Author Archives: troylibrary_admin

Author Visit Slated for Dec 6 at 11 am

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Join us on Dec. 6 at 11 am for a reading from Author Michael J. Caduto!

Title: Enchanted Night Before Christmas

Author: Michael J. Caduto

Illustrator: Igor Kovyar

Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company (An imprint of Arcadia Publishing)

ISBN: 9781455628506

Synopsis: The Sherman family does not have very much, but they take good care of one another and are generous to others, making gingerbread cookies as holiday gifts and carefully decorating them to look like friends and neighbors. Then, one Christmas Eve, after the family returns home from delivering their gifts, and everyone falls fast asleep, something magical stirs, born in a star of snow, that will change their holiday, and their lives, forever. Inspired by a real rural tradition from the foothills of the Green Mountains, Enchanted Night Before Christmas is a timeless fantasy that reminds us the most powerful gifts are the ones we give away. (Includes a scrumptious gingerbread spice cookie recipe from King Arthur Baking Company.)

Author Bio: Michael J. Caduto is the author of more than 20 books that have been published in numerous languages, have sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide, and have received numerous awards, including the NAPPA Gold Award, Reading is Fundamental (RIF) Multicultural Book Award, Aesop Prize, Skipping Stones Award, and Storytelling World Award. His children’s books include Earth Tales from Around the World, The Crimson Elf, Riparia’s River, In the Beginning,and A Child of God. Michael is also creator/co-author of the best-selling Keepers of the Earth series. 

Illustrator Bio: Igor Kovyar started drawing at the age of five and went on to receive a classical education in painting and drawing at the St. Petersburg School of Arts. Igor now works as a freelance illustrator, drawing and painting for magazines, books, advertising, and private commissions. He has illustrated more than 30 children’s books, including The NeverEnd Friend, The Magic Clock, and Nothing Kingdom. 

Thankful November at Gay-Kimball Library

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We have so much to be thankful for at the Gay-Kimball Library this month! Looking back, we had the pleasure of a visit from an incredibly curious and bright group of first graders, a successful time capsule burial, an author visit through CLiF, a Teddy Bear Tea with Miss MaryLee, and a spook-tacular Trunk or Treat Halloween! We were also blessed with our Flight Path kits, which mean birding resources and tools for the community. For example, patrons can now check out adult and children’s binoculars for three weeks at a time to enjoy these last weeks of outdoor color. Also coming soon will be a Flight Path screening of Wild Hope’s short films about birding, bird migration, and bird safety. Attendees will receive bird tape to help our local birds migrate safely. You’ll also get bird identification cards kindly donated to the library through our Spark of Science grant.

Thanks to the generosity of one of our favorite patrons, coming this month will be the start of a new chess group for pre-teen and teen kids after school. This group will meet on Wednesdays at 4, beginning Nov. 5. This friendly group (non-competitive) will learn all about the game of chess and have the opportunity to work with an adult volunteer who’s well-versed in the game. All skill levels are welcome, including those who have never played before. This is a great social event for kids looking for a positive way to spend time during those after-school hours. This program is best suited for children aged eight and up.

We are also looking forward to the following dates:

WINTER ADULT AUTHOR VISIT: Join us at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec 6, for a reading, signing, and presentation by author Michael J Caduto. Caduto, author of Enchanted Night Before Christmas, hails from Vermont and will give a talk on a sweet holiday story he wrote about a family who understands the true meaning behind the holidays. This event is free and open to the public and will help put you in the mood for the holidays!

TRACKING PRESENTATION: Save the date – Wednesday, Dec. 10 – for a presentation by Dan Bisaccio, a retired science professor, on the topic of wildlife tracking. Dan will teach us how to identify animals by their tracks and/or scat. You’ll be able to tell the difference between a deer and a rabbit visiting your yard. He’ll also go over how to make plaster casts of tracks you discover in snow or on raw ground. You’ll even learn a neat law enforcement trick on how police capture tracks in the snow. We will also hand out tracking materials from NH Fish and Game for those interested in tracking at home. This presentation is free of charge and open to anyone ages 13 and up. It will begin at 5:30 in the Ripley Room at Gay-Kimball Library. You don’t need to register to attend, and this event is open to the public, regardless of residency status.

