Thursday, March 30
7-8 pm

Registration is required. You can register below or by contacting Donald, our Adult Program Coordinator, at adult@pawlinglibrary.org.

Author Midge Guerrera will be reading from their new book, Cars, Castles, Cows, and Chaos.  Besides sharing selected shorts from the entertaining work, the Guerrera will reveal what life is like for a “Jersey Girl” in a small Southern Italian village.

Cars, Castles, Cows, and Chaos, published by Read Furiously, is a memoir-meets-tour-guide of errors and triumphs. The collection of short stories takes readers on a trip along the gorgeous (and complicated) roads of Italy, Told in Midge Guerrera’s signature candor and humor, readers will cheer as she uncovers her next adventure with unexpected and delightful results.

Guerrera, with her ever patient husband, Jack Huber, spends half the year on a farm in Italy and the other half in a high rise in Ewing, New Jersey.

According to Guerrera, “We decided it was time to take our third acts on the road. So, we sold our home in New Jersey, downsized and headed to Italy. There was no better place to reinvent myself then in the village that my aunt, uncles and grandparents immigrated from.”

And reinvent herself, she did. Guerrera had a career not only in the arts as a producer, director, actor and playwright but also in arts management and program building. She was instrumental in the creation of Performing Arts Programs in NJ’s Vocational Schools (garnering a Governor’s Award for Arts in Education), developed the New Jersey Center for the Performing Arts, an arts agency for Somerset County before there was a county agency, was the Director of the New Jersey School of the Arts, designed the arts administration major/minor for Westminster Choir College of Rider University and with her husband ran a successful management consulting business.

“When we got to Italy, said Guerrera, I was ok with La Dolce Vita for about a nanosecond. I needed a project. I started blogging and writing. My blog, www.nonnasmulberrytree.com, features the food, fun and foibles of being a part-time expat in Pontelandolfo, a tiny mountain town where everyone knows my name. My book Cars, Castles, Cows and Chaos, grew out of the blog.”

The road to change is paved with many adventures. As a New Jersey native, Midge Guerrera knows she can handle whatever is thrown her way. But the book, Cars, Castles, Cows and Chaos, set against the idyllic Italian countryside, has one giggling over never expected car trouble, terrifyingly winding roads, vespa gangs, and crowds of loud soccer fans.

According to Los Angeles Critic Tracey Paleo – blogging as Gia on the Move –“CARS, CASTLES, COWS AND CHAOS is a quick and delightful journey that warms the heart and tickles the funny bones and as Guerrera ultimately discovers on her own, “chasing windmills” is guaranteed to give you a delicious taste of the joy of life.”

Guerrera’s work has been published by Next Stage Press, YouthPlays, Applause Theatre and Cinema Books, New Jersey Performing Arts Center Learning Guides, Anchorage Press, and the American Alliance for Theatre in Education.

The middle school Battle of the Books team will meet on alternate Mondays at 5 pm in the Library Annex. This team is open to students currently in 4 through 8th grades.

Battle of the Books is a Mid-Hudson Library System-wide program that introduces participants great books, teamwork, and friendly competition. The Regional Battle is to be held between 9/8 - 9/11. The Final Battle will be held on Saturday, 9/16.

For more information or questions about the program, please contact Young Adult Program Coordinator,  Maureen Meltzer-McGrath

Formerly known as "Project Do Something", this is a year-round volunteer opportunity for ages 11 & up. The group will meet twice a month to plan or work on service projects to benefit the Library and the Pawling community.

Meeting dates: The first and third Wednesday of each month at 5 pm to 6:30 pm. There may be additional dates depending on the project.

The Pawling Library is now a Volunteer Certification Organization through the Points of Light Organization. Volunteers who meet the required annual hours for their age group will be recognized with a letter from the President of the United States and possibly other awards. For more information about the Presidential Volunteer Award, please visit our volunteer page: https://www.pawlingfreelibrary.org/community-service/

For questions or to apply, please contact Maureen Meltzer-McGrath, YA Program Coordinator at teen@pawlinglibrary.org.

with Community Engagement Manager Joan Carl

Wednesday, April 5
7-8 pm

Registration is required. You can register below or by contacting Donald, our Adult Program Coordinator, at adult@pawlinglibrary.org.

If you or someone you know is facing Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or another chronic illness, it’s never too early to put financial plans in place. This program offers tips for managing someone else’s finances, guidance on how to prepare for future care costs and the benefits of
early planning.

This program is being provided by the Alzheimer’s Association.

For further information please call the Alzheimer’s Association at 800-272-3900.

Age range: birth -18 months & a caregiver

Tuesdays 10:00-10:45 AM - Library Annex, with Neena

Nine week series, 4/11 - 6/6

Join us for stories and songs. We’ll focus on the keys for early literacy—singing, reading, talking, playing, and engaging with caregivers. This program ends with 10 - 15 minutes of play time.

Registration is highly suggested. Drop-ins will only be accommodated as space allows. You can register on a date by date basis in advance or on the day of the program or sign up for all the dates at once. Registration starts 3/27.

Age range: Ages 3 - 5 years and a caregiver

Tuesdays, 2:00 – 3:00 PM  - Library Annex, with Neena 

Our small group Kindergarten readiness program, focused on early literacy and math skills through a combination of hands-on activities and group story time. We'll also work on following directions and practicing classroom behaviors.

Registration is highly suggested. Drop-ins welcome, but will only be accommodated as space allows. You can register on a date by date basis in advance or on the day of the program or sign up for all the dates at once. Registration starts 3/27.

Age range: Ages 2-5 years and a caregiver

Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30 AM

Eight week series, 04/11 - 06/06

NO CLASS 05/31

Kids are invited to play and build social connections with other children during this program, which sees our room set up with learning goals in mind. We'll use play to explore science, math, and more. If weather and spaces allow, we may occasionally play outdoors.

Registration is highly suggested. Drop-ins will only be accommodated as space allows. You can register on a date by date basis in advance or on the day of the program or sign up for all the dates at once. Registration starts 3/27.

Age range: 18-30 months & a caregiver

Thursdays 10:00-10:45 AM -- Library Annex, with Neena

Eight week series, 04/13 - 06/09

NO CLASS 06/01

Interactive story time featuring puppets, instruments, and elements of music & movement. Program ends with play. This eight week program series may include outdoor playtime if weather allows. 

This class is also held on Fridays, due to demand. Registration for those dates is separate under "Toddlers in Training: Fridays."

Registration is highly suggested. Drop-ins will only be accommodated as space allows. You can register on a date by date basis in advance or on the day of the program or sign up for all the dates at once. Registration starts 3/27.

For more information, contact Children's Program Coordinator Neena McBaer.

Age Range: 2.5 – 3.5 years & a caregiver

Fridays, 9:30-10:30 AM

Eight week series, 04/11 - 06/06

NO CLASS 06/02

This program includes songs, stories, and games plus 20 minutes of play-based learning stations, like art, blocks, or fine motor play. While activities vary week to week, messy materials and smocks are occasionally used. We may play outdoors if weather allows.

Registration is highly suggested. Drop-ins will only be accommodated as space allows. You can register on a date by date basis in advance or on the day of the program or sign up for all the dates at once. Registration starts 3/27.