Saratoga Reads will offer special programs for young readers based on this year's complementary junior discussion book, Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman.,.

The nonfiction book tells the story of a railroad construction foreman who survived for 11 years after a 13-pound iron rod shot through his brain in a rock-blasting accident in 1848. Scientists and doctors were baffled by Gage's miraculous recovery and by the severe personality changes he experienced, making the case a textbook study of brain science.

Phineas Gage will serve as the basis for two special evening discussions at the Saratoga Springs Public Library on successive Thursdays, Feb. 2 and Feb. 9. Designed for grades 4-6, the sessions will be led by student mentors from Skidmore College and Saratoga Springs High School, under the direction of Skidmore Professor of English Catherine Golden.

Each year the Saratoga Reads! Junior Advisory Group compiles a list of Junior Companion Books to complement themes of the year’s winning book for adults. The addition of companion titles allows readers of all ages to participate in this community-wide project that is working toward building a stronger sense of community page by page.