Book Review: The Overachievers

THE OVERACHIEVERS: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids, by Alexandra Robbins
Nonfiction. New York Times investigative journalist and bestselling author, Alexandra Robbins, presents objective, eye-opening portraits of eight college-bound kids in the pressure-cooker of a competitive high school. AP classes, elite sports teams, extra-curricular obligations, college applications, social stresses, and striving for 2400 on the SATs combine to make the ‘carefree days of youth’ a living hell. The price is high: there are physical, psychological, and family consequences on account of the gross imbalance in the lives of these young people; and the saddest part is, their families are, for the most part, more than willing to sacrifice the emotional well-being of their kids at the altar of the Admissions Office (Ivies preferred, of course). You know these kids. You may have one of these kids. You may have been one of these kids. Honest, horrifying, heart-breaking. A must-read. --Kathy K.

Books Into Movies

Two of the three top-grossing movies at the box office last weekend were based on children's books-- Eragon ($23 million) and Charlotte's Web ($11 million).

We recommend reading the book BEFORE seeing the movie. :)

Charlotte's Web: Click here to place a hold
Charlotte's Web: Showtimes for 06870

Eragon: Click here to place a hold
Eragon: Showtimes for 06870

The Last Harry Potter Book

Scholastic has just announced the title of the latest and last Harry Potter Book. It is... *drum roll, please*.... Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! J.K. Rowling says she is still working on the book, and therefore a release date has not yet been set.

Rowling says on her website: "I'm now writing scenes that have been planned, in some cases, for a dozen years or even more. I don't think anyone who has not been in a similar situation can possibly know how this feels: I am alternately elated and overwrought. I both want, and don't want, to finish this book (don't worry, I will)."

A Book Review from the Director

The Ghost Map : The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic-- and How it Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World, by Steven Johnson

While considering the implications of a potential flu pandemic this year, along came a book that tells the story of the birth of today's pandemic identification and control. In 1854, central London experienced a severe cholera outbreak, killing hundreds of people in a few weeks. The book describes the horrific living conditions of the sufferers and their families, along with the exploits of two heroes, Dr. John Snow and Reverend Henry Whitehead. Johnson starts off strong with a thrilling account of the race to stop the pandemic. The book fizzles out when it begins to take on a preachy tone in its attempts to draw parallels to mid-nineteenth- century London and World cities of today, where thousands of people live in squalid slums. An interesting read for history buffs and anglophiles. It turned out not to be my "cup of tea." -Kevin

A Chanukkah Favorite from One of Our YS Librarians

The Chanukkah Guest, by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Giora Carmi

Although Bubba Brayna is almost blind and deaf, she makes the best potato latkes in the village. On the first night of Chanukkah, she cooks a special batch for the rabbi, who is coming to visit her. When she hears a thumping at the door, she lets in her guest. Only later does she realize she has served her delicious latkes to a bear!

Check out our sale shelf!

Our For Sale shelf, located to the right of the bulletin board in the main building, is chock-full of our discarded magazines from 2006. Pick one up today-- they are only 25 cents apiece! Books are also 25 cents, and other items are $1.00. Please pay at the Adult Circulation Desk.

Holiday Gifts for Kids: A Book Plus...

There are lots of lists of book gift ideas around at this time of year. But what if you want to make that gift book really extra-special and memorable? We love the suggestions from blogger MotherReader on this blog post, called "Twenty-One Ways to Give a Book ." She lists great books to give, along with another gift item (related to the book, of course) to pair with it. There is also a second list, with even more ideas, called "Twenty-One More Ways to Give a Book."

Check them out for some fun, last-minute ideas!

KidBits is back!

A few bits of info about the re-appearance of our once-up-a-time très popular KidBits Drop-In program: KidBits, which will be offered monthly (take a peek at our program grid for the particulars), is aimed at kids aged 3-6, whose adult caregivers are also welcome to attend. The focus will be on classic tales with a twist: creative dramatics, games, movement, a little song, a little dance, a little - well, maybe not :) - it's lively and noisy and a whole lot of fun - so get ready for fox hunts and exploding frogs and Billy Goats Gruff - KidBits is coming!

Youth Services Holiday Gift-Buying Guide 2006

It's here! Each year our Youth Services Librarians and our Book Clubs put together a list of recommended books to buy for the holidays. The list features picture books, books for middle graders, and books for ages 12 and up. Please take a look at our Youth Services Holiday Gift Buying Guide for 2006.

The list is also available at the Youth Services Desk in handy paper brochure format.

Please comment on this post with holiday gift ideas of your own!

DVD Diva: Holiday Picks

With Thanksgiving (and our first snowfall) behind us, the December holidays are right around the corner. Here are some holiday movies to consider [click on the DVD cover image to request an item]:


A Christmas Story
This Christmas classic centers on Ralphie Parker, a young boy living in 1940's Indiana, desperately yearning for a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas. Despite protests from his mother that he'll shoot his eye out, Ralphie persists, unsuccessfully trying to enlist the assistance of both his teacher and Santa Claus. All the while, Ralphie finds himself dealing with the constant taunts of a pair of bullies and trying not to get in the middle of a feud between his mother and father regarding a sexy leg lamp.

Click for more information at Internet Movie Database (IMDb)



Miracle on 34th Street
In this Oscar-winning classic, a Macy's Department Store Santa who insists his name is Kris Kringle teaches everyone a lesson in love, faith and the value of imagination.

More at IMDb





Christmas in Connecticut
A famous food writer lies about living on a farm, raising her children and being a good cook. In reality, she is an unmarried New Yorker who can't boil an egg. When her editor says she will spend Christmas with a heroic sailor, her job is on the line.

More at IMDb




And Coming Soon to the Perrot Collection:


Holidays for Children: Kwanzaa
Traditional West African drums, spirited dances, colorful candles and traditional clothes introduce young viewers to the African-American celebration of Kwanzaa. This program explores the seven principles of the Kwanzaa festival: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work, Cooperation, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith in Self.





There's No Such Thing as a Chanukah Bush, Sandy Goldstein
This Emmy-Award Winning children's film, based on the book by the same name, is the tender story of a little Jewish girl at Christmas time who absolutely, positively loves Christmas trees. In this tender story, Robin's Grandfather helps her sort out "...the difference between celebrating something because you believe in it, and helping friends celebrate something because they believe in it."

Showing This Week

Showing this week at SNEAK PEEKS:

In honor of the day...
PEARL HARBOR WARRIORS
Pearl Harbor Warriors is an award-winning story about an American Marine, a Japanese dive-bomber, and the remarkable friendship that overcame hatred 50 years after the attack.

DROP-IN, for ages 7-14
Thursday, December 7th, 2006 from 4-4:45 PM in the Children's Program Room

Teen BookVideo Awards 2006

Winners have been announced for the first annual, Random House-sponsored Teen BookVideo Awards. Top filmmakers from across the country competed to create book videos (sort of like a movie trailer, except for a book) for three of the hottest teen books of 2006. The three featured books are: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray, and How I Live Now, by Meg Rosoff. You can watch the three winning videos here.

Comment to tell us which video was your favorite and why! Which of these books would you most like to see made into a full-length film?

Town Tree Lighting Ceremony This Friday

The Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation's Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place this Friday, December 1st, 2006, at Greenwich Town Hall (101 Field Point Road).

Music provided by the Greenwich High School Chamber Singers: 3:45 P.M.

Welcome by Peter J. Mandras, Jr., Superintendent of Recreation: 4:15 P.M.

Holiday Message and Tree Lighting by The First Selectman: 4:20 P.M.

Come Join Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph & Frosty for candy canes,

chocolate chip cookies and cider

This Weekend: Support Connecticut Libraries!

The Love Your Library Holiday Bookfair is happening this weekend-- Friday, December 1st, 2006 through Sunday, December 3rd, 2006-- at all Connecticut Barnes & Noble stores!

Barnes & Noble will donate 10-20% of all sales this weekend that are accompanied by a Love Your Library Voucher to Connecticut's libraries. This year's proceeds will go toward InfoAnytime-- the statewide 24-7 virtual reference librarian project coordinated by the Connecticut Library Consortium.

Download and print your voucher here, or pick one up in the library. Thank you for your support!

Holiday Recommendations from Connecticut Librarians

Each holiday season, Connecticut Library Association members answer the question, "If you could give just one book..." and pick their #1 gift-giving pick. Among their recommendations...



The Ruins by Scott Smith
[Fiction] The Ruins follows two American couples, just out of college, enjoying a pleasant, lazy beach holiday together in Mexico as, on an impulse, they go off with newfound friends in search of one of their group-- a young German, who, in pursuit of a girl, has headed for remote Mayan ruins. This is what happens from the moment the searchers-- moving into the wild interior-- begin to suspect that there is an insidious, horrific "other" among them...



The Attack by Yasmina Khadra
[Fiction] Dr. Jaafari, an Arab-Israeli citizen, is a surgeon at a hospital in Tel Aviv. He is dedicated to his work, respected and admired by his colleagues and community. On the night of a deadly bombing, he works tirelessly to help the shocked and shattered patients brought to the emergency room. But this night of turmoil and death takes a horrifying personal turn. His wife's body is found among the dead, with massive injuries, the police coldly announce, typical of those found on the bodies of fundamentalist suicide bombers.



Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic, by Esther Perel
[Non-Fiction] Ether Perel takes on tough questions, grappling with the obstacles and anxieties that arise when our quest for secure love conflicts with our pursuit of passion. She invites us to explore the paradoxical union of domesticity and sexual desire, and explains what it takes to bring lust home.




The Know-it-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World, by A. J. Jacobs.
[Non-Fiction] To fill the ever-widening gaps in his Ivy League education, A.J. Jacobs sets for himself the daunting task of reading all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His wife, Julie, tells him it's a waste of time, his friends believe he is losing his mind, and his father, a brilliant attorney who had once attempted the same feat and quit somewhere around Borneo, is encouraging but unconvinced.



Biba's Italy: Favorite Recipes from the Splendid Cities, by Biba Caggiano
[Non-Fiction] Americans love Italy: 4 million of us visit every year, and Rome and Florence rank number 1 and 2 of our favorite European cities. We also love Italian food: time and again, it’s rated our favorite international cuisine. In Biba’s Italy, renowned cookbook author and restaurateur Biba Caggiano shows why: here are the very best recipes from our very favorite cities, plus travel tips galore on restaurants, bakeries, gelaterie, food markets, and cooking schools.


Click on each book cover to request it from our catalog.

MeetTheAuthor.com

MeetTheAuthor.com is a cool website that features short video clips of both children's and adult authors talking about their books. You can even subscribe to Podcasts of their latest videos (check the site for more details).

Click here for a clip of Markus Zusak speaking about The Book Thief.

National Book Award Winners Announced

The National Book Foundation announced the National Book Award Winners in New York City on Wednesday evening, November 15th, 2006. Fran Lebowitz was the master of ceremonies.

And the winners are...

For Fiction: Richard Powers, The Echo Maker
This is a story of a truck driver who has an accident and goes into a coma. He emerges two weeks later and appears to have a brain injury called Capgras syndrome, which renders him paranoid. The book follows Mark, his sister, who Mark thinks is an imposter, and a neurologist who studies interesting cases of brain disorders. While Mark attempts to piece together what really happened the night of the accident, the truth will change the lives of all three main characters.

For Non-Fiction: Timothy Egan, The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

Covers the U.S. history period of the “Dust Bowl” years in the heartland of our country. The author is a Pulitzer Prize winner and he follows several families as they try to hang on during the awful dust storms and watch as their lives and loved ones continue on during the Great Depression.

For Poetry: Splay Anthem, by Nathaniel Mackey

In a stunning collection of poems of transport and transcendence, African-American poet Mackey's "asthmatic song of aspiration" scuttles across cultures and histories—from America to Andalucía, from Ethiopia to Vienna—in a sexy, beautiful adaptive dance.

For Young People's Literature: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: Volume One: The Pox Party, by M.T. Anderson

This is an historical novel of prodigious scope, power and insight, set against the backdrop of the Revolutionary War. Octavian, a black youth raised in a Boston household of radical philosophers, is given an excellent classical education. Only as he grows older does he realize that while he is well dressed and well fed, he is indeed a captive being used by his guardians as part of an experiment to determine the intellectual acuity of Africans.

A Visit with John Boyne

John Boyne, author of the controversial The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, visited with Perrot's Young Critics' Club on Thursday, November 9th, 2006, to discuss his book and answer questions.

You can listen to an MP3 of Mr. Boyne talking about developing the idea for his book. Or you can look at some video clips here.


ATTENTION Young Critics! Comment on this post with what your thoughts on what Mr. Boyne had to say about his book.

Tellabration 2006!

Throughout the world, the week before Thanksgiving is set aside as a time to celebrate the time-honored art of storytelling and story listening. Join the thousands of people, young and old, around the world who will spend a unique and magical hour rediscovering the laughter, the tears and the power of the story, at this year's TELLABRATION!

• In Greenwich, join the fun at the Cos Cob Library: 7:00 P.M., Friday, November 17th, 2006.
  
• In Rowayton, join the oldest and FIRST Tellabration at United Church of Rowayton, 210 Rowayton Avenue, Rowayton: 8:00 P.M., Saturday, November 18th, 2006.

Check out all local Tellabration 2006 events here, find out more at Tellabration's website, or call 860-439-2764.

Youth Services Winter Program Schedule Now Available

The Youth Services Winter Program Schedule is now available at the Youth Services Desk!

Registration for the Winter Program Session will take place from December 18th, 2006 through January 7th, 2007. Programs begin on January 22nd, 2007.

Please call us at 203-637-8802 if you have questions about our winter program offerings.

Sneak Peeks for this Week!

Stop by for Sneak Peeks, our video program for kids, this Thursday, November 16th, 2006, at 4 P.M. This week's movies are for kids ages 4-8. Sneak Peeks is a drop-in program, and will take place in the Youth Services Program Room.

Here are this week's selections:

INCH BY INCH
7 minutes
To keep from being eaten, a resourceful inchworm measures a robin’s tail, a flamingo’s neck, a heron’s legs, and a nightingale’s song. Based on the book by Leo Lionni.

BEAR WANTS MORE
9 minutes
When springtime comes, Bear wakes up VERY hungry! Based on the book by Karma Wilson.

KNUFFLE BUNNY
10 minutes
Trixie realizes something is missing after she, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny visit the neighborhood Laundromat. Uh-oh! Based on the book by Mo Willems.

A Book Recommendation from the Reference Librarians

Imperium: a Novel of Ancient Rome
By Robert Harris

Imagine yourself walking the streets of Rome with Cicero. Imagine the Forum and the Senate, and all the political intrigue. This book is a riveting account of Cicero’s rise to power as seen through the eyes of his personal secretary, Tiro. This book is so well-researched and an extraordinary (fictional) education of the times. The political picture presented here shows us that little has changed in 2,000 years.

Need a Passport?

Planning to travel? You can apply for your U.S. Passport at a special event in the Library this month!

The Old Greenwich Post Office is sponsoring Passport Day at Perrot on Saturday, November 18th, 2006, from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. 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 for more info at 203-637-1405. Or for more detailed information about obtaining a passport, visit the U.S. Department of State's Passport Page.

The DVD Diva Presents: Alfred Hitchcock Favorites

Read a short Alfred Hitchcock bio (and some neat trivia) here.

Dial M for Murder
Ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice decides to murder his wife for her money, and because she had an affair the year before. He blackmails an old college associate to strangle her, but when things go wrong, he sees a way to turn events to his advantage.

More information at Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

The Birds
A wealthy San Francisco playgirl pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town. Things turn sinister as birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there, in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness. Based on a story by Daphne du Maurier.

More at IMDb

Rope
Two friends strangle a classmate and invite his family and mutual friends to dinner--with the body stuffed inside the trunk for a buffet table. Inspired by the real-life Leopold and Loeb murder.

More at IMDb

Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, Co-Author of Cheaper by the Dozen, Dies at 98

Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, who, with a younger brother, wrote Cheaper by the Dozen, the account of their growing up in a family of 12 children that led to several movies of the same name, died on Saturday in Fresno, Calif. She was 98. Read her New York Times obituary here.

Click below to place holds on the...

• ...original book
• ...book on CD
• ...the sequel, Belles on Their Toes
• ...2003 motion picture

Get Crafty!

This month's Our Picks! For Kids list features books on crafting! Check it out by clicking here.

Do you know of a fun, kid-friendly crafting website? Please share it with us by commenting on this post!

Graphic Novels @ Young Critics

At last Friday's meeting, Vicky talked to the Young Critics' Club about Graphic Novels. Here are some of the books she brought with her. Click on each cover to place a hold.

Daisy Kutter: The Last Train, by Kazu Kibuishi
[Action/Adventure] Takes place in the Old West—but with robots. Daisy is an ex-bandit who now runs a general store. She’s bored out of her mind, until a shady rich man tells her he’ll pay her to test out the ultra-dangerous security robots on one of his trains.





Castle Waiting, by Linda Medley
[Fantasy] The story of an enchanted castle and its inhabitants through the years. Not only do we learn how the castle came to be enchanted, but we hear the characters who pass through its walls tell the rich stories of their own pasts. You’ll get stories of bearded nuns, princesses, the circus, witches and demons and spells-- just to name a few.



Courtney Crumrin Series, by Ted Naifeh
Book 1: Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things
Book 2 : Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics
Courtney Crumrin’s dull-as-dirt parents move the family to her great uncle’s giant mansion in a well-to-do neighborhood. It turns out, though, that Courtney’s uncle has powers to cast spells and communicate with creatures… and so does Courtney.


Journey Into Mohawk Country, by H.M. van den Bogaert, with artwork by George O'Connor and color by Hilary Sycamore
[Historical] This GN is so cool because it takes the text from an ACTUAL journal written by a young Dutch trader in 1634! He has come to the New World, to the southern tip of Manhattan Island to explore Iriquois country, and make connections that will help with Dutch trade.




Kampung Boy, by Lat
[Biographical] A story of growing up in rural Malaysia in the 1950's. Even though the story occurs far away in time and place, you can relate to the author's tales of childhood, like running from his mom, swimming in the river, and falling asleep in class.

Polly and the Pirates, by Ted Naifeh
[Action/Adventure] The story of a prim and proper boarding school girl who discovers her mother was an infamous pirate! This should be an ongoing series, but only Book 1 is out so far.






Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Series, by Hayao Miyazaki
Click for Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6, Book 7
You may know of Miyazaki, because he also created the movies Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Nausicaä is a the princess of a small kingdom, and she lives in a future where humans have polluted the earth with chemicals. The earth is slowly being covered by a toxic forest, which releases poisonous spores into the air, and where giant mutant insects live. Nausicaä must help make peace between the kingdoms, who are fighting over the earth’s few remaining natural resources. [Don't forget to read starting at the back, and from right to left.]


P.S. The Graphic Novel that was nominated for the National Book Award (the one Mrs. Mac and Vicky couldn't remember the name of...) is American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang.

ROBOT VEHICLES at Sneak Peeks This Week!

Stop by for Sneak Peeks, our movie program for kids, this Thursday, November 2nd, 2006, at 4 P.M. This week's movies is for kids ages 7-14. Sneak Peeks is a drop-in program, and will take place in the Youth Services Program Room.

This week's movie is a PBS NOVA special called THE GREAT ROBOT RACE. 23 bizarre-looking vehicles with names like Terramax and Highlander line up at the starting gate of the DARPA Grand Challenge with one thing in common: there’s nobody behind the wheel! Sponsored by the Pentagon’s research agency, this race for robotic, autonomous (driverless) vehicles has a $2 million prize. NOVA captures the crashes, pitfalls, frustration, fun, excitement, dirt, determination, and an eventual victory as one robot wins and several others make it all the way through the punishing desert course.

TALES FROM... NIGHTMARES

TERRIBLE TALES FROM.....N I G H T M A R E S

• CLICK TO HEAR... SELENA, THE SEA WITCH. She tells of tale of a mysterious creature that crawls out of the sea, looking for someone to take back home...



• CLICK TO HEAR... MOTOKO. She tells us of two prideful warriors who are determined to prove their fearlesness in the face of a demon... with deadly consequences...



• CLICK TO HEAR... THE HAG. Her story stresses the importance of never talking to strangers... Particularly black-clad strangers who offer you fascinating trinkets...

[All sound clips are in MP3 format.]

Please take this quick poll to help us serve you better!

When I come to Perrot Library I usually spend: 5 minutes or less 5 minutes to 30 minutes 30 minutes to 1 hour Over 1 hour I only use it online Other Free polls from Pollhost.com

[If your answer is "Other," please comment on this post to elaborate.]

Barry Cunningham of Chicken House Books Visits the Book Clubs

If it wasn’t for Barry Cunningham, Harry Potter might still be languishing in his cupboard under the stairs… -J. K. Rowling

Barry Cunningham, publisher and editor at Chicken House Books, visited with the Young Critics' Club and Young Young Critics' Club on Friday, October 20th, 2006. You may not recognize Barry's name, but you will definitely know the authors he works with. He discovered and published J.K. Rowling in the U.K. before she was published in the U.S. For his publishing company, Chicken House Books, he has put out books by Cornelia Funke, Kevin Brooks, and Stuart Hill, among others. Mr. Cunningham talked about J.K Rowling and the Harry Potter books, Cornelia Funke and the trials and tribulations of translating a book into English, the difficulties of adapting books into movies, and the personalities of the writers that he works with. Barry also brought lots of galleys of upcoming books from Chicken House, which he talked about, and which were then raffled off to lucky YCC members!

Click here to see a video clip [in .WMV format, playable with Windows Media Player] of Mr. Cunningham talking about how J.K. Rowling had the entire Harry Potter saga planned out before she started writing. More video clips and photos here!

Ask a Librarian: Get Your Reference Questions Answered, 24 Hours a Day!

InfoAnytime's Ask a Librarian is a new virtual reference desk provided by the Connecticut State Library and is free of charge to Connecticut residents. This is a real-time web-based reference service staffed by professional librarians. You won’t need to download any special software– just have your library card and your question ready when you connect. So, when you have a question, particularly outside of regular library hours, you can have one of InfoAnytime librarians help you with your research.

From Perrot’s web page, please go to “Catalog” on the menu bar, and then select “Ask a Librarian” to be connected to this service. It truly is Reference 24/7!

DVD Diva: Halloween Picks

Now that Halloween is upon us, why not check out a scary movie:


The Exorcist
A young girl becomes possessed by the devil and causes several violent deaths before she can be cured.


More information at IMDb (Internet Movie Database) or request the book





Cat's Eye
It's terror times three in this spine-tingling trio of Stephen King thrillers that follow the adventures of a stray cat trying to save a little girl from an unknown danger.

More information at IMDb





Rosemary's Baby
After unwittingly becoming friendly with a coven of witches and warlocks, a young wife is impregnated by the Devil.

More information at IMDb, or request the book