Final Gift Card Donation Update

After a month of collecting used gift cards, the Teen Advisory Board has raised $109.47 to support our summer reading programs! About $80 of this was in gift cards, so we will be combining them all into $5 cards for to use as weekly prizes for summer reading. We are also grateful for an unexpected cash contribution that we will apply toward a special event. Huge thanks to all of the patrons and staff who generously donated to us!

Hack-Proof Your Passwords

Since the beginning of the internet, people have been using east-to-remember passwords. Last month, a hacker stole a giant list of passwords from a software company and it revealed some very interesting data to the public. The most common passwords in this list were 123456, 12345, and 123456789. Not very creative, hmmm? Check out this article for the full story:

If Your Password Is 123456, Just Make it HackMe

It is hard to remember all the different passwords you create for various sites, so it is tempting to only use a few simple ones over and over again. However, it is a good idea to use longer and more challenging passwords to help stop hacking on everything from Facebook to email to online banking.

Some tips:

• Use longer passwords. Every extra character adds security.
• Do not use the password suggestions generated by a site.
• Don't just use words, like "iloveyou" or "password."
• Don't use your name or initials.
• Do not use easy-to-guess combinations of numbers like years or birthdates.
• Use a mixture of capital and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols.

For example, if your password is "princess," you could change it to something like "Pr!nc3ZZ." You could even add some extra symbols or numbers to the beginning or end to make it longer. It's still easy to remember, but it's a lot harder to hack!

Brain Break, Part 2

Last Wednesday was our second Brain Break program, and 19 people stopped by. Actually, almost everyone stayed for the entire time! It was pretty much a repeat of last week, with Rock Band, fingerpainting, sand art, crazy Mr. Potato Heads, and board games out to pass the time and provide stress relief. This week, I baked brownies and iced some sugar cookies as our special comfort food. We also had chips and dip, M&Ms, cheese curls, hot chocolate, hot tea, and iced tea.
Although this event was aimed at Prendie and Bonner students who had exams this week, we ended up with a mixture of students from both public and private middle and high schools. Everyone seemed to have fun, even though one of our Rock Band guitars died. Fingerpainting was especially popular, with creations that ranged from ironic to masterful to just plain overenthusiastic. Thanks to TAB members Elena, Busra, Genni, Kaitlyn, and Christine for showing up and helping everyone feel welcome.

PHOTOS FROM THE CRAZY MR. POTATO HEAD CONTEST:

After her "Fail Potato" entry from last week, Laurel won this week with "Armed and Dangerous"!

A wacky potato with a pierced, pizza-carrying arm where the nose should be.

King of the Pirate Hippies

This potato is so weird-looking, and yet somehow very appealing. I love the arm and moustache on the head.

A four-armed, pierced pizza princess!

This one looks like some kind of British lord with a penchant for women's jewelry.

Book Review: I So Don't Do Mysteries

I So Don't Do Mysteries by Barrie Summy
Click on the cover to find a library copy.

SUMMARY: About to be shipped off to San Diego while her widower dad goes on his honeymoon, seventh-grader Sherry(short for Sherlock) Holmes Baldwin prepares to put up a fight when she is contacted by her mother's ghost. Killed in the line of duty, her cop mom is flunking out of an afterlife law-enforcement academy, and she needs Sherry's help to crack a case at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. So what if Sherry, a self-proclaimed screw-up, is nothing like Nancy Drew? (This is the summary from Publisher's Weekly taken from Amazon. com.)

OPINION: This was a good read, I really liked the fact that even if Sherry was always doubting herself, she wanted to help her mom and that allowed her to get over her inability to take on situations. Things are helped by the fact that there's a super cute guy in the picture. You'll find yourself very happy you took the time to read this story and I look forward to reading the other two books in the series.

Brain Break!

On Wednesday, January 27, the Teen Advisory Board will host their second Brain Break program from 2:00 to 5:00 pm. If you are worn out from end-of-the-semester projects and tests, drop in to de-stress and regress with us! Play Rock Band, finger paint a masterpiece, make a sand art keychain, and enter our crazy Mr. Potato Head contest. Of course, there will be plenty of comfort food. Bring your friends! Everyone in grades 6 to 12 is welcome, and there is no registration.

Book Review: The Stolen One

The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley
Click on the cover to find a library copy of the book.

SUMMARY: Kat's true identity is a secret, even from her. All she has ever known are Grace and Anna and their small village. Kat wants more - more than hours spent embroidering finery for wealthy ladies and more than Christian, the gentle young farmer courting her. But there are wolves outside Grace warns. Waiting, with their eyes glowing in the dark . . . and Grace has given Kat safety and a home when no one else would. Then a stranger appears in their cottage, bringing the mystery of Kat's birth with her. In one night, Kat's destiny finds her. She will leave. She will journey to London, and her skill with the needle will attract the notice of the magnificant Queen Elizabeth - and of the wolves at court. She will discover what Grace would never tell her. Everthing will unravel. (from the inside flap)

OPINION: Do not write this off as another boring historical fiction novel! Yes, it is set in Elizabethan England, but the intrigue and romance could be straight out of any contemporary story. Richly imagined from a real footnote of history, the characters are compelling and mysterious. It seems that everyone has secrets to keep, including Kat. When two rapid deaths catapult the plot from country poverty to courtly wealth, Kat soon learns that it will take all her cunning to find the information she seeks without giving too much of herself in return. The only thing that could have made this book better was if it could have included pictures of Kat's embroidery and the clothing she created. I would have loved to see everything from her sketch book to her dress for the queen! If you are a fan of series like The Luxe or The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, you will love the lush historical setting for this engaging story.

Gift Card Donation Update #3

As of today, the Teen Advisory Board's gift card donation fundraiser has gathered $97.66 to support the 2010 summer reading program! We hung up signs asking for donations of partially used gift cards, and have received some new and used from both patrons and staff. Last week, I opened a donation envelope and found a check from a library patron, which was really unexpected and very generous!

Want to know how this program works? Check out my original post. We are taking donations through January 31.

More New Books

Another pile of items has just come through processing, so look for these books in the teen section:

FICTION

• Waves by Sharon Dogar
• Pop by Gordon Korman
• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking series; second copy)
• The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking series)

NONFICTION

• Privacy, Please! Gaining Independence from Your Parents by Odile Amblard
• Preparing for College: Practical Advice for Students and Their Families by John J. Rooney and John F. Reardon
• Which Way to the Wild West: Everything your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You about America's Westward Expansion by Steve Sheinkin
• Drawing in Color by Kathryn Temple

Brain Break, Part 1

Yesterday, 24 teens stopped by to participate in the Teen Advisory Board's Brain Break program. The TAB planned this program as a drop-in day to help provide stress relief during exams, and I think it worked! Some people stayed the entire time and some came for a short time, but it was fun for everyone. We played Rock Band II and Rock Band: The Beatles, made sand art keychains, fingerpainted some amazing artwork, played board games, and had a crazy Mr. Potato Head contest. There was also a lot of comfort food, including cupcakes and cookies made by me, hot chocolate and hot tea, chips and dip, and M&Ms. Everyone left with a little container of Play Dough and several people checked out books from our display of new items.

Special thanks to Emily and Jasmine, who showed up early to help me set up and stayed for the whole program. Also, thanks to TAB members Nitha, Alexa, Anas, Amy, Busra, and Katie for hanging out at the event and making people feel welcome.

Don't worry if you missed it because we will be doing it again next Wednesday, January 27, from 2:00 to 5:00. Repeat visitors are also welcome, so come by anytime and bring your friends.

PHOTOS FROM THE CRAZY MR. POTATO HEAD CONTEST

Anas won our contest with this cross-dressing detective. He won a mug of study supplies, including a $5 gift card to Wawa.

Nitha's potato has problems...

I liked the hot dog hat on this one.

Hmmm. I'd like to say that Laurel was imitating Picasso, but I think she just might be crazy.

Only the coolest princesses wear sneakers!

This spud has a big brain, but no common sense when it comes to fashion.

Everything men can do, women can do backwards and in high heels. (That is according to Alexa who made this one.)

This understated entry was my second favorite. I love the combination of the peg leg, ear muffs, crown, and arms.

New Series from Rick Riordan

Now that the Percy Jackson books are complete, Rick Riordan is at work on a new series. Called The Kane Chronicles, the series will follow the adventures of a brother and sister and will incorporate Egyptian mythology. The Red Pyramid, the first book in the series, will be released on May 4. While you're waiting, check out the animated book cover and read an excerpt!

And the Winners Are...

Today, the American Library Association announced the winners of its Youth Media Awards. They give out many awards for everything from nonfiction to audiobooks, but the most famous are definitely the Caldecott and the Newbery. Here are some of the award winners of teen interest:

Michael L. Printz Award (given for excellence in literature written for young adults)

• Winner: Going Bovine by Libba Bray
• Honor: Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
• Honor: The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey
• Honor: Punkzilla by Adam Rapp
• Honor: Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance, 1973 by John Barnes

The Schneider Family Book Award is given for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience. The winner in the young adult category was Marcelo in the Real World written by Francisco X. Stork.

Walter Dean Myers won the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. He has written many exceptional books for teens including Fallen Angels, Monster, and Sunrise Over Fallujah.

The William C. Morris Award honors a book written by a first-time author for young adults. This year's winner was Flash Burnout written by L.K. Madigan.

The Odyssey Award is given for excellence in audiobook production and is not age-specific. One of the honor audiobooks was In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber by L. A. Meyer.

Look for these books at the library!

Board Game Blast

On Friday, 9 teens showed up for our winter board game event. However, we made enough noise for about 20 people, so it all worked out. One group played an epic game of Lord of the Rings Risk, and the rest of us played Scattergories and Apples to Apples. Both of the word games caused random outbreaks of singing, and even dancing. I learned that Billy has some pretty convincing Michael Jackson dance moves! We will definitely have more board game events later in the year, so check the schedule.

This random picture from that event has nothing to do with games. It has everything to do with ninjas.

Books to Movies in 2010

A new year means lots of books are coming to a theater near you! I included all books with teen interest, not just those that were published for young adults, so there is something for everyone. I can't vouch for their quality, but look for these movies through the year and make your own judgments:

• January 15: The Lovely Bones (book by Alice Sebold)
• February 5: Dear John (book by Nicholas Sparks)
• February 12: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (book by Rick Riordan)
• March 5: Alice in Wonderland (book by Lewis Carroll)
• April 2: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (book by Jeff Kinney)
• April 2: The Last Song (book by Nicholas Sparks)
• June 30: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (book by Stephenie Meyer)
• July 30: Beastly (book by Alex Flinn)
• September 17: Flipped (book by Wendelin Van Draanen)
• November 19: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (book by J. K. Rowling)
• December 10: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (book by C. S. Lewis)
• December 22: Gulliver's Travels (book by Jonathan Swift)

(There will be several hightly-anticipated comic book movies out this year as well. I didn't include them because they will all be R-rated as far as I could tell.)

Words of the Day

I was just looking at a list of synonyms for the noun mischief, and so many of them are fun to say that I had to share them here:

• frolicsomeness
• mischievousness
• monkeyshines
• prankishness
• rascality
• roguishness
• shenanigans
• tomfoolery
• waggishness

There now, don't you feel smarter and more happy after saying those?

Winter 2010 Program Schedule

The complete winter program schedule is now available! Here's what we're doing from now until the end of March:

DROP-IN DAYS
No registration, just come by anytime and bring your friends! The hours are long because everyone’s schedules are different.

Brain Break
Wednesdays, January 20 AND 27
2:00 to 5:00 pm
Get your nose out of your books for our exam stress
relief program! Play Rock Band, finger paint a masterpiece, make a sand art keychain, and enter our crazy Mr. Potato Head contest. Of course, there will be plenty of comfort food. Sponsored by the Teen Advisory Board.

Winter Olympics
Wednesday, February 24, 2:00 to 5:00 pm
Play Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, enter our medal count contest, test your trivia knowledge, enjoy wintry snacks, and more! This is an early-out day for UDHS.


RANDOM-A-THON
Teen Advisory Board Fundraiser
Saturday, February 27
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Ask for hourly pledges from family and friends, then come to our event for as long as you can! The longer you stay, the more money you’ll help raise for teen programs and activities. Pass the time with all kinds of library activities, including video games, reading, crafts, and board/card games. Register and pick up a participation packet with more information starting February 1.


SPECIAL EVENTS

Board Game Blast
Friday, January 15, 6:30 to 8:30
Do you want to try out a new game? Do you have an old favorite to share? Bring your own or use ours, hang out with your friends, eat snacks, and win prizes! Register now.

Yu-Gi-Oh Tournament
Friday, January 29, 6:00 to 8:30 pm
Prepare your deck! Duel in our single-elimination Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament to test your mastery. We will be playing the advanced version, so make sure you know the rules and which cards are allowed. Permission slip required. Program size limited to 32 participants. Players supply their own decks. Register now.

Movie: Remember the Titans (PG)
Wednesday, February 3, 3:30 to 5:00 pm
What better way to prepare for the Superbowl than with a football movie!? Remember the Titans is an uplifting story of a football team struggling to work together during their first year after school desegregation. Even if you are not a football fan, there is a lot to love about this movie. Register now.

Victorian Valentines
Wednesday, February 10, 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Take the time to make your own fancy Valentines for friends and family. We will provide the paper, ribbons, lace, flower petals, and other supplies; you supply the inspiration! Register now.

Un-Valentine’s Day Party
Friday, February 12, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Hate Valentine’s Day? Wish there was an alternative to flowers, candy, and true love? Come to our party! Sponsored by the Teen Advisory Board. Register now.

Dance Dance Revolution
Wednesday, February 17, 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 once. Dance for fun, or enter our contest. Permission slip required. Register now.

Recycled Pop-Top Bracelet Craft
Wednesday, March 3, 3:30 to 5:00 pm
We’ve been saving metal soda can tabs for ages, and we finally have enough to do this craft! We will color the tabs, then overlap them into a fashionable bracelet. Registration begins February 1.

St. Patrick’s Day Party
Wednesday, March 17, 3:30 to 5:00 pm
Join us after school for St. Patrick’s Day games, food, crafts, and prizes. Be sure to wear your green! Registration begins February 15.


TEEN TECH WEEK
Learn Create Share @ Your Library
March 7 to 13, 2010

Oscar Party
Friday, March 5, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Celebrate Hollywood at our first-ever Oscar party! Enjoy games, a digital scavenger hunt, crafts, movie clips, and snacks. Lots of prizes and swag will be given away. Be sure to dress to impress the paparazzi on the red carpet! Sponsored by the Teen Advisory Board. Registration begins February 1.

YouTube Viewing Party
Wednesday, March 10, from 3:30 to 5:00 pm
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 February 1.

Nintendo Night
Friday, March 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Bring your DS and favorite games, enter a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament on the big screen, play games on an original NES, and more! Permission slip required. Registration begins February 1.


CLUBS

Gaming Club
Mondays, Janaury 4 to May 24
3:30 to 5:00 pm (no meetings 1/18 & 2/15)
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
Fridays January 29, February 26, March 26
3:30 to 5:00 pm
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 read and discuss at the next meeting. *Due to various holidays, some book group meetings will not fall during their regular weeks.

Read and Rant Book Group
Third* Fridays from 3:30 to 5:00 pm
January 22, February 19, March 19, April 23
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
January 8, February 5, March 5, April 9
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
Third* Mondays from 7:00 to 8:00 pm
January 25, February 22, March 15, April 19
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.

