Subscribe to this pageTeen Read Week... let's be rock stars!
Next week is Teen Read Week - it's a time to celebrate just how amazing teen literature is right now. It's kind of funny, but books written specifically for teens didn't always exist. After all, we didn't always recognize that there was a phase between childhood and being an adult. It was in the early 1800s that the term "young adult" was coined. And as we moved into the 20th century many novels written for adults appealed to these so-called young adults - Lord of the Flies, The Catcher in the Rye, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Lord of the Rings, but they weren't marketed or necessarily written with teen readers in mind. It was in the 1980s that we first saw a strong push to write and print books for teens, with teen protagonists. And this was kind of a mixed bag. Writing for and about teens may be one of the hardest things to do - how do you capture the language and feelings of adolescence (ugh, what a blah word!) without sounding dated or like you're trying to hard? In the 90s, we saw a real boom in the teen lit market - because hey, teens do read! And they like to read about other teens, whether they're living in a fantasy world, traveling back in time, journeying amongst the stars, or right next door to us. Now we see adults and kids clamoring for teen books like The Hunger Games, The Ranger's Apprentice series, The Book Thief, Going Bovine, or The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
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Gamers solve AIDS puzzle
I'm a gamer, and I have been for most of my life. Puzzles, board games, pen & paper RPGs, CCGs, video games... I remember my mom setting up timers for me and my three siblings in an attempt to see we all got equal time gaming (and oh, the perils of finding a save point within our allotted time). For my sixth grade graduation, I received The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which was replayed again and again and again. In college, I shared Final Fantasy VIII and Civilization with one of my roommates - FF8 resulted in another TV scheduling dilemma, between the two of us and the two other roommates who wanted to watch actual TV shows. Boo! Last month, I went to PAX Prime and basked in the sites, sounds, and smells of other gamers. It was awesome.Read more
Strandbeests: Beach creatures
I think that, out of all the different types of patrons we get at the library, teens tend to be the most environmentally-conscious. I'm not saying that every teen we get is responsible with their recycling - I know I've spent my fair share of time picking up plastic bottles after the school crowd has left the library. But I think that, on the whole, they tend to be more aware of the different options out there for reducing waste and reusing items. They also have an eye for repurposing items. And so I thought it would be fun to share this video about about Theo Jansen's Strandbeest.Read more
International Geocaching Day
Back in July, we had a geocaching program for teens, introducing many to a great hobby that combines technology with exercise. If you haven't heard of geocaching before, let me explain. A quick description would be that it's a high-tech treasure hunt. A longer description... well, I would suggestion watching this two minute video.
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Stolen Superman found! What's hiding in your storage unit?
A couple of years ago, I received what seemed like a fairly odd call from a patron. This person had found several of the library's books in a dumpster up in Seattle and had called out of concern that they might have been stolen. Sure enough, the books had been checked out and never returned. This is common enough, but to migrate up north and then wind up in a dumpster? And they were in like-new condition, which made it even more odd. I mean, the person who had checked them out was still linked to them, meaning they owed late fees and the cost of the books themselves, so why not save yourself some money and turn the books in if you're going to just throw them out? The good samaritan mailed them back to us and, after a quick cleaning, they were checked in. It's not the first time library books have had a roundabout journey back to us. We even had one paperback that had been found in an airport in the southwest and mailed back to us. But I get a kick out of these stories and it makes me think about all the traveling library materials must go through. Where have these books, movies, and CDs wandered to on people's summer vacations, family outings, and business trips?
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The Hunger Games movie - casting for Katniss
I'm excited about the Hunger Games movies. I probably shouldn't be - I've been burned a little too often by books-turned-to-movies. And I'm most disappointed when books I loved turn out to be lackluster films, and my love for The Hunger Games burns like a thousand fiery suns! Okay, fan-girl moment over.... So the latest news for the upcoming trilogy is that Katniss has finally been cast - just a couple of days ago Jennifer Lawrence of Winter's Bone won the role.
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Can comics be... dangerous?
Last weekend I attended Emerald City Comic Con. I'm a comic book geek. I love reading them, owning them, recommending them. It was fun to get to meet some of the artists and writers who have created characters and stories I've read throughout my life: Doug TenNappel, Phil & Kaja Foglio, Mike Mignola, and Sergio Aragones, to name a few who were at the con. There was also the flood of people dressed up as their favorite characters: lots of Harlequins and Jokers, Captain Americas, and Ramona Flowers. Some of the more unusual costumes included Synergy from Jem, zombie nurses, and the Unstoppable Higgs. It's easy to attend these conventions and revel in the costumes, the cool stuff to buy, and getting to meet the creators. This is the sort of place where you can see the influence of comics in how we read and entertain ourselves. It's also a good time to remind ourselves about the power comics can have over their readers. I was reminded of this again during the week when I read Steve Bennett's article on the world's most dangerous comic book, Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story.