As always, we are so thankful for our patrons, who help to make the library not only a resource but community hub for so many in town. Don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our staff if you have ideas on ways we can better serve Troy and its residents!

Treated with Creativity and Laughs Halloween Night!

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Gay-Kimball Library staff and volunteers were treated with the smiles and creativity of more than 100 kids who attended our third annual Trunk or Treat event! Thank you to all the people and patrons who helped make this event a safe and fun way to celebrate once again this year. If you missed out, here’s a look at some of our favorite moments!

Author Visit with Susie Spikol Encourages Kids to Chase Dreams

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The Gay-Kimball Library was pleased to collaborate with Troy Elementary School this month to hold a visit by naturalist and author Susie Spikol as part of our grant from the Children’s Literacy Foundation on October 24. Susie spoke to students about her love for nature, what it’s like to be an author, and inspired them to chase their dreams. Ever since she can remember, naturalist and writer Susie Spikol has always looked for where nature and story meet. Her love of nature didn’t start with science. It grew out of a rich diet of fairy tales and legends. While out searching her Brooklyn neighborhood for fairies, gnomes, and other magical creatures, she remembers being charmed by fireflies and enchanted by snails. Nature, story, and the hope of magic cast a spell over Susie, whose life work has been helping people of all ages find ways to notice and connect with the wild creatures and enchantment of nature in our everyday world.

Over the course of her 30-year career as a naturalist, she has taught thousands of children, parents, and teachers and given hundreds of public talks at nature centers, schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and conferences.  She has received numerous awards, including the Garden Club of America’s Hull Award, New Hampshire’s Environmental Educator Award, and the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts Educator of the Year.  Whether she’s talking about star-nosed moles or how imaginative play helps children engage with the natural world, Susie’s passion and commitment resonate with audiences of all ages.

When not catching frogs with preschoolers, making gnome homes with second-graders, tracking bobcats with middle-schoolers, or hawk-watching with her own three children, Susie tucks away time to write. Look for her writing in Yankee,  Northern Woodlands, Taproot Magazine, and the Center for Humans and Nature magazine. Several of her essays have been featured in environmental educator and author David Sobel’s books. She is a regular contributor to the column “Backyard Nature” in her local paper, The Monadnock Ledger Transcript in Peterborough, NH. For over 25 years, Susie has been a contributor to the Harris Center for Conservation Education’s newsletter, The Hearsay.

Her first book, published in 2022,  The Animal Adventurer’s Guide: How to Prowl for Owls, Make Snail Slime, and Catch a Frog Bare-Handed, was recognized with a National Parenting Products Award.

Her new book Forest Magic for Kids: How to Find for Fairies, Make a Secret Fort, and Cook Up an Elfin Picnic is due out this April. Filled with activities inspired by imagination, folklore, and science, this book is an invitation to all readers to step outside and discover the beauty and magic of the world.

Her most recent book, Book of Fairies is casting a spell over people of all ages.

Awarded annually to 12 public libraries in Vermont and New Hampshire, the Children’s Literacy Foundation’s Rural Library Grant is designed to help small-town libraries create excitement around literacy, update their collections, increase circulation, and strengthen connections with the communities they serve. The grant is also intended to fill funding shortfalls for libraries with extremely limited budgets.

“We are so pleased to have been fortunate enough to receive this grant. Our objective is to help our town’s children stay inspired by reading quality books! This opportunity will allow us to work closely with Troy Elementary School to introduce young readers to new experiences, books, and authors. We plan to incorporate family activities into our programming so people of all ages are involved and look forward to working with our young patrons and beyond,” said Erin George, Director for Gay Kimball Library.

The grant provides $2,000 in new children’s books for the public library; $500 in new books for the local elementary school; two storytelling events for children at the local elementary school or library; a book giveaway for each child at the elementary school to take home; and funding for mini-grants that support family engagement over the course of the year.

Recognizing the increasing needs of small, rural libraries, CLiF recently expanded the grant to include a summer kickoff event featuring a storyteller and book giveaway; early childhood book kits for circulation in the library; board books for children ages 0-5; a selection from a multi-choice menu of options worth $1000; and a small stipend to recognize the time commitment from librarians who manage the grant in addition to their regular duties.

