Mathematics, arts activities for kids, book discussions, and great food—all of this will be brought together in the next round events offered by Saratoga Reads and its community partners.

The events will revolve around the current Saratoga Reads book of choice, The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. The novel, set in Japan, tells the story of a once-brilliant mathematics professor who has lost all but 80 minutes of short-term memory. He is tended by a housekeeper and her young son, with whom he forges a deep relationship, though he forgets them every day.

The series will begin with Skidmore College's annual Edwin M. Moseley Lecture, which this year will be a talk titled "Layers, Lines and Boxes: Some Mathematical Puzzles and Pearls" by Professor of Mathematics Alice Dean. The event will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. in Gannett Auditorium of Palamountain Hall on the Skidmore campus

Dean notes that many people have a negative perception of mathematics from their experiences as students and that the multifaceted field is largely misunderstood. She describes her research area of graph theory as "full of fun, visual, and easy-to-state—but often hard-to-solve—problems and results." Said Dean, "In my talk I'll look at some of the fascinating puzzles and pearls that have led me through a life as a mathematician and which I hope will change some people's perceptions of mathematics in a positive way."

Also on Feb. 23, Saratoga Reads will team up with Skidmore College's Tang Museum to offer an art program for kids during the school winter break. The activities, for ages six and up, will run from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Tang and will be based on this year's Saratoga Reads junior discussion book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, a mysterious tale that combines text with some 284 pages of drawings. Led by Tang staff, the young artists will look at the book's illustrations, discuss parts of the story, and then create their own stories in pictures and bind them into a small volume.

The Tang event is open to the public free of charge, but space is limited and reservations are highly recommended. Call the museum at 518-580-8080 for more information and reservations.

Saratoga Reads will join forces with Sperry's Restaurant on Caroline St. for a "books and brunch" event on Sunday, March 6, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The culinary celebration will include special food and drink items based on the themes of The Housekeeper and the Professor, as well as fun activities, raffles, and more. A portion of the day's proceeds will go to support Saratoga Reads and its community programming. For reservations call Sperry's at 518-584-9618. .

"The brunch will offer a clever and fun menu, from the 'Organic Logarithm Salad' to the 'Fermat's Last Theorem' chocolate dessert," said Tabitha Orthwein, chair of the Saratoga Reads board. "Bring your family, friends, and even your book club!"