Manchester Reads 2022

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The Manchester Public Library is excited to announce that the annual Manchester Reads is back and will be focusing on the state of Maine as this year’s theme!

Come by the library and check out some wonderful books about Maine available to borrow such as “The Field House: A Writer’s Life Lost and Found on an Island in Maine” by Robin Clifford Wood for adults,

“Almost, Maine” by John Cariani for teens and the children’s book “Handful of Stars” by Cynthia Lord.

You can also join in on some fun events coming up during April and May that you can find on the library’s website at www.manchesterpl.org, where the library will have crafting, author talks, wilderness survival, and much more planned out for all ages!

More information about the online events and how to register are listed below

The History of Black Communities in Maine

On April 26th at 6:30 PM join the 2021 recipient of the Maine History Society’s Neal Allen Award Bob Greene for his online presentation of the Black history of Maine to explore and celebrate this often hidden side of Maine’s history. A native of Portland, Greene describes Maine’s Black history which goes back to at least 12 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, and how the history of the Pine Tree State includes many Black builders, farmers, fishermen, ship captains, educators, and more whose lives have often been forgotten or ignored.  

Maine Quilts: 250 Years of Comfort and Community

On Thursday, May 12th at 6:30 PM join the Chief Curator of History and Decorative Arts at Maine’s largest history museum, the Maine State Museum, Laurie LaBar as she discusses quilting’s rich history in Maine and America and its popularity that has surged in recent years as people return to traditional handcrafts. She will also discuss how the quilts represent lesser-known aspects of the state’s history, ranging from surviving Colonial-era quilts to more recent creations.

 Author Talk and Tea with Robin Clifford Wood

On Saturday, May 21st at 11 AM Robin Wood of “The Field House: A Writer’s Life Lost and Found on an Island in Maine” will be visiting the library to give a presentation on her memoir about her time spent in the home that once belonged to Rachel Field, a National Book Award-winning novelist, a Newbery Medal-winning children’s writer, a poet, playwright, and rising Hollywood success in the early twentieth century. Light refreshments will be served.