Community Calendar

Adults ages 19 and older are invited to join a hybrid community book club that brings readers together to explore the American Revolution through shared reading, short film clips, and conversation. Each month, participants will view a preview from the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, along with additional short videos connected to the featured book, followed by an informal group discussion.

The featured title for this session is “The Ride: Paul Revere and the Ride That Saved America,” by Kostya Kennedy, a vivid and newly researched retelling of Paul Revere’s April 18–19, 1775 mission. Drawing on archival records, letters, diaries, and contemporary accounts, the book reveals the ride as a far more complex and precarious event than the familiar legend, one involving a loosely coordinated network of riders, near-disaster, capture by British forces, and crucial contributions from lesser-known figures who helped spark the opening moments of the Revolution. Written with pace and drama, the book restores the tension, teamwork, and high stakes of this foundational American story.

The program runs approximately 45–60 minutes and is free and open to the public. Virtual registration is available at: https://shorturl.at/XejdY. Copies of the book are available at the Granville Branch.

Youth ages 8–14 are invited to a hybrid community book club that brings readers together to explore the American Revolution through shared reading, conversation, and film. Each month, participants watch a preview from the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, along with short videos connected to the featured books, followed by an informal discussion.

The featured titles for this session are “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” by Christopher Bing and “The Many Rides of Paul Revere,” by James Cross Giblin. The Many Rides of Paul Revere goes beyond the familiar legend to present a lively, accessible biography that traces Revere’s life from the son of a French immigrant to a skilled silversmith and key figure in the growing resistance to British rule, highlighting his many daring rides and wide-ranging accomplishments through clear prose and striking black-and-white archival images. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere offers a visually stunning interpretation of Longfellow’s poem, blending history and imagination through meticulous research, period maps, reproduced documents, and dramatic engravings that immerse readers in the tense night of April 1775, creating not just a history lesson, but a powerful artistic experience that brings the American Revolution vividly to life.

The program runs approximately 45–60 minutes and is free and open to the public. To register virtually, please visit: https://shorturl.at/VRKtu. Copies of the book are available at the Condit Branch.