Expert and novice model builders are welcome at this demonstration on scale model building techniques.  You will need to register for the building portion of the program, but the demonstrations are open to all. Presented by the Central Missouri Scale Modelers. Ages 10 and older. To register, please call (573) 443-3161.

Visit our event calendar to learn more about our other upcoming teen events this summer!

Before I read this series, I’d never heard of steampunk before. Now I love it. Alek and Deryn are two teenagers trying to survive WWI, only this time it’s a battle between fabricated beasties and clanking war machines. Alek, the heir to the Austrian throne, thinks the war is his fault and will do anything to stop it. Deryn is just trying to stay alive–and keep her two secrets safe from Alek. But when a strange man named Nikola Tesla comes on board, everything becomes chaos. The rumors of a super machine capable of ending the war, the discovery of a girl’s long kept secrets, and the ending of a great series are only part of this amazing book.

I love history, and I love adventure. I also like a touch of romance, but not to the point where I’m rolling my eyes at the sappiness. The Leviathan series gave me all of that. The main characters entranced me from page one of “Leviathan” to the epilogue of “Goliath.” The story swallowed me up from beginning to end. This is an amazing book. I can’t think of anything I would rather read.

That is, unless Scott Westerfeld writes a follow-up series.

-Summer

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This hard-hitting, heartbreaking documentary takes an unprecedented close-up look at the bullying epidemic in today’s schools. Alex returns to seventh grade knowing that once again he will be punched, choked, and called names, with every school-bus ride a terrifying test of endurance. School officials turn a blind eye to the bullying that 16-year-old Kelby suffers every day even after she’s deliberately struck by a car.

“BULLY” will be showing May 21 (5:00 & 7:15), May 22 (8:00), May 23 (5:00 & 7:15), and May 24 (5:00 & 7:15). Please visit http://ragtagfilm.com for more information.

All Good Children by Catherine Austen
Max, his sister Ally and their mother return home to Middleton to find Ally’s classmates acting strange. It is the future, and the government has created a “vaccine” to make kids easier to teach- they are less rowdy, less likely to question, and willing to obey any direction. Max’s family has a choice: to be “vaccinated”, to flee their home, or stay and fight.

Ashes by Ilsa Bick
Alex, Tom, and Ellie join forces after an electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky. The pulse kills most of the world’s population and destroys all computer devices, but it also turns some who remain into zombies or gives them superhuman senses.

Abandon by Meg Cabot
Pierce has experienced death before and barely escaped. When she moves from her old town to a town called Isla Huesos – Island of Bones – for a new start, she realizes that death wants her back. Can she escape death once again?

Tempest by Julie Crozz
Jackson is a typical college kid until the day his girlfriend, Holly, is shot. Jackson decides he must use his one incredible gift, the ability to time travel. He goes back in time two years, trying to discover a way to alter the future so that Holly lives. The future is full of uncertainty and the past is full of betrayal- is there anyone Jackson can trust?

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
Ever since Mclean’s parents divorced, she has lived in four towns in two years – each time taking on a new persona. Mclean expects to leave Lakeview in six months, but soon finds that she doesn’t want to – she just wants to be herself.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano
In the future, experimental genetics ensures that males only live to 25 and females to 20. When 16-year-old Rhine is kidnapped and sold into marriage, she is determined not to let her walls down for anyone so she can escape and go home to her brother. But when she meets her sister wives and Gabriel, a handsome servant, she finds it harder than ever as she tries to plan her escape under the watchful eye of her sinister father-in-law.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman
This sequel to Gayle Forman’s If I Stay is narrated by Adam, Mia’s ex-boyfriend. Shortly after the devastating accident that killed Mia’s family, the talented cellist moves to New York, where an accidental meeting brings them back together. Check out the staff review of this title as well as the book trailer.

Walker Children’s by A.C. Scarlet Gaughen
Will Scarlett is one of the Merry Men, Robin Hood’s legendary band of thieves, but what few people know is that Will Scarlett is actually…a girl! Disguised as a boy to escape from her past, Scarlett robs from the rich and gives to the poor. When an old enemy of Scarlett’s appears, she must choose: Keep her identity hidden? Or keep the people of Nottingham safe?

