Perrot Newsletter

The Spring 2011 edition of Perrot's newsletter, Précis, is now available!

Watch for your copy in the mail, pick up a copy in the library, or read it online (in PDF format).

Bargain magazines

Beginning this week, we will be discarding all 2009 magazines. They will be available for sale for 25 cents each (please pay at the Adult Circulation Desk) at Perrot's For Sale shelf, located to the right of the bulletin board in the main building. We also have discarded books available for 25 cents; all other items are $1.00.

51st Annual Lions Club Pancake Fry

Old Greenwich Lions Club is holding their 51st Annual Pancake Fry on Saturday, March 12th, 2011 from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center at 90 Harding Road in Old Greenwich. Fun for the whole family! There will be door prizes, a delicious bake sale and entertainment for all. $6.00/per person in advance or $7.00 at the door, $1.00 discount for children ages 6-11 and FREE admission for kids 5 & under. Advance tickets are available for purchase at Perrot!

The latest graphic novels in Youth Services

Zita the Spacegirl
[click here to place a hold]
When her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, Zita leaps to the rescue and finds herself a stranger on a strange planet. Humanoid chickens and neurotic robots are shocking enough as new experiences go, but Zita is even more surprised to find herself taking on the role of intergalactic hero. Before long, aliens in all shapes and sizes don't even phase her. Neither do ancient prophecies, doomed planets, or even a friendly con man who takes a mysterious interest in Zita's quest. [Ages 8+]

Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard Volume 1
[place hold]
Inside the June Alley Inn, located in the western mouse city of Barkstone, mice gather to tell tales, each trying to outdo the other. A competition, of sorts, begins. The rules: Every story must contain one truth, one lie and have never been told in that tavern before. Legends of the Guard is a new Mouse Guard anthology series featuring the work of artists and storytellers handpicked by series creator David Petersen. [Ages 12+]

Tower of Treasure
[place hold]
An acrobat in a traveling circus, 14-year-old orphan Dessa Redd flies through the air with ease. Still, she is weighed down by troubling memories. but when her ragtag circus troupe pills into the city of Kingsbridge, Dessa feels a tickle of hope. Maybe here in the royal city she will finally find her twin brother-- or the mysterious man who snatched him away when they were just children. [Ages 8+]

Castle Waiting, Volume 2
[place hold]
With its long-awaited second volume, Linda Medley’s witty and sublimely drawn fantasy eases into a relaxed comedy of manners as Lady Jain settles into her new life in Castle Waiting. Unexpected visitors result in the discovery and exploration of a secret passageway, not to mention an epic bowling tournament-- these are just a few of the elements in this delightful new volume. [Ages 13+]

The Amulet of Samarkand: A Bartimaeus Graphic Novel
[place hold]
Nathaniel, an eleven-year-old magician-in-training, thinks he's ready to take on more challenging spells. With revenge against the proud and ambitious Simon Lovelace on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a 5,000-year-old djinni, to assist him. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely. . . Jonathan Stroud, along with two acclaimed comic artists, turns his beloved best-selling first book in the Bartimaeus trilogy into a spellbinding graphic novel sure to excite and delight fans across all magical planes. [Ages 9+]


Look for these and other great new graphic novels in the new book bin in Youth Services. Have a graphic novel series you'd like to see at Perrot? Comment on this post!

Chocolate lecture and tasting-- WEDNESDAY, 2/9

Chocolate: A Culinary and Historic Tour, with Francine Segan
This Wednesday, February 9th, 2011, at 7:30 P.M.
Radcliffe Children's Wing, Perrot Memorial Library

Francine Segan, noted food write and lecturer, will conduct a culinary and historic tour of chocolate, most loved of all confections. She will follow chocolate's journey from its New world origins, to Europe, to the treat the world knows and loves today. Ms. Segan will explain chocolate's transformation from bean to bar through a guided tasting of various types of fine chocolates (participation in the chocolate tasting is limited to the first 75 attendees).

Two new museum passes in Youth Services

Now available to borrow from the Youth Services Desk-- museum passes for the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, and for Connecticut's Old State House in Hartford.

• ALDRICH CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM, 258 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT, http://www.aldrichart.org: FREE FAMILY ADMISSION [Admission for children 18 and under is always free] The Aldrich is one of the few non-collecting contemporary art museums in the U.S. Exhibitions feature work by emerging and mid-career artists, and education programs help adults and kids to connect to today’s world through contemporary art.
• CONNECTICUT’S OLD STATE HOUSE, 800 Main Street, Hartford, CT, www.ctoldstatehouse.org: FREE admission for two adults and two children. As Connecticut’s original state capitol from 1797 to 1873, the Old State House is one of the oldest remaining state houses in the nation. Explore the home of Connecticut’s early state government, including restored legislative chambers, executive branch offices, and courtroom with interactive tours.

Here is a complete list of all the museum passes we have available to borrow. Please ask for passes at the Youth Services Desk. We also have information and brochures on all our locations available for you to browse. Passes may borrowed for one week. Late fees are $1/day.

Youth Services' Handy-Dandy Book Recommendations

Hey! Did you know that Youth Services makes a monthly list of recommendations? We pick a new, timely theme each month, and then pick our favorites! We have lots of lists from you to choose from. Here's a look back at all of our picks from 2010:

January 2010: Books About Bears
February 2010: Books About Winter Sports
March 2010: Books About Inspirational Women
April 2010: Books About Springtime
May 2010: Staff Grab-Bag
June 2010: Books About Horses
July 2010: Vacation Fun
August 2010: Folk and Fairy Tales
September 2010: Books to Make You Laugh
October 2010: Ghost Stories
November 2010: Books About Airplanes
December 2010: Gifts and Giving

For January 2011, our theme was Easy Reader Favorites.

And, we've just posted our latest list of Our Favorite Award Winners and Notable Books of 2010.

Check this page each month to see the latest list!

Have a suggestion for a topic you'd like us to cover? Comment on this post!

Two who made the world more beautiful

In the evening Alice sat on her grandfather's knee and listened to his stories of faraway places.

When he had finished, Alice would say, "When I grow up, I too will go to faraway places, and when I grow old, I too will live beside the sea."

"That is all very well, little Alice," said her grandfather, "but there is a third thing you must do."

"What is that?" asked Alice.

"You must do something to make the world more beautiful," said her grandfather.

- from Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney

Kathy Krasniewicz and Kate McClelland

Mrs. K and Mrs. Mac

Two who made the world more beautiful

We miss you today and always

Tax Forms Available

Perrot has copies of both federal and state income tax forms available (ask at the Reference Desk).

Or, you can get tax forms online here:

• Federal Tax Forms
• Connecticut State Tax Forms
  

Tax help and information:

• The Ernst and Young Tax Guide 2011 (book)
• Frequently Asked Questions at the IRS Website
• MSN Money: Tax Center

For live tax help from the IRS, call 1-800-829-1040, Monday through Friday, between 7 A.M. and 10 P.M.

The closest IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center is located at 24 Belden Avenue in Norwalk. They provide these services. You must schedule an appointment in advance. Their telephone number is 203-840-4195.

Perrot Library Community Survey

The Perrot Memorial Library is conducting a Long Range Strategic Planning process. Your thoughts and ideas are invaluable to assist us in planning for future library services, programs, and collections. Please take a few minutes to complete our online survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PerrotLibraryCommunitySurvey

Thank you for your help!

Greenwich Reads Together: The Book Thief Discussion at Perrot in April

Greenwich Reads Together is a community-wide reading experience which will engage all of Greenwich in exploring a single book. In Winter/Spring 2011, the whole community will explore a single book through discussions, programs and lectures. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, was selected for its high literary quality, reflection of universal issues, and capability of generating thought-provoking discussion and appeal to a diverse population.

Perrot Library will be hosting a discussion of The Book Thief led by a facilitator from the American Pen Women on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 7:30 P.M.

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking novel, The Book Thief, is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist, books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Copies of The Book Thief are available to borrow now at the Adult and Youth Services Desks. Or place a hold online.

Two Upcoming Events at Perrot

Writing Your First Novel: From Page One to Publisher, with Howard Roughan
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011, at 7:00 P.M.
Radcliffe Children's Wing, Perrot Memorial Library
Author and Riverside native Howard Roughan will lead a unique discussion on writing your first novel. He will also be talking about his solo novels, The Up and Comer and Promise of a Lie, as well as his numerous collaborations with James Patterson. This is a wonderful opportunity for aspiring writers, publishing enthusiasts, and book lovers alike to learn about the process from an expert. Copies of Mr. Roughan's books will be available at the event for purchase and signing.

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Chocolate: A Culinary and Historic Tour, with Francine Segan
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011, at 7:30 P.M.
Radcliffe Children's Wing, Perrot Memorial Library
Francine Segan, noted food write and lecturer, will conduct a culinary and historic tour of chocolate, most loved of all confections. She will follow chocolate's journey from its New world origins, to Europe, to the treat the world knows and loves today. Ms. Segan will explain chocolate's transformation from bean to bar through a guided tasting of various types of fine chocolates (participation in the chocolate tasting is limited to the first 75 attendees).

2011 Children's Literary Award Winners

The winners of the 2011 major literary awards for children were recently announced at the American Library Association's Midwinter Conference in San Diego.

[Click on each title to view in the catalog and to place a hold.]

Caldecott Medal Winner
A Sick Day for Amos McGee, illustrated by Erin E. Stead (written by Philip C. Stead)
Every day Amos McGee spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it's time they returned the favor.

Newbery Medal Winner
Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool
Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was. Abilene is disappointed to find that Manifest is just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler.


Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia
Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, as usual, and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past. Rather than spend time with them, Cecile sends Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers, where the girls get a radical new education. Heartbreaking and funny, this is an unforgettable story told by a distinguished children's author.


Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, illustrated by Bryan Collier (written by Laban Carrick Hill)
Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter living in South Carolina in the 1800s. He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved onto his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave. In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal, Laban Carrick Hill's elegantly simple text and award-winning artist Bryan Collier's resplendent, earth-toned illustrations tell Dave's story, a story rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty.


Geisel Award Winner (for beginning readers)
Bink and Gollie, by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGee, illustrated by Tony Fucile
Meet Bink and Gollie, two precocious little girls-- one tiny, one tall, and both utterly irrepressible. Setting out from their super-deluxe tree house and powered by plenty of peanut butter (for Bink) and pancakes (for Gollie), they share three comical adventures involving painfully bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion. No matter where their roller skates take them, at the end of the day they will always be the very best of friends.

Sibert Award Winner (for non-fiction)
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot, by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Nic Bishop
On remote Codfish Island, off the southern coast of New Zealand, live the last ninety-one kakapo parrots on earth. These trusting, flightless, and beautiful birds-- the largest and most unusual parrots on earth-- have suffered devastating population loss. Now, on an island refuge with the last of the species, New Zealand’s National Kakapo Recovery Team is working to restore the kakapo population. With the help of fourteen humans who share a single hut and a passion for saving these odd ground-dwelling birds, the kakapo are making a comeback.


For the complete list of this year's award winners and honor books, take a look at the ALA website.

Graphic Novel Pick in Youth Services

***************STAFF PICK**************************

Ghostopolis, by Doug TenNapel [click here to place a hold]
[Ages 10+] Imagine Garth Hale's surprise when he's accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-up ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don't have, and he's stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth's newfound abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather's ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.

Entertaining, hilarious, full of wacky creatures and characters (the ghost of Benedict Arnold, a skeleton ghost-horse named Skinny, a werewolf, and giant bugs, to name a few), chock-full of adventure (but also plenty of heart), Ghostopolis is not to be missed!

Holiday Closings

Perrot will be closed for Christmas on Friday, December 24th; Saturday, December 25th; and Sunday, December 26th.

We will be closed for New Year's on Friday, December 31st; Saturday, January 1st; and Sunday, January 2nd.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday season!