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Dracut Reads
Event Calendar
Dracut Reads 2015. For our first town-wide book discussion, we have chosen
Defending Jacob
by William Landay. This title was picked after nominations were received from both the public and the staff. Twelve titles were read and evaluated. Ultimately, we decided upon this book because of its overlying themes of family, parental responsibility, bullying, morality, school violence, and online responsibility. The committee felt that the novel would provide multiple opportunities for Dracut residents to come together, regardless of age, to share their thoughts and feelings about these themes.
We hope that your connection with the book does not end there. When you checkout the book you will receive a copy of our program guide, a bookmark, and a pin that proudly declares, "I've Read It!" Whether you are at the grocery store, a school football game, or the dentist office, look for others wearing the pin and strike up a conversation. In addition, we invite you to participate in one of the many book discussions or programs happening throughout the fall.
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CSI Dracut
Saturday, 9/18/15
Perfect your crime scene investigative "chops." Come between 11:30 & 1:00 to view a mock crime scene. Walk through the evidence and try to determine "who done it?" At 1:00 pm, retired Massachusetts State Police Lieutenant and current Private Investigator, Elaine Gill, will go through the crime scene step by step, giving an overview of the evidence you have discovered. She will present information about all of the departments that analyze crime scenes and their various roles. Finally, the solution to the crime will be revealed.
DATV Book Discussion Program
A taped book discussion will air on Dracut Access TV on the following dates:
Monday, 9/31/15 at 1:30 pm
Wednesday, 10/2/15 at 7:00 pm
Thursday, 10/3/15 at 8:00 am
Saturday, 10/5/15 at 8:30 pm
More times will be announced in the future. A DVD copy of the program is also available for checkout at the library.
Youth and Violence: A Discussion
Saturday, 10/3/15 at 1:00 pm
Investigative reporter, Hank Phillippi Ryan, moderates a panel discussion on youth and violence in America. Participants include:
Jonathan Shapiro,
a partner at Shapiro, Weissberg & Garin, and renowned civil rights attorney, has handled hundreds of jury cases and appeals. Among his more famous victories was the U.S. Supreme Court reversal of the conviction of world boxing champion, Muhammad Ali. One of Mr. Shapiro's specialties is representing youth accused of violent crimes.
Elizabeth Ortiz Jackson
, is Executive Director of Bridge Over Troubled Waters, a $200 million, Boston-based nonprofit youth advocacy organization, whose mission it is to transform the lives of homeless young adults, ages 14-24. Ms. Jackson is a Licensed Social Worker, certified substance abuse and HIV/AIDS counselor.
is a practicing Pediatrician in Chestnut Hill. He is a Past-President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the New England Pediatric Society, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital. In response to the needs of the "flower children" flooding Boston in 1970, Dr. Keenan founded (with Andrew Guthrie, M.D.), Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Today, "Bridge" flourishes as a Boston-based nonprofit advocacy organization for youth rendered homeless due to abuse and/or neglect.
Maureen Flatley
, is a Boston-based government relations consultant specializing in government reform and oversight of adoption and child welfare. An architect of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, she has provided expert advice and consultation to the White House, members of Congress, foreign heads of state and state legislators. Ms. Flatley serves on the boards of Fostering Families Today Magazine and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Forensic Genealogy: Where CSI and History Meet
Monday, 10/5/15 at 6:30 pm
The word "forensic" relates to the use of science and technology in the
investigation and establishment of facts or evidence. Forensic genealogists use these fields to look beyond traditional genealogical records when gathering clues about family history.
Forensic genealogists are branching out and working with police to solve cold cases, find missing heirs, find birth families for adoptees, identify the remains of unknown soldiers for the military, and solve historical mysteries. This talk will describe some of the tools they use, such as photo analysis, database mining, and DNA analysis, to solve real cases.
Stealing from the Dead: Ideas and Where We Get Them
Saturday, 10/17/15 at 1:00 pm
Join us for a panel of crime novelists as they discuss where they get their ideas and how they go about writing their novels.
Frankie Y. Bailey
is a criminal justice professor at the University at Albany. She specializes in crime and American culture. Currently, her research focuses on crime and clothing. Her mystery series features crime historian Lizzie Stuart, most recently in
Forty Acres and a Soggy Grave (July 2011). She has completed the first two books in a near future police procedural series featuring Det. Hannah McCabe. Frankie is a former EVP of Mystery Writers of America and the current VP of Sisters in Crime.
