5.25.2007

Book Review: The Naming

The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor by Alison Croggon

SUMMARY: In this first volume in a projected quartet, Croggon has created a world that is both authentic and exotic, welcoming and frightening. When 16-year-old Maerad meets a man named Cadvan, she is catapulted from her life as a slave to an epic destiny. Cadvan is a Bard, one of the magically gifted Starpeople, and he begins to teach her about her own gifts and abilities. He believes her to be the prophesied One who will oppose the Nameless, the dark power working toward the destruction of the Bards and the Balance of the world. As Maerad and Cadvan travel, they join forces with Hem, a mysterious orphan, and learn that the Nameless's influence reaches far into the world of the Bards. Encounters with great mythic figures of their world and threatening evil forces add to the epic flavor of their journey. Maerad seems a kindred spirit to Tamora Pierce's Alanna, and her story will find a welcoming audience among readers looking for a challenging and fully realized epic adventure. (from the School Library Journal review)

OPINION: Marissa has been convincing everyone to read this series, so I jumped on the bandwagon. I'm glad I did! The story is excellently imagined, with complex action and wonderful description. Alison Croggon's background as a poet gives her a command of the language to fully evoke the characters and surroundings of the story. I really loved some of the places Maerad and Cadvan journeyed through, and I hope that the good settings reappear in a future volume! I want to hear more about the Schools and especially Rachida, the mysterious city in the Great Forest. It reminded me of The Chanters of Tremaris series by Kate Constable, as well as books by Tamora Pierce. I can't wait to start The Riddle, the second book in the series!

5.19.2007

More New Fiction

Books are being processed fast and furiously around here for some reason! Here are new additions to the shelf:

  • The Great Tree of Avalon series by T. A Barron
  • Avielle of Rhia by Dia Calhoun
  • A Friend at Midnight by Caroline B. Cooney
  • The Faery Reel: Tales fromthe Twlight Realm edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
  • Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell
  • 1,000 Reasons Never to Kiss a Boy by Martha Freeman
  • The Fighter by Jean-Jacques Greif
  • The Demon in the Teahouse by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
  • The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
  • Diamond Brothers Mysteries series by Anthony Horowitz
  • Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz
  • Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz
  • Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz
  • Kiss and Blog by Alyson Noel
  • Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen
  • Hell Phone by William Sleator
  • Midnighters trilogy by Scott Westerfeld

The Phantom of the Opera Was Here

Last night, 19 people came out to sing along to The Phantom of the Opera. It was fun...and we learned that we are not all sopranos! I had seen the play on Broadway years ago (1992?), but I hadn't seen the movie until last night. I thought the movie portrayed the gothic horror romance very well through the costumes and scenery. I loved the underground labyrinth that the phantom inhabited. But it was totally creepy as well!

Missed this event? Our next sing-along movie will be Grease in August.

5.18.2007

Summer Schedule!

The teen summer schedule is done, and it's huge! In fact, there are still more events that aren't even on the flyer yet!! Come and get one when you have a chance. The theme this summer is You Never Know @ Your Library, so we have a lot of mysterious events planned.

If you can't wait to see the list, here's a preview. All events are for students entering grades 6 to 12, unless noted.

Get Your Game On!
Trading card and hand-held video games welcome.
Mondays, 3:30 to 5:00 (except holidays)
Permission slip required.

Movie: National Treasure (PG)
Wednesday, June 20, 2:00 to 4:00

Mystery Night: The Cracks in the Wall
Friday, June 22, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Sponsored by the Teen Advisory Board.

Real Life Mysteries (Teen Summer Reading Kick-Off)
Presented by Kristin Pedemonti
Thursday, June 28, 7:00 to 8:00 pm

Zine Workshop
Fridays, 1:30 to 3:00
July 13, 20, 27, and August 3
Grades 8 to 12 only.

Movie: Mystery Men (PG-13)
Wednesday, July 11, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Nintendo Night
Friday, July 13, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Permission slip required.

Drop-In Craft: DIY Tie Dye (outside)
Bring your own pre-washed 100% cotton items.
Wednesday, July 18, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Harry Potter Midnight Madness
Friday, July 20, 8:00 pm to 12:30 am
Permission slip required.

Clue Tournament
Wednesday, July 25, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Special Book Discussion: Twilight and New Moon
Friday, July 27, 3:30 to 5:00

Drop-In Craft: DIY Soap
Wednesday, August 1, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Eclipse Prom
Friday, August 3, 6:30 to 8:30
Sponsored by the Teen Advisory Board.

Movie: Grease Sing Along (PG)
Wednesday, August 8, 2:00 to 4:00 pm

Author Visit: Jeffry Johnston, author of Fragments
Friday, August 10, 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Drop-In Craft: DIY Magnets
Wednesday, August 15, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Yu-Gi-Oh Tournament
Friday, August 17, 6:00 to 8:30
Permission slip required.

Dance Dance Revolution
Wednesday, August 22, 2:00 to 4:00
Permission slip required.

