Raiders of the Lost Ark

Last Friday, 13 teens showed up to watch the original Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was supposed to be the beginning of a weekend movie marathon, but very few people were available to watch the other movies so I cancelled them. We still had a great time, though, with comfy pillows, a pile of snacks, and an abundance of glow bracelets as trivia question prizes. I will try to reschedule the movie marathon for June, so look for it on the summer schedule!

Book Review: The Singing

The Singing: The Fourth Book of Pellinor by Alison Croggon

Click on the book to see which libraries own it.

SUMMARY: In an increasingly battle-ravaged land, Maerad and Cadvan, Hem and Saliman desperately search for one another as they make their separate journeys. The Black Army is advancing north, and even as Maerad faces a mighty confrontation with the Landrost to save Innail, all of the Seven Kingdoms are threatened with bitter and devastating defeat. Yet in Maerad and Hem lives the secret to the mysterious Singing, and legend holds that if they release the music of Elidhu together, they have the power to defeat the Nameless One. Can brother and sister find each other in time to fight this all-powerful enemy, and are they strong enough—even reunited—to defeat him before all is lost?

OPINION: First, I have to thank Marissa for getting a lot of us hooked on this series when the first book came out. This long-awaited conclusion to the Pellinor series does not disappoint, remaining both engaging and satisfying. You will want to curl up with this book and see the characters through to the end without stopping! The story picks back up with Maerad and Cadvan, even though the previous book followed Hem. However, a significant portion of the plot is also devoted to Hem and Saliman, as they desperately make their way toward Maerad in a last-ditch attempt to stop the advancing forces (literally) of the Dark. This story has all the trappings of questing fantasy, but Maerad is surprisingly introspective as well. She wrestles extensively with the ramifications of her powers, knowing that she has the capability to be just as evil as the Nameless One. Fighting, even for a good cause, can corrode the will and the spirit, and Maerad has to find the Balance even as she is coming into her full power for the first time. I don't want to spoil anything for you, but I think you will be happy with the ending, though probably wishing for more details that are not included. I hope Alison Croggon writes more books set in the Seven Kingdoms in the future!

THE SERIES: If you have not read the other books in this series, they are The Naming, The Riddle, and The Crow. We own them all, so come check them out. If you are a reader of epic fantasy, they are definitely worth your time.

Book Review: Beastly

Beastly by Alex Flinn

(Click on the cover to see which libraries own it.)

SUMMARY: A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster. You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell. Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly...beastly. (from the inside flap)

OPINION: The teen section is full of fairytale retellings, whether the versions are just moved to another setting or completely reimagined. Beastly is definitely of the genre, but I really liked the retelling from Beast's point of view. Rich-kid Kyle certainly deserves to have his good looks and freedom taken away, but he also has his own demons to confront in his new-found spare time as a beast. What makes this book work is the way Flinn updates the story to modern NYC, while still working in the key elements of the traditional Beauty and the Beast story. The way he meets "Beauty" is particularly appropriate, although sad. Guys and girls alike, check out this quick read for a contemporary take on a classic.

TTW Contest Winner!

Today at Gaming Club, I had one teen draw out the name of the Teen Tech Week Favorite Websites Contest winner...and it's Nitha V.! Nitha recommends http://www.dictionary.com, asking "Isn't it great to have an online dictionary? Plus, it wows the teacher when you put in 'smart people' vocabulary." Nitha wins a $10 gift card to Best Buy to get something techie, even if it's just a CD. Congrats!

Spring 2009 Program Schedule!

I just completed the spring program schedule, and there are several events that you can sign up for right now. Print copies of this schedule are available at the children's circulation desk. Here's all the info:

INDIANA JONES MOVIE MARATHON
Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28
Enjoy all three of the original movies on the big screen! We will provide the drinks, snacks, and prizes during all three movies. If you plan to attend both movies on Saturday, please bring a lunch.

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Friday, March 27, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Saturday, March 28, from 10:00 to 12:30

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Saturday, March 28, from 12:30 to 3:00

FIT FOR LIFE

Nutrition for Peak Performance
Wednesday, April 22, from 3:30 to 4:30
Attention athletes! Join a professional instructor to learn about nutrient intake goals for peak performance and growth. Get tips for pre and post competition meals and snacks, as well as meal suggestions to get the most out of training. The program will also address topics such as supplement use and disordered eating behaviors. Group size is limited. Register now.

Soul Dance Teens
Wednesday, May 20, from 3:30 to 4:30
Enjoy R & B music and learn basic dance steps and patterns for the latest craze: soul line dancing. A professional instructor will present this class, so you know you will learn some great dance moves! Registration begins April 13.

SPECIAL EVENTS

April Foolishness: Candy Sushi
Wednesday, April 1, from 3:00 to 5:00
Drop in to make candy sushi that looks like the real thing. Use it to trick your friends and family, or just enjoy eating it! No registration.

Book Swap & Jane Austen Movies
Wednesday, April 8, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm
It’s spring break! Trade in your old books for new reads, enjoy movies on the big screen, and eat food. We will do a double feature of Pride and Prejudice (PG) and Bride and Prejudice (PG-13)! Stop in to swap anytime, or stay and watch movies as long as you want. Register now. (Swap books should be intermediate or young adult paperback fiction in good condition.)

Rock Band II Jam Session
Wednesday, April 15, from 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Try out our new Rock Band II game for Wii! Come by yourself or with your band members. Register now.

Pokémon Night
Friday, April 17, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Bring your DS and a Pokémon game (Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum) for a tournament, play Pokémon Battle Revolution on the Wii, and win prizes! Permission slip required. Register now.

Dance Dance Revolution
Wednesday, April 29, from 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Show your moves at our Xbox DDR program! We will project the game onto the wall so four people can dance at a time. Dance for fun, or enter our contest. Permission slip required. Registration begins March 30.

Percy Jackson Night
Friday, May 1, from 6:30 to 8:30
The final Percy Jackson book will be released on May 5, so celebrate the series at our Greek mythology party. Enjoy crafts, activities, food, and more, and don’t forget your toga for our costume contest! Registration begins March 30.

Cute as a Button Jewelry Crafts
Wednesday, May 6, 3:30 to 5:00
Make rings, bracelets, earrings, and more to match your spring and summer outfits. Registration begins April 13.

YouTube Strikes Again
Wednesday, May 13, 3:30 to 5:00
We had so much fun at our last YouTube viewing party that we’re doing it again! Come share your favorite YouTube videos and win prizes. We will hook a laptop up to a projector so that everyone has a great view. Come prepared with ideas *appropriate* for the whole group. Registration begins April 13.

Craft Closet Cleanout
Wednesday, May 27, 3:30 to 5:00
After all the craft projects we’ve done, there are tons of leftovers. Come make something you missed, or create something totally new. Registration begins May 4.

Finals Week Stress Relief
Times and Dates TBA
Take time out from studying to relax! Stop by to enjoy free play on the Wii, as well as crafts of your childhood like fingerpaint and Play-Doh. Throw some velcro darts, make a squeezable stress ball, or just snack on some comfort food. Sponsored by the Teen Advisory Board. No registration, just drop in.

CLUBS & BOOK GROUPS

Gaming Club
Mondays, 3:30 to 5:00 pm (no meeting 5/25)
Bring your Yu-Gi-Oh! deck, DS, PSP, or any other game stuff you’re into. We'll also hook up the Wii or Xbox for multiplayer gaming. Hang out, relax, and play whatever you want! Players provide their own gaming materials. Permission slip required. Registration is ongoing, but club size is limited.

Anime Club
Final Fridays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm
March 27, April 24, & May 29
Join our anime club! We meet once per month to watch and discuss great shows, as well as do anime-related activities. If you like to watch or create Japanese-style animation, this club is for you! Permission slip required. Registration is ongoing.

Read and Rant Book Group
Third Fridays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm
March 20, April 17, May 15, & June 19
Get free books and free food! Every month, the group votes on a book, and the library buys them each a copy to discuss at the next meeting. This group is for students in grades 7 to 9. Registration is ongoing, but group size is limited.

Book Grub Book Group
First Fridays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm
March 6, April 3, May 1, & June 5
Get free books and free food! Every month, the group votes on a book, and the library buys them each a copy to discuss at the next meeting. This group is for students in grades 10 to 12. Registration is ongoing, but group size is limited.

Primos Branch Book Group
Third Mondays from 7:00 to 8:00 pm
March 16, April 20, May 18, & June 15
Get free books and free food! Every month, the group votes on a book, and the library buys them each a copy to discuss at the next meeting. Open to students entering grades 6 to 12, this group meets at the Primos Library at 409 Ashland Ave. in Primos, PA, 19018. Call them to register: 610-622-8091.

Book Review: Lifting the Sky

Lifting the Sky by Mackie D'Arge

Review by Stephanie S.

Lifting the Sky tells the story of Blue and her dreams of finally finding a place to belong. Blue's mom is always on the move and Blue is tired of it. All she wants is a place that she and her mother can live in for more than six months, and maybe a chance to meet the father she can hardly remember. This story was always sweet, with a dash of heartbreat. All through the pages, you get a hint that Blue is more than she seems but it's not until she meets Shawn that we discover what her true power is. This is a good book to read if you've got a few hours to spare and if you like history.

Book Review: My Fair Godmother

My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
Review by Stephanie S.

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

My Fair Godmother takes you into fairytales in a very unusual way. It takes the word literally and gives it a whole new, terrifying look. This book is about what happens when fairies have to go to school to get their wings and have trouble staying away from the mall. It also tells the story of Savannah and Tristan, two people more suited for each other than they think. The beginning starts off really well, but halfway through you get the feeling that the author is just going through the motions. I really wouldn't recommend this book, except maybe to people who like fairytale fantasy.

YouTube Viewing Party

Today, 19 teens came out to our YouTube Viewing Party, and that's even after I forgot to make reminder calls! We broke out the pillows and the snacks, then watched one video submitted by each person in the room. The rules were simple: it had to be "appropriate" and it had to fit into one of our categories. The categories were: humorous, sad, scary, political, musical, and animated. We saw a lot of humor, covering everything from Klay World: Pancake Mines to Monty Python's Dead Parrot Sketch to Jeff Dunham's crazy puppet comedy. After everything, six people went home with boxes of movie candy for winning in their categories.

To set up the event, I dragged my desktop computer, mouse, and keyboard upstairs and hooked it up to the projector and the speakers. Then, I connected it to the wireless internet. It was crazy looking, but it totally worked! Even though it was a lot of work to set this up, I totally want to do it again. Everyone was mad when they had to leave and they were all begging me to show more videos. So, look for another, longer YouTube Viewing Party again in the future!

Nintendo Night Suggestions

Some people at our Teen Tech Week Nintendo Night filled out a survey, offering their opinions on the event and ideas for future gaming events.

What they liked...

• Friendly gaming environment
• Evening program
• Having fun
• Doing well in a tournament
• Meeting new people

What they didn't like...

• Loudness
• Crowdedness
• Not doing well in a tournament
• Rudeness

Suggestions for another gaming event...

• Classics from the Wii virtual console
• Guitar Hero
• F-Zero GX
• Mario Galaxy
• Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz
• Pokemon Battle Revolution

It's Teen Tech Week!

Teen Tech Week (TTW) is a celebration of teens and technology (duh!) that runs from today until March 14. We kicked off TTW at little early with our Nintendo Night last Friday, but there are still several ways to celebrate this week.

1. Come to our YouTube Viewing Party on Wednesday, March 11, from 3:30 to 5:00. Show us your favorite *appropriate* video and win prizes!

2. Enter our Favorite Websites contest. You can enter every day this week by filling out a slip and putting it in the green box by the audiobooks. Daily winners will get candy, and everyone has a chance to win a gift card at the end of the week! Some sites will also get featured on the blog.

3. Visit the TTW book display in the teen area, where you can also get bookmarks and a list of suggested audiobooks.

Huge thanks goes to YALSA and the Verizon Foundation for their support of our TTW activities!!

Our TTW book display is on top of the graphic novel area. Check it out!

Teen Advisory Board

The 15 members of the Sellers Library Teen Advisory Board (TAB) just got this year's t-shirts! Anas did the artwork, and we all signed the back. Look for us in our shirts at TAB-sponsored events, fundraisers, or any library program.

Some TAB members model their new shirts.

Nintendo Night

Last Friday evening we hosted Nintendo Night, our Teen Tech Week kick-off event! An amazing 32 people showed up to enter our Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament on the Wii, and enjoy free play on another Wii and my original NES. We also organized a Pokemon tournament for DS users during the event! This is the first time we have ever set up two Wiis in one room, so I really appreciated everyone's patience and helpfulness when we had some crossover interference.

After many rounds, Mike emerged as the winner of the Brawl tournament and won a $25 gift card to GameStop. Maher came in second and won a $10 card. Everyone in the final four (Mike, Connor, Maher, and David) got candy. In the Pokemon tournament, David was victorious and won a $10 GameStop card. The final two in this tournament, Katie and David, also got candy.

Thanks to a Teen Tech Week Mini-Grant sponsored by YALSA and the Verizon Foundation, we were able to purchase new games and accessories for our Wii system to make Nintendo Night amazing!

Guitar Hero was a big hit with everyone.

Anyone can rock!

Some guys playing in the Brawl tournament, playing DS, or just watching.

A group tries out Mario Party 8.

Tournament and DS play happening in the same space!

Katie brought her crocheted Pokemon to display at Nintendo Night. Aren't they cool?

TTW Sunday Contest Winner

Connor S. is today's winner of the Favorite Website Contest candy drawing. Connor recommends Halopedia because it has "Halo stuff aplenty." This is a comprehensive encyclopedic site with over 5000 articles on various aspects of Halo gameplay, so check it out.

Our Hip Hop Program!

Last Wednesday, we hosted The One Sun Lion Ra and DJ Brother Jamar for an after-school hip-hop program. It was amazing! Although we got off to a slow start, once people downstairs heard the music they started wandering up to the program room. We ended up with 28 teens and 3 moms! Ra talked about how to present yourself as a performer in a positive manner and did several interactive performances. Jamar brought a full DJ set-up, complete with turntables and laptop. My favorite part was when Ra challenged Jamar to lay down a beat he couldn't flow to...and Jamar eventually came up with a song from the Charlie Brown Christmas album that caused Ra some pause. Thanks to the Delaware County Library System and a Fit for Life grant from Libraries for the Future for supporting this event! I hope to have Ra and Jamar come back this summer for another program.

Ra points at someone to add a word to his song.

The One Sun Lion Ra and D.J. Brother Jamar doing a performance.

Another shot of Ra interacting with the group.

Yet More New Books

We just can't stop getting new stuff! Here are the latest additions to the shelves:

FICTION

• A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
• The Singing: The Fourth Book of Pellinor by Alison Croggon
• Babylonne by Catherine Jinks
• Suite Scarlett by Marueen Johnson
• Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
• Amiri and Odette: A Love Story by Walter Dean Myers
• The Boxer and the Spy by Robert B. Parker
• Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi

NONFICTION

• The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
• Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman