All teens and tweens (ages 12-18) are welcome to join us for Teen Tuesdays! Stop by the Pioppi Room every Tuesday for video gaming, crafts, movies, Anime, and more - we'll have something different every week.

This month's schedule:

Feb 3: Wii Gaming - Drop in to play some Wii Games!

Feb 10: Movie - Step Up: All In - What's better than movies on the big screen? 

Feb 17: Make a Fleece Scarf - Feeling crafty? Learn how to make your own fleece scarf! Starts at 2:00, but drop in anytime between 2 and 4. 

Sponsored by the 100th Anniversary/Board of Trustees.

Feb 24: Anime Day - We'll be screening the upcoming Fantastic Detective Labyrinth

Teen and Tween Chess Club 

Every other Saturday from 10:30 a.m. - Noon, stop by the Teen area to play chess! You can get lessons from Adam & Ben Piche, who will be there to help, or just challenge them to a match.  

This month's dates are February 10 and 24.

All are welcome to join us for a discussion of Sonia Sotomayor's My Beloved World in the Reading Room. New participants are always welcome (no commitment!) - copies of next month's book, House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III, are available at the Information Desk for checkout.

"An instant American icon--the first Hispanic on the U.S. Supreme Court--tells the story of her life before becoming a judge in an inspiring, surprisingly personal memoir.

With startling candor and intimacy, Sonia Sotomayor recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a progress that is testament to her extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself.  She writes of her precarious childhood and the refuge she took with her passionately spirited paternal grandmother. She describes her resolve as a young girl to become a lawyer, and how she made this dream become reality: valedictorian of her high school class, summa cum laude at Princeton, Yale Law, prosecutor in the Manhattan D.A.'s office, private practice, federal district judge before the age of forty. She writes about her deeply valued mentors, about her failed marriage, about her cherished family of friends. Through her still-astonished eyes, America's infinite possibilities are envisioned anew in this warm and honest book, destined to become a classic of self-discovery and self-invention, alongside Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father."

Our featured artists for February are Abu Mwenye and Paul Mlinga. Please join us in welcoming them with a reception for the artists on Thursday, February 5th at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served, compliments of the Friends of the Library.

"If you asked Abu Mwenye about what inspires his many diverse paintings, the journey would begin in his native Tanzania. As a young child, Abu can remember being distracted from his homework by his Uncle who would be the member of the family who possessed skills in art. In fact, there were also members of Abu's immediate family, his mother Rita, whose art talents also cultivated his interest. Supported and encouraged by his family, Abu began to study and create art. Kanga patterns, Masai warriors, chungu, and shanga (beads) are just some of the images that can be seen in Mwenye's work. The deep connection the Artist feels to his homeland can clearly be felt. At the same time, Mwenye is able to show viewers the deep connection to his new home."
 

Did you know that the library has a new Orion telescope? Soon you will be able to check it out and do some space exploration from your own backyard!

Members of the Aldrich Astronomical Society from Paxton will be here to demonstrate how to use it. Find out what objects lie within the reach of this amazing telescope and how easy it is to use!

This telescope was donated to the Jacob Edwards Library during the 100th Anniversary Year by the Southbridge Rotary Club and will be maintained by the Aldrich Astronomical Society, Inc. as part of their 'Adopt a Library' Program. We are looking forward to rolling out this new equipment and having it available for the community to borrow. Adults will soon be able to reserve it with their library card.

Light refreshments will be served by the Friends of Jacob Edwards Library.