5.17.2007

Newest of the New

New fiction for our teen shelves:
  • The New and Improved Vivien Leigh Reid: Diva in Control by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
  • Eva by Peter Dickinson
  • Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready
  • Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls by Bennett Madison
  • Dead Connection by Charlie Price
  • The Innocent's Story by Nicky Singer
  • Club Dread by Walter Sorrells

Also, we got several books in the Gossip Girl and Clique series, thanks to the TAB!

5.15.2007

Book Characters Unite!

Last Friday night, 14 people came to the Teen Advisory Board's book character potluck party. It was great to see everyon'e costumes! We did literary Mad-Libs, a classic children's literature trivia race, and heard readings about several people's characters. We watched movie clips from The Princess Bride (yes, it was a book first) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

We also ate great food provided by you! Thanks to everyone who brought something to represent their character. We had red juice (Katie), hoagies (Maria), "rat" (Kara), veggies (Gretchen), a lemon meringue pie (Caitlin), duplex cookies (Genni), garlic pasta (Marissa), and fruit salad (Micah). It was hilarious!


Can you figure out who came as a character from...

  • Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
  • The Blue Avenger by Norma Howe
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  • Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
  • Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares
  • Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
  • Bunnicula by James Howe
  • A Great and Terrible Beauty series by Libba Bray
  • The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
  • Vampire Kisses series by Ellen Schreiber
  • Midnight Cowboy by James Leo Herlihy

5.14.2007

New Lobby Display!

Last week, I put up a new lobby display featuring new books our library received as part of the We the People Bookshelf on the Pursuit of Happiness. There are 15 books in English and 4 in Spanish, at a variety of levels. Both the middle and high school book groups will be reading and discussing one of these books this year. Look for them on the shelves this summer!

5.13.2007

Book Review: Surrender

Surrender by Sonya Hartnett

SUMMARY: In the small, desolate town of Mulyan, a well-behaved young boy plays with a toy car atop the fence rail surrounding his front yard. A very different sort of boy--sunbaked, unkempt, and vaguely dangerous--appears on the street side of the fence to scratch his name in the wood and taunt the young boy to move beyond his boundaries. So begins the eerie relationship between Gabriel and Finnegan: the first, an isolated and disturbed child in a profoundly dysfunctional family with an ugly history; the second, a cruel and destructive yet wildly freeing force. The two determine to be each other's reflection: one all good, the other all bad. Together they share dark secrets, make plans, and experience a pure love for Surrender, Gabriel's adopted hound. Told retrospectively from the deathbed of 20-year-old Gabriel, this is a potent and disquieting psychological tale. (from the Booklist review)

OPINION: This book is a stream of consciousness story of an unlikely, dangerous friendship. Gabriel and Finnegan are close through the years, relying solely on each other's company. But as Finnegan's love for fire threatens the town, Gabriel's father forms a vigilante group to try to catch the arsonist. Gabriel, caught between these two powerful forces in his life, isn't sure where his loyalties lie. Can he keep secrets from either one? This book will haunt you to the end.

READ ALIKE: Invisible by Pete Hautman

5.10.2007

Johnny Depp Film Festival

The Teen Advisory Board invites you to attend our first-ever film festival. Watch hours of Johnny Depp on the big screen! Invite your friends, bring comfy pillows, relax with snacks, and enjoy the movies. Sign up today!!

Friday, June 1
6:30 to 8:30 pm
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (PG)

Saturday, June 2
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Pirates of the Caribbean 1 and 2 (PG-13)
Lunch will be provided.

5.07.2007

TAB Thanks!

Thanks to 6 TAB members, we had a successful Saturday!

Thanks to Kara and Marissa for accompanying me to Cool Stuff/Effin Comics in Drexel Hill for Free Comic Book Day. We gave away bookmarks, highlighted the library's graphic novel collection, and had people show us their library card to win a superhero poster.

Thanks to Shelby, Meg, Tyria, and Katie for staffing the library's yard sale. The yard sale made about $100, so that's $50 for TAB summer programs.

5.06.2007

Book Review: Dramarama

Dramarama by E. Lockhart

SUMMARY: Two theater-mad, self-invented, fabulositon Ohio teenagers. One boy, one girl. One gay, one straight. One black, one white. And SUMMER DRAMA CAMP. It's a season of hormones, gold lame', hissy fits, jazz hands, song and dance, true love, and unitards that will determine their future--and test their friendship.

OPINION: If you compulsively hum Broadway tunes, watch old movie musicals, or thrill at the sight of a big chourus number on stage, this book is for you! Whether you are a seasoned performer or an audience member, you will be sucked in to the lives of Douglas and Sarah (aka Demi and Sadye) as they take on summer drama camp. The problem? As Demi discovers the depth of his talent, Sadye learns that she is not up to par with her peers. Will their friendship survive the intensity and closeness of camp life?

WEBSITE: Go to E. Lockhart's website to get an iMix of songs from the book!