A New York Times Bestseller

It's true that Maria Konnikova had never actually played poker before and didn't even know the rules when she approached Erik Seidel, Poker Hall of Fame inductee and winner of tens of millions of dollars in earnings, and convinced him to be her mentor. But she knew her man: a famously thoughtful and broad-minded player, he was intrigued by her pitch that she wasn't interested in making money so much as learning about life. She had faced a stretch of personal bad luck, and her reflections on the role of chance had led her to a giant of game theory, who pointed her to poker as the ultimate master class in learning to distinguish between what can be controlled and what can't. And she certainly brought something to the table, including a Ph.D. in psychology and an acclaimed and growing body of work on human behavior and how to hack it. So Seidel was in, and soon she was down the rabbit hole with him, into the wild, fiercely competitive, overwhelmingly masculine world of high-stakes Texas Hold'em, their initial end point the following year's World Series of Poker.

But then something extraordinary happened. Under Seidel's guidance, Konnikova did have many epiphanies about life that derived from her new pursuit, including how to better read, not just her opponents but far more importantly herself; how to identify what tilted her into an emotional state that got in the way of good decisions; and how to get to a place where she could accept luck for what it was, and what it wasn't. But she also began to win. And win. In a little over a year, she began making earnest money from tournaments, ultimately totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.  She won a major title, got a sponsor, and got used to being on television, and to headlines like "How one writer's book deal turned her into a professional poker player." She even learned to like Las Vegas.

But in the end, Maria Konnikova is a writer and student of human behavior, and ultimately the point was to render her incredible journey into a container for its invaluable lessons. The biggest bluff of all, she learned, is that skill is enough. Bad cards will come our way, but keeping our focus on how we play them and not on the outcome will keep us moving through many a dark patch, until the luck once again breaks our way.

Play-doh Fun! Drop in Program
Thursday, June 27th
Tuesday, August 13th and Thursday, August 15th
10:30am - noon
Ages 2-12 years with caregiver

Come and hang out with friends and make play-doh creations in our children’s room. No registration required. 

Smokey the Bear Challenges
July 1st - August 8th; All Ages

Help Smokey celebrate his 80th birthday by learning how to prevent wildfires and help the environment. Visit our children’s room and receive a Smokey the Bear activity. Activities will be updated weekly.

Earn more points towards your summer reading program by completing additional Smokey the Bear missions on your summer reading website, egpl.readsquared.com!

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.

In-Person Book Club
The book club meets in person at the East Granby Public Library, conference room, the second Monday of the month at 10am.
Meeting, July 8th, 2024

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
New York Times Bestseller and a major motion picture

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being A WALLFLOWER

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that the perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.
 

Monday Kids Crafts
July 8th
4:30pm - 5:00pm
Ages 5-12 years with caregiver

Join Mrs.Thompson as we create crafts that tie along with our summer reading theme, Read, Renew, Repeat! Space is limited. Register for EACH craft class separately.

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. 

Virtual Author Meet with Kate DiCamillo
Tuesday, July 9th at 2:00 pm 
Grades: PreK-3

A Visit to Deckawoo Drive with Mercy Watson and Kate DiCamillo

Join us for a visit to Deckawoo Drive with everyone’s favorite adventure loving pig, Mercy Watson! Newbery Medal winning author Kate DiCamillo will be sharing the stories behind the creation of her early chapter book series, the original Mercy Watson, and the follow up series, Tales from Deckawoo Drive. We will also be celebrating the publication of the final book in the Mercy Watson series! 

Mercy is selfish and impulsive, but no matter how much trouble she gets in, Mr. and Mrs. Watson continue to love her and see her in the best possible light. Young readers love to join along in her hilarious adventures, taking comfort in the fact that their parents and guardians will love them no matter what as well. BYOBT – Bring Your Own Buttered Toast!

About the Author

Kate DiCamillo is the award-winning author of over 30 books for children. She served as the 2014-2015 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, appointed by the Library of Congress. Several of her books have been turned into movies, and one was even adapted as an opera. She grew up in Florida and currently lives in Minnesota.

Register here: https://libraryc.org/egpl/49996/register

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.

Monday Kids Crafts
July 15th
4:30pm - 5:00pm
Ages 5-12 years with caregiver

Join Mrs.Thompson as we create crafts that tie along with our summer reading theme, Read, Renew, Repeat! Space is limited. Register for EACH craft class separately.

 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. 

Virtual Author Meet with Max Brallier
Tuesday, July 16th @ 2pm
Grades 3-6

Would you survive a zombie apocalypse? Join us to talk with New York Times bestselling author Max Brallier about The Last Kids on Earth, both the book series and the animated series on Netflix. In this virtual event, Max will share how he came up with the different monsters and villains as well as the unique ways that Jack and his friends figure out to defeat them.

Ever since the monster apocalypse hit town, average thirteen year old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he’s armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hordes of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack’s loyal pet monster, Rover; and Jack’s crush, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer! Can he do it?

