Relief-Painted Bottle Vases

Today we made relief-painted bottle vases at our outdoor teen craft event. The weather was much nicer than last week, and 26 people showed up! I've been collecting bottles for this project for ages and my office has looked like a recycling center, so I'm glad to get rid of them. The hardest part of the project was actually getting the labels off of the bottles! Anyway, at the event today, we just put blue painter's tape on the bottles, painted them with acrylic, and then peeled off the tape while the paint was still slightly wet. They turned out really nicely! The idea was modified from the book Eco-Craft, so you can check that out of the library if you're interested in doing this again or if you want to find more recycled crafts. Thanks to Anas, Arig, Genni, Katie, and Martha for showing up early to set up the materials.

Our new sign for the tent. Now people will know what we are doing...if they stop to read the sign before asking...

Fred and George model their smocks.

Bottles in various stages of work.

Some projects drying in the sun.

A few more projects

June Anime Club Drawing Challenge

The Anime Club met last Friday for the first time this summer. There were several new members, so that's always good. This month's random drawing theme was kawaii ("cute") animals. We had a lot of entries! Here are all the pictures:

by Nitha

by Nikki

by Madi

I forget who made this one. Sorry!

by Tracy

by Christine

by Laurel

by Kathy

by Genni

by Eric

by Christelle

by Max

by Sara

Summer Reading Winners, Week One

Today, I did a drawing for the first teen winners of the summer reading program! Keep entering your books...I will be giving away at least three prizes every week.

• Essence, grade 9, won a beach bag with two hardback books, candy, flip-flops, and a water bottle.
• Abdullah, grade 7, won a basket with two hardback books, candy, a water balloon kit, a card game, and a water bottle.
• Madi, grade 7, won a beach bag with two hardback books, candy, flip-flops, and a water bottle.

Great Scott!!

Today, 21 teens showed up for our Back to the Future movie marathon and book swap! We watched all three movies in a row, and most people stayed for all of them. I haven't seen the first two in a long time, and I never watched the third one, so it was a lot of fun! Through the day, 32 books were swapped, but Deisy brought in 14 of them. So at least she and her sister will have lots of new things to read!! We'll do another book swap and movie day in the fall, so look for it on the schedule.

Writer's Ink, Week One

Yesterday was the first day of Nitha's six-week writing workshop! Twelve people attended, which is a perfect size for this kind of program. Nitha planned several activities for the first week, but Pass the Buck was definitely the most popular. She gave everyone a piece of paper with a one-sentence plot summary on it, and they started the story. Every five minutes, the papers moved around the table until almost everyone wrote a part of each story. We read some out loud at the end, and they were hilarious! I am going to publish a few on the blog, and we will also include some of them in our writing anthology at the end of July. Hope to see you next week for playwriting and dialogue with our special guest, Caitlin Cieri!

Patriotic Tie-Dyed Shoelaces

Today, 20 people dropped by between 11:00 and 2:00 for our first teen craft of the summer! Even though there was a heat warning, we went ahead and set up the tie-dye outside. We had a canopy and a cooler of water, and there was a nice breeze and some cloud cover that helped it not feel so hot. Anyway, we had a great time hanging out and making the shoelaces, so I hope everyone's projects turned out well! Thanks to Christine and Laurel, TAB members who showed up early to set up the craft supplies. And thanks to everyone who stayed after to help me take it all down again!

See you next week for painted bottle vases. They are going to look really cool, and everyone gets to make two!!

Rubber banding the laces and putting them in the soda ash soak

Dyeing the laces

Finished projects, ready to go home

Luau Party

Tonight was our Luau Party to kick off the teen summer reading club, and 24 teens showed up! We started with a "Beach Blanket Bingo" introduction game, then decorated prize bags with Sharpies. Everyone got two special edition summer reading sheets that will be entered into a drawing for two tickets to Dorney Park! We watched a short clip from Beach Party, the 1963 flick that started the sand-and-surf movie trend. Later, we had a group contest to use toilet paper and crepe paper to turn one group member into a hula dancer. It was so funny! Owen's group won for having the most complete outfit, and Kaitlin got a prize for best hula dancing. Hula hooping was the surprise hit of the night, edging out several other planned activities. We had some serious competition and some general hilariousness! Janae won candy for her amazing tricks while hula hooping, including doing the Macarena, dancing the "running man" step, and getting on her knees and back up again. We also tried hula hooping with three hoops, and Grace H. won with a 19-second record. Owen won a prize for just being entertaining while hula hooping. We ended the night watching part of Lilo and Stitch while eating tropical fruit skewers and chips with salsa. Then we had a limbo contest, which went on way longer than I thought it would! I actually stopped it because I didn't want our last three contestants to get hurt, and I gave them all prizes. It was a great night! We'll have to do another luau in the future, because there were several activities that we didn't have time to do.

These girls dressed with luau flair!

Guess who?!

Decorating prize bags

Hula hoops

Three hula hoops!

A group working on their hula dancer costume

Some hula dancers!

Limbo

Best dressed!

Check These Out

Here's what we've added to the teen section:

FICTION

• Split by Awati Avasthi
• The Poison Eaters by Holly Black
• Runaway by Meg Cabot (Airhead series)
• Broadway Lights by Jen Calonita (Secrets of My Hollywood Life series)
• Paparazzi Princess by Jen Calonita (Secrets of My Hollywood Life series; replacement copy)
• Burned by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast (House of Night series)
• For the Win by Cory Doctorow
• For Keeps by Natasha Friend
• Virginia by Susan Hughes
• You Don't Know Me by David Klass
• Gone by Lisa McMann (Wake trilogy)
• The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephenie Meyer (Twilight Saga)
• All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall
• Split by Stefan Petrusha
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (second copy)
• A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whelan Turner (The Queen's Thief series)
• The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

NONFICTION

• Pocket Timeline of Islamic Civilizations by Nicholas Badcott

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. Ultimate Collection by Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen
• Tyranny by Lesley Fairfield
• Vampire Knight, volume 10, by Matsuri Hino
• Resistance, book 1, by Carla Jablonski and Leland Purvis
• Naruto, volume 48, by Masashi Kishimoto
• Bleach, volumes 30 and 31, by Tite Kubo
• Mercury by Hope Larson

Teen Summer Reading Club

The teen summer reading club starts today! Starting next week, I will do a weekly drawing for at least three winners. I have lots of things to give away! Some of the prizes you can win through the summer are...

• Beach bags or UDHS bags with books, candy, and more
• Baskets with books, candy, water balloons, and more
• Hardback books with $5 gift cards to various stores (from the TAB's winter gift card fundraiser...thanks, TAB members and library patrons!)
• Tickets to several local museums and attractions

Also, don't forget to visit your online account and add reviews to compete for the county's prizes! You could win a Nintendo DS, an iPod, a netbook computer, and more!!

DDR Day

On Wednesday, 19 people showed up for our end-of-school Dance Dance Revolution day. There was dancing, of course, but also board games, card games, and Mad-Libs. We did our usual mini-tournament, in which Owen edged out Ross for the closest final round ever! Both guys got candy, but only Owen got the glory and a $5 gift card to Wawa.

There is no DDR day on the program for summer, but I am doing Dance Away Your Fines on July 30 from 3:00 to 5:00. Every time you beat me at a song (and I will be playing on light), you will have $1 subtracted from your library fine!

Summer 2010 Schedule!

TEEN SUMMER READING

Read for school, read for fun, read whatever! From June 14 to August 21, fill out a sheet for every five age-appropriate fiction or nonfiction books, magazines, audiobooks, or graphic novels you read. They can be from the library or from your collection. Get a book and a free food coupon every time you turn in a slip, and get entered to win bigger prizes in our weekly drawings.

You can also keep track of your reading online.
Go to http://www.delcolibraries.org after June 1 and join the online teen summer reading club. For every review you write on the website, you will be entered to win great prizes sponsored by the Delaware County Library System.

