Monday, October 30, 2006

Graphic Novels @ Young Critics

At last Friday's meeting, Vicky talked to the Young Critics' Club about Graphic Novels. Here are some of the books she brought with her. Click on each cover to place a hold.

Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, by Kazu Kibuishi *Click here to place a hold* Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, by Kazu Kibuishi
[Action/Adventure] Takes place in the Old West—but with robots. Daisy is an ex-bandit who now runs a general store. She’s bored out of her mind, until a shady rich man tells her he’ll pay her to test out the ultra-dangerous security robots on one of his trains.





Castle Waiting, by Linda Medley *Click here to place a hold*Castle Waiting, by Linda Medley
[Fantasy] The story of an enchanted castle and its inhabitants through the years. Not only do we learn how the castle came to be enchanted, but we hear the characters who pass through its walls tell the rich stories of their own pasts. You’ll get stories of bearded nuns, princesses, the circus, witches and demons and spells-- just to name a few.



Courtney Crumrin Book 1, by Ted Naifeh  *Click here to place a hold*Courtney Crumrin Series, by Ted Naifeh
Book 1: Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things
Book 2 : Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics
Courtney Crumrin’s dull-as-dirt parents move the family to her great uncle’s giant mansion in a well-to-do neighborhood. It turns out, though, that Courtney’s uncle has powers to cast spells and communicate with creatures… and so does Courtney.


Journey Into Mohawk Country, by H.M. van den Bogaert, with artwork by George O'Connor *Click here to place a hold*Journey Into Mohawk Country, by H.M. van den Bogaert, with artwork by George O'Connor and color by Hilary Sycamore
[Historical] This GN is so cool because it takes the text from an ACTUAL journal written by a young Dutch trader in 1634! He has come to the New World, to the southern tip of Manhattan Island to explore Iriquois country, and make connections that will help with Dutch trade.




Kampung Boy, by LatKampung Boy, by Lat
[Biographical] A story of growing up in rural Malaysia in the 1950's. Even though the story occurs far away in time and place, you can relate to the author's tales of childhood, like running from his mom, swimming in the river, and falling asleep in class.

Polly and the Pirates, by Ted Naifeh
[Action/Adventure] The story of a prim and proper boarding school girl who discovers her mother was an infamous pirate! This should be an ongoing series, but only Book 1 is out so far.






Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Book 1, by Hayao Miyazaki *Click here to place a hold*Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Series, by Hayao Miyazaki
Click for Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6, Book 7
You may know of Miyazaki, because he also created the movies Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Nausicaä is a the princess of a small kingdom, and she lives in a future where humans have polluted the earth with chemicals. The earth is slowly being covered by a toxic forest, which releases poisonous spores into the air, and where giant mutant insects live. Nausicaä must help make peace between the kingdoms, who are fighting over the earth’s few remaining natural resources. [Don't forget to read starting at the back, and from right to left.]


P.S. The Graphic Novel that was nominated for the National Book Award (the one Mrs. Mac and Vicky couldn't remember the name of...) is American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang.

ROBOT VEHICLES at Sneak Peeks This Week!

THE GREAT ROBOT RACE, Showing at Sneak Peeks this Week

Stop by for Sneak Peeks, our movie program for kids, this Thursday, November 2nd, 2006, at 4 P.M. This week's movies is for kids ages 7-14. Sneak Peeks is a drop-in program, and will take place in the Youth Services Program Room.

This week's movie is a PBS NOVA special called THE GREAT ROBOT RACE. 23 bizarre-looking vehicles with names like Terramax and Highlander line up at the starting gate of the DARPA Grand Challenge with one thing in common: there’s nobody behind the wheel! Sponsored by the Pentagon’s research agency, this race for robotic, autonomous (driverless) vehicles has a $2 million prize. NOVA captures the crashes, pitfalls, frustration, fun, excitement, dirt, determination, and an eventual victory as one robot wins and several others make it all the way through the punishing desert course.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

TALES FROM... NIGHTMARES

BATS

TERRIBLE TALES FROM.....N I G H T M A R E S
  • CLICK TO HEAR... SELENA, THE SEA WITCH. She tells of tale of a mysterious creature that crawls out of the sea, looking for someone to take back home...


  • CLICK TO HEAR... MOTOKO. She tells us of two prideful warriors who are determined to prove their fearlesness in the face of a demon... with deadly consequences...


  • CLICK TO HEAR... THE HAG. Her story stresses the importance of never talking to strangers... Particularly black-clad strangers who offer you fascinating trinkets...


[All sound clips are in MP3 format.]

BLACK CATS

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Please take this quick poll to help us serve you better!


