Monday, April 30, 2007

Experience the Sound at Greenwich Point

The Town of Greenwich Shellfish Commission is sponsoring Experience the Sound, a family event at Greenwich Point featuring a walking tour of educational exhibits by local institutions (Perrot Library among them!).

Bring friends and family to...
  • Tour the Sound Waters schooner, and learn about its educational voyages in local waters
  • Visit a shellfish boat and discover how it collects clams from the seabed
  • See and learn about live Birds of Prey, sponsored by the Greenwich Audubon
  • Get tips on the best local spots to fish
  • Learn about where to take scuba lessons, and about local and exotic scuba diving locales
  • Find out how lobsters are trapped

Plus, children can search for buried "Pirate Treasure"!

Experience the Sound will take place on Sunday, May 6th, 2007, from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. at Greenwich Point.

For more information, contact Sue Baker at 637-4610.

The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass *Click here to request this book* In THE GOLDEN COMPASS, (the first book in THE DARK MATERIALS TRILOGY) Phillip Pullman gives readers a breathtakingly rich vision of a world shades removed from and more mystical than our own, infused with magic and informed by reason, where everyone has a personal daemon in animal form that is the perfect complement of their personality, and to which they are bound with their whole soul. Here readers meet Lyra, headstrong and independent, who is caught in a web in which science and politics are entangled. She is determined to discover why hideous experiments are being performed on children who have been snatched for mysterious scientific purposes and to rescue them.

Pullman is a master fantasist, the equal of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. The movie based on THE GOLDEN COMPASS opens in December. While you wait, take the test and find your own daemon. Mrs Mac did and you can see her daemon at:
http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/?54152

NOW FIND YOUR OWN:
http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/
You can comment on this post with a link to your daemon...

Friday, April 27, 2007

Book Review: No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club

No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club *Click here to request this book* No! I Don't Want to Join a Book Club: Diary of a Sixtieth Year, by Virginia Ironside
For anyone of the baby boomer age, beware the helpful friends trying to coax you into activities you don't like! No one wants a one-size-fits-all way to grow older gracefully, but particularly not Marie Sharp, who is happy as a retired art teacher, awaiting her first grandchild and finding a new romance for herself. But don't ask her to go bungee jumping, learn a new language or join a gym! She wants to make her own way, as she explains in this novelized diary, through the joy, grief and inevitable changes and challenges of growing older. The author is a journalist in London and has based this book on her own experiences. --Linda

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

2007 Ezra Jack Keats Award Winners

The Ezra Jack Keats Award is dedicated to fostering the talent of the new generations of children, artists, and authors who have succeeded Ezra Jack Keats. Keats is the distinguished author/illustrator of the classic Caldecott Award-winning Snowy Day. The award recognizes and encourages developing, talented authors and illustrators of children's books.

The 2007 Award Winners are....


For You Are a Kenyan Child, by Kelly CunnaneNew Writer Award Winner
For You Are A Kenyan Child
Written by Kelly Cunnane
From rooster crow to bedtime, a Kenyan boy plays and visits neighbors all through his village, even though he is supposed to be watching his grandfather's cows.



New Illustrator Award Winner
Mystery Bottle
Written and Illustrated by Kristen Balouch
A boy in Brooklyn receives a package from Iran. When he opens up the mysterious bottle that lies within, a great wind transports him over the oceans and mountains, straight into the arms of his grandfather.

See more of our favorite EJK winners at Youth Services' Our Picks! Page for May.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

David Halberstam, 1934-2007

David Halberstam, 1934-2007, photo by Bruce Plotkin David Halberstam, 1934-2007

David Halberstam, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist known for his commentary on political situations, civil rights, and sports, was killed in a car crash in California on Monday, April 23rd. Halberstam was on his way to an interview with a Hall of Fame quarterback, having just given a speech on journalism the night before, at Berkeley. Halberstam was equally at ease speaking of history, politics and the world of sports.

There is a display of books by David Halberstam on the table in the Rand Room at Perrot. Or, for a list of all of Halberstam's books available through the Greenwich Library system, click here.

Obituaries:

Best of the Best from the Brits

Best-of-the-Best from the Brits: 10 Top Children's Books of the Last 70 Years!

The Golden Compass, by Phillip PullmanSkellig, by David AlmondTom's Midnight Garden, by Philippa Pearce
The Carnegie Medal, established in 1936, is awarded annually to the writer of an outstanding book for children. It is the British equivalent of the Newbery Award. 10 books (all Carnegie Medal-winners) have been nominated as the most important children's novels of the past 70 years. They encompass gritty themes of murder, war and illness as well as the deeds of fairies, angels and strange beings.

Click here to see the rest of the Top 10 list. Plus, you can vote for your favorite!

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Newest Playaways in the Adult Department

Newest Playaways in the Adult Department:

Beach Road, by James Patterson and Peter De Jonge, read by Billy Baldwin
It's read by Billy Baldwin as the main character, Tom Dunleavy, who is a local lawyer in East Hampton, Long Island. The action is set amid the homes and haunts of multi-billionaires and celebrities. As usual for this bestselling author, the action is fast-paced and fun. What a perfect vacation "read"!

Digging to America, by Anne Tyler, read by Blair Brown
Two families find themselves bound together after meeting at an airport, each awaiting the arrival of an adopted daughter coming from Asia. They continue this new-found relationship each year, by celebrating "arrival day" and thus intertwining the families for many years.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

THE SEVEN QUESTIONS OF HARRY POTTER

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows THE SEVEN QUESTIONS OF HARRY POTTER

Remember these dates:

APRIL 17
MAY 1
MAY 15
MAY 29
JUNE 12
JUNE 26
JULY 7

On each of these Tuesdays, a new collectible Harry Potter bookmark will be available at the Youth Services Desk. Each bookmark will feature one of the seven biggest questions that fans are hoping J.K. Rowling will answer in the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which comes out on July 21st.

If you collect all seven Harry Potter bookmarks, bring them into the Library between July 7th and July 14th, to enter for your chance to win a much-coveted prize!

Friday, April 13, 2007

National Library Week 2007

April 15-21st, 2007 is National Library Week!

National Library Week is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries, librarians and library workers and to promote library use and support.

Did you know...?
  • More than 2 billion items were checked out from libraries in the U.S. last year, and librarians serve nearly 1.8 billion visitors annually
  • Research in 14 states has found that students with well-developed school libraries consistently score 10-18 percent higher on reading and other tests
  • Librarians answer almost 73 million reference questions each year– about twice the attendance at college football games.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Kurt Vonnegut: 1922-2007

Kurt Vonnegut, Photo: Reuters/Random House Kurt Vonnegut: 1922-2007
Author Kurt Vonnegut passed away last night in Manhattan at the age of 84. He had been hospitalized after a fall several weeks ago. Vonnegut published 14 novels in his lifetime, as well as three collections of short stories, five plays and five non-fiction books. He told Rolling Stone magazine last year: "I've been smoking Pall Mall unfiltered cigarettes since I was 12 or 14. So I'm going to sue the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company, who manufactured them. And do you know why? Because I'm 83 years old. The lying bastards! On the package Brown & Williamson promised to kill me."

Obituaries:

A Selection of Vonnegut's Books Available at Perrot:


Comment on this post with your favorite Kurt Vonnegut book!

Newest Children's Playaways

Newest Playaways in Youth Services:
  • Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, read by Shelly Fraiser
  • Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, read by Rebecca Burns
  • Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A. Milne, read by Peter Dennis
  • When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six, poems by A.A. Milne, read by Peter Dennis

USA Today's "25 Books That Leave a Legacy"

USA Today recently published a list called "25 Books That Leave a Legacy." The newspaper's editors and critics chose 25 titles that "made an impact on readers and the publishing industry" over the last 25 years.

Here are the top 5 books on the list:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J.K. Rowling
2. The Deep End of the Ocean, by Jacquelyn Mitchard
3. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown
4. The 9/11 Commission Report
5. Chicken Soup for the Soul, by Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield

View the full list here. Comment on this post to let us know what you think of their choices.

A Rainy Day at Perrot

"I Love Old Greenwich" T-shirt Design Contest for Kids

Want to show everyone how much you love Old Greenwich?

Enter the Old Greenwich Merchants Association "I Love Old Greenwich" T-Shirt design contest! Prizes will be awarded, and artwork from the contest will be displayed in Old Greenwich store windows! Plus, the winning design will be printed on T-shirts which will be sold at the Old Greenwich Memorial Day Parade.

[Maybe you could include Perrot Library in your design *hint hint*]

Entries must be delivered to Images or Cook and Craft by April 30th, 2007. Attach a sheet of paper with your name, age, address, phone, school, and grade to your artwork.

The Fine Print: The contest is open to all kids 18 years of age and younger. Artwork must be no larger than 8 inches by 11 inches, and must fit the theme of "I Love Old Greenwich." Entries are non-returnable. Questions? Please call Brian at Cook and Craft at 637-2755.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

DVD Diva: Little-known facts about Helen Mirren

Little-known facts about “queen” Helen Mirren:

She has played a Queen a total of six times: The Queen (2006), Elizabeth I mini-series (2005) (TV), The Prince of Egypt (animated) (1998), The Snow Queen (animated) (1995), The Madness of King George (1994), and Caligola (1979). She is the only actress to have played both Queen Elizabeth I (in Elizabeth I) and Queen Elizabeth II (The Queen). At the premiere of The Queen at the Venice Film Festival, her performance received a 5 minute standing ovation. Read more about Helen Mirren at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).


Calendar Girls *Click here to request this DVD*Calendar Girls

When Chris' best friend Annie loses her husband, Chris devises a scheme to memorialize him. The two women, along with some of their friends-- all fifty-something women-- will make a nude calendar to raise money for the hospital where he died.





The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover *Click here to request this DVD*The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
A modern fable and political satire on the Thatcher years in Britain set at Le Hollandais, a gourmet restaurant. The wife of a barbaric crime boss engages in a secretive romance with a gentle bookseller between meals at her husband's restaurant, all observed by the cook. This nightly display of opulence, decadence and gluttony leads to murder, torture and revenge.





The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone *Click here to request this DVD*The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone
American actress Karen Stone flees to Italy after a failed Broadway performance. Adding to her distress, her husband dies suddenly. Desperate and alone, Karen is introduced to Paolo, an incredibly handsome gigolo. Before long, their casual fling becomes an obsession that spirals Karen's life out of control.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Winners' Circle

Owen and Mzee The Book Thief
The BookSense Books of the Year have been announced by the American Booksellers Association. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Knopf) won in the children's literature category, and Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Isabella and Craig Hatkoff et al. (Scholastic Press) won in the children's illustrated category.

Free Books for Teachers

First Day Jitters To celebrate the first day of school and to promote literacy, Charlesbridge is giving away 500 copies of the paperback edition of First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg, illustrated by Judy Love, to teachers across the United States. The publisher is encouraging teachers to welcome in the 2007–2008 school year by reading the book aloud; to date, 350 teachers have already joined the Charlesbridge Read First Day Jitters on the First Day of School campaign. A free copy of the book (as long as supplies last) can be obtained by emailing trademarketing@charlesbridge.com and providing your name and school address.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

April Showers Bring --- lots of cars to our parking lot!

As regular Perrot Library patrons are well aware, parking spaces at the library are highly coveted! Especially during the rainy weather, patrons are likely to spend more time visiting the library, browsing our collections and enjoying our comfy reading room and computer terminals. We encourage our patrons to carpool when possible, to be aware that it may be necessary to circle the lot a couple of times when looking for a spot, and to consider parking on the library end of Arch Street, or on Laddins Rock Road, a very short walk away.

Thanks!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Book Review: Travels in the Scriptorium

Travels in the Scriptorium *Click here to request this book* Travels in the Scriptorium, by Paul Auster
This is a spare and haunting novel, which takes place over just one day. The main character, named Mr. Blank, is alone in a room and can’t remember where he is, and why he's being kept this way. His set-up could be either for protection or for punishment– he just can’t tell which it is. As the day progresses, he is visited by several people and he seems to just vaguely recognize each one, but can’t remember the circumstances of their relationship to him. It’s all so uncertain. Fans of Samuel Beckett or the TV show The Prisoner may see similarities in this book. If you’ve read previous works by Auster, you will come to an understanding of the theme earlier in the book. I hadn’t read any of his earlier works, so this was all new to me. I still can’t decide if I liked it or not! Why don’t you try reading it and see for yourselves– leave a comment, too. --Linda

Monday, April 02, 2007

Book Recommendation: Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
The narrator of this wonderful story is Jacob Jankowski, an old man looking back at his time spent with a traveling circus during the Depression. Filled with colorful characters, vivid depictions of circus life and constant action, this is a book that will grab hold of you from the beginning, and won't let go until its surprising ending. Don't miss it! --Mary B.

Art Books for the Youngest

Our Picks! for April 2007: Art Books for the Youngest

Youth Services' Our Picks! page for April highlights Art Books for the Youngest.

View the full list here, and check out these related links: