Our Picks: Moms

Check out our brand-new Youth Services' Our Picks! list for May 2008-- in honor of Mother's Day (May 11th), it features the Youth Services Staff's favorite books about moms and motherhood. You can view the full list here.

For a few books specifically about the Mother's Day holiday, take a look at...

• Mother's Day, by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Lizzie Rockwell, E ROCKW
• Mother's Mother's Day, by Lorna Balian, E BALIA
• A Present for Mom, by Vivian French, illustrated by Diana Kubick, E FRENC
• My Mother Is Mine, by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Peter Elwell, E BAUER

DVD Diva: Cinematic Trips to the Library Stacks

Entertainment Weekly recently ran an article called “18 Sexy Trips to the Library Stacks,” which featured 18 movies with scenes in a library.

Here is a sampling of some of the movies listed [click on each title to view that item in the catalog and to place a hold]:

• THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985): Five teens from drastically different cliques spend a day in detention with each other, delving into each others' true personalities.
• THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (2004): When global warming triggers the onset of a new Ice Age, tornadoes flatten Los Angeles, a tidal wave engulfs New York City and the entire Northern Hemisphere begns to freeze solid, climatologist Jack Hall and a small band of survivors must stay alive in the face of Mother Nature.
• GHOSTBUSTERS (1984): When ghosts go on a rampage, only three men can save the world. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!
• THE MUMMY (1999): Deep in the Egyptian desert, a handful of people searching for a long-lost treasure unearth a 3,000-year-old legacy of terror.
• HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (2005): Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts is marked by the Quidditch World Cup and the Triwizard Tournament, in which student representatives from three different wizarding schools compete in a series of increasingly challenging contests.
• SE7EN (1995): A disturbing psychological thriller about two detectives on the trail of a serial killer who chooses his victims according to the seven deadly sins.
• INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989): Indiana Jones and his estranged father join forces to find the mystically-empowered Holy Grail.
• PHILADELPHIA (1993): The powerful story of two lawyers who join together to sue a prestigious Philadelphia law firm when the firm fires one of them because he has AIDS.
  

To view the complete list of titles (including pictures of all the library action!), go to: http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20190897,00.html

Cool Videos for Kids

A cool website for kids:

MeetMeAtTheCorner.org provides "virtual field trips" for kids ages 8-12. Kids host each episode, and there are videos on everything from pinhole photography to beekeeping to chess. Take a look!

Youth Services Summer Program Schedule Now Available

The Youth Services Summer Program Schedule is now available-- click here.

Our program registration is by lottery. Pick up a registration postcard for the program of your choice from the Youth Services Circulation Desk, beginning on Monday, June 2nd, 2008. For complete registration instructions, click here. Descriptions of our program offerings are available here.

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

500 Front Pages

Newseum is a cool website that shows the today's front page from 500 different newspapers from around America and the world. A Newseum museum (say that five times fast!) will open sometime this year in downtown Washington, D.C., and it will display 80 newspaper front pages each day in a gallery that overlooks the U.S. Capitol.

-Wendy

Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?

If you're a fan of the TV show Clean Sweep, then you are familiar with Peter Walsh, the clutter and cleaning expert. His latest book is called Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?, which apart from having a eye-catching title, does make a case for the relationship between a cluttered house and a “cluttered” body. He gives many examples of clients who he has helped to get their houses in order and then, themselves. It’s not about the stuff itself, it’s about envisioning the life we want to live. His earlier book, It’s All Too Much provides a plan to go room by room to declutter and start living better. --The Reference Librarians

April 22nd Is Earth Day

Here are some easy things you can start doing TODAY to be healthier and help the Earth, our only home:

• Buy a compact fluorescent bulb to replace one incandescent bulb in your home. If every household in the U.S. did this, the energy saved would be enough to light 2.5 million homes for a year


• Avoid the cost and waste of bottled water-- get a reusable bottle and fill it from the tap. Bottled water can sell for up to $10 per gallon (that's more than gas!)


• Set your water heater to 130 degrees. Water heating accounts for about 13% of your utility bill


• Buy organic versions of the most pesticide-laden produce: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spimach, potatoes, carrots, green beans, hot peppers, and cucumbers. Consumers can lower their pesticide exposure by almost 90% just by avoiding or replacing these 12 fruits and vegetables


• Run your washing machine on the cold water cycle


• Unplug appliances when you're not using them-- 40% of the energy used to power electronics is used when they are plugged in but not turned on!


• Switch to less-toxic cleaning products (one line that's widely available is Clorox's Green Works)


• Pack your clean wool sweaters with lavender sachets this spring, instead of with mothballs, which contain neurotoxins and carcinogens


• Recycle your old cell phone-- leave it in the drop-off box by the Adult Circulation Desk


• Start a compost pile in your yard to reduce your garbage and create rich (and free) soil for your garden


• Recycle old sneakers. Drop them off this Saturday, April 26th at Greenwich High School between 9 A.M. and 3 P.M.


• Drive the speed limit (driving at 65 instead of 55 increases gas consumption by 20%) and keep your tires properly inflated to save gas


• Borrow books, CDs, and DVDs from the Library instead of buying them!


• Use a canvas tote bag to carry your groceries [We have tote bags for sale for $5 at the Circulation Desks]


• Donate any usable goods to thrift stores


• Recycle. Take a look at this list of how to recycle/dispose of various items in Greenwich.


• Drop off household hazardous waste like paints, solvents, cleaners, and batteries at Hazardous Waste Day-- Saturday, May 10th from 9 AM-2 PM at Greenwich High School

Check out one of these books for more suggestions on how to be greener:

• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Living, by Trish Riley


• Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life, by Sophie Uliano


• Green Chic: Saving the Earth in Style, by Christie Matheson


• Green, Greener, Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-Smart Choices a Part of Your Life, by Lori Bongiorno


• Live an Eco-Friendly Life: Smart Ways to Get Green and Stay That Way, by Natalia Marshall,


• 365 Ways to Live Green: Your Everyday Guide to Saving the Environment, by Diane Gow McDilda

Books For Kids:

• The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming, by Laurie David and Cambria Gordon


• An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming, by Al Gore, adapted by Jane O'Connor


• Let's Recycle!, by Anne L. Mackenzie


• Let's save energy!, by Sara E. Nelson


• Let's save water! , by Sara E. Nelson

No Child Left Inside: State Parks and Forest Day Pass Now Available for Checkout!

The 2008 Connecticut State Parks and Forests Day Pass is 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.

ONCE UPON A TIME . . .

Think you’ve read it all? Well, it may be time to read it again!

"When you reread a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in YOU than there was before." --Clifton Fadiman

So pick up a childhood favorite, a childhood classic, or something you missed the first time ‘round :). Charlie, Mr. Toad, Charles Wallace, Pippi, and all their friends are a-waitin’!

-Mrs. K.

How to Surf the Web Anonymously

Many websites collect personal data (often without clearly informing you) as you surf. You can surf the web anonymously by starting at Anonymouse. Just enter the address of the page you'd like to visit, and the site keeps your personal data private.

-Wendy

Earth Friendly and Money Smart

In its May 8th issue, in an article entitled "Earth Friendly, Money Smart" Family Circle magazine recommends that you...

". . . GET A LIBRARY CARD
Enjoy books, CDs and DVDs from your local library. . . access expensive or unusual items without having to buy or maintain them."

This Is National Library Week!

April 13th-19th, 2008 is National Library Week-- be sure to stop in and see us! :)

Magician Jonathan Jacques: An Encore Visit to Perrot

Jonathan Jacques is an award-winning teenage magician who has amazed audiences of all ages with his delightful stage presence and incredible natural ability. Jonathan is a bright rising star in the magic community and has been performing since the age of six.

Jonathan performed at Perrot (for the second time) on April 9th, 2008. Click here to see photos of the event.

"The Library Helped Me Start My Business"

Woman's Day magazine and the American Library Association introduce you to four women entrepreneurs who got so much more from the library than books.

Read the entire article here (in PDF format).

Overprogrammed? Overstimulated? Overloaded?

This week, the Greenwich Time ran a feature encouraging "Family Slowdowns," which reminded families of how important it is to find the time to unplug electronic babysitters (TV, videos, video games, computers, etc.). Promoting free play and first-hand experience through crafts, games, and neighborhood field trips-- even if that’s just a walk around the block, taking note of the birds and the buds-- may be just what your children (and you!) need to recharge their very own batteries.

A visit to Perrot’s Youth Services Department might be just the thing! Select a book and sit in our beautiful space-- indoors or outdoors-- to savor it. Take a look at our crafts books (J 745) and birdwatching guides (J 598) to get started on a new interest, or ask us for a suggestion! We’d be happy to help you UNPLUG!

More Movies in the Park This Summer

Perrot will be showing two movies in Binney Park over the summer. The Last Emperor will be Saturday, July 12th, 2008, and Chariots of Fire will be shown on Saturday, August 2nd, 2008.

Watch for more info here on our blog!

Author Annping Chin to Speak at Perrot

Author and Yale History professor Annping Chin will speak at Perrot on Wednesday, June 4th, 2008, at 7:30 P.M.

Chin currently teaches in the History Department at Yale University, where her fields of study include Confucianism, Taoism, and the Chinese intellectual tradition. She recently wrote The Authentic Confucius: A Life of Thought and Politics, which describes the political and social climate of Confucius' time. Chin is the author of three previous books: Children of China: Voices from Recent Years, Tai Chen on Mencius, and Four Sisters of Hofei. She has also coauthored, with Jonathan Spence, The Chinese Century: A Photographic History of the Last Hundred Years.

Watch our blog for more information about this program!

HAVE YOU HEARD?

Overheard at New York Sports Club:

"I won’t be at class on Wednesday . . . I’m taking the kids to the magic show at Perrot Library!" :)

Charlton Heston, 1923-2008

Charlton Heston, who won an Oscar for his role in Ben Hur, died over the weekend. Internet Movie Database has this to say:

"With features chiseled in stone, who else but Charlton Heston could you picture as Michelangelo, as Ben-Hur, as Moses? Heston's movie career took off with The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and reached light speed with Ben-Hur (1959). Although he played a pantheon of larger-than-life roles, he usually prefers to talk about the day-to-day daily grind of the movie business, and especially credits the writers and directors he has worked for much of his success."

For more biographical information go to http://imdb.com/name/nm0000032/bio.

Although we are saddened by his death, Perrot is happy that we have some of his films to remember him by:

• Ben-Hur
• Soylent Green
• Ten Commandments
• Planet of the Apes
• Major Dundee
• Tombstone
• Touch of Evil

So Long and Thanks for All the Songs!

Today was the last Sing With Me sing-a-long program with Mr. Kantor.

Here's a picture of today's happy attendees!:

[click on the image to see a larger version]

The First of the Last

Well, guys, this is it --- the first of the last games ever to be played at the REAL Yankee Stadium (and at Shea, for that matter), have been played. This is the last season that you’ll be able to watch the boys play in the House that Ruth Built. This is the last season that you’ll be able to picture yourself in the stands, shedding a tear or two as Lou Gehrig delivered his heart-rending speech of farewell. This is the last season that you’ll be able to see Yogi in the Yankees dugout. Thurman. Reggie. Scooter.

If you can’t get tickets to a game during this once-in-a-lifetime season, perhaps one of our great baseball books will have to satisfy. Try one of these from our Youth Services Department:

• BASEBALL TREASURES, by Stephen Wong (J 796.357 WONG)


• HEY BATTA BATTA SWING!: The Wild Old Days of Baseball, by Sally Cook and James Charlton (J 796.357 COOK)


• HOW BASEBALL WORKS, by Keltie Thomas (J 796.357 THOMA)


• WE ARE THE SHIP: The Story of Negro League Baseball, by Kadir Nelson J 796.357 NELSO


• PROMISES TO KEEP: How Jackie Robinson Changed America, by Sharon Robinson (J B ROBIN)

Laughter Is the Best Medicine

Tuesday’s Greenwich Time ran a feature entitled "Ha, Ha, Ha! Laughter is the Best Medicine." Did you know that some of the healthful consequences of a good giggle are reduced stress, increased oxygen intake, a boost in immune function, and the release of endorphins, the body’s feel-good hormones? Did you?

Check out a cheerful, chuckle-full book on your next visit to Perrot’s Youth Services Department. You’ll find jokes and gags a-plenty in our non-fiction collection at J 793.7, silly songs at J 784.6, poems with punchlines in J 811, and lots of laughs in our picture book and juvenile fiction collection, including The Dumb Bunnies series by Dav Pilkey (writing as Sue Denim-- get it??), about a family of bird-brained bunnies who do the most outrageous things, and Mo Willems’s Pigeon books, featuring a fine feathered friend with a funny streak. Let us help you find one that tickles your funny bone!

Fishway Open House

The Town of Greenwich Conservation Commission will be conducting an open house at the Mianus Pond Fishway*, this Saturday, April 5th, at 10 A.M. All interested residents are invited to attend the open house and tour the fishway. As part of the open house, a short presentation will be given on the history of the fishway, the fishes that utilize it, and how it is operated. Conservation staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and lead the tours. Local residents, fishing groups, environmental organizations, watershed associations, and town employees are encouraged to attend.

*Located at 125 River Road Extension in Cos Cob

For more information, contact Brian Eltz, Conservation Assistant, at 203-622-6461.

Shakespeare Colloquy: Julius Caesar

Anne Gilhuly is scheduled to lecture on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, which portrays the conspiracy against the Roman ruler, his assassination, and its aftermath. The event will also feature dramatic readings from the work by players Florence Phillips and Dick Leonard. This event will take place in the library, on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008, at 7:30 P.M.

Julius Caesar is also this year's Shakespeare on the Sound selection. The play will be performed at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, July 4th-13th, following performances at Pinkney Park in Rowayton from June 12th-28th.

Keep a Poem in Your Pocket on April 17th

April is National Poetry Month, and Thursday, April 17th is the first-ever Poem in Your Pocket Day. On the 17th, write down a poem you love, then fold it up and put it in your pocket! Pull that piece of paper out throughout the day to share your favorite poem with friends and family.

Check out our J 811 section for some ideas, or-- take a look at Youth Services' Our Picks! list for April, which features the staff's favorite poetry books.