Sellers Library Teens

Just Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:50:45 PDT

Yesterday, 15 people showed up for our after-school Just Dance day. We had fun warming up with some free play, then started the tournament. Although Devon brought in Just Dance 3 and was sure that he'd win, he didn't even make it to the final round! We ended up with a three-person final among Brittney, Kathy, and Shanae. Shanae won by just a few points and got a $10 Wawa gift card!

If you owe the library money for overdue fines, be sure to come out on June 20 from 1:00 to 5:00 for Rock Away Your Fines! For every one song you play on Rock Band, I will knock a dollar off of your fines. Check with the library for more details.

Newest of the New

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 30 May 2012 10:03:02 PDT

Here are the newest teen items this week:

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Eona by Alison Goodman
The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix
On the Come Up by Travis Hunter
Gilt by Katherine Longshore
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Book Review: Burn Mark

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:25:50 PDT

Burn Mark by Laura Powell
Review by Saranjeet

**This book will be released on June 19, 2012.**

I recently read Burn Mark by Laura Powell. It gives a new perspective of witches and how they become the way that they do. The beginning of the book starts off great, with Glory dreaming about the Burning Court and Lucas actually attending it. These events really help out the reader because it gives details about what life is like for someone who worships the Fae and someone who doesn't. Not only that, but it immediately grasps the reader. Also, the gangs, the poice, and the mob really fit into the story nicely, and make it even better. But, as the story progresses, certain parts become weak. For example, Glory's father, Patrick, doesn't really play any important role and doesn't seem to affect any of Glory's actions. Since Glory lives in a dangerous society, I would expect her father to be more strict or overprotective of her. Also, Glory and Lucas's relationship seems to be astray, and at the end of the book the reader can't really make a decision whether it is a friendship or something more. The ending of this book gave off the feeling of a second book, which I will excitedly hope for.

Bake Sale Report

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Sun, 20 May 2012 17:57:50 PDT

Thanks to our Teen Advisory Board, their parents, and library staff, we had a pretty good bake sale yesterday! We had tons of delicious food, as well as sodas and water. Since I had a family emergency last weekend when we were supposed to have the event, I am really grateful for everyone's flexibility and helpfulness! I haven't counted all of the small change yet, but we made $122 in bills and quarters, plus a $50 donation. Yeah!

Thanks to everyone who took a turn at the table: Katie, Genni, Grace, Anas, Arig, Marissa, Jasmine, and Laurel. Thanks also to everyone who contributed food and drinks: Katie, Genni, Grace, Arig, Anas, Kim, Nikki, Billy, Marissa, Laurel, and me. And a special thanks to library staff Mrs. Kosha and Mrs. Mock for each adding cookies to our sale!!

Calming Noms

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 24 May 2012 17:57:02 PDT

Last Wednesday, 14 teens attended our first-ever cooking program! We eat a lot of food, and we occasionally use a toaster or hot plate for a snack or a craft, but we've never attempted this before for a very simple reason: the library does not have a kitchen! Teen Advisory Board member Laurel, who loves to cook, approached me with the idea for a program about foods that reduce stress, I was intrigued. I told her we could do it, but that we'd have to be really creative to make cooking possible in our space!

Laurel was up to the challenge, though, and came up with two recipes. The first, turkey sliders, we cooked on hot plates. After that, we made fruit and granola parfaits, which didn't require any cooking. We also put together a list of foods that increase memory and decrease stress, and asked people to make up their own recipies or meals. People came up with everything from breakfast sandwiches to three-course dinners! Laurel did a great job of explaining what she was doing as she went along, involving people in food preparation, and discussing a little bit of the science behind the foods. It was like she was doing a cooking show! She was a total pro.

If you missed it, here are some of the websites Laurel used to prepare for the event:

What to Eat for Better Concentration and Memory
10 Foods that Help Reduce Stress
20 Foods that Will Increase Your Studying Effectiveness

Delicious turkey sliders!

Book Review: Unbreak My Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:07:14 PDT

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
Review by Arig

**This book will be released on May 22, 2012.**

Unbreak My Heart is about a girl that falls in love unintentionally. Clementine Williams had just had a fight with her best friend Amanda. It was over a boy and Amanda ends up forgiving the boy and hating her best friend, Clementine. The summer rolls around and Clementine’s parents decide to take her and Olive, her younger sister, on a trip away from technology. They’re going to sail the seas. Most of the trip Clementine is crying and angry because of the fight between her and Amanda. The problem is that she isn’t able to tell anyone and even so her little sister tries to comfort her blindly.

At one of the ports that the family stops at to refuel, Clementine meets James. She bumps into him and knocks over his shopping basket full of bananas. Little does she know that James and his father are sailing on the same route. James and Clementine begin to spend time with each other, getting to know each other and Olive tags along. When Clementine feels that her relationship with James is beginning to take a turn to the better, she confesses to him why her friend and she “broke up.” James goes silent for awhile and Clementine goes back to being depressed for awhile until she has a nervous breakdown and she tells her parents everything. The story goes on with James coming around and both Clementine and James have a relationship until the summer is over.

Overall, this story was really good. I did enjoy it and it was a semi-quick read. At times I was confused because the story kept switching from flashback to present but this story was good. I would recommend this book to people who like chick-flick kind of books. I have to say their sailing adventure sounds so cool and James sounds like a one-of-a kind guy. I applaud Ms. Walker and give this book 4 stars.

Fresh Books!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:23:35 PDT

Here are the new selections in the teen room this week:

Fox and Phoenix by Beth Benobich
Faking Faith by Josie Bloss
Bitter End by Jennifer Brown
Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
Flyaway by Helen Landalf
Black, White, Other by Joan Steinau Lester
Kick by Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman
Bluefish by Pat Schmatz
Irises by Francisco X. Stork
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Book Review: I Hunt Killers

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:38:49 PDT

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
Review by Elena

This book was released in April 2012. Request a copy through the library catalog!

Need a new book to read? Pick out the latest story from Barry Lyga, called I Hunt Killers! This is a very unique but fearsome story. The plot revolves around 16 year-old Jasper Dent, whose father recently went to jail for having committed 122 murderers in his lifetime. Worried about becoming a killer like his father, Jasper goes on a mission to track down a new serial killer who has popped up in his town. Jasper is the only person with the knowledge to hunt this killer, who is mimicking all of his father’s killings. He also believes that finding the killer would prove to himself that he is not a murderer like his father. Once the story comes to a close, a happy ending arrives, but an even bigger twist unfolds.

After reading this book, I would say it is great for those who enjoy horror, murder, or mystery stories. The story is mostly about the killings Jasper’s dad committed, so the details are very gruesome and startling. The book contains a good amount of imagery that is scary and disturbing for most people. For this reason, I would only recommend this book to that in high school and up who can handle reading scary stories. This is not a book for the younger readers, for it contains some inappropriate material as well. Overall, I thought the book was unlike one I had ever read, but even frightened me several times. For me, several parts were very terrifying, but the story in general was interesting.

Visit Barry's website!

Also, go back in time and read about Barry's 2006 visit to our library when his first book, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, was published!!

Beaded Butterfly Bracelets

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:54:18 PDT

Yesterday, seven teens came by to make beaded butterfly bracelets after school. We put glass beads on memory wire, added two butterfly beads as accents, and finished with a butterfly charm. The bracelets were really cute, and everyone put their own personality into their project! I also had some ring memory wire, so people did those as well as extra bracelets. And, thanks to Laurel, we also listened to a random assortment of music. If you're sad that you missed it, this project will be available at Craft Closet Cleanout on June 13.

Works in progress

Some finished products

Emma Kate's Teen Book Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Emma) — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:05:52 PDT

Hey guys! Here is a link to my new book reviews blog, Emma Kate's Teen Book Reviews! My very first review was posted today! Enjoy!

http://emmakatesreviews.blogspot.com/

Newest Books

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 02 May 2012 06:22:28 PDT

Here are the new items in the teen section this week:

FICTION

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong (Darkness Rising series)
The Story of Us by Deb Caletti
Black Dawn by Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires series)
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (Graceling series)
Betrayed by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast (House of Night series; replacement copy)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (additional copy)
Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan (Kane Chronicles series)
Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent series)
The Geography of Girlhood by Kirsten Smith

NONFICTION

The Best Teen Writing of 2011 by The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers

April Lindner Author Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 10:14:44 PDT

Last night, 23 people came out to hear author April Lindner talk about her book, Jane! The high school book group recently read and enjoyed this book, but we had more than just them at the event. Lots of different people showed up including members of the Teen Advisory Board (TAB), people from the middle school book group, other teen readers, and even some adults! This event was funded by the TAB with money raised from the Random-A-Thon.

April Lindner is a poet and English professor at St. Joe's, so we were really pleased that she could squeeze us into her busy end-of-the-semester schedule. April talked to us about how she started writing for young adults, read us sections from Jane and her January 2013 release Catherine, and answered a lot of questions!

We learned that since Jane was originally written with adults in mind, the character was 21. But, when it was published as a teen book, April decided to change Jane's age to 19. Also, April is working on another retelling (in addition to Catherine, which is a retelling of Wuthering Heights), this time of A Room with a View by E. M. Forester. At the end of the event, April signed copies of Jane. Some people already had books, others bought them from me, and I was also able to snag some copies for summer prizes. The whole event was a lot of fun, and we'd love to have April back again sometime!

If you liked Jane, go like it on Facebook! Also, visit April's website for information about her life, her books, and where to see her in person if you missed this event. These pictures are the best I got from my phone (I forgot my camera...again), but at least you can see April and the group in action!

Dance Dance Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:14:28 PDT

Yesterday, 11 teens showed up for our afternoon of DDR, snacks, and board games. I think the promise of a $10 Wawa gift card for the tournament prize is what got everyone there on such a nice day! We did a 12-person tournament--I took the extra spot and actually made it to the final round. It was a three-way final--Amie came in first, with Laurel a close second. I was a distant third. Amie had an amazing 100 combo! And she was happy to walk off with that gift card.

If you like dancing games, be sure to join us on Wednesday, May 30, for Just Dance!

Fresh Picks

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:21:48 PDT

Here are the latest additions to the teen shelves!

FICTION

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter (Gallagher Girls series)
Fear by Michael Grant (Gone series)
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
The Blood by D. J. MacHale (Morpheus Road series)
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (Inheritance series; replacement copy)
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Bleach, volume 39, by Tite Kubo

Final Report: 2012 Random-A-Thon

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:46:33 PDT

I finally tracked down the last few teens who owed money from the Random-A-Thon, so now I can give you the results!

We raised a total of $887 dollars. We didn't quite get to $1000 as I had hoped, but that's still really good! Also, it saved my hair from being mohawked. I don't want to thank you for not raising as much money, but I will say that you have made my mother very happy.

Our fundraising winner again this year is Billy! He raised $150, which is awesome. Billy wins a gift basket from the Teen Advisory Board with a $25 gift card to Amazon.com, as well as snacks and library swag. Honorable mentions go to Alex R., Colin, and Grace for each raising $50 or more.

Thanks to everyone for making this year's Random-A-Thon a success!

Billy's gift basket

Bedazzled Crafts

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:38:02 PDT

A while ago, I posted a sign asking for craft supply donations, including vintage Bedazzlers. It took about six months, but I actually got three donated by library users! If you have not heard of the Bedazzler, it's a product for decorating clothing and accessories that was popularized by 80s infomercials. It's kind of like a stapler for studs and rhinestones. You can still buy them at craft stores; I bought stuff online from Jo-Ann and saw a Bedazzler for sale in Michael's.

Anyway, 10 people showed up last Wednesday for Bedazzled crafts, even though some of them didn't even know what it was! I supplied inexpensive bags, bandannas, and purses, and everyone loose with the Bedazzlers. Everyone decorated two items to take home, and several people also Bedazzled their own items, like tote bags and flip flops! It was fun, and the Bedazzlers will now be appearing at various other events, including Craft Closet Cleanout. For example, the mp3 player pocket craft would look even more awesome with studs and rhinestones!

Check These Out

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:26:23 PDT

Here are the newest items to look for in the teen section:

FICTION

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush seires)
Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Chronicles of Nick)
Ambitious by Monica McKayhan (Kimani Tru)
Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (Vampire Kisses series; replacement copy)
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Dead Is a Battlefield by Marlene Perez (Dead Is series)
Mastiff by Tamora Pierce (Beka Cooper series)
Boy 21 by Matthew Quick
Seizure by Kathy Reichs (Virals series)
Never Have I Ever by Sara Shepard (Lying Game series)
Two Truths and a Lie by Sara Shepard (Lying Game series)
Death Sentence by Alexander Gordon Smith (Escape from Furnace series)
Fugitives by Alexander Gordon Smith (Escape from Furnace series)
Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith (Escape from Furnace series)
Solitary by Alexander Gordon Smith (Escape from Furnace series)
The List by Siobhan Vivian
A Beautiful Friendship by David Weber
Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright

NONFICTION

Americapedia: Taking the Dumb Out of Freedom by Jodi Lynn Anderson, Daniel Ehrenhaft, and Andisheh Nouraee
It Will Get Better: Finding Your Way Through Teen Issues by Melinda Hutchings

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Naruto, volume 54, by Masashi Kishimoto
Bleach, volume 38, by Tite Kubo
Kimi Ni Todoke, volume 13, by Karuho Shiina

Mario Night

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 07:08:16 PDT

As part of Teen Tech Week, we had our first-ever Mario Night last Friday. Fourteen people showed up and we had fun playing all kinds of Mario games. We played Mario Kart Wii, various Mario games on DS, Dr. Mario on the NES, and a variety of other Mario games on a second Wii. I also gave away random Mario prizes throughout the evening. (If you want your own Mario stuff, go to Five Below...they have all kinds of candy, toys, and t-shirts!)

Competition was tough in the Mario Kart Wii tournament! Rather than brackets, we compiled points for the races. After two rounds of two races each, the four guys with the most points moved on to the finals. Roy, Jamie, Alex, and Colin competed, and it was a nail-biter. Colin beat Roy by one point! Colin received a $10 Wawa gift card and Roy got a Mario t-shirt. All four finalists also got candy.

I had been bragging for a while before the event that nobody could beat me at Dr. Mario. I pretty much killed everyone with my skills...except for Jaime. In my defense, I didn't practice beforehand, it was my first game, and I voluntarily took the broken controller. Nonetheless, he did beat me and I can accept that. He was the only person who got candy in the Dr. Mario competition! I am definitely buying a new controller from eBay!

Thanks to David for providing his Wii and games, John for controlling the controllers, and Colin for bringing his N64. Look for our regular Nintendo Night tournament on the spring program schedule.

iPod Music Party

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:41:58 PDT

On Wednesday, 11 teens showed up after school for our Teen Tech Week music program. Everyone took turns connecting their mp3 players to our speakers and playing music. (Of course, there were a few rules about appropriateness, but everyone cooperated.) We heard everything from traditional Irish music to French rap to 80s hair metal! While listening, people ate snacks, made a craft, and played some games using the "random" or "shuffle" feature on the mp3 players. The craft was especially popular...we made mp3 player holders out of old jean pockets! People decorated them with ribbon, trim, and Sharpie markers. They turned out really well, and a few people made more than one. Those will definitely turn up at the next Craft Closet Cleanout, so count on that if you missed this event!

People working on their pockets. (Sorry it's blurry...I took it with my phone.)

Finished products!

Geek Out @ Your Library!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:44:46 PST

It's Teen Tech Week! This year's theme is "Geek Out @ Your Library," so our Teen Advisory Board (TAB) ran a contest. They called it "Secret Geek" and the idea was for teens to express what makes them a geek through art, photography, or an essay. We got twelve entries: five drawings, three photos, and four essays. A panel of five librarians judged the entries anonymously based on how well they expressed the creators' geekiness. (I did not judge, since I knew who made each entry.) The librarians chose Genni's entry as the winner, which was photography of a clay sculpture she made of Link from The Legend of Zelda. Genni wins a $30 gift card to Amazon.com to further her geekiness! They also chose three honorable mentions: Sarah, for her essay on music; Nikki, for her creative photos of Domo; and Katie, for her essay on movies. Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter! All of the entries are hanging on or around the bulletin board in the teen section, so check them out until the end of the month.

2012 Random-A-Thon!

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 03:54:09 PST

Last Saturday, 40 teens descended on the library for our third annual Random-A-Thon! (Were you there in 2010 or 2011?) It was our best attendance ever. We've only raised $748 so far, though, so keep working on it! I will seriously cut my hair into a mohawk if we can get to $1000. You have until March 11 to turn in all of your money!!

