Craft Closet Cleanout

Last Wednesday, 14 teens dropped in for our spring Craft Closet Cleanout. Everyone wanted to make button jewelry, whether they missed the original event or not! I had enough supplies for everyone to do a bracelet, and most people got to make earrings as well. People also made crafts from older events, like Toolbox Jewelry, Princess Diaries Party, and Crafts for Your Hair. I have so many random leftover crafts that we need to do this more often! However, the next CCC isn't scheduled until the end of the summer.

Most people were concentrating on their projects...at least while I took the picture...

Newest of the New Books

I just used part of my bookstore budget to spruce up the teen collection with replacement copies and series books. Here are the newest additions:

FICTION

• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
• Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series)
• Smack by Melvin Burgess
• Ninth Key by Meg Cabot (Mediator series)
• The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
• Reunion by Meg Cabot (Mediator series)
• Teen Idol by Meg Cabot
• Black Water by D. J. MacHale (Pendragon series)
• The Pilgrims of Rayne by D. J. MacHale (Pendragon series)
• The Quillan Games by D. J. MacHale (Pendragon series)
• Raven Rise by D. J. MacHale (Pendragon series)
• The Rivers of Zadaa by D. J. MacHale (Pendragon series)
• Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
• Deal With It by Monica McKayhan (Kimani Tru)
• Trouble Follows by Monica McKayhan (Kimani Tru)
• l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle
• ttyl by Lauren Myracle
• The Sorceress by Michael Scott (Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series)
• Keysha's Drama by Earl Sewell (Kimani Tru)
• Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare, The Vampire's Assistant, Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan
• Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan (Cirque du Freak series)
• A Girl Like Me by Ni-Ni Simone
• Night World #3: Huntress, Black Dawn, Witchlight by L. J. Smith
• Red Is for Remembrance by Laurie Faria Stolarz
• Street Pharm by Allison van Diepen

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Vampire Knight, volumes 1-4, by Matsuri Hino
• Naruto, volumes 39-44, by Masashi Kishimoto

Awards Assembly

Last night, I went to Senior Awards Night at Upper Darby High School. With so many members of our groups like Teen Advisory Board (TAB), Book Grub, and Gaming Club graduating from UD this year, it was a great excuse to attend!

I practically jumped out of my chair when Arwa E. (TAB) won the prestigious Mendenhall Tyson award, along with Nitha S. (Book Grub). In the past, three library employees' children have won that award, and I am as proud of the library teens as those moms were of their own kids. Koumudi N. (TAB) won an NHS National Scholarship and the Upper Darby Union Sunday School Scholarship. Her family sat by me, so it was extra exciting to clap for her! Meg G. (TAB) won a memorial scholarship and was recognized for being a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. I was so happy to see our library teens have such a high level of success. The people around me were very curious as to what my connection was to the girls!

Other teens I know from the library who received awards were David J., Alan S., Tariq F., Jatinder K., Noor A., Jurgen K., Kristy G., and Maher Z. It was amazing to see everyone all grown up and ready to go off to college and real life! I enjoyed talking to all the library teens and their parents, too.

42!

I learned today that if you type the phrase the answer to life, the universe, and everything in to the Google search engine (no quotes), then the first thing that pops up in the results list is the Google calculator saying "42." Ha! Also, while reading more about the Google thing, I discovered that May 25 is Towel Day, so bring yours out and about with you!!

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Last Two Spring Programs

You can still register for the last two spring programs, so call today and get your name on the list!

Soul Dance Teens
Wednesday, May 20, 3:30 to 4:30
Enjoy R & B music and learn basic dance steps and patterns for the latest craze: soul line dancing. A professional instructor will present this class, so you know you will learn some great dance moves!

Craft Closet Cleanout
Wednesday, May 27, 3:30 to 5:00
After all the craft projects we’ve done, there are tons of leftovers. Come make something you missed, or create something totally new.

Summer Fruit Blog Poll

For the past two weeks, the blog poll has asked readers to select their favorite summer fruit. I love the variety of fresh fruit in the summer, so it was hard to choose! (You could actually vote for more than one, which made it easier.) Out of 38 people, the winner was strawberries with 15 votes.

strawberries--15 (39%)
nectarines--3 (7%)
watermelon--10 (26%)
blackberries--7 (18%)
plums--2 (5%)
cantaloupe--6 (15%)
raspberries--4 (10%)
cherries--8 (21%)
peaches--5 (13%)
honeydew--4 (10%)
blueberries--4 (10%)
I don't like any of these fruits.--1 (2%)

Bookshelf Explosion

I have been reviewing some books from the county office, which means we get to keep them! There are also some more new purchases on the shelves. Here's what we have gotten:

FICTION

• No Such Thing as the Real World: Stories about Growing Up and Getting a Life (short stories)
• The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
• Top 8 by Katie Finn
• A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
• Need by Carrie Jones
• The Soldiers of Halla by D. J. Machale (Pendragon series)
• My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
• Royal Blood by Ellen Schreiber (Vampire Kisses series)
• Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman
• Dragon Road by Laurence Yep

NONFICTION

• Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories from the Dark Side of American Immigration by Ann Bausum
• The Student Athlete's Guide to Getting Recruited: How to Win Scholarships, Attract Colleges, and Excel as an Athlete by Stewart Brown
• Girls Rock: How to Get Your Group Together and Make Some Noise by Robyn Goodmark
• 1968 by Michael T. Kaufman

YouTube Strikes Again

Yesterday, 16 teens showed up for our second YouTube party! (Here's the post about our first one.) This time is was a little better organized and a lot more streamlined. Everyone signed in with their name, video, and category as they came in, so we didn't waste time calling on people, debating which video to show, etc.

Everyone assigned their video one of three categories: Humor, Music/Animation, and Other. We had just enough time for everyone to show one video and to vote on the winners at the end. Christine won in the Humor category for the Twilight Trailer Spoof (made even more hilarious by the fact that someone had shown the real trailer earlier in the program), Nikki won in the Music/Animation category for Draw with Me, and Karthika won in the Other category for a video of her and her friends doing a Bollywood-inspired dance on New Year's Eve. They all got candy, and Nikki also received a $10 gift card to McDonald's for being voted the overall winner. I also gave candy to DeSean, who showed an animation that he put together, and to Nitha, who appeared in the video shown by Karthika! (I figured bravery should earn some candy.)

And for all of you who complain that you haven't seen Kara all year...she showed up yesterday afternoon and stayed for the program! It was supercool. Her classes are done, so hopefully we'll be seeing more of her.

New African-American Fiction

We just got a bunch of new and replacement copies of African-American teen fiction, so come in and check them out!

• Chasing Romeo by A. J. Byrd (Kimani Tru)
• November Blues by Sharon Draper
• Dirty Jersey by Phillip Thomas Duck (Kimani Tru)
• Money Hungry by Sharon G. Flake
• Belle by Beverly Jenkins (Kimani Tru)
• Josephine by Beverly Jenkins (Kimani Tru)
• Indigo Summer by Monica McKayhan (Kimani Tru)
• Jaded by Monica McKayhan (Kimani Tru)
• Fast Forward by Celeste O. Norfleet (Kimani Tru)
• How to Salsa in a Sari by Dona Sarkar (Kimani Tru)
• A Matter of Trust by Anne E. Schraff (Bluford series)
• Lesson Learned by Earl Sewell (Kimani Tru)
• The Pledge by Chandra Sparks Taylor (Kimani Tru)

Cute as a Button!

Last Wednesday, 16 girls came to our button jewelry program. We made button ribbon choker necklaces, stretchy button bracelets, and stacked button earrings. We didn't even get to try some of the ring ideas I found, so there's definitely going to be another program. Meanwhile, come to Craft Closet Cleanout on Wednesday, May 27, from 3:30 to 5:00, to make more button jewelry and lots of other things!

Bookshelf Bonanza

Yes, that means more new books in the teen area. Here's what we've gotten most recently:

FICTION

• Shield of Stars by Hilari Bell (The Shield, Sword, and Crown series)
• Sword of Waters by Hilari Bell (The Shield, Sword, and Crown series)
• Selkie Girl by Laurie Brooks
• A La Carte by Tanita S. Davis
• Adventurous Deeds of Deadwood Jones by Helen Hemphill
• Voss: How I Came to America and Am Hero, Mostly by David Ives
• Things Change by Patrick Jones
• The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman
• Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce (Circle Reforged series)
• Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve
• Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud
• Probably Still Nick Swansen by Virginia Euwer Wolff
• Dragon's Heart by Jane Yolen (Pit Dragon Chronicles series)

NONFICTION

• War Is: Soldiers, Survivors, and Storytellers Talk about War edited by Marc Aronson and Patty Campbell

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• The Good Neighbors by Holly Black

Outdoor Activities Blog Poll

For the past two weeks, the blog poll has asked readers to select their favorite outdoor activities. People were allowed to select more than one answer, and 26 people voted on the poll. Walking/running and playing a team sport tied for first place with 12 votes each, while swimming was a close second with 10 votes. Here are the complete results:

playing a team sport--12 (46%)
hiking--9 (34%)
grilling--5 (19%)
skateboarding/rollerblading--2 (7%)
camping--4 (15%)
walking/running--12 (46%)
fishing--3 (11%)
suntanning--5 (19%)
biking--6 (23%)
boating--4 (15%)
gardening--4 (15%)
swimming--10 (38%)

DDR

Last Wednesday, 16 teens came out to enjoy friendly DDR competition. We did free play for a while, then had a mini-tournament. Jamie beat David in the final round to win the usual $10 gift card to GameStop. Thanks to Jamie for bringing the game and to David for bringing an additional mat. DDR is always fun, and we will definitely do it a few times over the summer!

New Mental Health Books

We just cataloged a new set of books dealing with various mental health issues for the teen nonfiction section. These are not your typical reference books for school reports, though. They are memoirs combined with information, and are presented in such a way that you can actually read them cover-to-cover. Read these books if someone you know is experiencing a mental health issue or if you are just curious about how someone else dealt with their problems.

• Next to Nothing: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager's Experience with an Eating Disorder by Carrie Arnold
• What You Must Think of Me: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager's Experience with Social Anxiety Disorder by Emily Ford
• Monochrome Days: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager's Experience with Depression by Cait Irwin
• Mind Race: A First-Hand Account of One Teenager's Experience with Bipolar Disorder by Patrick E. Jamieson
• The Thought that Counts: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager's Experience with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Jared Douglas Kant
• Chasing the High: A Firsthand Account of One Young Person's Experience with Substance Abuse by Kyle Keegan
• Eight Stories Up: An Adolescent Chooses Hope Over Suicide by DeQuincy A. Lezine
• Me, Myself, and Them: A Firsthand Account of One Young Person's Experience with Schizophrenia by Kurt Snyder

These books were published by the Adolescent Mental Health Intiative of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands. Visit their teen mental health website at http://copecaredeal.org/

Book Review: Perfect Chemistry

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

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

SUMMARY: At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago, everyone knows that south-siders mixing with north-siders can be explosive. So when Brittany Ellis and Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners in chemistry class, this human experiment leads to unexpected revelations--that Brittany's flawless reputation is a cover for her troubled home life, that Alex's bad-boy persona hides his desire to break free from gang ties, and that when they're together, life somehow makes more sense. Breaking through the stereotypes and expectations that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart, Perfect Chemistry takes readers to both sides of the tracks in a passionate love story about looking beneath the surface. (from the back cover)

OPINION: This urban novel has echoes of Romeo and Juliette, but it is not just another tale of star-crossed lovers. Yes, it has romance, but it also deals with the social issues and prejudices that lurk just beneath the surface in any school or community. By alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Brittany and Alex, the author manages to portray both characters in an authentic way. After all, most people are never just made of what we see on the outside. This is a realistic look at what happens when you break the unwritten rules.

Prom Season

If you haven't found the perfect dress yet, you're running out of time! But if you already have your formal fashions, check out one of these prom-themed books from the teen section:

At Sellers:

• Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Forever Princess by Meg Cabot
• Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot
• Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
• Much Ado About Prom Night by William D. McCants
• Art Geeks and Prom Queens by Alyson Noel
• A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan

At Other Libraries:

• 24 Girls in 7 Days by Alex Bradley
• Top 10 Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress by Tina Ferraro
• 21 Proms edited by David Levithan and Daniel Ehrenhaft
• Prom Anonymous by Blake Nelson

And if books aren't your thing, check out this list of best prom movies!

Book Review: A Really Nice Prom Mess

A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan

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

SUMMARY: Cameron would rather be at the prom with his boyfriend. But instead, they camoflage themselves as a double date with some gorgeous girls. But then...(1) his date figures out that he's gay, (2) she threatens to tell his parents, (3) he fights with his date and his boyfriend, (4) he leaves the dance in disguise with a drug dealer, (5) he ends up in a car chase...and this is only the beginning!

OPINION: Cameron is the James Bond of humorous and unlikely situations. Many parts of this book were so random that I cracked up while reading it. I laughed out loud at all the plot twists, coincidence, and other hilarity. But, parts of the writing seemed stilted and the voice of the main character didn't always seem realistic. There were a few too many references to the WB and giving "snaps" to people, for example. So my overall opinion is that this is not the best-written book about being a gay teen, but it might be the funniest! Definitely written for older teen readers, this is one to pick up for an absurdist view of that quaint school tradition we call the prom.

TAB Book Donations

The Teen Advisory Board recently spent some of its money to purchase some new popular paperbacks for the teen section. One of our pet peeves is incomplete series, so we filled in some gaps in the collection. We also bought some books just for fun. Look for our sticker inside the front cover of these new books:

• Family Affairs by Jen Calonita (Secrets of My Hollywood Life series)
• On Location by Jen Calonita (Secrets of My Hollywood Life series)
• Bratfest at Tiffany's by Lisi Harrison (Clique series)
• It's Not Easy Being Mean by Lisi Harrison (Clique series)
• P.S. I Loathe You by Lisi Harrison (Clique series)
• Sealed with a Diss by Lisi Harrison (Clique series)
• Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe
• Faking 19 by Alyson Noel
• Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce (Circle of Magic series)
• Kissing Coffins by Ellen Schreiber (Vampire Kisses series)
• Vampireville by Ellen Schreiber (Vampire Kisses series)
• Night World #1: Secret Vampire, Daughters of Darkness, and Spellbinder by L. J. Smith
• Night World #2: Dark Angel, The Chosen, and Soulmate by L. J. Smith
• Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider's Guide to the World of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Nutrition for Peak Performance

Today, 17 people showed up to hear a nutritionist from Mercy Fitzgerald talk about proper nutrition for athletics and fitness. We had all kinds of different sports and activities represented: dance, football, baseball, martial arts, gymnastics, lacrosse, softball, cheerleading, soccer, and more that I forgot. I liked how the presenter addressed some common myths about things like energy drinks, carbohydrate loading, and portion size. She also talked about the importance of drinking plenty of water. Did you know that by the time you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated? Everyone seemed to learn something new from the presentation, and we had healthy snacks at the end.

This program was part of the Fit for Life programming that Delaware County is holding in its libraries this spring. Our next Fit for Life program will be Soul Dance Teens on Wednesday, May 20, from 3:30 to 4:30. Sign up now!

Newest Teen Books

It's a good thing that you all check out our books, or we'd have no room for anything new! As it is, we're bursting out of our space, so stop by and look for these newest additions:

FICTION

• The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (Darkest Powers series)
• Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer (Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series)
• M+O 4EVR by Tonya Cherie Hegamin
• The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson
• The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks
• The Time of the Ghost by Diana Wynne Jones
• The Seventh Daughter by Frewin Jones
• Getting the Girl by Susan Juby
• Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
• The Door of No Return by Sarah Mussi
• The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli
• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking series)
• Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel
• Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce (Beka Cooper series)
• The Beginning by Ellen Schreiber (Vampire Kisses series)
• Doppelganger by David Stahler
• Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Homecoming by Meg Cabot (Avalon High Coronation #2)
• Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci

NONFICTION

• The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara