The Naugatuck Library is actually named the Howard Whittemore Memorial Library. According to the website, it was a gift to the town in 1894. John Howard Whittemore Sr. had it made in memory of his son, John Howard Whittemore Jr.
The top, front entrance leads you to the beautiful foyer. No matter how many times we’ve been here, we always stop to appreciate this ceiling.
The adult section has miles of books, and a wall filled with local artists. The featured artist even gets a full page on the website.
And even though we have a chess game at home, something about the one in the adult section hits different.
There is a fancy reading room off to the right of the adult department.
The children’s department is downstairs. It upgraded to new carpeting a few years ago and fun places to sit.
While there are no dedicated teen rooms, there is a space within the children’s department where teens can get together. There are usually a lot of teen volunteers at this library as well.
Unfortunately, I did not spot any “shoes required” posters. Bummer. But, I did spot this display of upcoming events. This library offers a bunch of different programs, and there is even a link to suggest one online.
I am told however, that they just started implementing a toy library. I’ve seen this a lot lately and I am curious to see how this does.
You can find many resources on the website, including a massive page of reader recommendations, and a few non-recomendations as well.
This is a great library to visit in the fall. It’s located near the green and the leaves on the trees add to the charm of this small New England town.
This library has undergone many locations and improvements since it was first dreamt about in 1888. What started as a room, progressed to a house, until eventually a building. But, even the building underwent improvements through the years.
This library has three floors.
The top floor is home to meeting rooms.
The bottom floor houses all the informational resources, including museum passes and genealogy. There are multiple study rooms and computers available too.
The main floor is where you’ll find all the books! And not only are the shelves stuffed with books, but so is the library’s event calendar and upcoming programs.
Local authorsInteresting displays
The adult section is fully stocked.There is even a section dedicated to local authors.
Local art is on display when you first walk in.
In the back, you’ll find the teen section.According to my teens it was a little lackluster. However, they all left with books so it couldn’t have been a total loss.
Right outside of this is the children’s department. This large area is well organized. There are books, a train set, and a kitchen set. There’s even a bathroom!
And getting there on time is not a problem. The hours to this library, found here, are the latest I’ve seen yet. Even boasting a full Saturday (until the summer)
Surprisingly, I didn’t see any signage admonishing the use of footwear. I guess that isn’t a problem in every library. I did, however, manage to find a Pinterest worthy working book/clock display.
What did we bring home? I’m glad you asked. The teens couldn’t be torn away long enough from their books to snag a picture. But, I did grab a few from the bag before they disappeared elsewhere.
According to their website, The Ansonia Library has been serving the residents of Ansonia, CT since 1896! To put that into perspective, Utah became the 45th state that year and Henry Ford test-drove his “Quadricycle”, the first automobile he ever designed or drove.
I will say that, we got a really good look at the outside. When my daughter couldn’t open the heavy, medieval type door, we thought the library was closed. So we walked all the way around. Satisfied that there was no other way in, we tried the obvious entrance door again. This time with a little more muscle behind it, and viola!
We were instantly transported to another world.
If you’re brave enough to climb the itty bitty stairway up to the balcony, you’ll be able to weave in and out of narrow corridors of books. Here you have to slow your heart and mind to really appreciate what you’re looking at. You’ll not be disappointed.
What! All this AND books too!
We had fun just exploring and experiencing this unusual library.
Dragging everyone away from the adult section, we found a teen room.
Among the books, we found a TV with a video game system along with couches and computers. This whiteboard table is magnetized, so the metal stools are actually suspended in the air by the table.
This was an interesting find! A book dumbwaiter?
In the basement, in one of the last places we looked, we stumbled into the children’s section. The room itself is like a breath of fresh air. The natural lighting and light colors make you forget you’re in the bottom of an old building.
It was crammed with children’s books of all sizes and genres, as well as plants and stuffed animals.
This library website, like others, boasts an online catalog, resources, and programs. It also states that they offer curbside pick up, which I think is amazing! You can read more about them here, as well as look at their fantastic pictures.
From where he sat, he could see his fellow soldiers napping. The sharp snap of a twig startled him. Noiselessly, the small black-and-white terrier climbed out of the dirt trench, creeping toward the enemy spy. Letting out a low growl, the brave canine lunged, sinking his sharp teeth into the adversary’s calf. Angry shrieks woke the American soldiers with the 102nd infantry. Through it all, Stubby held on tight.
