Saratoga Reads!
2026 Reading Season

Students in grades 4-6 residing in the Saratoga Springs City School District are invited to participate in this 2-session junior discussion program in cooperation with Skidmore College.

Students in grades 4-6 residing in the Saratoga Springs City School District are invited to participate in this 2-session junior discussion program in cooperation with Skidmore College.

Enjoy reading a book, preferably the SaratogaREADS! book, Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery in a quiet, cozy space shared with other book lovers.

Join us for a monthly book discussion covering mostly mysteries but includes a variety of genres.

Aquarium Specialist, James Biggers will join us virtually* and share not-so-tall tales of his work in aquascaping and coral farming, including how a surprise confrontation with the poisonous coral, palythoa stopped his heart.

Join us for discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach.

What’s to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. These days, the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology.

In this meeting of the online poetry discussion group, we’ll read and unpack poems about all manner of animals.

A tangle of octopuses has snuck into the library! Come to the Children’s floor to help us find them all, earn a small prize, and be entered in the drawing for our grand prize.

Join us on a Scavenger Hunt for animal tracks and other signs of winter at Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park. For children in grades K and up accompanied by an adult.

With a career as a healer spanning 35 years, Dr. Frank Akawi, DVM will share armchair stories about the animals he encountered in both clinical settings and far off places. Dr. Akawi will also describe alternative modalities used to successfully treat creatures great and small.

Books and Tea meets to discuss Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.

Join us for a fascinating talk on octopus intelligence and ocean life with Dr. Tory Chase, Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Sciences at Skidmore College, presented in conjunction with SaratogaREADS! 2026 and the community selection The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery.

Join us for a discussion of The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery.

Family Story Time incorporates early literacy concepts for all ages — this is a great option for families with multiple children or who want their children to experience a variety of books and activities.

Join us between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. for an in-person celebration following our virtual discussions for SaratogaREADS! Jr.

Join educators from the ViaPort Aquarium in Rotterdam for a dynamic 60-minute program designed especially for adults. Learn how climate change is impacting our oceans, explore promising solutions, and discover practical steps individuals and communities can take to protect marine ecosystems.

Join Tara Allen of Bash Parties as she walks us through creating our own under the sea cupcake masterpieces!

Join us for a heartfelt psychic medium gallery reading devoted to animals who have passed on. Kelly Voorhis, psychic medium and animal communicator of Infinity Healing, will share messages of comfort and connection.

Stop into the library to crochet your own piece of coral. We will go through each step together as a class, breaking down the stitches needed to make this fun piece of decor. Please note that this program is designed for experienced crocheters.

In this Saratoga Reads tie-in edition, we will be discussing No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg.

Join us for a special screening of the acclaimed documentary My Octopus Teacher, followed by an engaging group discussion. The film chronicles filmmaker Craig Foster’s remarkable year-long connection with a wild octopus in the kelp forests off the coast of South Africa.

Join us for a discussion of Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian.

Celebrate this year’s Saratoga Reads selection, The Soul of an Octopus, with a hands-on art program just for adults.

Join us each month for thoughtful discussion on curated TED talks! TED talks are videos of brief talks by experts across various fields focused on “ideas worth sharing”.

Join us for a friendly discussion of this year’s SaratogaREADS! book The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery.

Books and Tea meets to discuss Nature’s Wild Ideas: How the Natural World Is Inspiring Scientific Innovation by Kristy Hamilton.

In this SaratogaREADS! inspired Make It Sew program, come in and sew a stuffed octopus from scrap fabric to sustainably use up leftover fabric with this on-theme activity.

Join us for a special SaratogaREADS! event featuring beloved naturalist and bestselling author Sy Montgomery/ In celebration of this year’s community read, The Soul of an Octopus, Montgomery will share insights from her remarkable journey into the world of these intelligent, curious, and emotionally complex creatures.

Stop by the Children’s Room to create your own silly paper octopus with our teen volunteers!

While supplies last. No registration required.

Biologist Lisa Holst will offer a brief history of the fish communities of the Adirondacks, including the history of degradation that shaped the Adirondack Park Preserve. The program will briefly touch on effects of acid rain and invasive species affecting fish habitat, as well as profile some of the lesser known native ADK fish species.

Family Story Time incorporates early literacy concepts for all ages — this is a great option for families with multiple children or who want their children to experience a variety of books and activities. This month will feature a fox craft inspired by our SaratogaReads JR. book, Pax. Recommended for children ages 0-5 with a caregiver. Registration is not required, but space is limited based on room capacity.

The Soul of an Octopus details Sy Montgomery’s deep, personal research and friendships with octopuses at the New England Aquarium. The book focuses on the intelligence and emotions of octopuses, especially through specific residents like Athena and Octavia. The aquarium even named an octopus after Sy!

Sponsored by the Friends of the Saratoga Springs Public Library.