Teen Summer Reading Winners, Weeks 1 & 2

On Monday, I did the first prize drawing for the Own the Night teen summer reading club!  Here are the first set of winners:

Saranjeet Kaur, grade 10

won a hardcover book and glow-in-the-dark aliens.

Sujoy Das, grade 9

won a hardcover book and a carabiner watch.

Mashfi Chowdhury, grade 9

won a copy of If I Stay signed by author Gayle Forman, glow bracelets, and candy.

Anna Sherman, grade 6

won a copy of Jake and Lily signed by author Jerry Spinelli and earrings.

Jayla Harris, grade 8

won a $5 gift card to Barnes & Noble.

Congrats to all, and good luck to everyone else in the future!  Keep those slips coming!!

Zombies!

I have so many things to post from the past few weeks, but Zombie Day has to be the first!  Eighteen teens attended our summer theme kick-off event last Friday.  Although we were only able to Own the Afternoon (not the Night as the teen theme suggests), we had some amazingly creepy zombies in the library.  We had everything zombie, including a mad scientist, a bride, a surfer, and a Girl Scout!  Some people came in costume or as a character, others did not.  But everyone was transformed by the end because part of the program was a zombie makeup lesson!  Fake blood and plastic skin wounds were the most popular elements by far!  Thanks to Katie and Laurel for sharing zombie makeup tips.

This was a three-hour program, and we did a lot more than just makeup.  We danced along with Thriller on the Michael Jackson Experience video game, with thanks to Jasmine for leading us.  We decorated zombie cupcakes for a contest, in which Devon and Blya won prizes.  We drank bloody worm punch along with the cupcakes after the judging.  We had a creepy music mix for atmosphere, thanks to Kara, and we watched part of Night of the Living Dead.

We made signs that read, "Use Your Brrrains at the Library" and then shambled our way into the adult building (after we put on makeup) to show off our zombie skills!  We tried to go down to State Road and wave at traffic, but it ended up being unsafe.  Plus, it was so hot that some of the makeup was melting off!  So, we headed back upstairs to eat bloody hands and brain made of Jell-o, which was awesome.  I awarded prizes to Billy and Jasmine for having the most creative zombie look, and also awarded other random stuff to people who came in costume.

We haven't done a costumed event like this in long time.  I loved it, and I know a lot of other people did too!  Huge thanks to grown-up library teen Kara for her assistance in keeping everything running.  As usual, I couldn't have pulled this off without help from her and our Teen Advisory Board!

Thriller!

Some people arrived as zombies

Brains!

Kara chose Devon's "zombie rising from the grave" cupcake as a winner.

I choose Blya's "bleeding eye" for second place.

I also liked Jasmine's "hand rising from the grave" entry.

Our group picture, with me in the center!

We took our signs up to the balcony in the adult library.

Here are some zombies in front of the building with our signs.

A zombie Girl Scout and a goth zombie get ready to feast on some tasty bloody hands!

Three more zombies love brrrrrraaaaains!!

June Craft Closet Cleanout

On June 13, we had our end-of-the-school-year Craft Closet Cleanout!  We made crafts from this year, last summer, and who-knows-when in the past.  Some crafts had to be done at tables, but others could be completed on the floor.  As a bonus, we watched two summer-ish Disney movies while we worked, Finding Nemo and Lilo and Stitch.  Everyone went home with great crafts, including wreath magnets, chopstick hair holders, denim iPod pockets, and team spirit ponytail holders!  We'll do another CCC at the end of the summer, so join us then.

Book Grub Grads

On June 1, the high school book group had our last meeting of the school year and celebrated our seniors!  It's such an annual tradition that we don't even read a book for this month.  We just talk about the summer and the seniors' plans for the future, and revisit all of the books we read through the year.  We also gorged ourselves on awesome ice cream sundaes! 

This year, we graduated Emily, Jasmine, Tyria, Shannon, Anas, Katie, and Sarah from the group.  Some of those readers have been in our library book groups since elementary school, others joined just this year.  But however long they've been a part of the group, we're always sad to see them go!  Luckily, most of them will be around for the summer.  And, for those not moving away, we actually have a new book group for 18-20somethings that is full of high school book group grads.

The high school book group

Acting silly

Most of our seniors, minus two who were doing prom stuff (prom was the next day).

Why are they fanning him with the book group papers?

I have no idea what this was about...!

The freshmen wanted their own group picture!

Asian Culture Club--6/6/12

For our last meeting of ACC for the year, we made candy sushi and listened to K-pop and J-pop.  Several members had dedicated their Random-A-Thon funds for this group, and we hadn't used much of the money during the spring.  So we decided to blow it all on candy! Using basic junk food like Twinkies, gummy worms, Fruit Rollups, Nerds, and marshmallows, we created some pretty good-looking sushi.  Of course, we ate it with chopsticks!  

Paul, our new Young Adult Librarian, is planning the return of some kind of anime group in the fall, so look for that on the schedule!

Shiny!

Here's what we added to the teen section this week.  Please get in here and check things out...we don't have room for everything on the shelves!

FICTION

• Flirting with Boys by Hailey Abbott
• First Kill by Heather Brewer (Slayer Chronicles series)
• Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter (additional copy)
• Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies) by Justine Chen Headley (replacement copy)
• The Boy Book by E. Lockhart (replacement copy)
• Burn by Suzanne Phillips
• Chloe Doe by Suzanne Phillips
• Everyone Who's Anyone by Randi Reisfeld
• I Kissed a Zombie, and I Liked It by Adam Selzer
• The Lying Game by Sara Shepard (additional copy)
• You Just Can't Get Enough by Cecily von Ziegesar (Gossip Girl series)

NONFICTION

• SoulCalibur IV Signature Series Guide by Bradygames

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Pita-Ten, volume 1, by Koge-Donbo
• My Boyfriend Is a Monster, volumes 2-5, by Ann Kerns

Book Review: Cracked

Cracked by K. M. Walton

Request a copy of this book from the library catalog!

SUMMARY:  Victor hates his life. He’s relentlessly bullied at school and his parents constantly ridicule him at home.  Bull is angry. He’s sick of his grandfather’s drunken beatings. And he likes to take out his rage on Victor.  Determined to end it all, Victor takes a bottle of his mother’s sleeping pills—only to be disappointed when he wakes up in the psych ward. And his roommate? None other than Bull, whose loaded-gun effort at self-defense has been labeled as a suicide attempt.  (from the book description)

OPINION:  An acquantance of mine was involuntarily committed in high school, and I remember him remarking after he was released that the only people who really understood him were in the hospital.  At the time, I thought that was really weird, and slightly offensive to the rest of the people in his life!  However, this book provided a glimpse into the minds and experiences of mentally ill teens that helped me gain some empathy for him many years after the fact.  Although I found it awfully convenient that both boys were substantially helped by meeting girls in therapy, I still have to say that this is a powerful and moving story.  It had me on the verge of tears several times!  This book is definitely a high school read, and excellent for fans of very realistic fiction by authors like Ellen Hopkins.
Visit K. M. Walton's website!

Spring Nintendo Night

Last Friday, 27 teens came out for our spring edition of Nintendo Night!  It was a great group, and the event ran so smoothly that we had extra time.  That's very unusual!  We did our usual Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament, which had 24 entrants in teams of two.  We ended up with a three-team final:  David J/Siaka, David T./Jared, and John/Conor.  John and Conor beat both other teams to each earn a $15 gift card to Game Stop and candy.  The other guys just got candy. We also had a Pokemon Black and White tournament, which had eight entrants.  Someone dropped out, and they ended up in this crazy three-person loop for the finals.  Finally, Evan managed to beat both David J. and John!  All three of them got candy, but only Evan got the $10 Game Stop gift card.  At the end of the event, I gave away a bunch of random Nintendo prizes, so a lot of people left with something!

Huge thanks to our regular gaming club members for their help with the event.  David J. brought in his Wii and controllers for Naruto free play, Evan planned and ran the Pokemon tournament, Colin provided his vintage N64 and games, Tim donated some N64 prizes, and John kept the controllers under control.  We couldn't have done it without you!

Just Dance

Last Wednesday, 15 people showed up for our after-school Just Dance day.  We had fun warming up with some free play, then started the tournament.  Although Devon brought in Just Dance 3 and was sure that he'd win, he didn't even make it to the final round!  We ended up with a three-person final among Brittney, Kathy, and Shanae.  Shanae won by just a few points and got a $10 Wawa gift card!

If you owe the library money for overdue fines, be sure to come out on June 20 from 1:00 to 5:00 for Rock Away Your Fines!  For every one song you play on Rock Band, I will knock a dollar off of your fines.  Check with the library for more details.

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