Grown-Ups

Virtual Author Event with Pam Jenoff

Join other book lovers from around Muskoka for a discussion with author Pam Jenoff. She will be discussing her book "The Woman With the Blue Star". Signed books are available before the event for $15.

Wednesday, August 18 at 7:00 PM

About the Author

Pam Jenoff is the author of several books of historical fiction, including the NYT bestseller The Orphan's Tale. She holds a degree in international affairs from George Washington University and a degree in history from Cambridge, and she received her JD from UPenn. Her novels are inspired by her experiences working at the Pentagon and as a diplomat for the State Department handling Holocaust issues in Poland. She lives with her husband and 3 children near Philadelphia, where she teaches law.

About the Book

1942. Sadie Gault is eighteen and living with her parents amid the horrors of the Kraków Ghetto during World War II. When the Nazis liquidate the ghetto, Sadie and her pregnant mother are forced to seek refuge in the perilous sewers beneath the city. One day Sadie looks up through a grate and sees a girl about her own age buying flowers.

Virtual Author Event with Susan Kelly

Join other book lovers from around Muskoka for a discussion with author Susan Kelly. She will be discussing her book "Still Sexy After Sixty". Signed books are available before the event for $20.

Thursday, September 2 at 7:00 PM

About the Author

I am a retired Registered Nurse – the backstory is that I began my career as a Public Health Nurse working at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and then outposts in northern Manitoba. Over the years I’ve been a Visiting Nurse, Business Development Manager, a Palliative Care Coordinator and a Faculty Member at Sheridan College.

While writing my debut book on wellness – Still Sexy After 60 … Seven Secrets to Finding Life’s Sweet Spot, I got the bright idea to organize a conference for women – and so I founded the first Women’s Wellness Conference in Muskoka in 2016 and with my sensational team, did it again in 2017 and 2019. I also have a bi-weekly talk show called Sweet Spots on Hunters Bay Radio – check it out at www.muskokaonline.com or 88.7 FM.

Outdoor Chess Club

For friendship and camaraderie, as well as relentless attacks and takedowns, there’s no place better to do this than Huntsville Public Library’s very own Chess Club. It doesn’t matter if you’re a shaky beginner who doesn’t know a Pawn from a Rook or a seasoned chess strategist – you’re sure to find a place where you can learn, hone your skills, or find someone to match your talents head-to-head. The HPL is offering an informal outdoor Chess Club this summer for six weeks. There’s nothing like facing off with an opponent across an actual board in person. The Chess Club is aimed at adults 18+, and we encourage intergenerational teams from the same household to sign up! Spaces are limited.

The rivalries are friendly, and the friendships are competitive. There’s nothing like facing off with an opponent across an actual board in person!

August 12, 19 & 26 at 10:00- 11:30 AM

Outdoor Chess Club will be held at the Hutcheson Beach Pavilion. Chess boards provided.

Registration Information

Contact Community Engagement Coordinator, Cara McQueen, by email or phone to leave a voicemail at 705-789-5232 ext. 3408. Cara will respond by email or phone to inform you of space availability, request more details to complete the registration process, or add you to the waitlist.

Take and Make Craft

Are you looking to tap into your creative side with a new craft project each month? Take and Make Projects are easy DIY crafts for you to take home and make at your leisure. We’ll provide a FREE kit containing the materials and instructions, and you bring your enthusiasm to create a masterpiece.

Registration Information

Email Cara to reserve your kit today for pick-up through our Library-to-Go service. Registration is monthly and supplies are limited.

You will get an email confirmation when your kit is reserved. The email will also contain instructions on when to pick up your kit. We encourage participants to post pictures of the finished craft and tag the HPL so we can see your work!

Dates and Themes

July - Wood Slice Coasters (Program Full)

Ever wanted to work with wood? Well, this month, the “Take and Make” will have you sanding your very own wood slice. HPL will provide the wood slice and all the materials you will need to make a set of wooden coasters! You will be sanding the cuts, transferring a graphic design onto the wood and finally varnishing. So, if you have ever wanted to try and work with wood, this is a simple way to give it a try! The wood is from a local backyard in Huntsville, and the owners are delighted to share it with the HPL.
Spaces are limited for the July Take and Make, so please contact Cara McQueen, Community Engagement Coordinator, to register.

Fiction Addiction Virtual Book Club

Do you enjoy talking about books you've read with other fellow bookworms? We are excited to offer a virtual book club just for you, the Fiction Addiction book club!

We meet on the last Wednesday of each month at 2:00 PM.

Wednesday, August 25 at 2:00 PM | Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

"We're Not Complete Without You" - Collaborative Puzzle Art Project

Attention Artists & Crafters: Please join us for a collaborative puzzle art project! As we continue to practice social distancing for the safety of our community, it’s important to remember that we are in this together, even if we are separate. Join other HPL patrons in creating a large 48-piece wall puzzle (24” x 36”) to be displayed in the library. Stop by the HPL to claim a blank puzzle piece. Each piece is a blank canvas that you can paint in any way you wish. We want to celebrate your resiliency, well-being, and community during this time apart, and we welcome your personal creative touch to bring this puzzle art collaboration to life. The HPL has missed seeing you all in this space, but we want you to know we are still here for you. Limited pieces are available; one piece per patron. This project is aimed at adults 18+.

Registration

Contact Community Engagement Coordinator, Cara McQueen, by email or phone to leave a voicemail at 705-789-5232 ext. 3408. Cara will respond by email or phone to inform you of space availability, request more details to complete the registration process, or add you to the waitlist.

Program is now full. Waitlist available.

Dates

Puzzle pieces will be ready for pickup the week of July 12 and must be returned to the library the week of August 2, no later than August 6.

Guidelines

• For adults 18+.
• Use any paint that works, oil, acrylic, watercolour, etc. Do not alter the shape of the piece at all.
• Try to avoid painting the edges of the pieces.
• Please, no profanity, politics, or hate speech allowed.