“CLiF’s Rural Library Grant is all about strengthening connections and building a community around literacy,” said CLiF Program Manager Cassie Willner. “In addition, we know how important it is to help small libraries update and diversify their children’s book collection and promote outreach through new titles and events.”

The Rural Library grant is one of CLiF’s longest running programs. Libraries with limited annual budgets that serve Vermont and New Hampshire towns with populations of about 5,000 or less are eligible to apply.

Since 1998, CLiF has been dedicated to creating literacy experiences that support success in life and learning for under-resourced children in communities across Vermont and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit www.clifonline.org.

CLiF Author Visit at Troy Elementary!

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Thanks to the Children’s Literacy Foundation grant, we’re excited to announce a Friday, Oct 24 visit by author and naturalist Susie Spikol! Spikol will present and read to the students at Troy Elementary School as part of CLiF’s mission of promoting literacy in rural communities.

Ever since she can remember, Spikol has always looked for where nature and story meet. Her love of nature didn’t start with science. It grew out of a rich diet of fairy tales and legends. While out searching for fairies, gnomes, and other magical creatures, she remembers being charmed by fireflies and enchanted by snails. Over the course of her 30-year career as an award-winning naturalist, she has taught thousands of children, parents, and teachers and given hundreds of public talks at nature centers, schools, colleges, universities, libraries, and conferences. When not catching frogs with preschoolers, tracking bobcats with middle-schoolers, or hawk-watching with her own three children, Susie tucks away to time to write. Her first children’s book, The Animal Adventurer’s Guide, came out in 2022. Her new book, Forest Magic for Kids, released in April 2025, followed by her Book of Fairies in September.

FALL in love with books at Gay-Kimball Library!

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It’s hard to believe Fall has arrived! Looking back at September, we had a busy month. Between hosting a Roving Museum and burying a time capsule, we’re embracing the great outdoors.

We’ve also enjoyed signing up dozens of new patrons for library cards and meeting our new and new-to-us neighbors! They’ve come at the right time. Last month, we not only gave out 50 free board books to our library’s kids but also helped fill a Little Free Library on School Street with new books from the Children’s Literacy Foundation. And that’s not the last of the children’s books coming to Gay-Kimball Library! We just submitted our grant order for 120 new books and are excited to release those titles. Keep an eye on our pages to learn more about our selections and watch our fresh graphic novel section expand.

With the turn of the season, we at Gay-Kimball Library already miss our kids and summer programming! This change of pace at the library, however, does allow us to focus on adult programming and other areas of interest; something we are excited about! First up will be events, programs, and resources from our Flight Grant. While we’re ironing out the details on how we will work with local presenters and groups to teach the community about birds and bird migration patterns, you’ll soon be able to check out resources like binoculars and bird-friendly guides and materials.

We are also looking to bring in a living history presenter soon and are happy to take requests from the New Hampshire Humanities Council’s presenter list. Give us a call and let us know your interests.

Coming in November will be the start of a new chess group for pre-teen and teen kids after school. This group will meet on Wednesdays at 4, beginning Nov. 5. This friendly group (non-competitive) will learn all about the game of chess and have the opportunity to work with an adult volunteer who’s well-versed in the game. All skill levels are welcome, including those who have never played before. This is a great social event for kids looking for a positive way to spend time during those after-school hours. Call the library to sign your child up or drop by for more information. This group will meet on Wednesdays after school, with exact times to be determined based on student needs and availability.

Also coming soon will be a Flight Path screening of Wild Hope’s short films about birding, bird migration, and bird safety. Attendees will receive bird tape to help our local birds migrate safely. You’ll also get bird identification cards generously donated to the library through our Spark of Science grant.

Upcoming dates to remember:

TEDDY BEAR TEA: October 23 at 4 pm – we will be hosting our first Teddy Bear Tea with Miss Mary Lee! All children are welcome to attend this free event where we’ll dress up and bring our best stuffies for a fancy story,  snack, and special surprise!

FALL CHILDREN’S AUTHOR VISIT: October (TBD) – GKL will host an author visit for children at Troy Elementary School as part of our CLiF grant!

WINTER ADULT AUTHOR VISIT: Join us at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec 6, for a reading, signing, and presentation by author Michael J Caduto. Caduto, author of Enchanted Night Before Christmas, hails from Vermont and will give a talk on a sweet holiday story he wrote about a family who understands the true meaning behind the holidays. This event is free and open to the public and will help put you in the mood for the holidays!

TRACKING PRESENTATION: Save the date for a presentation by Dan Bisaccio, a retired science professor, on the topic of wildlife tracking. Dan will teach us how to identify animals by their tracks and/or scat. You’ll be able to tell the difference between a deer and a rabbit visiting your yard. He’ll also go over how to make plaster casts of tracks you discover in snow or on raw ground. You’ll even learn a neat law enforcement trick on how police capture tracks in the snow.

Save the date – Wednesday, Dec. 10 – to check out a mountain lion track cast and more! We will also hand out tracking materials from NH Fish and Game for those interested in tracking at home. This presentation is free of charge and open to anyone ages 13 and up. It will begin at 5:30 in the Ripley Room at Gay-Kimball Library. You don’t need to register to attend, and this event is open to the public, regardless of residency status.

Thank you to everyone who has been so patient with us during these busy times. Our goal is to continue to do what we can to make the library a welcoming, helpful place in town as we grow!

Our Hours:

Tuesday – 10:00 am – 7 pm

Wednesday & Thursday – 2 pm – 7 pm

Saturday – 10 am – 2 pm

Do those hours not work for you?  You can make use of our 24/7 Library Lockers!

Can You Solve this Geocache Puzzle?

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From https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5CC1Y

Geocache Description:

A mystery cache located in Troy, NH. You will need to solve the puzzle with clues from the Troy Common to get the final coordinates.

Take a walk around the Troy common to learn some history of the town, and the soldiers who fought from here. In order to get the final coordinates, you will need to solve a puzzle based on information you gather from inside the common. There is no need to leave the fenced in area for any of the clues (although you may have to for the final cache – we will never tell!). Parking is available at several locations around the common – the suggested parking coordinates are only one of many options. Bring a writing utensil, some scrap paper for taking notes, and a calculator (or your brain) to figure out math problems! 😉 We hope you enjoy the cache and learning more about Troy!

 Final coordinates are: N42 AB.ACD W72 DD.EFG

A. The total of the first two numbers in the year the monument “The Defenders of the Union” was erected, minus the last two numbers of the year. (For example, 2014 would be 20-14.)

B. There are two monuments on the common that mention names of Troy residents who served their country in various wars. Those who died while in service have special recognition on the monuments. Count these soldiers’ names, and add the total number from both monuments.

C. Find the year that the Troy Common was established. Add all four digits of the year and divide the total by five.

D. How many gazebos are located on the Troy Common?

E. Find the monument that says which two towns donated land for the town of Troy.    Count the letters in each of the two town’s names to figure out X – Y, if X is the name of the first town and Y is the name of the second.

F. Count the total number of granite fence posts that line the common. Add one to the total number, and divide this by twenty-four.

G. Find the year that the Town of Troy was settled in. G is the second to last digit in the year.

This cache is placed in memory of Elmer Gladding, former Police Chief of Troy, NH. He was a major contributor to this town that he loved so much, and you can find his granite fence post at the northern end of the common, as well as one dedicated to him by his daughter Traci and another by his daughter Sandi. Elmer passed away exactly 24 years ago from the date this cache was placed. RIP Cowboy Cop and your lady!

Wrapping Up Summer Reading and Our Next Chapters: Summer recap/Looking ahead

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Things have been busy at the Gay-Kimball Library! From diving into summer reading challenges to finding ways to beat the heat, we’ve had a blast with our community through various events.

Thanks to our CLiF grant, we were able to purchase two book wagons and head out to the Historical Society’s Community Fair in July. There, we offered the town a glimpse of library history through storyboards. It was exciting to talk with patrons about how the town’s library first began in the late 1800s as a room in our town hall. Our original circulation was just under 1,000 titles, and we started with one part-time librarian. It wasn’t until 1945 that the library moved out of the town hall into the brick portion of our building today. To learn more about our history, take a walk near the purple picnic table on the side of the library and read all about the generous legacy of both the Gay and Kimball families!

In July, we also held an obstacle course event in conjunction with the rec department’s Community Day. Kids leveled up their agility by balancing balls, hoops, and noodles while following directions. We also created a new graphic novel section in our children’s room, leveled up our Lego building skills, hosted camp visits, and saw a record number of children come out for Storytime, as many as 22 kids and 9 adults.

 In August, we brought back our popular Stuffie Sleepover, held a pop-up paint party, rounded out our Summer Reading Program with an indoor pool party and ice cream social, and brought a 3D printer to life!

We also welcomed Rylan Christen to our volunteer team. He’s been a great asset in helping us with a variety of tasks, including setting up our shark scavenger hunt, collecting rocks for Storytime kids, helping patrons with computers, and troubleshooting building maintenance concerns. If you see Rylan around, please thank him for his service to the town.

We improved library safety this summer by installing security cameras both in and out of the building. In addition to the town cameras for YouTube streaming of government meetings in our conference room, we are now able to ensure patron safety in all areas of the library and are thankful to all who helped make this happen!

Our CLiF grant covered tile replacement for our event space! This came just in time for our author signing events and makes for a brighter space for all! Speaking of grants, we also learned that we received a Flight Path grant that will bring programming and resources on birds and their migration patterns to the library!

It’s hard to believe how quickly summer went by. As we enter a new season, we’re looking forward to events that will round out our year. So far, we’ve scheduled the following:

TRUNK OR TREAT TRICK OR TREAT: October 31 at GKL! We will host our third Trunk or Treat this year at GKL! With Halloween falling on a Friday, this year’s festivities are sure to be even more fun than in year’s past! You can sign up to host a trunk at any time! Spaces are limited and we have had a lot of interest in participating, so please be sure to sign up early. On that end, we are now accepting donations of candy from anyone who would like to support the popular event. Please drop your candy off during open library hours! In our first year, the event was so popular that we ran out of candy in the first hour. You can help prevent that from happening by donating candy anytime between now and Halloween!

TIME CAPSULE: In the spirit of embracing our history, we are working on a time capsule which will be buried at the library for future generations to find! If you would like to add something to the capsule, stop by the library or drop it in the book drop with a note.

CHESS CLUB FOR TWEENS/TEENS: Beginning in November, we will introduce a chess program for anyone interested in learning the game or improving their skills.

AUTHOR VISIT: Join us at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec 6, for a reading, signing, and presentation by author Michael J Caduto. Caduto, author of Enchanted Night Before Christmas, hails from Vermont and will give a talk on a sweet holiday story he wrote about a family who understands the true meaning behind the holidays. This event is free and open to the public and will help put you in the mood for the holidays!

TRACKING PRESENTATION: Save the date for a presentation by Dan Bisaccio, a retired science professor, on the topic of wildlife tracking. Dan will teach us how to identify animals by their tracks and/or scat. You’ll be able to tell the difference between a deer and a rabbit visitor to your yard. He’ll also go over how to make plaster casts of tracks you discover in snow or on raw ground. You’ll even learn a neat law enforcement trick on how police capture tracks in the snow.Save the date – Wednesday, Dec. 10 – to check out a mountain lion track cast and more! We will also hand out tracking materials from NH Fish and Game for those interested in tracking at home. This presentation is free of charge and open to anyone ages 13 and up. It will begin at 5:30 in the Ripley Room at Gay Kimball Library. You don’t need to register to attend and this event is open to the public, regardless of residency status.

We are currently working on scheduling more events, including teddy bear teas, author signings through CLiF with the elementary school, bad art, and senior bingo nights! Follow our Facebook page to learn more and stay up to date with GKL activities and programming. Thank you to everyone who has been so patient with us during these busy times. Our goal is to continue to do what we can to make the library a welcoming, helpful place in town as we continue to grow!

Stuffie Sleepover at GKL

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The Sleepover at the Gay-Kimball Library

One warm evening, a curious bunch of stuffed animals tiptoed into the Gay-Kimball Library. There was Simba the lion, Dada the dino, Honey the bear, Flower the flower, Rosie the elf, Mr. Buns the rabbit, Gabriella and Sarah the dolls, and many more. They had been invited for a very special event—a sleepover among the bookshelves. They were excited to read books together under the fairy tree and share their favorite interests – eating leaves, cuddling, flying, playing with their best friends, learning about dinosaurs, and having fun.

As soon as the librarians gently closed the door behind them, the adventure began.

First, they waddled, hopped, and shuffled straight to the children’s room using a slide from last week’s indoor pool party. Mr. Buns bounced onto the colorful rug and shouted, “Story corner is ours tonight!” Simba clomped around, pulling puzzles off the shelf, while Sarah made a mountain of blocks. Dada, the most serious of the bunch, sniffed out the picture books and stacked them into a tall, wobbly tower.

By lunchtime, their tummies rumbled. Out from a big box came—pizza! The stuffed animals gathered around, each pretending to take a slice. Sunny, a goose, dipped his beak as if it were the cheesiest, gooiest bite he’d ever had. “Best pizza ever!” he squeaked.

Then came mischief. They tried on dress-up hats and capes from the play corner. They raced down the rows of books like it was a track. Rosie even attempted to push Honey around in the toy stroller, though Honey was far too big and tipped out with a soft whump! The giggles echoed through the library walls.

As the evening grew quiet, they curled up on beanbags and read stories aloud to one another. Max, an elephant, read about brave explorers, Sarah chose fairy tales, and Owl loved the books about trains. Sunny, being the youngest, just wanted to hear them all.

When the lights dimmed, the library seemed to glow with the warmth of their happiness. They snuggled together, surrounded by shelves of stories, their bellies full of pizza, and their hearts full of joy. And as they drifted off to sleep, Gabriella whispered, “I’m so glad we came to the Gay-Kimball Library.” The librarians were too.

Spit, spat, spout – this tale’s told out!!!

Dive into Books: July at Gay Kimball Library!

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July’s been a busy month at Gay Kimball Library! From diving into summer reading challenges to finding ways to beat the heat of the dog days of summer, we’ve had a blast with our community through a number of events.

Thanks to our CLiF grant, we were able to purchase two book wagons and head out to the Historical Society’s Community Fair this month. There, we offered the town a glimpse at GKL history through storyboards. It was exciting to talk with patrons new and old about how the town’s library first began in the late 1800s as a room in our town hall. Our original circulation was just under 1,000 titles, and we started with one part-time librarian. It wasn’t until 1945 that the library moved out of the town hall into the brick portion of our building today. To learn more about our history, take a walk near the picnic table on the side of the library and read all about Gay Kimball’s history and the generous legacy of both the Gay and Kimball families!

In July, we also held an obstacle course event in conjunction with the rec department’s Community Day. Kids leveled up their agility by balancing balls, hoops, and noodles while following directions. We also created a new graphic novel section in our children’s room, leveled up our Lego building skills, hosted rec department camp visits, and saw a record number of children come out for story time – as many as 22 kids and 9 adults.

We also welcomed Rylan Christen to our volunteer team. He’s been a great asset in helping us with a variety of tasks, including setting up our shark scavenger hunt, collecting rocks for Storytime kids, helping patrons with computers, and troubleshooting building maintenance concerns. If you see Rylan around, please thank him for his service to the town.

We improved library safety this month by installing security cameras both in and out of the building. In addition to the town cameras for YouTube streaming of government meetings in our conference room, we are now able to ensure patron safety in all areas of the library and are thankful to all who helped make this happen!

With door counts rising and people meeting their summer reading goals, we are looking forward to meeting our own goals for August. This will include the addition of several new audiobook titles for adults, an extensive and diverse addition of adult titles, the announcement of new adult programming, the introduction of a Teddy Bear Tea program, a regular Story Walk for all ages, and an author visit. We will also be reaching out to local educators and speakers for a variety of adult presentations and programming opportunities.

We are super excited to have received word that our CLiF grant will cover tile replacement for our event space before summer’s end! This will come just in time for our author signing events and make for a brighter space for all!