The Random-A-Thon has a loose schedule of events just to help people know when to show up if they're not staying all day. We brought back some favorites from last year, like watching childhood cartoons, doing duct tape crafts, playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and having a Connect Four tournament. Genni had some tough competition, but ultimately won in Connect Four. (Extra thanks to Owen for volunteering to take care of the brackets for me during the tournament.) We added some new video games and DVDs, as well as fun crafts like license plate journals. We had also planned some things that didn't happen, like beaded crafts and bingo, so we'll save those for another time!

Lunch this year was grilled cheese or peanut butter/jelly/marshmallow fluff, with veggies and dip and chips, and soda to drink. Of course, there was much snacking all day and people were stuffed by the time they left! Throughout the day, we had pop-up activities from the Jar of Randomness. We did everything from dancing the Cha Cha Slide to decorating cupcakes to making sand art to eating Ring Pops! Special thanks to Grace for making Pop Culture Jeopardy as one of these random additions. It was very cool. Some of the activities involved prizes, and here are the winners:

Siaka won the candy jar guessing game with an exact guess of 87
Nikki won a soft pretzel maker in a random drawing
Genni and Alex each won a tic-tac-toe tournament

Winners got real prizes, but we also had our infamous Prize Box of Randomness. I filled it will bizarre donated items, leftover prizes from other events, Happy Meal toys, weird swap-rack books, and anything else I could find. The Prize Box of Randomness must not be looked upon; it will bestow upon you the item that is right. Everyone got something from the box throughout the day by reaching in with eyes closed!

Thanks to all of the TAB members for contributing snack food to the Random-A-Thon. Extra thanks to Laurel, Emily, Billy, and me for bringing in homemade goodies! And huge thanks to Kara Naklicki for spending her college volunteer hours with us. I seriously couldn't have survived the Random-A-Thon without her help!

Just Dance

Duct Tape Crafts

Sand Art

Apples to Apples

License Plate Journals

What's New!?

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:40:37 PST

Here are some new choices in the teen section for you this week. A lot of them won awards recently, so read them and see if they're worthy!

Split by Swati Avasthi (replacement copy)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Bewitching by Alex Flinn
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
The Returning by Christine Hinwood
Rotters by Daniel Kraus
Planesrunner by Ian McDonald
The Fire by James Patterson (Witch &Wizard series)
The Blood Lie by Shirley Reva Vernick
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Pink by Lili Wilkinson

New for You

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:08:51 PST

Just a few new things are on the shelves for you this week, but one is about the Hunger Games movie, so I had to post it!

FICTION

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral
DJ Rising by Love Maia
The Visitors by The McKissacks (Clone Codes series)

NONFICTION

The Hunger Games: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Kate Egan

2012 Award Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:09:58 PST

A few weeks ago, the American Library Association announced their yearly award winners. The Newbery and Caldecott awards are the most famous, but there are also some for teens. Which of these sound interesting to you?

Printz Award (for excellence in young adult literature)

Winner--Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley (also won the Morris Award)
Honor--Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket)
Honor--The Returning by Christine Hinwood
Honor--Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
Honor--The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (author of Shiver)

Schneider Family Book Award (for books about the disability experience)

Middle Grades--Close to Famous by Joan Bauer
Middle Grades--Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Teen--The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

Odyssey Award (for best audiobooks)

Winner--Rotters by Daniel Kraus
Honor--Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri
Honor--Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

William C. Morris Award (for a debut book from a first-time writer for teens)

Honor--Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Honor--Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

Stonewall Book Award (for books about the GLBT experience)

Winner--Putting Makeup on the Fat Boy by Bil Wright
Honor--Pink by Lili Wilkinson

Public Art in Philadelphia

noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:18:21 PST

At Philadelphia Night, we talked about the wealth of public art that you can see on the streets of our city. From famous sculptures to murals to knitting, it's all out there!

To learn more about Philadelphia's public art, look at:

Fairmount Park Art Association
Check out their clickable map to find public art.

Streets Dept
Get tips on Philly street art, then go see it before it's gone!

Philadelphia Public Art
Take yourself on one of their 30 self-guided tours.

Visit Philly: Public Art
Read more about the city's outdoor art and see excellent photographs.

Mural Arts: Mural Explorer
Check out some of the giant-sized artwork Philly is famous for.