You can participate both ways for twice the prizes! Just make sure you stop by Sellers to pick up your prizes for every five books throughout the summer.


SPECIAL EVENTS

Rock Band Jam Session
Wednesday, June 16, 3:00 to 5:00
Enjoy free play on all of our Rock Band games! Come by yourself or with your band members. Register now.

Luau Party
Friday, June 18, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Make Waves at our teen luau! Kick off the summer with games, sand art, a limbo contest, and more. Attendees will receive special summer reading sheets that, when returned, will enter you to win two tickets to Dorney Park. Register now.

Book Swap and Back to the Future Movies (PG)
Saturday, June 26, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Trade in your old books and watch all three Back to the Future movies. Stop in just to swap, or come and hang out. Snacks and drinks will be provided, but please bring a lunch if you are staying for the whole day. Swap books should be intermediate or young adult fiction in good condition. Register now.

Nintendo Night
Friday, July 9, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Enter a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament on the big screen, bring your DS and a Pokémon game for a mini-tournament, enjoy Rock Band, play games on an original NES, and more. Players provide their own gaming materials. Permission slip required. Event size limited to 36 participants. Register now.

Percy Jackson Night
Thursday, July 15, 6:30 pm
**For students entering grades 5 to 8 ONLY**
Enjoy games and activities about this popular book series and Greek mythology. Register now.

Dance Away Your Fines
Friday, July 30, 3:00 to 5:00 pm
Every time you beat the Young Adult Librarian at Dance Dance Revolution, $1 will be subtracted from your library fine. Start practicing now; the librarian will only be playing on the “light” setting. Amount of dance time depends on number of participants. Fine reduction applies only to the library card of the participant. No registration; just drop in.

Scary Stories with Vicky Town
Friday, July 30, 7:00 to 8:00pm
Storyteller Vicky Town will give you the chills! Enjoy tales of supernatural creatures and bizarre phenomena, along with some truly terrifying snacks. Registration begins June 28.

Pirate Party
Friday, August 13, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Avast, me hearties! Celebrate the end of our Make Waves summer in pirate style with the Teen Advisory Board. Enjoy games, crafts, movies, and snacks, and dress like a pirate to enter our costume contest. Registration begins July 19.


JUST FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 8 TO 12

Writer’s Ink Workshop
Wednesdays, June 23 to July 28, 3:00 to 5:00 pm
Do you love to write short stories, novels, poetry or even fanfic? Do you ever unleash your zany side and write about what it might be like to be a flying tree of awesomeness that traveled to Patagonia and found true love among a tribe of lackadaisical watermelons? If you haven't, you can now! Stretch yourself with creative writing exercises, hear guest speakers talk about their writing, share your work with others, and publish a literary magazine. This workshop will be led by Nitha V. for her high school senior project. Register now.

Special Book Discussion
Tuesday, July 27, 7:00 to 8:30 pm
Book group members, manga readers, and mystery lovers, this one’s for you. We will be reading Gaijin Girl: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall, a creepy teen murder mystery set at a Japanese boarding school. Everyone who registers will receive a free copy of the book! Registration begins June 28.


BOOK DISCUSSIONS
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.

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

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

Primos Branch Book Group
Third Mondays from 7:00 to 8:00 pm
June 21, July 19, August 16
Open to students entering 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.


CRAFTS

Outdoor Art Drop-In Days
Wednesdays, June 23 to July 28
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
The Teen Advisory Board is running six weeks of great teen craft projects. We will be setting up on the lawn next to the adult library, so look for our canopy. Each project will take about
1/2 hour, but some need extra drying time. Dress for a mess, or borrow a t-shirt smock from us. All craft materials provided.

· June 23: Make Patriotic Tie Dyed Shoelaces
· June 30: Paint a Bottle Vase
· July 7: Fingerpaint a Masterpiece
· July 14: Decoupage a Box
· July 21: Paint a Picture Frame
· July 28: Make Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag

Projects will be available until materials run out. In the event of rain, the week’s project will be cancelled and made available on August 4 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. No registration, just drop in each week.

