A photo and poem from our Poetry Slam

Here are some of the participants from Perrot's Poetry Slam last weekend-- 

2nd-grader Cavell, and 4th-graders Victoria, Emily, and Sarah. 

Sarah shared with us her lovely poem about libraries:

Library

Library, 

Peaceful and quiet.

Library,

Home of books

Library,

Oasis of wisdom

Library,

Home sweet home

Y2C2's Favorite Book of 2012/2013 Is...

The Young Young Critics' Club (Y2C2), Perrot's book club for 4th- and 5th-graders, has declared that its favorite book of 2012/2013 is...


KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES
by Shannon Messenger
Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She’s skipped multiple grades and doesn’t really connect with the older kids at school, but she’s not comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret-- she’s a Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she’s not alone. He’s a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well. . . she isn’t. Fitz opens Sophie’s eyes to a shocking truth, and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.


See the rest of Y2C2's favorite books from the last year!

Golden Y Award Winners, Spring 2013

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

The winning team, Flo (L-R): Charlotte I., Artemis, Matthew, and Charlotte H.

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 Young Young Critics' Club (our book club for 4th- and 5th-graders) 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!)

Teens: Looking for a summer volunteer opportunity?

. . .Perrot needs you! Perrot is looking for teen volunteers for its Youth Services department to help run the summer reading program for kids.

Who can be a Perrot Library Summer Teen Volunteer?
Anyone going into Grade 7 and up who can volunteer at least 5 hours during the summer.

When do volunteers work?
From June 25th to August 2nd, whenever the library is open. You can set your own schedule and sign up for shifts any hour that the library is open—mornings, afternoons and evenings.

Why volunteer?
• To help others
• To learn job skills
• To earn community service hours
• To meet other teens and have fun!

How do I become a Summer Teen Volunteer?
Easy! Just pick up an application at the Youth Services Desk (or download one here), have a parent or guardian sign it, and drop it off.

How do I learn what to do?
All volunteers must attend a 1-hour training session in June where we’ll teach you everything you need to know.

Have more questions?
Please call Kathy Jarombek, Director of Youth Services, at 203-637-3535.

YCC's Favorite Book of 2012/2013 Is...

The Young Critics' Club (YCC), Perrot's book club for 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-graders, has declared that its favorite book of 2012/2013 is....

THREE TIMES LUCKY
by Sheila Turnage
Rising sixth-grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, North Carolina, where everyone's business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she's been making waves ever since. Although Mo hopes someday to find her "upstream mother," she's found a home with the Colonel-- a café owner with a forgotten past of his own--and Miss Lana, the fabulous café hostess. She will protect those she loves with every bit of her strong will and tough attitude. So when a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, set out to uncover the truth in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known.


See the rest of YCC's favorite books from 2012/2013!

Youth Services Summer Program Schedule Now Available

The Youth Services Summer 2013 Program Schedule is now available!

Please note that for our summer program session, all our preschool programs will be DROP-IN, and most are 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, beginning on Tuesday, May 28th, 2013. Don't forget to bring a stamp! The registration period closes at 5 PM on Saturday, June 22nd, 2013. Our programs are selected by lottery. You may view our complete registration instructions online and see descriptions of our program offerings.

If you have other questions, please comment on this post!

Upcoming Events at Perrot

Poetry Slam
Sunday, April 28th, 2013, from 3 PM to 5 PM
Join us in celebrating Poetry Month at the first annual Perrot Library Poetry Slam! Bring a poem you have written or a favorite by someone else to read at our open mike. All ages welcome.

Talk with Lee Woodruff, author of Those We Love Most
Wednesday, May 8th, 2013, at 7:30 PM
Author Lee Woodruff, married to newsman Bob Woodruf who suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq, brings her own experience dealing with sudden tragedy to her first novel, Those We Love Most. A split-second distraction and a family is forever changed. Individuals must confront their choices, examine mistakes, and ultimately find their way back to each other in this humorous and poignant page-turner.

Book Recommendations from the Reference Desk

What We're Reading at Perrot


THE ART FORGER, BY BARBARA SHAPIRO
[Fiction] How well we all remember the theft of some famous paintings from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. . . Claire Roth works for a company which produces legitimate copies of famous works. She is a fine artist in her own right. When Aiden Markel, the owner of a famous Boston Gallery approaches Claire to make a copy of one of the stolen works form the Gardner, she is flabbergasted. After receiving assurances that her work will never be seen, except by the rich owner, and the original Degas will be returned, she agrees. What follows is a fabulous look into the world of art forgery and also into the technique of Degas. This is a great tale in more ways than one.


See the rest of our latest list of recommendations!

Wendy Epstein

Perrot is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Wendy Epstein, one of our longtime Adult Circulation staff members. Wendy had a big personality and a quick wit, and our Adult Desk just won't be the same without her. Our thoughts and love are with Wendy's family at this difficult time.