Eona: The Last Dragoneye by Alison Goodman
As the battle for ultimate control of her home draws near, Eona finds herself waging an internal battle that might cause more damage than the war threatening to break out across the kingdom.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Hazel and Augustus meet and forge a relationship at a support group for kids battling cancer. As Hazel and Augustus struggle with the “side-effects of dying,” they come to learn the strength of wishes, the complexities of long human lives, and the wondrous ways of the universe. Check out the staff review of this title.

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge
When Paige Turner and her family move to Brooklyn from rural Virginia, she tries to make sense of her new life through her sketchbook, which exposes her true personality and helps her find herself.

Legend by Marie Lu
June, a fifteen-year-old military prodigy, is hunting Day, the outlaw she believes is responsible for her brother’s death. What will happen when the two meet and discover the government is corrupt? Check out the staff review of this title.

Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Emerson Cole sees dead people- ghosts from the past blending in with her surroundings. When a new consultant from a secretive organization shows up at her door to try to cure her, everything changes. But diving into the world of the mysterious Hourglass Society proves to be dangerous as the past merges with the present.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
A futuristic retelling of the classic Cinderella, Cinder, a cyborg and talented mechanic, lives with her cruel stepmother and two stepsisters in the plague-ridden New Beijing. Soon after meeting Prince Kai, Cinder must find the truths of her past, which may help to save the future.

Shine by Lauren Myracle
When her best friend falls victim to a horrible hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover the culprits in her backwoods town in North Carolina.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Conor suddenly wakes up just past midnight to find a monster outside his window. This monster wants something from Conor that he is reluctant to give: the truth.

This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel
In this prequel to Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is on a dark quest to save his twin’s life. With help from his best friend Henry and his lovely cousin Elizabeth, the three go on a quest to concoct the mythical Elixir of Life. How far is he willing to go to save his twin?

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Cryogenically frozen centuries ago, Amy and her parents are on their way to a new planet aboard the spaceship, Godspeed. Unplugged from her cryo chamber, Amy discovers she has been awoken 50 years early, in a failed murder attempt. With Elder, the future leader of the ship, by her side they are on an adventure filled with murder, lies, dreams, and stars.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
When Jacob was little, his grandfather would tell him stories of the fantastical children’s home where he grew up and the seemingly magical kids who lived there with him. When his grandfather is killed, Jacob sets out to find the home where these children lived, unearthing a magical secret and uncovering his true heritage. Check out the staff review of this title.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Abnegation (selfless), Erudite (intelligence), Candor (honesty), Amity (peace), or Dauntless (brave): where would you fit? Beatrice lives in a society where she must choose either to remain with her family’s faction or set off towards independence and her beliefs. And what happens when the unity between these factions begins to fall apart? Check out the staff review of this title.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
In 1941, Lina, her mother, and younger brother are taken from their home in Lithuania and sent to Siberia. The only thing that keeps her going is her secretly created art and the hope that one day she’ll be be reunited with her father.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Every November, the beaches of Thisby come alive with the Scorpio Races. The water horses are vicious, the terrain is treacherous, and death is likely, but the reward can be beyond anything you could imagine. Puck Connolly is racing for her family, Sean Kendrick for his passion—but only one can win The Scorpio Races.

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
A year after Jill’s father dies, her mother decides to adopt a baby. Mandy’s been living in different places, but now that she’s pregnant, she wants to make sure her baby has the love and support she never did. A story of two girls dealing with grief, new life, and everything in between when their paths cross.

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin
In 2083, water is rationed, paper is rare, and coffee and chocolate are illegal. Anya Balanchine balances a mobster family, ailing grandmother, and forbidden love – until it all comes crashing down.

I loved this story and hated putting it down. You could feel Violet’s  confusion. She does a lot of soul searching to try and make the right decisions for herself, while exploring the inner depths of her strength.  I look forward to the sequel.

“Own the Night” Photography Contest
Begins Friday, June 1
Whether your camera captures pools of light created by streetlamps, moonbeams reflected in calm waters or shadows cast by bright neon signs, submit your nighttime-inspired photographs now through July 13. Winners will receive Barnes & Noble gift cards and winning photos will be displayed at teens.dbrl.org. Find contest rules and submission guidelines online or at your library after June 1. Ages 12-18.

Teen Game Night
Friday, June 8, 6:30-8 p.m.
Southern Boone County Public Library
Celebrate the launch of teen summer reading while hanging out with friends and playing an assortment of video games or board games like Monopoly, Clue, Catch Phrase, Apples to Apples and more. Pizza served while it lasts. Ages 12-18.

