Books & Big Ideas - Past Edition Information

Books & Big Ideas Third Edition - Winter/Spring 2024 (February 2024 - April 2024)

The winter/spring edition of Books & Big Ideas will take place from February 2024 - April 2024 and focus on the topic of climate action and sustainability in Kittery, the state of Maine and beyond.  Through the power of literature, we will collectively learn about the environmental issues facing our planet and community, along with the complexities of the unfolding climate crisis. 

By exploring this topic and the actions that can be taken in our everyday lives to help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, we can foster a greater sense of stewardship for the place we call home.

Selected Titles for the Fall/Winter Community Read Are:

Adult Nonfiction: There is No Planet B by Mike Berners-Lee 

Previous Events & Activities Information:

February 2024

 

Story Time & Craft at the Rice Public Library

February 13, 2024 & February 16, 2024 | 10:30 AM

Join the Rice Public Library for Story Time: “An Earth Bots Solution to Plastic Pollution” by Russel Ayto.

 

For more information, please visit the RPL’s website by clicking here.

 

Movie Night & Matinee at the Kittery Community Center

February 22, 2024 & February 23, 2024 | Various showtimes

Join your friends and neighbors as the Kittery Community Center hosts a Family Movie Night and Matinee of the documentary film “2040”. 

 

Showtimes will be at 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM on 2/22 and 12:00 PM on 2/23.  To learn more about the film, please visit the KCC’s website by clicking here.

 

Traip Academy Storm Chasers Photo Display at Town Hall

Currently on display

Learn about the Traip Academy Storm Chasers and their project to document the effects of sea level rise on the Town of Kittery, on display now at the Kittery Town Hall.

 

The Traip Academy Storm Chasers photo display provides students with a community service opportunity to become a "Storm Chaser", and to contribute scientific observations from the field in a more usable way. 

 

For more information about the project, please visit their website by clicking here.

 

Kittery Climate Action Task Force Climate Strategies on Display

Learn about what the Town of Kittery is doing to address climate change and check out the 29 Adopted Climate Action Strategies developed by the Climate Action Task Force with input from the community.

 

The strategies will be on display throughout the winter/spring at the Rice Public Library, Kittery Community Center and online by visiting www.kitteryme.gov/CAP or by clicking here.

 

March 2024

 

Small Steps, Big Change - Make a Climate Action Pledge to Support a Sustainable & Resilient Kittery

This spring, we invite community members to read one of our selected titles “The Climate Action Handbook” and become a climate action champion or sustainability superhero by making your very own climate action pledge for Kittery.  

 

Learn more about how to participate by clicking here or visiting www.kitteryme.gov/pledgeit. 

 

By reading and sharing your pledges with us, you'll be entered to win one of five eco-awesome prize packs as seen below.  

 

 

Shapleigh Student Art on Display at the Rice Public Library - March 2024

Visit the Rice Public Library in March to view a collection of original artwork painted by Shapleigh School students which explores the theme of climate change and sustainability.

 

Community Book Discussion of “The Story of More” with Town Manager Kendra Amaral at the Rice Public Library - Canceled DUE TO ILLNESS 

March 14, 2024 | 6:00 PM

Join Town Manager Kendra Amaral as she leads an interactive community book discussion of “The Story of More” by Hope Jahren. 

 

For more information, please visit the RPL’s website by clicking here.

 

Story Time & Craft at the Rice Public Library

March 19, 2024 & March 22, 2024 | 10:30 AM

Join the Rice Public Library for Story Time featuring “Sea Bear” by Lindsay Moore.

 

For more information, please visit RPL’s website by clicking here.

 

Seacoast Environmental Film Festival at the Kittery Community Center

March 23, 2024 | All Day Event Beginning at 8:30 AM

Join the Kittery Land Trust at the KCC for the Seacoast Environmental Film Festival: a day-long event that brings together Seacoast area environmentalists, activists, educators, and interested film-goers to watch and discuss award winning documentaries about critical environmental issues that are globally important and locally relevant.

 

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit KLT’s website by clicking here.

April 2024

 

"Paved Paradise" Book Discussion with Author Henry Grabar at the Rice Public Library

April 11, 2024 | 6:00 PM

Join Author Henry Grabar as he hosts a community discussion about his book, "Paved Paradise.

 

For more information and to register, please visit the RPL's website by clicking here.

 

 

 

“Hoot” Family Movie Night at the Rice Public Library

April 17, 2024 | 6:00 PM

Join the Rice Public Library for a family movie night viewing of “Hoot” based on the beloved book by Carl Hiaasen. 

 

For more information, please visit RPL’s website by clicking here.

 

Story Time & Craft at the Rice Public Library

April 24, 2024 | 10:30 AM

Join the Rice Public Library for Story Time featuring “Give Bees a Chance” by Bethany Barton.

 

For more information, please visit RPL’s website by clicking here.

 

Great Bay Book Discussion of “Small Town, Big Oil” with Author David W. Moore at 3S Artspace

April 25, 2024 | 6:30 PM

Join the Great Bay Piscataqua Waterkeeper, Great Bay Stewards and author David W. Moore as they host a community book discussion about “Small Town, Big Oil - the Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the Richest Man in the World - And Won”. 

 

For more information about the event, please visit 3S Artspace’s website by clicking here.

Books & Big Ideas Second Edition - Fall 2023 (September 2023 - December 2023)

The selected titles for the fall/winter community read were:

Previous Events & Activities Information:

Kittery Town Council Meeting - Land Acknowledgement and Tribal Flag Presentation

On Monday, September 25, 2023, the Kittery Town Council was presented with a Tribal flag from Denise and Paul Pouliot of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People.

Kittery is located on the land of the Pennacook and Abenaki Peoples of the Wabanaki Confederacy who have ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to this land. The addition of this flag recognizes Kittery's ongoing responsibility to maintain and protect these homelands for future generations. The flag can now be seen in Council Chambers alongside the American flag and Maine State flag.

At the meeting, the Council also adopted a land acknowledgment statement that will be incorporated into their meeting introduction moving forward.

• To watch the September 25, 2023 Town Council meeting video, please click here.
• To learn more about the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki Peoples, please visit their website by please click here.

Books & Big Ideas First Edition - Spring 2023 (March 2023 - August 2023)

The spring portion of Books & Big Ideas took place from March 2023 - May 2023 and focused on the theme of housing.  Kittery and Maine as a whole, are in a housing crisis, which means there is a shortage of affordable housing options available to residents and workers of all ages.  The spring topic was “sponsored” by the Kittery Housing Committee and is part of their year-long community information drive.

The selected books have a shared theme of housing insecurity, and the importance of "home".  Through these stories, we seek to enrich the discussion about affordable housing and its place in our community.

The selected titles that explore the topic and impacts of affordable housing are: 

Non-fiction: Housing for Humans by Ileana Schinder

Children/Young Adult:

• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
•  A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

Previous Events & Activities Information:

Housing for Humans Author Ileana Schinder joined us via Zoom to talk about her book, Housing for Humans: A Book to Imagine, Create and Design a New Housing Model in America. The program is available for streaming 24/7 via Town Hall Streams. 

To view the event online, please click here.