YCC's Favorite Book of 2010/2011 Is...

The Young Critics' Club (YCC), Perrot's book club for 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-graders, has declared that its favorite book of 2010/2011 is....

THE QUEEN OF WATER
by Laura Resau and Maria Virginia Farinango

Born in an Andean village in Ecuador, Virginia lives with her large family in a small, earthen-walled dwelling. In her village, it is not uncommon to work in the fields all day, even as a child, or to be called a longa tonta-- stupid Indian-- by members of the ruling class of mestizos, or Spanish descendants. When seven-year-old Virginia is taken from her village to be a servant to a mestizo couple, she has no idea what the future holds. This poignant novel, based on a true story, will make you laugh and cry, and ultimately, it will fill you with hope.

See the rest of YCC's favorite books from 2010/2011!

Y2C2's Favorite Book of 2010/2011 Is...

The Young Young Critics' Club (Y2C2), Perrot's book club for 4th- and 5th-graders, has declared that its favorite book of 2010/2011 is....


A TALE DARK AND GRIMM
by Adam Gidwitz
In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches. Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.



See the rest of Y2C2's favorite books from 2010/2011!

Change to Museum Pass Loan Period

We have decided to change the loan period on our museum passes so that more of our patrons will be able to utilize them. Effective immediately, the loan period for museum passes will be 3 days. Late fees will remain at $1/day.

A list of all of Perrot's museum passes is available here. Borrow passes from the Youth Services Desk.

Golden Y Award Winners, Spring 2011

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the Semi-Annual Young Young Critics' Club (Y2C2) Jeopardy Tournament!

The winning team, The Fadoodles (L-R): Kate, Serelle, JJ, Nico, and Lydia

They are the current holders of the coveted Wonderful Golden "Y" Award! The winners have demonstrated their mastery of trivia questions related to the books that the Club has read during the past year. (Yes, it looks like a lobster, but trust us, it’s also a wonderful golden ‘Y’-- stop by the Youth Services Department and see for yourself!)

Easter Closing Reminder

Perrot will be closed for Easter on Friday, April 22nd; Saturday, April 23rd; and Sunday, April 24th.

Please note that Greenwich Library and the Byram and Cos Cob branches will be closed on Friday, April 22nd, and Sunday, April 24th, but will be open on Saturday, April 23rd (9 AM-5 PM).

Greenwich Town-wide Clean-up Day, April 30th

Town-wide Clean-Up Day Saturday, April 30, 2011 (9:00 AM to noon) Sponsored by Greenwich Green and Clean Bring your Friends! Bring your Kids! Join with your Neighbors!

• Stop by any Town Firehouse from 8 AM to Noon


• Receive Certificates for Community Service


• Trade collected trash for spring plants


• Fill our Dumpsters until 4 PM


• To volunteer, or to report a dirty site, please call 203-531-0006 or e-mail grgreenclean@aol.com

Take a look at the Nook!

If you’ve ever wondered how to make the most of the e-book collection on the Overdrive page, come in to have us download an e-book onto our Nook e-reader-- that you can borrow. The Nook is checked out for one week per patron and we can load titles for you to read that week. Please call the Reference Desk to set up an appointment– we will download your selection and give you a brief overview of how this works. Call us at: 203-637-3870.

Discount certificates for the CT Science Center in Hartford

Perrot has a limited number of discount certificates to the Connecticut Science Center. The certificates offer 20% off general admission for up to 4 people and are for one-time use (they do not need to be returned to the Library), so get them while they last! Ask for a certificate at the Youth Services Desk. More about the Connecticut Science Center: With 150 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art 3D digital theater, four educational labs, plus daily programs and events, the Connecticut Science Center, located in Hartford, CT, offers endless exploration for children, teens and adults. Every part of science will be at a visitor's fingertips, from Physics to Forensics, Geology to Astronomy. http://www.CTScienceCenter.org/

Library Catalog Maintenance, Tuesday, April 5th

Greenwich Library will be replacing the server than maintains our online library catalog on Tuesday, April 5th. This means patrons will not have access to our library catalog, the Community Answers database and the Greenwich Time Index during that period. The system should be back in operation on Wednesday, April 6th. Thank you in advance for your patience while the update is completed.

Survey About Perrot Picture Book Collection- Please Help

Youth Services is looking into more intuitive, user-friendly methods of organizing our children's picture book collection. One idea is to separate popular subjects into their own special areas, making it easier to find our most-requested material. Please help us by taking a very brief (30-second! :) ) survey-- let us know which subject area you would most like to see featured in its own collection.

Take the survey here:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/picturebooksurvey

If you have any additional thoughts, please feel free to comment on this post.

Greenwich Time Article About Craig Austrie

The Greenwich Time featured an article about Craig Austrie's talk at Perrot on Saturday:
Austrie: Young athletes can beat the odds with hard work

The Latest in Movie Adaptation News

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, based on the second book in Jeff Kinney’s bestselling middle-grade series, lands in theaters March 25th. Zachary Gordon reprises his role as Greg Heffley, with Steve Zahn and Rachael Harris returning as Greg’s parents; Devon Bostick is also back as older brother Rodrick.
• Mars Needs Moms, based on the picture book by author-cartoonist Berkeley Breathed is in theaters now. In this article at the LA Times, the author describes describes how his work grew from a picture book to a Hollywood movie, with lots of worries about how his plot-driven progeny would change.
• The Atlantic discusses the casting of the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games, based on the novel by Suzanne Collins. Finding the right Katniss is a "daunting decision." Young Oscar-nominated actresses Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) and Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) are reportedly the current top contenders for the roles.

Latest Lists of Book Recommendations

What We're Reading at Perrot-- the latest book picks from the Reference Desk
http://www.perrotlibrary.org/great_reads/greatreads-mar11.html

Our Picks! for March 2011: Books About Baseball-- selections on a theme from Youth Services Staff
http://www.perrotlibrary.org/our_picks/ourpicks-mar11.html

Now Available to Borrow at Perrot: Video Games!

Perrot is pleased to announce its new gaming collection. We will be offering E and T-rated games to borrow for the Wii, PlayStation 3, and XBOX 360. Games are kept in the Waid Room (with the DVDs). They may be checked out for 1 week, and late fees are $1/day. Patrons are limited to 2 video games at a time, per card.

Some of our first titles on offer include:

• Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (XBOX 360)
• Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
• FIFA Soccer '11 (XBOX 360)
• Forza Motorsports 3 (XBOX 360)
• Gran Turismo 5 (XBOX 360)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Wii)
• Harvest Moon (Wii)
• Infamous (PS3)
• Just Dance 2 (Wii)
• Katamari Forever (PS3)
• Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)
• The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon (XBOX 360)
• The Legend of Zelda (Wii)
• Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Wii)
• Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Wii)
• Little Big Planet 2 (PS3)
• Madden NFL '11 (XBOX 360 and PS3)
• NBA 2K11 (XBOX 360)
• NHL '11 (XBOX 360)
• Okami (Wii)
• Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (PS3)
• The Sims (XBOX 360)
  Skate 3 (XBOX 360)
• The Spiderwick Chronicles (XBOX 360)
• Spider-man (XBOX 360)
• SpongeBob's Truth or Square (XBOX 360)
• Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 (Wii)
• Super Smash Bros. (Wii)
• Ultimate Alliance 2 (XBOX 360)
• Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
• Uncharted 2 (PS3)
• We Ski and Snowboard (Wii)
• Wii Fit Plus (Wii)
• Wii Sports (Wii)
• Wii Sports Resort (Wii)

You may view the full list of titles here and place holds. More games are coming soon.

Anything you'd like to suggest for our collection? Please comment on this post!

Upcoming Events at Perrot

Talk with Former UCONN Basketball Star Craig Austrie
Sunday, March 20th, 2011, at 3 P.M. in the Library
Stamford native and former UCONN basketball star Craig Austrie will speak to kids and parents about his philosophy of succeeding in sports even when they odds may seem to be against you. Based on his own experience, Austrie acknowledges that everyone has some limitations, but with commitment, discipline and dedication, everyone can develop the confidence they need to succeed.


Greenwich Reads Together: Discussion of The Book Thief
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011, at 7:30 P.M. in the Library
Greenwich Reads Together is a community-wide reading experience which will engage all of Greenwich in exploring a single book. Perrot Library will be hosting a discussion of Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief led by a facilitator from the American Pen Women. Set during World War II in Germany, Zusak's groundbreaking novel 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. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.


Writing Your First Novel: From Page One to Publisher, with Howard Roughan
Wednesday, April 27th, 2011, at 7:30 P.M. in the 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.


American Rose: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011, at 7:30 P.M. in the Library
Best-selling author Karen Abbott will discuss her recently released book, American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee. Abbott's book tells the gripping and expansive story of America's coming of age in the Roaring Twenties, through the extraordinary life of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous adult entertainer, and the world she survived and conquered.