Lansing Library Teen Dept. Podcast

The Wall by Peter Sis

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:49:16 -0500

Peter Sis, acclaimed author and artist of many distinguished books including Starry Messenger, Tibet Through the Red Box and Madlenka, introduces his latest work which describes and illustrates his upbringing in Communist Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. It is a world of political indoctrination and compulsory government loyalty. As a child and teenager, Peter loved art and music but all of this was banned and censored in his country. He secretly painted and taped the Beatles, longing to be free. Peter studied painting and filmmaking at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of London before coming to the US in 1984 to follow his dreams. This is a Caldecott Honor book and Robert F. Sibert Medal winner, an interesting and enlightening read for both children and adults.

Click here for more information!

It's almost here!

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:19:55 -0500

Stephenie Meyer's fourth installment in the intense love triangle of Bella/Edward/Jacob is almost here! Reserve your copy of Breaking Dawn today!

Book Survivor Update

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:50:30 -0500

Two more books were voted off!

-Dr. Franklin's Island by Ann Halam
A science fiction novel about two girls who get transformed into animals.

-Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
A junior high boy tries to deal with his little brother who was recently diagnosed with cancer and his busy life at school.

Only 6 titles left! Don't let your favorite get knocked out!

Climbing the Stairs

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:38:12 -0500

Vidya is 15 and wants to go to college, unusual for a Brahmin girl growing up in British India during World War II. She doesn't pay much attention to the world war at first, finding the struggles for India's independence more interesting. When she discovers her father is working with the freedom fighters, she is spellbound and wants to join the group. Purely by chance, she and her father end up in the middle of a protest and her father is terribly injured by the police. Vidya is devestated and despondent over the subsequent move to her grandfather's house. Here the men and women live seperately, and Vidya can sense her cruel aunt planning to marry Vidya off as soon as possible. When Vidya breaks the house rules and finds solace in the library on the men's floor, she finds choices begin to open up for her and the change that continues to find her can be dealt with in different ways, even by a young girl with limited freedoms.

Climbing the Stairs is a fascinating novel. The setting is vividly described and you will cheer for Vidya and rage against her suffocating family members. Vidya's brother, Kitta, deserves a story of his own (could we see a companion novel?). This book will appeal to readers who want a love story, who like exotic settings, who enjoy coming-of-age stories, or who enjoy great fiction. I can't recommend it enough!

Book Survivor!

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:37:38 -0500

The first two weeks of the summer reading program are gone and so are two books from the Book Survivor list.

Week 1: The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon
-A true story about a boy who tried to kill himself by lighting himself on fire but survived.

Week 2: Mary, Bloody Mary by Carolyn Meyer
-A historical fiction novel about the life of Henry VIII's daughter, Mary.

Four weeks left to see which book from the remaining list is the favorite. Check this link to the library summer newsletter for a complete list of the books. Remember, if you read a Book Survivor book, you get 20 extra book bucks to use in our end of the summer silent auction!

Vote for your favorite once a week to keep it in the running. Don't let your favorite get voted off!

Life As We Knew It

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:17:06 -0500

Life as you knew it is no more. When the moon is struck by an asteroid and knocked out of its orbit, chaos erupts on earth. Tides rise, drowning cities on the coast. Earthquakes happen in Missouri. Volcanoes erupt, filling the air with ash and blocking out the sun. Diseases spread, from cholera to influenza, and thousands of people die.

What would you do if this happened? In life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer, we read Miranda's diary telling us what she and her family did. This is a nominee for the 2009 Caudill award and so far, it's my favorite of the group.

I've read criticism of the book, saying that the events aren't scientifically realistic, but it's a fiction book, not a scientific text. It does what all good books should do--make you think. Whether it's true or made up, a good story pulls you in and keeps you reading, and you won't be disappointed with this one.

This story makes you wonder, "What if?" What if something like this did happen (although for a different reason)? Would you be able to cope? Could you chop wood, nurse your brothers through the flu, live on canned vegetables? Would you be able to live not knowing what's happened to your dad, your grandmother, and your friends? life as we knew it will make you wonder.

[And if you already read it, check out the companion novel-the dead and the gone.]

Teen Programs

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:59:18 -0500

The Teen Summer Reading Program has some really cool programs going on throughout July 28th!
There is something for everyone!
The following programs require sign-up:
The Teen Book Group will be discussing the book The Lightning Thief on Thursday, June 26 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. for grades 6 through 8.
Director's Dugout will be on July 8th from 12-12:45 and they will be discussing anyone of the Baseball Card Adventure series. Bring a lunch with you. This program is only for 4th through 6th grade.
You can create your own sand casted leaf dish on July 10th from 1-2:30 p.m. if you are in grades 5th-8th!
Get funky on July 12 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and tie dye a white t shirt, some white socks, or really anything white! Grades 6-12 can attend this program.
Design your own greeting card if you are in grades 3-8 on July 17th from 1-2 p.m!
Another Teen Book Group meeting will be on July 24th from 6-7 p.m. and grades 9-12 will be discussing the book Copper Sun.
The following programs DO NOT require sign up:
On July 2nd, from 2-3:30 p.m., there will be board games and video games!
Come and watch A League of Their Own on July 3rd from 6-8 p.m. Grades 6-12 only!
Do you like Naruto? We are having a night dedicated to Naruto. If you are in grades 6-12, On July 8th from 6-7:30 p.m. come on by and bring your cards, graphic novels, and even come in costume!
Attending programs will earn you 30 extra book bucks!

It's Finally Here!!

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:04:08 -0500

The 2008 new and improved Summer Reading Program "Get in the Game...Read" has finally arrived! Stop in at the Teen Desk to get all the details of this amazing program. The new silent auction set-up gives everyone a chance to win fabulous prizes just by reading books and attending prizes.

I know you're wondering, 'what prizes are going to get me to read?' Well here are a few to get you motivated:

- Portable DVD player

- iPod shuffle

- Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer (Hey, New Moon is autographed!)

- Pizza and Movie night (Pizza supplied by Mancino's and movie tickets from Lansing Cinema 8)

- Naruto Vol.1 uncut box set DVD

-$10 gift card to Starbucks along with two coffee cups

These are just 6 of the 48 available prizes for the summer! To receive a complete guide to the summer reading program and a complete list of the prizes, stop in at the Teen Desk to sign up today!

Upstate

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:17:53 -0500

Upstate
by Kalisha Buckhanon.
Sometimes life throws you curve balls. Things happen and you can't really figure out why that had to happen to you, but you have to live life anyway. Antonio seemed to have a pretty good life for a high school student. He had a beautiful girlfriend and a best friend and he was just living. But God had a different plan for Antonio and when he gets sent to jail for murdering his father, he finally realizes how many things he took for granted when he was on the "outside". He lost the love of his life, his mother, his life. When he started to think with more hope and decided he wanted to better himself, his life slowly seemed to be getting better.
In a book written completely in letters, read about Antonio and Natasha's emotional love for each other, their falling out, and how their lives ended up-without each other.

Good Reads

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:14:10 -0500

Do you ever want to see what books other people really like...or really hate?

Check out Good Reads and keep track of what books you have read and pick how good...or how bad you thought the book was!

It's Teen Literature Day!

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:53:36 -0500

It's National Library Week!

April 19th is Teen Literature Day... which just basically means it's a day to celebrate the great books there are for teens nowadays. Did you know there's over 5,000 books published each year for children and teens? How do you pick a good one from all that?

Easy--ask us! Want a romance? A gritty urban drama? A mystery? We can help you find the best one.

Say you want a historical fiction book about a princess with lots of drama. We've got one about a Byzantine princess named Anna who tries to kill her brother the king so she can inherit the throne. Try Anna of Byzantium by Tracy Barrett. It's based on a true story.

Or you want a book drunk driving and punishments and learning what's really important in the end. How about the one where Brent Bishop from Chicago leaves a party, drunk, and kills a girl, and as punishment he has to travel across the country and build a whirligig in the four corners in the girl's memory? That would be Whirligig by Paul Fleischman.

Or you don't want to have to read many words--you'd rather look at the pictures and you'd like the pictures to be of popular TV characters. What better than Books Don't Taste Very Good by Chris Griffin? Yep, a Family Guy graphic novel.

Give us a try... we've got a book for you!

Coming Full Circle

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:11:23 -0500

This week is National Library Week! The theme is "Join the Circle of Knowledge." Check out the circle books we have in the Teen Section.

"The Circle of Magic" series by Tamora Pierce
Sandry's Book
Tris's Book
Daja's Book
Briar's Book
*Four young and troubled teenage mages are brought together, each representing a different element. Each book centers on one character, but they are all connected in a circle of magic.

The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli
*This is a retelling of the popular children's fairy tale, "Hansel and Gretel" told through the eyes of the witch.

A Circle of Time by Marisa Montes
*A comatose teen is forced to travel back in time 100 years to help a girl right the wrongs of the past.

The Circle of Blood by Alane Ferguson
*As she uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to investigate the death of a young runaway, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney, an assistant to her coroner father, worries that her secretive mother may be involved.

Shug

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:17:36 -0500

It's National Library Week!

The transition between grade school and junior high seems to be dramatic and tough. Mostly everyone wants to be grown up and mature and cool. Shug just wants to be young and keep things they way they have always been. She doesn't understand why everyone needs to be boyfriend/girlfriend all of a sudden and she really doesn't get why Mark won't hang out with her anymore.

As everyone seems to be growing up without her, Shug finds friendship in the one person she thought she hated. Sometimes you have more things in common than you think. And sometimes the friends you thought would be there forever slowly fade away.

Read Jenny Han's Shug.

It's National Library Week!

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:21:25 -0500

It's National Library Week!

And it is also Earth Day on April 22, 2008.
In 1962, and for seven years following, Senator Gaylord Nelson strove to make our environment a bigger issue. The Senator decided he would persuade President Kennedy to go on a National Conservation Tour. He had to go through Attorney General Robert Kennedy first, and he liked the idea and so did the president! The president began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. Not many people thought it was a big deal, but it eventually stemmed into the idea of Earth Day. April 22, 1970 was the date of the first Earth Day. Earth Day is an awesome idea to get people to remember that the environment is very important.

Check out this website to find ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day!

Super Sized Library

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:56:54 -0500

It's National Library Week!

Nothing is more popular than McDonald's, right? Don't be so sure. To help celebrate National Library Week (April 13-19), take a trip through the information drive-through and see what ends up in your take-out bag. Fact: There are more public libraries than McDonald's in the U.S. - a total of 16,549, including branches. Starring Shad Kunkle and shot at... well, it should be obvious where it's shot at.

From the I Love Libraries Website

Meg Cabot is my friend

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:41:33 -0500

It's National Library Week!

How many friends do you have? Are you looking for a few more? Many of your favorite authors have MySpace pages and would love to be your friend. Meg Cabot can be one of them. Or Sarah Dessen. Even David Levithan and John Green. Celebrate National Library Week by adding an author or two as your friend...and then go read the book they wrote, if you haven't already.

Looking for something new to you?

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:20:27 -0500

It's National Library Week! Stop by the Teen area and see our book display. All of the books displayed are the first book in a series. Be the first of your friends to discover a series to obsess about.

Here are a few to lure you in!

Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce
Alianne must call forth her mother's courage and her father's wit in order to survive on the Copper Isles in a royal court rife with political intrigue and murderous conspiracy.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, M16.

Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by Sue Limb
Fifteen-year-old Jess, living with her mum, separated from her father in Cornwall, and with a best friend who seems to do everything perfectly, finds her own assets through humor.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
After the mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the "bird kids," who are the result of genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose.

It's National Library Week!

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:58:45 -0500

Join the circle of knowledge @ your library: celebrate National Library Week at the Lansing Public Library, April 13-19, 2008

It’s National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide - and the perfect time to discover how you can join the circle of knowledge @ your library.

The Lansing Public Library is celebrating National Library Week with different events for adults, teens, and children. Watch our blog and check our website for more information.

“Everyday, libraries in big cities and small towns, colleges and universities, in schools and in businesses help transform their communities,” says Debbie Albrecht, director of Lansing Library. “At our library, people of all backgrounds can come together for community meetings, lectures and programs, to do research with the assistance of a trained professional, to get a job or to find homework help, attend story times, research their family genealogy, and much, much more.”

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.

Watch our blog this week as we celebrate National Library Week online!

Sweethearts: a novel

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:31:14 -0500

What if your childhood was so bad that you only had one friend?
What if everyone made fun of you for your weight and being dirty?
What if your mother was never home, so to avoid being the smelly kid, you had to do your own laundry when you were seven years old?
What if to forget about how bad your life was you just ate and ate and ate?
What if your only friend mysteriously disappeared and everyone at school told you he died?

All these things happened to Jennifer Harris and when she finally decided to transform herself into Jenna Vaughn, she became pretty, popular, and smart. Her life was finally everything she wanted. She had a boyfriend, great friends, and a great family.

When her one childhood friend, the one she believed to be dead, comes back into her life, everything Jenna worked so hard to change and forget comes back.

Read Sweethearts: a novel to find out more!

Teen Poetry Contest and Cafe Canceled!

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:12:32 -0500

Due to the small amount of contest entries received, the Teen Poetry Contest and Teen Poetry Café are canceled this year. Keep your poems for next year when we will hopefully have enough participants to hold the contest.

Sorry!

Poetry Contest Deadline

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:07:15 -0500

The deadline for this year's Poetry Contest is Monday, March 31! Bring your poems to the Teen Desk on the lower level or email them to us at teen@lansing.lib.il.us with your name, grade, and school (6th-12th grade only, please). One poem per person and they must be typed; those are about the only guidelines. You can win a gift card to Borders along with some other great stuff, so bring in your masterpiece today!

Read for a Lifetime Participants.....

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:04:20 -0500

Time is almost up guys! If you signed up for the Read for a Lifetime program, you have a little over a week to turn in the books you read. Remember, if you read four books from the list, you can get a certificate from the Secretary of State, a discount at Borders', and it looks good on your college applications! So tell the Youth Services librarians what books you read before March 31st to get your rewards!

If you are going to be in high school next year and all this sounds like a good deal, keep your eyes open for the next RFAL list. Sign up for next year's RFAL is coming up soon!

Thirteen Reasons Why

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 09:45:27 -0500

If someone in your school committed suicide, would you want to know exactly why? Would you want to get inside their head and feel things they way they felt things? Most people are curious individuals and would probably really like to know what could make someone feel so incredibly unwanted, what could make someone dislike their life so much. Enough to end it.

Clay is a normal high school student. He has a good reputation, gets good grades, and no one has anything bad to say about him. So when his classmate and crush, Hannah, commits suicide and he receives the tapes explaining why, he is shocked. He stays up all night and listens to Hannah's story. As he listens he gets angry. Angry that he received the tapes at all, angry that he didn't talk to her more, angry at all the people that made Hannah's life a living hell.

Thirteen people were on the tapes, and they get to listen to them all, and do what they say. Hannah wanted them to know and she will make sure that they all finally listen to what she had to say.

Read all of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and find out all the things that changed Hannah's life for the worse.

And if you don't like to read, never fear, you can listen to it!

Caudill Winner Announced!

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:44:45 -0500

The official winner of the Rebecca Caudill Award, as voted on by 4th-8th graders across the state of Illinois, is...

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

Check out Brandi's review from March of 2007 to find out more about this great story. Or check out a copy and read it for yourself!

Lincoln Winner Announced!

webmaster@lansing.lib.il.us (Lansing Public Library) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 22:45:20 -0500

The Abraham Lincoln Award is a student choice award voted on by Illinois students in grades 9-12. This year's winner, from a list of 22 nominees?

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer with 603 votes

Second place is Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson with 135 votes.

Third place is The Five People you Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom with 119 votes.

The nominees for the 2009 award have been announced and we'll post the list here shortly (it's a great one this year). If you'd like to vote in 2009, drop us an email and ask for details.