Book Bag: Friendswood YA Blog

Crash Course- John and Hank Green make learning fun!

2012-01-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

The Green Brothers (John, author of YA books such as The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns; and Hank creator of the blog ecogeek.org), creators of Nerdfighteria, are at it again. They've just launched a new youtube page called Crash Course. Crash Course will be full of educational videos hosted by John and Hank. John will tackle World History while Hank will be all about the Biology! If their other youtube videos and appearances are any indication these videos are going to be informative, funny, fast-paced and definitely not boring!

So far there's only one video, so you aren't too far behind! Subscribe now!

Here's the short preview for Crash Course starring John Green himself!

And the first history video about the Agricultural Revolution!

See? Awesome, subscribe!

DFTBA,
Sti

Author Visit!

2012-01-26T08:59:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to announce that we'll be having an author appearance on Wednesday, February 22 at 6:00!

Author Mark Long* will be discussing his new graphic novel The Silence of Our Friends.

The Silence of Our Friends brings to light a little-known chapter of the civil rights movement in the sixties in Houston, Texas. Author Mark Long talks about the politically charged dynamics – and difficult societal tensions – of that era, discussing and showing the process they went through to get that history on the page.

So you'll get a combination history lesson (on things that happened less than 50 years ago in Houston!) and behind the scenes info on what it takes to create a graphic novel. After the presentation, Mr. Long will also be answering your questions.

*

Mark Long is a video game designer and producer living in Seattle. The Silence of Our Friends in based on Long's childhood experiences with the civil rights movement in suburban Houston, Texas.

Hope to see you there!

DFTBA,

Sti

A few book/library videos for your Friday enjoyment

2012-01-20T08:53:00.000-08:00

I've seen these videos circulating on the internet, but I wanted to share them here as well since they are so much fun!

This one makes me think of Toy Story, but for books!

And a montage of libraries in movies and tv shows.

Hope you're having a great Friday!

DFTBA,

Sti

Interview with Amandla Stenberg

2012-01-20T08:22:00.000-08:00

Amandla Stendberg reading The Hunger Games

I found a great Hunger Games related interview this morning! Publisher's Weekly spoke with Amandla Stenberg about her role as Rue in the upcoming movie, as well as her opinions on the Hunger Games books, meeting Suzanne Collins and what she's reading right now.

It's a great interview, I especially like when she talks about what she's reading:

I’m always reading a book! Right now I’m reading Cleopatra’s Moon. I cannot put it down. It’s about Cleopatra Selene, who was Cleopatra’s only daughter. It’s a very interesting tale about how she loses everything. As soon as I finish Cleopatra’s Moon, I’m going to get Legend by Marie Lu. I’ve heard a lot about it.

I also read the Maze Runner series, another post-apocalyptic story. I’ve read the Mortal Instruments series, I was obsessed with those. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is one of my favorites. Even though it doesn’t have any monsters or crazy fantasy in it, it’s such a raw story, and I can really relate to the characters. I think it’s a beautiful story. And I read Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson for my summer project for school.

Here's the link for the full interview, give it a read!

Hungry for More About the Hunger Games? A Q&A with Amandla Stenberg (aka Rue) By Karen Springen

I can't wait to see what she does after this movie! Have I mentioned I'm really excited for it?

Todd watches Doctor Who

2011-12-21T13:20:00.000-08:00

Every year when the weather turns cool and the days are shorter, we observe a very special tradition here at the library. It is called a Doctor Who Marathon. Since this time of year we also celebrate the Library Book Sale, our usual room is not available so we make the best of things and get cozy in the tiny History Room.

This is the picture beside the word 'cozy' in the dictionary

This year we used a projector to watch Season 6 and sat on cushions so we 'comfortably' fit 14-15 people in the (probably) 10ftx12ft room. There was a strict 'No Spoilers' policy since several people had yet to enjoy season 6 and we didn't want to well, spoil anything for them.

About 3 episodes in we noticed that Todd makes the best faces while watching Doctor Who. So of course we took pictures of him for the next 2 days. And again on Tuesday when we watched the finale...

Here are a few of my favorites.

Thanks for letting us take so many pictures of you Todd, I consider it my Christmas present!
Remember, the Doctor Who Christmas Special premieres on Christmas Day on BBC America and you can check out previous seasons on dvd from the library!

DFTBA,
Sti

Spring 2012 YA Programs!

2011-12-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

I just finished planning the Young Adult programs for the Spring and I'm really excited to get started on them with y'all! Here are a few hints about things we'll be doing in the coming months!

January 6th

March 2nd

March 9th


February 10th (AND at our HUNGER GAMES PARTY!!)

May 4th

Intrigued? Excited? I know I am! Join us Fridays from 4:30-5:30 in the Library Activity Room!

DFTBA,
Sti

We're #5! We're #5!

2011-12-02T12:41:00.001-08:00

Some excellent news about your (and my) library! The Friendswood Library is the 5th highest ranked library (in our budget bracket) in Texas according to Library Journal.

You can read more about it here: http://features.libraryjournal.com/star-libraries/class-of-2011/americas-star-libraries-2011-top-rated-libraries/

But basically, yay!

David Tennant Reads a Bedtime Story

2011-11-30T07:43:00.001-08:00

In the UK there is a BBC channel that broadcasts children's shows all day (like Nickelodeon or Disney channel but for really little kids). It's called Cbeebies. And the last show every evening is for a bedtime story. Often they have celebrities read the stories. It sounds a bit like Reading Rainbow to me...Anyway! I found out today that most of the cast of Doctor Who has guest starred on it! Here are a few of our favorite people reading books to children, how great is that? Pretty great, if you ask me!

David Tennant (the 10th Doctor)

Christopher Eccleston (the 9th Doctor)

Alex Kingston (River Song)

Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones)

John Simm (The Master)

John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness)

Each celebrity reads more than one story, so if you like these you can definitely find more. I know I love watching the Master read stories and be adorable and not crazy!

DFTBA,
Sti

(Much thanks to The Mary Sue and Geek Mom for these links!)

C.S. Lewis and Louisa may Alcott. What do they have in common?

2011-11-29T10:32:00.001-08:00

One was an American author born in 1832 who is most famous for Little Women, her (semi-autobiographical) book about the lives of the March sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. *

The other is an Irish author born in 1898 most famous for The Chronicles of Narnia, a series set in the fictional world of Narnia.**

Well, they actually have a few things in common. Their books are wildly popular with children and adult alike. They have been read and reread for generation and have been adapted to film and stage for years.

The other thing they have in common is that today is their birthday! And you know how I feel about birthdays!

So Happy Birthday C.S.Lewis and Louis May Alcott! May your books continue to bring joy to readers everywhere!

DFBTA,
Sti
*Alcott was a prolific writer and a really interesting person. Her dad was a transcendentalist and Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were close family friends.

**C.S. Lewis was also pretty awesome. Besides his Narnia series he wrote a science fiction trilogy and many many non-fiction books about Christianity. He was also a good friend of J.R.R. Tolkien, writer of the Lord of the Rings.

2012 Texas Lone Star List

2011-11-17T11:38:00.001-08:00

On Monday I revealed the Maverick Graphic Novel List for 2012-2013. Today I'm happy to introduce the Texas Lone Star List for 2012. There are some seriously good books on here! Lots of dystopias, mysteries, adventures, zombies and paranormal stuff to get excited about!

Dionne, Erin. Notes from an Accidental Band Geek.
Frost, Helen. Hidden.
Gibbs, Stuart. Belly Up.
Gidwitz, Adam. A Tale Dark and Grimm.
Gier, Kerstin. Ruby Red.
Hobbs, Will. Take Me to the River.
Lane, Andy. Death Cloud.
Maberry, Jonathan. Rot & Ruin.
Monninger, Joseph. Wish.
Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls: A Novel.
Oppel, Kenneth. This Dark Endeavor.
Paulsen, Gary. Paintings from the Cave: Three Novellas.
Roth, Veronica. Divergent.
Rylander, Chris. The Fourth Stall.
Schmidt, Gary D. Okay for Now.
Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray.
Stephens, John. The Emerald Atlas.
Van Draanen, Wendelin. The Running Dream.
White, Kiersten. Paranormalcy.
Young, Moira. Blood Red Road.

We already have all but 4 of the books, so come check some out!

DFTBA,
Sti

Hunger Games Trailer Released!

2011-11-14T09:31:00.001-08:00

I'm back again! The first thing I did when I got to work today was watch The Hunger Games trailer. Guys, I think it's going to be really good. Everything looks great and close to the book! I'm not going to lie, I cried.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments!

DFTBA,
Sti

You're one of the first to know!