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Brains, fans, and Faith Hicks
I always have trouble getting into fan fiction. Maybe it's because I feel a little like I'm cheating on the author. Or maybe it's that the writing style I love so very, very much just isn't reproduced as well as I had hoped. Or maybe I just can't reconcile the strange situations fan fiction creates. What I do like, however, are fan comics.
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Jane Austen's Fight Club
You might not know it, but librarians like to share literary jokes and library videos. Okay, it sounds kind of lame when I type it out, but it's still true. I have enjoyed watching the escapades of the ninja librarian, destroying people for talking on their cell phones and answering reference questions in a puff of smoke. I have owned a Rex Libris poster, threatening punks who fail to turn in their books. And I keep up on my Unshelved comics. And so, in keeping with this tradition, last week I was called into the office of another librarian so she could show me the lasted combo of Jane Austen and pop culture... Jane Austen's Fight Club.Read more
How long would you wait?`
Mark Twain died April 21, 1910, just a little more than 100 years ago. Why is this something to ponder now? Well, because Twain left instructions before he died that his autobiography, about 5000 pages, should not be published until 100 years after his death. You may ask yourself why someone would wait 100 years to put their own biography out; some have speculated that Twain delayed it in order to not offend friends. Others have theorized that the autobiography, which contains controversial and "cruel" opinions and a great deal of bitterness, may conflict with the image America had (and still does) of Mark Twain. Parts of the book have already been published, but we have never seen the entire work. UC Berkeley has been home to manuscript and will publish it later this year, in the form of a trilogy.In a time where we update our status on Facebook and Twitter on a daily basis, can you imagine waiting a century to tell people about your life? Sure, people may speculate about you, maybe even debate as to why you've been so quiet about yourself. But would you be holding back just to create an air of mystery about yourself? Or could you do it to protect your friends and family?
If you'd like to read more about Mark Twain's upcoming autobiography, check out this article.
Book Review: Before I Fall
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? Or tell off? Who would you say goodbye to, and how would you tell them? Who would your last hours with? And how far would you go to try to save your own life?
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I love free stuff... free posters, free samples, free t-shirts... but maybe more than any other freebie, I love a free book. Especially when it's a book that hasn't yet hit the shelves. Now you've got a chance to get your own freebie....
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Hunger Games Book 3 announced!
It's here! It's here! Okay, the book isn't actually here, and it won't be here until the end of August, which seems a very, very long ways away. But at the very least we now have a cover and a title about which we may fantasize! The title of the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy is...
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Simply Haiti
As someone who works with teens and also spends a lot of time online, I found this website/project of interest. A local high school senior, Alex Herbig from Mountlake Terrace High School, had just started his senior project two days before the quake hit Haiti. His project, Simply Haiti, focused on relief for Haiti.
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Do you oil your warmachines?
I'm a fan of steampunk - it's just the right combination of science fiction and fantasy, with a shot of history thrown in. But what's that you say? You've never heard of steampunk? Oh ho, that must be fixed!
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Logan's Story - A magazine for young people with disabilities
Sometimes the fashion magazines out there are frustrating. It's difficult not to compare yourself to the models, or think about how light your wallet feels as you long for designer clothes. And there's more to you than makeup tips, relationship quizzes, and fashion faux pas. If you're feeling like you need a magazine with more depth, then run to the library (that's right, run!) and check out Logan Magazine! It's dedicated to fashion & lifestyles for young people with disabilities.
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Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
What comic book series am I wild about right now? Why, it's Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley! It's about Scott, a lovable Canadian slacker, and his mysterious, awesome, possibly-a-secret-ninja girlfriend, Ramona Flowers. Oh, and his roommate, Wallace Wells, and his band, the Sex Bob-ombs, and all of Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends....Read more
Chiptune music rocks!
One of the cool things I get to do as part of my job is order music... so I want to take a moment to talk about chiptune, a type of music I'm growing to adore. Read moreSleeping Beauty all over again!
Forget what you know about Sleeping Beauty, her handsome prince, and that wicked witch who put the curse on her in the first place! Alex Flinn has written a whole new version of the story, called A Kiss In Time. Princess Talia is not so sweet, her prince isn't really a prince at all, and that wicked witch actually had a reason to lay on that curse!
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Check out all the fun you should be having...
We only have a few more summer reading programs left to do, but we've had a lot of fun with all the programs that have come before. I've even documented it! With the new website, we're able to post more pictures and show off the good times. So if you'd like to see pictures of our Webcomics Workshop (from back in June... it feels so long ago!) or witness the awesomeness of the candy sushi made at the Deliciously Death Note program, you should check out our Teen Summer Reading Pictures. You can even see the lucky ducks who won one of our weekly prizes over the summer!
Book Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
I just finished reading the awesomely phenomenal Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. If you're looking for a great book to read this summer, you don't have to look any further!Read more