Catalog
Below are some of our exciting upcoming programs.
Check out our full event calendar for a list of all our programs.
Improv for Introverts, Extroverts, and Everyone-in-Between
Saturday, May 18 from 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Learn principles of and practice improvisational storytelling in a supported, encouraging way. Improv teaches so much: listening, taking risks, being present, connecting with others, tapping into deeper creativity, storytelling, and more! Join this workshop to play improv games, have fun, and learn new skills to impact your personal and professional lives. The workshop is intended for adult participants 18+ and no previous improv experience is required. There will be new activities introduced since the last workshop, so this workshop won't be redundant for past participants.
Instructor: Sarah Page completed her improv training with Bay Area Theatre Sports (BATS Improv) in San Francisco. She enjoys playing improv games with people of all ages as an ongoing practice and a means of helping others to be spontaneous, connect with others, tap into their imaginations and get over fear of failure.
How Can Charitable Giving Benefit Your Retirement? A Learning Luncheon
Wednesday, May 22 @ 11:30am
What is a QCD?? What is a Donor Advised Fund?? We're excited to host renowned financial expert Neil Anthes of Boston Harbor Wealth Advisors for this engaging discussion on maximizing your charitable giving and optimizing your tax benefits.
Lunch will be provided so don't miss out! Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP today to secure your spot. We look forward to seeing you there for an enlightening discussion with Neil Anthes!
Roode Concert Series: Mama Train
Thursday, May 23 from 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Join us this summer for the Mystic & Noank Library's annual Roode Memorial Concert Series, a series of free outdoor concerts on the grounds of the Mystic & Noank Library! These concerts celebrate the life of Mystic & Noank Library patrons Agnes and Carl Roode. The Roodes were longtime Mystic residents who loved music and the Library. Their family continues the tradition of honoring their legacy with a wonderful lineup of talented musicians in 2024.
Please bring your own lawn chair, blankets, or other seating to your comfort level. In the event of rain, indoor attendance will be limited, and the Library will welcome the first 50 guests to arrive.
Performer Bio:
Mama Train celebrates the spirit of the Jazz Age with rich female vocals and dynamic expressive piano. Inspired by early jazz and blues artists like Billie Holiday, Annette Hanshaw, and Django Reinhardt, they perform classics from the 1920s to 1950s. Their soulful melodies and lively instrumentation combine to create a small act with a big vintage sound!
MNL Honor Books at Bank Square Books!
Saturday, May 25 & Sunday, May 26 from 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Our Annual Honor Book Weekend will be held at Bank Square Books (53 W Main St, Mystic, CT) on Saturday and Sunday, May 25 - 26, 2024. Please visit Bank Square Books of Mystic on these days to browse through selected titles for adults and children. Purchase one (or more!) for the Library’s collection to honor a friend or loved one. A custom bookplate will be a permanent record of your donation.
This is a wonderful way to support the Library, a beloved local bookstore, and to honor a special someone.
Friends Fair
Saturday, June 1 from 9:00am - 2:00pm
The Friends Annual Spring Fair is on June 1st from 9-2, rain or shine!
The fair will include a White Elephant sale and our Silent Auction will close at 2 PM on Fair Day.
The Spring Fair is the biggest fundraising event for the Friends who use the money throughout the year to help support our wonderful Library! Volunteers are needed. Please sign up to help at the circulation desk or by calling (860) 536-7721.
The following week, the Friends will be holding a Week Long Book Sale in the Ames and Activity Rooms.
Something Old, Something New: Connecticut Weddings Through the Ages
Monday, June 10 @ 6:00pm
As the wedding season begins, join us with the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History for a look back at the history of wedding ceremonies and attire. From colonial to modern times, how did Connecticans tie the knot? How did they celebrate? What did they wear? And how did some of our cherished wedding customs originate? This program uses CMCH’s extensive collection of wedding clothing, accessories, photographs and prints to examine some of our ideas about what makes a “traditional” wedding, and what those traditions reveal about how ideas about marriage have changed through the years.
Speaker Bio
Natalie Belanger is the Adult Programs Manager at the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History. She holds a B.A. in history from Smith College and an M.A. in women's history from the University of Maryland. She has worked in museum education for most of her career, and teaches history courses at Manchester Community College.
Stories, Music (nursery rhymes) and Dancing!
