11.29.2007

Food of the 80s

Looking for snacks and prizes for our 80s party on Friday night, I found lots of information about foods that were first available in the 1980s! Sadly, all of the beverages are no longer available, but everything else is (I think).

Beverages:

  • Lemon Lime Slice (1984)
  • Mandarin Orange Slice
  • Wild Cherry Pepsi (1989)
Candy & Snacks:

  • Jello Pudding Pops (1980)
  • Tostitos (1981)
  • Fruit Roll-Ups (1983)
  • Pop Secret microwave popcorn (1985)
  • Sour Patch Kids (1985)
  • Cool Ranch Doritos (1987)
  • Hershey Kisses with Almonds (1988)
Fast Food:
  • Chicken McNuggets (1983)
Restaurants:

  • The Olive Garden (1982)
  • Bosten Chicken (1985--now known as Boston Market)

11.28.2007

New Books on CD

A big order of books on CD just got through processing, so here's what's new:
  • Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
  • Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
  • Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
  • Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
  • Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
  • Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle
  • Eragon by Christopher Paolini
  • The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
  • Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
  • The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

11.27.2007

iPod Crafts!

Need a quick gift for a birthday or holiday? Why not make an iPod accessory! These are adaptable to other kinds of iPods than those listed, as well as other types of MP3 players, so don't feel left out!

Here are some fun links I found...

11.26.2007

Book Review: The Declaration

The Declaration by Gemma Malley

Reviews by Marissa, Arwa, and Gretchen

SUMMARY: It's the year 2140 and Longevity drugs have all but eradicated old age. A never-aging society can't sustain population growth, which means Anna should never have been born. Nor should any of the children she lives with at Grange Hall. Children like Anna--Surpluses--are brought up to believe they must atone for their very existence. Then one day a boy named Peter appears, bringing with him news of the world outside, a place where people are starting to say that Longevity is bad. Peter begs Anna to escape with him, but Anna's not sure whom to trust: the strange new boy whose version of life sounds like a dangerous fairy tale, or the familiar walls of Grange Hall and the head mistress who has controlled her every waking thought? (from the back of the book)

MARISSA SAYS: This book was very exciting and hard to put down. When I first started reading it, I thought living forever wouldn’t be that bad, but by the end I was fully convinced that I would join the rebellion. I could not live in a world without kids and I would most likely run out of things to enjoy after living over 100. This book would make a great book discussion book due to the conflict and excitement it contains.

ARWA SAYS: This work reminded me a lot about Shakespeare and his work with man's fickleness--how changable humans. It also reminded me of how only a few select people can be leaders while the read of mankind is in the "followers" column. I thought parts of the story went too fast, while others were too slow. Yet, it still had a good, juicy plot. All in all, it was a very original piece of work that I hope does not happen in the near future.

GRETCHEN SAYS: I am an avid reader of dystopian future fantasy, so I was excited to read this book by a new British author. The concept is really interesting: in the future, stem-cell research has leads to Longevity drugs that keep people from aging. Because of this, there is a population problem and illegal children, called Surpluses, are rounded up and raised to be servants and workers for the Legals. As a reader, I cheered for Surplus Anna as she awakened to the reality and complexity of life and began to think for herself. However, I was disappointed with the writing style. The story is told from a third person omnipotent point of view, and the switches among characters are sometimes jarring. Many aspects of this future society were alluded to, but not fully fleshed out, and the ending seemed rushed. Nonetheless, the novel is a thought-provoking and frightening vision of the future. A sequel addressing the Underground Movement to get rid of Longevity and free the Surpluses from Grange Hall would be an excellent follow-up. I can forgive what is lacking in this book if there are others to follow!

11.25.2007

Sellers Library Teen Blog Policy

Since the comment problem from a few months ago has stopped, I am allowing anonymous comments on the blog again. Just so we're all clear, here are the official rules of the blog!

PURPOSE
  • This blog exists to promote library activities and materials for students in grades six to twelve.
  • Items posted generally include book reviews, lists of new books, links to book and author websites, teen event schedules, and teen event reports.
  • Pictures of events may be posted, if available.
  • Other topics may be included, including pop culture discussions, links to fun websites, and blog poll results, at the discretion of the blog administrator (Gretchen Ipock, Young Adult Librarian).

COMMENTS

  • Comments are open to anyone, even without a Blogger username and password. Users do need to type in a security code (shown on the page) to post a comment.
  • Comments should be related to the post on which they are made.
  • All comments are screened by the blog administrator.
  • Inappropriate comments will be deleted from the blog. This may include factors like aggressive or confrontational language, use of foul words, or comment spam.
  • The administrator reserves the right to change the comment policy if inappropriate comments persist. The administrator may moderate comments, disallow comments, require users to login to Blogger, or limit comments to blog contributors.

CONTRIBUTORS

  • Members of the Teen Advisory Board and others who frequently attend teen events may ask to become blog contributors. These members are allowed to create blog entries, not just add comments.
  • Contact Gretchen Ipock at yaservices@udlibraries.org if you want to be a contributor.

11.24.2007

Duct Tape Forever!

Last Wednesday, only two people showed up to make duct tape crafts, but we had fun anyway. I had silver, white, red, and black tape available. We all made wallets, which wasn't very hard. Genni added very functional pockets to the inside of hers. She didn't even have directions! I also made a coaster for my cup and a postcard to send to my parents. If you missed it, don't worry. We will be making duct tape roses at the Anti-Valentine's Day party I'm planning for the winter!

Dance Dance Revolution

Yesterday, 17 dancers came to our afternoon DDR event. We have not done this in a while, so it was good to get moving. Especially after eating all that turkey and stuff on Thursday! There were a lot of people who were just learning to play, so no one felt too unskilled. Everyone was brave though--14 people entered our tournament! Chris was the winner (no surprise there), and walked away with a $10 gift card to GameStop. We will definitely do this again soon.

Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along

Yesterday, 10 teens came out to out Beauty and the Beast movie sing-along! It was our first Disney movie sing-along, and we will definitely have to do it again. We did notice some inconsistencies in the movie; for example, how did Belle get the Beast on the horse after the wolf attack? But it was great fun anyway! Look for another movie sing-along on the winter schedule.

11.21.2007

Duct Tape Stuff!

Drop by today between 3:00 and 5:00 to make duct tape crafts in the upstairs program room!

If you can't come, here are some resources for you to make your own duct tape stuff at home...

BOOKS:
  • The Original Duct Tape Halloween Book by Tim Nyberg
  • Got Tape? Roll Out the Fun with Duct Tape! by Ellie Schiedermayer
  • Ductigami: The Art of the Tape by Joe Wilson
WEBSITES:

11.18.2007

Book Review: The Crazy Horse Electric Game

The Crazy Horse Electric Game by Chris Crutcher

Click on the book cover to see which libraries own it.

SUMMARY: The title refers to the game for the Eastern Montana American Legion baseball championship, as the star pitcher, Willie Weaver, leads his team against the powerful squad from Crazy Horse Electric. But the emphasis of the novel shifts quickly away from baseball after Willie suffers a head injury in a water skiing accident. Unable to accept the loss of his athletic prowess, the pity of others, and his parents' troubled marriage, Willie runs away and ends up in the inner city of Oakland, California. After being beaten and robbed by a gang, Willie is rescued by a black bus driver/pimp, who enrolls Willie in a school for troubled youths. (from the School Library Journal review)

OPINION: I have always liked the title of this book, but the actual text did not live up to my feelings for the title. Sad to say, this is not Crutcher at his best. The story took place over several years, but, even so, it felt like too many issues were crammed into the book. It seemed to take forever to make a point, then it ended very abruptly. I did like how Willie, a small-town good old boy in the making, found his place in the hood after his injury. Don't judge Crutcher by this book though. Look for Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Whale Talk, or his new one, Deadline, which are all worth your time.

11.17.2007

Book Swap Report

Today, 12 people traded 45 books at our book swap! Most people came early and stayed the whole time. We enjoyed Disney Scene-It for two and a half hours with no repeats! And some of the questions were actually challenging, even though the game is rated for ages 6 and up. Of course, there were snacks...the last of that giant bag of candy finally got eaten! We will definitely do more book swaps in the winter and spring, so look for it on the schedule.

Comedy Improv Performance

Last Thursday was the final meeting of the Comedy Improv class, and they put on a small performance for family and friends. We had 12 performers and almost 30 audience members. Vicky involved everyone in the games and ideas for improv situations, and it seemed like they all had a good time.

Vicky did a great job teaching the six-week class! Everyone learned a lot about how to think quickly and interact with others in an improv setting. Who knew being funny was such hard work?! Here are some pictures from the performance.

Improv ballet lesson

Vacation slides...the baby got sick out the car window!


Tough punk chicks!

Are you ready to rumble?


You think you can play our game?

After all that, our game was "Ring Around the Rosie!"

11.15.2007

New This Week

We can't stop getting new books, and the room is getting ridiculously full. Come check out the newest:
  • A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
  • Skin Hunger (A Resurrection of Magic) by Kathleen Duey
  • All-In by Pete Hautman
  • Godless by Pete Hautman
  • Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz (Alex Rider series #7)
  • Go Girl! Robots Gone Wild! by Trina Robbins and Anne Timmons (graphic novel)
  • The Lion Hunter by Elizabeth E. Wein
  • Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger

11.13.2007

Marie Lamba Author Visit

Next time you're in the lobby, look at the display I did for our author visit on Sunday, December 2. Marie Lamba will be here from 2:00 to 4:00 to talk about her Young Adult book What I Meant..., answer your questions, and sign copies of her book. Find out more about the author and her book by checking out the display!

You can buy a copy of the book that day, but if you want to buy a copy before the program, just ask me! (Either way, the cost is $11 because we are giving you the library discount.) Thanks to the Teen Advisory Board for sponsoring this author visit. You are the coolest!

Special thanks to library employee Aparna Hindupur for loaning the sari and jewelry in the display!!

11.12.2007

Book Review: Extras

Extras by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies series)

Click on the cover to see which libraries own this book.

SUMMARY: It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. Tech-heads flaunt their latest gadgets, kickers spread gossip and trends, and surge monkeys are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol. Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules. Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for. (adapted from the inside flap)

OPINION: This book is a semi-sequel to the Uglies trilogy. The beginning of the story is very strong, with another richly imagined future society and a different cast of characters. The story is set in Japan, further separating it from the original three books. My favorite detail of this society was Westerfeld's inclusion of people who had surgery to look like their favorite manga characters! I was very disappointed when Tally and Shay entered the story in the middle and kind of took it over. I also thought the ending raised more questions than it answered. I think Westerfeld would have done better to make this an independent story in the same world as Tally's stories, and maybe expand it into another trilogy.

11.11.2007

British Invasion Night

On Friday, 23 teens came to our celebration of all things British. Christina, a library employee and a total anglophile, planned all kinds of great activities. We did a British English spelling bee, competed in a pub quiz on various pop culture and historical topics, watched some media clips, matched British and American English words, wrote stories using Beatles song titles, and listened to the BBC live on the internet. We had crips and crumpets (potato chips and Tastycakes to you Americans) for a snack, along with a spot of tea. Christina used Halloween crackers and Cadbury chocolate as prizes, as well as some random items we rescued from the library yard sale. Jamine was less than thrilled with her potholder featuring historical sites of London, but we all got a good laugh! Everyone had a good time, and we all went home with a poster for the upcoming movie of The Golden Compass. Thanks, Christina!!!

