Friday, January 28, 2011

Two who made the world more beautiful

In the evening Alice sat on her grandfather's knee and listened to his stories of faraway places.

When he had finished, Alice would say, "When I grow up, I too will go to faraway places, and when I grow old, I too will live beside the sea."

"That is all very well, little Alice," said her grandfather, "but there is a third thing you must do."

"What is that?" asked Alice.

"You must do something to make the world more beautiful," said her grandfather.
- from Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney



Kathy Krasniewicz and Kate McClelland

Mrs. K and Mrs. Mac

Two who made the world more beautiful

Kathy and Kate


We miss you today and always

Monday, January 24, 2011

Tax Forms Available

Perrot has copies of both federal and state income tax forms available (ask at the Reference Desk).

Or, you can get tax forms online here:

Tax help and information:


For live tax help from the IRS, call 1-800-829-1040, Monday through Friday, between 7 A.M. and 10 P.M.

The closest IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center is located at 24 Belden Avenue in Norwalk. They provide these services. You must schedule an appointment in advance. Their telephone number is 203-840-4195.

Perrot Library Community Survey

The Perrot Memorial Library is conducting a Long Range Strategic Planning process. Your thoughts and ideas are invaluable to assist us in planning for future library services, programs, and collections. Please take a few minutes to complete our online survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PerrotLibraryCommunitySurvey

Thank you for your help!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Greenwich Reads Together: The Book Thief Discussion at Perrot in April

Greenwich Reads Together is a community-wide reading experience which will engage all of Greenwich in exploring a single book. In Winter/Spring 2011, the whole community will explore a single book through discussions, programs and lectures. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, was selected for its high literary quality, reflection of universal issues, and capability of generating thought-provoking discussion and appeal to a diverse population.

Perrot Library will be hosting a discussion of The Book Thief led by a facilitator from the American Pen Women on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 7:30 P.M.

The Book ThiefSet during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking novel, The Book Thief, is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist, books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Copies of The Book Thief are available to borrow now at the Adult and Youth Services Desks. Or place a hold online.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Two Upcoming Events at Perrot

Writing Your First Novel: From Page One to Publisher, with Howard Roughan
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011, at 7:00 P.M.
Radcliffe Children's Wing, Perrot Memorial Library

Author and Riverside native Howard Roughan will lead a unique discussion on writing your first novel. He will also be talking about his solo novels, The Up and Comer and Promise of a Lie, as well as his numerous collaborations with James Patterson. This is a wonderful opportunity for aspiring writers, publishing enthusiasts, and book lovers alike to learn about the process from an expert. Copies of Mr. Roughan's books will be available at the event for purchase and signing.

*************************************************

Chocolate: A Culinary and Historic Tour, with Francine Segan
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011, at 7:30 P.M.
Radcliffe Children's Wing, Perrot Memorial Library
Francine Segan, noted food write and lecturer, will conduct a culinary and historic tour of chocolate, most loved of all confections. She will follow chocolate's journey from its New world origins, to Europe, to the treat the world knows and loves today. Ms. Segan will explain chocolate's transformation from bean to bar through a guided tasting of various types of fine chocolates (participation in the chocolate tasting is limited to the first 75 attendees).

Friday, January 14, 2011

2011 Children's Literary Award Winners

The winners of the 2011 major literary awards for children were recently announced at the American Library Association's Midwinter Conference in San Diego.

[Click on each title to view in the catalog and to place a hold.]

Caldecott Medal Winner
A Sick Day for Amos McGeeA Sick Day for Amos McGee, illustrated by Erin E. Stead (written by Philip C. Stead)
Every day Amos McGee spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it's time they returned the favor.


Newbery Medal Winner
Moon Over ManifestMoon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool
Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was. Abilene is disappointed to find that Manifest is just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler.


Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia
Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, as usual, and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past. Rather than spend time with them, Cecile sends Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers, where the girls get a radical new education. Heartbreaking and funny, this is an unforgettable story told by a distinguished children's author.


Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Winner
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, illustrated by Bryan Collier (written by Laban Carrick Hill)
Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter living in South Carolina in the 1800s. He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved onto his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave. In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal, Laban Carrick Hill's elegantly simple text and award-winning artist Bryan Collier's resplendent, earth-toned illustrations tell Dave's story, a story rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty.


Geisel Award Winner (for beginning readers)
Bink and Gollie, by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGee, illustrated by Tony Fucile
Meet Bink and Gollie, two precocious little girls-- one tiny, one tall, and both utterly irrepressible. Setting out from their super-deluxe tree house and powered by plenty of peanut butter (for Bink) and pancakes (for Gollie), they share three comical adventures involving painfully bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion. No matter where their roller skates take them, at the end of the day they will always be the very best of friends.


Sibert Award Winner (for non-fiction)
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot, by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Nic Bishop
On remote Codfish Island, off the southern coast of New Zealand, live the last ninety-one kakapo parrots on earth. These trusting, flightless, and beautiful birds-- the largest and most unusual parrots on earth-- have suffered devastating population loss. Now, on an island refuge with the last of the species, New Zealand’s National Kakapo Recovery Team is working to restore the kakapo population. With the help of fourteen humans who share a single hut and a passion for saving these odd ground-dwelling birds, the kakapo are making a comeback.


For the complete list of this year's award winners and honor books, take a look at the ALA website.