Wondering what NEXT week holds with The Big Read?

Local Poets Take on Longfellow!

Tuesday, March 30th @ 6:30 p.m. We invited area poets to incorporate Longfellow's work into a reading in any way they wanted. Join us this evening as we see what Elaine Barden came up with as part of The Big Read of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Free and open to the public.

Art Reception for MSDA art students

Tuesday, March 31st @ 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Teen Photographers Take on Longfellow! Please join us for a reception to honor the young women, their teacher Linda Stewart, and their families this evening. The student artists from Mount Saint Dominic Academy created art inspired by The Poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and it is on display in The Gene and Kathryn Collerd Local History Resource Room for the month of March. Please make certain to spend some time appreciating their work, their efforts, and we hope you can join us for this reception. (Thank you again, students and all, for being part of The Big Read of the Poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Click here for a full roster of events.)

K1 P2 (Knit 1 Purl 2)

Thursday, April 1st @ 6:15 p.m. K1 P2 (Knit 1 Purl 2) is an ever growing group of knitters (and crocheters!) of all ages which meets on Thursday evenings for chatting and needling fun. Scouts and service groups (young and young-in-spirit) are encouraged to join us. You will be "hooked" as soon as you cast on your first row of stitches. Already two big boxes of blankets, hats and mittens created during The Big Read of "The Poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow" have been shared with our friends at Okiciyapi Tipi Habitat for Humanity in Eagle Butte, South Dakota.

Teens Take on Longfellow!

Have you come by yet to see how our Teen Photographers Take on Longfellow? Students from Mount Saint Dominic Academy and James Caldwell High School have created some AMAZING work inspired by The Poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and it is on display in The Gene and Kathryn Collerd Local History Resource Room. The MSDA students, under the direction and guidance of Art Teacher Linda Stewart, displayed their work in March, and James Caldwell High School students, under the direction and guidance of Art Club Moderator Bridgit Martin, are displaying their creations in April. Please make certain to spend some time appreciating their work, their efforts. Hopefully you joined us last Wednesday for the reception for the Mount girls, and keep an eye out for the date in April where we will celebrate our JCHS artists at a reception. And, thank you again, students and all, for being part of The Big Read of the Poetry of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Click here for a full roster of events.


NOTE: If you want to know more about Christopher Bing's visit this past week click here for the article on Patch and click here for a video of part of Tuesday night's program at MSDA open to the community. And -- if your children attend school at Trinity, Grover Cleveland Middle School (6th & 7th graders), Harrison, Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, Wilson, and/or The Children's Institute - have you asked them about Mr. Bing's visit to their school this week? That visit would not have been possible without this library receiving the grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for The Big Read, as well as matching monies received from Kiwanis and Rotary, as well as a very generous check from the Caldwell-West Caldwell Education Foundation. We are all working together for our children!

Illustrator Christopher Bing lands in Newark in approximately 50 hours!

Most likely, by now, you are the recipient of emails, flyers, "word of mouth reminders", posting on your school's website - or you know from checking out the Caldwell Public Library and/or the National Endowment for the Arts website for THE BIG READ - that...
Illustrator Christopher Bing will be IN the Caldwells the week of March 22nd.
He will be visiting all public and parochial grammar schools in Caldwell/West Caldwell, and he will be visiting The Children's Institute in Verona. In addition, on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. he will be offering his comments and program and art to our community at the newly opened Doris M. Byrne Performing Arts Center at Mount Saint Dominic Academy. PLEASE join us! For more info check out our website, come to the library, or phone a friend.
And, while you are on the computer -- watch the Metrowest Video's fabulous You Tube of Christopher talking about his passion for his work, and lots of other things as he works on his latest book - Little Red Riding Hood.

Friday, March 5, 2010

"Footprints on the Sands of Time"

Wow oh WOW! Was yesterday ever a banner day for The Big Read of Longfellow in the Caldwells. (Really, a banner week - if we look to Tuesday evening's inaugural "Local Poets Take on Longfellow!" which was most excellent. Thank you again poets (disguised by day as Library Directors) Gabriella Radujko and John J. Trause.

Anyway, back to yesterday, first, at 11 a.m. a full house was captivated by Poet/Caldwell College's Lifelong Learning Institute Teacher Carrie Howson, as she shared stories of the famous "Saturday Morning Club." Even if you missed yesterday's program, pen in next Thursday's 11 a.m. talk right now. Thank you Carrie!

The pictures you see on this page were taken in the afternoon, when 20 teenage students from James Caldwell High School, students in English Department Chair, Sue Callaghan's class, joined with 16 vibrant adults and heard their stories, and took notes, asked questions, and started on a legacy writing project. Above you see Mildred Fitzburgh of Caldwell, and William Nikel of West Caldwell, being interviewed. This program was a collaboration of the library, Caldwell LIVE, and in partnership with the Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education. Cannot wait to read these stories -- and again, please, oh please, be part of The Big Read of Longfellow.