Imagine if you could sit down and enjoy a meal with an astronaut. What questions would you ask? What could you learn after a couple drinks? Leroy Chiao answers that question and more in Dinner with an Astronaut, an insightful and witty deep dive into the world’s most unexplored realm: the cosmos.

As a child, Leroy always dreamed of going to space. One of only a few astronauts with experience aboard the Space Shuttle, Soyuz, ISS, and on spacewalks in both US and Russian spacesuits, he was selected to achieve his wildest dreams by NASA as one of twenty-three members of the thirteenth astronaut group. Leroy was the first full Chinese heritage professional astronaut, flying four space missions and serving as the commander of the International Space Station.

Using his unique perspective from flying with fellow American, Japanese and Russian professionals, Leroy now shares the wonders of space with those of us on Earth, detailing his astronaut training and otherworldly spaceflights.

Gorgeously luminary and deeply profound, Dinner with an Astronaut invites readers to join Leroy Chiao at the table, for fans of Scott Kelly, Chris Hadfield, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Leroy Chiao is a former NASA astronaut and International Space Station commander. He is a a professional international speaker, and a co-founder and the CEO of OneOrbit, providing keynotes and training to companies and schools. A veteran of four space missions, Dr. Chiao most recently served as Commander and NASA Science Officer of Expedition 10 aboard the International Space Station. He has logged over 229 days in space – over 36 hours of which were spent on spacewalks.

This program is being presented in cooperation with NASA's Solar System Ambassador program.

Code of Conduct

For questions, please email Eliscia Cirrone, ecirrone@lilrc.org.

Contact Hours: 1

Program Recording: Yes

Non-member Ticket Price (log into your account for Member pricing): Free For All

FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS -

1. If you do not receive a confirmation email after registering, please contact Eliscia Cirrone, ecirrone@lilrc.org to check your registration.

2.  If you have any questions regarding this program or registration and program access, please contact Eliscia Cirrone, ecirrone@lilrc.org

3. Please be advised, all invoices for events, programs, or conferences must be paid no later than 60 days from the event date to avoid account suspension. 

Two hundred years ago, an island disappeared. Benny has just two weeks to find it.

Everly "Benny" Benedict and her mom have always managed to get by, though they're broke most of the time. But all that could change. Benny's just learned she's the sole heir to the vast fortune of Evelyn Terry, a mysterious ancestor from the 1800s!

There's a catch, though. First Benny needs to play―and win―a game: following clues that are more than a century old, she must find her way to the tiny island Evelyn wrote about in her diary. It was somewhere off the shoreline of Evelyn's home town, but according to legend, it vanished long ago and hasn't appeared on maps for hundreds of years. Yet Benny has only a couple weeks to locate it. If she's successful, she'll collect the inheritance. But what if there's more than a fortune at stake in this game? What if Benny has to break an ancient curse to win?

Praise for Isle of Ever:

" A nail-biter of a novel for readers who like their mysteries with a touch of magic."― Booklist

"An engaging, puzzle-centered page-turner." ― Kirkus Reviews

"[An] atmospheric fantasy ride." ― Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The pacing is excellent, the character development enticing, and the finale positively nail-biting....This thrilling adventure mystery will capture the spirit of play in every reader." ― School Library Journal, starred review

"An absorbing adventure story for readers ages 10 to 13 that blends fantasy with classic mystery tropes." ― The Wall Street Journal

About Jen Calonita:

Jen Calonita is the New York Times and USA Today-bestselling author who has written over forty books for teens and middle grade readers. Her books have sold more than a million copies and have been translated into 15 languages. 

 Code of Conduct

For questions, please email Eliscia Cirrone, ecirrone@lilrc.org.

Contact Hours: 1

Program Recording: Yes

Non-member Ticket Price (log into your account for Member pricing): $10.00

FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS -

1. If you do not receive a confirmation email after registering, please contact Eliscia Cirrone, ecirrone@lilrc.org to check your registration.

2.  If you have any questions regarding this program or registration and program access, please contact Eliscia Cirrone, ecirrone@lilrc.org

3. Please be advised, all invoices for events, programs, or conferences must be paid no later than 60 days from the event date to avoid account suspension.