Percy Jackson Party

Saturday, May 9 from 10:30 a.m. to noon The Stratford Library Children’s Department will host a special party to celebrate the release of The Last Olympian, the fifth and final book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, created by Rick Riordan. This event will take place on Saturday, May 9 from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the Children’s Department. The program is free and open to all children 8 years and older.

In the first book, The Lightning Thief, readers meet Percy Jackson, who seems to be an average New York City kid until he learns his father is Poseidon, the Ancient Greek god of the sea. The other books in the series continue his adventures in a war between good and evil forces.

Activities at the party will include crafts, games, and Greek snacks. Copies of Mr. Riordan’s books will be available for reviewing and check out. Children are encouraged to dress as their favorite Greek character and will win prizes for their knowledge of Ancient Greece. For further information or to register, call the Stratford Library Children’s Department at 203.385.4165 or visit its website at http://www.stratfordlibrary.org/.

Urban legends, hoaxes and frauds

Have you heard that entering your ATM code backwards will automatically summon the police? Or that Revlon lipstick contains dangerous amounts of lead? These are some of the most popular rumors pinging around the internet right now.

At the library, when we hear a rumor that seems a little too much like an urban legend, we use one of our favorite websites, http://www.snopes.com/ to find out the truth. Snopes.com's authors are Barb and David Mikkelson, a married couple who turned their hobby -- documenting urban legends -- into a full-time job. Read about their passion for truth and fiction in this interesting profile of the Mikkelsons just published by Reader's Digest.

We love the Mikkelsons and snopes.com. They save us hours of work when patrons call us and ask, "Was John Denver a military sniper in Vietnam?"*

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*No, he wasn't. See the snopes.com article: http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/denver.asp

New Health & Wellness Series at the Library

The library will be hosting a monthly series of Health & Wellness programs sponsored by the Office of the Mayor & Health Department.

These programs are part of the Mayor's Passport to Health initiative.

Join us on Tuesday, April 21st at 6:15 pm in the Lovell Room -

Dr. David Brady, a licensed Naturopathic Physician and Nutritionist from Bridgeport, will be speaking about what you need to know to stay vital, resilient and healthy in today's unhealthy world.

Dr Brady is also the author of "Dr. Brady's Healthy Revolution: What You Really Need to Know to Stay Healthy in a Sick World"

If you would like to attend or want to know more about the programs - contact Jennifer Sloat at the Stratford Health Department at 385-4090.

Library helps to support Historic Lordship Tour on June 13

In the late 1910’s, the Lordship Trolley ran from Bridgeport to the sea wall in the Lordship section of Stratford, bringing folks to enjoy the sea air, savor an ice cream, and gaze at newfangled motor cars taking a Sunday drive. On Saturday June 13, 2009 (10am to 4pm) a coalition of Lordship community groups will host a celebration of Lordship's history and its present, the "Historic Lordship Tour," to remember and celebrate those days of long ago.

For one day, the trolleys will come back to Lordship, bringing the community together for some old-fashioned fun. The trolley cars will circuit Lordship with guided tours, stopping at the three churches (with free parking and bathroom facilities), Audubon Center, the firehouse, Stratford Point Lighthouse, and Civil Air Patrol.

The Audubon Society will conduct tours of the old Remington Gun Club and the Firehouse. The Father's Club Building and the retired firemen will give tours of their facilities. And for the first time in decades, the Stratford Point Lighthouse (a fully functional Coast Guard operational lighthouse) and the Civil Air Patrol will be open to the public.

Each stop will feature a special display of historical highlights via video, photographs and special events lik a storyteller impersonating Igor Sikorsky. Eateries and booths along the way will provide ample opportunity for folks to go home full of goodies and memories. An antique car show, roller skating demonstration, live music by the Stratford High School Jazz Band, a quilt exhibition, and a booth about local history resources at the Stratford library will add to the fun.

The participating organizations are the Lordship Fathers’ Club, Our Lady of Peace Roman Catholic Church, St. Joseph National Catholic Church, and the Lordship Community Church, and the Stratford Civil Air Patrol. Tickets are $10 per person or $20 per family and can be purchased at the Stratford Library by check or cash. For more information please see http://www.lordshiphistory.com/ . For more information please call: Christine Griffin -203-378-3537.

The Queen's Library at Buckingham Palace

Seeing Queen Elizabeth in the news recently (as the Obamas paid her a visit) made me wonder whether the Queen has her own library in Buckingham Palace, and what it is like. You may not be surprised to learn that she has several. The Octagon Library, added during the time of George III, is the most spectacular. The room is 42 feet across and features an octagonal desk in the center.

During the time of King George III, the monarch's bedroom had a door directly into the library. Convenient for picking out a cozy mystery to read before bed, wouldn't you say?