Black Friday at the Library

Yesterday afternoon, lots of teens ditched shopping in favor of hanging out at the library. First, six people showed up to make origami. Thank goodness for the animated instructions on Origami Club! We were able to figure out the directions when we had problems. After that, 18 people came to Anime Club. We ate noodles and watched several different shows. Tim and I also had prizes to give away, so a lot of people went home with something extra. This was our last Anime Club meeting of the year, but we will start back up at the end of January. Look for the winter schedule in mid-December!

Origami

I have found some great origami resources on the internet, so start folding! Or bring along an idea to our origami program this Friday. We will be making gift tags, boxes, or whatever, from 2:00 to 3:30.

Traditional Origami
This is my favorite site because it has tons of easy-to-follow patterns. And if you're hardcore, here's the site in Japanese.

Origami and Crafts
Written for cub scouts, this guide shows you how to make origami and then turn it into something else.

Money Origami
Don't have much to spend for a gift? Make one out of the money! I still have a pair of origami cowboy boots I got as a waitressing tip years ago.

More Origami
Find out how to make nontraditional items like rings, envelopes, and even edible items from origami!

Book Review: Little Brother

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
(click on the cover to see which libraries own it.)

SUMMARY: Marcus, a.k.a “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems. But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days. When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself. (adapted from the inside cover)

OPINION: This book is the most scarily possible dystopian fantasy that I have ever read, and yet it is also incredibly hopeful. Taking place in the not-too-distant future, Little Brother describes a great loss of freedom and privacy in the name of safety. Addressing questions important to Americans, particularly since September 11, this book takes reality one step further and shows how technology can be used to both dominate and liberate people. This book takes inspiration from Orwell's classic, 1984. Instead of allowing Big Brother to watch and control everyone, though, Marcus creates rebellion by inspiring thousands of Little Brothers to watch the watchers and outsmart them. As a long-time reader of this genre, I can say that this book is dystopian fiction at its best.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cory Doctorow is a famous techno-geek that you've probably never heard of. Find out more about him on his blogs, Craphound and Boing Boing, and read more of his books!

AMAZING FACT: Cory Doctorow invented the Paranoid Linux operating system for the purposes of this novel. Now some coders are actually writing it!

Book Swap and Comedy

On Saturday, 14 people came to our Book Swap and Comedy program. Almost everyone stayed the whole time, and 55 books got swapped! We watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, which is completely implausible and yet extremely hilarious. We also enjoyed Men in Black, which is more of an action comedy. We ate food, lounged around, and even got the newest edition of the library zine assembled (thanks to Katie, Genni, and me). Look for more book swap events on the winter and spring schedules! And pick up a copy of our zine, What If..., at the next event you attend.

New to You

New books continue to be added to our tiny teen room, so come by and check out a few!

• Princess on the Brink by Meg Cabot (Princess Diaries series)
• LBD: It's a Girl Thing by Grace Dent (replacement)
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• Paper Towns by John Green
• Jazmin's Notebook by Nikki Grimes (signed by the author)
• Summer of Secrets by Paul Langan (Bluford High series)
• Heaven Looks A Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass (signed by the author)
• Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass (signed by the author)
• Leap Day by Wendy Mass (signed by the author)
• The Search for the Red Dragon by James A. Owen (Chronicles of the Imaginarium series)
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (replacement)

Katie's Creations

Check out the Nintendo characters that Katie crocheted! My favorites are the star and the mushroom, but they all turned out really well. Katie made them all without patterns, which takes a lot of thought and skill. She brought them to display at Nintendo Night last week. Thanks, Katie! Do you take orders??

Book Review: Inventing Elliot

Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner

(Click on the book cover to find out which libraries own it.)

SUMMARY: Teased by bullies in his old school, Elliot is determined to reinvent himself at his new high school by donning a cool, unflappable exterior. Ironically, the 14-year-old's aloofness earns the interest of an elite group of bullies, known as the Guardians, whose members target school losers for punishment in cruel and ritualistic ways. In this psychological drama, the outwardly congenial Guardian leaders, who are never seen "in the company of actual violence," recruit Elliot using control tactics adopted from their favorite book, George Orwell's 1984. Not as a victim, though; they want Elliot to become a Guardian. (adapted from the SLJ review)

OPINION: At one time or another, probably everyone has wished for a chance to start over at something. And, some days, starting over at a new school really does sound like a good idea! Elliot decides to make the most of his chance, and completely changes his outward appearance and demeanor at his new school. But, he goes too far the other way, and becomes untrue to himself. The psychological story builds up to a dramatically realistic conclusion. This book is an interesting study of the "self" we present to the world versus the "self" we are on the inside. My only complaint is that Elliot never read 1984. If he had, he would see how the Guardians were completely misrepresenting its message!