WENDY EPSTEIN, a longtime Stamford resident, passed away on Tuesday, March 12th, 2013. For those who knew Wendy, she was a force. She spoke her mind, had strong opinions about right and wrong, and always let you know when she thought you were wrong. She always went to great lengths to help and support her friends in all of their own pursuits and she received so much fulfillment from their accomplishments. She cherished her friendships and found herself surrounded by a diverse group of people that crossed generations, professions, and backgrounds. Wendy was born in Brooklyn, NY to Samuel and Beverly. She attended Herricks High School in New Hyde Park, NY and later the Collegiate Business Institute. She would eventually meet and marry Marvin Epstein with whom she had two sons, Michael and Marc. Throughout her life she found work at a television station, a law firm, a corporate headquarters, a mortgage firm, and most recently the Perrot Library in Greenwich where she found great fulfillment from her interactions with both staff and patrons and where her absence will be felt by all. And through it all, with little conversation or attention, was Wendy's volunteer work and philanthropic donations. Wendy fought lung cancer with grace, dignity, and strength. And she won. Unfortunately, that fight left her unprepared for the fight that followed. She left this world after 68 years surrounded by love and holding her children's hands. Wendy's love and support will be greatly missed by those fortunate enough to have received it throughout the years. She is survived by her children Michael Epstein and Marc and Quyen Epstein-Ngo along with her grandchildren Asher Meir and Samara Rose. A memorial service will be held at 11:30 AM on Friday, March 15th at Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 2900 Summer Street, Stamford, CT 06905. In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations can be made in Wendy's name to the Perrot Memorial Library, 90 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT 06870, www.perrotlibrary.org. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.leopgallagherstamford.com.

-Published in the Stamford Advocate, March 14, 2013. 

Upcoming Events at Perrot

Upcoming Events at the Library...

Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper
Wednesday, March 6th, 2013, at 7:30 PM
C. Marina Marchese will discuss her engaging and delightfully informative book, Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeper. The book recounts how Ms. Marchese overcame her initial trepidation of bees and learned everything there is to know about the art of beekeeping and the marvels of bee behavior. A "honey sommelier" and owner of Red Bee Artisanal Honey, Ms. Marchese will change the way you think about honey. She will offer a honey tasting as part of her presentation. Copies of Honeybee will be available for purchase and signing at the event.



An Uncommon Cape: Researching the Histories and Mysteries of a Property
Wednesday, March 20th, 2013, at 7:30 PM
Perrot welcomes author Eleanor Phillips Brackbill, whose book tells the story of her small Cape Cod house in Westchester-- a story with several mysteries, involving Sears, monkeys, and an unknown address. A wide-ranging investigation forms the basis of an eight-year research journey, not only to solve the mysteries but also to answer the question, "What came before?" Inspired by her mother and grandmother, avid genealogists who traced the myriad branches of their family back hundreds of years, Ms. Brackbill turned to her home to create a kind of genealogy of a piece of property. The book includes more than 60 images and instructive guidelines to help you find the story of your home.

Saturday Night Widows: The Adventures of Six Friends Remaking Their Lives
Wednesday, April 3, 2013, at 7:30 PM
Six marriages, six heartbreaks, one shared beginning. After being widowed in her forties, Becky Aikman struggled to find her place in an altered world. Ultimately, she formed a group with five other young widows, and discovered how people experience grief, transcend loss, summon humor, and strive to find the spirit essential for anyone to overcome adversity.

Perrot Newsletter

The Spring 2013 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).

System Upgrade February 26th

The Greenwich Library System's Catalog and Account systems will be temporarily unavailable while we upgrade to a new system on Tuesday, February 26, 2013.

• While the system is down, patrons will not be able to access their accounts online, search the catalog, place holds or renew items.
• Staff will be able to check-out any item to a patron with the patron's library card (driver's licenses will not work).
• All items due on February 26 have been extended one day.

Thank you for your patience!

53rd Annual Lions Club Pancake Fry- March 9th

The Old Greenwich Lion's Club is holding its 53nd Annual Pancake Fry on Saturday, March 9th, 2013 from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Greenwich Civic Center at 90 Harding Road, Old Greenwich. Fun for the whole family! There will be door prizes, our delicious bake sale and entertainment for all. $7.00/per person in advance or $8.00 at the door, $6.00 for children ages 6-11 and FREE admission for kids 5 and under. Advance tickets may be purchased at Perrot's Adult Circulation Desk.

Spring Valley Puppets on Wednesday, 2/13

We still have tickets available for the Spring Valley Puppet Theater show on Wednesday, 2/13 at 2 PM. For families with children ages 5 and up. Give us a call (203-637-8802) or stop in to sign up!

3 Day Movies Coming in February

3 DAY MOVIES COMING IN FEBRUARY

These movies will soon be available as 3-day loan DVDs at Perrot (ho holds, no renewals):

ARGO - A dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, with Bryan Cranston.

FLIGHT - An airline pilot saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals something troubling.  Starring Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle.

THE SESSIONS - A man in an iron lung who wishes to lose his virginity contacts a professional sex surrogate with the help of his therapist and priest.  Starring Helen Hunt and John Hawkes.

THE MASTER - A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader.  Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix.

*Plot summaries provided by IMDB.com