For a fifth year the library is looking for pumpkin artists

Join Jessica Scriver and other jack-o-lantern fans for pumpkin carving on the library porch Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m.-noon.

The carved pumpkins will be part of the fifth annual jack-o-lantern display on the town green.

Already have a carved pumpkin you would like to be a part of the display?

Drop it off by Wednesday, Oct. 30, to be included. Jack-o-lanterns will be lit at dusk on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 30 and 31.

When the display comes down, the jack-o’-lanterns are fed to the pigs at Golden Apple Farm.

Trick or treat
Thursday, Oct. 31, 5-7 p.m.
On Halloween, stop by the library porch for a treat.

Wildcard Wednesdays
Wednesdays, thru Nov. 20, 2-3:30 p.m.
Who knows what Wednesday will bring? Science sessions? Crafts and games? Sign up and show up on Wednesdays to join in the fun activities for kids fourth grade and up. For registration information, contact the library. Wednesday, Oct. 30, first responders celebration — help bake treats and make cards to thank Charlotte’s first responders; Oct. 30, Halloween happening — pumpkin carving for Halloween with Jessica Scriver; and Nov. 6 & 13, get messy — join artist and art therapist Megan McSwain Mann for some art-making fun.

‘Gather,’ Charlotte Senior Center
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 1 p.m.
There will be a discussion of the book “Gather” at the senior center as part of Vermont Reads. See the Charlotte Senior Center calendar for more.

Programs for kids

Preschool story time
Tuesdays & Fridays, 10 a.m.
Come to the library for preschool stories, crafts and activities. No registration required. Age 2 and over.

Preschool free play
Wednesdays, 10 a.m.
Play in the preschool years enables children to explore and make sense of the world around them, as well as to use and develop their imagination. Explore the sensory table, sorting, playing with blocks, playdoh — these are a few of the open-ended projects planned for Wednesday morning play-based learning at the Charlotte Library.

Babytime
Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.
You’re invited to an unstructured hour for parents, caregivers and babies to play, explore books and chat in the young children’s area. Ages birth to 18 months.

Let’s Lego
Saturdays, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Drop-in for Lego free play. We’ll have loads of Lego bricks out, along with some books and prompts for inspiration. For all ages. Please note: Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

Programs for adults

Stillwater meditation
Saturdays, 9 a.m.
Poetry and meditation are offered freely and in person to the Charlotte community. Come for quiet reflection, contemplation and gentle meditation instruction. Respect for all beings and faiths is a foundational quality of our time together. Beginning and experienced meditators are welcome.

Cooking book club
Monday, Oct. 21, 5:30-7 p.m.
In Japanese, the adage “shokuyoku no aki” (食欲の秋), or “autumn is the season for eating,” means that our taste buds anticipate the foods and flavors of fall. Join the autumn appetite cooking book club session, bring your appetite and a favorite fall dish to share. If you need ideas, the library has a selection of cookbooks featuring fall recipes to inspire you. Please RSVP, to let us know you’re coming.

Men’s book group
Wednesday, Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m.
In “The Elegance of the Hedgehog,” readers are in the center of Paris in an elegant apartment building inhabited by bourgeois families. Renée, the concierge, is witness to the lavish but vacuous lives of her numerous employers. Outwardly she conforms to every stereotype of the concierge: fat, cantankerous, addicted to television. Yet, unbeknownst to her employers, Renée is a cultured autodidact who adores art, philosophy, music and Japanese culture. With humor and intelligence, she scrutinizes the lives of the building’s tenants, who for their part are barely aware of her existence. Copies available the library circulation desk. Join the conversation at the library or on Zoom.

Thursday night book club
Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
It’s Maine, 1789, in “Frozen River.” When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Copies available at the circulation desk. Join on Zoom.

Mystery book group
Monday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m.
It’s Sept. 29, 1913, and the steamship Dresden is halfway between Belgium and England in “The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel.” On board is one of the most famous men in the world, Rudolf Diesel, whose new internal combustion engine is on the verge of revolutionizing global industry forever. But Diesel never arrives at his destination. He vanishes during the night and headlines around the world wonder if it was an accident, suicide or murder. Copies available at the library circulation desk.

Recurring programs

Book chat
Wednesdays, 3 p.m.
Meet each week to discuss new books, old books and books we might have missed. Each week, Margaret Woodruff selects a theme and highlights related titles from the library collection. No registration necessary.

Crochet & knit night
Wednesdays, 5-6:30 p.m.
Join in a casual weekly session of crocheting and chatting, knitting and catching up. Bring your project or start a new one with yarn and needles available at the library, along with plenty of books to instruct and inspire. For teens and adults.

Short Story Selections
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 1 p.m.
Join library director Margaret Woodruff to share and discuss short stories old and new on the third Wednesday of each month. Join via Zoom.

Library contact information:
Margaret Woodruff, director
Cheryl Sloan, youth services librarian
Susanna Kahn, tech librarian
Phone: 802-425-3864
Email

For the latest information about programs, books and activity kits, sign up for the library’s newsletter.

The Charlotte Library Board of Trustees meets the first Thursday of each month at 6 p.m., unless otherwise rescheduled following the opening meeting law. Contact the library or visit the library website for more information.