Fridays @ 10:30 AM
The Mystic & Noank Library makes every effort to ensure our programs and services can be enjoyed by all members of the public. If you have any concerns about accessibility or need to request specific accommodations, please contact the program organizer for an accommodations request form. Please make arrangements at least 2 weeks in advance.
Chess Club for Kids!
Wednesdays at 4:30 PM
Welcome to Mystic Noank Library’s Chess Club! The club welcomes children grade 3 and up! We will be meeting on Wednesdays after school from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Children should know how the chess pieces move before their first visit. We teach chess strategy, chess sportsmanship, and organize games.
Sportsman-like conduct is always a goal. Members must be respectful of each other's play, and at the end of each game, win or lose, members must be cordial with one another.
Instructor:
Michael Grater, library associate and chess enthusiast, leads our Chess Club. He grew up playing chess and continues to play for fun. Chess is a great game that builds concentration, patience, planning, sportsmanship, and problem-solving skills in children, teens and adults.
Writers' Group
Mondays @ 4:00 PM
We welcome local writers for free-write sessions at 4 p.m., Mondays, in the Ames Room. The sessions are open to anyone who feels like writing.
Loosely based on the notion of stream-of-consciousness writing described by Natalie Goldberg in "Writing Down the Bones," the sessions are broken into three parts of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 5 minutes. A writer selects a topic from subjects previously placed in a box. For the first 5 minutes, write whatever comes to mind. Don't stop to correct, just record whatever pops into your head, even if it's something like, "I have no idea what to write..." Each person shares what they've written, free of commentary or criticism.
Then, for 10 minutes, writers write what comes to mind, perhaps an idea or a subject someone had just read aloud or something you wrote in the first 5 minutes will lead to a focus. The group shares again. Writers write for another 5 minutes and then share.
You'll be surprised at the places you'll go with the topics in these sessions. They give you an opportunity to express yourself, they're therapeutic, and they often lead to a lot to talk about after putting your pens down.
Experience Calm With Guided Meditation Sessions
Tuesdays @ 3:00 PM on Zoom
Enjoy being guided in a 30 minute body centered meditation practice to help increase your skills in focusing, rest, self-compassion and gratitude. Self-acceptance, deep relaxation, tranquility, peace and lightness are how participants feel after a session.
Pamala Lewis has been studying Eastern and Western approaches to meditation and enjoys the benefits of a dedicated daily sitting practice for more than 25 years. She co-leads the New London Community of Mindfulness, guides 2 weekly Zoom groups, and offers individual coaching sessions in Somatic Mindfulness Meditation. Pamala also offers Somatic Mindfulness Meditation along with Back Yoga outdoors through the summer months.
This class is for beginners, those who might be struggling with mindfulness meditation and those who may enjoy a friendly, relaxed and body-centered approach to practice.
Volunteer of the Year: Award Luncheon
Wednesday, June 12 @ 12:30pm
Join us to celebrate Kathy Weinberger, our Horace B. Lamb Volunteer of the Year recipient. Kathy has worked tirelessly to help maintain our beautiful Library Grounds, and always heads up our May Volunteer Clean-Up Day.
A light lunch will be served in the Ames Room. All are welcome to attend!
Family Yoga with Lianne's Healing Creations!
Thursday, June 20 @ 11:00am
Come and enjoy yoga and mindfulness together as a community! During this class, children and families will have fun learning various yoga poses and sequences. We will use music and rhythm throughout the class to accompany the postures. Mindfulness-based teachings and breathing techniques will be introduced. At the end of class, we will focus on relaxation and self-regulation techniques while listening to live music.
This class will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting.
Best for ages 4-8! Registration required.
Learn more about Lianne's Healing Creations at http://www.lianneshealingcreations.com/
15 Minute Field Trips! Backyard Bees!
Thursday, June 20 @ 3:00pm
Learn the various roles of honeybees through role play and about the many other pollinators in garden. Make a pollinator puppet to take home. Best for ages 6 and up!
Roode Concert Series: Connor Holdridge
Thursday, June 20 from 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Join us this summer for the Mystic & Noank Library's annual Roode Memorial Concert Series, a series of free outdoor concerts on the grounds of the Mystic & Noank Library! These concerts celebrate the life of Mystic & Noank Library patrons Agnes and Carl Roode. The Roodes were longtime Mystic residents who loved music and the Library. Their family continues the tradition of honoring their legacy with a wonderful lineup of talented musicians in 2024.
This event takes place indoors, capacity is limited to 50.
Performer Bio:
Connor Holdridge is a jazz guitarist, composer and improvisor. As versatile as he is gifted, Connor easily maneuvers the various music scenes of D.C. and Baltimore, to include his involvement in gypsy jazz group Ultrafaux, jazz/Neo-soul band Attic Sessions and his work as a sideman for artists all around the area.
Science Heroes: Adventure of the Lost Treasure!
Friday, June 21 @ 4:00pm
Join us on a treasure-hunting adventure deep within the jungle! We will use the events in the story to explore several exciting science concepts:
-Air pressure
-Energy transfer
-Physical vs. chemical changes
Volunteers help conduct each experiment and the whole audience gets involved in changing variables, making predictions, and comparing results! We’ll even bring some experiments out into the crowd for all to see. This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting. Should the program move indoors seating will be first come, first served until capacity is met.
Experience the fusion of science and stories!
Inspiration Station for Kids! Duct Tape Milk Carton Birdfeeders!
Monday, June 24 @ 11:00am
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will make duct tape milk carton birdfeeders. Feeding birds helps encourage biodiversity of songbirds in the backyard.
Best for ages 3-10!
Inspiration Station for Tweens and Teens! Duct Tape Milk Carton Birdfeeders!
Monday, June 24 @ 2:30pm
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will make duct tape milk carton birdfeeders. Feeding birds helps encourage biodiversity of songbirds in the backyard.
Best for ages 11 and up!
Writers Group
Monday, June 24 @ 4:00pm
We welcome local writers for free-write sessions at 4 p.m., Mondays, in the Ames Room. The sessions are open to anyone who feels like writing.
Loosely based on the notion of stream-of-consciousness writing described by Natalie Goldberg in "Writing Down the Bones," the sessions are broken into three parts of 5 minutes, 10 minutes, and 5 minutes. A writer selects a topic from subjects previously placed in a box. For the first 5 minutes, write whatever comes to mind. Don't stop to correct, just record whatever pops into your head, even if it's something like, "I have no idea what to write..." Each person shares what they've written, free of commentary or criticism.
Then, for 10 minutes, writers write what comes to mind, perhaps an idea or a subject someone had just read aloud or something you wrote in the first 5 minutes will lead to a focus. The group shares again. Writers write for another 5 minutes and then share.
You'll be surprised at the places you'll go with the topics in these sessions. They give you an opportunity to express yourself, they're therapeutic, and they often lead to a lot to talk about after putting your pens down.
Genesis: A Poetry Group
Monday, June 24 @ 5:30pm
Genesis: the origin or coming into being of something
Calling all poets, poets-to-be, contemporaries & contemplatives, and admirers of the written word. Join us for a new poetry writing group that will meet (generally) on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6 PM in the Library's Ames Room. Each meeting we will explore a new poem to read deeply together and parse out its images, references, poetic devices, and possible meanings to cultivate a deeper appreciation for poetry. Then we will take the opportunity to generate our own writing in response to a prompt rooted in the poem we just read. Your responses do not need to be in meter or rhyme (or even have line breaks!) and sharing what you've written is not required. You are welcome to simply come listen and enjoy the musicality of language as well.
Food Explorers! Fruit Crumbles!
Tuesday, June 25 @ 3:30 pm
Food Explorers for a deliciously fruity cooking class! You’ll be making Mini Fruit Cobblers by making a sweet fruit filling topped with a crumbly topping made of oats, brown sugar and cinnamon. Recipe is nut free but will contain dairy.
Habitats are Homes with the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center!
Wednesday, June 26 @ 11:00AM
Learn more about our local habitats and why they are so important. Meet some of the animals living in different habitats and then make seed bombs to help your own yard become an even better habitat! This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting.
Family Yoga with Lianne's Healing Creations!
Thursday, June 27 @ 11:00am
Come and enjoy yoga and mindfulness together as a community! During this class, children and families will have fun learning various yoga poses and sequences. We will use music and rhythm throughout the class to accompany the postures. Mindfulness-based teachings and breathing techniques will be introduced. At the end of class, we will focus on relaxation and self-regulation techniques while listening to live music.
This class will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting.
Best for ages 4-8! Registration required.
Learn more about Lianne's Healing Creations at http://www.lianneshealingcreations.com/
Cool-ology! Powerful Pollinators
Thursday, June 27 @ 3:30pm
Learn about powerful pollinators with Cool-ology! For Ages 7 and Up!
DJ Red Supreme!
Friday, June 28 @ 4:00pm
Kids will exercise, learn some dance moves, and be entertained by DJ Red Supreme.
This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting. Should the program move indoors seating will be first come, first served until capacity is met.
Inspiration Station for Kids! Yarn Butterflies!
Monday, July 1 @ 11:00am
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will make yarn butterflies with popsicle sticks! Encouraging caterpillars and butterflies into the landscape encourages pollination of flowers to grow food!
Best for ages 3-10!
Talewise! Science Lab: Action & Reactions for Tweens and Teens!
Monday, July 1 @ 2:30pm
All new experiments for summer 2024! In this brand new science workshop just for teens, we’ll work together to explore and investigate amazing science concepts using confetti cannons, soda bottles, nail polish remover, and more!
Through hands-on experiments and exciting STEM challenges, workshop participants will get to test out their ideas and discover the actions and reactions of physical science!
Food Explorers! Pinkalicious Parfait!
Tuesday, July 2 @ 3:30pm
Food Explorers for a deliciously sweet and fruity cooking program! You’ll be making
Pinkalicious Parfaits
by layering vanilla cake, raspberry whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Recipe is nut free but will contain dairy, eggs and gluten.
Generously funded by the Rotary Club of Mystic --- thank you!
Nature's Recyclers with the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center!
Wednesday, July 3 @ 11:00am
What happens to nature's trash? Learn about vultures, insects and other decomposers and the important role they play in our environment. Search through leaf litter to see if you can find one nature's recyclers.
This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting.
For ages 7 and up. Registration required.
Jester Jim!
Friday, July 5 @ 4:00pm
Discover this interactive program with floor games and learn some dance moves!
This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting. Should the program move indoors seating will be first come, first served until capacity is met.
Inspiration Station for Kids! Cupcake Liner Flowers!
Monday, July 8 @ 11:00am
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will make cupcake liner flowers! Growing flowers in the landscape protects biodiversity by providing food for birds and insects.
Best for ages 3-10!
Inspiration Station for Tweens and Teens! Painting Acrylic Landscapes!
Monday, July 8 @ 2:30pm
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will learn to paint landscapes of trees, mountains and water. Appreciating the natural world encourages us to take care of our environment.
Best for ages 11 and up!
Genesis: A Poetry Group
Monday, July 8 @ 6:00pm
Genesis: the origin or coming into being of something
Calling all poets, poets-to-be, contemporaries & contemplatives, and admirers of the written word. Join us for a new poetry writing group that will meet (generally) on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 6 PM in the Library's Ames Room. Each meeting we will explore a new poem to read deeply together and parse out its images, references, poetic devices, and possible meanings to cultivate a deeper appreciation for poetry. Then we will take the opportunity to generate our own writing in response to a prompt rooted in the poem we just read. Your responses do not need to be in meter or rhyme (or even have line breaks!) and sharing what you've written is not required. You are welcome to simply come listen and enjoy the musicality of language as well.
Food Explorers! Coffee Latte Cake Cups!
Tuesday, July 9 @ 3:30pm
Join Food Explorers to make Coffee Latte Trifles! You’ll be making coffee flavored cake pops to crumble up as your cake layer, chocolate pudding and homemade whipped cream with a hint of coffee. Recipe is nut free but will contain dairy, eggs and gluten.
Generously funded by the Rotary Club of Mystic --- thank you!
Register
Save the Animals with the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center!
Wednesday, July 10 @ 11:00am
Many animals are facing the threat of extinction, but you can help! Meet live animals and learn how you can help their species with some simple tips.
This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting!
For ages 7 and up. Registration required.
Family Yoga with Lianne's Healing Creations!
Thursday, July 11 @ 11:00am
Come and enjoy yoga and mindfulness together as a community! During this class, children and families will have fun learning various yoga poses and sequences. We will use music and rhythm throughout the class to accompany the postures. Mindfulness-based teachings and breathing techniques will be introduced. At the end of class, we will focus on relaxation and self-regulation techniques while listening to live music.