About the Author
Max Brallier is the New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books, including the middle-grade series, The Last Kids on Earth. Under the pen name Jack Chabert, Max is the creator and author of the Eerie Elementary series and author of the New York Times bestselling graphic novel Poptropica: Mystery of the Map. He has also written books for properties including LEGO, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Steven Universe, and Uncle Grandpa. Max has written for adults as well, including the pick-your-own-path series Can YOU Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? and an entry in the zombie anthology Nights of the Living Dead. Max lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.

Register here: https://libraryc.org/egpl/50424/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. 

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.

Monday Kids Crafts
July 22nd
4:30pm - 5:00pm
Ages 5-12 years with caregiver

Join Mrs.Thompson as we create crafts that tie along with our summer reading theme, Read, Renew, Repeat! Space is limited. Register for EACH craft class separately.

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. 

Pages & Pours Book Club July 29th @ Brignole Vineyard

"Don't Forget to Write" by Sara Goodman Confino

In 1960, a young woman discovers a freedom she never knew existed in this exhilarating, funny, and emotional novel by the bestselling author of She’s Up to No Good . When Marilyn Kleinman is caught making out with the rabbi’s son in front of the whole congregation, her parents ship her off to her great-aunt Ada for the summer. If anyone can save their daughter’s reputation, it’s Philadelphia’s strict premier matchmaker. Either that or Marilyn can kiss college goodbye. To Marilyn’s surprise, Ada’s not the humorless septuagenarian her mother described. Not with that platinum-blonde hair, Hermès scarf, and Cadillac convertible. She’s sharp, straight-talking, takes her job very seriously, and abides by her own rules…mostly. As the summer unfolds, Ada and Marilyn head for the Jersey shore, where Marilyn helps Ada scope out eligible matches—for anyone but Marilyn, that is. Because if there’s one thing Marilyn’s learned from Ada, it’s that she doesn’t have to settle. With the school year quickly approaching and her father threatening to disinherit her, Marilyn must make her choice for her future: return to the comfortable life she knows, or embrace a risky, unknown path on her own.

Register Here: https://www.brignolevineyards.com/pagesandpoursbookclubatthevineyard

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

YA Book Club -  You Should See Me In A Crown
Tuesday, July 30th
4pm - 5pm
Grades 8-12

Venture into the story You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson. Bring your own book or borrow one of ours. Led by Liddy Doyle.

East Granby High School & Middle School incoming 8th-10th graders may be eligible to earn extra credit toward their summer reading! Ask your teacher for details. 

Please read the entire book prior to attending the club meeting and be ready to discuss. If you are borrowing a book, books will be available at the library for pick up approximately three weeks prior to the meeting date. Please ask a librarian for a copy as we have extra copies at our front desk, while supplies last.

Note: There will be another session on August 6th at 4pm. Both the July 30th and August 6th sessions will be identical.

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. 

YA Book Club -  You Should See Me In A Crown
Tuesday, August 6th
4pm - 5pm
Grades 8-12

Venture into the story You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson. Bring your own book or borrow one of ours. Led by Liddy Doyle.

East Granby High School & Middle School incoming 8th-10th graders may be eligible to earn extra credit toward their summer reading! Ask your teacher for details. 

Please read the entire book prior to attending the club meeting and be ready to discuss. If you are borrowing a book, books will be available at the library for pick up approximately three weeks prior to the meeting date. Please ask a librarian for a copy as we have extra copies at our front desk, while supplies last.

Note: There will be another session on July 30th at 4pm. Both the July 30th and August 6th sessions will be identical.

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. 

In-Person Book Club
The book club meets in person at the East Granby Public Library, conference room, the second Monday of the month at 10am.
Meeting, August 12th, 2024

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

They are an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. Yet they have formed a "family," clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation.

Laborers in California's dusty vegetable fields, they hustle work when they can, living a hand-to-mouth existence. For George and Lennie have a plan: to own an acre of land and a shack they can call their own. When they land jobs on a ranch in the Salinas Valley, the fulfillment of their dream seems to be within their grasp. But even George cannot guard Lennie from the provocations of a flirtatious woman, nor predict the consequences of Lennie's unswerving obedience to the things George taught him.

Play-doh Fun! Drop in Program
Tuesday, August 13th and Thursday, August 15th
10:30am - noon
Ages 2-12 years with caregiver

Come and hang out with friends and make play-doh creations in our children’s room. No registration required. 

Play-doh Fun! Drop in Program
Thursday, August 15th
10:30am - noon
Ages 2-12 years with caregiver

Come and hang out with friends and make play-doh creations in our children’s room. No registration required. 

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. 

Pages & Pours Book Club August 26th @ Brignole Vineyard

"First Lie Wins" by Ashley Elston

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.

Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn't be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge...

Register Here: https://www.brignolevineyards.com/pagesandpoursbookclubatthevineyard

In-Person Book Club
The book club meets in person at the East Granby Public Library, conference room, the second Monday of the month at 10am.
Meeting, September 9th, 2024

The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award

A powerful cultural touchstone of modern American literature, The Color Purple depicts the lives of African American women in early-twentieth-century rural Georgia. Separated as girls, sisters Celie and Nettie sustain their loyalty to and hope in each other across time, distance, and silence. Through a series of letters spanning nearly thirty years, first from Celie to God, then from the sisters to each other, the novel draws readers into a rich and memorable portrayal of Black women—their pain and struggle, companionship and growth, resilience and bravery.

Deeply compassionate and beautifully imagined, The Color Purple breaks the silence around domestic and sexual abuse, and carries readers on an epic and spirit-affirming journey toward transformation, redemption, and love.

Pages & Pours Book Club September 30th @ Brignole Vineyard

"The Burnout" by Sophia Kinsella

Sasha has had it. She cannot bring herself to respond to another inane, “urgent” (but obviously not at all urgent) email or participate in the corporate employee joyfulness program. She hasn’t seen her friends in months. Sex? Seems like a lot of effort. Even cooking dinner takes far too much planning. Sasha has hit a wall.

Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga, and find peace, she heads to the seaside resort she loved as a child. But it’s the off season, the hotel is in a dilapidated shambles, and she has to share the beach with the only other a grumpy guy named Finn, who seems as stressed as Sasha. How can she commune with nature when he’s sitting on her favorite rock, watching her? Nor can they agree on how best to alleviate their burnout ( manifesting, wild swimming; drinking whisky, getting pizza delivered to the beach).

When curious messages, seemingly addressed to Sasha and Finn, begin to appear on the beach, the two are forced to talk—about everything. How did they get so burned out? Can either of them remember something they used to love? (Answer: surfing!) And the question they try and fail to ignore: what does the energy between them—flaring even in the face of their bone-deep exhaustion—signify?

Register Here: https://www.brignolevineyards.com/pagesandpoursbookclubatthevineyard

In-Person Book Club
The book club meets in person at the East Granby Public Library, conference room, the second Monday of the month at 10am.
Meeting, October 15th, 2024

All American Boy by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
New york Times Bestseller

A bag of chips. That’s all sixteen-year-old Rashad is looking for at the corner bodega. What he finds instead is a fist-happy cop, Paul Galluzzo, who mistakes Rashad for a shoplifter, mistakes Rashad’s pleadings that he’s stolen nothing for belligerence, mistakes Rashad’s resistance to leave the bodega as resisting arrest, mistakes Rashad’s every flinch at every punch the cop throws as further resistance and refusal to STAY STILL as ordered. But how can you stay still when someone is pounding your face into the concrete pavement?

There were witnesses: Quinn Collins—a varsity basketball player and Rashad’s classmate who has been raised by Paul since his own father died in Afghanistan—and a video camera. Soon the beating is all over the news and Paul is getting threatened with accusations of prejudice and racial brutality. Quinn refuses to believe that the man who has basically been his savior could possibly be guilty. But then Rashad is absent. And absent again. And again. And the basketball team—half of whom are Rashad’s best friends—start to take sides. As does the school. And the town. Simmering tensions threaten to explode as Rashad and Quinn are forced to face decisions and consequences they had never considered before.

Pages & Pours Book Club October 28th @ Brignole Vineyard

"The Unmaking of June Farrow" by Adrienne Young

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.
 

Register Here: https://www.brignolevineyards.com/pagesandpoursbookclubatthevineyard

In-Person Book Club
The book club meets in person at the East Granby Public Library, conference room, the second Monday of the month at 10am.
Meeting, November 11th, 2024

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
A Top Ten Most Challenged Book of the Year

"This is East Texas, and there's lines. Lines you cross, lines you don't cross. That clear?" New London, TX. 1937. Naomi Vargas is Mexican American. Wash Fuller is Black. These teens know the town's divisive racism better than anyone. But sometimes the attraction between two people is so powerful it breaks through even the most entrenched color lines. And the consequences can be explosive.
Naomi and Wash dare to defy the rules, and the New London school explosion serves as a ticking time bomb in the background. Can their love survive both prejudice and tragedy?
Race, romance, and family converge in this riveting novel that transplants Romeo and Juliet to a bitterly segregated Texas town. Includes a fascinating author's note detailing the process of research and writing about voices that have largely been excluded from historical accounts.
 

Pages & Pours Book Club November 25th @ Brignole Vineyard

"The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store" by James McBride

In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighbourhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows.

As these characters' stories overlap and deepen, it becomes clear how much the people who live on the margins struggle and what they must do to survive. When the truth is finally revealed about what happened on Chicken Hill and the part the town's white establishment played in it, McBride shows us that even in dark times, it is love and community-heaven and earth-that sustain us.

Register Here: https://www.brignolevineyards.com/pagesandpoursbookclubatthevineyard

In-Person Book Club
The book club meets in person at the East Granby Public Library, conference room, the second Monday of the month at 10am.
Meeting, December 9th, 2024

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

 #1 New York Times and International Bestseller. Netflix Original Series

You can’t stop the future. 
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

Need to talk? Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) anytime if you are in the United States. It’s free and confidential.
 

Pages & Pours Book Club December 30th @ Brignole Vineyard

"Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.
Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

Register Here: https://www.brignolevineyards.com/pagesandpoursbookclubatthevineyard