What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

If you are starting to think about college or careers, try the Future Jobs-O-Matic!  Using current economic information and projections for next 10 years, over 250 careers are analyzed.  Find out which fields are growing and shrinking, and which pay the most.  This is a pretty cute gadget that has great info for your future.

I was happy to see that, despite people's love of Google and Wikipedia, that the Future Jobs-O-Matic says the field of librarianship will see a small amount of growth in the next 10 years.  I'm not obsolete!!!

Scary Movie Before a Holiday

Today, 26 teens came to the library for our showing of The Nightmare Before Christmas!  Some even showed up in costume...we had three Sailor Scouts and one (male) Ke$ha.  Some people had seen the movie many times, but it was the first time for others.  We put on the subtitles to encourage singing along! 

While watching the movie, we made shrinky-dink charms of the characters.  People traced a design or drew their own, then I baked them in my toaster oven.  They looked great!  Only one didn't turn out well, and that person was able to do another one, so it all worked out.

If you want to buy the paper to do this at home, it is available at A. C. Moore.  Michael's and Jo-Ann do not carry it in their stores.  You can also find it online by looking for the term "shrink film."  It costs about $5.00 for a pack of six sheets, but you can get four to six projects out of a single sheet. 

 Some shrinky-dinks before baking.  Each was the size of 1/4 sheet of paper.

 Morgan drew this amazing Lock without a model, let alone something to trace!

 Some completed shrinky-dinks.  They are all about the size of a $.50 coin.  We put them on big safety pins to attach to bags and zippers.

Two Sailor Scouts!

Picks for Red Ribbon Week

October 23-30 is Red Ribbon Week, celebrating drug-free, healthy lifestyles.  Check out these books to learn from the mistakes of others and develop strategies for your own life! 

• Candy by Kevin Brooks
• Smack by Melvin Burgess
• True Confessions:  Real Stories about Drinking and Drugs by John DeConsiglio
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Chasing the High:  A Firsthand Account of One Young Person's Experience with Substance Abuse by Kyle Keegan
• Dope Sick by Walter Dean Myers
• Wise Highs:  How to Thrill, Chill and Get Away from It All without Alcohol or Other Drugs by Alex Packer
• Big Book Unplugged:  A Young Person's Guide to Alcoholics Anonymous by John R.
• Street Pharm by Allison van Diepen
• Rooftop by Paul Volponi
• How I Made It to Eighteen:  A Mostly True Story by Tracy White (graphic novel)

Book Review: The Fool's Girl

The Fool's Girl by Celia Rees
Review by Arig
(Click here to find a library copy.)

SUMMARY:  After her uncle sells her to an ugly man who is hires and works with Jesuits, Violetta escapes to freedom. She reunites with her youth friend Feste and together they set out to England where they meet the famous Shakespeare. Will, walking home one day from a watching his play go wrong, stops and watches the two ‘men’ performing and capturing the crowd’s attention. He is fascinated and waits afterward to talk with the two men but only finds one guy and Violetta. He quickly tells them he’d buy them a drink and thus begins the journey of Duchessa Violetta.

Violetta, the daughter of Viola (known for her beauty and high spirits) is supposed to be the bearer of the cup that is the symbol of Illyria. Things go wrong when her friends Gudio, Feste, and Stephano all hear soldiers in the country murdering everyone in and out of their way. Violetta, although young, feels the devastation of the death of her mother. But her father isn’t that helpful. Many would say he has gone crazy or mad. In England, Feste takes the job offer from Will and becomes an actor, the clown needed in his play. Stephano and Gudio both ‘adopted’ became knights. Of course before leaving they gather the things Feste’s ‘mother’ had put aside for them. Violetta got the famous shew stone that everyone is dying to get their hands on.

Danger comes across Violetta and tags along with her when both Malvolio and Sir Andrew try to re-take her into their own custody and force her to marry someone she does not have feelings for or know. Stephano, her lover, Gudio, Feste, and Will all set out to help protect her and bring back the name of their beloved country. Traveling from place to place and almost getting caught many times, Violetta must hide and keep away from danger. Violetta must find a way to retrieve the cup of Illyria, do something with the shew stone, find who killed or kidnapped her mother, and get together with he admirer and heart’s desire. What will she do? How will she do it? And what are the risks she is willing to take to retrieve the cup? Is it worth it, even if it means her fate may be near?

OPINION:  5 stars. Great book, I loved it! It had great detail and the inclusion of William Shakespeare made me love it more because I’m not a big obsessive fan that understand his work.  :)  I think it was a great read. The story kept me on edge the whole time and I honestly didn’t put it down. I read it in one sitting.

Books with Beat: Non-Conformists

This year's Teen Read Week theme is Books with Beat, which can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. Look for these books in our teen collection!

MARCHING TO THE BEAT OF THEIR OWN DRUMMER

• Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci
• Deadline by Chris Crutcher
• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
• Paper Towns by John Green
• Alice, I Think by Susan Juby
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
• Hero by Perry Moore
• The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian
• Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught

Books with Beat: Hip-Hop

This year's Teen Read Week theme is Books with Beat, which can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. Look for these books in our teen collection!

HIP-HOP

• Caught Up in the Drama by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Good Girlz series)
• Tyrell by Coe Booth
• Understand Rap:  Explanations of Confusing Rap Lyrics You and Your Grandma Can Understand by William Buckholz
• Can't Hold Me Down by Lyah B. LeFlore (The Come Up series)
• The World Is Mine by Lyah B. LeFlore (The Come Up series)
• Bling:  The Hip-Hop Jewelry Book by Reggie Osse and Gabriel Tolliver
• How to Draw Hip-Hop by Damion Scott and Kris Ex
• Spin It Like That by Chandra Sparks Taylor
• Gangsta Rap by Benjamin Zephaniah

Books with Beat: The Beatdown

This year's Teen Read Week theme is Books with Beat, which can be interpreted in a lot of different ways.  Look for these books in our teen collection!

THE BEATDOWN:  AWARENESS ABOUT BULLYING, ABUSE, AND VIOLENCE

• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• Breaking Point by Alex Flinn
• Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
• Endgame by Nancy Garden
• Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner
• Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
• Things Change by Patrick Jones
• Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
• Fault Line by Janet Tashjian
• Trigger by Susan Vaught
• The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

Gleeked Out NIA for Teens

Today, 13 teens showed up for our Gleeked Out NIA program!  NIA is a form of dance exercise that incorporates elements from martial arts and yoga.  And we did all it to music from the TV show Glee.  It was so much fun that it didn't even really feel like exercise.  (Of course, some of my muscles don't agree with that statement right now!)  If you are interested in finding out more about NIA or locating another class in the area, visit http://www.nianow.com/.

This was our second of three Books with Beat programs for Teen Read Week.  The last event is Friday night...our Hip-Hop Essentials show with The One Sun Lion Ra and DJ Ambush.  See you at 7:00 in the adult library!

Books with Beat: Novels in Verse

This year's Teen Read Week theme is Books with Beat, which can be interpreted in a lot of different ways.  Look for these books in our teen collection!

NOVELS IN VERSE

• The Young Inferno by John Agard
• Keesha's House by Helen Frost
• Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes
• Burned by Ellen Hopkins
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan
• Amiri and Odette:  A Love Story by Walter Dean Myers
• A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone
• Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

Books with Beat: Rock

This year's Teen Read Week theme is Books with Beat, which can be interpreted in a lot of different ways.  Look for these books in our teen collection!

BOOKS THAT ROCK

• Beige by Cecil Castellucci
• Crazy Diamond by David Chotjewitz
• Fat Kid Rules the World by K. L. Going
• Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
• Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly
• The Taqwacores by Michael Muhammad Knight
• The Pocket DJ:  Ultragrrrl's Guide to Building the Best Music Library by Sarah Lewitinn
• The Carbon Diaries:  2015 by Saci Lloyd
• Rock Star Superstar by Blake Nelson
• King Dork by Frank Portman
• Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
• Pay the Piper:  A Rock 'N' Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple

Rock Band and Book Swap

To kick off Teen Read Week, we had book swap and Rock Band all afternoon on Saturday!  Only 11 people showed up, but most stayed for the whole time.  We played all of our Rock Band games, belting out everything from metal to the Beatles.  Twenty-four books got swapped, and I gave everyone a free book just for showing up.

The theme for Teen Read Week this year is Books with Beat, so look for some books that rock on our display cart in the teen section or check this blog post!

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

Last Wednesday, 18 people stopped by for our Robot Drop-In Day!  Some stayed for the whole thing, while others just came by to check it out.  We watched Short Circuit and Wall-E, made robot keychains, build robots out of snack food, and identified robots in a quiz.  I totally forgot to do the robot dance contest, so we'll just have to do this theme again in the future!!

Our next drop-in day is Wednesday, December 22, for Craft Closet Cleanout. No registration is necessary, so just stop by.  Most of our fall crafts will be available (including leftover robot keychains from this event), plus a lot of other random stuff from the attic!

I love the mouth on this robot snack!

This one had eyes like a bug.

A cute robot snack

This was our most creative robot snack...he's roasting a fish over a fire!

Billy correctly identified 17 out of 20 robots and won this amazing pencil sharpener!

Completed robot keychains

Books with Beat: Crime

This year's Teen Read Week theme is Books with Beat, which can be interpreted in a lot of different ways.  Look for these books in our teen collection!

WALKING THE POLICE BEAT

• The Perfect Shot by Elaine Marie Alphin
• The Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
• The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson
• Nothing to Lose by Alex Flinn
• They Broke the Law, You Be the Judge:  True Cases of Teen Crime by Thomas A. Jacobs
• Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
• Monster by Walter Dean Myers
• The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
• From Charlie's Point of View by Richard Scrimger
• Rucker Park Setup by Paul Volponi

Books with Beat: Poetry

This year's Teen Read Week theme is Books with Beat, which can be interpreted in a lot of different ways.  Look for these books in our teen collection!

POETRY FOR TEENS AND BY TEENS

• Blue Lipstick:  Concrete Poems by John Grandits
• The Softer Side of Hip-Hop:  Poetic Reflections on Love, Family, and Relationships by Laura Haskins-Bookser
• Paint Me Like I Am:  Teen Poems from WritersCorps
• The Rose that Grew from Concrete by Tupac Amaru Shakur
• Tell the World:  Teen Poems from WritersCorps
• Things I Have to Tell You:  Poems and Writing by Teenage Girls edited by Betsy Franco
• You Hear Me?  Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys edited by Betsy Franco

Shiny!

Here are the newest books to reach the teen shelves!  Some of them were purchased with drug prevention grant money from the Delaware County Office of Behavioral Health, so thanks to them!!

FICTION

• Candy by Kevin Brooks
• Smack by Melvin Burgess
• Skinny-Dipping by Melissa de la Cruz (Au Pairs series)
• Kristen by Lisi Harrison (Clique series)
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz (Gatekeepers series; additional copy)
• The Dragon's Apprentice by James A. Owen (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series)
• Rooftop by Paul Volponi

NONFICTION

• Understand Rap:  Explanations of Confusing Rap Lyrics You and Your Grandma Can Understand by William Buckholz
• True Confessions:  Real Stories about Drinking and Drugs by John DiConsiglio
• Flirtin' with the Monster:  Your Favorite Authors on Ellen Hopkins' Crank and Glass edited by Ellen Hopkins
• The Teen Survival Guide to Dating and Relating:  Real-World Advice on Guys, Girls, Growing Up, and Getting Along by Annie Fox
• Wise Highs:  How to Thrill, Chill, and Get Away from It All without Alcohol or Other Drugs by Alex J. Packer

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• How I Made It to Eighteen:  A Mostly True Story by Tracy White

10-10-10!

Yesterday was 10-10-10, and teens celebrated in style at the library!  The rules were simple:  bring in a collection of 10 items, check out at least one thing, and get 10 pieces of candy!  Some people thought about their collections in advance, while others grabbed stuff from outside when they heard about the event. I kept a list through the day, and 23 people showed up. 

Here's what people brought in for their collections of 10:

• LOL cat pictures
• Prehistoric items
• Silly Bandz
• Sports cards
• Magnets
• Things that represent special times
• Glowing fingernails
• Candy
• Earring backs
• Hello Kitty items
• Favorite books, videogames, or magazines
• Folded paper crafts
• Various colors of leaves and woodchips from outside

Out of all of these, I had to pick one to win a basket with 10 types of candy and a $10 gift card to Wawa.  Several people showed a lot of uniqueness and creativity, so it was a hard choice!  Ultimately, I asked a few librarians to help me.  They picked Kaitlyn's collection to win because they felt she went above and beyond the description.  Kaitlyn brought in ten things that reminded her of great times in her life from childhood all the way up to 10-10-10, which happened to be her 18th birthday!  So, congratulations Kaitlyn!  It's an extra birthday present!!

Ten Hello Kitty items

 Nine LOL cats on the front...




 ...and one on the back!




 Ten videogames (from home)




 Laurel brought in ten prehistoric items, including several amazing fossils, a meteorite, and a bug in amber.




 Ten magnets




 Ten favorite magazines and books (from home)




 Ten special things


Ten adorable folded paper crafts

Renesmee

I know this has been keeping you awake at night, so I just wanted to post that nine-year-old Mackenzie Foy will be playing Renesmee in the last Twilight Saga movie, Breaking Dawn.  She's a gorgeous kid, but I hope they do her hair to resemble the description in the book.  What do you think?

Fresh Picks

Here are our newest teen books!

FICTION

• Caught Up in the Drama by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Good Girlz seires)
• A Girl Named Mister by Nikki Grimes
• Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
• Alex Van Helsing:  Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson
• Can't Hold Me Down by Lyah B. LeFlore (The Come Up series)
• The World Is Mine by Lyah B. LeFlore (The Come Up series)
• Sources of Light by Margaret McMullan
• Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
• Spin It Like That by Chandra Sparks Taylor (Kimani Tru books)

NONFICTION

• Free?  Stories Celebrating Human Rights
• Spilling Ink:  A Young Writer's Handbook by Anne Mazer
• Reel Culture:  50 Classic Movies You Should Know About (So You Can Impress Your Friends) by Mimi O'Connor
• Bling:  The Hip-Hop Jewelry Book by Reggie Osse and Gabriel Tolliver
• Paint Me Like I Am:  Teen Poems from WritersCorps
• How to Draw Hip-Hop by Damion Scott and Kris Ex (two copies)
• The Rose that Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur
• You Can Do a Graphic Novel by Barbara Slate

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Trickster:  Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection

You're Not Hardcore Unless You Live Hardcore

Today was the first of four music-themed programs celebrating this year's Teen Read Week theme, Books with Beat.  Eleven people showed up after school to watch School of Rock, and we made punk rock safety pin bracelets and some duct tape creations.  Most people had seen the movie multiple times, so we all enjoyed reciting our favorite parts.  And the projects all turned out really well!  I would definitely make another safety pin bracelet. 

If you missed it, the bracelets will reappear at Craft Closet Cleanout in December.  If you want to try it at home, here are a few good patterns to look at:

• Safety Pin Bracelet #1
• Safety Pin Bracelet #2
• A Funkier Version

Tips to remember:

• Glue the heads of the safety pins shut.
• Alternate the direction of the pins as you thread them.
• You can use fewer safety pins if you put spacer beads between them as you string the bracelet.
• Put clear nail polish on the knots when you tie off the bracelet.

Two completed bracelets

Duct tape randomness

Book Reviews: Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore

Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore

Click on the titles above to find library copies.

When I got my new Kindle last month, these were some of the first books I purchsed.  They have been on my reading list for a while, but they were always checked out of the library!  I was on vacation and had a gift certificate, so I decided to splurge and buy them.

These two books are loosely linked, taking place in the same universe.  Graceling was published first, but Fire is a prequel of sorts.  In my opinion, you could read them independently and not have a problem.  In fact, I almost wish I had read Fire first!  Both stories are adventure fantasy centered around strong female characters, making them great reads for fans of authors like Tamora Pierce, Allison Croggon, or Kate Constable.

Graceling is the story of Katsa, whose different-colored eyes mark her as someone with a special "grace."  Hers happens to be a skill at fighting that is unequalled in the Seven Kingdoms, making her indespensible to her ruthless king.  Katsa, however, has started the Council, an underground resistance network dedicated to righting wrongs in their kingdom and beyond.  This precarious balance doesn't last long, and Katsa flees the court on a perilous mission of her own.

Fire takes place in a neighboring land, the Dells, that is separated from the Seven Kingdoms by an impenitrable mountain range.  There are no gracelings in this land, just "monsters"--technicolor versions of real animals that are vastly more dangerous.  Fire is the last human monster, with flaming red hair that she keeps covered at all times for her own protection.  As the Dells are thrown into political chaos, Fire struggles to give up her reclusive life and use her power in the service of the rightful king.

The two books do share a common character, a graceling who accidentally makes it through the mountain barrier.  This is somewhat unbelievable because it happens to that same character two times, enabling him to be in the Dells during the time of Fire and in the Seven Kingdoms during the time of Graceling.  Yet, it happens to no one else in either story.  This is a minor flaw in two amazing books, but it did really bother me!  I hope the author sheds more light on the connection between the lands in a future story.

Kristin Cashore is currently writing a third book set in this world. Called Bitterblue, it is rumored to be coming out in 2011. There is no firm publication date yet.  I am looking forward to it! 

September Anime Club Art Challenge

Our drawing theme for the September meeting was pirates.  Check out the excellent drawings below.  I picked our usual four winners to get this month's prize, a Hello Kitty Pez dispenser.  It was a little girly, but I couldn't resist the Pez.  If you would like to join our Anime Club, we meet on the fourth Friday of the month.  The next meeting is October 22, so register now!