Newest of the New

Here are the newest teen items this week:

• The Selection by Kiera Cass
• Eona by Alison Goodman
• The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• On the Come Up by Travis Hunter
• Gilt by Katherine Longshore
• Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
• A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix
• Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

TAB Graduation Party

Our Teen Advisory Board (TAB) had our final meeting of the school year on May 19.  We celebrated our four graduates and selected two new members for next school year!  We were also happy to have former TAB grads Nitha and Arwa as special guests.   Emily, Anas, and Jasmine will be graduating from Upper Darby and Katie will be graduating from home school.  All of them are college bound next year, and we will really miss them!  The TAB gave them each a present and a card, and we had cake.  I also make a photo album for each grad with pictures from library programs over the years.  It's so funny to see how people change!  Later, we looked at our spring applications for membership and selected Alex and Yasmine to be new members.  The TAB will be taking applications again in the fall, so look for those in August if you are interested.

Ice cream cake!

Most of the 2011-2012 TAB

Silliness

The memories live on...!!!

Book Review: Burn Mark

Burn Mark by Laura Powell
Review by Saranjeet

**This book will be released on June 19, 2012.**

I recently read Burn Mark by Laura Powell.  It gives a new perspective of witches and how they become the way that they do.  The beginning of the book starts off great, with Glory dreaming about the Burning Court and Lucas actually attending it.  These events really help out the reader because it gives details about what life is like for someone who worships the Fae and someone who doesn't.  Not only that, but it immediately grasps the reader.  Also, the gangs, the poice, and the mob really fit into the story nicely, and make it even better.  But, as the story progresses, certain parts become weak.  For example, Glory's father, Patrick, doesn't really play any important role and doesn't seem to affect any of Glory's actions.  Since Glory lives in a dangerous society, I would expect her father to be more strict or overprotective of her.  Also, Glory and Lucas's relationship seems to be astray, and at the end of the book the reader can't really make a decision whether it is a friendship or something more.  The ending of this book gave off the feeling of a second book, which I will excitedly hope for.

Bake Sale Report

Thanks to our Teen Advisory Board, their parents, and library staff, we had a pretty good bake sale yesterday!  We had tons of delicious food, as well as sodas and water.  Since I had a family emergency last weekend when we were supposed to have the event, I am really grateful for everyone's flexibility and helpfulness!  I haven't counted all of the small change yet, but we made $122 in bills and quarters, plus a $50 donation.  Yeah!

Thanks to everyone who took a turn at the table:  Katie, Genni, Grace, Anas, Arig, Marissa, Jasmine, and Laurel.  Thanks also to everyone who contributed food and drinks:  Katie, Genni, Grace, Arig, Anas, Kim, Nikki, Billy, Marissa, Laurel, and me.  And a special thanks to library staff Mrs. Kosha and Mrs. Mock for each adding cookies to our sale!!

Calming Noms

Last Wednesday, 14 teens attended our first-ever cooking program! We eat a lot of food, and we occasionally use a toaster or hot plate for a snack or a craft, but we've never attempted this before for a very simple reason: the library does not have a kitchen! Teen Advisory Board member Laurel, who loves to cook, approached me with the idea for a program about foods that reduce stress, I was intrigued. I told her we could do it, but that we'd have to be really creative to make cooking possible in our space!

Laurel was up to the challenge, though, and came up with two recipes. The first, turkey sliders, we cooked on hot plates. After that, we made fruit and granola parfaits, which didn't require any cooking.  We also put together a list of foods that increase memory and decrease stress, and asked people to make up their own recipies or meals.  People came up with everything from breakfast sandwiches to three-course dinners!  Laurel did a great job of explaining what she was doing as she went along, involving people in food preparation, and discussing a little bit of the science behind the foods.  It was like she was doing a cooking show!  She was a total pro. 

If you missed it, here are some of the websites Laurel used to prepare for the event:

What to Eat for Better Concentration and Memory
10 Foods that Help Reduce Stress
20 Foods that Will Increase Your Studying Effectiveness

Delicious turkey sliders!

Book Review: Unbreak My Heart

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
Review by Arig

**This book will be released on May 22, 2012.**

Unbreak My Heart is about a girl that falls in love unintentionally. Clementine Williams had just had a fight with her best friend Amanda. It was over a boy and Amanda ends up forgiving the boy and hating her best friend, Clementine. The summer rolls around and Clementine’s parents decide to take her and Olive, her younger sister, on a trip away from technology. They’re going to sail the seas. Most of the trip Clementine is crying and angry because of the fight between her and Amanda. The problem is that she isn’t able to tell anyone and even so her little sister tries to comfort her blindly.

At one of the ports that the family stops at to refuel, Clementine meets James. She bumps into him and knocks over his shopping basket full of bananas. Little does she know that James and his father are sailing on the same route. James and Clementine begin to spend time with each other, getting to know each other and Olive tags along. When Clementine feels that her relationship with James is beginning to take a turn to the better, she confesses to him why her friend and she “broke up.” James goes silent for awhile and Clementine goes back to being depressed for awhile until she has a nervous breakdown and she tells her parents everything. The story goes on with James coming around and both Clementine and James have a relationship until the summer is over.

Overall, this story was really good. I did enjoy it and it was a semi-quick read. At times I was confused because the story kept switching from flashback to present but this story was good. I would recommend this book to people who like chick-flick kind of books. I have to say their sailing adventure sounds so cool and James sounds like a one-of-a kind guy. I applaud Ms. Walker and give this book 4 stars.

Fresh Books!

Here are the new selections in the teen room this week:

• Fox and Phoenix by Beth Benobich
• Faking Faith by Josie Bloss
• Bitter End by Jennifer Brown
• Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles
• Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
• Eon:  Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
• Flyaway by Helen Landalf
• Black, White, Other by Joan Steinau Lester
• Kick by Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman
• Bluefish by Pat Schmatz
• Irises by Francisco X. Stork
• Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
• Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Book Review: I Hunt Killers

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
Review by Elena

This book was released in April 2012.  Request a copy through the library catalog!

Need a new book to read? Pick out the latest story from Barry Lyga, called I Hunt Killers! This is a very unique but fearsome story. The plot revolves around 16 year-old Jasper Dent, whose father recently went to jail for having committed 122 murderers in his lifetime. Worried about becoming a killer like his father, Jasper goes on a mission to track down a new serial killer who has popped up in his town. Jasper is the only person with the knowledge to hunt this killer, who is mimicking all of his father’s killings. He also believes that finding the killer would prove to himself that he is not a murderer like his father. Once the story comes to a close, a happy ending arrives, but an even bigger twist unfolds.

After reading this book, I would say it is great for those who enjoy horror, murder, or mystery stories. The story is mostly about the killings Jasper’s dad committed, so the details are very gruesome and startling. The book contains a good amount of imagery that is scary and disturbing for most people. For this reason, I would only recommend this book to that in high school and up who can handle reading scary stories. This is not a book for the younger readers, for it contains some inappropriate material as well. Overall, I thought the book was unlike one I had ever read, but even frightened me several times. For me, several parts were very terrifying, but the story in general was interesting.

Visit Barry's website!

Also, go back in time and read about Barry's 2006 visit to our library when his first book, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, was published!!

Beaded Butterfly Bracelets

Yesterday, seven teens came by to make beaded butterfly bracelets after school.  We put glass beads on memory wire, added two butterfly beads as accents, and finished with a butterfly charm.  The bracelets were really cute, and everyone put their own personality into their project!  I also had some ring memory wire, so people did those as well as extra bracelets.  And, thanks to Laurel, we also listened to a random assortment of music.   If you're sad that you missed it, this project will be available at Craft Closet Cleanout on June 13.

Works in progress

 Some finished products

Emma Kate's Teen Book Reviews

Hey guys! Here is a link to my new book reviews blog, Emma Kate's Teen Book Reviews! My very first review was posted today! Enjoy!

http://emmakatesreviews.blogspot.com/

Newest Books

Here are the new items in the teen section this week:

FICTION

• The Calling by Kelley Armstrong (Darkness Rising series)
• The Story of Us by Deb Caletti
• Black Dawn by  Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires series)
• Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (Graceling series)
• Betrayed by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast (House of Night series; replacement copy)
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (additional copy)
• Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan (Kane Chronicles series)
• Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent series)
• The Geography of Girlhood by Kirsten Smith

NONFICTION

• The Best Teen Writing of 2011 by The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers