Title Wave

With new purchases, replacement copies, and donations pouring in to our tiny teen space, our collection is overflowing. I'm begging you to get in here and check some books fast!

FICTION

• Going Bovine by Libba Bray
• One Wish by Leigh Brescia
• The Rule of Claw by John Brindley
• Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon
• If I Stay by Gayle Forman
• My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald
• Liar by Justine Larbalestier
• Bloodline by Katy Moran
• The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)
• Blood Captain by Justin Somper (Vampirates)
• Inside Out by Terry Trueman
• Raven by Allison Van Diepen

NONFICTION

• Confessions of a High School Word Nerd: Increase Your SAT Verbal Score while Laughing Your Gluteus Off edited by Arianne Choen and Colleen Kinder
• Is it Still Cheating if I Don't Get Caught? by Bruce Weinstein

From Jazz to Hip Hop

As a part of Upper Darby's Big Read program (9/21 to 10/16), The One Sun Lion Ra and DJ Brother Jamar are returning to Sellers Library to talk about the influence of jazz music on hip hop. The program is Wednesday night, September 30, from 7:00 to 8:00 in the main library. This is an all-ages program, so bring anyone who wants to come! Parents, siblings, neighbors, friends...everyone is welcome. You do not need to have read the Big Read book to attend. You know Ra and Jamar are always interesting!

If you are not already participating in the Big Read, you can pick up a free copy of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston at Sellers Library. Look for signs and bookmarks to find out about our other Big Read programs happening in the next few weeks, especially a visit by author Omar Tyree!!

new in town

hello all,
m name is writerlady and iam a new teen contributor to the library blog. i have no prefence as to what i write about so anything that comes to mind, or ticks me off, you're going to know about. i also will be reviewing any stories that i read and liked.
peace

New TAB Members

Last Sunday, the current members of the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) met to vote on new members for the 2009-10 school year. They had eleven applications, and ended up adding five new members. They also asked three other people to become auxiliary members.

The TAB plans many programs and raises money to help fund them. For the current schedule, they are sponsoring the prizes for the Teen Read Month contest and planning the New Moon Release Party. So, be sure to thank the TAB for helping us have better programs at the library!

2009-10 Teen Advisory Board members:

• Kaitlyn Barney, grade 11
• Amy Daley, grade 12
• Anas El-Sayed, grade 10
• Georgia Fortunato, grade 9
• Ranier Gran, grade 8 (new)
• Emily Kaplan, grade 10 (new)
• Judy Lam, grade 11
• Genni Naklicki, grade 9
• Elena Nasto, grade 9 (new)
• Busra Ozdener, grade 12 (new)
• Alexa Perotti, grade 12
• Christine Sangco, grade 11 (new)
• Stephanie Sarkodie, grade 12
• Nitha Viswanathan, grade 11

Happy Feet

Yesterday, nine intrepid teens came out to our Teen Tap class in the barn! It was great fun, and everyone learned something. We went from doing just basic heel and shuffle steps to actually performing a little routine during the 45-minute class. Maryann, the instructor, was really great and kept us moving the whole time. Now you know why tap is so enjoyable, and also such good exercise. (That was actually the point--the program was paid for by a Fit for Life grant with the goal of exposing people to easy ways to incorporate exercise into their lives.) I brought my tap shoes and participated too, since tap is one of my favorite things! There are no pictures of me, but here are some of the rest of the group:

And the Award Goes to...

Back in August, our Teen Advisory Board and friends gathered to eat pizza and vote on the winners of a video contest that Bucks County Libraries ran for their teens this summer. The contest was to make a one-minute public service announcement (PSA) for next summer's reading theme Make Waves @ Your Library. They had over 20 entries and we had fun watching them all. It was hard to pick a winner, but luckily we were able to award some smaller prizes along with the grand prize.

Anyway, on Monday night I drove out to the Yardley-Makefield Branch for their awards ceremony. They decorated their program space like it was the Oscars, with a red carpet, movie snacks, balloons, and swag bags for everyone. Some people even got dressed up, which was fun. The best part was that I got to present the grand prize of $2500 to the winner we selected! Tim said that he made over 600 separate frames of animation to create his winning video, which is just amazing. It took him almost the whole summer to complete it. He definitely deserved the grand prize! I also enjoyed meeting the "towel guys," who were really funny and personable. They offered to send autographed pictures to their fans at our library. It was a lot of fun to meet all the teens who created the videos!

Here are the winners we selected:

Grand Prize--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2vlQScdOOA
Honorable Mention--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k94PIlxHkGw
Most Humorous--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JECVRNHVsqc
Most Professional--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhhB1tTxPcs
Best Use of Theme--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8ZqcBRyDoQ
Best Costumes--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=842EkeopVaM

They had a bunch of swag bags leftover from the event, so I got to bring home one for each person who helped judge the contest. I will give them to you as I see you in the next few weeks. All the librarians up there were grateful for our help in judging because they thought the decisions would have been too hard for them!

This is our voting group, including members of the TAB, book groups, and gaming club.

It is a rule that any serious group picture should always be followed by a silly one.

Book Roundup

I have not had time for much book blogging recently, so I am going to give a roundup of several titles in one post. These are all books recently read by our three teen discussion groups. (Click on the book covers to see which libraries have them.)

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Read by Primos Young Adult Book Group and Sellers Read & Rant Book Group

In a future society based on appearance, everyone undergoes massive plastic surgery when they turn 16 to become a "pretty." Tally has been eagerly looking forward to her 16th birthday, but a budding friendship with Shay has introduced her to a whole new idea: staying ugly and joining an outpost of others who have refused the surgery. In this dystopian novel of escapades and escapes, friendship and betrayal, it becomes increasingly clear that looks aren't everything. And once you've read this one, you'll want to find out what happens to Tally and Shay in Pretties, Specials, and Extras. This is a series that I have read, enjoyed, and recommended to a lot of people over the years. Also, take time to visit Scott Westerfeld's blog...he always has interesting things to say, plus he has a new book coming out!!

Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
Read by Sellers Book Grub Book Group

Josephine has always been surrounded by strong women and has grown into her own feisty personality. Now in her senior year of high school, Josephine's worldview is severely challenged when her biological father returns to town. Throw in two very different guys vying for her attention, long-held family secrets, and a dash of racism and politics, and it's obvious why Josephine is determined to express her indepence. Some of the cultural references in this book are funny since it was orginially published in the early 1990s in Australia, but the characters and their complicated relationships are more than enough to keep you interested in the story. You could also track down the movie, released in 2000. Melina Marchetta also wrote Saving Francesca, a previous Book Grub favorite, and Jellicoe Road, which won the 2009 Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.

Leepike Ridge by N. D. Wilson
Read by Primos Young Adult Book Group

Eleven-year-old Tom has explored all around the mountain where he lives in a strange house chained to the top of a rock. But, riding a piece of styrofoam down the river, he is sucked down an underground waterfall deep into the heart of the mountain. Injured and fighting for his very survival, Tom grows less and less hopeful of finding a way out. A dead body, a dog, some crawfish, and mysterious stranger prove key in keeping him alive, and
what they discover in the mountain could change American history forever. In the tradition of many other survival adventure stories from the classic Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe to the more recent Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, this book is full of edge-of-your-seat moments as you root for Tom to make it out alive.

Alice, I Think by Susan Juby
Read by Sellers Read & Rant Book Group

Homeschooled by her hippie mother and preoccupied father, 15-year-old Alice realizes that her family has in no way prepared her for real life. She has no friends, no boyfriend, no job, and no social skills. Alice doesn't even know how to use the internet! What's a girl to do? Create a list of life goals and try to accomplish them, of course. Told from Alice's point of view, this book hilariously chronicles her attempts to overcome 15 years of social poverty and take the world by storm with her sense of fashion and ironic cultural criticism. If you liked this book, look for the sequels: Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last and Miss Smithers. And, look for the TV series based on the books, which aired in Canada for one seasion of 13 shows in 2006.

Harry Potter Theme Park!!

Yesterday, Universal Studios announced more details of their plans for a Harry Potter section of their Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando! OK, so it's obviously more connected to the movies, but I still think we should celebrate amusement rides and attractions that are based on a series of books.

This will be an amazing immersion experience for fans of the books and movies, with the centerpiece being Hogwarts castle. Called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the area will draw on parts of all the stories to create a comprehensive experience. Click on the "Map" link on the website to open a cool Marauder's Map that will show you all the planned attractions. Also, check out this "first look" video to see some of the buildings and get a preview of the rides.

The only thing I think is missing is some kind of Quidditch experience, and that may be included in the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride. Of course, I would have loved to see some of the shops of Diagon Alley, but the setting for this world is Hogwarts and its surroundings, so that wouldn't make sense.

It's opening in the spring of 2010, so who wants to plan a trip?!?!

Blog Poll: Favorite Summer Program

Our blog poll recently asked readers to select their favorite special program that we held over the summer. Only 16 people voted, but Nintendo Night was the clear favorite! Here are the results:

The One Sun Lion Ra and DJ Brother Jamar--0 (0%)
Dance in Egypt--0 (0%)
Winter in July--1 (6%)
Nintendo Night--5 (31%)
Outdoor Crafts--0 (0%)
Accessory Swap--0 (0%)
Project Runway--2 (12%)
Rock Band/Guitar Hero/DDR--2 (12%)
Board Game Blast--0 (0%)
Summer Reading Prize Party--1 (6%)
I didn't attend any of these programs.--2 (12%)
I don't live near Sellers Library.--3 (18%)

Teen Fall 2009 Schedule

SPECIAL EVENTS

Dance Dance Revolution
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 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. Register now.

New Moon Release Party
Friday, November 13, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Get ready for the second movie in the Twilight saga at our special event! Enjoy games and activities related to the books and movies. Sponsored by the Teen Advisory Board. Registration begins October 12.

Accessory Swap & Fashion Movies
Wednesday, November 11, 1:30 to 5:00
Trade in your old accessories and leave with a whole new look! Choose one new item for every item you bring to swap. Just stop by, or stay to watch 13 Going on 30 (PG-13) and Confessions of a Shopaholic (PG). UD students have the day off, and everyone else is welcome come after school. No hair items, hats, or shoes. Swap accessories must be in good condition. Registration begins October 12.

Rock Band Jam Session
Wednesday, November 18, 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Rock out on the Wii with Rock Band 2 and The Beatles: Rock Band! Come by yourself or with your band members. Registration begins October 12.

Drop-In Craft: DIY Tie Dye
Wednesday, November 25, 1:30 to 4:30 pm
Give new life to a boring white 100% cotton item! Bring something from home, or use something small from us. No registration, just drop by anytime.

Teen Movie: Shall We Dance? (PG)
Friday, November 27, 1:00 to 3:00 pm
In this cute romantic movie, a successful but unhappy Japanese accountant finds the missing passion in his life when he secretly takes ballroom dance lessons. Since it is in Japanese with English subtitles, it’s perfect for viewing before monthly anime club meeting! Registration begins November 2.

Craft Closet Cleanout
Wednesday, December 23, 3:00 to 5:00 pm
Make something you missed or make something totally new. You never know what we’ll pull out of the attic! Registration begins November 30.

Book Swap & Jane Austen Movies
Wednesday, December 30, 1:00 to 4:30 pm
Trade in your old books for new reads, watch Emma (PG) and Clueless (PG-13), and eat food! Stop in just to swap, or hang out for the whole event. Swap books should be intermediate or young adult fiction in good condition. Registration begins November 30.


FIT FOR LIFE
These wellness-oriented teen programs will have 45 minutes of instruction followed by healthy snacks. Fit for Life programs in Delaware County are sponsored by Libraries for the Future, the program division of Americans for Libraries Council, and MetLife Foundation.

Tap Dancing
Wednesday, September 23, 3:30 to 4:30 pm
No tap shoes required! Tap dancing is a fun, low-impact form of exercise that you can enjoy with just a few basic steps and patterns. This class will be held in our barn. Register now.

Women’s Self Defense
Wednesday, November 4, 3:30 to 4:30 pm
Open to both teens and adults, this class will help you learn to stay safe in the neighborhood. Registration begins October 12.

NIA for Teens
Wednesday, December 2, 3:30 to 4:30 pm
NIA is a wellness program that incorporates dance arts, healing arts (Yoga and Pilates), and martial arts. Registration begins November 2.


READ BEYOND REALITY
Teen Read Week isn’t long enough, so this year we’re making all of October Teen Read Month!

Teen Read Month Contest
Every time you check out books from our teen section or attend a special Read Beyond Reality program during October, you will receive one entry for our book store gift card drawing. At the end of the month, you could win a $25, $15, or $10 just for using our library! This program is sponsored by the Teen Advisory Board.

Zine Workshop
Wednesdays, Oct. 7, 14, & 21, 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Are you a writer or artist? Join the underground magazine movement! Get creative with your work and get published in our library zine. In celebration of Teen Read Month, the theme for this edition of the zine will be Beyond Reality. Participants must attend all three sessions. Register now.

Nintendo Night
Friday, October 9, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Bring your DS and Pokémon game (Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum) for a tournament, enter a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament on the big screen, play our new The Beatles: Rock Band game, and try out an original NES game system! DS players provide their own gaming materials. Permission slip required. Event size limited to 36 participants. Register now.

Book Swap & Altered Reality Movies
Saturday, October 17, 1:00 to 4:00 pm
Trade in your old books for new reads, watch Beetlejuice (PG) and Ghostbusters (PG), and eat food! Stop in just to swap, or hang out for the whole event. Swap books should be intermediate or young adult fiction in good condition. Registration begins September 21.

Embellished Tote Bag Craft
Wednesday, October 28, 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Change your reality by using fewer plastic bags. Embellish a cute retro tote bag with beads, then use it when you shop or check out library books! Registration begins September 21.


RELATIONSHIP CLASSES
These programs are provided free of charge by the Delaware County Domestic Abuse Project. Registrations begin on November 2. For more info on the topic of dating violence, visit http://www.chooserespect.org.

Building Healthy Relationships
For students in grades 6 to 8 ONLY
Wednesday, December 9, 3:30 to 5:00 pm
It seems like everyone wants a boyfriend or girlfriend, but what exactly does that mean? Find out about the qualities of healthy and unhealthy relationships.

Love Is Not Abuse
For students in grades 9 to 12 ONLY
Wednesday, December 16, 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Learn about the forms and warning signs of dating abuse, how to help a friend who is being hurt, and how or when to call someone out if they are using harassing behaviors.


CLUBS

Gaming Club
Mondays, Sept. 28 to Dec. 28
3:30 to 5:00 pm (no meeting Oct. 19)
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! Permission slip required. Club size is limited. Registration is ongoing.

Anime Club
Fourth Fridays, Sept. 25, Oct. 23, Nov. 27
3:30 to 5:00 pm (no Dec. meeting)
The anime club meets once per month to watch and discuss great shows, participate in a drawing challenge, and learn about Japanese culture. Permission slip required. Club size is limited. Registration is ongoing.


BOOK DISCUSSION GROUPS
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.

Read and Rant Book Group
Third Fridays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Sept. 18, Oct. 16, Nov. 20, Dec.18
This group is accepting a limited number of new members in grades 7 to 9. Registration is ongoing until spaces are full.

Book Grub Book Group
First Fridays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Sept. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 6, Dec. 4
This group is accepting a limited number of new members in grades 10 to 12. Registration is ongoing until spaces are full.

Primos Branch Book Group
Mondays, Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 16, Dec. 21
7:00 to 8:00 pm
Open to students in grades 6 to 12, this group meets at the Primos Library at 409 Ashland Ave., Primos, PA, 19018. Call them to register: 610-622-8091.

What's New

Here are the latest additions to our teen fiction shelves:

• Hunted by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast (House of Night series)
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (sequel to The Hunger Games)
• Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Missing series)
• The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
• Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger
• Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka
• Skunk Girl by Sheba Karim
• Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger
• Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Come in and check out something new!

Book Review: Along for the Ride

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

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

SUMMARY: Riding a bike is only one of the many things Auden has missed out on in the past 17 years. Even before her parents' divorce, she was cast in the role of little adult, never making waves, focusing on academics to please her demanding mother and missing out any kind of a social life. Now she's spending the summer before college in a tiny beach town with her father and his new wife and baby. A job at a trendy boutique introduces her to the world of girls, and their friendships, converstations and romances. And friendship with Eli, an intriguing loner, begins a quest for Auden to recapture the fun she missed in her childhood and teenage years. It may be true that anything can happen at the beach in the summer. (adapted from the inside cover)

OPINION: This book made me want to have an IHDP (Impromptu Hot Dog Party), and maybe a food fight to go with it! Sarah Dessen always manages to create believable characters that I would like to get to know (and I don't just mean Eli). As a night owl, I think Auden and Eli's late-night ramblings sound like a perfect way to pass the time. The cover is cute, but misleading because this story is not just fluff (and Auden would never be caught dead in a pink polka dot dress). There are plenty of family issues explored, especially as Auden has a front-row seat to her father and stepmother's struggles with a new baby in the house. And the idea of finding a balance between academic and social life affects everyone in high school and college. The book did wrap up a little too neatly at the end (lots of relationships), and the epilogue from college seemed unnecessary, but over all I would say this is an easy read with plenty of substance. Whether you are already a Sarah Dessen fan or picking up her books for the first time, this one is worth the effort.

Summer Stats

I could tell it was a busy summer here just by looking at the teen shelves. They are usually bursting at the edges, but all summer long there was plenty of space. I even brought extra books out of storage to fill them up! And what books were on the shelves were always a mess, which means people were in there looking for things. Now I have proof of what a busy summer it was.

Guess how many books were checked out of our teen section from June 1 to August 31, including fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, and audiobooks. Come on, just guess.

More than 1000.

More than 2000.

More than 3000.

The total is 3205!!!!

This is about 600 more than last summer and almost 1000 more than summer 2007. With 151 teens reading 2687 books in our summer reading club, it's good to know that a lot of them came from here! You are amazing readers.

Please don't stop coming in just because school is starting. We are always getting new books, so drop by and check something out every once in a while!

Catching Fire Releasing Today!

Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games, is in bookstores today!!!

NPR had an interesting article today about violence in teen books, featuring Suzanne Collins talking about Catching Fire. And, if you scroll down on the page, you can listen to chapter two of the book.

Also, check out the website that Scholastic created for the series. It has some great video clips, including two promos for Catching Fire! (And, just like YouTube, you can click on an icon to watch them at full-screen size.