Zombie Bash
Monday, June 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Columbia Public Library, Friends Room
Revel in all things undead at our zombie celebration! Come in your finest zombie costume and make-up or create your look when you arrive. There will be trivia, games and we’ll learn the Thriller dance steps! It promises to be an apocalyptically good time. Ages 12-18. Registration begins Tuesday, June 5.

Repurpose It
Tuesday, June 19, 2-3 p.m.
Callaway County Public Library
Use duct tape, bubble wrap, buttons, plastic bags, magazine pages and other items to make something new. We’ll provide the supplies and several ideas to get you started. Ages 12 and older.

Dream Journals
Tuesday, July 10, 2-3 p.m.
Callaway County Public Library
 Do you remember your dreams? Writing them down can help you remember. Come decorate a journal in which you can write your nighttime dreams or record your goals and dreams for the future. We’ll supply the materials. Ages 12 and older.

Stop-Motion Animation Workshop
Friday, July 20, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Columbia Public Library, Training Center
At this hands-on workshop, you’ll get creative with Legos and more as you construct a mini-movie. Bring any materials you would like for creating your animation; use one of our digital cameras or bring your own. Ages 12-18. Registration begins Tuesday, July 10.

Zombie Bash
Friday, July 27, 6:30-8 p.m.
Southern Boone County Public Library
Revel in all things undead at our zombie celebration! Come in your finest zombie costume and make-up or create your look when you arrive. There will be trivia, games and more! It promises to be an apocalyptically good time. Ages 12-18. Registration begins Tuesday, July 10.

Angry Birds
Thursday, August 9, 6:30-8 p.m.
Columbia Public Library, Children’s Program Room
Geek out at your library with our fun, low-tech version of Angry Birds. You’ll make your own physical bird and try to knock down pillars and pigs. Ages 12-18. Registration begins Tuesday, July 31.

“Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?” addresses common concerns associated with “Finding, landing and keeping your first real job.”

In “How Do You Work This Life Thing?” Lizzie Post casts a wide etiquette net, offering advice on dealing with roommate problems, what to wear where, job issues, dating, cell phone protocol and more.

Anyone setting up housekeeping for the first time will benefit from “Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook,” a practical and comprehensive guide to household organization and maintenance.

“Your Life, Your Money” is aimed at helping young adults start off on sound financial footing.

The Missouri Bar Association’s brochure, “Turning 18,” has helpful information for anyone, covering topics such as jury duty, who can perform a marriage, and what your credit rating means.

For those who are finally finished with required classes, public library programs provide a stress-free chance to learn for fun.

See our catalog list for more resources.

Why I Checked It Out:

Why I Liked It: Late in the novel, one of the characters describes himself as a “Novelist and Semiprofessional Disappointer.” John Green is anything but disappointing in this brilliant and funny book about a teenage girl with a terminal cancer diagnosis. I was apprehensive when I read the book jacket. A book about a 16-year-old cancer victim falling in love definitely has the potential to be mawkish. The main characters were certainly precocious, but believably so. Hazel is a strong and smart girl who is anything but overly sentimental. The supporting characters are equally memorable. I never felt like Green was writing down to a teen audience. He obviously loves words, and uses them well. While this novel has the requisite romance, the relationship wasn’t precious and the interactions felt honest. Green treats the subject of illness, disappointment, nostalgia and death seriously, but also humorously and irreverently. This is a teen novel for readers who might not usually like teen novels.

Three Words that Describe this Book: Unflinching, Funny, Vibrant

If You Like this Book, You Might Also Like: John Green’s first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature.

The review is brought you by the letter “M” for Melissa, one of our wildly hilarious and well-read  library associates. She has an avid love of rainbows, unicorns, pygmy sloths, and sarcasm in literature.

Teen Poetry Contest Winner Grace Stukenborg

She barely heard the voices all around her at the reception
where she was all alone, alone but should not have been,
alone for her friend’s happy day, all dressed up, her long blonde hair
curled specially for the occasion with fake purple carnations placed
just above her left ear, thinking about the one who was not with her. 

Her husband should be there, the one who had been beside her
these past four months, the one who, it seemed, just yesterday
had looked back at her, beaming in his dress whites,
as she walked down the aisle on the arm of her father,
her sparkling eyes the color of the sea after a storm,
the sea that her husband loved so dearly, second only to her.

The one who, eight days ago, had been called away
from his long deserved six months of shore leave,
one month early, on urgent navy business.
She thought of the one who she may never see again, the one who
could not call, though she knew he wished he could,
the one whom she loved, gone.

As her thoughts drifted to the present, as her gaze cleared,
and the voices grew louder in her ears, she sighed,
knowing she could do nothing about those circumstances
that had called her husband from her.

by Grace Stukenborg

46 Science Fair Projects for the Evil Genius by Robert L. Bonnet and Dan Keen

Could there be a better book for an aspiring evil genius.  Possibly, as there are a whole series of similar titles.  Amaze your friends and teachers with a variety of cool experiments.  They will never suspect your future plans.

The Geek Dad Book for Aspiring Mad Scientists by Ken Denmead

Don’t let the title fool you, mad scientist is basically a synonym for evil genius.  This book provides even more cool experiments you can do at home in order to broaden your scientific know-how.  Give it to your dad for Father’s Day and make him take part in evil genius training.

Making Things Move by Dustyn Roberts

Reading this title will give you an in-depth understanding of mechanical movement.  This may not seem very exciting, but this is of the utmost importance if you ever want to get that giant robot working.

The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science by Sean Connelly

This book presents an explanation of some of the most dangerous scientific breakthroughs of all time and provides directions for conducting experiments which demonstrate their principles.

Question:

Answer: Once in a while, the DBRL databases may not cover a topic that you’re researching. There are print sources that can help answer this question, but this is a good chance to talk about how to evaluate web pages. Here are a few quick things to keep in mind:
1. Look at the credentials of the author and/or organization hosting the information, often found on “About Us” or Bio” pages. When you’re researching well-known people from Missouri, try using the Historic Missourians page of the State Historical Society of Missouri’s website. This is a reputable organization specializing in Missouri history, and the page has an entry devoted to Zee.

2. Look at the bibliography: if the author has consulted a range of credible sources, it’s more likely that he or she is providing good quality information. This essay on Zee was written by a Missouri college student as part of William Jewel College’s creative nonfiction program. Even though the student is not an expert, she has consulted multiple published resources, and because it’s for a college class a professor probably reviewed her essay, too.

3. Beware of collaborative community content sites, such as Wikipedia and Yahoo Answers. It’s hard to know how accurate the information is since credentials and citations are often missing or incomplete. Wikipedia is a neat resource, but it’s best used for certain purposes, like getting a general understanding of a topic or as a starting point for research. It’s usually not a good idea to use Wikipedia as a reference source.

Evaluating the information that you find online can be complicated, and these are just a few things to keep in mind. For more information, try the following links:

• UC Berkeley Library: Evaluating Web Pages
• Lesley University Library: Evaluating Web Pages

Fun fact:
Did you know that Jesse James’ wife and mother had the same name?  Jesse’s wife, nicknamed “Zee,” was born Zerelda Mimms. Zee’s parents named her after Jesse’s mother, Zerelda (Cole) James. (Zee and Jesse were first cousins, so their families were close.) When Jesse and Zee got married, Zee became Zerelda (Mimms) James.

When you’re researching people with similar or identical names, paying attention to birth dates can make finding accurate info easier. In this case, Jesse’s mother was born in 1825, but Jesse’s wife wasn’t born until 1845.

What We’re Reading:

• Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
• The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers
• The Future of Us by Jay Asher
• Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (audiobook, quirky romance)
• Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (incredibly beautiful retelling of The Iliad)
• Embrace by Jessica Shirvington (dark vs. light, angels, love triangle)
• Steel Trapp: The Academy by Ridley Pearson (spy novel)
• Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (rich, imaginative, intriguing)
• Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (if Percy Jackson were a love story, it would be this book)
• Geek Girls Unite: How Fangirls, Bookworms, Indie Chicks, and Other Misfits Are Taking over the World by Leslie Simon

What We’re Listening To:

• Scars and Stories by The Fray  (good, but not quite as good as their last album)
• The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond  (captures the folksy feel of District 12)
• We Were Here by Joshua Radin (soothing, thought-provoking guitar)

 The winners of this year’s Gateway Readers Award are:

• First Place: Hate List by Jennifer Brown
• Second Place: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
• Third Place: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The winners of this year’s Truman Readers Award are:

• First Place: The Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Second Place: The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan
• Third Place: Jane in Bloom by Deborah Lytton

What are your thoughts on this year’s winners? Which did you think would be the first place book? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and in the meantime, check out DBRLTeen’s exclusive interview with Gateway award-winning author, Jennifer Brown.

Starters by Lissa Price
To support herself and her younger brother in a future Beverly Hills, 16-year-old Callie hires her body out to seniors who want to experience being young again, and she lives a fairy-tale life until she learns that her body will commit murder, unless her mind can stop it.

The Disenchantments by Nina LeCour
Colby’s post-high school plans have long been that he and his best friend Beth would tour with her band, then spend a year in Europe, but when she announces that she will start college just after the tour, Colby struggles to understand why she changed her mind and what losing her means for his future.

Addison Blakely: Confessions of A PK by Betsy St. Amant
Addison Blakely has never had much trouble pleasing her widowed, overprotective father. After all, he’s a pastor, and she knows her reputation is closely linked to his. But when the bad boy next door, the cute but arrogant quarterback, and a charming new guy all vie for Addison’s attention, she begins to doubt her resolve. Join Addison as she attempts to separate love from lust, facts from faith, and keep her head above water in her murky, fishbowl existence.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story.

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen
When the difficult star of the reality television show “Expedition Survival” disappears while filming an episode in the Florida Everglades using animals from the wildlife refuge run by Wahoo Crane’s family, Wahoo and classmate Tuna Gordon set out to find him while avoiding Tuna’s gun-happy father.

I just finished reading Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and I highly recommend it. The author does a great job of letting you inside Min’s head so that you can understand the depth of her feelings. The illustrations add to the story, sometimes telling more than the words. Through Min’s letter you see the relationship develop, though you already know it doesn’t end well. And with Min writing about the past, she is able to say in hindsight, “the idiot that I was…” to give the reader clues as to what is coming.

Just for fun be sure to look at the back cover (hardcover edition) which includes various authors’ quotes about past heartbreak. For more break up stories and info on the author and illustrator Maira Kalman, visit The Why We Broke Up Project .

Truman Award Winners:

• First Place: Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Second Place: The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler
• Third Place: The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan

Gateway Award Winners:

• First Place: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
• Second Place: Hate List by Jennifer Brown
• Third Place: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The actual award winners will be announced at the MASL spring conference. DBRLTeen will have coverage of this announcement next week! Subscribe to our email updates to have the results delivered directly to your inbox!

TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow

Three teens from different time periods are rescued moments before each of them dies and trained to prevent other time travelers from changing history.  Their first mission is to thwart the plans of a scientist from the future who wants to help the Nazis win World War II.  A great read for those who like time travel stories.  Highly recommended.  Check out the sequel Day of the Predator if you enjoy this one.

 House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

After the Kings move into a spooky, old mansion, brothers Xander and David soon discover a secret hallway full of doors that transport them across time and space.  Each boy goes on an adventure, one to the Roman Colosseum and the other to a dangerous jungle, before they learn the shocking secret behind why their father bought the house.  First in the Dreamhouse Kings series.

The Project by Brian Falkner

Two boys go on a hunt for the “Most Boring Book in the World” only to discover that it may hold the secret to Leonardo Da Vinci’s greatest invention.  Unfortunately, a secret organization wants the book so it can travel back in time to, guess what, help the Nazis win World War II.  The time travel is saved for the end in this fast paced action thriller.

Timeline by Michael Crichton

A group of archaeologists travel back to Medieval France to save a professor who discovered time travel.  This book is a little more technical than some younger readers might want, but it gets really exciting once the group makes it to the past.  I read a lot of Crichton when I was younger and would recommend several of his books.

That’s all for now.  I’ll be doing another Variety Pack next month.  See you then.

Why I Liked It:  This story has it all:  pulse-pounding action, a harsh dystopian world set in a ruined Chicago, a wee bit of romance, and figuring out who you are and who you want to be.  That is probably my favorite part: the exploration of self-determinism.  Sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior, like every teen in her world, must decide which faction she wants to belong to:  Dauntless (The Brave), Amity (The Peaceful), Candor (The Honest), Erudite (The Intelligent), or Abnegation (The Selfless).  Beatrice was born into Abnegation, but is that where she really belongs?

Leaving her faction means leaving her family, her home, her way of life.  Beatrice struggles with the very real fact that she doesn’t belong entirely in any one group.And every person who has ever lived can relate to that feeling, whether you are uncovering a plot that could destroy your world or just trying to navigate high school.