Banned Books Week, September 25−October 2

Banned Books Week 2010 is the twenty-ninth annual celebration of the freedom to read. This freedom, not only to choose what we read, but also to select from a full array of possibilities, is firmly rooted in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Although we enjoy an increasing quantity and availability of information and reading material, we must remain vigilant to ensure that access to this material is preserved; would-be censors who continue to threaten the freedom to read come from all quarters and all political persuasions. Even if well intentioned, censors try to limit the freedom of others to choose what they read, see, or hear. ---The American Library Association

Perrot Memorial Library joins other libraries in the country supporting the freedom to read. Please see our display in the Adult Fiction room of books that have been challenged at one time in history.

New Book Recommendations from the Reference Desk

What We're Reading at Perrot

THE GALÁPAGOS: EXPLORING DARWIN'S TAPESTRY, BY JOHN HESS
[Non-Fiction] This is a beautiful book, filled with wonderful pictures of the flora and fauna of the Galápagos. The text provokes the imagination of any naturalist. This cluster of volcanic islands near the Equator always makes one think of Edens lost. Is this where prehistory still exists? Who can ever forget the ancient mariner with the albatross around his neck? Is this an albatross from those seemingly barren islands? Naturalist or not, one can’t help but feast on this book. It is a treat for the eyes and a treat for the mind.

Read the rest of our list of recommendations!

Author Talk With Jennfier Jordan, Tomorrow 9/28

DON'T FORGET...
Author Talk With Jennifer Jordan
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010, at 7:30 PM
Radcliffe Wing, Perrot Memorial Library

Perrot is pleased to feature Jennifer Jordan, who will be speaking about her latest book, The Last Man on the Mountain: The Death of an American Adventurer on K2. This will be Jennifer’s second visit to Perrot; she previously shared with us her 2005 book, Savage Summit: The True Stories of the First Five Women Who Climbed K2, the World’s Most Feared Mountain.

New Database: Consumer Reports

Perrot's patrons now have access to Consumer Reports' full website, including:

• 1,000+ Ratings, reviews, expert buying advice, product comparisons, consumer user reviews, and product video clips
• Proven product reliability data
• Complete product specifications
• Frequently updated information
• Quick recommendations
• A ShopOnline feature
• 100% unbiased... because Consumer Reports takes no outside advertising

Follow the link on this page to access Consumer Reports: http://www.perrotlibrary.org/librarydatabases.html

Children's Author Tad Hills to Visit Perrot!

Tad Hills, author and illustrator of Duck and Goose, will be visiting Perrot to share his latest book, How Rocket Learned to Read, and to give drawing demonstrations!

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010, at 4 P.M. in Perrot's children's wing

You can sign your child up for a complimentary ticket at the Youth Services Desk!

Children must be in grades Kindergarten and up to attend.

About the Author:
Tad Hills grew up in Norwell, Massachusetts, with a love of wildlife and nature. Surrounding his childhood home were many acres of fields and forests where he and his brother and sister would explore, build forts out of sticks and hay, and pick blueberries and grapes. His mother taught 4th-grade science for the Audubon society and often brought home animals. "All of the grown-ups in his life encouraged Tad’s creativity. He spent a lot of time with his grandmother, who was also an artist. They made books, drew and painted pictures, visited galleries and museums, and sat in her garden. As an adult Tad still makes many of the same things he made as a kid. Alongside his kids, Elinor and Charlie, he’s made marionettes, jewelry, a tree house and Halloween costumes. Tad’s interest in art drew him to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, where he studied painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, creative writing, and poetry, but his greatest education came with the arrival of his children. “Spending time with my kids helps me remember what it's like to be a child. I try to capture that innocence and enthusiastic vision of the world in my books. I want kids to see themselves in my characters."

Children's Fall Registration Cards/Program Openings

Registration cards for fall children's programs were mailed back today! Expect to receive your card in the next day or two. Due to the calendar this year, we unfortunately had a very short gap in between the end of registration and the start of programs. If you need to know your child's registration status right away, please don't hesitate to call (203-637-8802) and we can check the rosters for you.

Also, we still have room in our Fun for 4s and 5s and Spotlight (for 2nd & 3rd graders) programs. Fun for 4s and 5s meets Mondays at 1 PM, September 13th-November 15th, and Spotlight meets on September 29th, October 6th/13th/20th, with a special program on the evening of October 27th. Please give us a call if you would like to sign up your child for either of these programs.

Discount Passes for the CT Science Center in Hartford

Perrot has a limited number of admission discount certificates to the Connecticut Science Center available for its patrons. The certificates offer 20% off general admission for up to 4 people. These certificates are for one-time use (they do not need to be returned to the Library), so get them while they last! Ask for a certificate at the Youth Services Desk.

More about the Connecticut Science Center:

With 150 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art 3D digital theater, four educational labs, plus daily programs and events, the Connecticut Science Center, located in Hartford, CT, offers endless exploration for children, teens and adults. Every part of science will be at a visitor's fingertips, from Physics to Forensics, Geology to Astronomy.

http://www.CTScienceCenter.org/

The Wheels on the Bus...

It's time for school! For some children, it may be their first experience with riding the school bus. Here are a few friendly picture books to help out:

• Axle Annie, by Robin Pulver (E PULVE): Axle Annie is the best school bus driver in Burskyville-- especially when it comes to driving her bus up snow-covered Tiger Hill, the toughest slope in town. Because of Annie, the superintendent never has to declare a snow day. And that's just why grouchy bus driver Shifty Rhodes hatches a plot to stop Axle Annie in her tracks!


• The Bus Stop, by Janet Morgan Stoeke (E STOEK): Several kindergartners from the neighborhood gather at the bus stop and mount the steps for their important ride. They might be a little scared at first, but soon all turns to joy as the big yellow bus rumbles them off to school.


• I'm Your Bus, by Marilyn Singer (E SINGE): Welcome to a day in the life of a school bus and his road-hugging buddies. Morning, noon, and nighttime, too, that golden four-wheeled friend is at your service.


• The Little School Bus, by Carol Roth (E ROTH): Here comes the school bus, beep, beep, beep! Step right up and take a seat with a sleepy sheep, a squirmy worm, a hairy bear, a quick, quick chick, a fox with socks, a pig in a wig, and a goat in his coat, and ride the bus to school!


• Molly Rides the School Bus, by Julie Brillhart (E BRILL): It's the first day of kindergarten, and Molly is worried. She's never been on a school bus, and she's afraid she won't know what to do.


• School Bus, by Donald Crews (E CREWS): What is large (or small), bright yellow, and filled with students? School Bus!
  

What's for Lunch?

Time to pack the lunches! If your brown bag offerings seem just a little dull, why not visit our cookery collections for a new idea or two? Think outside the sandwich box! A little protein can go a long way in helping a young student remain alert in the afternoon hours, and a hydrated child is a happy child!

Here are just a few titles – check ‘em out!

• Walk-Around Tacos and Other Likeable Lunches (J 641.53 FAUCH)
• Lunch Munch (J 641.5 KALMA)
• Cool Lunches to Make and Take: Easy Recipes for Kids to Cook (J 641.53 WAGNE)
• The Brown Bag Lunch Cookbook (In the Adult Dept.: 641.534 JACOB)
• Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love! (In the Adult Dept.: 641.5636 MCCAN)