Craft Closet Cleanout
Wednesday, August 25, 3:00 to 5:00 pm
After all the craft projects we’ve done, there are tons of leftovers. Stop by to make something you missed, or do something totally new. No registration, just drop in.


CLUBS

Gaming Club
Mondays, July 12 to August 30, 3:00 to 5:00 pm
Bring your Yu-Gi-Oh! deck, DS, PSP, or any other game 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 limited to 35 members. Registration is ongoing until spaces are full.

Anime Club
Fridays June 25, July 23, August 27, 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 limited to 25 members. Registration is ongoing until spaces are full.

May Anime Club Drawing Challenge

In honor of Memorial Day, last month's Anime Club drawing topic was "patriotic." The entries were really random! Here is some of the artwork created:

If the guy from One Piece helped us win WWII...

Kawaii presidents??

Nice hair!

A reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Hmmm...maybe we should have specified "American" patriotic!

TAB Graduates

Today was our final Teen Advisory Board meeting of the school year, which means we had to celebrate our three graduates! We are sending Alexa, Amy, and Stephanie off to college this year, and we will really miss them. Stephanie and Amy have been members since 2007, and Alexa has been on the TAB since it first started in 2004. We had cake, cards, and gifts today, so that makes it an official party. (That, and the dollar store tablecloths!) The TAB bought Borders gift cards and I put together a photo memory book for each of the girls. I keep digital pictures from all of the programs over the years, so it's fun to look back and see what we've done and how much they've changed! We also gave Stephanie and Amy their original TAB applications so we could laugh at their answers. Today was actually doubly special, because we welcomed three new members. Laurel, Christa, and Arig are joined the group just in time for the party, and we are looking forward to working with them more over the summer and through next year. Only one person couldn't be there, so it was nice to have nearly everyone in the same place at the same time. It's a rare occasion! Congratulations and lots of love and success to Alexa, Amy, and Stephanie!!!

The TAB

Oooohhh, shocking!

Book Grub Grads

It's that time of year again...we have to say good-bye to our Book Grub seniors! Although some will still be around through the summer, June is always our graduation party meeting. I made cupcakes (with help from Nat), and bought some other snacks. We heard from everyone about their plans for the summer and where they are headed in the fall. It's amazing to have such a diverse and talented group of library teens! We also talked over all the books the group read this year, and definitely heard some strong opinions. Here's what we read:

• July 2009: Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
• August 2009: Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
• September 2009: The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
• October 2009: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• November 2009: Impossible by Nancy Werlin
• December 2009: Paper Towns by John Green
• January 2010: Unwind by Neal Shusterman
• February 2010: The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
• March 2010: What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundel
• April 2010: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
• May 2010: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This was a really wide range of books, so I'm proud of us for not getting stuck in a reading rut this year! A lot of people said the one that stuck with them the most was Unwind, and I definitely agree with that. I liked looking back over the year and hearing everyone's overall opinions. It helps make the group better in the future (not that it isn't already awesome, of course). Anyway, congratulations and best of luck to our graduates!!!

Book Grub Grads: Martha, Alexa, Ashveen, Jeff, Anila, Busra, and Stephanie

We always have to do a silly picture!

Craft Closet Cleanout

Today, nine people dropped by for our spring edition of Craft Closet Cleanout. We forgot to make reminder calls, so that's a good effort by people who just remembered to show up! Everyone could choose to do either the main crafts I had out at the tables, or take their chances with a DIY project from the box. People made tissue paper flowers, jean leg autograph pillows, scratch-painted CD magnets, beaded flower hairpins, button earrings, painted star magnets, and more! I forgot to bring my camera, but everyone made at least two things. Emily's button earrings turned out especially well and got her complements when she wore them to school! I always like to hear craft success stories. Anyway, CCC will return at the end of the summer, so check the schedule.