Our Picks!: Audiobooks

Youth Services' Our Picks! page for July highlights Audiobooks-- both CD books and book/CD kits. You can view the full list here. Audiobooks give us a whole different way to enjoy a great "read"! Ideal for non-readers, family road trips, or lazy days, give one of our audiobook picks a try! Also, please be sure to take another look at our collection of Picture Books with CDs (AV-E), as we have recently added about 30 new titles to our collection!

Book Recommendation: The Sonnet Lover

With our Tuscany program coming up soon, here's a terrific book to get you into the mood, full of the sights and sounds of the Tuscan hillsides:

The Sonnet Lover, by Carol Goodman
A college professor, Rose Asher, returns to a villa outside of Florence, where she had been a student 20 years ago and had also first fallen in love. The villa, La Civetta is rumored to have been the home of Shakespeare's "Dark Lady," to whom he wrote his sonnets. Carol Goodman draws you into the intrigue and romance with her writing, as she surrounds you with the aromas of lemon and roses and skillfully weaves these scents into her plot. --Lynn

Mr. Wizard, 1917-2007

Don Herbert, better known as Mr. Wizard, died last week at age 89. Mr. Wizard unlocked the wonders of science for kids with his TV shows, performing exciting science experiments with common household items. Although he held no advanced degree in science, Mr. Herbert appeared on TV as the star of Watch Mr. Wizard in the 1950s and 60s, and again on Mr. Wizard's World, which aired on Nickelodeon in the 1980's. You can see video clips from Mr. Wizard's TV shows here at NPR.org.

Try your own science experiments at home with one of these books:

• It's Not Magic, It's Science!: 50 Science Tricks That Mystify, Dazzle and Astound
• Janice VanCleave's 201 Awesome, Magical, Bizarre and Incredible Experiments
• Rocket Science: 50 Flying, Floating, Flipping, Spinning Gadgets Kids Create Themselves
• You Gotta Try This!: Absolutely Irresistible Science

DVD Diva: Baseball Movies

With baseball season in "full swing," why not check out some of our classic baseball movies? Read more about other baseball movies at BaseballMovies.com.


Field of Dreams
If you believe the impossible, the incredible can come true. Ray Kinsella hears a voice, followed by a brief vision of a baseball field. He believes that if he builds a baseball diamond in his cornfield, Shoeless Joe Jackson, of the infamous 1919 Chicago "Black" Sox will return to play baseball. By being willing to take a chance, Ray gets a second time up at bat in life.

More at Internet Movie Database (IMDb)



Pride of the Yankees
Lou Gehrig, the Yank's great first baseman and the son of poor immigrants, rose to heights of baseball fame -- only to be cut down at the peak of his career by an incurable illness known as ALS.

More at IMDb



The Natural
A talented but aging rookie tries to resume a baseball career many years after a shattering experience seemed to have ended it.

More at IMDb





Eight Men Out
Based on the real-life scandal of 1919, this film tells the story of eight baseball players who plotted to throw games for money, and the scorn and anger the scheme earned them.

More at IMDb




Major League
The new woman owner of the Cleveland Indians wants to move the franchise to Florida, and her only chance is a losing year. So she signs a bunch of screwballs in hopes that they'll blow the season.

More at IMDb





A League of Their Own
A washed-up ballplayer is hired to coach in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League while the male pros are at war in 1943, and finds himself drawn back into the game by the heart and heroics of his team.

More at IMDb

Have you seen our digital sign?

Check out Perrot's new digital sign! It is hanging in the vestibule of the Children's Wing. Watch when you come in to the library for the latest news about library events, promotions, and news.

New at Perrot! State Parks and Forests Day Pass

Perrot now has a Connecticut State Parks and Forests Day Pass available for you to borrow! The pass may be used at all the major state parks with admission or parking fees, including Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, and Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme. The pass also provides free entrance to any museum located at a state park, such as Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Fort Trumbull State Park in New London, and Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam.

The pass may be borrowed from the Youth Services Desk for one week (late fees are $1/day). Read more about state recreation opportunties in Connecticut here and here.

Books for Father's Day

As this is the week leading into Father’s Day, it finds us reflecting on our own relationships with our dads. Many people have written about their special relationships with their fathers, and we are recommending some of the following books on fathers and fatherhood. We have a display on the second floor of many of our non-fiction books about fatherhood. Here are a few of them:

Big Russ and Me: Father and Son: Lessons of Life, by Tim Russert

In Big Russ and Me, Russert writes about his relationship with his father, including remembrances of many lessons he learned at his side. He followed that book with Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons. This book is a compilation of the many letters that Russert received after he wrote Big Russ. Many of his readers wanted to express their feelings about their own dads. It has all the elements: some stories that are funny, some sad, all very touching.


Fatherneed: Why Father Care is as Essential as Mother Care for Your Child, by Kyle D. Pruett
Dr. Pruett has researched for more than two decades about the importance of the father bond for all children. He has a family psychiatry practice in addition to his work at the Yale Child Study Center. Long-term study findings serve as the basis for this book, which can serve a how-to manual for ensuring that the father/child relationship helps the child develop into a self-assured, balanced adult.



The Treehouse: Eccentric Wisdom from My Father on How to Live, Love, and See, by Naomi Wolf
The bestselling author talks about her father’s teachings while they work on a treehouse for her daughter. Her father is a poet and teacher, and Ms. Wolf wanted him to share his thoughts on releasing the inner creative self.





To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
A book that at its center deals with racism and a criminal trial, but I always remember how Scout and her father wise and heroic father Atticus related to each other. This is a case where the book and the movie based on it are both excellent.

--The Reference Staff

Listen to Jack Prelutsky on PBS

Jack Prelutsky, the first Children's Poet Laureate, and the beloved author of over 35 poetry books and anthologies, recently talked about his poetry (and young readers) with PBS. You can listen to a recording of Mr. Prelutsky, or watch streaming video, here at PBS.

Generations have learned to love poetry by reading Jack Prelutsky's books. And you can find many of those books right here at Perrot Library!

The Next Harry Potter?

There was an article front and center on Yahoo! yesterday, promoting a book that could be "the next Harry Potter"! The book was Tunnels, by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams, and it was discovered by Barry Cunningham of Chicken House books, who visited the library last year. Mr. Cunningham said, "I knew from page one that Harry Potter was magic. Reading Tunnels gave me the same thrill. ... Tunnels has it all: a boy archaeologist, merciless villains, a lost world and an extraordinary journey to the centre of the earth."

Some of our Young Critics' Club members actually got to read advance copies of Tunnels earlier this year. So--- Young Critics! What did you think of Tunnels? Does it live up to the hype? Will it be the next Harry Potter? Comment on this post with your thoughts!

Shakespeare Resources Brochure

We hope you were able to attend our Director's Cut event last night, featuring Ezra Barnes, artistic director of Shakespeare on the Sound.

Here is an online version of the brochure that was available at the event, which describes Shakespeare books, movies, and resources available at Perrot.

Book Recommendation: Ghostwalk

Ghostwalk, by Rebecca Stott
In modern-day England, Cambridge historian Elizabeth Vogelsang is found drowned, clutching a glass prism in her hand. Her final work was in-depth study of Isaac Newton’s scientific innovations. The former lover of the Vogelsang's son begins to ghostwrite the end of the work, and she is slowly drawn into a mystery that spans the centuries. Ghostwalk earned a starred review from both Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist. The story will draw you into the world of alchemy, the years of the Plague, and the history of glass making. --The Reference Librarians

To view this month's complete list of Great Reads from the Reference Librarians, click here.

DVD Diva: Golf Movies

The U.S. Open (Golf) coverage begins on June 12th, 2007: http://www.usopen.com/ Here are some golf movies that may pique your interest in the sport. You can also read more about other popular golf movies at http://www.golfmovies.com/.


Tin Cup
Shrink Molly Griswold is big city, driving-range pro. Roy McAvoy owns a driving range in a backwater Texas town, and he believes only the grandest of gestures can lure Molly away from a slick touring golf pro and earn her love. So Roy and his dutiful caddy set out to do the impossible: win the U.S. Open.

More at Internet Movie Database (IMDb)



Caddyshack
The greenskeeper is about to start World War III-- against a gopher. The judge plays to win but his nubile niece has her mind set on scoring her way.

More at IMDb





The Legend of Bagger Vance
The protagonist of this metaphysical fable is Rannulph Junah, Southern aristocrat and World War I hero. In a tournament in Savannah, he defeats two golf pros by following the teachings of his guru, Bagger Vance, a black mystic serving as his caddie. Also, check out the novel of the same name that the movie was based on.

More at IMDb


Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius
Based on the true story of Robert Tyre Jones, Jr., who rises from complete obscurity to become a golfing legend. Jones overcomes his own fierce temper, intense passion, and perfectionist tendencies to master the game and wins the Grand Slam, the U.S., British, and Amateur Opens in golf, a feat unequaled even today. But it is Jones's style, personality, and character that separate him from the other professionals in his field. When Jones realizes that his unparalleled success may be destroying those he loves, he's presented with an astounding proposition, one that shocks the world.

More at IMDb

Young Critics' and Young Young Critics' Clubs' Favorite Books of 2006-2007!

At the end of each school year, Perrot's Young Critics' Club (for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders) and Young Young Critics' Clubs (for 4th and 5th graders) vote on their favorite books. Here are the top three books from each club. Follow the links below to see the complete lists.

The Young Critics' Club Top Three:

YCC #1 WILDWOOD DANCING, by Juliet Marillier

Combining several familiar fairy tales, author Marillier crafts a romantic fantasy rich in detail, magical creatures, and strong female characters. Marillier is one of literature's finest storytellers, and this book continues her tradition of telling stories with a striking sense of place, beautifully portrayed characters, and an emotional core that touches the heart.

YCC #2 THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, by Brian Selznick

Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with those of a bookish girl and an old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life is in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery. The unique format blends elements of picture book, novel, graphic novel, and film.

YCC #3 RASH, by Pete Hautman

The author explores the modern day tension between safety and freedom in this intelligent and darkly comic satire set 70 years in the future. In Bo's society, even minor infractions result in prison terms, because their labor "makes this country run." As a result, he finds himself sentenced to work in the Canadian tundra, at a pizza factory that's surrounded by hungry polar bears. Bo finds prison life to be both boring and dangerous, but it's nothing compared to what happens when he starts playing on the factory's highly illegal football team.


See the complete list of the Young Critics' Club's Favorite Books of 2006-2007 here.

*****

The Young Young Critics' Club (Y2C2) Top Three:

Y2C2 #1 THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, by Brian Selznick [See description and picture above.]



Y2C2 #2 HEAT, by Mike Lupica
Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.




Y2C2 #3 PENNY FROM HEAVEN, by Jennifer Holm
As she turns twelve during the summer of 1953, Barbara Fallucci, also known as Penny, gains new insights into herself and her family while also learning a secret about her father's death.





See the complete list of the Young Young Critics' Club's Favorite Books of 2006-2007 here.