Books & Brunch
First Saturday of the month during library hours. Food, Books, and Friends.
Chapter 250: Reading America’s Story Together is a community book club that explores the American Revolution through shared reading, discussion, and film. The adult group, open to participants ages nineteen and older, will meet on Tuesday, February 24th, at 5:00 p.m. at the Granville Branch, with a virtual option available via Zoom.
This month’s selection is “Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America,” by Steven Waldman. In Founding Faith, Waldman debunks myths from both the left and the right about America’s religious origins, revealing how the Founders crafted a new model of liberty that protected faith by keeping government out of it. Through vivid accounts from the colonies to the early presidencies, he shows how this delicate balance between belief and freedom shaped the nation.
Before the discussion, participants will watch a 26-minute preview from the upcoming 2025 PBS documentary “American Revolution,” by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. The preview explores religion and religious diversity in the 18th century, offering insight into how faith helped shape the nation’s early history.
Copies of the book will be available at the Granville Branch beginning in January. For more information, please contact the Library at 815-339-2038. To participate via Zoom, please register via Zoom: https://shorturl.at/L6uCA.
Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation, and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Chapter 250: Reading America’s Story Together – Youth
Thursday, March 26th, 5:00 p.m.
Youth, ages 8 through 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 will watch 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, before taking part in an informal discussion.
The featured titles for this session are “Ben’s Revolution: Benjamin Russell and the Battle of Bunker Hill,” by Nathaniel Philbrick and “Forge,” by Laurie Halse Anderson. Ben’s Revolution brings the opening days of the American Revolution to life through the eyes of a young boy caught up in the Battle of Bunker Hill, while Forge follows a teenage soldier enduring the brutal winter at Valley Forge and the personal cost of fighting for independence.
The program runs approximately 45–60 minutes and is free and open to the public. To register virtually, please visit: https://shorturl.at/u8coq. Copies of the book are available at the Condit Branch.
Third Wednesday of every month
10:00 A.M.
Coffee, Color, and Conversation
Tuesday, June 2nd 10-11:30
Kid’s Friday Fun
Friday, June 12th 10-11:30 A.M.
Mahjong
Wednesday, August 24th @ 10:00 A.M.
Chapter 250: Reading America’s Story Together (Youth – ConditBranch)
Thursday,July 30th, 5:00 p.m.
What does it mean to be American? Join us for a hybridcommunity book club exploring that question through the lens of the AmericanRevolution. The evening opens with a preview screening from the PBS documentaryThe American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt,followed by an informal group discussion.
This month’s featured title is Answering the Cry forFreedom: Stories of African Americans and the American Revolution byGretchen Woelfle. Even as American Patriots fought for independence fromBritish rule, thousands of enslaved and free African Americans waged their ownfight for freedom — joining armies, speaking out against slavery, and establishingnew settlements abroad. This collection spotlights thirteen remarkableindividuals who answered the cry for freedom and shaped America both then andnow, including Phillis Wheatley, James Armistead Lafayette, Sally Hemings,Richard Allen, and Ona Judge.
Copies of the book are available at the Condit Branch. Thisfree program runs approximately 60 minutes and is held in-person at the ConditBranch and virtually via Zoom. To register for Zoom, visit: https://t.ly/C5SqL.
Coffee, Color & Conversation
Wednesday, August 5th @ 10:00-11:30 A.M.
The Night Shift: Moths of Illinois (Condit Branch)
Thursday, August 6th, 4:00 p.m.
Illinois is home to a remarkable variety of moths — and there is far more to these nocturnal neighbors than meets the eye. This engaging program presented by the University of Illinois Extension Office explores the biology, behaviors, and ecological importance of Illinois’ moths, and shows you how to get involved through simple citizen science activities in honor of National Moth Week. This free program is open to the public.