Born a stray, this small Boston Terrier was smuggled on board the USS Minnesota by a young corporal. In February 1918, they landed in Chemin des Dames, France. Here they would spend the next eighteen months. Stubby spent most of his time on the front lines. As battles raged, Stubby ran ferociously and fearlessly around his fellow soldiers.
Because of his keen canine senses, Stubby alerted his comrades to the shrill whistle of incoming shells before they struck. He used his unique low-light vision to locate missing soldiers on the field. The courage and motivation of this canine boosted the morale of the soldiers, in and out of battle.
Pas moi! As I type, I’m adorned with bi-focals and irked because I can hear the exhaust fan above the kitchen stove. I’m suspiciously eyeing that spider on my ceiling, preparing to abandon my post should it make any sudden moves. I come equipped with lens cleaner, noise canceling headphones, and an emotional support cup of tea.
I first read about Stubby when I was researching World War I. A dog with keen eyesight and remarkable hearing; yet, it was his bravery and his sense of purpose that won me over. He had a willingness to move beyond comfort, into the conflict, drawing courage from the soldiers around him.
And you?
Where does your courage come from?
Psalm 27:14 says,
The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? (NIV)
Much like our four legged hero, King David was a skilled, experienced soldier. In fact, David had previously come up against a giant. I imagine the legs of the men on the WWI battlefield resembled the legs of giants as Stubby weaved in and out of them.
King David wrote this when he was in trouble, to remind himself that the strife that surrounded him would be no match for the God who internally fortified him. In this one Psalm, we see David turn his panic to prayer, his fear into faith, and his tribulation into trust. What’s even more comforting, is that God knew all of David’s inadequacies, but called him anyway. David had to have a heart open to God’s purpose.
Joshua is another example of being strong and courageous in the face of the unknown.
In Joshua 10:8 it states,
And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.” (NIV)
Though Joshua had reasons to fear, God had commanded him not to. Joshua had to hold tight to that command and the promise attached to it. Then he got to work. Joshua participated. He trusted God to make him capable.
God had been preparing Joshua to lead and now He was calling him to be bold for the battles ahead. There was no time to consider the “what ifs” and “how wills” of the future. Joshua let fear sharpen his awareness of God. I bet a battlefield is a difficult place to hear the call of your friend, unless, of course, you’re a dog. Joshua had to have ears trained to hear God’s voice in everything and everywhere.
And Deborah?
Now, most people of that time would never have expected God to raise up a woman as a prophetess, never mind a judge. But there she was, using all the skills and gifts that God had entrusted to her to sit under that tree and, well, judge. She eventually sends for Barak to ask why he wasn’t going where God had told him to go and doing what God had told him to do. His answer was found in Judges 4:8.
“Barak said to her, ‘If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.’ ” (NIV)
When we are hit with those hard times, and can’t see our way out of it, it’s a good thing we have a Judge who will come alongside us, too. Barak’s obedience relied on Deborah’s willingness to go with him. He needed God to uncover his spiritual eyes. Then, with no more fear or excuses to block the way, Barak might have been able to see God’s plan.
When we talk about spiritual eyes, we are really talking about the ability to see beyond the natural. To glimpse the Invisible moving the visible. That clarity of purpose and spiritual discernment only comes through a personal relationship with Jesus. If Stubby couldn’t see what the men were doing, he would stumble all over himself. If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves, too. Deborah had to have uncovered eyes to see God’s plan.
Open our hearts to His purpose.
Train our ears to hear His voice.
Uncover our eyes to witness God’s presence.
Stubby was the only canine promoted to Sergeant during the entire war. That’s Sergeant, with a capital S. Seventeen battles later, and I guess you could say, he was a bit of a celebrity. He met three US presidents, marched in numerous parades, and received lifetime memberships into the American Legion, the Red Cross, and the YMCA.
Now, hold on a second. It just doesn’t feel right to let you go on thinking that all Boston Terriers are like Sergeant Stubby.
Currently, my Boston Terrier is napping on a blanket, contentedly soaking up the only slice of February sunlight we’ve seen in days. When he’s not napping or barking at the birds, he finds a little time to, well, sneak in another nap. Did I mention he snores?
Also, this breed tends to be a little..
Well, let’s just say he engages in chemical warfare.
Welcome! If you are just joining us, we are on day three of discussing Christmas books for children. You can find the links to those days here. For almost 30 years, I have been reading books to children. Many of them have been fantastic, while others bored either me, or the children. I have noticed that the books I read to them are becoming less complex. The words have become easier. The plot is less climactic. That being said, be sure to preview any of the books I’ve featured before you incorporate them into your tradition.
