Farmington Library Teen blog

Not Sure What to Read Next...

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:59:00 +0000

Check out the Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. It was #6 on Amazon's Best Books of the Year List and #1 on Amazon's Best Young Adult Books list. Check out the trailer below or the website daughterofsmokeandbone.com for more info about the book.

Gift Making at the Library

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:30:00 +0000

To celebrate the holidays and give Farmington teens a chance to make gifts for their friends or family members we had a Gift Making program at the library. Teens could choose to make no-sew fleece scarves, "stained glass" jars or decorate ornaments.

The Hunger Games Official Movie Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:01:00 +0000

For those of you who just can't wait for the movie to come out next year (3/23/2012, to be precise) here is a glimpse of what you can expect.

If you haven't read the books yet you still have plenty of time before the movie comes out. Reserve your copy at the library here .

Book Buddies

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:33:00 +0000

We have a lot of volunteer opportunities for part of this year's Teen Summer Sanity program and one special program is Book Buddies. For this program teens (bigs) are paired up with our elementary school kids (littles) to foster good reading and listening skills - we also have a fun craft project every week. Here are some pictures from this week's Book Buddies.

Featured Book - The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:06:00 +0000

The Infernal Devices, Book One: Clockwork Angel
By Cassandra Clare
Author of The Mortal Instruments Series

Get it at the library!

Amazon.com Product Description: "When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."

Team Will or team Jem?

Weekly Teen Series

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 14:47:00 +0000

Teen Series On Display for the Week of February 14th

The Gatekeepers (The Power of Five) series by Anthony Horowitz

Find the books in the library catalog.

Check out the Power of Five page on the author's Web Site.

Amazon.com Product Description for "Raven's Gate": "As punishment for a crime he didn't really commit, Matt was given a choice: go to jail or go live with an old woman named Mrs. Deverill in a remote town called Lesser Malling.

He should have chosen jail.

A strange and sinister plan is coming together made in Lesser Malling, with Matt at the center of it all. People who try to help him disappear . . . or die. It all ties to an evil place named Raven's Gate - a place whose destiny is horrifyingly intertwined with Matt's own."

The Calypso Chronicles by Tyne O'Connell

Find the books in the library catalog.

The Calypso Chronicle's Web Site

Amazon.com Product Description for "Pulling Princess": When Calypso returns from Los Angeles to her English boarding school for the summer term, she is determined to fit in with the popular crowd. Her plan is to pretend her mother's gay assistant back home is her boyfriend. And to her surprise, the trick works...at least at first. She makes a whole batch of new friends, and even finds herself winning the unwritten contest to woo the prince at the boys' school next door. But one girl, Honey, undermines all her efforts. When Calypso and Prince Freddy end up in the tabloids and everything seems set to go down the drain, it's Calypso's parents and sense of humor that save her from utter humiliation.

From Print to the Big Screen

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:11:00 +0000

"Thirteen Reasons Why" Movie in the Works

Jay Asher's hit realistic fiction book for teens, "Thirteen Reasons Why" is going to become a movie starring Selena Gomez.

In the book a girl (Hannah) commits suicide and leaves tapes detailing her reasons for doing so to a boy named Clay. The book is narrated in alternating chapters by Hannah and Clay.

Want to read the book before you see the movie? Check it out from the library.

Weekly Teen Series

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:17:00 +0000

Start the Year Off With a New Series

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Midnighters series, book 1 "The Secret Hour" by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies series, book 1 "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld

Vampire Kisses series, book 1 "Vampire Kisses" by Ellen Schreiber

Wicked Lovely series, book 1 "Wicked Lovely" by Melissa Marr

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series, book 1 "Eighth Grade Bites" by Heather Brewer

Darkest Powers series, book 1 "The Summoning" by Kelley Armstrong

"Wake" by Lisa McMann. This book is followed by "Fade" and then "Gone"

Salt Trilogy, book 1 "Salt" by Maurice Gee

The Mortal Instruments series, book 1 "City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare

House of Night series, book 1 "Marked" by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Magic in Manhattan series, book 1 "Bras & Broomsticks" by Sarah Mlynowski

Chaos Walking, book 1 "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

All of the above books and the subsequent books in the series' can be found in the library catalog.

Weekly Teen Series

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 20:11:00 +0000

Teen Series on Display for the Week of January 3, 2011.

The Demonata by Darren Shan

"The Demonata" is a ten-book series which will take readers into new realms and universes, all of them populated or threatened by demons. Fast-paced and bloody, horrific and fantastic, frightening and exciting. You might never look at the world in the same way again ..."(Shan, 2005)

1. Lord Loss

2. Demon Thief

3. Slawter

4. Bec

5. Blood Beast

6. Demon Apocalypse

7. Death's Shadow

8. Wolf Island

9. Dark Calling

10. Hell's Heroes

Find the series in the library catalog.

Check out the trailer for book six "Demon Apocalypse"

Sweet Seasons by Debbie Viguie

Amazon Product Description: "Most people think The Zone is an amusement park, but Candy Thompson knows it's really a slave labor camp. What else would you call a summer job that requires a sixteen-year-old girl to set aside her whole social life for the privilege of standing out in the hot sun selling cotton candy? Still, there are perks---particularly the mysterious hunk in the Lone Ranger costume. Behind that mask are the most amazing eyes Candy has ever seen. Who is that masked man? But someone else is just as interested. And romantic competition isn't the only problem. Besides being hard work, The Zone is eating up major time. How is Candy supposed to stay involved in church? Worse yet, will she lose her best friend, Tamara, who resents how Candy's job limits their time together? This is NOT the summer Candy hoped for! But as she is about to discover, the summer of cotton candy will be the greatest summer of her life."

1. The Summer of Cotton Candy

2. The Fall of Candy Corn

3. The Winter of Candy Canes

4. The Spring of Candy Apples

Find them in the library catalog.

Debbie's blog the Inkwell

Weekly Teen Series

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 19:43:00 +0000

Teen Series on Display for the Week of December 27th

Crank series by Ellen Hopkins
If you like seriously gritty realistic fiction then this series is for you. It is not for the faint of heart.

1. Crank - Find it in our library catalog
2. Glass - Find it in our library catalog
3. Fallout - Find it in our library catalog

Teen Made Trailer for Crank

Ellen Hopkins talks about writing

Ellen Hopkins' Official Website

Ellen Hopkins' Dedication Wall: Here all you Hopkins' fans can post about what her books mean to you or how they have impacted your life.

Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima

1. The Demon King - Find it in our library catalog
2. The Exiled Queen - Find it in our library catalog
3. The Gray Wolf Throne (September 2011)

Cinda Williams Chima discusses the Demon King

Amazon Product Description for The Demon King: "Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can’t sell. For as long as Han can remember, he’s worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They’re clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he’s never been able to get them off.

Han’s life gets even harder after he takes a powerful amulet from the son of the High Wizard. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, the Bayars will stop at nothing to reclaim it from Han.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana’Marianna, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense for a prince with a big castle and tiny brain. Raisa aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her—plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning new page-turner from best-selling author Cinda Williams Chima."

Learn more about the series, the characters, the places and even the history of the Seven Realms on Cinda Williams Chima's website.

Weekly Teen Series

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:39:00 +0000

Teen Series on Display for the Week of December 20th

Avatars by Tui Sutherland

Amazon Product Description for the first book in the series: "Something was different. She stepped hesitantly out of the subway car, her boots sounding even louder now. What was it?

The graffiti. Had that been there before?

Emblazoned across the far wall in huge silver letters:

The end has come.

In New York, Kali wakes to an empty subway car, and an even emptier city. Venus and Gus survive an earthquake in Los Angeles and realize they have to deal with more than just the aftershocks. In Chile, Tigre finds himself in an unfamiliar jungle, and strangely not alone. And Amon, in Egypt, can see his path but is blind to the full picture.

They are suddenly trapped in a deserted world, five teenagers with no hope of escape. Why have they survived? What force—or intelligence—connects them? Drawn inexorably toward one another, they only know their future involves an experience outside anything they could have imagined. Fantasy newcomer Tui T. Sutherland creates a future in which teens have the power to complete the destruction of Earth—or to save it."

More about the books and author:

Find the books in the library catalog

Tui Sutherland's official Web site

The Vampire Diaries by L. J. Smith

Think because you watch the show you know what happens in the books...think again. This is one tv series that strays far, and I mean to the ends of the earth kind of far, from the books.

More about the books and the author:

Find the series in the library catalog

L. J. Smith's official Web site

1. + 2. "The Awakening & The Struggle"

3. +4. "The Fury & Dark Reunion"

5. "The Return: Nightfall"

6. The Return: Shadowsouls

7. The Return: Midnight (comes out March 15, 2011)

Weekly Teen Series

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 16:11:00 +0000

Teen Series on Display for the Week of December 13th

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray

Amazon Product Description for the first book in the trilogy:
"It’s 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma’s reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she’s been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence’s most powerful girls—and their foray into the spiritual world—lead to?"

More about the book(s) and author:

Find the books in the library catalog

Teen Book Video Award winning trailer for A Great and Terrible Beauty on YouTube.

Readergirlz blog posts talking about the series and talking with the author.

Libba Bray's blog at LiveJournal.

and

The Deptford Mice Series and The Deptford Histories by Robin Jarvis

Amazon Product Description for the first book in the Deptford Histories Trilogy:
"The year is 1664 when young Will Godwin comes to London. In order to survive, he becomes an assistant to a wicked alchemist, Elias Theophratus Spittle. On an errand one freezing night, Will finds a mother cat and her three kittens, and brings the family back to his master's lab. Among the bubbling bottles and evil smelling jars of his master's apothecary shop unfolds an extraordinary tale of villainy, sorcery, and murder. The Deptford Mice trilogy witnessed the harrowing battles between the mice of Deptford and Jupiter, lord of darkness and treacherous disguises. Now in this gripping prequel, Jupiter's secret history is revealed."

Amazon Product Description for the first book in the Deptford Mice Trilogy:
"In the "Dark Portal", Albert Mouse squeezes through the Grill and disappears. Thinking he's been captured by the rats in the sewers, his children embark on a treacherous journey to find him."

More about the book(s) and author:

Find the Deptford Histories in the library catalog

Find the Deptford Mice Trilogy in the library catalog

Robin Jarvis' Web site

What to Read - Spotlight on Teen Series

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:10:00 +0000

How many times have you asked yourself, "What do I read now?" Maybe you've finished all the Harry Potter books or all the Twilight books and now you're ready to tackle another series, but you don't know how to find the right one.

There are a lot of series out there, especially those geared towards young adult readers. To help you all find the next great series we created a display at the library dedicated to highlighting teen series. Each week the display will be home to two different series and will contain the first few books of each series.

We will also write a weekly blog post that will name the two series that are on display and link to the library catalog, book reviews, book trailers and anything else we can find out about the books (like whether or not it is being made into a movie, or already has).

If you have suggestions for series to put on display please either leave a comment on the blog, email the teen librarian intern (lpeowski@farmingtonlibraries.org) or call the library (860-673-6791) and ask for Laura.

Food and Games

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:18:00 +0000

Mondays are always rough, especially after a long holiday weekend, so to help get the week off to a positive start we made no-bake chocolate/peanut butter bars and played games.

Teen's 2010 Top 10 Awards In

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:46:00 +0000

Over 8,000 teens voted in YALSA's (Young Adult Library Services Association) Teen's Top Ten 2010 contest and the winners are in. Click on the book title to go to the library catalog.

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
2. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
3. Heist Society by Ally Carter
4. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
5. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
6. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
7. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
8. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
9. Fire by Kristin Cashore
10. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Monster String Doll Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:30:00 +0000

Teens made their own monsters this Halloween. With some pipe cleaners, a bit of glue and a whole lot of string teens got together after school to put their creativity to work. For more info on how to make these check out the Thai String Doll Tutorial on the 4YA blog.

Teen Pumpkin Painting

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 14:53:00 +0000

Pumpkin painting: A seriously less messy, but equally fun alternative to pumpkin carving.

To check out other teen events going on this month friend us on Facebook (SarahLaura Libraryladies) or check out the Teen Space website.

Kicking Off the School Year with Some Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:38:00 +0000

What better way to end the first week of school than with a pizza party!

Missed the pizza party? That's ok, there will be plenty more events at the library this fall. Keep an eye on the library events calendar for Teen Movie Madness Fridays, a pumpkin painting party, a Halloween party and much more!

Friend us on Facebook at SarahLaura Libraryladies for the latest posts on new book arrivals and upcoming events.

Winding Down the Summer With a Little Ice Cream and a Lot of Prizes

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:42:00 +0000

Thanks to all of our wonderful teen volunteers and book reviewers that participated in Summer Reading 2010! We had a great party with games, ice cream and prizes to celebrate everyone's achievements on Wednesday, August 18th. Farmington Mini Golf donated the ice cream and all the fixings for sundaes! While stuffing their faces with ice cream and waiting patiently for the prizes to be doled out we had a friendly game of Apples to Apples (pictured below).

One lucky teen won the door prize, which was a $100 gift card to Westfarms. But don't fret! Everyone who attended got to pick books and magazines to take home. We also raffled off a framed autographed photo of Gwen Stefani, a highly coveted spiral bound drawing pad and a totally awesome electric pencil sharpener.

Friend us on Facebook to see more pics! SarahLaura LibraryLadies

Check out the latest teen book reviews on our book blog!

Teen Reading, up up!

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:58:00 +0000

Thanks for reading!
The numbers are in -- teen book circulation is up 15% from last year. Bravo, readers! As always, teens are encouraged to contact Sarah with requests for the collection, which continues to grow based on community needs and interests.

...and read some more!
Teen summer reading has begun: collect tickets, win prizes! Teens receive a ticket for every program attended, every volunteer shift completed, and every book review submitted. The more tickets collected, the better the chances to win fabulous prizes, including an iPod touch. Prizes will be awarded at the Summer Reading Finale, date TBA.

Book reviews must be at least three sentences and should help a reader decide whether or not to choose a book. Reviews can be dropped in the box in the teen area and must include your name and phone number, so Sarah can put a ticket in the drawing for you.

For more information about the summer reading program, check out the teen page of our website, or contact Sarah, the teen librarian, by e-mail (smorgan *at* farmingtonlibraries.org) or on Facebook.

Looking for ideas?
Check out the reviews posted to our Teen Review Blog!

Peace and love in the teen area and in the world!

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:24:00 +0000

Today we celebrated the conclusion of our 1,000 cranes project with an ice cream party and a group photo. Thanks to the many teens who contributed!

Candy Sushi, yum yum

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:00:00 +0000

A group of teens gathered with intern Nicole Dolat last week to make "sushi" from Twinkies, fruit by the foot, Swedish fish, sprinkles, and a bunch of other non-traditional ingredients. No actual fish were harmed in the making of this program, phew!

Beatles Mania

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:44:00 +0000

On Friday, March 19th we hosted a Beatles dance party -- with Beatles music on CD....and vinyl! The next dance party will be a Dance, Dance, Revolution extravaganza (on the big screen) on April 30th at 2:30. See you there!

Old-fashioned fun in the teen area

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:16:00 +0000

We've got new board games in the teen area: Apples to Apples (pictured above), Battleship, checkers, chess, Candy Land, Connect 4, and Uno. Drop by and play!

Seen today at the ice cream social...

noreply@blogger.com (Farmington Libraries since 1901) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:10:00 +0000