New Voting Machine Demo

The League of Women Voters will be at Perrot on Monday, October 29th, 2007, between 10 A.M. and 12 P.M., to demonstrate the new voting machine technology that will be employed throughout Connecticut in the November elections. They will educate describe how the polling place layout and procedures will change, and present sample ballots to familiarize patrons with the new processes.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month

September is National Library Card Sign-up Month.

Sign up for a Library Card at the Youth Services Desk during September and you will receive a special treat!

Jump for Joy!

Remember how much fun it was to jump rope on the playground? Remember all those wonderful rhymes?

Get out that rope and take a turn – it’s great exercise (and it’s FUN!) Need a little refresher? Visit Youth Services for traditional (and new) jump rope jingles:

• The Jump Rope Book J 796.2 VECCH
• Red Hot Peppers: The Skookum Book of Jump Rope Games, Rhymes, and Fancy Footwork J 796.2 BOARD
• Miss Mary Mack and Other Children's Street Rhymes Easy J 796.1 COLE
• Anna Banana : 101 Jump-Rope Rhymes J 796.2 COLE
• Jump! : The New Jump Rope Book J 796.2 KALBF

Our Picks!: New Music CDs for Kids

Check out our brand-new Youth Services' Our Picks! list for September 2007-- it features some of Perrot's newest music CDs for kids (that won't make adults tear their hair out!). You can view the full list-- which includes Dan Zanes, Bill Harley, and more-- here.

Don't forget that our kids' CDs are now located downstairs in the adult media room.

Love a Good Mystery?

Mystery Bestsellers in July: The IMBA List

The following are the July bestsellers at Independent Mystery Booksellers Association member stores. Click on each linked title below to put in a request for it, or stop by the New Fiction section by the Adult Circulation Desk.

1. Her Royal Spyness, by Rhys Bowen
2. The Tin Roof Blowdown, by James Lee Burke, tied with The Secret Servant, by Daniel Silva
4. Killer Weekend, by Ridley Pearson
5. The Judas Strain, by James Rollins
6. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels, by Jasper Fforde, tied with Lean Mean Thirteen, by Janet Evanovich
8. A Welcome Grave, by Michael Koryta
9. Silence, by Thomas Perry
10. A Fatal Grace, by Louise Penny

Guides for Book Groups

We currently have a display up in the Rand Room that features books that are helpful guides for book groups. They help book groups to choose the right kind of books, and offer tips on leading discussions.

• The Book Group Book: A Thoughtful Guide to Forming and Enjoying a Stimulating Book Discussion Group, edited by Ellen Slezak
• Good Books Lately: The One-Stop Resource for Book Groups and Other Greedy Readers, by Ellen Moore and Kira Stevens
• How to Read a Novel: A User’s Guide, by John Sutherland

In addition to these study guides are several titles that have been proven “winners” with book groups over the years. Come take a look!

Another Passport Sign-up Day at Perrot

The Old Greenwich Post Office is sponsoring another U.S. Passport Day at Perrot on Saturday, September 22nd 2007, from 9:30 A.M. to 3 P.M.

File the paperwork to get your U.S. Passport. Photo services will also be available at the event, for $15. Bring your checkbook (Passport Fees are $82 for children under 16, and $97 for Adults), and your identification (you will need a previous passport or your birth certificate, as well as a photo ID).

If you'd like more information about Passport Day at Perrot, please call the Old Greenwich Post Office at 203-637-1405.

Remember, according to new passport regulations, you must now show your passport upon your return from Canada, Mexico, or the Carribean. You can read more about these new requirements here. For other general information about obtaining a U.S. Passport, visit the U.S. Department of State's Passport Page.

Dean Devastates: Are You Prepared for a Storm?

Don’t be caught unawares– hurricane season is upon us! Learn the difference between a watch and a warning, get lists of necessary supplies, and keep up with the progress of impending weather fronts. Visit the following websites for preparedness information and instruction:

• American Red Cross Hurricane Response
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Hurricane Preparedness Tips
• State of Connecticut Hurricane Preparedness for Individuals and Families
• Town of Greenwich Ready Guide

What’s For Lunch?

Time to pack the lunches! If your brown bag offerings seem just a little dull, why not visit our cookery collections for a new idea or two? Think outside the sandwich box! A little protein can go a long way in helping a young student remain alert in the afternoon hours, and a hydrated child is a happy child!

Here are just a few titles – check ‘em out!

• The Brown Bag Lunch Cookbook, by Miriam Jacobs (641.534 JACOB)
• The Vegetarian Lunchbasket: Over 225 Easy, Lowfat, Nutritious Recipes for the Quality-conscious Family on the Go, by Linda Haynes (641.5636 HAYNE)
• After-School Cooking (J 641.5 BETTE)

If It's Broken...

... Let us fix it!

Did that DVD you just returned freeze up? Was a CD scratched? Did a novel have someone's notes handwritten in the margins? Please let us know! That way we can take care of the problem, and the item can be repaired or replaced for the next patron to enjoy.

Thanks!

Stephenie Meyer and Eclipse

There's been a lot of buzz recently about Young Adult author Stephenie Meyer's latest book, Eclipse. The book is the third in her series about characters Bella (a popular teen), her boyfriend, Edward (a bloodthirsty vampire) and her best friend, Jacob (a werewolf). The first two books were Twilight (which made it onto the Young Critics' Club List of Favorite Books of '05-'06) and New Moon. Eclipse just took over the top spot on the New York Times Best Seller list. Since Eclipse knocked Harry Potter off the #1 spot, there's talk that Meyer could be the next (you guessed it) J.K. Rowling.

"Will New Bestseller 'Eclipse' Harry Potter?" ABCNews.com

Review of Eclipse at the New York Times

Stephenie Meyer on Good Morning America (at YouTube)

Stephenie Meyer talks about Eclipse and her other books (at YouTube)

Stephenie Meyer's Website

Read the first chapter of Eclipse online

Summer’s slipping away!

Summer’s slipping away! Have you. . .

• Built a sandcastle ?
• Collected fireflies ?
• Tossed a Frisbee ?

If you think you’ve done it all, visit our J 790 section for a great selection of books on games of all sorts, for all seasons, including The Sierra Club Summer Book, which is jam-packed with ideas to make these precious summer days extra-special! --Kathy K.

J2LYK

J2LYK, if computer shorthand is Geek– uh-- Greek to you, you may get a kick out of visiting http://www.netlingo.com/, which has a dictionary of more than 5,ooo terms, updated daily. IMHO, it’s a GR8 site to see! --Kathy K.

Leave No Child Inside

"One beautiful evening as I was walking my dog, I could see the glow of TV sets in every window. I thought, ‘Why isn’t everybody out here?’" Woman's Day magazine has an article in the current (Sept 12th) issue entitled "Leave No Child Inside". This year, a national Take a Child Outside Week is scheduled for September 24th-30th. Additional information is available at http://www.naturalsciences.org

What a great cue to remind YOU that Perrot offers 3 Connecticut State Park Passes for circulation! These passes give you free admission to state parks and historic sites in Connecticut. They may be borrowed for one week and are available at both the Adult and Youth Services Desk.

Now stop reading this and get outside!

--Kathy K.

Remembering Brooke Astor, 1902-2007

Philanthropist and New York City socialite Brooke Astor passed away Monday at age 105. The New York Times called her the city's "unofficial first lady." Her self-chosen epitaph will read: "I had a wonderful life." Read the full New York Times obituary here.

Check out this new biography of Brooke Astor: The Last Mrs. Astor: A New York Story, by Frances Kiernan. The author, who knew Mrs. Astor personally, gives us a portrait of a charming and strong willed woman, whose court battles have led to lurid headlines, but whose hands-on generosity endeared her to many. You can also read Ms. Astor's childhood recollections in her book, Patchwork Child: Early Memories. In addition, Astor was the author of several novels, including The Last Blossom on the Plum Tree, and The Bluebird Is at Home.