Thursday, November 30, 2006

Teen BookVideo Awards 2006

Teen BookVideo Awards 2006 Winners have been announced for the first annual, Random House-sponsored Teen BookVideo Awards. Top filmmakers from across the country competed to create book videos (sort of like a movie trailer, except for a book) for three of the hottest teen books of 2006. The three featured books are: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray, and How I Live Now, by Meg Rosoff. You can watch the three winning videos here.

Comment to tell us which video was your favorite and why! Which of these books would you most like to see made into a full-length film?

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Town Tree Lighting Ceremony This Friday

The Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation's Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place this Friday, December 1st, 2006, at Greenwich Town Hall (101 Field Point Road).

Music provided by the Greenwich High School Chamber Singers: 3:45 P.M.

Welcome by Peter J. Mandras, Jr., Superintendent of Recreation: 4:15 P.M.

Holiday Message and Tree Lighting by The First Selectman: 4:20 P.M.

Christmas Tree

Come Join Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph & Frosty for candy canes,
chocolate chip cookies and cider

This Weekend: Support Connecticut Libraries!

Love Your Library Holiday Bookfair This Weekend! The Love Your Library Holiday Bookfair is happening this weekend-- Friday, December 1st, 2006 through Sunday, December 3rd, 2006-- at all Connecticut Barnes & Noble stores!

Barnes & Noble will donate 10-20% of all sales this weekend that are accompanied by a Love Your Library Voucher to Connecticut's libraries. This year's proceeds will go toward InfoAnytime-- the statewide 24-7 virtual reference librarian project coordinated by the Connecticut Library Consortium.

Download and print your voucher here, or pick one up in the library. Thank you for your support!

Holiday Recommendations from Connecticut Librarians

Each holiday season, Connecticut Library Association members answer the question, "If you could give just one book..." and pick their #1 gift-giving pick. Among their recommendations...



The Ruins *Click here to request this book*The Ruins by Scott Smith
[Fiction] The Ruins follows two American couples, just out of college, enjoying a pleasant, lazy beach holiday together in Mexico as, on an impulse, they go off with newfound friends in search of one of their group-- a young German, who, in pursuit of a girl, has headed for remote Mayan ruins. This is what happens from the moment the searchers-- moving into the wild interior-- begin to suspect that there is an insidious, horrific "other" among them...



Attack *Click here to request this book*The Attack by Yasmina Khadra
[Fiction] Dr. Jaafari, an Arab-Israeli citizen, is a surgeon at a hospital in Tel Aviv. He is dedicated to his work, respected and admired by his colleagues and community. On the night of a deadly bombing, he works tirelessly to help the shocked and shattered patients brought to the emergency room. But this night of turmoil and death takes a horrifying personal turn. His wife's body is found among the dead, with massive injuries, the police coldly announce, typical of those found on the bodies of fundamentalist suicide bombers.



Mating in Captivity *Click here to request this book*Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic, by Esther Perel
[Non-Fiction] Ether Perel takes on tough questions, grappling with the obstacles and anxieties that arise when our quest for secure love conflicts with our pursuit of passion. She invites us to explore the paradoxical union of domesticity and sexual desire, and explains what it takes to bring lust home.




The Know-It-All *Click here to request this book*The Know-it-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World, by A. J. Jacobs.
[Non-Fiction] To fill the ever-widening gaps in his Ivy League education, A.J. Jacobs sets for himself the daunting task of reading all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His wife, Julie, tells him it's a waste of time, his friends believe he is losing his mind, and his father, a brilliant attorney who had once attempted the same feat and quit somewhere around Borneo, is encouraging but unconvinced.



Biba's Italy *Click here to request this book*Biba's Italy: Favorite Recipes from the Splendid Cities, by Biba Caggiano
[Non-Fiction] Americans love Italy: 4 million of us visit every year, and Rome and Florence rank number 1 and 2 of our favorite European cities. We also love Italian food: time and again, it’s rated our favorite international cuisine. In Biba’s Italy, renowned cookbook author and restaurateur Biba Caggiano shows why: here are the very best recipes from our very favorite cities, plus travel tips galore on restaurants, bakeries, gelaterie, food markets, and cooking schools.


Click on each book cover to request it from our catalog.

MeetTheAuthor.com

MeetTheAuthor.com

MeetTheAuthor.com is a cool website that features short video clips of both children's and adult authors talking about their books. You can even subscribe to Podcasts of their latest videos (check the site for more details).

Click here for a clip of Markus Zusak speaking about The Book Thief.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

National Book Award Winners Announced

The National Book Foundation announced the National Book Award Winners in New York City on Wednesday evening, November 15th, 2006. Fran Lebowitz was the master of ceremonies.

And the winners are...


The Echo Maker *Click here to request this book*For Fiction: Richard Powers, The Echo Maker
This is a story of a truck driver who has an accident and goes into a coma. He emerges two weeks later and appears to have a brain injury called Capgras syndrome, which renders him paranoid. The book follows Mark, his sister, who Mark thinks is an imposter, and a neurologist who studies interesting cases of brain disorders. While Mark attempts to piece together what really happened the night of the accident, the truth will change the lives of all three main characters.




The Worst Hard Time *Click here to request this book*For Non-Fiction: Timothy Egan, The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
Covers the U.S. history period of the “Dust Bowl” years in the heartland of our country. The author is a Pulitzer Prize winner and he follows several families as they try to hang on during the awful dust storms and watch as their lives and loved ones continue on during the Great Depression.