Ray Daniel
Ray Daniel is an award-winning author of Boston-based crime
fiction. His novella
"Give Me a Dollar" won a 2014 Derringer Award for short fiction and
"Driving Miss Rachel" was chosen as a 2013 distinguished
short story by Otto Penzler, editor of
The Best American Mystery Stories 2013. Daniel's work has been published in the Level Best Books anthologies
Thin Ice, Blood Moon, and
Stone Cold.
Terminated and
Corrupted Memory are the first two novels in his Tucker Mysteries series.
Boston native, Suffolk University Law School alum, and
former partner of Saltzman & McNaught, LLP, J.R. Reardon has practiced in many areas including civil and criminal litigation. She practices law and teaches insurance law and litigation with her father, Atty. Stephen R. McNaught, and is published in the Suffolk University Law Review. Reardon is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. She is the author of three books featuring attorney/judge, Rebecca Tameron: Confidential Communications (2006), Dishonored (2008) and
Advice and Consent
(2012), and has two more novels in the works.
Tuesday, 10/20/15 at 6:30 pm
This one hour lecture is an entertaining and fascinating look at some of
Massachusetts' most infamous murder cases, both solved and unsolved.
Audiences that like mystery, suspense and a little blood and gore will love this lecture. This presentation is fully illustrated with images culled from archives, microfilm and literary sources. Those who attend will get a sense of the modern day context of the crimes from the photographs of the many murder sites and historical locations.
Meet the Author: William Landay
Saturday, 10/24/15 at 1:00 pm
Join us for an afternoon with
Defending Jacob author,
William Landay. A graduate of Yale University and Boston College
Law School, Bill is a former Cambridge Assistant District Attorney who turned to writing. He now lives in Boston, where he is working on his next novel.
A Life in the Balance: Murder in the Courts
Tuesday, 11/3/15 at 6:00 pm
Someone is dead. Will the person accused of the crime be tried in Federal or State Court? What are the similarities and differences in procedures, trial, sentencing and appeal? Join Justices McEvoy and Ponsor to get the answers to these questions. This is a rare opportunity to view murder from the Judge's bench. A Q&A period will follow their presentation.
The Honorable Christine M. McEvoy
is a recently retired Justice of the
Massachusetts Superior Court, appointed in 1994. Previously, she served as the First Justice of the Concord Division of the District Court, having been appointed to that court in 1989. Justice McEvoy has tried numerous high profile homicide and gang related cases. Presently an Adjunct Professor at Boston College Law School, teaching trial practice, she has been a member of their faculty since 1988.
The Honorable Michael A. Ponsor
is a senior judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Springfield, Hampden Courtroom. Justice Ponsor presided over the Kristen H. Gilbert trial in 2001-2001, in which the prosecution sought the death penalty. Justice Ponsor is also an award winning courtroom crime novelist.
Writing Mysteries: a Crash Course with Hallie Ephron
Tuesday, 11/10/15 at 6:30 pm
New York Timesbestselling author
Hallie Ephron grew up in a family of
writers and a household filled with books. Her parents were Henry and
Phoebe Ephron who wrote screenplays for classic movies like
Carousel
and
Daddy Long Legs
.
Hallie was the last of their four daughters (Nora, Delia, Hallie, Amy) to start writing or, as she calls it, succumb to her genes. An Edgar Award finalist and a three-time finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, Hallie grew up in Beverly Hills where her new suspense novel,
Night Night, Sleep Tight, is set. The story is inspired by Hallie's experiences growing up in a famous Hollywood family, and by an infamous Hollywood murder.
Book Discussions: Defending Jacob
There are a variety of opportunities to come together with members of both the library staff and the community, to discuss our Dracut Reads book choice, Defending Jacob by William Landay. Drop in and hear what others have to say.
Saturday, 9/19/15 at 10:00 am. Dracut Library.
Saturday, 10/10/15 at 2:00 pm. Dracut Library
Monday, 10/19/15 at 10:00 am. Dracut Council on Aging
Monday, 10/19/15 at 6:30 pm. Dracut Library
Friday, 11/13/15 at 11:00 am. Town Hall. 2nd Floor Meeting Room.
Discussion Questions
Is Andy a good father? Do you think Laurie saw her son more clearly than her husband saw him?
Andy never told Laurie about his family's violent history. Would you have told Laurie if you were in Andy's position?
Do you think that Andy should have been on the case since it involved the school his son attended?
Why does Andy search Jacob's room for the knife instead of asking Jacob if he had one?
How far should a parent go to protect their child?
Is Jacob a product of his upbringing, or do you think he has had violent inclinations since birth?
Bullying is a hot topic. How did the author incorporate it into the story? Do you think bullying had anything to do with Jacob's disposition?
We find out that Jacob enjoys violent erotica. After learning this, could you still see Jacob in a neutral light?
Did Jacob's age play into your sympathies for him or lack thereof? How much?
The title of the book is Defending Jacob. Was Jacob the main character? If not, who was?
What was the most damning piece of evidence against Jacob?
Do you believe Jacob was guilty? Why or why not? Anything that you felt exonerated him?
If Jacob hadn't been accused, how do you think his life would have turned out? What kind of man do you think he would have become?
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Tween Book Group : The Page Turners
Tuesday, September 8, at 6:00 pm.
Have you read the highly talked about book Wonder by R.J. Palacio, yet? Join the Page Turners in playing games, completing activities, and discussing the book.
August Pullman has been home-schooled mainly because of his facial differences. Now that he is entering fifth grade at Beecher Prep, Auggie just wants to be treated like an ordinary kid. Told from a variety of point of views Wonder shows how an extraordinary fifth grader teaches his community about empathy, compassion, and friendship.
Program runs 1 hour.
Say No to Bullying Story Time
Monday, September 14, & 21 at 4:30 pm
This is a chance for elementary school students to sit back and relax while listening to Miss. Amber read books aloud about friendship, embracing your differences, and saying no to bullies.
Program runs 45 minutes.
Friendship Story Time
Wednesday, September 9, 16, 23 & 30 at 10:30 am
Preschoolers are invited to listen to stories about embracing your differences and creating friendships. Followed by a craft.
Program runs 45 minutes.
Friendship Party
Monday, 9/28/15 at 6:00 pm
Bring a friend or meet new ones at our friendship party. At the party we will be cheering for others while playing "minute to win it "games. You will also have a chance to make friendship bracelets, and take a picture in our "photo booth".
Program runs 1 hour.
Scooby -Doo Cartoon Marathon
Tuesday, 10/6/15 from 6:00 pm
Laugh while watching four of Scooby's adventures as he and his friends solve mysteries. Popcorn will be provided.
Program runs 1.5 hours.
Tween Book Group: The Page Turners
Tuesday, 10/13/15 at 6:00 pm
This month the Page Turners will be playing games, completing activities, and discussing the book The Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble.
In this local historical fiction story, Abigail Faulkner's life changes forever when two Salem girls arrive in Andover, Massachusetts to identify witches. Abigail and her sister Dorothy must persevere when they are accused of witchcraft. They endure unimaginable conditions while in prison and must make a painful decision during their trial.
Program runs 1 hour.
Scavenger Hunt
Tuesday, 10/20/15 at 6:30 pm
Books are missing! You be the detective! Find the books and discover who took them. You may be rewarded with a sweet treat.
Program runs 30 minutes.
Clue Party
Monday, 10/26/15 at 6:00 pm
Was it Colonel Mustard in the kitchen? Or perhaps it was Miss. Scarlet in the library. Come join Miss. Amber and discover who committed the crime by playing the popular board game Clue.
Program runs 1 hour.
Reader's Theater
Monday, 11/2/15 at 4:30 pm.
Ages: 7-12
Gold E. Locks is accused of bad manners by the three bears, and Curly Pig is on trial for allegedly trying to cook B. B. Wolf. Children are invited to learn some courtroom terms and act out one of the two fairy tale trials, which they will present in the meeting room at 5:30.
Program lasts 2 hours.
Secret Messages
Monday, 11/9/15 at 5:00 pm
Come take part in some secret message writing centers. Children will have the chance to create and use ciphers, invisible ink, and Morse Code bracelets.
Program runs 30 minutes.
Tween Book Group: The Page Turners
Tuesday, 11/10/15 at 6:00 pm
This month the Page Turners will be playing games, completing activities, and discussing the book
Holes by Louis Sachar.
Stanley's family has a history of bad luck and Stanley is no exception. After Stanley is discovered at the wrong place at the wrong time, he finds himself at Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention center. Every day, each boy at Camp Green Lake must dig a hole five feet wide and five feet deep. Stanley starts to have suspicions of the Warden's intent. Will Stanley's luck change? Will he be able to dig up the truth?
Program runs 1 hour.
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Crime Scene: Library
Wednesday, 9/30/15 at 4:00 pm
Grades 6-12
There's been a murder at the Dracut Library and a rare book is missing! Everyone is a suspect. Can you solve the case?
Bring your detective skills to bear, find the clues and solve the mystery before the other gumshoes! A grand prize goes to the winner! Program runs 1.5 hours. Snacks provided.
Self Defense for Everyone
Saturday, 10/10/15 at 10:00 am
Grades 6-12
Can you defend yourself against someone who is bigger and stronger than you are? Do you know how to block a punch? Come learn self-defense from a karate master! Program runs 1 hour. Snacks provided.
Cyber Bullying Defense
Wednesday, 10/14/15 at 4:00 pm
Grades 6-12
Cyber bullying is using technology, like cell phones and the Internet, to bully or harass another person. Learn to identify bullying, and how to defend yourself. Experts will share their first-hand experiences. Program runs 2 hours. Snacks provided.
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IF YOU LIKED
DEFENDING JACOB, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...
Click on any of the titles below to be taken to the Dracut Library's online catalog, where you can place a copy on hold.
Now an obstetrician, the daughter of a respected midwife from a rural Vermont community recounts the summer of her thirteenth year, when her mother stood accused of murdering a woman during a difficult delivery.
When the chief of police comes to question Jacob Reiser about the brutal murder of his teenage girlfriend, it throws the entire family into a feud laced with guilt and questions of loyalty
Set in contemporary Northern California, The Harder They Come explores the volatile connections among three damaged people -- an aging ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran, his psychologically unstable son, and the son's paranoid, much older lover -- as they careen towards an explosive confrontation.
A nine-year-old boy is found murdered at the bottom of a well near a popular beach resort in southern Italy. In what looks like a hopeless case for Guido Guerrieri, counsel for the defense, a Senegalese peddler is accused of the crime. Faced with small-town racism fueled by the recent immigration from Africa, Guido attempts to exploit the esoteric workings of the Italian courts.This suspense novel is a powerful attack on racism, and an insight into the Italian judicial process. It is also a portrait of a deeply humane hero.
When her daughter, studying abroad in Spain, is accused of murdering a fellow student, Jennifer rushes to her daughter's defense in the face of a media storm only to uncover disturbing clues.
by Alice LoCicero
Using psychological theory and the author's direct experience working with at-risk youth, this book answers the questions on the minds of anyone shocked and appalled by the events of the Boston Marathon bombings.
After a house fire leaves Grace and her daughter, Jenny, in the hospital, Grace must find the true culprit before Jenny's life is once again in danger and before her mute son is convicted for arson he didn't commit.
Lydia's body is found in the local lake and the Lee family tumbles into a
nightmare. Mother, father, brother, and little sister all react differently as the bottom falls out of their world. Everything I Never Told You is a profoundly moving story of family and the meaning of home.
Unable to express himself socially but possessing a savant-like knack for
investigating crimes, a teenage boy with Asperger's Syndrome is wrongly
accused of killing his tutor when the police mistake his autistic tics for guilty behavior.
A heart-wrenching but redemptive story of psychological suspense told from the point of view of the father of a boy who is unaccounted for after a school shooting.
Celia Scott and her family move back to her husband's hometown in Kansas, where his sister died under mysterious circumstances twenty years before, and where Celia and two of her children struggle to
adjust--especially when a local girl disappears.
In a series of letters to her estranged husband, the mother of an incarcerated teenager who murdered seven of his fellow high school students tells of his upbringing and her own shortcomings.
Solomon explores the consequences of extreme personal differences between parents and children, describing his own experiences as a gay child of straight parents while evaluating the circumstances of people affected by physical, developmental, or cultural factors that divide families.
Rusty Sabich is an up-and-comer in the county prosecutor's office. He's intelligent, hard-working, and dependable. And, just maybe, he's also a murderer.
When her rebellious teenage son's girlfriend goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Maggie becomes increasingly fearful about unsettling ties between the investigation and an unsolved missing-person case from twenty years earlier that involved her police officer husband.
Thirty years after witnessing a murder and being involved in the cover-up, a
bestselling author decides to use the crime as a story plot, but his life begins to unravel when a woman from his past threatens to divulge his darkest secret.
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The staff and trustees of the M.G. Parker Memorial Library would like to thank the
Friends of Dracut Library
for their generous support of this program.
The
Friends of Dracut Library
is an independent, nonprofit organization of civic-minded volunteers. They support the Parker Library by promoting library awareness, providing needed non-budgeted items such as programming, through fundraising and participation in literacy programs.
Members of the Friends are library users who know what a wonderful resource they have in the Parker Memorial Library. They believe in the importance of the library as a community resource. The Friends:
Run an annual Book Sale
- Run the Friends Store, which is open year round , selling previously owned books at affordable prices, as well as book bags. The Friends Store is open to the general public.
- Run an annual holiday auction.
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Award an
Annual Scholarship to a worthy, college-bound student
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Sponsor our Museum Pass program, offering patrons free or
discounted access to area museums, zoos, and other family activities.
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The
Friends underwrite programming costs for our adults, teens and
children. Without their financial support, we would not be able to
sponsor a town-wide reading program.
To join the Friends, visit their web page
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