A Maltese Falcon an Afternoon at a St. Tammany Parish Library
Beginning March 14, 2014, children in Madisonville, Louisiana, will get to learn more about the mystery novel, Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett in the commencement of The Big Read program for St. Tammany Parish. According to its website, The Big Read supports organizations across the country in developing community-wide programs which encourage reading and participation by diverse audiences. The program offers a selection of books which children can read and then encourage community organizations to expanding childrens’ knowledge of concepts from the books.
In St. Tammany Parish, the program will begin on Friday evening with a talk from Julie Rivett, the author Dashiell Hammett’s granddaughter. This talk will be held at the new library in Madisonville, Louisiana, at 1123 Main St., Madisonville, LA 70447. On Saturday, March 15, 2014, there will be a series of events throughout the entire day for children to attend which talk about different aspects of the book. Below is a list of those activities:
At 1pm on Saturday, children will get to learn firsthand knowledge of falcons, which is a type of raptor, from Sally Farrell with Wind in my Feathers. Sally Farrell is a raptor rehabilitator and educator and her program lasts about 45 – 60 minutes. Sally will bring actual, live, non-releasable raptors so that kids can learn more about the birds.
At 3:30pm, the St. Tammany Parish Crime Unit will be onsite at the Madisonville Library to teach the children about crime labs, how crime scenes are processed, and the implications of finger printing. The library is requiring registration for this event. Children can register at http://register.stpl.us/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp or by calling 985-845-4819.
To wrap up their day, the Madisonville Library is sponsoring a Swing Dance Costume Party which is a fabulous party for all ages. Teens and adults are invited to attend the party, and then The New Orleans Jazz Vipers will be performing swing dance music from 7:30pm – 9:30pm Saturday night. To attend this event, you can register at http://register.stpl.us/evanced/lib/eventcalendar.asp or by calling 985-845-4819.
As one of 77 communities which are participating in The Big Read reading program, St. Tammany Parish and its library system encourage local children to learn to read more and to use reading as a source of knowledge and entertainment. The program runs from September, 2013 – June, 2014.