Edge of Your Seat Reads

Filled with thrillers and suspense books, come see our display in the Rand Room, called “Edge of Your Seat Reads.” This has been quite popular and includes authors such as: Steve Berry, Tom Harper, Peter Abrahams, John Burdett and many others. This is a good way to find a “new” book to read or an author you hadn’t tried before.

CT State Parks and Forest Day Pass Now Available

Our 2010 Connecticut State Parks and Forests Day Pass is now 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, no renewals (late fees are $1/day). Read more about state recreation opportunties in Connecticut here and here. You can also check out this informative book: A Shared Landscape: A Guide and History of Connecticut's State Parks and Forests.

Kathleen Krasniewicz Scholarship Award

Are you a high school senior and a former member of Young Critics or Young Young Critics (Y2C2) reading clubs at Perrot? If so, you may be eligible for a college grant from the Kathleen Mary Kertland Apuzzo Krasniewicz Scholarship Award. Please contact the Library Director, Kevin McCarthy, at 203-637-3888 or at kevinm@perrotlibrary.org by May 1st, 2010, for further information.

New Graphic Novels in Youth Services

Smile [click here to place a hold on this item ] *****Staff Pick*****
Raina Telgemeier (who adapted The Babysitters Club into graphic novel form) tells her own true life story, from middle school to high school, in this entertaining book. After knocking out her two front teeth in sixth grade, Raina undergoes years of frustrating dental work-- headgear, braces, and even an embarassing retainer with fake teeth attached! On top of all that, there's still more to deal with-- a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, volume 1 [place hold]
When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret. . . Beautifully rendered, this first installment of Twilight: The Graphic Novel (it will be a trilogy) is a must-read for any fan of the original series!

Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean [place hold]
Amelia Earhart developed a love of flying at a very young age. What began as a simple joy became something much deeper-- a commitment to open doors for all women.

Have a graphic novel series you'd like to see at Perrot? Please comment on this post!

Dreaming of Dior: Author Charlotte Smith at Perrot

Dreaming of Dior: Every Dress Tells a Story
Author Charlotte Smith to speak at Perrot

Monday, April 26th, 2010, 7:00 PM

Perrot Memorial Library, Radcliffe Children’s Wing

Doris Darnell had always loved to dress up and spent a lifetime collecting over 3,000 items of vintage clothes and accessories from three centuries of fashion history. So when fashion curator Charlotte Smith inherited her godmother’s exquisite collection, not only did she uncover a magnificent range of garments, but she was delighted to find a catalogue of notes containing a record of the dresses and the occasions at which they were worn. Revealed in these pages is a chronicle of lives and times as we are given a peek into a glamorous world of which most of us could only dream. Additional to the royal encounters and meetings with the rich and famous, what evolves is a fascinating history of fashion designers and couture throughout the ages. Each story is brought to life by Grant Cowan’s attractive illustrations, giving readers a true sense of the garment in all its beauty. Dreaming of Dior is the ultimate Cinderella story, complete with dazzling gowns, handsome princes and a real-life fairy godmother. This is a gorgeous gift book which will find its market with lovers of fashion and women who have always dreamed of making a grand entrance draped in Chanel or Dior.

[ This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (November 2009, Vol 89, No. 4) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2009, Thorpe-Bowker. ]

The author is bringing some pieces of the Darnell Collection with her, so she will be able to demonstrate the clothing. It should be a lively and fun fashion event!

For a video of the author and the collection, be sure to view:
http://media.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/the-woman-with-3000-dresses-836798.html

Please Fan Us on Facebook

Perrot now has a Facebook page! Please become our fan here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Greenwich/Perrot-Memorial-Library/389151177914

We look forward to interacting with our patrons through Facebook, and hope you'll feel free to share your opinions and suggestions about Perrot!

Two Recent Losses

Perrot has sadly suffered the loss of two former employees recently.

Our thoughts and love are with their friends and families.

Jane Van Tassel Crowle
Born September 30, 1928 in Elizabeth , NJ died February 18, 2010. Daughter of the late Leland and Evelyn Van Tassel. She was pre-deceased by her beloved husband of 59 years and best friend, Walter R. Crowle. She is survived by daughters, Nancy Hall Curcio and her husband Sam, Lynn Ann O'Gorman and her husband Paul. Sons, W. Richard Crowle, Jr., and Bruce Allan Crowle and his wife Joanne. Grandchildren, Kimberly O'Gorman Menges, and her husband David, Mark O'Gorman and wife Patti, Matthew O'Gorman and wife Erin, Jason Hall and wife Maureen, Kristin Hall, Daniel Hall and wife Megan, Carrie Crowle Nolen and husband Mike, Adam Crowle and Samantha Crowle. Great-Grandchildren, Erin, Sean and Cara Menges, Maggie and Jack O'Gorman, Audrey Hall, Keller Hall and Caitlyn O'Gorman. Also, her brother Lee Van Tassel of Poughkeepsie, NY. Jane worked as an executive administrative assistant at the Perrot Memorial library in Old Greenwich for thirty eight years and volunteered at the First Congressional Church in Old Greenwich. Jane spent many happy summers surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren by the pool in her backyard and on annual family vacations in Wellfleet, Cape Cod A Memorial service will be held on Monday February 22 at 11a.m. at the First Congregational Church, 108 Sound Beach Ave., Old Greenwich, CT 06870. Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the First Congregational Church. Arrangements by the Castiglione Funeral Home, Inc. in Greenwich.

[ Published in Greenwich Time on February 19, 2010 ]

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Barbara Comeau Bojonell
Barbara Comeau Bojonell, 73, of Old Greenwich, passed away on March 4, 2010. Born in Greenwich, on April 25, 1936, she was the daughter of the late Dr. Robert A. and Dorothy (Kenney) Comeau. Barbara attended Greenwich Country Day School, Choate Rosemary Hall and Vassar College. After receiving her B.A. degree in English in 1958, she pursued what became a lifelong passion for travel and adventure by touring throughout Europe and the Middle East with a college classmate. During her travels, Barbara worked on a kibbutz in Israel and later had a small part in a Roger Corman film set in Greece. While in Greece, she met her husband, Brian Bojonell, the manager of the Athens office for Pan American World Airways. She ultimately lived in Athens, Greece, for 14 years before returning to Connecticut. Barbara then worked as a librarian at the Perrot Memorial Library in Old Greenwich from 1978 to 1998. Upon retiring, she again traveled extensively around the world, going to such places as China, Russia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Jordan, Turkey, Panama, Poland and Romania. She also returned to her beloved Greece frequently to visit old friends and familiar stomping grounds. Whenever she was there, she made a point of spending time on the island of Hydra, which held a special place in her heart. Barbara will be fondly remembered for her intelligence and intellectual curiosity, youthful spirit, zest for life, kind and generous nature, and sense of fun. When she was not traveling, one might find her at Tod's Point soaking up rays with the "Beach Gang", reading (everything from People magazine to historical biographies), watching the History International channel, doing NY Times crossword puzzles, and dressing up as the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, Elmo or Penguin. An avid Yale football fan, she also loved planning and hosting annual tailgate parties for friends and family to see Yale play Harvard or Princeton at the Yale Bowl in New Haven. Above all else, Barbara cherished the time spent with her family, particularly her daughters, Jennifer and Hilaire, whom she adored. More recently, she expertly assumed the role of doting grandmother to her two young granddaughters, Peyton and Brynne. Barbara was an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind woman; she will be sorely missed by everyone who had the good luck to have her in their lives. She is survived by her two daughters, Hilaire Bojonell, and her husband Martin R. Moeller, Jr. of Corvalis, OR, and Jennifer Korzenik, and her husband Peter of Norwalk; her sister, Jane Coony, and her husband Tom of Washington, DC; her brother, Robert Comeau, Jr., and his wife Joan of Lenox, MA; her nephews, Jonathan Coony, Tom Coony, and Robert Comeau; her nieces, Linda Taben and Jeanne Comeau; and her two granddaughters, Peyton Korzenik and Brynne Korzenik. She was predeceased by her husband, Brian. A Memorial Mass will be held on Friday, March 12, 2010 at St. Matthew Church, 216 Scribner Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854 at 10 a.m. Contributions in Barbara's memory may be made to Friends of Greenwich Point, PO Box 711, Old Greenwich, CT, 06870; tel. 203-987-6712.

[ Published in Greenwich Time on March 9, 2010 ]

New Book Recommendations

What We're Reading at Perrot

The Postmistress, by Sarah Blake
The time is 1940 to 1941, and this novel involves the effects of world events on three very different women. There is Iris, the postmistress of the title, handling her unusual job in a small town on Cape Cod. Emma is the new young wife of the town’s doctor. And Frankie is a news reporter working with Edward R. Murrow in faraway London during and after the blitz. How their lives intersect by accident and fate against a backdrop of war is handled in an intriguing and imaginative way. You will not soon forget these women.

Read the rest of our list of recommendations!

Annual Lions Club Pancake Fry

This year's Old Greenwich Lions Club Pancake Fry will take place on Saturday, March 13th, 2010, from 8 A.M. to 1 P.M at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center (located at the corner of Forest Avenue and Harding Road).

Enjoy a hearty meal of pancakes, syrup, sausages, coffee, tea, orange juice and milk. Tickets are only $6 per adult and $5 per child (ages 6-11). Kids ages 5 and younger get in free.

Get your advance tickets today at Perrot's Adult Circulation Desk! Tickets will cost $1 extra at the door the day of the event.

Questions? Please call 203-637-3888.

TONIGHT, WEDS., 3/3!

CLIMBING THE WORLD'S HIGHEST PEAKS: A SHERPA PERSPECTIVE
An Evening with Pemba Gyalje Sherpa,
National Geographic Adventurer of the Year 2008.
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010, 7:00 PM
Perrot Memorial Library, Radcliffe Children’s Wing

Sherpas are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region in Nepal who are renowned for their extraordinary mountaineering abilities and knowledge of the local terrain of the Himalayas. They have a long history of assisting inclimbing expeditions to the world's highest peaks.

The Perrot Library is honored to welcome Pemba Gyalje Sherpa, winner of the 2008 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Award and the American Alpine Club's prestigious David A. Sowles Memorial Award in 2009. These awards were conferred on Pemba for his heroic rescue of two stranded climbers on the mountain K2 in the summer of 2008, the deadliest climbing season in its history.

In addition to his amazing ascent of K2 without oxygen, and his seven ascents of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, Pemba has had a long and distinguished career as an adventurer in the Himalayas. Pemba embodies the Sherpa ideals of humility, hard work and a positive attitude. Please join us for what is sure to be a memorable discussion on March 3rd!

For more information please visit:
http://www.pemba.com.np/

Perrot Newsletter for Spring

The Spring 2010 edition of Perrot's newsletter, Précis, is now available!

Watch for your copy in the mail, or read it online (in PDF format).