A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest. CS Lewis
Reading is such a fantastic exercise for your brain. I am a huge advocate of reading books to children that are above their “reading level”. I believe it helps to increase their vocabulary, leading to better comprehension and reading confidence.
These next books are sure not to disappoint.
These first two books were written by one of my favorite children’s book authors. Patricia Polacco grew up with dyslexia. You can find out more about that here. Most of her stories come from her childhood. These books are rich in illustrations, and she is gifted in storytelling. I enjoy them as much as the kids.
Until we stumbled upon this book, I had no idea this was an actual event. Hope literally falls from the sky into war-torn Berlin. This book is sweet, in more ways than one.
We love the Cranberry books! They are always fun, with a bit of an unexpected ending. This one involves a Christmas time fight over an ice-skating pond. Be sure to check out the recipe at the end.
Well, that’s it! I hope you’ve enjoyed a peak at what’s under our tree. As I type this, just two books remain unwrapped. Be sure to leave me a comment if you have a favorite Christmas book I didn’t mention. There’s always room for another book.
Before we take a look at additional books we used this year in our Christmas Advent tradition, I feel like we should talk about reading to children.
But first, a word about screen time. With only a few days remaining until all that Christmas joy gets unpacked, and a to-do list that gets longer by the second, screens have been our constant companion lately. As I type, we are knee deep in a day long movie marathon, complete with phones and tablets. There have been video games, texts, andbooks. There should always be books.
According to this study, the Nations Report Card found a decline in the national average for reading. In some cases, that drop was as much as 2 points. Now, that might not seem so bad, unless you factor in the near 3 point decline in the years before.
In another study, referenced here, we see a correlation between screen time and the decrease in what they are calling “reading stamina”. That article highlights how a deeper, slower connection needs to be made between the brain and the words on the page, in order to understand what is being read. While Ohio State University, found a large discrepancy between children who were read to and those who were not.
Here are a few we’ve unwrapped lately.
One of my boys, loves this movie, but some in the family feel it’s a little much. The book though, is just right. Ours even comes with a free, downloadable reading done by a famous actor, complete with sound effects.
Of course, no Christmas book list would be complete without this timeless poem. This version happens to be our favorite. The illustrations switch between simple and beautiful, to stunning, full page, colorful spreads.
Another Christmas classic, and one of my personal favorites! When my girls were younger, and we would watch this online, we would jokingly say that one did not simply watch The Nutcracker. Complete with tutus, crowns, and even a Nutcracker Doll, this always became an interactive event for 3 little girls in our house.
That’s it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with a few more of our favorites.
If you missed Part 1, you can find it here. But! Be sure to subscribe and receive posts delivered straight to your inbox. It’s not as fun as the way Santa delivers things, but its close.
In the meantime, remember, there should always be books, and tutus, and movies, and twinkly lights, and dancing, and…..
Before I tell you about my own children’s book, due out this spring, I’d like to introduce you to a few of our favorite Christmas books.
A few years ago, while looking for a new way to mark the days until Christmas, I came across a fun tradition involving books. In this unconventional advent calendar, you wrap up 25 Christmas books. Each day a child unwraps a book, until that last book is opened on Christmas.
We have really enjoyed this tradition, and I thought this was a great opportunity to show you a few books we use.
This book is beautiful! In this book, we follow a Queen on her hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. She sets out with a certain type of tree in mind, but her idea of what perfect is changes throughout the book.
In 1914, during World War 1, even the soldiers find a way to generate a little peace during Christmas. For just a brief moment in time, enemies become friends, in a hostile place.
This is such a sweet story about joy in the midst of loss. A young boy befriends a grieving widower and together they carve out companionship that they both didn’t know they needed. Come to find out, there is also a movie!
The illustrations in this book are stunning. The book itself is a very easy read about who exactly ended up in that stable so long ago. I always enjoy when this book is unwrapped.
What I like about this book is that it’s heartwarming and true! Not only does it tell you the true meaning of Christmas, but it does it in a bit of a different way. This book will not only remind you of what Christmas is all about, but it might even inspire you.
Of course, before you add these to your tradition, be sure to screen them for your family.
I’ll be back in a few days with additional books, but until then, I’d love to connect with you about your favorite Christmas books.
Scattered Seed Books 
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