NYPL Blogs: Stuff for the Teen Age

OMG! I Love that Song! A Guilty Pleasure Playlist

Anne Rouyer, Seward Park Library — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:22:48 -0400

Guilty Pleasure: something you like, but feel guilty about liking because you are aware your fondness for said thing is a little embarrassing or not so great. Reasons for feeling guilty include: enjoying a silly pop song, liking a band for their hotness and not necessarily their music, the genre of music is considered uncool, liking the artist makes you one of them and you are sooo much cooler than that! But SO WHAT? WHO CARES? You like what you like. Let your cheesy, pop-song lovin,’ freak flag fly! Have long discussions about your favorite member(s) of One Direction! Just know that you are not ALONE!

"Call Me, Maybe" - Carly Rae Jepsen

This has to be one of the catchiest songs on the planet right now! Its beat practically begs to be danced to and the lyrics sung out loud, as you walk down the street. I first heard it when my friend Sean sent me the video featuring Carly Rae as she pines for the hot boy next door then PLOT TWIST finds out that he's gay. It is perfect and charming but almost even better is the viral video featuring Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Big Time Rush and Ashley Tisdale as they goof off to the song. Carly Rae was a Canadian Idol finalist and she can thank fellow Canuck Justin B. and his manager for signing her to a record deal. Listen to her two EPs Tug of War (2008) and Curiosity (2012 — includes "Call Me Maybe").

"One Thing" and "Tell Me a Lie" - One Direction

I love a boy band! I especially love a boy band with British accents and this year we have 2(!) British/Irish boy bands invading our shores (see Wanted, The below). One Direction has it all: catchy songs, sensitive ballads, great hair, fun personalities and good fashion sense. I love that each member has his own fan base — Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis, Zayn. Personally, I am torn between Harry with his fab hair and endless cheekiness and Liam, the perfectly coiffed gentleman. According to this quiz I took, Liam is perfect for me but I don't know... how accurate are these quizzes anyway? "One Thing" is my favorite song off their album Up All Night (2012) and "Tell Me a Lie" is probably my second favorite. There are days I listen to the album on repeat during my commute. Do not judge me, you will do it too!

"Someone that I Used to Know" - Gotye (pronounced Go-tea-yay) ft. Kimbra

I wasn’t immediately in love with this quirky, plaintive cry of a break-up song but it grew on me. So much so that I was listening to it on repeat. I am not alone in that impulse – the song, by the Belgian-born Australian Gotye, is a bonafide international hit — going #1 in countries all over the world. It’s not an obvious choice. How many songs containing a xylophone make it to the top of the charts? Off the album Making Mirrors, “Somebody…” has been covered by Glee and many, many others. Also, featured on the track is the New Zealand singer Kimbra, who has her own album coming out soon.

"We Are Young" - fun. ft Janelle Monae

I first heard this song performed on Glee last December, months before the song officially came out. Next thing you know, this NYC-based band and their song is EVERYWHERE. TV shows, commercials, the Super Bowl... all before their album Some Nights (2012) was even released. We Are Young is the quintessential sing along, party song. It embraces the joy of being young, prowling the city streets and getting into trouble with your friends. There is an artfulness to the song and lyrics — more than your average pop song. It will be a mainstay of dive bar jukeboxes, high school proms and frat parties for years.

"Girl Gone Wild" - Madonna

I love Madonna. It's that simple and uncomplicated (I actually have a ticket to see her at Yankee Stadium this fall!) With her new album MDNA (2012) she announces that she is back with a vengeance and the truth is she never left us. I love it when she makes me feel good but I love her even more when she makes me feel bad and a little wild. With this new song, guranteed wherever you are, a disco ball will float down, colored strobe lights will start spinning and you will feel capable of being very bad indeed! The video is ridiculous and awesome and pure Madonna and has been banned for certain viewers on YouTube — who knew she was still capable of shocking us?

"Glad You Came" and "Chasing the Sun" - The Wanted

Now we come to the second of our two British/Irish boy bands. Confession: I discovered The Wanted before One Direction and from the first moment I was a little obsessed. Is it their flirty performances? Their addictive party tunes? Or maybe it's their lead singer Max with his thick, almost unintelligible, Manchester accent or Jay with his mass of curly hair? Whatever it is, I am a now a huge fan of Siva, Jay, Tom, Nathan and Max. There are differences from 1D, their ages for one (The Wanted are in their mid-20s) and their songs have a sexier sound too. 1D promises relatively safe, mostly domestic fun while the songs off The Wanted (2012) make you want to jet-set off to the Spanish party island of Ibiza (pronounced e-bee-tha) to dance and party until the sun comes up.

"Turn Me On" - David Guetta w/ Nicki Minaj

David Guetta is a music wizard. With his 2011 album Nothing But the Beat he has had countless hits and one memorable song after another. "Turn Me On" is an infectious dance track that features the ultra-cool Nicki Minaj singing and rapping. Listening to this song just makes me feel cooler and in search of a dance partner. Someone recently asked me who NYC teens would rather meet: Nicki Minaj or the boys of 1D? Well, Nicki wins hands down. Who wouldn't want to meet her? Get wig tips, compare fake British accents, and explore a mutual love of day-glo moon boots... The 1D boys are more for a niche audience whereas Nicki is for everyone.

"Good Girl" - Carrie Underwood

Newsflash: I like country music and you probably do too. Admit it: you are a closet Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum fan. I first listened to Carrie Underwood a few years ago when I heard her Some Hearts album. I didn't want to like her. Up until then I had defined myself as someone who didn't listen to country music but I was soon hooked. Favorite songs include: "Wasted" and "Before He Cheats" from Some Hearts, "Last Name" from Carnival Ride and "Cowboy Casanova" and "Someday When I Stop Loving You" from Play On. "Good Girl", off her newest album Blown Away (2012), is a fun, country dance track that proves it's better to be a bad girl than a good girl getting played by a bad boy.

"Princess of China" - Coldplay ft. Rihanna

In the circles I run in, Coldplay is the ultimate guilty pleasure. How they became so reviled is beyond me but I shamelessly love Chris Martin, Jonny, Guy and Will. Plus, how could I not include a Rihanna track? That girl is everywhere! She has taken over the world from a constant string of hit songs, endless speculation on gossip websites and starring in the upcoming action film Battleship — which combines the board game with an alien invasion. Somehow we are supposed to believe that she is an ensign in the US Navy(?!). Anyways, "Princess of China" is a favorite track of mine off the album Mylo Xyloto (2011). It's another break-up song that always brings to mind a rainy day in NYC. I think it's the lush synth sound and the yearning in Rihanna's voice as she sings,"You really hurt me."

Family Problems, Redefined: "How to Save a Life" by Sara Zarr

Andrea Lipinski, Kingsbridge Library — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 07:01:53 -0400

Jill’s father is gone, and her mother isn’t making sense anymore.

When Jill’s father died, it broke their family into pieces.

Then Jill’s mother decided to adopt a baby from an unwed teenager.

That’s the part that doesn’t make sense.

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr is a story told in two voices. Chapters alternate between the point of view of two very different teenage girls, Jill and Mandy.

Jill is angry and upset about a lot of things — her father’s death, her job, her relationship with her boyfriend Dylan, and the way her girlfriends have been acting ever since her father died. When she finds out that her mother has contacted a pregnant teenager and made an arrangement to adopt this girl’s baby when it’s born, Jill is even more upset.

Mandy is that pregnant teenager, and while she does have her own reasons for being angry, she’s much better than Jill at hiding her feelings. Mandy is keeping a lot of secrets — about when she got pregnant, about why she left home, and about something she stole before she left. Mandy wants to have friends and she wants to be loved. But from the moment she gets off the train and meets Jill, she knows that Jill hates her and that she's facing an uphill battle.

This is the story of two families with problems, two girls with secrets, and the friends who try to support them and fix their broken edges.

My Heart Will Go On: Stories from the RMS Titanic, Truth and Fiction

Anne Rouyer, Seward Park Library — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:19:41 -0400

In the late hours of April 14th, 1912 and the early morning hours of April 15th, about 85 years before a dying Leo DiCaprio urged a freezing Kate Winslet to live, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sunk into the icy waters of the North Atlantic. In a matter of hours this “unsinkable” ship was on the bottom of the ocean and only 712 out of its 2,208 passengers would survive. Since the news of the sinking first got out up to the present day, on the100th anniversary of the tragedy, there have been hundreds of stories about those who died, those who survived and what really happened on board that ship — real and imagined. What trick of fate brought them to the Titanic, what did they experience aboard the luxury liner and what secrets and treasures did they take to their watery grave?

Amanda/Miranda by Richard Peck (1980)

Originally written in 1980 and rereleased for the anniversary, this Downton Abbey-esque tale opens in a manor house on the Isle of Wight (off the coast of England) in 1911. Mary has just started as a maid to the spoiled daughter of the house, Amanda. As they resemble each other, Amanda re-christens Mary as Miranda and slowly lures her into her manipulative web. Amanda is being courted by a young, rich American named Gregory but she is carrying on an illicit love affair with the handsome chauffer John Thorne. The book is filled with plenty of romance, betrayal and mistaken identity and this is all before Amanda and Miranda even board the Titanic! While the book is written in a melodramatic style, it is highly entertaining and the Titanic scenes are especially intense.

Fateful by Claudia Gray (2012)

On the night of April 9th, 1912, maid Tess Davies is wandering the alleyways of Southhampton running errands for her young mistress Lady Irene, who is about to sail to America. Lost in the fog, she encouters a man with a villainous laugh and evil intent, a mysterious young man who tries to help her and a large, menacing wild dog or is it a wolf? Little does she know that she will again encounter all three aboard the Titanic. She will have to use all her smarts and courage to outwit a dark destiny, survive a dangerous, new love and oh, yeah, there is that little matter of a sinking ship! Gray, known for the supernatural Evernight series, delivers again with this fun, supernatural take on the Titantic disaster.

The Watch that Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf (2011)

We could still make out Titanic's brightly lit outline / as the stern rose up and the lights blinked out / Then it was just a dark silhouette where stars should have been. / And then it was gone altogether. / Then the moans. There was no one voice that stood out. / From that distance it was just one horrific roar (p.326) — Margaret Brown. Told in free verse, this story of the Titanic is recreated and observed in the first person voices of American millionaire John Jacob Astor, a young Lebanese immigrant in third class, socialite Margaret (Molly) Brown, Captain Smith, and others including the iceberg itself. The author does a great job recreating the disaster in poetic form, some of the entries are incredibly heartbreaking. Also included: the SOS cables that were sent to nearby ships, mini-biographies of some passengers and crew, Titanic statistics and a great bibliography.

Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson (2012)

In this superb, non-fiction book we get an almost exhaustive account of the disaster from the building of the ship to the arrival of survivors in New York and the eventual discovery of the Titanic in 1985. The author gets the majority of her information from first hand accounts of the survivors. The book's real treasure is the abundance of photographs, drawings and documents that are included. The pictures of the survivors taken on board the Carpathia (the ship that rescued them) are hard to look at as you imagine what they had just witnessed hours and days before. The author also includes a great appendix of information: biographies, timeline, statistics, commission reports, bibliography and several indexes. For young Titanic geeks, this is a great book to have.

Best of the Rest:

Fiction: In SOS Titanic (e-book only), 15 yr old Irishman Barry O'Neill finds his life in danger aboard the doomed ship. A young fashionista puts on a vintage gown and finds herself on board the Titanic as the dress's original owner in Time Traveling Fashionista. Four psychic sisters travel on the Titanic bound for New York in Distant Waves. A seamstress finds herself aboard the Titanic as the maid for a renowned fashion designer in The Dressmaker. In Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, a 13 yr old orphan becomes the companion of a wealthy American woman and sets sail on the Titanic. In the Unsinkable series we get the stories of four young passengers of various ages and classes and their experiences aboard the ship.

Non-Fiction: Beautiful drawings and layout dominate Iceberg Right Ahead. Photos and mementos of the tragedy abound in Last Days of the Titanic. Robert Ballard discovered the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic in 1985, follow his search in Exploring the Titanic, his follow-ups Return to Titanic and Titanic: The Last Great Images. Great illustrations and an interactive layout distinguish The Kids' Guide to Titanic. Get up-close and personal with the lives of Titanic's first class passengers in Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage. Originally published in 1912, Wreck and Sinking of the Titanic, gives a look at the disaster from the perspective of those who had only just survived it. Lost Voices from the Titantic: The Definitive Oral History gives complete account from the building of the ship, the voyage, the sinking and its aftermath. A non-fiction classic and the inspiration for the James Cameron film and countless other books is Walter Lord's 1932 account of the disaster A Night to Remember.

DVD: There is not a lot currently available on DVD but with many documentaries and specials airing spring 2012 on PBS, Discovery, NatGeo, ABC and HBO there should be more available in the summer and fall. For now, there is Titanic: Born in Belfast which examines the building and launch of the ship. Titanic Revealed takes a look at Robert Ballard's almost accidental discovery of Titanic in 1985. Ghosts of the Abyss goes back to the debris field and tries to discover Titanic's secrets and in Titanic's Final Moments we see a vivid recreation of how the supposed unsinkable ship broke apart. On the feature film side there is really only Kate and Leo's doomed cruise in the epic Titanic and the 1958 film version of Night to Remember.

Kingsbridge Teens: What We’re Reading / Watching / Playing / Enjoying

Andrea Lipinski, Kingsbridge Library — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:36:25 -0400

The kids in my Teen Advisory Group have been going through a reviewing frenzy recently. Here are some of the books and other “stuff” they’ve been enjoying this spring.

Fiction

Hey 13! by Gary Soto
This is a book of thirteen different stories about teens who go through different situations when they are thirteen years old. Most teens will be able to relate to these stories, and I really think that teens will find it to be a funny and easy book to read.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
Two six-year-old twin sisters went looking for a witch, and then one of them vanished. Years later the remaining sister Gretchen and her brother Ansel are kicked out by their stepmother and soon meet Sophia, a chocolatier. When Gretchen goes in the woods at midnight she is attacked by the witch, but soon finds out that the witch is a werewolf. This book was amazing, and full of fantasy, romance, and mystery.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
This book is about a kid who has problems with his family and at school. There are lots of great drawings, and it’s also really funny!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
This is about Greg’s summer vacation and his crazy adventure with his best friend Rowley. This is a great book because everyone loves Diary of a Wimpy Kid!

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
Brie, a 15-year-old girl, dies of a broken heart. In order to move on to the afterlife she must go through the five stages of grief with a lost soul named Patrick. This was a funny and interesting book about how you should cherish the things you have in life and how everything happens for a reason.

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
Patch loves Nora. Nora loves Patch. Patch is a fallen angel. They have been through a lot together. Patch will do anything to protect her... even make her forget about him. I love this series! Lots of romance and action. Five stars if you ask me! [Note: This is the third book in the Hush, Hush saga.]

Assassin’s Creed: The Secret Crusade by Oliver Bowden
This book is based on Altair, who is the Master Assassin from the video game Assassin’s Creed. This is the story of Altair’s life and how he became an assassin. Since everyone plays the game, you might as well read the book!

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
This book is about a girl named Katerina who can raise the dead, and she also she likes a boy who has a secret of his own. This book was captivating, and it had lots of suspense, mystery, horror, and romance.

Fang by James Patterson
Fang and Max are finally together. Fang has always been there for Max, but when Angel predicts that Fang will be the first to die … will Fang leave Max? This is the seventh book of the James Patterson Maximum Ride series. It’s a must-read story filled with action, adventure, and a love triangle.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
This book is about a group of teens in different districts who compete against each other. I think that teens should read this book because it is filled with fun-filled action. I also think that teens would love all the romance and entertainment in this story.

Matched by Ally Condie
Cassia has always trusted the society’s choices. When her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia is certain that he is the one … until she sees another face flash across the screen before it fades to black. Now she is faced with impossible choices between the only life she knows and a path no one dares to follow. This is a great book, with lots of adventure and romance!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas wakes up and he can’t remember anything else but his name. He is dropped off in a place called the Glade, where he is surrounded by other boys. The next day a girl is dropped off, and she is the first girl to join them. Thomas and his friends are trying to get out of the maze! This book is awesome, and it’s filled with action and adventure.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Meghan has a secret destiny. She's the daughter of a mythical faery king, and she's a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she will go to save someone she cares about. This book is like Alice in Wonderland, and it’s a great romance with lots of action and adventure.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cinder is another version of Cinderella, but set in the future. Cinder is a cyborg and she and the prince fall in love, but she doesn’t want to reveal who she truly is. This is a captivating book and a very good romance novel.

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
This book is about a girl who is trying to fit in and be popular. Luke, the boy next door, knows who she really is and likes the “old” her better. She is caught between being a country girl and a wannabe country club girl. The plot is cute and filled with romance!

Slide by Jill Hathaway
There is a murderer loose who makes each death look like the victim committed suicide. The murderer is the person you would least expect! This is an amazing book, filled with romance and suspense.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
This is about a young girl named Cate and her two sisters who are all witches but must keep that a secret from the Brotherhood. Throughout this book, Cate must keep her sisters from exposing their secret. She also must choose between the man she loves and a man who loves her, or else join the Sisterhood. This book is enthralling; once you begin reading you can’t stop. I had to force myself to stay up at night just to keep reading!

Nonfiction

After September 11: New York and the World by Reuters
This book explains what happened on 9/11: the facts about the planes, the hijackers, and everything else. I would recommend this book because it was very interesting to learn about the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Movies

Transformers: Dark of the Moon directed by Michael Bay
Transformers was based on one of the best cartoon shows of the 1980’s. This movie was fantastic, with the Autobots fighting with their biggest enemies the Decepticons. I would recommend Transformers: Dark of the Moon for Stuff for the Teen Age because this movie was mostly for teenagers.

Music

Recovery by Eminem (Marshall Bruce Mathers III)
In this album you hear Eminem rapping. The song “No Love” is about how if someone is bullying you you should stand up for yourself and fight back. And “Not Afraid” is about Eminem fighting against demons, for example not being tempted into the bad side. I would recommend this CD because many people consider Eminem the best rapper of all time, and this CD shows how you should live your life by being in the good side.

Video Games

Batman: Arkham Asylum by Rocksteady Studios
This was the second-best Batman game ever. In this game you have to try to find Joker in the prison, but before you find him you have to search every building in the prison for clues. While you find those clues you have to fight enemies like Killer Croc, Bane, Poison Ivy, and the Joker. This was named best adventure game and Game of the Year for 2009.

Batman: Arkham City by Rocksteady Studios
This was the best Batman game ever! This was the most adventurous game I’ve ever played in my life, with crazy criminals such as Joker, Bane, Two-Face, Hugo Strange, Mr. Freeze, and Ra's al Ghul. This was named best adventure game of 2011.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 by Activision
The great graphics and the new dynamic weapon will blow people’s minds away! I would recommend this game because most teenagers love shooting games, and this game was named Game of the Year.

Street Fighter X Tekken by Capcom
This video game was epic because two of the best fighting games came together in one game. This was one of the top 10 best fighting games in 2012!

Many thanks to Ashley, Leslie, Michael, Reilanni, and Rosalie for their reviews!

The Annotated X-Men: A Top 10 List

Ryan P. Donovan, Mid-Manhattan Library — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:07:05 -0400

Looking for a good guide to get started with everyone's favorite mutant superheroes, the X-Men? Well, the New York Public Library has got a list for you! Explore this annotated list of the X-Men adventures collected in trade paperback format. Sadly, my favorite one-time X-Man Longshot is not featured in any of these stories. Also, join us next month at the Mid-Manhattan Library for Free Comic Book Day!

The Dark Phoenix Saga

Largely considered to be one of, if not the, greatest X-Men stories of all time. The Dark Phoenix saga focuses on original X-Man Jean Grey and her corruption and eventual destruction as the cosmic entity Phoenix. Initially, Jean Grey became the Phoenix to stop the mad tyrant D’Ken from the alien Shi’Ar. After defeating him and ending the crisis, the Phoenix remains with the X-Men... but it finds itself addicted to human feelings and impulses. When Mastermind, an old foe of the X-Men, exposes Phoenix to dark urges... well, things don’t go so great for anybody. This story is adapted in the X-Men Animated Series and less faithfully in X-Men: The Last Stand.

Age of Apocalypse

Not everyone knows that Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men, had a son. His name was David Haller and, for much of the young man’s life, Charles didn’t know of his existence, either. Suffering from a form of dissociative identity disorder, he was institutionalized and medicated for much of his life. Accessing his vast mutant psionic powers, he hatches an insane plot to go back in time to Israel when Charles and his enemy Magneto first became friends. His plan? To kill the Magnus before he can become the X-Men’s greatest enemy. When he kills Xavier accidentally, he plunges the world into an Age of Apocalypse.

God Loves, Man Kills

The X-Men face a very different enemy in this story: Reverend William Stryker. Using anti-mutant sentiment across the country to gain a following, Stryker is able to eventually kidnap Professor Charles Xavier, Cyclops, and Storm in an attempt to eradicate all mutants. This forces the team into a somewhat uneasy alliance with their enemy Magneto, who also seeks to stop Stryker. The story is notable in that the X-Men don’t face off against any costumed super-powered villains and serves to highlight the prejudice and discrimination the team faced just for being born different. The story is adapted loosely in the film X2.

Civil War

Not so long ago, the Marvel Universe was plunged into a superhero Civil War. The X-Men were not on the front lines of this war, having recently become an endangered species after the Avenger Scarlet Witch had depowered most of the world's mutants. But when rogue members of the X-Men’s defunct sister team X-Force take it upon themselves to liberate mutantkind, Cyclops, Bishop, and the government all attempt to stop them. For other Civil War stories featuring Marvel characters, be sure to check out Captain America, the Fantastic Four, the Amazing Spider-Man, and Young Avengers & the Runaways. For background information, visit the Marvel Universe Wiki.

Prelude to Onslaught

Bishop, a time traveling mutant law enforcer from the future, found himself stranded in our time while pursuing a criminal. He’s more than a little starstruck at meeting the mythical X-Men... after all, in his time they are legends. He tells the team a cautionary tale; there was a rumor that the team had been destroyed from the inside out. There was a traitor in their midst. Believing it initially to be Gambit, Bishop begins to change his mind after getting to know him. He admits to not having any idea of who it could be. This story chronicles the revelation of who that traitor is... and why the X-Men never would have seen it coming.

X-Men Forever

Ever wondered how Chris Claremont’s 17-year run on Uncanny X-Men would have ended? This is the concept behind the series X-Men: Forever. In Picking Up Where We Left Off, Storm betrays the team and incinerates Wolverine. Subsequent stories follow an expanded roster of the team, including Kitty Pryde sporting an adamantium claw and a de-aged Storm named 'Ro. Check out these additional collections: The Secret History of the Sentinels, Come to Mother … Russia!, and Devil in a White Dress. The story is considered to be in an alternate history of the X-Men where Magneto never returned (and perhaps really died) after the destruction of Asteroid M.

X-Cutioner's Song

It’s a beautiful day in Central Park. Pop superstar Lila Cheney is holding a benefit concert for peace. Charles Xavier is slated to speak, and he opens with a heartfelt plea for all of humanity to look at mutants like they are people, too. It’s during this speech that Cable, a time travelling ally of the X-Men, appears and shoots Xavier in the chest. He teleports out and the X-Men race to get their mentor stabilized. As a techno-virus threaten to destroy Charles from the inside out, the extended family of the X-Men come together to track down Cable and the archvillain Apocalypse and avenge the man that brought them together.

Marvel Masterworks

Sometimes the only place to start is at the beginning. Explore these classic collections of the original issues of Uncanny X-Men reprinted in black & white. Many of these stories, written by either the prolific Stan Lee or Chris Claremont, also feature crossovers with the X-Men’s sister team The New Mutants who were formed around this time. Several stories, such as the United Nations putting Magneto on trial for crimes against humanity, don’t often play out in the ways you might expect. The team also faces memorable antagonists like The Hellfire Club, Proteus, and the evil witch Selene. Also, check out more recent issues of Uncanny X-Men, too.

Messiah Complex

After Magneto’s daughter Wanda Maximoff depowered most of the world’s mutant population rendering them as nearly an endangered species, the X-Men soon realized that no new children being born were mutants. Hank McCoy tries to find both a scientific or a mystical reason for this but answers are not to be found. So when a young girl with red hair — named Hope, of all things — is finally mutant-born, the X-Men race against Mr. Sinister, the Marauders, the Acolytes, and others so they can protect the child at all costs. What’s even more disturbing? The biggest threat to Hope is in fact a former X-Man no one expected.

Nation X

After relocating to the west coast, the X-Men eventually settle on the remains of Magneto’s former base Asteroid M. With Cyclops attempting to make the team’s new island home both habitable and sustainable, he also opens his doors to any and all mutants who want to live there. After butting heads with his longtime comrades Hank McCoy and Professor Xavier, he finds support from unlikely individuals such as the Atlantean king Namor and the X-Men’s foe Magneto himself, who offers to help Cyclops embrace his vision as it now coincides with his own. But with the X-Men gathering mutants all in one place, are they just making themselves one big target?

Check out this booklist on BiblioCommons >>

Are You Ready for Hilarious Chaos? Then You're Ready for "Axe Cop"!

Andrea Lipinski, Kingsbridge Library — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:37:23 -0500

Axe Cop is a policeman who uses his axe to chop off the heads of bad guys. He meets many unusual characters along the way.

There’s Dinosaur Soldier, who was part man and part dinosaur… until he ate an avocado, at which point he transformed into Avocado Soldier.

There’s Uni-Baby, who was part baby and part unicorn… or at least... she WAS until an explosion broke off her horn, and the avocado soldier decided to use it to grant wishes.

Then there’s Ralph Wrinkles, who was an ordinary dog until the Uni-Avocado Soldier wished that he could talk, and then he became a TALKING dog.

Okay, if you think that this sounds like the kind of a story could only come from the mind of a five year old… you would be correct! Axe Cop was written by five-year-old Malachai Nicolle and adapted and illustrated by his 29-year-old brother Ethan Nicolle. Together, they created a web comic, and that web comic was published into this graphic novel, which contains some of the funniest, craziest, strangest, and weirdest stories you’ve ever read!

Be sure to check out Axe Cop Vol. 1 by Malachai Nicolle and Ethan Nicolle, and then get ready for some VERY memorable stories!

The Annotated Batman: A Top 10 List

Ryan P. Donovan, Mid-Manhattan Library — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:43:51 -0500

After reading Greg Rucka's Batwoman Elegy last year, I've been thinking a lot about graphic novels featuring the original Caped Crusader, Batman. Stories involving Batman and the characters in his universe have been published for over seven decades! Since that's a lot of reading to do, I've singled out 10 of my favorite Batman tales, all available to check out or request at your neighborhood library with your library card. Enjoy!

Hush

Batman spends a lot of time using grappling hooks to swing from building to building. But what happens when someone cuts his line? After suffering a near-fatal skull fracture, Batman begins to suspect that someone has set out to systematically destroy his life. He or she has also organized all of Batman's allies against him. And what’s worse, he or she seems to be committing crimes out of character, crimes Batman can’t predict. For example, Poison Ivy manages to turn Superman against Batman with a custom-made kryptonite lipstick. As Batman struggles to uncover the culprit behind all his recent misfortunes, he is drawn into an unlikely romance with Selina Kyle (a.k.a Catwoman).

The Dark Knight Returns

Author Frank Miller presents a definitive and engaging tale of Bruce Wayne struggling to reclaim his role as Batman in the midst of an uncertain future for Gotham City. What has the world become? Two-Face is cured, Superman is a corporate puppet, and the Joker is about to be declared sane. Gotham City is now under the control of the fanged Mutants, a visor-wearing gang that rules the city through fear and intimidation. After saving the young Carrie Kelly, Bruce fully embraces his old mantle of Batman. When Superman is sent to stop his return, only one superhero will walk away. Originally published in 1986, this is arguably considered to be one of the greatest Batman stories ever told.

No Man's Land

Batman’s mission is to protect the innocence of Gotham City by striking fear into the hearts of villains and ultimately stopping crime in its tracks. But what happens when the city he loves is devastated by a natural disaster? After a cataclysmic earthquake — 7.6 on the Richter scale — the fictional U.S. government of the DC Comics universe abandons the metropolis and forbids anyone from entering or exiting. Batman and his allies opt to stay and restore order to the chaotic streets. With Oracle helping to coordinate their efforts, the heroes are often overwhelmed by villains, such as the Penguin, who have taken over entire sections of the city.

Year One

Batman is pretty awesome... but did he start out that way? We all know Batman’s most important ally is Jim Gordon, who is destined to become Police Commissioner of the Gotham Police Department. How did Gordon rise through the corrupt ranks of cops on the take? This is the story of both men, as well as a radical reinterpretation of Selina Kyle’s origin as a prostitute and dominatrix before becoming Catwoman. This story has become so popular — it inspired the theatrical releases of the animated Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and the live-action Batman Begins — that it was adapted for film in Batman: Year One.

A Death in the Family

One could argue that nothing in the life of Batman ever really changes. As a comic book character, he battles villains, sends them to jail, and then starts the process all over again. When Dick Grayson retired as Robin and became the hero Nightwing, Batman even got himself a new Robin named Jason Todd. But Jason was never really like Dick. He was angrier, more reckless. After having a fight with Batman, Jason storms away and resolves to find his birth mother. After an initially successful reunion, it’s learned that she actually works for the Joker. Batman races to save Jason from his fate, but arrives too late. Jason dies in Batman’s arms, and Batman's inability to save Jason is his greatest failure.

The Long Halloween

Author Jeph Loeb spins a tangled web of Batman’s early crime-fighting years and is aided by Tim Sale’s eerily-horrific art. There’s a new killer in Gotham City, and his (or her) name is Holiday. As his (or her) name might imply, Holiday prefers to kill on holidays. Batman works with district attorney Harvey Dent, the man destined to become the half-scarred Two-Face, to uncover the killer, while simultaneously fending off some of the more colorful characters in his rogue’s gallery. Sale’s art is surreal, often depicting things in a distorted way, such as the Joker’s impossibly-wide yellow smile. The sequel to The Long Halloween is Batman: Dark Victory and its concurrent story is Catwoman: When in Rome.

The Killing Joke

Author Alan Moore, known most famously for penning Watchmen, focuses not on Batman but instead on his chief antagonist: the Joker. Out of Arkham Asylum once again, the Clown Prince of Crime decides to make an example of Commissioner Gordon. Along the way, he savagely shoots Jim’s daughter Barbara in her doorway at home, crippling her. The situation escalates when the Joker kidnaps Gordon, tortures him, and recounts a suspiciously contradictory tale of his origin. Barbara is left in a wheelchair and ultimately becomes the hero Oracle.

Cacophony

Filmmaker Kevin Smith tackles his own Batman story, creating an intricate tale of assassinations and red herrings involving the Caped Crusader, Deadshot, the Joker, and a mysterious villain named Onomatopoeia. The story opens with Deadshot as he attempts to kill the Joker in Arkahm. He is stopped and apparently killed by Onomatopoeia, who frees the Joker and gives him money to create chaos. Onomatopoeia’s real target is Batman, and Onomatopoeia hopes the Joker's antics will help draw Batman out. As all the characters converge on one another for a final confrontation, Deadshot is revealed to have survived, and Batman must decide whether to save the Joker or not.

Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?

Prolific writer Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book) writes an esoteric account of the “last” Batman story. Suffering from some kind of near-death experience, Batman finds himself attending a funeral... only to realize it’s his own. Guided by an avatar of his deceased mother, Martha Wayne, Bruce listens to bizarre Batman eulogies by his butler, Alfred; villains, such as the Joker and the Mad Hatter; and Superman. As Batman struggles to make sense of his death, he begins asking questions about his life and what it means to be Batman. This story is based on the classic Superman tale Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

Batman: Year 100

Taking place in the year 2039 (100 years after the character of Batman was first introduced), Gotham City has essentially become a police state, and Batman has become something of an urban legend. According to Paul Pope, the writer and illustrator of 100% , "I wanted to present a new take on Batman, who is without a doubt a mythic figure in our pop-psyche. My Batman is not only totally science fiction; he's also a very physical superhero: he bleeds, he sweats, he eats. He's someone born into an over-arching police state; someone with the body of David Beckham, the brain of Tesla, and the wealth of Howard Hughes... pretending to be Nosferatu."

Check out this booklist on BibiloCommons >>

She Pretended to Be Pregnant: Gaby Rodriguez at TeenLIVE

Nicole Santiago, Public Programs Assistant — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:47:41 -0500

Happy New Year from TeenLIVE! For our first TeenLIVE event in 2012, we were lucky enough to hear from teen author and activist Gaby Rodriguez about her book, The Pregnancy Project. Seeing the effect of teen pregnancy on her family and peers, the straight A student decided to stage a pregnancy for a senior project at school to combat stereotypes and gossip. The day after she revealed that her pregnancy was, in fact, fake, her life was blown into a media whirlwind! News outlets swarmed her small town of Toppenish, Washington, and less than a year later, she’s flying across the country to Hollywood and New York City for talk show and radio appearances, book signings and tours, and magazine photo shoots. Rodriguez is Washington state’s 2011 ACLU Youth Activist award winner, and a movie based on the book, starring Alexa Vega of Spy Kids fame, is now playing on Lifetime. All of this while tackling her freshman year of college!

The Hamilton Grange Library’s Teen Center was the perfect place for the event. The stadium seating was nearly packed, and Rodriguez was front and center on stage. The awesome layout of the center, paired with Rodriguez’s great laid back personality, created an atmosphere for personal experiences and asking questions. Being skyrocketed into the spotlight wasn’t easy, but Rodriguez is still completely down to earth. The audience was full of “what if”s, from “What if your fake baby bulge would’ve fallen out at school?” to “What if you were actually pregnant? After this project, what would your family say?” She answered questions about the impact her project had on those around her, and her fears, strengths, and weaknesses. She even doled out some helpful advice about talking to siblings and, considering she has seven of her own, she’s somewhat of an expert on the subject.

A teen author who’s just about to enter her twenties, Rodriguez talked about the teen writers that have influenced her. She’s a huge Ellen Hopkins fan! She was thrilled to find out TeenLIVE hosted Ellen Hopkins (see our September event). She’s also got Lady Gaga’s latest album on heavy rotation (and you can find all that’s hot in the music world in Anne's recent blog post). At the end of the night, the teens of Hamilton Grange Library had an opportunity to speak with the author one-on-one, and everyone went home with a signed copy of her book. Rodriguez didn’t go into her project intending to write a book, but now that she has, who knows what she’ll do next!

2012 YALSA Awards

Derek Ivie, Young Adult Public Programs — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:42:31 -0500

On the morning of January 25, 2012, the theater of the Dallas Convention Center was packed with literary professionals and enthusiasts who were awaiting the results of the YALSA Awards. The announcements started promptly at 7:45 a.m. If you showed up late, all the good seats were taken. You had to hoof it to the balcony. Of course, you could have watched the live web cast.

Who would be honored, noticed, and praised this year? Who would get those shiny gold and silver stickers on the cover of their books?

These stickers are more than just decorations (although they do jazz things up!) They can lead to instant fame and notice, tons of pictures and blog posts, even a spot on the New York Times best sellers list. There were surprised gasps and happy cheers to come. Audience members were a-titter while they waited, their phones and iPads illuminating the auditorium. Many were at the ready to post the results to Twitter or Facebook. Anticipation was in the air as YALSA president Sara Flowers stepped up to the mic to start the announcements.

Here are the awards that were announced and their results:

Alex Awards

This award honors 10 books that are considered cross overs from the adult genre that appeal to young adults.

Big Girl Small by Rachel DeWoskin
In Zanesville by Jo Anne Beard
The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan
The New Kids by Brooke Hauser
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston
The Talk-Funny Girl by Roland Merullo

The Stonewall Awards

This award honors the best LGBTQ reads for teens published that year.

Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright

Honor Books:

A + E 4ever by Merey
Money Boy by Paul Yee
Pink by Lili Wilkinson
With or Without You by Brian Farrey

Edwards Award

The Edwards Award honors an author for his/her specific works for teens.

Susan Cooper for The Dark is Rising Sequence

Morris Award

The William C. Morris YA Debut Award honors the best book by a previously unpublished author writing for teens.

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Finalists:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard
Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Nonfiction Award

The YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award honors the best nonfiction written for teens each year.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin

Finalists:

Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson
Bootleg by Karen Blumenthal
Wheels of Change by Sue Macy
Music Was It by Susan Goldman Rubin

Printz Award

The Michael L. Printz Award honors the best book written for teens each year based on literary merit.

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Honor Books:

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
The Returning by Christine Hinwood
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Dance Your Face Off!: A Party Music Playlist

Anne Rouyer, Seward Park Library — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:14:19 -0500

So it’s been a mild winter and maybe snow has only just fallen, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still imagine ourselves in a tropical paradise: sipping fruity drinks and dancing our faces off! But what thump, thump, techno beats would we be dancing to underneath the stars? Luckily, I have just returned from Mexico where I was doing just that, and here’s what the DJs were spinning:

Wepa — Gloria Estefan

From her dance album Little Miss Havana, this song title is PR slang for “Cool,” “Yeah,” and “Go for It.” Miami based singer Gloria Estefan has been around a long time, so it’s great to see her back with a new electronic dance album. As for the song, it is impossible not to dance to and is even better played at a very loud volume.

Love You Like a Love Song — Selena Gomez

While I don’t consider myself a big Selena fan, this song — from When the Sun Goes Down —is pretty darn infectious, especially if there is a dance beat behind it. Confession time: I did see her film Monte Carlo in the movie theater, although at the time, I said I was seeing it “ironically.” If you’re not a Selena fan yet, you just may become one after listening.

On the Floor — Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull

I never thought I would say this: I’m not a JLo fan (at all), but I found myself dancing my face, arms, and legs off to this beat (from her 2011 album Love?). In fact, I think I jumped up on a lighted cube in the middle of the dance floor and just went crazy. I bet it will make you want to do the same!

Hello — Martin Solveig featuring Dragonette

This is a song you probably already know, but you just don’t know you know it. It’s all over TV and film... but have you danced to it in a club full of sweaty strangers all waving “hello” to each other? FYI Martin Solveig is a French DJ and music producer. Find the song on the Ultra Dance 12 compilation album.

We Found Love — Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris

You can’t escape RhiRhi! Just when I think I am over her, she comes out with another incredible album (Talk that Talk) and single. How can you not love it? The video is insane! The remixes are sick! It’s the kind of song that pulls you onto the dance floor even if it’s 2 a.m. and you are wasted from dancing all night. So come on, feel the euphoria.

Domino — Jessie J

I’m feeling sexy and free/ Like glitter is raining on me
With its infectious beat and killer hook, Domino always gets me in the mood for a party. This British songstress first made a name for herself performing on Saturday Night Live last year with her song Price Tag (featuring B.O.B.). Check out her full album Who You Are.

Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) — Kelly Clarkson

This song will totally make you want to take on the world and the dance floor. From her new album Stonger, add this single to the list of K.C. anthems, alongside "Since U Been Gone" and "My Life Would Suck Without You," that make you want to pump your fists and jump up and down — almost against your will.

Last Friday Night — Katy Perry

I know this is so summer 2011 of me! But listen: this song takes on a whole new life as it is blasted into the starlit sky at full volume, and you and a hundred other people are loudly chanting “T.G.I.F.!” For the uninitiated, it's from her 2010 album Teenage Dream. For even more old school Perry fun, listen to the Kaskade Club remix of "Teenage Dream" found on Ultra Dance 12.

When I Get You Alone — Blaine and the Warblers

Baby Girl, you the s***/ that makes you my equivalent
This list wouldn't be complete without a little Glee. Mainly because I listen to a lot of Glee — I totally want to marry Blaine! So get in line. I am love with the Glee presents The Warblers soundtrack, especially this track, a remake of a great hook-up song by Robin Thicke.

Have You Read These Books? My Top 10 Young Adult Books of 2011

Ryan P. Donovan, Mid-Manhattan Library — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:21:11 -0500

Do you miss the Library's Stuff for the Teen Age list just as much as I do? Are you looking for a few good young adult books to read, but don't know what to check out from your local library? Then look no further! Here are 10 of my favorite books from last year.

1. Angry Young Man by Chris Lynch

Have you ever been so mad at the world you’re afraid you just might burst? That’s what life is like for Xan, a guy who seems to not be that great at much of anything. When Xan struggles, he tends to get really mad. This worries his older brother Robert, who has a great girlfriend, is getting a great college education, and holds a great position on the local soccer team, seemingly to mock Xan by default. But Xan starts acting deceptively withdrawn, putting on odd amber sunglasses and hanging out with all the wrong people. Not helping matters is their struggling mother, whose inability to pay the bills has yielded intermittent visits from a smarmy bill collector. Robert wants Xan to figure out his own life, but what if his little brother makes wrong and possibly deadly choices? Robert must decide to act and save Xan before it’s too late.

2. Trapped by Michael Northrop

When you live in a small town that gets snow in the winter like most tropical jungles get rain, you get used to it. So when the snow starts falling one afternoon, Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason think it’s no big deal. They stay after school to work on a go cart, but they soon learn — along with a few other stragglers who haven’t left yet — the horrifying fact that they can’t leave school now even if they wanted to. The snow has gotten too bad. As Scotty struggles to hold the group together, everyone realizes just how much trouble they are in when the heating system goes dead. Will one of them be next?

3. The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie

Larkin Pace is at that age. He’s not a child anymore, but he’s not quite a teenager yet, either. He has a hopeless crush on his best friend, Brooke, who seems completely oblivious to his affections. What’s worse, she starts to pay attention to Dalton Cooke, Larkin’s nemesis from school. Larkin’s English teacher has him begin writing a blog for class, where Larkin dispels both his antagonistic relationship with his older sister and his encyclopedic knowledge of movie facts and trivia. With clever illustrations throughout, this is for all the kids who have grown out of their love for the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

4. The Doomsday Box by Herbie Brennan

Four British teenagers, all part of a top secret government science team, travel to upstate New York to investigate a mysteriously abandoned military base. While using technology to project their forms into a missile silo, they uncover an object that contains a virulent plague capable of killing most of the people on Earth. After the box is inadvertently opened, the teens rush into a time bending adventure into the past. Now in 1960s Moscow, they attempt to confront the man, an American posing as a Soviet double agent, who will one day become their enemy… and try to convince him not to be.

5. Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

We’re all afraid of something. But for the seven kids who are sent to Fort Eden, what terrifies them can’t be cured by conventional psychotherapy. With most of the group in the hands of the ghoulish Rainsford, Will Besting escapes before he reaches the base. He then watches with fascination as Rainsford apparently cures each patient, but begins to notice side effects that don’t seem to be subsiding. Is this magical “cure” too good to be true?

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6. Invasion (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel) by Jon S. Lewis

Colt McAlister is just a laid back, blond-haired, California surfer boy. So why do squiggly sea monsters try to eat him alive while he’s surfing? Why is his new teacher a Bigfoot-inspired drill sergeant? And most importantly, why did his parents have to die in an “accident” that turns out to be no accident at all? As Colt transitions to life in Arizona, making new friends in Dani and Oz, he is also recruited by the Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural. Now fighting against aliens bent on world domination through mind-control, Colt struggles to learn the real truth behind his parents’ death.

7. Crossing Lines by Mark Volponi

Alan is the new kid in school. Like all kids who start after the year has begun, he’s pegged right away as someone who doesn’t quite fit in. But Alan really is… different from the other boys. As in he likes to only hang out with girls and wear makeup. When Adonis meets Alan, he thinks he’s a freak. But when his sister and girlfriend become Alan’s most outspoken defenders, Adonis really starts to get to know him. He straddles the edges between being one of the guys on the football team who is going to “do something” about Alan and doing what he knows to be right. What will Adonis decide?

8. A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie by Matt Blackstone

Rene Fowler is an odd 14-year-old boy. He constantly counts things out, smells his hand, and occasionally wears a Batman-inspired cape when he gets freaked out. This means he gets the brunt of some bullying, and while his teacher, Mr. Head, attempts to help him, he’s also got the entire unruly class to deal with. When popular student “Gio” Giovanni takes young Rene under his wing, he starts to feel like maybe he can make it through the day. Then one day Rene’s father comes back into his life. And Rene’s dad just doesn’t “get” him. Trying to help, Gio plans an impromptu adventure to New York City for both of them to get away from their troubles, but the trip puts too much pressure on Rene to be “normal.” That’s something Rene can never be.

9. Brooklyn Burning by Steve Brezenoff

Running away from home can be tough, but when you are on the streets of Greenpoint with of your best friends ever, Kid somehow makes it though. Life might be rough, but when Scout rolls into town and sets up shop underneath Fish’s bar, Kid is immediately smitten. They play music together and start to fall in love. But the cops keep showing up to ask Kid about that fire last summer, the big warehouse one where Kid’s ex, Felix, died. Kid still misses him a lot, and can’t deal with the questions the cops — or Scout — keep asking him. When his parents get involved, it stirs up all the old trouble from home. Will Scout stick around or bail? Told with complete gender neutrality, readers have the choice to read the characters of Kid or Scout as a boy or as a girl.

10. The Robot by Paul Watson

Gabe is kind of a nerd. He's really smart, but clueless when it comes to girls. It's a good thing his best friend, Dover, is a girl-crazy freak. But Dover is a little too enthusiastic, so the boys balance each other out. When Gabe's by-the-book inventor father decides to take his first weekend off in over decade, Dover sees this as an opportunity to snoop around his lab. What he and Gabe find turns out to be the beautiful android T.R.I.N.A. Despite being a robot, Gabe is immediately smitten with her. So is Dover. After accidentally activating her, they rush to try and get her back to the lab before she completes her final mission... to kill Dr. Phil?!

Check out this booklist on Bibilocommons >>

Fantastic Voyages and Brave New Worlds

Andrea Lipinski, Kingsbridge Library — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:42:00 -0500

Do you like fantasy and science fiction? Are you ready for some armchair exploration? For your reading pleasure, check out these three new books that are set in alternate futures and alternate realities!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Fourth World War has already come and gone, a deadly plague is spreading over the earth, and the lunar queen is waiting to make her next move. Cinder is one of the best mechanics in New Beijing, and one of the main reasons that she’s so good at working on machines is that she is actually a cyborg. She is also a teenage girl who cannot help but be charmed when the handsome prince brings her an android to repair. Cinder also has to worry about her evil stepmother, her stepsisters, and whether or not she’ll be able to get a dress and go to the ball where she just might be able to dance with that handsome prince.

Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston
Seven graduate students are recruited from Massachusetts to join a new microbiology company in Hawaii. But what they don’t know is that this company has pioneered some incredible new scientific developments, and are now able to shrink anything (including humans) down to a smaller size than anyone would have thought possible. The lush rain forest of Hawaii is a beautiful environment for most people, but incredibly dangerous to anyone who is micro-sized. This is a story filled with murder and mystery, where much of the action is set in a world that most of us will never see.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
Imagine how Alice felt when she fell down the rabbit hole. Imagine how Dorothy felt when the tornado pulled her out of Kansas and deposited her in the land of Oz. Imagine how Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan felt when they went through the wardrobe and found themselves in Narnia. If you love fantasy stories like these, then you absolutely must read The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. This is the story of a girl named September who is bored with her ordinary life in Nebraska and is invited by the Green Wind to visit Fairyland. She accepts the invitation, and soon she encounters a Wyvern named A through L, a dangerous Marquess, several witches, countless bicycles, and many more fascinating creatures. It’s a story filled with adventures, told by a narrator who knows more than he (or she) is letting on.

January Reader's Den: "House of Silk" Author Information

Nilda Lopez, Belmont Library — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:05:51 -0500

"Holmes, you insist upon seeing yourself as a machine... Even a masterpiece of impressionalism is to you nothing more than a piece of evidence to be used in the pursuit of a crime." — Dr. John Watson.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson are back on the case in this new adventure, and Anthony Horrowitz certainly brings them to life. This title introduces a new vision of how Holmes and Watson interact with their foes and allies. It also provides a new dimension to the vision that is Sherlock Holmes. This latest novel is titled House of Silk.

As a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fan, as many of you certainly are, I was intrigued that his estate allowed a new novel to be written after 125 years. They chose Anthony Horowitz, a renowned teen author, to continue the tradition and bring life to our favorite crime solving team. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Alex Rider series of novels, and the award-winning writer of PBS's Foyles War and Collision, as well as many other films and television projects. The Holmes franchise has hit a new high with Robert Downey Jr. playing Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. John Watson.

Many of Conan Doyle's previous works featuring Holmes and Watson are mentioned throughout House of Silk. Although it is not necessary to to read all of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works to enjoy House of Silk fully, there are many compilations of his stories of their adventures at your neighborhood library.

"Legend": A Review of the Book You Should Be Reading After The Hunger Games

Emma Carbone, Epiphany Library — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:43:14 -0500

June and Day are part of the same nation: The Republic of America. They’re in the same city: Los Angeles, California. Their lives could not be more different.

Born into an elite family, June lives in a wealthy sector with her brother, Metias, and every luxury the Republic has to offer. A prodigy who passed her Trial with more than flying colors, June is training to join the Republic military and take her rightful position among the country’s leaders in their continuing war against the Patriots.

Day is not elite or wealthy, and he’s definitely not a prodigy. Born in the Lake Sector slums, Day’s family thinks he’s dead. It’s safer that way. Better he have no connections to anyone when he is the most wanted criminal in the Republic.

No one knows what Day looks like or where to find him. His odds of avoiding capture and continuing to be a thorn in the Republic’s side are quite good... until Day takes a desperate risk for his family — one that leads to him becoming the prime suspect in the murder of a Republic soldier.

Not just any soldier, though. With her brother dead, June is highly motivated to catch his killer, both to prove herself to her military superiors and to earn Metias some much-deserved justice. She is willing to do anything to achieve her goal.

From different worlds, pitted against each other, June and Day are obvious enemies. When sinister secrets about the Republic come to light, Day and June are also their own best allies in their search for the truth. Legend (2011) is Marie Lu’s first novel.

There are a lot of books that have been called “the next Hunger Games” or otherwise compared to the bestselling trilogy by Suzanne Collins. A lot of them are quite good. Legend was one of those books. It has also received steady hype since the summer. As with many books that get a lot of buzz, I expected to enjoy Legend.

I did not expect to be completely engrossed and impressed. But I was.

I think Legend is the first book that is completely on par with The Hunger Games, without any reservations.

Written in chapters that alternate between Day and June’s narrations*, the story is filled with action and tension. Lu masterfully creates two unique characters with their own narrative voices, adding depth to an already exciting story. In an over-saturated genre, Legend keeps readers guessing to the very end, and not just about what will happen to June and Day, but also about some of the key tenets of the world she has created.

Legend is the first book in a series that promises adventure and suspense, as well as a variety of diverse, layered characters. Lu's debut novel is sure to find a place in the hearts of many readers looking for a worthy follow-up to The Hunger Games.

*The book is packaged with DAY or JUNE written across the top of each chapter. Day’s chapters are printed in a bold, gold-colored sans serif font, while June’s are the more traditional black serif. Some people were unimpressed by the packaging — my mom couldn’t even tell some of the text was gold. I quite liked the touch and thought it was very clever and well done.

Possible Pairings: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, White Cat by Holly Black, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, and Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

Justin Tuck @ Teen Central on "Home Field Advantage"

Rodger Taylor, Grand Central Library — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:27:30 -0500

Justin Tuck, who plays football for the New York Giants, is one of the top defensive linemen in the game and actually one of my favorite players. It's been a rough, injury plagued year for him on the football field, but the release of a children's book he wrote called Home-Field Advantage, illustrated by Leonardo Rodriguez, is one of the all-star moves he made this fall.

At Grand Central Library's Teen Cental, beginning on February 27, 2012 (Mondays at 4 p.m.), we are embarking on an eight-week Digital Communication Arts workshop, at which in addition to working on a few group digital projects, teens will be creating individual entries to compete in the Lights Camera Read/Teen Central writing/arts/community service contest.

As a New York Giant fanatic (or according to my wife, Berserk Maniac), I enjoyed the role I played in sharing Tuck's book with a group of young people at Teen Central. We watched an interview that Yianni Stamas of Lights Camera Read filmed and conducted at one of Tuck's book presentations at Barnes & Noble. The defensive lineman spoke to teens about his book and offered some advice in regards to them entering the Lights Camera Read contest. In reaction, several teens read Tuck's book and offered their thoughts.

Tuck grew up with five sisters. Two of them were twins, and as he put it — "They were two years ahead of me. We were always in competition: what show to watch on TV, who would get the last piece of chicken, and on and on. This book is about how they tricked me into believing they were good barbers and they weren't."

"The message I was trying to get across is we all go through obstacles. We all go through things that can kind of propel you or hold you back. It's a funny way of looking at it, but I credit my sisters for making me as tough as I am. A lot of people ask me why I play football. I tell them I had five sisters."

Tuck told an amusing story about how their sibling rivalries still continue. "When I let my sisters know I was writing a story, they were like, 'That ain't how it happened. This is what happened: You wanted us to cut your hair.' They said all types of stuff, but the way I wrote it is the way it happened."

When asked what type of advice he had for young adults entering the Lights Camera Read contest, he said, "Be true to yourself. Don't be afraid to step out on a limb. In my lifetime, I've done things that people didn't expect me to do. Don't allow others to negatively downplay your story. Just make sure you believe in yourself, because a lot of times great stories are lost because someone talks somebody out of it. Don't let obstacles stop you from achieving. The people that you hear of are the people that fight through and allow those obstacles to make them stronger."

Teens' Feedback For Justin

Jessica — When I first started reading the book, it was really an explanation of how you turned your life experiences into what led to your success. Home life gave you an advantage in life. They were tough but in the end, they were family and you love them.

John — I can actually see children, even adults, finding the story... how you say? Like it brings back memories of how they were when they were younger.

Joseph — A sibling will always be a sibling. You could be best friends in any way possible, because no matter how it's going to turn [out], you're always going to be family.

Valentina — I think it should be in the Library, as it will catch the children's attention, because most children grow up in a family where they are attracted to the New York Giants. So they can enjoy the story and maybe change their minds about how they view things.

Jessica — I do think this book should be in the public library because I can imagine one of the librarians reading this book to little children during story time. I think it's something that the kids would like listening to. I do think a child would find it funny, and the illustrations in the book are quite well done, and I think kids would be captivated by that and really like the story.

Martin — My reaction to the book is it's really related to my past. I have a sister who is 28 right now. She pushed me around, but she wasn't really making fun of me. What she was doing was toughening me up and making me a gentleman. After reading this book I feel... inspired.

The playoffs look like a rough road ahead this year, but hopefully Tuck and the Giants can do it on the football field this Sunday against Atlanta. If they win, the games after that — Greenbay and San Francisco, or New Orleans — seem a lot tougher, if not insurmountable.

On the other hand, if Tuck was able to deal with those five sisters, who knows what's possible?

P.S. From the Berserk Maniac — After watching the New York Giants, led by Tuck, dismantle — or should I say completely beat down — the Atlanta Falcons and the Green Bay Packers, I can now predict with total confidence a heaven-and-earth-shaking outcome of Superbowl 2012. NY Giants 37 — Denver Broncos Baltimore Ravens New England Patriots 0 — and you heard it here first!

16 Block: Snacks and Entertainment!

Lindsy Serrano, Mulberry Street Branch Library — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:39:17 -0500

Every week the Teen Advisory groups from Jefferson Market Library and Muhlenberg Library take a photo of what's happening during their meeting. Here's last week's photos:

Find a Teen Advisory group close to you and get involved at your local library!

Doing Some Last-Minute Holiday Shopping for that Teen in Your Life?

Andrea Lipinski, Kingsbridge Library — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:24:44 -0500

The teens in our Teen Advisory Group have been involved in several recent brainstorming sessions to pick out their favorite books, music, and movies that were released this year. Their selections included all kinds of stuff — funny, weird, and thought-provoking — even stuff that will make you want to dance.

MUSIC:

Unbroken by Demi Lovato

Her music is inspirational, emotional, and it makes you think!

Under the Mistletoe by Justin Bieber

A combination of pop and traditional music, this album will help people get into the holiday season. It will also get you ready for when YOU are under the mistletoe!

Kidz Bop 20

These albums are full of popular songs, performed by kids. The kids all love different artists, and you can hear how much those artists inspire them when they sing. The Kidz Bop albums include different types of music, like hip-hop, pop, and R&B.

Tha Carter IV by Lil Wayne

He is an awesome rapper, singer, and actor. Most teens, since they know rap music and love Lil Wayne, would probably buy his music, put it on their iPods, and sing it every day. We recommend him even though he curses!

Oh, and our teens don't just love new music, by the way. They're also huge fans of Michael Jackson and the Beatles, because their music always makes them want to dance and sing along!

DVDs:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2

We've been into Harry Potter since we were little! The movies get better as they progress, because the characters get older and the movie plots get darker. These movies keep me on the edge of my seat!

Megamind

This movie is action packed and very funny. Megamind is a great movie for kids, teens, and adults!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

This movie has excellent graphics and lots of action. Plus, it's a great retelling of the original book!

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

I love this movie because Justin Bieber is so dreamy! I cried during the song, "One Less Lonely Girl!"

Green Lantern

This movie shows how the Green Lantern got his powers, and it was a lot of fun to watch. This movie has action, action, and more action!

Our teens also recommend lots of TV shows that are available on DVD, including iCarly, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Office, Criminal Minds, and How I Met Your Mother.

BOOKS:

Legend by Marie Lu

This book is about two kids who are the same age, named Day and June. Day is a fugitive who is trying to protect his family from some sort of plague, and June is the sister of a soldier. Day is the prime suspect for the murder of June's brother Metias, but the thing is — Day is innocent! This book has a perfect way of grabbing your attention and holding on to it until the very end.

Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

A 17-year-old girl named Holly Mullen has felt lonely and confused ever since her boyfriend Rod died. Now Holly is stuck taking care of her sister and her grandfather, who was struck with Alzheimer's.

First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci

This book is a novel about a boy named Mal who has problems with his family and at school. He has real-life problems, too, like how his dad left and his mom has a drinking problem. He also has unusual problems, like how he believes he was abducted by aliens and thinks that one day he’s going to go with them and leave the earth behind.

Hooked by Catherine Greenman

This book is about a girl, Thea, who likes a guy named Will. They discover that they really like each other. They start to have sex and Thea gets pregnant. I think that this book will help junior high and high school girls understand what it feels like to be pregnant. If they have boyfriends, it will help girls understand what it feels like to be in love.

Reaching Through Time by Lurlene McDaniel

This collection of three novellas (What’s Happened to Me?, When the Clock Chimes, The Mysteries of Chance) tells the stories of three girls who have trouble in their lives. Each girl wants to meet her Prince Charming. I recommend this book because it might help teen girls find their own Prince Charming.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

This story happens during the winter, and when a surprise blizzard blows in, Greg Heffley is trapped inside of his house with his family. Cabin Fever is yet another great addition to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, which is popular among both kids and teens.

Many thanks to Leslie, Rosalie, Tomas, Reilanni, Michael, Paola, Jose, Mike, Solen, and Christopher for all of their suggestions and reviews!

16 Block Photography

Marie C. Hansen, Jefferson Market Library — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:10:36 -0500

Every week, the Teen Advisory groups from Jefferson Market Library and Muhlenberg Library take a photo of what's happening during their meeting. Here's last week's photos:

Find a Teen Advisory Group close to you and get involved in your library!

16 Block Photography

Lindsy Serrano, Mulberry Street Branch Library — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:42:36 -0500

Every week the Teen Advisory Groups from the Jefferson Market Library and the Muhlenberg Library take a photo of what's happening during their meeting. Here's last week's photos:

and 16 blocks away:

Find a Teen Advisory Group close to you and get involved in your library!

Laugh Till You Drop: Funny Books and Movies for Teens

Joanne Conte, Morris Park — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:36:48 -0500

Comedy makes us laugh, plain and simple. Whether it's standup, or a funny movie or your grandmother telling you funny stories from her youth. You know the one about her going to school with her nightgown on. Whatever, let's face it, the human condition is funny.

The comedic format can be found in books, film, plays and in stand-up comedy. Some really cool books get their points across using comedy. Way back in Geoffrey Chaucer's time, his Canterbury Tales were considered uproariously funny. In fact, even in the 21st century when I think of the "Miller's Tale" and a red hot poker, I laugh so much that it brings me to tears. Try reading some of the tales in modern translation. People were always funny, even back in the day.

Teen fiction can also be funny. For example, Louise Rennison's series The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson recounting the adventures of an English school girl through her diary is really based on Louise's funny and self-obsessed life as a 14 year old English girl. Another hilarious and poignant teen novel is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Using humor and wit, Mr. Alexie draws us into one boy's life on an Indian reservation. An otherwordly funny read is How I Spent My Last Night on Earth by Todd Strasser. Mix together an "astroid" hitting Earth and a girl looking for the boy of her dreams on the supposed last day as she knows it. It's a set up to keep you laughing.

Thwonk by Joan Bauer takes a humorous turn on the legend of Cupid. Actually most of Ms. Bauer's novels have a funny twist to them. Close to Famous revolves around a young girl and her mom running away from her crazy Elvis impersonator stepfather. If you eat when you read, try Death By Eggplant a humorous story about a young man who wants to have his own cooking show. However, he needs to pass eighth grade first. There are some movies that make us laugh as well. Anything with Adam Sandler or Eddie Murphy is almost sure to get you rolling on the floor. Some suggestions are Anger Management and The Nutty Professor. I would also recommend any of the sitcoms like Everybody Loves Raymond and The King of Queens, and speaking of kings of comedy, Seinfeld. These shows are in syndication, the New York Public Library owns them, and the good news is that you can pick them up with a valid library card.

Programming at the library can also tickle your funny bone. In fact, in January, The Morris Park Branch Library will be hosting The Comedy Club for young adults ages 12 to 18 where we are calling all class comics to brush up on your best jokes with comedy master, Tara. The program will be Tuesday January 10, 17 and 24 at 4:00 pm. Until then enjoy a funny book or movie and keep laughing.