Perrot in the News

Perrot is featured in two articles appearing in the Greenwich Time today!

"Librarians' Legacy: Two teens receive memorial scholarships"
Eighteen-year-old Jane Wynne remembers Kathleen Krasniewicz for her creativity as a librarian, while 17-year-old Diana Pelliccia recalls her as a warm and helpful boss at the Perrot Memorial Library. The two college-bound teenagers are the winners of the first memorial scholarships given in memory of Krasniewicz. Read the rest of the article...


"Storyteller Brings Tales of Africa Alive at Perrot Library"
The number 398.2 holds special meaning for storyteller Eshu Bumpus, as its the Dewey Decimal location in the library where folktales, fairytales and fables are kept. It was some of those stories Bumpus, 58, and Motoko Dworkin, 46, brought to the Perrot Library for around 40 children and parents Thursday afternoon. Read the rest of the article...

Author Talk with Jennifer Jordan

Author Talk with Jennifer Jordan,

author of The Last Man on the Mountain
Tues., September 28th, 2010, at 7:30 PM
Radcliffe Wing, Perrot Memorial Library

Perrot Memorial Library is pleased to feature Jennifer Jordan, who will be speaking about her latest book, The Last Man on the Mountain: The Death of an American Adventurer on K2. This will be Jennifer’s second visit to Perrot; she previously shared with us her 2005 book, Savage Summit: The True Stories of the First Five Women Who Climbed K2, the World’s Most Feared Mountain.

About the Book:
The Last Man on the Mountain is the untold story of Dudley Wolfe and America’s ill-fated 1939 expedition to the roof of the world. In 1939, the Savage Mountain claimed its first victim. Born into vast wealth, yet uneasy with a life of leisure, Dudley Wolfe, of Boston and Rockport, Maine, set out to become the first man to climb K2, the world’s second-highest mountain and, in the opinion of mountaineers, an even more formidable challenge than Mt. Everest. Although close to middle age and inexperienced at high altitude, Wolfe, with the team leader, made it higher than any other member of the expedition, but he couldn’t get back down. Suffering from altitude sickness and severe dehydration, he was abandoned at nearly 25,000 feet; it would be another sixty-three years before Jennifer Jordan discovered his remains. In a story where The Great Gatsby meets Into Thin Air, readers follow Wolfe from the salons of Europe to the most forbidding landscape on earth. Wolfe went to K2 to find his own strength, only to encounter his teammates’ lethal weaknesses in a place called the Death Zone.

Author Talk with Jennifer Vanderbes

Author Talk with Jennifer Vanderbes,
author of Strangers at the Feast
Weds., September 1st, 2010, at 7:30 PM
Radcliffe Wing, Perrot Memorial Library

Perrot Memorial Library is pleased to present Jennifer Vanderbes, who will be talking about her stunning new novel, Strangers at the Feast.

Extra copies of the book will be available for check out at the library and will also be available at Just Books, on Arcadia Road in Old Greenwich. Copies of the book will also be available for purchase at the event.

About the Book:
It's Thanksgiving Day, 2007, and three generations of the Olson family have gathered to celebrate. While the white, middle-class Olsons are busy cooking and silently nursing various long-standing resentments, Kijo and Spider, two black teenagers from the city's housing projects, are breaking into Douglas Olson's lavish home nearby. But this is not a random burglary—a complex personal history with Douglas has driven Kijo into that house. "You can push me and shove me and sweep me out of sight, but one day you come home and realize, I'm still here," Kijo thinks to himself. The ensuing confrontation turns shockingly violent; even more disturbing is the way this novel contorts our preconceptions about "criminals" and "victims" and forces us to ask ourselves: How far would you go to defend your family? How far is too far? Family conflict, fascinating social commentary, and a riveting plot converge in Jennifer Vanderbes' stunning novel, a thriller that also raises large and haunting questions about the meaning of guilt, innocence, and justice.

New Drop-in Storytime for Summer/Fall: Storytime in Spanish

New at Perrot-- Storytime in Spanish for kids! This drop-in program will be offered by Greenwich Spanish School. It will features songs and stories, and both native speakers and beginners are welcome to attend. The program will be aimed at ages 3-7, and children should attend with a caregiver.

Storytime in Spanish will meet a few times in August to start: 11 A.M. on August 5th, August 12th, and August 19th (Thursdays). For our fall program session, Storytime in Spanish will meet on alternate Fridays at 4 P.M.: September 17th, October 1st, October 15th, October 29th, and November 12th.

Hope to see you there!

New Book Recommendations from the Reference Desk

What We're Reading at Perrot

THE REBELLION OF JANE CLARKE, BY SALLY GUNNING

[Fiction] This deftly told story takes us to Cape Cod and Boston just as the seeds of Revolution are taking hold. Jane has defied her father in his choice of a husband for her. As a result, he banishes her to Boston to the home of an ailing maiden aunt. Boston is churning with unrest. Locals are taunting the "Lobster-backs." Loyalists are debating with rebels. The streets are not safe. We are re-introduced to characters from Gunning’s other novels that have led us up to this point. Jane is a spunky, intelligent young woman. Her integrity and strength of character shine forth. The twists and turns that this book takes are fascinating, plus we get to meet John Adams, who plays a major role in this story. This novel is very well done and a delight to read.

Read the rest of our list of recommendations!

Eshu the Storyteller-- sign up for tickets today!

Eshu Bumpus is a renowned storyteller, an accomplished jazz vocalist, and a master at physical characterization. He captivates his audience by telling a variety of African, African-American and World folktales leavened with music, humor and mystery!

Eshu will be presenting a family show for ages 5 and up at Perrot on Thursday, July 29th, 2010, at 4 P.M. Do you have your tickets? Sign up now for FREE at the Youth Services Desk!

More information about Eshu at his website: http://eshu.folktales.net/index.htm

Kathy Krasniewicz Memorial Scholarship Winners

Perrot Library Announces First Recipients of the Annual Kathy Krasniewicz Memorial Scholarships

The Perrot Memorial Library Board of Directors is pleased to announce the winners of the first Kathy Krasniewicz Memorial Scholarships, given in memory of Perrot’s beloved Children’s Services Librarian. The annual awards, which include a cash prize of $2500 each, recognize two high school seniors who have actively participated as either a member of the Young Critics Club or as a Library Employee. Jane Wynne, a senior at Trinity Catholic High School, received the award for the Young Critics Club category. She will attend Fordham University in the fall. Greenwich High School Senior Diana Pelliccia received the Library Employee award and will attend Bucknell University. Library Director Kevin McCarthy said, “These scholarships commend the achievements of these accomplished students who have contributed much to our library community and also honor Kathy and all she gave to Perrot.”

Scholarship Recipient Jane Wynne

Scholarship Recipient Diana Pelliccia

Coming Soon to Perrot-- Express DVDs

COMING SOON- EXCLUSIVE TO PERROT
EXPRESS DVD’s
THREE (3) DAY CHECK OUT
DVDs MAY NOT BE PLACED ON HOLD OR RENEWED
$1.00 PER DAY OVERDUE FINE
LOOK FOR THE NUMBER “3” ON THE DVD SPINE

Safe Cycling Sunday, July 25th

Safe Cycling Sunday-- a bike safety event for chilren aged 7-12. It will feature several different stations, including Simon Says Signaling, Tasty Treats, and the Obstacle Course Challenge. Dave's Cycles will also be present to teach kids about bike maintenance.

When: Sunday, July 25th, 2010, 9 AM-12 PM, rain or shine
Where: Greenwich High School parking lot
What to bring: A bike, a helmet, and a smile (bikes are optional)

This is a first-come-first-served event! Pick up a sign-up sheet at Perrot (you can return the slips to Perrot, too.) Slips must be turned in by July 16th, 2010.

Perrot's Summer Reading Club and Contest for Kids

We have a new program this summer at Perrot-- a summer reading club for children entering grades 1 and up! You can participate in our summer reading club (and win prizes for reading!) from from June 30th through July 30th.

To sign up for our summer reading club, simply go to our volunteer table by the computers in Youth Services. Our friendly teen volunteers will sign you up, tell you the rules and start a reading record for you! You'll also get to put your name up on the bulletin board! We'll keep your reading record here in the library. When you've read a book, just tell a volunteer next time you're in the library and they'll write it in your reading record. After you read your first, third, and fifth books, you will win a prize!

Parents, you can also take home a reading record for your little one. We have special sheets for books you read aloud with your child. Children get a sticker for each book they've read with a grown-up.

We're also having a contest this summer! Each week in July, one of our littlest bears will be HIDING somewhere in the children's room. You'll be able to tell him apart because he will be eating an ice cream cone! When you know where the bear is, come to the desk to fill out a guess slip. (Try not to yell it out so you don't give it away!) We will have a random drawing from all our correct guess slips each week in July. We have 4 great prize bags to give away, which will contain books as well as ice cream-themed prizes!

Be sure to join us at Perrot this summer and SCOOP UP A GOOD BOOK!

Family Ties: Talented Writing Families

We have a new display in the Rand Room of writing families: these are wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, and some children all in a family who have been published. There are John Updike and his son, David; Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill; mystery writers Mary Higgins Clark and her daughter Carol Higgins Clark; P.J. Tracy (a mother and daughter team who write together),Maeve Binchy and her cousin Dan– okay, that one’s a stretch! Many others are also featured. So, make sure to stop and take a look at our Family Writers (and check some out) next time you're in the library!

Byram Book Sale, June 11-13

The Byram Book Sale is this weekend! This sale includes a guesstimated 25,000 books, CDs, DVDs, videos, and audiobooks, including loads of brand new items, as well as many antiques. You will find a wide selection of goodies, including fiction, thirty-something categories of non-fiction, and TONS of incredible children's books. If you're a true bibliophile, come to a special preview sale on Friday, June 11 from 5:30-8:30 pm. For $15, you can attend the preview and get the best selection- it's well worth the entrance fee! On Saturday, June 12th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm the sale is open to all. On Sunday, June 13th from 12:00 to 4:00 pm will be the bargain hunter's delight "bag and box" sale ($3/bag or $5/box). All proceeds from the sale benefit the branch library's programs and events. For specific questions, please contact the Byram Shubert Library at (203) 531-0426.

Movies in the Park 2010

Perrot is pleased to present our fourth annual series of Movies in the Park in Binney Park. This year we are featuring Bend it Like Beckham and Born Free. Bring your picnic, your chairs, and enjoy!

Bend it Like Beckham (Rated PG)

Saturday, July 17th, 2010, at 8:30 PM
[Rain date: Sunday, July 18th]

Jess Bhamra is a teenager with only one real passion in her life: soccer. She daydreams of being a great soccer star and her hero is David Beckham. She soon strikes up a friendship with Juliette Paxton, Jules to her friends, and joins a girls' team coached by the rather handsome Joe. She comes from a traditional, close-knit and loving Sikh family. Her parents only want the best for both of their daughters, but Jess' fascination with sports doesn't fit into their idea of a young woman's future. Jess isn't comfortable sneaking about, and she and Jules have a falling out when they both take an amorous interest in Joe. With her sister's wedding on the same day as the football final, where a U.S. college scout will be present to assess her performance, Jess must decide if she will support her family or her friends. -Synopsis from IMDb

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Born Free (Rated PG)
Saturday August 14th, 2010, at 8:30 PM
[Rain date: Sunday, August 15th]

The heartwarming story of a British couple who teach their pet lioness how to survive in the wilds of the African jungles. Joy and George Adamson involuntarily domesticate several lions while living in Kenya. They keep one, named Elsa, until she is fully grown, and rather than turn her over to a zoo, they decide to train her to live like a wild animal so that they can release her into her natural habitat. The film, based on Joy Adamson's book, is poignant and emotional without ever becoming banal or overly sentimental. -Synopsis from Fandango

Connecticut Trails Day 2010

Find Your Happy Place on June 5th and 6th!

Dust off your favorite hiking shoes and grab your water bottle. Connecticut Trails Day 2010 is almost here! This year's celebration will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 5th and 6th, 2010, as part of National Trails Day. The theme is "Find Your Happy Place," which shouldn't be hard to do considering more than 160 Trails Day events are scheduled in 88 towns across Connecticut!

View the extensive list of events here. Take a look now, as some events require pre-registration!

Youth Services Summer Program Registration Starts Mon., June 7th

Registration for Youth Services Summer Programs starts on Monday, June 7th, 2010, and runs through Saturday, June 26th, 2010. [View the summer program schedule]

Please note that during the summer, all of our preschool programs will be DROP-IN, limited to the first 20 children and their caregivers to sign in before each program. Our Stuff & Nonsense and Spotlight programs will still be by registration only. Pick up a registration postcard for the program of your choice from the Youth Services Circulation Desk. For complete registration instructions, click here. Descriptions of our program offerings are also available.

If you have other questions, please comment on this post, or give us a call at 203-637-8802!