RECOMMENDATIONS: If you liked this book, look for:

• Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
• The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
• Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
• The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
• The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci

Shiny Newness

One thing I am against is incomplete books in series, particularly if they are popular! In an effort to keep up, we just got these latest installments:

• The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima (Heir series)
• City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments series)
• Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods series)
• The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau (Ember series)
• Rumors by Anna Godbersen (Luxe series)
• Doomwyte by Brian Jacques (Redwall series)
• The Indigo King by James A. Owen (Chronicles of the Imaginarium series)
• Stop in the Name of Pants by Louise Rennison (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series)
• The Coffin Club by Ellen Schreiber (Vampire Kisses series)

Nintendo Night

Last Friday, 27 teens packed our programming room for our fall Nintendo Night event. Everyone entered the Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament on the Wii, and 11 people tried the Mario Kart DS tournament. We also had fun with my original NES, especially since John E. brought his gun for Duck Hunt! After five rounds, Maher emerged victorious in the Brawl tournament, winning a $15 gift card to GameStop. In the Mario Kart tournament, Connor S. won a $10 gift card to GameStop.

Big thanks to Katie E., who displayed her crocheted Nintendo characters on the mantel for everyone to see. She has been working on them all fall, and made them all without a pattern. My favorites are the mushroom and the star, but they all looked great! I will get a picture of them on here soon. Thanks also to David for providing controllers and the Brawl game for the tournament.

If you missed this program, we will do another Nintendo Night in the winter with a new structure, so stay tuned!

Princess for President?

In the weeks leading up to the election, teens could vote for an author for president at our special windowsill display, called Elect to Read. The authors had to meet the basic qualifications: be born a citizen, have lived here for at least 14 years, and be at least 35 years old. And the winner is...Meg Cabot! Author of the Princess Diaries, among many other things, Meg got seven votes. Jerry Spinelli and Barry Lyga also did well in the voting.

I had three prizes to give away, based on people's reasons why they voted for a certain author. They didn't have to pick the winner, just defend their choice. Saranjeet had the best answer, and she wins a $10 Borders gift card. Katie E. and Genni had good answers as well, and they each win a copy of First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover by Mitali Perkins.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Vampire Party

Last Friday, 14 teens came out to our after-school vampire party! We made vampire lollipops and fake blood, played a crazy trivia race game, watched a video clip of Bram Stoker's Dracula, and, of course, ate food. Our best snack was sandwich cookies decorated with fanged smiley faces! Genni and Max won mini-vampire plushies as prizes for their costumes, and the team that won the trivia game got vampire-mouth lollipops. They were like ring pops, only on a fanged mouth instead of a ring. I wish I had pictures. I do have pictures of us making crafts, so here they are:

Making fake blood.

Making lollipop vampires.

They look awfully happy to be holding bags of blood!

More finished bags of fake blood.

Vampire Crafts

Whether you missed our vampire party on Friday or just can't wait for the Twilight movie, here are some vampire crafts you can make at home:

Coffee Filter Vampire Bats
Garbage Bag Vampire
Origami Dracula Face
Realistic Vampire Bite Wound
Vampire Bite Cookies
Vampire Blood
Vampire-Inspired Necklace
Vampire Lollipops

New Nonfiction

Here are the new titles on our teen nonfiction shelves:

• The Book Book: A Journey into Bookmaking by Sophie Benini-Pietromarchi
• L Is for Lollygag: Quirky Words for a Clever Tongue by Chronicle Books
• The Softer Side of Hip-Hop: Poetic Reflections on Love, Family, and Relationships by Laura Haskins-Bookser
• Amigurumi Animals: 15 Patterns and Dozens of Techniques for Creating Cute Crochet Creatures by Annie Obaachan
• Meet the Dancers: From Ballet, Broadway, and Beyond by Amy Nathan
• Chill: Stress-Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You by Deborah Reber

Vampire Book Discussion Questions

Today, we are having a vampire book discussion group from 3:30 to 5:00. Bring your favorite books to share with the group!

If you miss the event, try these questions next time everyone is talking about the Twilight books or something:

• Do you think vampires actually exist? How would they live in the modern world? Could they have existed more easily in the past? How?
• Why do legends about creatures like vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc. get created and passed down?
• Why do you think vampire books are so popular right now?
• What characteristics does the author assign to vampires? Did this match your previous idea of what vampires are like?
• How would you describe vampires, how they are created, and their lifestyles? Do you follow the traditional view, or has what you read changed your view of vampires?
• Would you want to date a vampire in real life? Why or why not?
• Are people inherently good or evil? What about vampires?
• How do the vampires in this book compare to those in other books you’ve read?
• What genre is this book? If you took out all the vampires, would it fit into another category?
• Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why do you think you felt that way?
• What themes did the author emphasize through the story? What do you think he or she is trying to teach the reader? Why did the author use vampires to help get across these themes?
• Have you ever read a vampire book that you didn’t like? What did you not like about it? How could the author have improved it?
• What kind of writing style do you prefer? Do you like more descriptive passages or more dialogue? Does the length of a book impact your interest in reading it? How about the viewpoint?

Allison Whittenberg

On Friday, 30 teens and 3 adults came out to meet author Allison Whittenberg! It was our first after-school author visit and our first visit by an African-American author. It was great to have such a big group! Allison talked a bit about her two current books, Sweet Thang and Life Is Fine. She also told us about Hollywood and Maine, a companion to Sweet Thang, which will be released in January 2009. We had a great question-and-answer period, and even talked about a few of my discussion questions for Sweet Thang. We finished up the program with snacks and a book signing.

One thing I learned is that Allison started her writing life with plays and poetry. Because of this, she uses a lot of dialogue and leaves space for the reader to fill in meaning in her novels. I really like her writing style because you can read it quickly, but still be actively engaged in the story. The humor in Sweet Thang reminded a lot of us of The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. But Allison said that, although she has heard that comparison a lot, she has never read his book!

Thanks to everyone who showed up, especially the members of our Read & Rant Book Discussion Group. And big thanks to the Teen Advisory Board, whose active fundraising made this visit possible!!

Book Review: Everything Beautiful

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell

(This book will be released on October 28, 2008.)

SUMMARY: Riley Rose, a nonreligious, self-proclaimed bad girl, has been tricked into attending Spirit Ranch, a Christian camp. There she meets Dylan Kier, an alumni camper and recent paraplegic, who arrives with a chip on his shoulder and a determination to perfect all of his bad habits. United in their personal suffering and in their irritation at their fellow campers, they turn the camp inside out as they question the meaning of belief systems, test their faith in each other, and ultimately settle a debate of the heart. (from the back cover)

OPINION: Having spent many weeks at Christian sleep-away camp, I can attest to the accuracy of the setting of this book. Anecdote: I once had a counselor whose given name was Heaven Lee Angel Baker. And I am totally not lying. Anyway, going to camp, even for a week, changes you in some way. And, just like this book, it's not always a religious experience that makes the difference. Something about getting outside of yourself, your friends, and your normal routines gives you the distance to think about things with more perspective. Riley is a tough female character who is comfortable with her large, shapely body, but not so comfortable with friendships and relationships. Living in close camp quarters definitely provides her with some food for thought! If you liked the challenging, strong, female main characters in Big Fat Manifesto, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, and Cupcake, this is a book for you.

AUTHOR INFO: Find out more about Simmone on her LJ, called post-teen trauma.

More Belt Crafts

If you missed our belt crafts event or have more outfits to match, why not try one of these projects at home?

Necktie Belt #2
This necktie belt can be made out of one tie. All you need are 2 D-rings for a belt buckle and some fabric glue.

Grosgrain Ribbon Belt
Two ribbons, two D-rings, and some iron-on bonding material make a cute contrasting belt.

Velvet Ribbon Belt
Similar to the above two belts, but much more dressy.

Funky Rounds Belt
Crochet your way to a cute multicolored belt.

Soda Tab Belt #2
Start drinking your soda...this one takes a lot of tabs!

Belt It!

Today, 5 teens showed up for our belt-making craft event. Everyone made three belts. First, we made a necktie belt from two contrasting ties. To wear it, you just tie it in a knot on the side so the two ties hang down the leg. Then, we did two projects from Dangles and Bangles by Sherri and Michelle Haab. One was made with soda tabs and safety pins, with beads added for cuteness. The other was a braided cloth belt that was very reminiscent of the 60s. It was great fun, and I hope everyone gets to wear all their new belts this week.

There are tons of things you can do with old neckties, by the way. Skirts, guitar straps, even s stuffed snake can be yours with some simple sewing. Check out this roundup of great necktie ideas! And if that's not enough, check out this blog!!

More New Items for You

I am going to start velcro-ing books to the ceiling if you don't come in and check them out! There is seriously no place for the new books to be shelved!!!

FICTION

• The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding (Cat Royal Adventure series)
• Evernight by Claudia Gray
• All the Lovely Bad Ones: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
• Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley
• Sure Fire by Jack Higgins and Justin Richards
• Maddigan's Fantasia by Margaret Mahy
• Hotlanta by Denene Millner and Mitzi Millner
• Game by Walter Dean Myers
• First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover by Mitali Perkins (First Daughter series)
• White House Rules by Mitali Perkins (First Daughter series)
• Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt
• Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet by Sherri L. Smith
• Larry and the Meaning of Life by Janet Tashjian

Book Review: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
(Click on the cover to see which libraries own it.)

SUMMARY: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by 12 outlying districts. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her younger sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to death before--and survival is second nature for her. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. (adapted from the inside flap)

OPINION: This dystopian novel is an incredible page-turner, with all kinds of mayhem and murder to keep you reading until the very end. And what a cliffhanger of an ending! Of course, this is a projected trilogy, but I don't think I can stand the wait!! The characters and events are very compelling, but I did find the dystopian aspects of the novel to be somewhat lacking. There is not much description of how the United States met its end, and very little discussion of issues beyond the brutality of the Capitol toward the districts. Typically, dystopian novels deal with social issues in a futuristic society, but this one was much more action-oriented. I hope that the series expands its scope and improves as it continues. However, I still recommend this book as "unputdownable"!!!

Read Beth's review of The Hunger Games from September.