The Definitive Newest of the New Books

More books from our end-of-year purchasing are coming through, so look for these new additions to our teen collection:

FICTION

• The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill S. Alexander
• Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin
• Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
• Step to This by Nikki Carter (So for Real series)
• Tempted by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast (House of Night series)
• The Weirn Books by Svetlana Chmakova (Nightschool series)
• L. A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
• Girl Stays in the Picture by Melissa de la Cruz (Girl series)
• After by Amy Efaw
• See No Evil by Jamila Gavin
• Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz (Alex Rider series)
• Demon Chick by Marilyn Kaye
• Sanctuary by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely series)
• Hamlet by John Marsden
• Shooting Star by Fredrick McKissack
• The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
• Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Dairy Queen trilogy)
• Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists, and Other Matters Odd and Magical edited by Deborah Noyes
• Bait by Alex Sanchez
• Silksinger by Laini Taylor (Faeries of Dreamdark series)

NONFICTION

• The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr by Judith St. George

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Samurai 7, volume 1 by Akira Kurosawa
• World of Warcraft: Ashbringer by Micky Neilson

ESL (These teen books are kept with the ESL collection in the children's library)

• Amanecer by Stephenie Meyer (Breaking Dawn in Spanish)
• Crepúsculo by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight in Spanish)
• Eclipse en Español by Stephenie Meyer (Eclipse in Spanish)
• Luna Nueva by Stephenie Meyer (New Moon in Spanish)

Gift Card Donation Update #2

As of today, the Teen Advisory Board's gift card donation fundraiser has gathered $72.42 to support the 2010 summer reading program! We hung up signs asking for donations of partially used gift cards, and have received some from both patrons and staff. We did have a few generous donations of new gift cards, so that's why the total is higher than you might have expected.

Want to know how this program works? Check out my original post. We are taking donations through January 31.

January Teen Reads

The January Teen Scene email newsletter has a bunch of great titles to keep you reading the winter away! Several new books on the list caught my attention, including Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga and Everwild by Neal Schusterman (two of my favorite authors). I hadn't heard of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick before getting the email, but it's a paranormal romance that looks like a good read.

The newsletter also had a list of books with memorable first lines, including everything from the humorous Absolutely, Positively Not by David LaRochelle to the science fiction adventure of The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. My all-time favorite first line was not on this list, but it's from Feed by M. T. Anderson: "'We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck."

Get the Teen Scene book newsletter delivered to your inbox every month from the Delaware County Libray System. Just click on the Next Reads icon to sign up!

Newest of the New Books

A lot of things that we purchased at the end of the year are finally coming through processing, so look for these new items in the teen section:

• Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes
• The Glass Maker's Daughter by V. Briceland
• Stealing Death by Janet Lee Carey
• It Is What It Is by Nikki Carter (So for Real series)
• It's All Good by Nikki Carter (So for Real series)
• The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley
• Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
• Forest Born by Shannon Hale (Books of Bayern series)
• Return to Goosham Grange: The Unholy Grail by Anthony Horowitz
• Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy series)
• Riot by Walter Dean Myers
• Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle
• Max by James Patterson (Maximum Ride series)
• The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson
• This Full House by Virginia Euwer Wolff (Make Lemonade trilogy)
• Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Gift Card Donation Update

So far, the Teen Advisory Board's gift card donation fundraiser has gathered $54.85 to support the 2010 summer reading program! We asked for donations of partially used gift cards, and received some from both patrons and staff already. We did have a few generous donations of new gift cards, so that's why the total is higher than you might have expected.

Want to know how this program works? Check out my original post. We are taking donations through January 31.

Newest Books

Here are the newest of the new books for our teen section! Some are new purchases and others are review books that we got from DCLS. (We also just put out all of the items bought at the Barnes & Noble fundraiser day.) Check out a few things to keep you busy since it's so cold outside!

• The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
• Belle by Cameron Dokey
• The Homeschool Liberation League by Lucy Frank
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner (sequel to The Red Necklace)
• The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardings
• Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard
• Love Is the Higher Law by David Levithan
• Purge by Sarah Littman
• Witch and Wizard by James Patterson
• Sea of Love by Jamie Ponti
• Patterson Heights by Felicia Pride (Kimani Tru)
• Decision Time by Earl Sewell (Kimani Tru)
• Blackbringer by Laini Taylor (Faeries of Dreamdark series)
• Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff
• The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn