Teen Zone @ Waterford Public Library

American Library Association announces 2012 Youth Media Award winners | American Libraries Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:52:00 +0000

American Library Association announces 2012 Youth Media Award winners American Libraries Magazine

Pay special attention to the Michael L. Printz and the Alex awards for teen reads. What have you guys read off of the list? I loved Scorpio Races!

Anna Dressed in Blood Review by Jacqui

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:48:00 +0000

There have been love stories between humans and vampires, and there have been love stories between humans and werewolves, but where are the love stories between humans and ghosts? For all of you that have been waiting for a human and ghost love connection, your prayers have been answered! The new book Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake takes the reader into the world of Cas Lowood, a teenage boy who moves around the country finding and killing murderous ghosts. Cas and his mother move to a new town to find the so-called ghost, Anna dressed in Blood. When Cas eventually comes face to face with Anna and tries to kill her, Anna’s strength overcomes him, but for some reason she spares his life. Cas teams up with a local witch and the homecoming queen to help uncover the truth about Anna’s mysterious death, but they find out more than they ever could imagine. The book takes many twists and turns, leaving the reader wanting more. There is mix of romance, horror, gore, and humor throughout the book that keeps you entertained and horrified at the same time. This book is for anyone who likes the supernatural and enjoys a bit of romance thrown in the mix. If you end up really enjoying the book, you are in luck; Kendare Blake is coming out with a sequel that will be released sometime this year!

Friday the 13th!

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:45:00 +0000

Superstitions

A superstition is a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, or proceeding. It is also an irrational fear of what is unknown or mysterious, especially in connection with religion. The word, as we know it, is most commonly associated with the second definition. There are lots of superstitions out there, but to name a few of the common ones they are:

Friday the 13th (Bad luck associated with Judas being the 13th member at the Last Supper and Jesus being crucified on a friday.)

Breaking a mirror (7 years bad luck)

Finding a Horseshoe (Good luck, but make sure you pick it up with your right hand!)

Opening an umbrella inside (Bad luck will "rain" on you.)

Knocking on wood (Knock on wood 3 times after mentioning good fortune or the evil spirits will ruin things for you.)

Tossing spilled salt over your left shoulder (By doing this, you are driving away the evil spirits lurking around to cause to misfortune.)

Black cats (It's bad luck if you cross one of these because they are associated with evil witches.)

Again, these are just a few of the superstitions out there, but there are quite a few books about superstitions available for adults and children. Some that we have here at the library are:

Dictionary of Superstitions by: Iona Archibald Opie

A Treasury of American Superstitions by: Claudia De Lys

Blue Monday and Friday the 13th by: Lila Perl

Jinxed: Baseball superstitions from around the Major Leagues by: Ken Leiker

So, what do you think? Are you superstitious?

BONUS: Did you know the official term for fear of Friday the 13th is paraskevidekatriaphobia?

Bleach by Kubo Noriaki

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:24:00 +0000

I am currently going through a graphic novel phase. This has got me obsessed with the manga Bleach. If you don't know what manga is, it is basically Japanese graphic novels. My friend Staci recommended the series to me and now I can't stop. This series is the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a Soul Reaper—a death personification kind of like a Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki. His newfound powers force him to take on the duties of defending humans from evil spirits and guiding departed souls to the afterlife. There are two different types of souls. There are regular souls that still look like humans. Then there are Hollows, that look like monsters and are evil. The hollows attack other good spirits and humans to eat their souls. This series is action packed and has a good plot. Plus, there is still humor in them. Sometimes I even catch myself laughing out loud from these books. Anyone will be able to finish these in a small amount of time since they still are basically pictures. The only downside to these is the characters all have Japanese names so it's kind of hard to pronounce. I would recommend these graphic novels to anyone who wants something to read that is short, adventurous and funny. - Alyson

Prove That Teens Use (and Love) Libraries

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:11:00 +0000

Prove That Teens Use (and Love) Libraries

Clockwork Angel - A Review

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:31:00 +0000

I FINALLY got around to reading the book Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, which my friend recommended to me. It’s been sitting on my overcrowded bookshelf for awhile, annoyed that it wasn’t getting the attention it deserved. It definitely should have been read sooner, because it was such a guilty pleasure. I usually despise any romance books, especially when I finally read one and the main character dies at the very end without any warning, breaking my soul into a million different pieces, leaving me weeping on the floor, and tempting me to find the author and murder him with no remorse (One Day by David Nicholls). Seriously…I can’t even think about that book without shaking with rage. ANYWAYS, the book Clockwork Angel combines one perfect thing, steampunk, and one questionable thing…romance, and puts it together in one book. For everyone who has no clue what steampunk is, which is almost everyone except horribly geeky people like me, it’s a sub-genre of fantasy/science fiction that combines the Victorian era and mixes it with steam power, aka, complicated mechanical machines. It’s amazing. I’m not going to lay out the plot or anything, but the main character, Tessa, has an interesting ability that allows her to change shape. After various events she arrives at the London institute, and gets to meet the shadowhunters. These are, as described in the book, ridiculously gorgeous people who protect mundanes (normal people) and are actually angels. Yada yada yada, and you get to Will and Jem. They are two shadowhunters that somehow BOTH like Tessa. How does this happen?! Geez…if I had a nickel for every time two guys fought over me…I would have exactly ZERO nickels. Even though this is highly unlikely, this love triangle is so addicting. Both of them are very unique and engrossing. That’s why I have just started the second book in the series and am 123 pages in. Who will win the young maiden's heart?! - Staci

The 12 Days of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:44:00 +0000

It’s the third day of Christmas also known as December 28. We are bombarded with Christmas sales, music and decorations before Thanksgiving and on December 26 Christmas is packed up, put away, ready for November 2012. Did you know that the Twelve Days of Christmas actually start on December 26 and ends on January 6? Santa has come, the presents have been opened and now is the time to truly enjoy the spirit of this holiday season throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas. Start by joining us today for a Magic of the Season magic show presented by magician Jim Mitchell at 10:00.

A Rant About Movies by Staci

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:16:00 +0000

So I just finished reading Marlon Brando’s autobiography, and one word I would use to describe it would be LEGENDARY. Also, weird, because with great brilliance comes a huge dose of oddity, and Marlon was unable to avoid that situation. Since nobody seems to know who Marlon Brando IS (shame on their souls), he was an actor, and an amazing one at that. Now, the pathetic part is that nearly no one under the age of 18 has seen any of his movies! Of course, most good movies are overlooked and replaced with movies like Twilight. Just because most of Marlon’s movies were in black and white does not make them bad. A movie made before 1990 is not OLD. They were movies that made you feel a spectrum of emotions; where actors were the center of attention instead of special effects stealing the spotlight. Even now, nobody sees a film like The Kings Speech, which was deeply moving. I mean, what is going on with society? Maybe the time has come to turn my back on my generation and brave this cruel unfeeling world as one of the only teenagers with good movie taste. Now for no good reason, other than my need to influence other's movie choices, here is a list of GOOD movies that everyone should see because I said so.

-The Departed

-Good Will Hunting

-Across the Universe

-When Harry Met Sally

-One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

-On the Waterfront

-It Happened One Night

-Casablanca

-Forrest Gump

-The Fighter

-Fight Club

-American History X

-Harold and Maude

-Silence of the Lambs

-The Town

-Bridesmaids

Perks of Being a Wallflower

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 01:15:00 +0000

In life there are certain books you read that make you feel completely different after reading them. Normally, the difference is not specific. It is not a good difference or a bad difference. It is just a difference that only you can feel. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky is one of those books. The book is comprised of letters written by the main character, Charlie, to an unknown recipient. Charlie writes the letters about what is going on in his life and for the 213 pages of the book you are transported into the thoughts and life of Charlie. The book is humorous at some points, while dark at others, but you truly feel every emotion Charlie feels. It is not a typical young adult novel, but it is a novel worth reading once in your life. In 2012, The Perks of Being a Wallflower will be released as a movie starring Emma Watson, Paul Rudd, Logan Lerman as well as many other well-known celebrities. Hopefully, if you plan to see the movie, you will read the book first. It is a book that will surprise you and change you, and a book that you will remember for the rest of your life. - Jacqui

Dan Belden's 80 Day Journey

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:54:00 +0000

The front page of this morning's Journal Times details Waterford's own Dan Belden and his trip from Waterford to the Gulf of Mexico in a canoe! Congratulations Dan!

Gift Wrap Event Today

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:58:00 +0000

Teen Advisory Board members will be at the library today from 12:00 - 2:30 to wrap gifts. They are hoping for donations to be able to start a project fund. See you there!

Divergent

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:21:00 +0000

I recently read Divergent by Veronica Roth. I absolutely loved this book and it is one of my new favorites. This book is about a girl, Beatrice "Tris" Prior, who is in the Abnegation faction. The city is split up into separate factions. Each of them have a different personality and way of life. The different factions are: Abnegation, the selfless; Candor,the honest; Dauntless, the brave; Amity, the peaceful; and Erudite, the intelligent. Beatrice is in high school and at the part of her life where she has to chose which faction she wants to be in. She never felt like she belonged in Abnegation. To help her chose which faction would be most appropriate, she has to take a test. It is not like a paper test like we have in school. It's a virtual test that happens in your head. There are different scenarios you have to go through to find out which faction is right for you. After she is done with the test, her test giver seems nervous. The test giver said Beatrice's test didn't give a clear result which has never happened before. She tells Beatrice that that means she is divergent and she belongs in more than one faction. She cannot tell anyone about being divergent because she could be killed. When the time comes, Beatrice makes the right choice of where she thinks she belongs. That decision takes her on a wild journey. This book is filled with action, adventure, mystery and romance. I recommend this book to anyone who wants an exciting book that's hard to put down. - Alyson

Staci Reviews Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:25:00 +0000

So, on November 8th, my world was altered and dramatically changed for the better by the author Christopher Paolini. Oh what a wonderful man, truly, I would marry his writing (not him, sadly he is too old for me). The final book in the Inheritance cycle, conveniently named Inheritance, came out and put a new standard on what a good book is, making all other books cower before its mighty story telling power. I managed to finish it in about four days (pretty good, since it was 850 pages…) and it proved to be the best in the entire series. Every page was a beautiful masterpiece I wanted to cling on to and never let go of its brilliance. This book should be printed on gold paper, it would be worthy. There were plot twists, prophecies fulfilled, and dragons, tons of magnificent dragons. Also elves, dwarves, urgals, werecats, and humans converging for battles of epic proportions, aiming to reach the king, which proved to be a culmination of everything awesome in the world put together and sold as a hardcover book for $27.99. But the best part is that I went to get this beautiful book signed by the author. I always swore to never let out one of those high-pitched fan girl squeals of idiocy, but I just barely contained it. He was right before me. Years of my life flashed before my eyes, making me relive the times of my early youth as I read the first book in the series, Eragon, then Eldest…Brisinger. I grew up to his fictional world, and it was almost a second life to me! Now I’m done…with the last one…I’m so lost. Completely and utterly lost, like part of my life just vanished. Now I have to move on, or I will never be able to.

Hunger Games Trailer!

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:59:00 +0000

May the odds ever be in your favor! Check out the newly released trailer of the Hunger Games movie in theaters in March 2012. Read it before you see it!

40 days and Counting!

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:02:00 +0000

Christmas

I Am Better than Your Kids - A Review

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:01:00 +0000

The most recent book I have read is I am Better than your Kids by Maddox. This book is the funniest book I have read in a very long time. This book isn't really a novel. It is a book filled with kid's pictures and other things children have done that Maddox basically makes fun of. Yes, that does seem very sadistic but it is just hilarious. This book is not for everyone though. You need to get a certain type of humor to actually find this book amusing. I showed this book to a lot of my friends while I was reading and they also found it hilarious. Although, I do know a couple of people who found this book horrid and cruel. From a certain point of view I can see how they find it cruel. “They are just kids. How can you find humor in making fun of their hard work?” people say. It is just a certain type of humor you need to have. People think if you like this book, you must hate kids. I love kids and I also loved this book. In the intro of this book, Maddox explains it all. Why he wrote it and why people find it amusing. It all makes sense in this book. This book is short and an easy read because it is not an actual novel. So, if you would like an easy read that will make you laugh, I suggest you give this book a try.

Teen Book Club

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

A book club is always a fun way to read a variety of books from different genres and authors, but for many teenagers it is hard to find a book club with titles they are interested in. WUHS has its very own book club specifically for students! If you would enjoy joining the book club, but aren't interested in some of the titles, the club is extremely flexible! It is not mandatory to read every book every month; you can pick and choose which books you want to read and forget the rest. Once a month the club meets in the library after school and discusses the chosen book of the month (treats are provided as well!). The WUHS book of the month club is a fun way to get involved in school and read an assortment of different titles! Stop in at the school library and pick up the November book, Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach. You can also visit the link listed below to see what books are in store for the rest of the year!

http://www2.waterforduhs.k12.wi.us/staffweb/Sereno/mainpages/bookofmonth.htm

For Harry Potter Fans

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:35:00 +0000

If you are a fan of Harry Potter and you haven’t heard of Pottermore.com yet, keep an eye out for registration to begin! I was lucky enough to be able to register early, and the site should be open to everyone any day now. You can explore each book in detail, and as you explore you can unlock new content from J.K. Rowling. She talks about decisions she made in the writing process (for example, why she chose not to use the metric system, and how, in doing so, she managed to anger her sister), and she also gives very detailed histories on favorite characters such as Professor McGonagall. As you work your way through the first book, you get a wand in Diagon Alley, and you get sorted into one of the four Houses. After that you can earn House points by brewing potions and collecting potions ingredients while exploring the chapters. You can also participate in Wizard Duels, collect Chocolate Frog cards, and add your friends who are also registered so you can interact with them on the website. It’s definitely worth looking into for anyone who has enjoyed the books!

Just in Time for Halloween - Interview with Anne Rice

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:33:00 +0000

"Just in time for Halloween, queen of vampire fiction Anne Rice has provoked the outrage of thousands of lovelorn teenage girls by dissing Stephenie Meyer's sparkly bloodsuckers." quotes Alison Flood of The Guardian. Read the whole article at The Guardian to see how this facebook battle ended.

Top Ten Teen Books

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:01:00 +0000

Teens from around the United States were invited to vote on their top ten books of 2011. 10,000 votes were cast during the months of August and September. YALSA, Young Adult Library Services Association, reported these as the teen's top ten:

“Clockwork Angel” by Cassandra Clare
“Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins
“Crescendo” by Becca Fitzpatrick
“I Am Number Four” by Pittacus Lore
“The Iron King” by Julie Kagawa
“Matched” by Ally Condie
“Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel” by James Patterson
“Paranormalcy” by Kiersten White
“Before I Fall” by Lauren Oliver
“Nightshade” by Andrea Cremer

To learn more about the teen book groups and participating in the Teens’ Top Ten program, visit www.ala.org/teenstopten.

Goodbye Emily!

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:52:00 +0000

Emily Scherrer, Teen Advisor and Young Adult Program Planner, has accepted a new job in Arizona. She'll be driving down to the sand and sun next week. Her last day is Saturday, October 22. Come join us at the "Meet the Ghostbusters" program on Saturday from 1 -3 to wish her well. Thanks for everything, Emily!

Emily Reviews: Ashes by Ilsa Black

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:09:00 +0000

Alex wouldn't do this. Because she's a nice person. The kind who helps small children, dogs, grandpa figures, and LOVERS (well, at some point, anyway)from the ZOMBIE HORDES and post-apocalyptic REBELS who are willing to KILL and EAT you for the taste of some used chewing gum you had in your mouth. Or an old boot. Or a paperback book from the local library. WHAT HAVE YOU. Doesn't take much when an EMP bomb explodes and everyone is fighting for survival in the barren wilderness that we like to call "Michigan."
So, yes, Alex is a good person, who has a special power--(not telling, nope), and is on her own, trying to navigate the wasteland we like to call the "Midwest."

I didn't want to like this book. The budding adult inside of me resisted---(Really?? Another zombie book with a love tie-in and creepy swarms of religious fanatics...really Emily, do need MORE OF THAT)??? But apparently, yes, YES, I did, because I really loved this book--despite the fact that I now feel like painting my nails glittery purple and putting glow-in-the-dark stars and planets on my bedroom ceiling. It was a good thriller, and I didn't mind the about face in the middle of the book-- because it seemed, at least to me, realistic and added further SUSPENSE to an already creepy and ZOMBIE INFESTED novel. He, he, he, he:

And the protagonist, Alex, wasn't some whiny over-the-top teen queen who felt sorry for herself in the least, althgouht given her personal situation, she had every reason to be. I liked her; I liked the premise. She made me think about starting to gather up a fanny pack consisting of: wire, matches, ammo, some animal fat, and jello shots (yes, yes it's true), so that if I EVER feel like I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT, I will also go out into the wilderness and be one with nature and hopefully encounter some ZOMBIES that I CAN KILL.

So, the whole zombie/forest hiking/love triangle/forced into motherhood at a young age/crazy nut resembling that bad dude in "Apocalypse Now", or that guy in "Blood Meridian" (even better), really worked for me. And I dug it. And so I guess I'm not totally grown up yet. And...that's okay. Because I'll need that when the brain eating machines get here.

Ouch.

Justin Bieber Party!

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:32:00 +0000

We had over 20 kids, tweens and teenagers attend our Justin Bieber party on October 8th! We watched "Never Say Never" (some people even came in their homemade t-shirts!), painted our nails using his "official" nailpolish by OPI, and endeavored to answer some pretty tough Bieber trivia. Everyone walked away with glittery hands and awesome prizes!!

Thanks to everyone who came out!

"Death By Chocolate" Party---A Choco-Lot-A Success!

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:09:00 +0000

Last night, we had over 40 tweens and teens attend our first annual back to school Chocolate Party event. We engaged in chocolate face painting, chocolate trivia, a chocolate game and tasting (guess the secret ingredient...hmm...is that.....pistachio???), as well as some good old fashioned games awarded (properly!) with chocolate surprises. If that wasn't enough, we also had some great new organic hot chocolate that was served by members of our Teen Adivosry Board for everyone to taste! It was a lot of fun and hopefully everyone slept well after all the sugar and fun! Hope to see you at our next program!

Emily Scherrer
Adult & Teen Services

Shel Silverstein's New Poem.....

noreply@blogger.com (About This Blog) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:15:00 +0000

When Shel Silverstein wrote the poem "Years From Now," he seemed to know that one day he'd be gone but that his playful words and images would still be making children happy. "I cannot see your face," he writes to his young readers, but in "some far-off place," he assures them, "I hear you laughing — and I smile."

The beloved children's poet and illustrator died in 1999 at age 68. "Years From Now" is one of the poems in a new book called Every Thing On It that has just been released by Silverstein's family. If you liked Silverstein's other books, such as Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends, you'll recognize poems — like "Frightened" — as vintage Shel:

"There are kids underneath my bed,"

Cried little baby monster Fred.

Momma monster smiled. "Oh, Fred,

There's no such things as kids," she said.

Visit NPR to read more and listen to an excerpt: http://www.npr.org/books/titles/140566536/every-thing-on-it-poems-and-drawings