Book jacket: Fire and Freedom edited by Thomas S. Wermuth

Featured title:

Fire and Freedom: The American Revolution in New York, edited by Thomas S. Wermuth, Devin Lander, Jennifer Lemak, and Robert Chiles

Book jacket: Fire and Freedom edited by Thomas S. Wermuth

Teen’s Read:

Book jacket: The Fateful Hour by Albert Rosenblatt

The Fateful Hour by Honorable Albert M. Rosenblatt

Children’s Read Title:

Book jacket Famous Women in History: Sybil Ludington by Nicole K Orr

Famous Women in History: Sybil Ludington by Nicole K Orr

Children’s Read Title:

Book jacket: Forgotten Founders by Mifflin Lowe

Forgotten Founders: Black Patriots, Women Soldiers, and Other Thinkers and Heroes Who Shaped Early America by Mifflin Lowe

Children’s Read Title:

Book jacket: Women Heros of the American Revolution by Susan Casey

Women Heroes of the American Revolution by Susan Casey

Noteworthy resources:

BR Prof Development 2023

(Re)Forging Democracy: Teaching the American Revolution and Its Aftermath

A Day of Professional Development (for K-12 teachers) for the 2026 Big Read

Timespan: 7 hours (6 hours of PD)
Provider: Poughkeepsie Public Library District Big Read
Audience: Educators grades K-12
Date: Thursday, August 6th, 2026
Start/End Times: 8:00 am – 3:00 pm (lunch and coffee provided)
Cost: Educators are free to attend.

Location: Adriance Memorial Library, 93 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY (GPS: Use 22 Noxon St.)

*Documentation verifying teacher attendance will be provided to registrants who have prior in-service approval from their home districts*

What happens in the wake of war, and what’s it like to live through democracy being forged and reforged? During the aftermath of the American Revolution, old structures were being replaced by new systems, communities healed from the war, and the USA’s fledgling democracy found its footing. But the question of how everyday people respond to and survive national events is just as urgent today as it was 250 years ago.

In this day of professional development, educators will gain concrete curricular resources and replicable strategies for student engagement revolving around the 2026 Big Read books:

  • Fire and Freedom by Thomas Wermuth (adult)
  • The Fateful Hour by Al Rosenblatt (secondary)
  • Forgotten Founders: Black Patriots, Women Soldiers, and Other Thinkers and Heroes Who Shaped Early America by Mifflin Lowe and William Leuong (elementary)

During this professional development workshop, educators will gain concrete curricular resources and replicable strategies for student engagement inspired by the 2026 Big Read theme, “America at 250: Revolutionary New York.”  The 2026 Big Read selections, Fire and Freedom by Thomas Wermuth, The Fateful Hour by Al Rosenblatt, and Forgotten Founders: Black Patriots, Women Soldiers, and Other Thinkers and Heroes Who Shaped Early America by Mifflin Lowe and William Luong, examine the American Revolution and its aftermath through stories from the Hudson Valley.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be prepared to:

  • Engage students with underreported local stories of heroic individuals whose actions shaped the Revolutionary era and its aftermath (keynote by Thomas Wermuth). 
  • Foster democratic classrooms by helping students build consensus, set shared goals, and participate in meaningful civic decision-making (workshop by For the Many) 
  • Use drama-based teaching practices to deepen learning across subject areas while building confidence and engagement (workshop by Roger Hendricks Simon, director/actor)
  • Integrate the 2026 Big Read titles into their curriculum!

Questions? Contact Michele Muir at mmuir@poklib.org or (845) 485-3445 x3325.

This program is made possible in collaboration with The Art Effect.

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