A group writes down words they associate with the UK.

The lucky few who made it to the second round of the spelling bee!

11.09.2007

Fresh Fiction

Here is new fiction that we got through processing this week. Some are from my shopping trip at Barnes & Noble, and others are new publications.
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion 3: Angelic Days by Fumino Hayashi (graphic novel)
  • Slam by Nick Hornby
  • Hush by Donna Jo Napoli (signed copy!)
  • Safe by Susan Shaw (signed copy!)
  • One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones
  • Nobody Does It Better by Cecily von Ziegesar (Gossip Girl series)
  • The Rogues by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris

11.06.2007

Book Review: First Boy

First Boy by Gary Schmidt

Click on the book cover to see which libraries own it.

What starts as a gentle book about farm life in New Hampshire suddenly starts to read like a spy or action novel as rumors about 14-year-old Cooper Jewett's real parents hit the presidential campaign trail. Cooper thought that he lived with his grandparents on a dairy farm after his real parents died in a car accident, but events like barn burning and break-ins show him that there is definitely more to the story. With the help of two steadfast neighbors (one of whom discovers a penchant for speeding during the chase scenes), Cooper tries to elude this unwelcome attention. This is a unique story and is a great read as the US is already in the midst of the 2008 presidential race!

11.05.2007

British Invasion Night

Don't forget that Friday, November 9, is our British Invasion night from 6:30 to 8:30. Christina has planned amazing things, including movie and TV clips, a British English spelling bee, and a competitive group quiz! She is also going to bring a lot of her pictures and items from when she lived in England. If you love The Office, The Beatles, food, or prizes, then this event is for you! If you haven't signed up yet, call the library and get on the list!!

11.04.2007

November Book Grub Meeting

On Friday, 19 members of the high school book group (aka Book Grub) met to discuss The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga. Many members talked about Barry's visit to our library last year, and some of the insights he gave us into the book and the characters. We also spent a lot of time discussing whether Fanboy was an unreliable narrator and whether he had a victim complex. It started as a crazy meeting, but it ended up being a good discussion (much to my relief).

Next month, we will discuss A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. It was a 2004 Printz honor book and is based on a real murder from the early 20th century. We haven't done a historical fiction choice for a while, so I think it will be good. Your copies should be ready for pick-up by the end of the week.

11.01.2007

LOL Winners

I just did the drawing for the winners of our LOL IM contest! Every time people attended a teen event during the month of October, they could enter the contest by identifying what different chat abbreviations meant. This was in honor of the Teen Read Week theme, LOL @ Your Library. We had 66 entries during the month, and three winners: Maria, Jasmine B., and Genni. Congrats!!

Too Many Books

We get more and more books in our tiny teen room every week! This week, some stuff I bought at Barnes & Noble is ready to go, as well as a few things I rescued from the library book sale.

I finally was able to buy our area some manga, but we don't have that much money. So, Caitlin C. suggested that we buy the first book in several different series so that people could decide which ones they want to keep reading and get them on their own. We now have a mini manga collection that will hopefully expand in the future!

FICTION
  • Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
  • The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros*
  • The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton*
  • Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz*
  • Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (signed copy!)*
  • New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (signed copy!)*
  • Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (signed copy!)*
  • ttfn by Lauren Myracle
  • ttyl by Lauren Myracle
  • Daja's Book by Tamora Pierce (Circle of Magic series #3)
  • Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce (Circle of Magic series #1)
  • Tris's Book by Tamora Pierce (Circle of Magic series #2)
  • The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien*
  • The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien*
  • The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien*
MANGA
  • Tsubasa #1 by Clamp
  • Cantarella #6 by You Higuri
  • Naruto #1 by Masashi Kishimoto
  • Bizenghast #1 by M. Alice LeGrow
  • Death Note #1 by Tsugumi Ohba

* = additional copy already in the collection