2011-11-14T08:38:00.001-08:00

Hey all! This weekend I was in Austin for my Maverick Committee meeting. If you're not aware this committee chooses the Maverick List, a list of notable graphic novels that have been published in the last year. I love serving on this committee, I get to read lots of graphic novels and comics and I get to discuss them with equally nerdy librarians (also, afterward I get to go to Austin's Wizard World Comic Convention!)!

Here is the list we voted on on Saturday. Hot off the presses! I've put a star(*) next to those that I particularly love and will do more specific reviews later.

2012-2013 Maverick Graphic Novel List

Books for 6th-8th grade

Bake Sale by Sara Varon

Astronaut Academy Zero Gravity by Dave Roman *

Hereville: How Mirka Got herSword by Barry Deutsch

Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle

Lost and Found by Shaun Tan*

Pirate Penguin Vs Ninja Chicken by Ray Friesen*

Possessions: Book One: UncleanGetaway by Ray Fawkes

Sidekicks by Dan Santat*

Zita the SpaceGirl by Ben Hatke*

Books for 6th through High School

Laddertop v. 1 by Orson Scott Card, Emily Janice Card w/Zina Card, Honoel A. Ibardolaza

21: The Story of Roberto Clemente by Wilfred Santiago*

Americus by M. K. Reed and Jonathan David Hill*

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brogol*

Avengers, Vol 1 by BrianMichael Bendis

Bad Island by Doug TenNapel*

Drawing From Memory byAllen Say

Evolution: the story of life on earth by Jay Hosler, KevinCannon and Zander Cannon

Freshman: Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations, andOther Nonsense by Corinne Mucha

I am Here! By Ema T'yama*

Last Dragon by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Guay*

Lewis & Clark by Nick Bertozzi

Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, Dennis Calero and HowardZimmerman*

My Boyfriend is a Monster: I Love Him to Pieces by Evonne Tsang and Janina Garrissen

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge*

Return of the Dapper Men by Jim McCann and Janet Lee*

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Nancy Butler, SonnyLiew*

Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynzki and ShaneDavis*

Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier

Will Supervillains be on the final? By Naomi Novik and YishanLi

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty By Greg Neri;Illustrated by Randy DuBurke

Books for High School

Feynman by Jim Ottaviani andLeland Myrick

Astro City Shining Stars by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson*

Axe Cop by Malachai Nicolle andEthan Nicolle

Cinderella: From Fabletown withLove by Chris Roberson and Shawn McManus*

Daredevil Reborn by Andy Diggle andDavide Gianfelice*

Four Eyes by Joe Kelly and MaxFiumara

Green Lantern: Blackest Night byGeoff Johns and Doug Mahnke

Griff by Christopher Moore andIan Corson*

Guerrillas by Brahm Revel*

Guild by Felicia Day, Jim Ruggand Dan Jackson*

Homeland Directive by RobertVendetti, illustrated by Mike Huddleston*

Hopeless Savages Greatest Hits byJen Van Meter & many illustrators*

Infinite Kung Fu by Kagan McLeod

izombie v. 1 Dead to the World by Chris Roberson & Michael Allard*

Kill Shakespeare by ConorMcCreery, Anthony Del Col, Andy Belanger

Level Up by Gene Luen Yang

Shadoweyes by Ross Campbell*

Sita's Ramayana by Samhita Arni& Meyna Chitrakar

Adult for Young Adult

Daytripper by Fabio Moon &Gabriel Ba

RASL Pocket Book 1 by Jeff Smith

Unwritten V.1: Tommy Taylor andthe Bogus Identity by Mike Carey &Peter

Vietnamerica by GB Tran*

More photos of the Hunger Games cast

2011-11-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

Some people have pointed out that this photo from Vanity Fair looks a bit more like a Banana Republic ad then a picture of Hunger Game tributes. But this may be the last time we see any of them look this clean and/or happy so let's make the best of it, shall we?

From left to right:

Clove, District 2 (Isabelle Fuhrman); Marvel, District 1 (Jack Quaid) Foxface, District 5 (Jacqueline Emerson); Thresh, District 11 (Dayo Okeniyi); Glimmer, District 1 (Leven Rambin [she's from Houston!]); Cato, District 2 (Alexander Ludwig); Rue, District 11 (Amandla Stenbeg); Peeta, District 12 (Josh Hutcherson); Katniss, District 12 (Jennifer Lawrence); Gale, District 12-not a tribute (Liam Hemsworth)

If you head over to the Vanity Fair page and scroll over each actor there's a bit of info about their character and how they got the part in the movie. Pretty neat.