When I come to Perrot Library I usually spend:
5 minutes or less
5 minutes to 30 minutes
30 minutes to 1 hour
Over 1 hour
I only use it online
Other
Free polls from Pollhost.com

[If your answer is "Other," please comment on this post to elaborate.]

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Barry Cunningham of Chicken House Books Visits the Book Clubs

If it wasn’t for Barry Cunningham, Harry Potter might still be languishing in his cupboard under the stairs… -J. K. Rowling

Barry Cunningham, publisher and editor at Chicken House Books, visited with the Young Critics' Club and Young Young Critics' Club on Friday, October 20th, 2006. You may not recognize Barry's name, but you will definitely know the authors he works with. He discovered and published J.K. Rowling in the U.K. before she was published in the U.S. For his publishing company, Chicken House Books, he has put out books by Cornelia Funke, Kevin Brooks, and Stuart Hill, among others. Mr. Cunningham talked about J.K Rowling and the Harry Potter books, Cornelia Funke and the trials and tribulations of translating a book into English, the difficulties of adapting books into movies, and the personalities of the writers that he works with. Barry also brought lots of galleys of upcoming books from Chicken House, which he talked about, and which were then raffled off to lucky YCC members!

Click here to see a video clip [in .WMV format, playable with Windows Media Player] of Mr. Cunningham talking about how J.K. Rowling had the entire Harry Potter saga planned out before she started writing. More video clips and photos here!

Ask a Librarian: Get Your Reference Questions Answered, 24 Hours a Day!

InfoAnytime's Ask a Librarian is a new virtual reference desk provided by the Connecticut State Library and is free of charge to Connecticut residents. This is a real-time web-based reference service staffed by professional librarians. You won’t need to download any special software– just have your library card and your question ready when you connect. So, when you have a question, particularly outside of regular library hours, you can have one of InfoAnytime librarians help you with your research.

From Perrot’s web page, please go to “Catalog” on the menu bar, and then select “Ask a Librarian” to be connected to this service. It truly is Reference 24/7!

Monday, October 16, 2006

DVD Diva: Halloween Picks

Now that Halloween is upon us, why not check out a scary movie:


The Exorcist *Click here to request this DVD*The Exorcist
A young girl becomes possessed by the devil and causes several violent deaths before she can be cured.


More information at IMDb (Internet Movie Database) or request the book





Cat's Eye *Click here to request this DVD*Cat's Eye
It's terror times three in this spine-tingling trio of Stephen King thrillers that follow the adventures of a stray cat trying to save a little girl from an unknown danger.

More information at IMDb





Rosemary's Baby *Click here to request this DVD*Rosemary's Baby
After unwittingly becoming friendly with a coven of witches and warlocks, a young wife is impregnated by the Devil.

More information at IMDb, or request the book

Teen Read Week 2006

Teen Read Week 2006 This week (October 15th-21st) is Teen Read Week! During Teen Read Week, you can vote on your favorite Young Adult Books from the past year. The winners are called the Teen's Top Ten. This year's nominees are listed below (the links go to the titles in our catalog, so you can request the books). Vote for your favorite nominees here. You can vote for up to three books.


When this year's Teen's Top Ten results are in, we'll post them here on the blog.
P.S. Once you vote at the ALA page, comment on this post and tell us which books you picked.

Sneak Peeks for this Week!

Stop by for Sneak Peeks, our new video preview program for kids, this Thursday, October 19th, 2006, at 4 P.M. This week's movies are for kids ages 4-8. Sneak Peeks is a drop-in program, and will take place in the Youth Services Program Room.

Here are this week's selections:


Look! Look! Look! by Nancy Elizabeth WallaceLOOK! LOOK! LOOK!
13 minutes
Three little mice discover the art of seeing when they find a picture postcard.
From the book by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace



Because Your Daddy Loves You, by Andrew ClementsBECAUSE YOUR DADDY LOVES YOU
9 minutes
Young children will be reassured by this tale of a father’s unconditional love and patience.
From the book by Andrew Clements

Lon Po Po, by Ed YoungLON PO PO: A RED RIDING HOOD STORY FROM CHINA
10 minutes
In this Chinese version of the classic fairy tale, a mother leaves her three children home alone while she goes to visit their grandmother.
From the book by Ed Young




Hope to see you there! Questions? Please call us at 203-637-8802.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

National Book Award Finalists Announced

The National Book Award Finalists were announced today. The awards will be presented on November 15, 2006, in New York City (call 212-685-0261 for tickets!).

Here is the list of Finalists [Any title that is hyperlinked is available through the Greenwich Library system]:

Fiction:


Non-Fiction:

Poetry:

  • Louise Glück, Averno
  • H.L. Hix, Chromatic
  • Ben Lerner, Angle of Yaw
  • Nathaniel Mackey, Splay Anthem
  • James McMichael, Capacity

Young People's Literature:

Read any of these books? Comment on this post with your thoughts.

2006 Booker Prize Winner Announced

The Inheritance of Loss, the 2006 Booker Prize WinnerKiran Desai was announced as the Booker Prize winner yesterday, for her novel The Inheritance of Loss. This literature prize started in 1969 and is awarded to the best book of the year by a writer from Britain, Ireland, or a Commonwealth country. Desai is the youngest woman author to ever receive the honour. The story draws on Desai's experiences as she left India as a teenager, and went to England and then the United States to live. Desai also published a novel in 1998 called Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, which was well received by literary critics.

Short-listed Booker Prize Books available at the Greenwich Libraries:

Friday, October 06, 2006

A Young Young Critics' Club Pick

The Road to Inconceivable, by J.M. DeMatteis *Click here to request this book* Abadazad Series Book 1: The Road to Inconceivable, by J. M. DeMatteis, with illustrations by Mike Ploog

When the first three issues of J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog’s Abadazad hit the comic-book stores two years ago, they found an immediate-- and passionate-- audience. No one could resist the heart-tugging story of Kate and her brother Matt, lost in the world of Abadazad, or the comics' stunning artwork. Now Abadazad is a book series-- and, true to its origins, it’s an original: it takes place in three distinct worlds; it cuts between nineteenth-century storytelling and a contemporary girl’s diary; it features comic-book panels, "antique" illustrations, and spot art-- and all the while, it seamlessly keeps you turning page after page.

Click here to watch Emily H., of the Y2C2, talk about the first Abadazad book in a short video clip. [The video is in .WMV format, which is playable with Windows Media Player.]

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Author Bob Spitz to Speak at the Library

Author Bob Spitz [Photo from Simon & SchusterRock journalist Bob Spitz, author of, The Beatles: The Biography, will speak about and sign copies of his book on Thursday, November 2nd, 2006, at 7:30 P.M. in the Library.

About the Book:
The product of almost a decade of research, hundreds of unprecedented interviews, and the discovery of scores of never-before-revealed documents, Bob Spitz's The Beatles is the biography fans have been waiting for-- a vast, complete account as brilliant and joyous and revelatory as a Beatles record itself. Spitz begins in Liverpool, a hard city knocked on its heels. In the housing projects and school playgrounds, four boys would discover themselves-- and via late-night radio broadcasts, a new form of music called rock 'n roll. Spitz takes us down Penny Lane and to Strawberry Field (John later added the s), to Hamburg, Germany, where-- amid the squalor and the violence and the pep pills-- the Beatles truly became the Beatles. We are there in the McCartney living room when Paul and John learn to write songs together; in the heat of Liverpool's Cavern Club, where jazz has been the norm before the Beatles show up; backstage the night Ringo takes over on drums; in seedy German strip clubs where George lies about his age so the band can perform; on the lonely tours through frigid Scottish towns before the breakthrough; at the Abbey Road studios, where a young producer named George Martin takes them under his wing; at the Ed Sullivan Show as America discovers the joy and the madness; and onward and upward: up the charts, from Shea to San Francisco, through the London night, on to India, through marmalade skies, across the universe-- all the way to a rooftop concert and one last moment of laughter and music.


The Beatles: The Biography, by Bob Spitz *Click here to place a hold* "A consolidating and newly illuminating work. . . It chooses perception over presumption in ways that set it off from the pack."-- Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"With this massive opus, veteran music journalist Spitz tells the definitive story of the band that sparked a cultural revolution. . . . Although this is a hefty volume steeped in research, Spitz writes economically, and with flair, letting the facts and characters speak for themselves. . . [Readers] will come to appreciate the band even more for knowing the incredible personal odysseys they endured." -Booklist, starred review

Click here to listen to an NPR story about the book.

Please call 203-637-3870 for more information about this and other Library events.

A Peek at Sneak Peeks!

Sneak Peeks, our new video preview program for kids, will take place this Thursday, October 7th, 2006, at 4 P.M. This week's movies will be aimed at kids ages 7-14. It is a drop-in program, and will take place in the Youth Services Program Room.

Here's what's on the menu for this week:



Intricate Minds IIIntricate Minds II
Understanding Classmates with Asperger Syndrome
16 minutes







Pearl Harbor Child Pearl Harbor Child
First-person accounts of the attack on December 7, 1941, described by both military and civilian survivors.
34 minutes






Hope to see you there! Questions? Please call us at 203-637-8802.

Favorites from a Homeschooler

Click here for Our Picks! October The Our Picks! recommendations page for this month features selections from Laurie, a Youth Services Staff Member and homeschooler. View the book list, "Favorites from a Homeschooler," here, and take a look at some of these homeschooling links: