Book Review: The Naming

The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor by Alison Croggon

SUMMARY: In this first volume in a projected quartet, Croggon has created a world that is both authentic and exotic, welcoming and frightening. When 16-year-old Maerad meets a man named Cadvan, she is catapulted from her life as a slave to an epic destiny. Cadvan is a Bard, one of the magically gifted Starpeople, and he begins to teach her about her own gifts and abilities. He believes her to be the prophesied One who will oppose the Nameless, the dark power working toward the destruction of the Bards and the Balance of the world. As Maerad and Cadvan travel, they join forces with Hem, a mysterious orphan, and learn that the Nameless's influence reaches far into the world of the Bards. Encounters with great mythic figures of their world and threatening evil forces add to the epic flavor of their journey. Maerad seems a kindred spirit to Tamora Pierce's Alanna, and her story will find a welcoming audience among readers looking for a challenging and fully realized epic adventure. (from the School Library Journal review)

OPINION: Marissa has been convincing everyone to read this series, so I jumped on the bandwagon. I'm glad I did! The story is excellently imagined, with complex action and wonderful description. Alison Croggon's background as a poet gives her a command of the language to fully evoke the characters and surroundings of the story. I really loved some of the places Maerad and Cadvan journeyed through, and I hope that the good settings reappear in a future volume! I want to hear more about the Schools and especially Rachida, the mysterious city in the Great Forest. It reminded me of The Chanters of Tremaris series by Kate Constable, as well as books by Tamora Pierce. I can't wait to start The Riddle, the second book in the series!

An Abundance of Katherines

Yesterday's Unshelved Book Club comic featured John Green's An Abundance of Katherines. Check it out!

More New Fiction

Books are being processed fast and furiously around here for some reason! Here are new additions to the shelf:

• The Great Tree of Avalon series by T. A Barron
• Avielle of Rhia by Dia Calhoun
• A Friend at Midnight by Caroline B. Cooney
• The Faery Reel: Tales fromthe Twlight Realm edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
• Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell
• 1,000 Reasons Never to Kiss a Boy by Martha Freeman
• The Fighter by Jean-Jacques Greif
• The Demon in the Teahouse by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
• The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
• Diamond Brothers Mysteries series by Anthony Horowitz
• Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz
• Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz
• Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz
• Kiss and Blog by Alyson Noel
• Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen
• Hell Phone by William Sleator
• Midnighters trilogy by Scott Westerfeld

The Phantom of the Opera Was Here

Last night, 19 people came out to sing along to The Phantom of the Opera. It was fun...and we learned that we are not all sopranos! I had seen the play on Broadway years ago (1992?), but I hadn't seen the movie until last night. I thought the movie portrayed the gothic horror romance very well through the costumes and scenery. I loved the underground labyrinth that the phantom inhabited. But it was totally creepy as well!

Missed this event? Our next sing-along movie will be Grease in August.

Summer Schedule!

The teen summer schedule is done, and it's huge! In fact, there are still more events that aren't even on the flyer yet!! Come and get one when you have a chance. The theme this summer is You Never Know @ Your Library, so we have a lot of mysterious events planned.

If you can't wait to see the list, here's a preview. All events are for students entering grades 6 to 12, unless noted.

Get Your Game On!
Trading card and hand-held video games welcome.
Mondays, 3:30 to 5:00 (except holidays)
Permission slip required.

Movie: National Treasure (PG)
Wednesday, June 20, 2:00 to 4:00

Mystery Night: The Cracks in the Wall
Friday, June 22, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Sponsored by the Teen Advisory Board.

Real Life Mysteries (Teen Summer Reading Kick-Off)
Presented by Kristin Pedemonti
Thursday, June 28, 7:00 to 8:00 pm

Zine Workshop
Fridays, 1:30 to 3:00
July 13, 20, 27, and August 3
Grades 8 to 12 only.

Movie: Mystery Men (PG-13)
Wednesday, July 11, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Nintendo Night
Friday, July 13, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
Permission slip required.

Drop-In Craft: DIY Tie Dye (outside)
Bring your own pre-washed 100% cotton items.
Wednesday, July 18, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Harry Potter Midnight Madness
Friday, July 20, 8:00 pm to 12:30 am
Permission slip required.

Clue Tournament
Wednesday, July 25, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Special Book Discussion: Twilight and New Moon
Friday, July 27, 3:30 to 5:00

Drop-In Craft: DIY Soap
Wednesday, August 1, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Eclipse Prom
Friday, August 3, 6:30 to 8:30
Sponsored by the Teen Advisory Board.

Movie: Grease Sing Along (PG)
Wednesday, August 8, 2:00 to 4:00 pm

Author Visit: Jeffry Johnston, author of Fragments
Friday, August 10, 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Drop-In Craft: DIY Magnets
Wednesday, August 15, 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Yu-Gi-Oh Tournament
Friday, August 17, 6:00 to 8:30
Permission slip required.

Dance Dance Revolution
Wednesday, August 22, 2:00 to 4:00
Permission slip required.

Newest of the New

New fiction for our teen shelves:

• The New and Improved Vivien Leigh Reid: Diva in Control by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
• Eva by Peter Dickinson
• Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready
• Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls by Bennett Madison
• Dead Connection by Charlie Price
• The Innocent's Story by Nicky Singer
• Club Dread by Walter Sorrells

Also, we got several books in the Gossip Girl and Clique series, thanks to the TAB!

Book Characters Unite!

Last Friday night, 14 people came to the Teen Advisory Board's book character potluck party. It was great to see everyon'e costumes! We did literary Mad-Libs, a classic children's literature trivia race, and heard readings about several people's characters. We watched movie clips from The Princess Bride (yes, it was a book first) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

We also ate great food provided by you! Thanks to everyone who brought something to represent their character. We had red juice (Katie), hoagies (Maria), "rat" (Kara), veggies (Gretchen), a lemon meringue pie (Caitlin), duplex cookies (Genni), garlic pasta (Marissa), and fruit salad (Micah). It was hilarious!

Can you figure out who came as a character from...

• Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
• The Blue Avenger by Norma Howe
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
• Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares
• Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
• Bunnicula by James Howe
• A Great and Terrible Beauty series by Libba Bray
• The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
• Vampire Kisses series by Ellen Schreiber
• Midnight Cowboy by James Leo Herlihy
  

New Lobby Display!

Last week, I put up a new lobby display featuring new books our library received as part of the We the People Bookshelf on the Pursuit of Happiness. There are 15 books in English and 4 in Spanish, at a variety of levels. Both the middle and high school book groups will be reading and discussing one of these books this year. Look for them on the shelves this summer!

Book Review: Surrender

Surrender by Sonya Hartnett

SUMMARY: In the small, desolate town of Mulyan, a well-behaved young boy plays with a toy car atop the fence rail surrounding his front yard. A very different sort of boy--sunbaked, unkempt, and vaguely dangerous--appears on the street side of the fence to scratch his name in the wood and taunt the young boy to move beyond his boundaries. So begins the eerie relationship between Gabriel and Finnegan: the first, an isolated and disturbed child in a profoundly dysfunctional family with an ugly history; the second, a cruel and destructive yet wildly freeing force. The two determine to be each other's reflection: one all good, the other all bad. Together they share dark secrets, make plans, and experience a pure love for Surrender, Gabriel's adopted hound. Told retrospectively from the deathbed of 20-year-old Gabriel, this is a potent and disquieting psychological tale. (from the Booklist review)

OPINION: This book is a stream of consciousness story of an unlikely, dangerous friendship. Gabriel and Finnegan are close through the years, relying solely on each other's company. But as Finnegan's love for fire threatens the town, Gabriel's father forms a vigilante group to try to catch the arsonist. Gabriel, caught between these two powerful forces in his life, isn't sure where his loyalties lie. Can he keep secrets from either one? This book will haunt you to the end.

READ ALIKE: Invisible by Pete Hautman

Johnny Depp Film Festival

The Teen Advisory Board invites you to attend our first-ever film festival. Watch hours of Johnny Depp on the big screen! Invite your friends, bring comfy pillows, relax with snacks, and enjoy the movies. Sign up today!!

Friday, June 1

6:30 to 8:30 pm

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (PG)

Saturday, June 2

10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Pirates of the Caribbean 1 and 2 (PG-13)

Lunch will be provided.

TAB Thanks!

Thanks to 6 TAB members, we had a successful Saturday!

Thanks to Kara and Marissa for accompanying me to Cool Stuff/Effin Comics in Drexel Hill for Free Comic Book Day. We gave away bookmarks, highlighted the library's graphic novel collection, and had people show us their library card to win a superhero poster.

Thanks to Shelby, Meg, Tyria, and Katie for staffing the library's yard sale. The yard sale made about $100, so that's $50 for TAB summer programs.

Book Review: Dramarama

Dramarama by E. Lockhart

SUMMARY: Two theater-mad, self-invented, fabulositon Ohio teenagers. One boy, one girl. One gay, one straight. One black, one white. And SUMMER DRAMA CAMP. It's a season of hormones, gold lame', hissy fits, jazz hands, song and dance, true love, and unitards that will determine their future--and test their friendship.

OPINION: If you compulsively hum Broadway tunes, watch old movie musicals, or thrill at the sight of a big chourus number on stage, this book is for you! Whether you are a seasoned performer or an audience member, you will be sucked in to the lives of Douglas and Sarah (aka Demi and Sadye) as they take on summer drama camp. The problem? As Demi discovers the depth of his talent, Sadye learns that she is not up to par with her peers. Will their friendship survive the intensity and closeness of camp life?

WEBSITE: Go to E. Lockhart's website to get an iMix of songs from the book!

New Stuff on the Shelves!

Here are a few new things to look for next time you're in the teen section:

Fiction

• Tyrell by Coe Booth
• Under the Banyan Tree by Toni De Palma
• The Navigator by Eoin McNamee
• Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
• Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
• What the Moon Saw by Laura Resau
• My Desperate Love Diary by Liz Rettig
• Don't You Forget about Me (Gossip Girl series) by Cecily von Ziegesar

Nonfiction

• Big Snacks, Little Meals: After School, Dinnertime, Anytime by Rose Dunnington

Improv!

Yesterday night, 14 teens showed up for our first-ever improv night! We played a group, team, and individual games, and the evening went by very quickly. We even improv-ed with our snacks! It was hilarious. Things were a bit chaotic at times, but everyone seemed to have fun. Huge thanks to Caitlin and Julie, improv pros who kept everyone focused because they actually knew what they were doing!!!

Book Review: books by Katherine Sturtevant

At the Sign of the Star and A True and Faithful Narrative by Katherine Sturtevant

SUMMARY: Meg Moore is the headstrong only child of a widowed bookseller and publisher in 17th century London, which suits her just fine. She loves books and ideas, and is excited at the prospect of inheriting his business. All of her dreams of running the business crumble, however, when he remarries and her new stepmother, Susannah, insists that Meg learn to be more of a lady. Through many battles of words and wits, Susannah and Meg come to an understanding of one another, although they never see eye to eye. Meg continues to work in the shop through the years, and it is there where she interacts with two potential suitors: Will, an apprentice, and Edward, her closest friend's brother. When Edward's ship is captured by pirates, Will and Meg work to raise the money for his release. But will either man provide Meg with the opportunity to exercise her love of freedom and talent for writing?

OPINION: We have all read those historical fiction books where the author beats the reader over the head with paragraphs designed to show off how much research was done. You will not find that to be true of these books! They are full of interesting literary and historical tidbits that are not obnoxious or pretentious, but actually important to the story. The books are also a window into the soul of 17th century London. The author creates such an authentic atmosphere that the city is practically a character in these books. The characters are entirely believable, and I thought the romance in the second book was both appropriate to the time and wrenching to the soul. These books are an excellent and quick read with a wonderfully engrossing heroine. What more could you want!?

Everyone's Day Off!

Tonight, 21 people came out to watch our spring break movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I haven't seen that movie in a long time...it was so funny! Be sure to sign up for the Phantom of the Opera movie sing-along in May (starting Monday), and look for many more movie nights on the summer schedule!

Right On!

Last Friday, 24 people came to the Teen Advisory Board's 60s Night! It was solid. (I learned that word from our opening slang matching game!) The costumes ranged from psychedelic to earth mother to mod. Everyone looked groovy. Alexa and Arwa judged the costume contest, awarding prizes to Kaitlin, Maria, and Kara for the best looks. We watched lots of iconic 60s momens, including scenes from The Producers, The Birds, and The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour, as well as music performances by Jimi Hendrix and The Doors. Alexa, Kara, and Caitlin won the TV show theme song contest (Alexa had a perfect score), and everyone got to make a hippie swirl using colored water, oil, and glitter. We ate foods introduced in the 60s, including Funyons, Chips Ahoy, Doritos, Cool Whip (on Jell-O), Lay's, Gatorade, and Sprite. Thanks to Maria for providing the music DVDs, and to Kara for making a choice music CD! Also, thanks to the entire TAB for their hard work on creating the decorations, setting up the room, and helping clean up at the end. We'll do another decade event again in the fall!

Food of the 60s

Here are some foods that were available for the first time in the 1960s!

Drinks

• Fresca (1967)
• Gatorade (1963)
• Sprite (1961)
• Tab (1963)
• Tang (1966)
• Diet 7-Up (1969)

Candy & Snacks

• Blammo gum (1960)
• Bugles (1968)
• Chips Ahoy! cookies (1963)
• Cool Whip (1966)
• Doritos (1966)
• Funyons (1969)
• Lays (1965)
• Lemonheads (1962)
• M&Ms in red, green, and yellow introduced (1960)
• Starburst (1960)
• SweeTarts (1963)

Cereals

• Apple Jacks (1963)
• Frosted Mini-Wheats
• Fruit Loops (1963)
• Life (1961)
• Product 19
• Total (1961)

Other Foods

• Granny Smith apple (1960)
• Green Giant frozen vegetables (1961)
• Kiwifruit (1961)
• McDonald's Big Mac (1969)
• Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup (1961)
• Pop-Tarts (1964)
• Spaghetti O's (1965)
• Taco Bell restaurants (1962)

For more food information, check out these sites:

• Candy USA Confectionary Timeline
• The Food History Timeline

Book List of Love

A new book list is available in our teen section featuring stories of star-crossed love in the tradition of Romeo and Juliet. It was inspired by our showing of West Side Story last week, and contains all kinds of stories about people who fall in love despite challenging situations! Pick up a copy next time you are at the library.

Last Night

(to the tune of Tonight)

Last night, last night,
Was not just any night,
Last night 10 teens sang out their lungs.
Last night, last night,
We saw a movie last night
And we ate, and we sang, and had fun!
Last night the movie was West Side Story,
The food was chips and soda,
And Twizzlers we could bite.
It was really long,
So we fast fowarded the film to the songs
Last night!!