And have you seen the new posters? They are amazing!

Seems crazy we have to wait until March for this movie! I'm just so excited!

DFTBA,

Sti

Guess what book comes out tomorrow!

2011-11-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

Here are a few hints:

It's the highly anticipated 4th book in a series.
It's about dragons.
It's really, really long!

That's right! It's Inheritance by Christopher Paolini! And right now, there are only 9 people on hold, so you should get on the list!

I love taking pictures of books before the public has seen them!

DFTBA,
Sti

Helpful Links for Homework and Fun

2011-11-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

I know I already have a list of links on the right toolbar, but I doubt most people have noticed them and I just found this great list of links from Booklist magazine and I wanted to share it with y'all in hopes that you can find help for homework woes or just some inspiration. So here goes, just click on the title to be taken to the site.

Astronomy Picture of the Day- I'd file this one under inspiration. Each day NASA posts a new picture of the cosmos, and a professional astronomer explains it briefly (and usually understandably!).

Awesome Library- Database that searches lots of carefully reviewed resources for projects and unanswered questions. It's pretty...well, you know.

Citation Machine- One of my favorite websites when I was writing papers in college, helps you format all those pesky sources in MLA, APA, Chicago, or Turabian formats.

Coolmath.com- The layout may seem a little childish, but I wish this site had been available when I was struggling with math!

How Stuff Works- answers pesky questions you've been arguing with your friends about, and the 'Surprise Me!' button can lead you to topics you never would've thought of otherwise.

Information Please Almanac- A wikipedia-like site that gives you more reputable returns from various almanacs.

NOVA- Just like the show on PBS, the NOVA website is full of great videos and articles on crazy things like the intelligence of octopi and midget submarines.

A.Word.A.Day- Exactly what it sounds like. I love learning new words!

DFTBA,
Sti

Scavenger Hunt on Friday!

2011-11-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hope you're getting your brains warmed up for our Scavenger Hunt on Friday! Keith is concocting some brain teasing puzzles for you to work out.

See you there! 4:30 on Friday!

DFTBA,
Sti

All Hallows Read

2011-10-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

Halloween isn't just about trick or treating and dressing up in awesome costumes. It's also about sharing chills and thrills with your loved ones through books!

All Hallow's Read is a tradition started by Neil Gaiman*when he decided that there weren't enough holiday traditions that involved giving books. It's a way to share scary things (which most of us love) with others.

Here's a quick video where he explains the concept some more (also, there are zombies in the background)

http://www.allhallowsread.com/

As a librarian I will share with you my list of scary books you should check out:

Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan (or really anything by Lois Duncan)
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link

What are your favorite scary books? Leave your suggestions in the comments!

DFTBA,
Sti

* Only my favorite writer and minor celebrity ever.

Happy Halloween Mateys!

2011-10-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

It's Halloween, one my Top 3 favorite holidays! This year Friendswood Library staff dressed as 'Book'aneers (at my suggestion) and the Teen Advisory Group dressed as Steampunk Bookaneers. Basically, it's awesome. Here are a few photos of us doing our piratey thing at Halloween in the Park and here at the Library

What are you dressed as today?

DFTBA,
Sti

The Fault in Our Stars

2011-10-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

John Green's new book comes out soon. He's been busy signing all of the preorder copies and now he's reading us his chapter. Check it out!

I also read yesterday, that John and his brother Hank will be making educational videos soon. And I am SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. Okay, and that was your nerding out moment for the day.

DFTBA,
Sti

It's Teen Read Week 2011!

2011-10-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

This week is Teen Read Week 2011, a week that highlights Young Adult books in school and public libraries.

You already know that reading is a great hobby to have, it's free, you can do it anywhere, and it's fun! Did you also know that teens who read for fun usually have higher test scores and a re more likely to succeed in the workforce when they're finished with school?* Also, YA books and teen activities are important and deserve their own week of publicity!

The theme this year is "Picture It @ Your Library" so the focus is on graphic novels (one of my favorite things ever!) and other books that invite you to view the world in new and creative ways through literature.

