3.30.2007

Food of the 60s

Here are some foods that were available for the first time in the 1960s!

Drinks

  • Fresca (1967)
  • Gatorade (1963)
  • Sprite (1961)
  • Tab (1963)
  • Tang (1966)
  • Diet 7-Up (1969)
Candy & Snacks

  • Blammo gum (1960)
  • Bugles (1968)
  • Chips Ahoy! cookies (1963)
  • Cool Whip (1966)
  • Doritos (1966)
  • Funyons (1969)
  • Lays (1965)
  • Lemonheads (1962)
  • M&Ms in red, green, and yellow introduced (1960)
  • Starburst (1960)
  • SweeTarts (1963)
Cereals

  • Apple Jacks (1963)
  • Frosted Mini-Wheats
  • Fruit Loops (1963)
  • Life (1961)
  • Product 19
  • Total (1961)
Other Foods

  • Granny Smith apple (1960)
  • Green Giant frozen vegetables (1961)
  • Kiwifruit (1961)
  • McDonald's Big Mac (1969)
  • Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup (1961)
  • Pop-Tarts (1964)
  • Spaghetti O's (1965)
  • Taco Bell restaurants (1962)
For more food information, check out these sites:

3.25.2007

Book List of Love

A new book list is available in our teen section featuring stories of star-crossed love in the tradition of Romeo and Juliet. It was inspired by our showing of West Side Story last week, and contains all kinds of stories about people who fall in love despite challenging situations! Pick up a copy next time you are at the library.

3.24.2007

Last Night

(to the tune of Tonight)

Last night, last night,
Was not just any night,
Last night 10 teens sang out their lungs.
Last night, last night,
We saw a movie last night
And we ate, and we sang, and had fun!
Last night the movie was West Side Story,
The food was chips and soda,
And Twizzlers we could bite.
It was really long,
So we fast fowarded the film to the songs
Last night!!

3.23.2007

Book Review: Incantation

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

SUMMARY: The opposing forces of love and hate, loyalty and betrayal underscore this brief but rich tale set during the Spanish Inquisition. Told by 16-year-old Estrella deMadrigal, the novel shows how gruesome beliefs nourished by ignorance and prejudice destroyed the lives of countless people. Hoffman weaves a tale of a close friendship between two teens, Estrella and Catalina. However, there is a secret about Estrella and her family that unfolds in spurts. The deMadrigals are Jews who follow their religion in secret, appearing to the world as good Catholics in order to escape persecution. On one level this is the story of a friendship and the deadly interference of jealousy. It is also a story of the power of love and the resilience of the human spirit. Estrella develops incredible strength as she tries to save herself and her grandmother. Ultimately, it is the love of a Christian, Catalina's cousin Andres, that saves her. Hoffman's lyrical prose and astute characterization blend to create a riveting, horrific tale that unites despair with elements of hope. (from the School Library Journal review)

OPINION: I have seen sketches about the Spanish Inquisition by Mel Brooks and Monty Python, which are just silly. I have read about the Spanish Inquisition in history books, which was rather dull. Incancation is altogether different than either of those! Estrella and Catalina are best friends, driven apart by Estrella's dual secrets: her Jewish heritage and love for Catalina's cousin. As Catalina begins to suspect these two truths, she exposes Estrella's entire family out of revenge and spite. In taking a narrow view of the events--one family, one village--it allows the author to evoke the emotions, events, and experiences of that time in history. This is a short novel, easily read in one sitting, but not easily forgotten.

3.18.2007

Fun With Avatars


So tonight I made some new Yahoo avatars. This one's for 60s Night, coming up on Friday, March 30 from 6:30 to 8:30. If you haven't registered yet, there's still space for you!


3.15.2007

Book Review: Cathy's Book

Cathy's Book: If Found Call 650-266-8233 by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman

SUMMARY: Things weren’t so peachy in Cathy’s life before Victor broke up with her. Her father died unexpectedly, she’s failing school, and her best friend is mad at her. But when Cathy decides to investigate Victor’s reasons for ending their relationship, things suddenly go from bad to very, very, very bad as her findings produce more questions than answers. For instance, what does the death of Victor’s co-worker, the strange mark that appeared on Cathy’s arm, and the surreal behavior of several Chinese elders have to do with it? Through Cathy’s unique and irresistible voice--and lots of proof in the form of letters, photographs, date book entries, telephone numbers readers can call, websites they can access, as well as secrets only a careful reader will be able to decipher--readers will enter a strange and fascinating world where things often aren’t how they appear. (from the book description)

OPINION: Cathy's journal tells a mysterious quasi-vampire tale that is interesting on its own, but what really makes it unique is the evidence provided as part of the story. Sure, a lot of authors and books have websites, MySpace accounts, contests, etc., but this book takes interactivity to a whole new level. Working websites, phone numbers, and other clues mean that you can access more resources in trying to figure out exactly what is going on in the story. It's a pretty cool concept. Check it out to read over spring break...it will keep you busy!

3.11.2007

Spring Schedules!

Be sure to pick up a copy of the library's spring teen schedule next time you are around! We've got a really cool six-week jewelry-making class starting on Wednesday, April 11. Also, the Teen Advisory Board is hosting 60s Night and a Book Character Party. The TAB suggested several of our other planned events, including Improv Night, three movie nights, and another special high school book discussion. Additionally, you can pick up an application to join the TAB at the children's circulation desk or in the lobby! We will be deciding on new members this May. There's so much going on! Come in and register for something!!

3.07.2007

Zine-O-Rama

Today was the first day of our four-week zine workshop! If you want to know more about zines, check out these resources:

Websites

Documentary

Store

  • Wooden Shoe Books, an anarchist collective bookstore near South Street (508 S 5th St.), stocks zines. Take a field trip!

Fiction

  • Miss Smithers by Susan Juby
  • Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger
Nonfiction

  • Zine Scene: The Do It Yourself Guide to Zines by Francesca Lia Block and Hilary Carlip
  • 'Zine: How I Spent Six Years of My Life in the Underground and Finally...Found Myself...I Think by Pagan Kennedy
  • Whatcha Mean, What's a Zine: The Art of Making Zines and Mini-Comics by Mark Todd and Esther Pearl Watson
  • Stolen Sharpie Revolution: A DIY Zine Resource by Alex Wrekk

3.04.2007

It's Teen Tech Week

March 4 to 10 is the first ever Teen Tech Week, sponsored by YALSA! To celebrate, we are running a digital scavenger hunt this week at the library. Just bring in your digital camera or cell phone, snap a few pix of stuff in the library, show them to the desk staff, and get a prize! You can do it anytime, and you are welcome to work in groups. Everyone who completes the scavenger hunt will be entered to win a $25 gift card to Circuit City! I also decorated the display case in the lobby for TTW, so check it out!

Book Review: The New Policeman

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson

SUMMARY: Heart-pounding Irish music is the common ground between material and magical worlds in this ambitious fantasy, which begins in western Ireland. When J. J. Liddy is 15, his mother jokingly asks for a birthday present of more time. From an eccentric neighbor, J. J. learns to his astonishment that his mother's request may not be impossible to fill. Bravely venturing into an alternate fairy world, J. J. takes on a thrilling, epic quest in which he confronts dark family rumors and tries to repair a cosmic time leak between his world and the land of eternal youth. Thompson packs her mesmerizing, chaotic novel with Irish culture, interconnected mysteries, and sly questions about the stresses of contemporary life and the age-old frictions between religion and folklore. Musical scores for Irish tunes close each chapter in this soulful, wildly imagined tale. (from the Booklist review)

OPINION: This book looks thick, but the short chapters, each with a song, make the pages fly. You'll wonder where the time went! The alternating chapters come together at the end of the book, with many mysteries solved. My only complaint is that I wish it came with a soundtrack. It talks about Irish music so much that I really wanted to listen while I read! This is not an edgy fairy book, like Tithe or I Was a Teenage Fairy, but it is a wonderfully atmospheric read.

3.03.2007

Game Boy Night!

Friday night, 15 teens came out to Game Boy Night to hang out and to play Pokemon. And four of them were girls! We had our traditional tournament, and it was a total upset. Maria, who has never had a good team, got her Pokemon in shape and whipped all the boys who thought they were going to win! Girl power!! We'll do it again this summer, so check the schedule. And huge thanks to Jimmy for loaning us his GameCube for the final battles!