Splay Anthem *Click here to request this book*For Poetry: Splay Anthem, by Nathaniel Mackey
In a stunning collection of poems of transport and transcendence, African-American poet Mackey's "asthmatic song of aspiration" scuttles across cultures and histories—from America to AndalucĂ­a, from Ethiopia to Vienna—in a sexy, beautiful adaptive dance.





The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing *Click here to request this book*For Young People's Literature: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: Volume One: The Pox Party, by M.T. Anderson
This is an historical novel of prodigious scope, power and insight, set against the backdrop of the Revolutionary War. Octavian, a black youth raised in a Boston household of radical philosophers, is given an excellent classical education. Only as he grows older does he realize that while he is well dressed and well fed, he is indeed a captive being used by his guardians as part of an experiment to determine the intellectual acuity of Africans.

A Visit with John Boyne

Author John Boyne

John Boyne, author of the controversial The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, visited with Perrot's Young Critics' Club on Thursday, November 9th, 2006, to discuss his book and answer questions.

You can listen to an MP3 of Mr. Boyne talking about developing the idea for his book. Or you can look at some video clips here.


ATTENTION Young Critics! Comment on this post with what your thoughts on what Mr. Boyne had to say about his book.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas *Click here to request this book*

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Tellabration 2006!

Tellabration 2006

Throughout the world, the week before Thanksgiving is set aside as a time to celebrate the time-honored art of storytelling and story listening. Join the thousands of people, young and old, around the world who will spend a unique and magical hour rediscovering the laughter, the tears and the power of the story, at this year's TELLABRATION!

  • In Greenwich, join the fun at the Cos Cob Library: 7:00 P.M., Friday, November 17th, 2006.
  • In Rowayton, join the oldest and FIRST Tellabration at United Church of Rowayton, 210 Rowayton Avenue, Rowayton: 8:00 P.M., Saturday, November 18th, 2006.

Check out all local Tellabration 2006 events here, find out more at Tellabration's website, or call 860-439-2764.

Youth Services Winter Program Schedule Now Available

The Youth Services Winter Program Schedule is now available at the Youth Services Desk!

Registration for the Winter Program Session will take place from December 18th, 2006 through January 7th, 2007. Programs begin on January 22nd, 2007.

Please call us at 203-637-8802 if you have questions about our winter program offerings.

Sneak Peeks for this Week!

Stop by for Sneak Peeks, our video program for kids, this Thursday, November 16th, 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:


Inch by Inch *Click here to request this book*INCH BY INCH
7 minutes
To keep from being eaten, a resourceful inchworm measures a robin’s tail, a flamingo’s neck, a heron’s legs, and a nightingale’s song. Based on the book by Leo Lionni.




Bear Wants More *Click here to request this book*BEAR WANTS MORE
9 minutes
When springtime comes, Bear wakes up VERY hungry! Based on the book by Karma Wilson.



Knuffle Bunny *Click here to request this book*KNUFFLE BUNNY
10 minutes
Trixie realizes something is missing after she, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny visit the neighborhood Laundromat. Uh-oh! Based on the book by Mo Willems.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

A Book Recommendation from the Reference Librarians

Imperium, by Robert Harris *Click here to place a hold* Imperium: a Novel of Ancient Rome
By Robert Harris

Imagine yourself walking the streets of Rome with Cicero. Imagine the Forum and the Senate, and all the political intrigue. This book is a riveting account of Cicero’s rise to power as seen through the eyes of his personal secretary, Tiro. This book is so well-researched and an extraordinary (fictional) education of the times. The political picture presented here shows us that little has changed in 2,000 years.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Need a Passport?

Planning to travel? You can apply for your U.S. Passport at a special event in the Library this month!

The Old Greenwich Post Office is sponsoring Passport Day at Perrot on Saturday, November 18th, 2006, from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. Photo services will also be available at the event, for $15. Bring your checkbook (Passport Fees are $82 for children under 16, and $97 for Adults), and your identification (you will need a previous passport or your birth certificate, as well as a photo ID).

If you'd like more information about Passport Day at Perrot, please call the Old Greenwich Post Office for more info at 203-637-1405. Or for more detailed information about obtaining a passport, visit the U.S. Department of State's Passport Page.

The DVD Diva Presents: Alfred Hitchcock Favorites

Read a short Alfred Hitchcock bio (and some neat trivia) here.


Dial M for Murder *Click here to request this DVD*Dial M for Murder
Ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice decides to murder his wife for her money, and because she had an affair the year before. He blackmails an old college associate to strangle her, but when things go wrong, he sees a way to turn events to his advantage.


More information at Internet Movie Database (IMDb)



The Birds *Click here to request this DVD*

The Birds
A wealthy San Francisco playgirl pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town. Things turn sinister as birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there, in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness. Based on a story by Daphne du Maurier.

More at IMDb




Rope *Click here to request this DVD*Rope
Two friends strangle a classmate and invite his family and mutual friends to dinner--with the body stuffed inside the trunk for a buffet table. Inspired by the real-life Leopold and Loeb murder.

More at IMDb

Monday, November 06, 2006

Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, Co-Author of Cheaper by the Dozen, Dies at 98

Cheaper by the Dozen *Click here to request this book*
Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, who, with a younger brother, wrote Cheaper by the Dozen, the account of their growing up in a family of 12 children that led to several movies of the same name, died on Saturday in Fresno, Calif. She was 98. Read her New York Times obituary here.

Click below to place holds on the...

Get Crafty!

Our Picks! For Kids November 2006: Craft Books
This month's Our Picks! For Kids list features books on crafting! Check it out by clicking here.

Do you know of a fun, kid-friendly crafting website? Please share it with us by commenting on this post!