Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Now showing locally

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is now playing in local theaters! [See previous post here]

Check showtimes at Yahoo! Movies.

Seen the movie? Comment on this post with your thoughts!

Don't forget about PJs!

The fall session of PJs at Perrot continues through December 11th!

PJs is a drop-in program that meets at 6:30 P.M. The program is for families with children ages 3 to 6.

Here are the remaining fall PJs dates:

• Tuesday, November 25th
• Tuesday, December 2nd
• Thursday, December 4th
• Tuesday, December 9th
• Thursday, December 11th

P.S. You can come in your cozy pajamas and slippers, if you'd like! :)

Thanksgiving Closing Reminder

Don't forget-- the libraries will be closed on Thursday, November 27th, and Friday, November 28th, for Thanksgiving.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Job Search Resources

Now more than ever, job seekers need current and relevant information to secure a position. Perrot has résumé books, interview books, books about networking, and more. In today’s economic climate, the competition can be tough.

Here is a sampling of the books we have on display in the Reading Room– which is also where we keep the current newspapers:

• 48 Days to the Work You Love, by Dan Miller: A book that helps readers see clear patterns from which they can make successful career and job decisions.
• Amazing Résumés: What Employers Want to See-- and How to Say It, by Jim Bright: With its emphasis on what motivates employers, this resource is a great alternative to traditional résumé books. Readers will learn the basics of how to present their credentials and experience in the most effective way.
• Excuse Me, Your Job is Waiting: Attract the Work You Want, by Laura George: Helps you identify the qualities you want in a job and shows you how to stay focused and upbeat to draw that perfect job to you. It offers information on résumés, cover letters, internet job boards, interview strategies, and more.
• The Savvy Part-Time Professional: How to Land, Create or Negotiate the Part-Time Job of Your Dreams, by Lynn Berger: This book includes real-life examples of people who have made the switch to part-time, as well as ideas and options for these positions and tips for working part-time within an organization or at home.

-Linda

Youth Services Winter/Spring '09 Program Schedule Now Available

The Youth Services Winter/Spring 2009 Program Schedule is now available.

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 December 15th, 2008. Don't forget to bring a stamp!

Complete registration instructions are available on our website, as our descriptions of all our program offerings.

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

What Is Obama Reading?

According to the New York Times, the public has become as fascinated by Barack Obama’s reading choices as they were with Oprah’s. His recent favorites are all available at Perrot and have been accorded excellent reviews.

Here are some of Obama's recent choices:



Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president.



FDR, by Jean Edward Smith
This is a portrait painted in broad strokes and fine details. We see how Roosevelt’s restless energy, fierce intellect, personal magnetism, and ability to project effortless grace permitted him to master countless challenges throughout his life.



The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, by Jonathan Alter
Facing the gravest crisis since the Civil War, instead of becoming the dictator so many thought they needed, FDR used his political instincts and ebullient temperament in the storied first Hundred Days of his presidency to pull off a conjuring act that lifted the country and saved both democracy and capitalism.



Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer, by Fred Kaplan
For Abraham Lincoln, whether he was composing love letters, speeches, or legal arguments, words mattered. Acclaimed biographer Fred Kaplan explores the life of America's sixteenth president through his use of language as a vehicle both to express complex ideas and feelings and as an instrument of persuasion and empowerment.


-Mary B.

Shakespeare Colloquy: Antony and Cleopatra

Anne Gilhuly is scheduled to lecture at Perrot on Shakespeare's tragedy Antony and Cleopatra on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008, at 7:30 P.M. The event will also feature dramatic readings from the work by players Florence Phillips and Dick Leonard.

Halloween at Storytime

A few (slightly belated) pictures of young storytime attendees dressed in their Halloween costumes! [Click to view a larger version of each image]

With Mrs. Weicher:

With Mrs. Bailey:
P.S. Mrs. Bailey is dressed as a Hershey's Kiss, in case you couldn't tell! :)

PrepMe Information Session at Greenwich Library

Perrot Library will co-host with Greenwich Library an evening informational session for high schoolers and their parents on PrepMe, a program that lets students take practice SAT tests and work on a plan of improvement. (Perrot and Greenwich Libraries subscribe to PrepMe's online service, so it is FREE for all library card-holders! Take a look-- log in here.)

PrepMe discovers the student’s strengths and weaknesses and devises a week-by-week study plan. The presenter will be Rick Bolton, an executive Vice President of PrepMe.

The program will take place at Greenwich Library on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008, at 7 P.M. If you have any questions, please call Perrot's Reference Desk at 637-3870.

Annual Lion's Club Grapefruit Sale

The Old Greenwich Lion's Clubs is selling grapefruits and oranges, as part of its annual fund-raising effort to flight blindness worldwide.

Fruits are available for purchase at Perrot (ask at the Adult Circulation Desk). Grapefruits are $16 per case, or $8 for a half-case. Oranges are $17 per case, or $9 for a half-case.

Bush Holley House Lecture on Monday-- Don't Forget!

Don't forget. . .

Marybeth Gioffre Nisco and Anne Young will give a presentation entitled The Bush-Holley House: American Impressionists and Their Friends at Perrot this Monday, November 17th, 2008, at 7:30 PM.

Operating as a boarding house for artists by proprietors Edward and Josephine Holley, Holley House, in Cos Cob, Connecticut, was a lively hub of activity and creativity from the 1890s until the 1920s. Home of the Cos Cob art colony, the house (set on a harbor) drew many well-known American Impressionists, including Theodore Robinson, John Henry Twachtman, Childe Hassam, J. Alden Weir, Elmer MacRae and Ernest Lawson, who painted, studied and exchanged ideas. In addition to painters, the Cos Cob art colony attracted writers and editors such as muckraker Lincoln Steffens, editor Viola Roseboro, author Willa Cather, author and illustrator Ernest Thompson Seton, and other literary figures. Learn more about the Impressionist artists, their work and inspiration, as well as life at the boarding house for artists. A discussion based on photographs, letters and diaries will also bring to life the bohemian atmosphere that prevailed at Holley House. The talk will also include a few “behind-closed-door” stories of the house that is now a National Historic Landmark.

Youth Services Presents... Local Favorite Marcia Louis!

Children's entertainer Marcia Louis will present a family concert (suggested ages 2-7, but everyone is welcome) at Perrot Library on Sunday, December 14th, 2008, at 2 P.M.

Sign up now for FREE tickets at the Youth Services Desk!

More about Marcia Louis:

For the past 20 years, children and families throughout the area have delighted in the music and hilarity of Connecticut’s Marcia Louis. Marcia combines traditional American folk songs, stories, movement, and dance with her vast array of instruments for an unforgettably rollicking good time.

Marcia appears regularly at schools, libraries, and special events, and has been the featured performer at Kid’s Cove at the Norwalk Oyster Festival for the past 17 years.

Marcia Louis has two CDs available. Live at the Darien Library is a collection of Marcia’s greatest hits. Her latest effort, Dancin’ with Mr. Bones, is filled with stories, songs, and games for the very young that are loads of fun, but not frightening for little ones. Marcia’s CDs will be available for purchase at the performance.

When not cavorting with toddlers, Marcia and her husband, Chuck, live on Muffin Lane in Norwalk with Eva the Rottweiler.

Two Reminders

The Library will be closed on Veteran's Day: tomorrow, Tuesday, November 11th.

Author Elizabeth Strout will be discussing her latest novel, Olive Kitteridge, this Wednesday, November 12th, at 7:30 P.M. in the Library. Widely praised by critics, the novel is a compelling series of connected short stories that illuminate the complicated character of Olive Kitteridge and her small-town Maine community.

Winner of our Latest Youth Services Book Giveaway!

Shelby M., age 11, won our latest Youth Services book giveaway!

She received a copy of the new, oversized book about Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Shot!: A President's Life Remembered.

And get this-- Shelby is actually a descendent of one of Lincoln's pallbearers! Isn't that cool?

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Movie

A movie based on John Boyne's novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, has just been released!

Here is the trailer, from Miramax:




John Boyne visited Perrot's book clubs last November to speak about his novel. Here are a few video clips from his visit:








The Boy in the Striped Pajamas movie is in limited release right now, but watch for it soon in our area!

A Local Thriller, and More Great Reads for November

THE DARK TIDE, BY ANDREW GROSS

[Fiction] What a perfect book from today’s headlines! A Hedge Fund manager from Old Greenwich is killed at Grand Central Station. What follows is such an eye-opener about what’s going on in the world of big money. The fun part of the book is that it is all set in Greenwich, Old Greenwich and Riverside. There are lots of recognizable places for all of us in this area. The story is a page turner, nothing to tax your brain. It is a fun ride involving thugs, international intrigue, murder and a wonderful Greenwich detective. Just enjoy the ride and get your eyes opened about where your money really is.

-Lynn

Don't forget to look at the latest installment of the Reference Desk's Great Reads.

Notes from the New Bin

New to Youth Services' Collection:

I LOVE MY NEW TOY!

An Elephant & Piggie Book

written and illustrated by Mo Willems
J-1 WILLE

Elephant has broken Piggie’s new toy.
Piggie is mad. Piggie is mad and sad.
Elephant is sorry.
Piggie does not care.
Can they still be friends?

(P.S. Don’t forget to look for Pigeon!)

Michael Crichton, 1942-2008

Author Michael Crichton, best known for writing Jurassic Park and its sequel, Lost World, passed away Tuesday at age 66. We have a display of some of his books and audiobooks in the Rand Room.

• New York Times obituary


• International Herald Tribune obituary


• List of Crichton's books (and movies based on them) available at Perrot