This class will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting.
Best for ages 4-8! Registration required.
Learn more about Lianne's Healing Creations at http://www.lianneshealingcreations.com/
Cool-ology! Flower Power STEAM Lab
Thursday, July 11 @ 3:30pm
Explore STEAM Flower Power with Cool-ology! Ages 7 and Up!
Generously funded by the Groton Education Foundation --- thank you!
Bryson Lang: The Cure for the Common Show!
Friday, July 12 @ 4:00pm
This family friendly show mixes comedy, audience participation, ball spinning, ball bouncing, fire juggling, improv, and always a few surprises!
This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting. Should the program move indoors seating will be first come, first served until capacity is met.
Inspiration Station for Kids! Tin Can Pencil Holders!
Monday, July 15 @ 11:00am
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will paint tin cans to create pencil holders. Reusing and repurposing materials helps reduce waste.
Best for ages 3-10!
Inspiration Station for Tweens and Teens! Tin Can Pencil Holders!
Monday, July 15 @ 2:30pm
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will paint tin cans to create pencil holders. Reusing and repurposing materials helps reduce waste.
Best for ages 11 and up!
Local Authors Writing Workshop: Memoir & Personal Essay
Monday, July 15 @ 7:00pm
Welcome to the Mystic & Noank Library's Local Authors Writing Workshop Series for the summer of 2024. This is the fourth year we've run the series as part of our adult summer reading program, connecting readers and aspiring writers with authors who live in or near our community. You may attend each of these workshops either in person or virtually. You must register for each workshop separately.
Upcoming workshops:
Historical Fiction with Lisa Hall Brownell. Mon, July 22, 7 - 8:30.
Poetry with Sean Frederick Forbes. Mon, July 29, 7 - 8:30.
Writing the Difficult Topic: Memoir & Personal Essay with Mary Collins
Often the best nonfiction wrestles with the most difficult and emotional topics, which lends it great power, but also presents the writer with unique obstacles. How do you write about people you know, especially in a fraught narrative? What sort of legal issues do you need to worry about? How do you step away from your own emotions and find the best story or essay? In the end, you want it to matter to a general reader, not just you. How can you make that happen? This workshop is ideal for anyone writing true first-person stories, either essay or book-length.
Bio
Mary Collins directs the Writing Minors at Central Connecticut State University and teaches a nonfiction workshop every summer for the Yale Summer Writing Program. Winner of the teaching award at CCSU, Collins' books, features and essays have received national awards and recognition. Prior to moving to CT in 2007, she worked as a writer and editor for National Geographic and the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. For more, visit www.marycollinswriter.com.
Food Explorers! Strawberry Shortcake Cups!
Tuesday, July 16 @ 3:30pm
Join Food Explorers for a deliciously sweet hour of baking! You’ll be making Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits and creating 4 different layers from scratch! From the homemade cake, to the jam, sliced strawberries and whipped cream, you’ll be making it all. Recipe is
nut free but will contain dairy, eggs and gluten. Ingredient substitutions are not available.
Generously funded by the Rotary Club of Mystic --- thank you!
Animal Rehabilitation Stories with the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center!
Wednesday, July 17 from 11:00am - 12:00pm
Discover the interesting and important work wildlife rehabilitators do to help injured animals! We will talk about what it means to be a rehabilitator, what you can do at home to protect wildlife and meet some of the Nature Center's non-releasable animal residents.
This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting!
For ages 7 and up. Registration required.
Family Yoga with Lianne's Healing Creations!
Thursday, July 18 @ 11:00am
Come and enjoy yoga and mindfulness together as a community! During this class, children and families will have fun learning various yoga poses and sequences. We will use music and rhythm throughout the class to accompany the postures. Mindfulness-based teachings and breathing techniques will be introduced. At the end of class, we will focus on relaxation and self-regulation techniques while listening to live music.
This class will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting.
Best for ages 4-8! Registration required.
Learn more about Lianne's Healing Creations at http://www.lianneshealingcreations.com/
Cool-ology! Animal Anatomy!
Thursday, July 18 @ 3:30pm
Explore Animal Anatomy with Cool-ology! For Ages 7 and Up!
Generously funded by the Groton Education Foundation --- thank you!
Roode Concert Series: The Rivergods
Thursday, July 18 @ 6:30pm
Join us this summer for the Mystic & Noank Library's annual Roode Memorial Concert Series, a series of free outdoor concerts on the grounds of the Mystic & Noank Library! These concerts celebrate the life of Mystic & Noank Library patrons Agnes and Carl Roode. The Roodes were longtime Mystic residents who loved music and the Library. Their family continues the tradition of honoring their legacy with a wonderful lineup of talented musicians in 2024.
Please bring your own lawn chair, blankets, or other seating to your comfort level. In the event of rain, indoor attendance will be limited, and the Library will welcome the first 50 guests to arrive.
Performer Bio:
The Rivergods are a memorable, original, award-winning act based in southeastern CT that has played its own heartfelt harmony-rich folky/rootsy/rockish music since 1997. The Rivergods are fronted by husband/wife songwriters, Ben and Nancy Parent, who often perform as a duo. Ben and Nancy have written and performed together for over 25 years, and blend their voices with the sort of instinctual harmonies that are perhaps only achieved through blood, time or marriage. The full band includes a rotating lineup of some of the finest, most talented players in southern New England, who round out the couple’s harmonious Americana sound.
Rolie Polie Guacamole! Family Concert!
Friday, July 19 @ 3:00pm
This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting. Should the program move indoors seating will be first come, first served until capacity is met.
Inspiration Station for Kids! Botanical Trees!
Monday, July 22 @ 11:00am
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will create botanical trees with leaves, flowers and glue. Planting trees helps clean our air and aid in land conservation.
Best for ages 3-10!
Inspiration Station for Tweens and Teens! Botanical Trees!
Monday, July 22 @ 2:30pm
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will create botanical trees with leaves, flowers and glue. Planting trees helps clean our air and aid in land conservation.
Best for ages 11 and up!
Local Authors Writing Workshop: Historical Fiction
Monday, July 22 @ 7:00pm
Welcome to the Mystic & Noank Library's Local Authors Writing Workshop Series for the summer of 2024. This is the fourth year we've run the series as part of our adult summer reading program, connecting readers and aspiring writers with authors who live in or near our community. These workshops are all in person. You must register for each workshop separately.
Upcoming workshops:
Poetry with Sean Frederick Forbes. Mon, July 29, 7 - 8:30.
Historical Fiction: Breathing Life into the Past with Lisa Hall Brownell
Hidden between the lines of recorded history are untold stories of people who lived during those times. Starting to write historical fiction doesn’t take a time machine. It does, however, require curiosity, a passion for research, and a willingness to take risks. Workshop leader Lisa Hall Brownell will use examples from her own novel, Gallows Road, to discuss point-of-view, building a character, and balancing facts versus fiction. She also will discuss how novels such as “The Underground Railroad” or “Horse” are changing the rules of the genre. Then, for fun, the workshop will conclude with a short writing exercise, relying on prompts from old photographs and illustrations.
Bio
LISA HALL BROWNELL, a fiction writer and editor, believes that stories have the power to connect one person to another, and past to present. Her historical novel, Gallows Road, (Elm Grove Press, 2022) has earned widespread acclaim. Brownell is finishing her second novel, Vee’s Bracelet, set in the Great Depression and is writing a collection of short stories. After graduating from Brown University, she earned an M.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing from San Francisco State University. A former media relations director for Mystic Seaport Museum and director of publications for Connecticut College, Brownell edited and wrote for an award-winning magazine. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society of North America. As a member of the Mystic Writers, she helps to manage their website and blog, https://mysticwriters.org.
Life Under a Log with the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center!
Wednesday, July 24 @ 11:00am
Invertebrates, frogs, snakes: fallen logs may seem unassuming, but they are full of life! Slugs, salamanders, spiders, frogs, snakes and more critters make their homes under rocks and logs. Meet some animals from the Nature Center and learn why logs are such an important part of the ecosystem!
This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting!
For ages 7 and up. Registration required.
Family Yoga with Lianne's Healing Creations!
Thursday, July 25 @ 11:00am
Come and enjoy yoga and mindfulness together as a community! During this class, children and families will have fun learning various yoga poses and sequences. We will use music and rhythm throughout the class to accompany the postures. Mindfulness-based teachings and breathing techniques will be introduced. At the end of class, we will focus on relaxation and self-regulation techniques while listening to live music.
This class will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting.
Best for ages 4-8! Registration required.
Learn more about Lianne's Healing Creations at http://www.lianneshealingcreations.com/
Cool-ology! Biology In A Bottle: Make a Terraqua Column
Thursday, July 25 @ 3:30pm
Discover Biology In A Bottle: Make a Terraqua Column with Cool-ology! Ages 7 and Up!
Generously funded by the Groton Education Foundation --- thank you!
Steve Elci & Friends: Music for Kids!
Friday, July 26 @ 4:00pm
Join us for music, dancing and fun for everyone!
This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting. Should the program move indoors seating will be first come, first served until capacity is met.
Inspiration Station for Kids! Landscape Vision Boards!
Monday, July 29 @ 11:00am
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will create landscape vision boards using magazine photos and glue on poster board. Appreciating the natural world encourages us to take care of our environment.
Best for ages 3-10!
Inspiration Station for Tweens and Teens! Egg Carton Flowers!
Monday, July 29 @ 2:30pm
Be INSPIRED to practice conservation! Each week will feature the idea and practice of conservation through art. Conservation as a movement focuses on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity.
We will make egg carton flowers. Reusing and repurposing materials helps reduce waste.
Best for ages 11 and up!
Local Authors Writing Workshop: Poetry
Monday, July 29 @ 7:00pm
Welcome to the Mystic & Noank Library's Local Authors Writing Workshop Series for the summer of 2024. This is the fourth year we've run the series as part of our adult summer reading program, connecting readers and aspiring writers with authors who live in or near our community. These workshops are all in person. You must register for each workshop separately.
The Speaker's Voice & Personality: Narrative Poetry with Sean Frederick Forbes
In this workshop we’ll focus on narrative poetry, a form of poetry that tells a story using the voices of both a compelling narrator and vibrant characters. Narrative poems may be short or long, and the story presented may be complex, comical, dramatic, or somber. It’s a form of poetry with marrow-deep roots in the oral tradition: stories passed down from generation to generation dating back thousands of years, a tradition found in every culture. As a poet, I enjoy the challenge of writing narrative poems, and I’m often reminded of the stories my maternal grandmother would tell me with such vivid detail; her words were poetry to my ears. Workshop leader Sean Frederick Forbes will use examples from his own collection of poems, Providencia, as we consider how the speaker’s voice and personality expresses the story through vibrant imagery and rich language. The workshop will conclude with a short narrative poetry writing exercise relying on the incorporation of five distinct words.
Bio
Sean Frederick Forbes is an Associate Professor-in-Residence of English and the Director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Connecticut-Storrs and is a summer instructor for the Yale Young Writers' Workshop at Yale University. His poems have appeared in Chagrin River Review, Sargasso, A Journal of Caribbean Literature, Language, and Culture, Crab Orchard Review, Long River Review, and other publications. In 2009, he received a Woodrow Wilson Mellon Mays University Fellows Travel and Research Grant for travel to Providencia, Colombia. Providencia, his first book of poetry, was published in 2013 by 2Leaf Press. On March 17, 2014, his poem “Cashel Man” was featured in the Academy of American Poets Poem-A-Day online series Poem-A-Day online feature. For 2020-2021 academic year he was an Andrew W. Mellon Faculty Fellow at the UConn Humanities Institute. He serves as the poetry editor for New Square, the official publication of The Sancho Panza Literary Society for which he is a founding member. In 2017, he received first place in the Nutmeg Poetry Contest from the Connecticut Poetry Society.
Food Explorers! Chocolate Zucchini Cake Pops!
Tuesday, July 30 @ 3:30pm
Join Food Explorers for another delicious baking program! You’ll be making Chocolate Zucchini Cake Pops with a Chocolate
Frosting. You’ll be shredded and squeezing the fresh zucchini for your from scratch cake batter and work together as a group to make a smooth chocolate buttercream to layer on top of your cake pops. Recipe is nut free but will contain dairy, eggs and gluten.
Generously funded by the Rotary Club of Mystic --- thank you!
Backyard Birding Adventure with the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center!
Wednesday, July 31 @ 11:00am
Curious about the birds in your backyard? Learn how to use binoculars and identify some of our local birds. Then we'll make a treat to bring home and feed our feathered friends.
This program will meet on the library lawn, weather permitting!
For ages 7 and up. Registration required.
