This Week in Summer Reading
Books are Tundra Fun! (age 3 - 5th grade)
Tundra Fun Story Time
Meet on the library lawn, weather permitting, on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. for story time fun with Miss Carrie-Anne.
Cold Weather Fun Writing Contest
Earn 4 points by writing an adventure about your favorite winter activity. Complete details are in your Activity Guide. Entries are due by Friday at 6:00 p.m.
Dancing Snowmen Kid's Club
Sledding Snowmen Crafty Kids
Get Your Game On--Read 4 the Fun of It! (grades 6 & up)
Basketball Trivia Question and Photo Identification
Answer the weekly trivia question and identify the picture. Earn 1 point each in your Playbook!
Cereal Box Contest
Design a cereal box dedicated to your favorite athlete. Complete details are in your Activity Guide. Entries are due by 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Earn 1 point in your playbook.
Card Making Craft Night
Create personalized greeting cards on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required. Call Ann to sign up. Earn 1 point in your playbook.
Karate Demonstration
Granite State American Kenpo will demonstrate Karate moves and give a mini-lesson on Friday at 3:00 p.m. Rain location: Litchfield Middle School Cafeteria
Master the Art of Reading(adults)
Come Out of the Dark Weekly Activity
Unravel the many depressing themes of Edvard Munch's paintings and earn 1 weekly raffle ticket!
(Can't come in? Participate online. Download the form, then drop it off or email it to us.)
Vote for Your Favorite Piece of Altered Art
Choose from the 6 masterpieces hung in the Fiction Room, each altered to included books and/or reading.
Labels: KiDS' RooM News, ReaDiNG RooM News, summer reading club for adults, summer reading club for kids, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News, this week
Week 3 Raffle Winner
Congratulations to Diane Jerry, winner of the week 3 raffle. Diane took home $5 in Book Bucks good at any Cutler Library Friends of the Library Book Sale in the next year. Happy reading, Diane!
This activity was part of Master the Art of Reading.
Labels: events/activities for adults, ReaDiNG RooM News, summer reading club for adults
Don't Fear the Math
Week 3's Master the Art of Reading activity, Clean Out the Cobwebs, appears to have scared people off. Only 21 turned in entries compared to 44 the week before.
The word problem was, "Leonardo da Vinci spent one-fourth of his life as a boy, one-eighth as a youth, and one-half as an active man. If da Vinci spent 8 years as on old man, then how may years did he spend as an active man?"
First, determine what fraction of his life he spent as an old man. To do this, convert all fractions to eighths: 2/8 as a boy + 1/8 as youth + 4/8 as active man = 7/8. 8/8 - 7/8 = 1/8 as an old man.
Next, if 1/8 (old man) = 8 years, then 4/8 as an active man = 32 years.
This activity was part of Master the Art of Reading.
Labels: events/activities for adults, ReaDiNG RooM News, summer reading club for adults
Arctic Wonderland Winners
Winner of 3-5 year old category:
"Maggie Catches a Fish" by Laura Harrison, age 4.
Maggie loves to catch fish! The polar bear is eating a fish. The baby beluga whale and the mermaid swim in the very cold water, but they are warm enough because they got used to the water. Maggie sings a song about the snow and the mermaid sings along.
Winner of 6-8 year old category:
"Family Fun Day" by Lexi Pace, age 8.
The penguins are having fun.
Winner of 9-11 year old category:
"Arctic Animals" by Devon Crete, age 9.
This diorama shows animals that live in the arctic.
See all entries by visiting our scrapbook.
edited 8-13-08
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Team Logo Winner
This activity was part of Read 4 the Sport of It!
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Are Your Logs Up to Date?
Make sure you're keeping your point logs up to date. They are due by noon on Friday, August 8th, if you want to be included in the raffle. Point logs may be returned as late as Friday, August 29th, for final prizes.
This message is part of Books are Tundra Fun!
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Meet the Wildlife
Wildlife Encounters Zoo will join us Tuesday, August 5th at 6:30 p.m. in the Litchfield Middle School Cafeteria. Come and meet an alligator, a snapping turtle, a skunk, a fox and more! Learn about these animals and see them up close and personal.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Come Shiver at Our Ice Cream Party
Books are Tundra Fun ends Friday, August 8th with the Shiver by the Spoonful Ice Cream Party at 3:00 p.m. Join the fun on the library lawn. Summer reading club raffle prizes will be drawn and coupons for final prizes will be available. Registration is required by August 6th.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Skate Yourself Silly
Kids age 3 through 5th grade are invited to stop by the library Wednesday, August 6th or Thursday, August 7th to pick up an ice skating craft kit to take home and make. Earn 4 points!
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Paper Lantern Craft
Paint a paper lantern to look a baseball, soceer ball, basketball, or anything else you like. Teens and Tweens will meet on the library porch on Wednesday, August 6th at 3:00 p.m. Registration is required, so stop in and sign up, or call Ann.
This activity is part of Read 4 the Sport of It for teens and tweens.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Make the Olympic Team
The Library Olympics are scheduled for Thursday, August 7th at 4:00 p.m. Use your brains and brawn to go for the gold! Everyone who signs up makes the team.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Board Meeting Minutes
The approved minutes, and other reports, from the May 12, 2008 and June 9, 2008 Board of Trustees Meetings are now available for viewing.
Labels: BoaRD RooM News, minutes
This Week in Summer Reading
Books are Tundra Fun! (age 3 - 5th grade)
It's Stump the Librarian Week
Can you Stump the Librarian? Just tell her 3 things about a book you've read, and if she can't guess the title, you win a prize!
Tundra Fun Story Time
Meet Miss Carrie-Anne on the lawn on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. for picture books, songs, and more. Weather permitting.
Take the Polar Plunge
Sled Dog Show
Get Your Game On--Read 4 the Fun of It! (grades 6 & up)
Football Trivia Question and Photo Identification
Answer the weekly trivia question and identify the picture. Earn 1 point each in your Playbook!
Olympic Flag Sun Catchers To Go
Pick up craft kit to go and make an Olympic Flag from pony beads, just in time for the opening of the summer Olympics on August 8th. Earn 1 point in your playbook.
Teen Book Group Discusses Cover-Up
Join the group for a discussion of Cover-Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl, by John Feinstein, on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Earn 1 point in your playbook.
Button Bracelet Craft in the Afternoon
Make an awesome button bracelet on Friday at 3 p.m. using buttons, beads, and colored string. Registration is required, so call Ann for availability at 424-4044.
Master the Art of Reading (adults)
Now Hear This Weekly Activity
Van Gogh has lost more than his left ear. Help him find his stuff in this picture and earn 1 weekly raffle ticket!
(Can't come in? Participate online. Download the form, then email to us.)
Pick Up One of Our Discussion Books
There's still time to read Girl With a Pearl Earring, July's Book of the Month Club selection. Earn 1 weekly raffle ticket for reading the book, and 1 more when you submit your answer to one of the discussion questions.
If that book doesn't appeal to you, try Pillars of the Earth, All Booked Up's selection for their August meeting. Read this tome for 1 weekly raffle ticket, and get 1 more when join the discussion at the library on August 6th at 6:30 p.m.
Labels: KiDS' RooM News, ReaDiNG RooM News, summer reading club for adults, summer reading club for kids, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News, this week
Check Out Our Newest Scrapbooks
Be sure to check out our newest scrapbooks of photos from summer reading events. The scrapbooks are located in the sidebar to the left of this post.
Labels: KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Lookin' to Score Some Extra Points?
It doesn't matter which summer reading club you are in--you can score extra points by writing book reviews. You're already reading the books, so why not jot down a few thoughts on how did or didn't like the book? We provide the form; you fill it out. It can't get much simpler than that.
Labels: summer reading club for adults, summer reading club for kids, summer reading club for teens
Who Will Be On Your Cereal Box?
Here's your chance to create a tribute to your favorite athlete on a cereal box. To enter the Cereal Box Contest for tweens and teens, just find an empty cereal box, and cover it with your choice of paper. Next, you'll want to add the name of your cereal, nutritional information, a photo or hand drawn picture of your athlete, info about your athlete on the back and/or sides of the box, and your name on the bottom. Ta-da! You've got yourself a contest entry.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Karate Demonstration
Granite State American Kenpo will demonstrate awesome Karate moves on the library lawn at 3 p.m. on Friday, August 1st. Stop by for the demo and get a mini-lesson.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Card Making for Tweens & Teens
Design personalized greeting cards at this Craft Night using rubber stamps, ribbon, paper cut-outs, and more. Meet in the library at 6:30 on Wednesday, July 30th. Registration is required.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Peter Boie was Unbelievable!
Last week's performance by Peter Boie, the Magician for Non-Believers, left tweens and teens believing. 66 people attended the Wednesday night show at LMS in which Boie left the crowd in awe. Looks of amazement, and plenty of applause could be seen and heard throughout the 45 minute show which featured a lot of audience participation.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
The Snowmen are Coming! The Snowmen are Coming!
Dancing Snowmen are scheduled to hit the library Wednesday, July 30th at 10:30 a.m. or Thursday, July 31st at 2:00 p.m. for Kid's Club. Clubbers in grades 1st-5th are sure to have a frosty good time making snowmen from CDs.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
There's a Cold Weather Contest in the Forecast
That's right, we're predicting some Cold Weather Writing the week of July 29th - August 1st! To earn 4 points, kids age 3-11 should think about their favorite winter activity, then create an adventure about it. Write the story (handwritten or typed) on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, and don't forget to put a "cool" title at the top.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Fungo Came to Visit
To the delight of a crowd full of children, Fungo, mascot of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, made a surprise appearance at Tundra Fun Stories last week. Fungo's pal read Casey at Bat to the group, while Fungo hammed it up. After giving out many high-fives and handshakes, Fungo came into the Young Readers' Room and checked our catalog to see how many books on baseball we have in our collection. He seemed quite pleased with the result.
This activity was part of Books are Tundra Fun.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Week Two Raffle Winner
Tracey DeSimone is the lucky winner in last week's raffle. Tracey took home a glass painting kit from our Gift Shop.
Labels: events/activities for adults, ReaDiNG RooM News, summer reading club for adults
Guess Who Knows Her Stuff?
Renatta Landrau, that's who. She was one of 23 who correctly answer last week's soccer trivia question and identified the mystery photo. She was also lucky enough to get plucked out of the hat as last week's raffle winner. Way to go Renatta!
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
This Week in Summer Reading
Books are Tundra Fun! (age 3 - 5th grade)
Register for Summer Reading
Be sure to sign your kids up for this 6 weeks of summer fun!
Curious George Visits Tundra Fun Stories
Join us on the library lawn Tuesday morning at 10:30 for for a visit from Curious George, picture books, crafts and fun. (Rain location: Litchfield Middle School Cafeteria.)
Enter the Arctic Wonderland Diorama Contest
Imagine what the Arctic looks like, then create a diorama in a shoebox that illustrates what you imagined. Entries are due Friday by 6:00 p.m. Earn 4 points!
Chilly Willy Kid's Club
Kids in 1st -5th grade are making flowerpot polar bears on Wednedsay at 10:30 or Thursday at 2:00. Registration is required. Call Carrie-Anne for availability. Earn 4 points!
Snow is Falling Crafty Kids
Kids age 3 - Kindergarten are creating arctic scenes on Friday at 10:30. Registration is required. Call Carrie-Anne for availability. Earn 4 points!
Get Your Game On--Read 4 the Fun of It! (grades 6 & up)
HockeyTrivia Question and Photo Identification
Answer the weekly trivia question and identify the picture. Earn 1 point each in your Playbook!
Enter the Team Logo Contest
Come up with your own team logo, slap it on an 81/2 x 11 sheet of paper, and enter it in the contest! Entries are due Friday by 6:00 p.m. and you earn 1 point in your playbook.
Read 4 the Sport of It Book Review
Tell us what you think. Submit a book review and earn 1 point in your playbook.
Duct Tape Craft Night
Lose your wallet and can't afford a new one? Just want to do something different? Join us for Duct Tape Craft Night on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and make a wallet from a wide variety of colors. Registration is required, so call Ann for availability at 424-4044.
Master the Art of Reading (adults)
Clean Out the Cobwebs Weekly Activity
Painting wasn't the only thing Da Vinci was good at. Unfortunately for you, he also excelled at Math! Try your hand at this word problem and earn 1 weekly raffle ticket!
(Can't come in? Participate online. Download the form, then email to us.)
Pick Up One of Our Discussion Books
There's still time to read Girl With a Pearl Earring, July's Book of the Month Club selection. Earn 1 weekly raffle ticket for reading the book, and 1 more when you submit your answer to one of the discussion questions.
If that book doesn't appeal to you, try Pillars of the Earth, All Booked Up's selection for their August meeting. Read this tome for 1 weekly raffle ticket, and get 1 more when join the discussion at the library on August 6th at 6:30 p.m.
Labels: KiDS' RooM News, ReaDiNG RooM News, summer reading club for adults, summer reading club for kids, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Craft-to-Go for Tweens and Teens
This activity is part of Read 4 the Sport of It!
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Books are Still Available
Copies of John Feinstein's Cover-Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl are still available. 'Tweens and Teens can pick up a copy and join the book discussion group on Tuesday, July 22nd at 6:30 p.m. in the library. It's sure to be a good time!
This activity is part of Read 4 the Sport of It!
Labels: book discussion for teens, events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Button Bracelet Craft in the Afternoon for Tweens and Teens
Make an awesome bracelet using buttons, beads, and colored string on Friday, July 25th at 3:30 p.m. Registration is required. Stop in to sign up, or call Ann at 424-4044.
This activity is part of Read 4 the Sport of It!
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Book Donations Suspended
The library will not be able to accept any used book donations for the rest of the summer. We are just way too busy with summer reading activities, and don't have time to sort donations and move them into the attic. (Which, by the way, is about 1,000 degrees these days.) We will resume accepting donations again in September.
Labels: book sale, FRieNDS' CoRNeR News
Stump the Librarian Week is Coming Up
Tell a librarian three things about a book you've read. If the librarian is stumped and cannot guess the name of the book, you win a prize! Librarians will be on hand all week, from July 22nd - 25th.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Take the Polar Plunge
Polar bears love to swim in arctic waters. Pick up our Polar Plunge Take 'n Make on Wednesday or Thursday, July 23rd or 24th. Kids through 5th grade can take the kit home to create cool polar bear.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Mush!!
Have you ever wondered how sled dogs know what to do? Local musher Gail Guertin will tell kids all about this exciting sport during her Sled Dog Show. Meet her dogs, and hang out with your friends, on the library lawn Thursday, July 24th at 6:30 p.m. (Rain location: LMS Cafeteria)
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
What a Blast!
Last week's kick-off party was indeed an Arctic Blast! Kids blew bubbles, hula-hooped, and got tattooed. They also made bookmarks, necklaces, and room decorations. 130 people then enjoyed a picnic lunch and a game of Book Bingo, all on the library lawn. Take a look at our scrapbook here.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
A Mess of Mittens
Sean Ryan and Dallin Spencer tied in the Mitten-Mania Guessing Contest for kids. Both guessed there were 96 mittens and gloves in the container. There were actually 98. That's some good guessing! Congratualtions to you both!
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
A Crackerjack of a Contest and More
Alex Trevains came out the winner in the Take Me Out to the Ballgame Guessing Contest for 'tweens and teens. She, along with two others, guessed there were 16 prizes in the bucket of Crackerjack, and it was Alex's name that came out of the hat, entitling her to take home the crackerjack and the prizes.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Tina "Figured It Out"
Congratulations to Tina Harrison, the winner of the Figure It Out Guessing Contest. Tina's guess of 283 was the closest to the actual number without going over. The actual number: 291. Guesses ranged from 101 to 623. Tina won $5 in Friends of the Library Book Bucks, good at any Friends Book Sale for one year.
Labels: events/activities for adults, summer reading club for adults
This Week in Summer Reading
Books are Tundra Fun! (age 3 - 5th grade)
Register for Summer Reading
Be sure to sign your kids up for this 6 weeks of summer fun!
Tundra Fun Stories
Join us on the library lawn Tuesday morning at 10:30 for for picture books and fun. (Weather permitting.)
Make the Librarian Laugh Week
Tell us a "cool" joke. Make us laugh and you'll be rewarded.
Waddlin' Wally Take 'n Make
Stop in and pick up a craft kit to make a penguin at home. Earn 4 points!
Get Your Game On--Read 4 the Fun of It! (grades 6 & up)
Soccer Trivia Question and Photo Identification
Answer the weekly trivia question and identify the picture. Earn 1 point each in your Playbook!
Magic for Non-Believers with Peter Boie
Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Bring your friends to the LMS Cafeteria for this magical performance. 5th graders are welcome too.
Read 4 the Sport of It Book Review
Tell us what you think. Submit a book review and earn 1 point in your playbook.
Pick Up a Copy of Mystery at the Super Bowl
Get your copy of John Feinstein's Mystery at the Super Bowl and join the discussion on July 22nd.
Master the Art of Reading (adults)
Be Careful Not to Burn Weekly Activity
Find your way out of the umbrella maze while enjoying a Sunday afternoon in the park with Seurat. Earn 1 weekly raffle ticket!
(Can't come in? Participate online. Download the form, then email to us.)
Vote for Your Favorite Altered Masterpiece
Peruse the gallery of altered masterpiece on display and vote for your favorite.
Labels: KiDS' RooM News, ReaDiNG RooM News, summer reading club for adults, summer reading club for kids, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Plan a Day Trip With One of Our Activity Passes
Looking for something to do? Preferrably something with air conditioning? Then check out the library's activity passes! Visit the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (Manchester), the Museum of Science (Boston), or the SEE Science Center (Manchester). Passes can be reserved by phone or online. Click here for more detailed information on these activitiy passes and how to use them.
Labels: activity passes, ReC RooM News
Teen Book Group Reads Cover Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl
The Teen Book Group is reading John Feinstein's Cover Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl for their July 22nd meeting. Books are available for check-out at the Main Circulation Desk. Join the discussion and earn 1 point in your playbook!
Labels: book discussion for teens, events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Duct Tape Craft Night
What can't you make from Duct Tape? I've seen roses, cell phone cases, and even prom dresses! Sign-up for 'Tween and Teen Craft Night on Tuesday, July 15th at 6:30 p.m. and get in on the action. Crafters will make a duct tape wallet from a variety of colors of duct tape. (Actual project may not look like the picture.)
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
What's Your Dream Team?
Give that question some thought, then enter the 'Tween and Teen Design Your Own Team Logo Art Contest July 15th -18th. Using pictures and/or text, entries should convey the team name, location, and sport. You may use computer graphics or draw it yourself. Complete details are available at the library or in the Read 4 the Sport of It activity guide.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
Meet Curious George on July 15th
If you have a soft spot for that little rascal Curious George, you'll want to come to the library for Tundra Fun Stories on Tuesday, July 15th at 10:30 a.m. for a meet and greet.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Get Creative with the Arctic Wonderland Art Contest
The Young Readers' Room is having an Arctic Wonderland Art Contest July 15th -18th. Those involved in this summer's reading club, Books are Tundra Fun, are being challenged to create an arctic diorama. What's a diorama? It's a miniature scene shown in three dimensions--in this a shoe box turned on its side. Complete details are available at the library or in the summer reading activity guide. If you're not in the summer reading club, that's no problem--you may sign-up until the very last day.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Chillin' with Kid's Club and Crafty Kids
There is a Chilly Willy Kid's Club for kids in 1st - 5th grade on Wednesday, July 16th at 10:30 or Thursday, July 17th at 2:00. Clubbers will have a tundra fun making polar bears from flowerpots.
The younger crowd can sign-up for the Snow is Falling Crafty Kids on Friday, July 18th at 10:30. Children age 3 - Kindergarten will create arctic scenes using a variety of materials.
Registration is required for both events. For availability, call 424-4044 and ask for Carrie-Anne.
Labels: events/activities for kids, KiDS' RooM News, summer reading club for kids
Come One, Come All, to See Peter Boie!
Peter Boie, the self proclaimed Magician for Non-Believers, will be performing at the Litchfield Middle School on Wednesday, July 9th at 6:30 p.m.
Labels: events/activities for teens, summer reading club for teens, TeeN RooM News
All Booked Up Reads Pillars of the Earth for August
All Booked Up, the library's book discussion group, is reading Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth for it's August meeting. Copies of the book are available on the Main Level of the library. Pick one up and join the rehash at 6:30 p.m. on August 6th in the library.
Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time—the twelfth century; the place—feudal England; and the subject—the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters—into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.
The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king. At once a sensuous and endearing love story andan epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age, The Pillars of the Earth is without a doubt Ken Follett's masterpiece. (barnesandnoble.com)
Book of the Month Club Reads Girl With a Pearl Earring in July
Tracy Chevalier's Girl With a Pearl Earring, with its artsy storyline, is July's featured novel, as it goes so well with our Master the Art of Reading theme. Copies are available on the Main Level of the library.
Reading this book will earn you 2 raffle tickets: 1 for the read + 1 for the art theme. Submit an answer to one of the provided discussion questions, and earn yet another!
The unknown subject of a Vermeer masterpiece is the basis for this remarkably evocative novel. The illiterate young Griet, held captive by the strict social order of 17th-century Delft, becomes a maid in the household of Johannes Vermeer to help support her family. She knows her role well: tend the laundry, keep up with the housework, and make sure Vermeer's six children stay out of the way. Griet even thinks she can handle Vermeer's shrewd mother-in-law, his bitter, neglected wife, and the family's jealous servant. But what no one suspects is that Griet's quiet manner, uncanny perception, and fascination with her master's paintings will draw her inexorably into the painter's private world. And as Griet witnesses the creative process of a great master, her long-suppressed passion becomes the catalyst for a scandal that irrevocably changes her life. (barnesandnoble.com)
Labels: book of the month club, ReaDiNG RooM News, summer reading club for adults