In conjunction with the 'Picture It' theme, there is a photography contest you can enter! Create a visual version of your favorite book's title. The guidelines are here: 2011 Teen Read Week Photo Contest. The deadline is Oct. 31. You can submit your photo(s) from home, or work on them at the library. If you do enter, I'd love to see your submissions!

Teen Read Week also means that this year's Teens Top 10 have been chosen. This list was voted on by teens like you (I can't even vote!) Check out the video announcing this year's list!

2011 Teens Top 10

And winning author Cassandra Clare accepting her first place on the list (I love her and that book!)

Here's the whole list if you don't want to watch the list:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Simon & Schuster)
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (Simon & Schuster)
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (HarperCollins)
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Harlequin)
Matched by Ally Condie (Penguin)
Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson (Little, Brown & Company)
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (HarperCollins)
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (HarperCollins)
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (Penguin)

I'll be posting more YA related things for Teen Read Week later in the week. Stay tuned!

DFTBA,

Sti

*info taken from the ALA website

ThisIsTeen brings more books to you...on facebook!

2011-10-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Looking for new book recommendations and a way to connect with YA authors? Check out ThisIsTeen on facebook for lots of resources.

You can:

Participate in weekly author Q&As Use the author and book gallery and book finder to find new books that interest you Read excerpts from books Enter contests And questions and discuss books Explore videos and events Just looking around for a few minutes I can already see that this will be a great place to see what other teens are reading and enjoying. Head over to facebook and 'like' them to get started! So you know, I approve and so does Snape:




DFTBA,
Sti

Banned Books Week-Virtual Read Out videos

2011-10-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

At our TAG meeting on Thursday we participated in the Banned Book Week Virtual Read Out! Here are our videos of TAG members reading passages from frequently challenged books:

Hope you had a great Banned Books Week!

DFTBA,

Sti

Sesame Street at the Library

2011-09-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

A little classic Sesame Street for you!

Banned Book Week 2011!

2011-09-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

It's that time again, the week set aside to bring attention to the problem of censorship. It is the 'only national celebration of the freedom to read.'

The Banned Book Week website has lots of great information including information about their big project this year, a Virtual Read Out where you can film yourself reading excerpts from your favorite challenged or banned book and upload them to youtube.

Here's one from a reading of The Giver by Lois Lowry

This week I'll be posting articles on banned book week, some of these cool videos, and maybe some of our own?

DFBTA,
Sti

What's a P.O.D.A.?

2011-09-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

If you've been in to the library recently, you may have noticed the big white pods sitting out on the lawn beside the parking lot. We're very excited to be hosting these P.O.D.A.s or Portable On Demand Art. Basically this is a temporary, interactive art exhibit created by Houston artists that we're hosting until Wednesday October 5th.

There are 4 pods

Create crazy sculptures and play the giant xylophone in "The PLAY"

Perform for an audience in "The Joanna PODS Cast"

Check out a "Box of Curiosities"

Add your own thoughts to the walls "Aerosol Warfare"

Come on out to explore and experience art in a new and exciting way!

DFTBA,
Sti

Something we should do!

2011-09-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

I found this video via pretty cool blog Lil Blue Boo, and I think we should try something like this here at the library! We could record ourselves making it and hang it in the YA area. What should we make? I guess we should start collecting buttons...

DFTBA,
Sti

Movies galore!

2011-09-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, so there's no TAG meeting tomorrow (sad, I know!) but we will meet again next Thursday!

In the meantime, join us for some movies! Friday we'll be having Part 1 of a Miyazaki Movie program, you'll get to choose from some Studio Ghibli films: Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Whisper of the Heart, Ponyo and (of course) Howl's Moving Castle. We'll start the movie this Friday and finish it next Friday.

On Saturday I'll be in the library all day long, so feel free to stop by and say hi! At 2:00 I'll be hosting a movie screening of Tangled which is open for all ages. If you're babysitting, or want some extra 'good child' points in your parents' eyes bring your younger siblings with you to watch Tangled here at the library! I'm very excited, I've never seen it!

Hope you can make it out to watch some movies this week!

DFTBA,
Sti

P.S. A few gifs of the movies to get you excited!


Calcifer from Howl's Moving Castle


Ponyo


Whispers of the Heart


Laputa: Castle in the Sky

Steampunk?

2011-08-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

If you've been to a TAG meeting recently you've heard us talking about Halloween already (it's never too early to talk about Halloween, in my opinion), you've probably heard mention of this year's theme which is steampunk book pirate or "Book"aneersas I like to call us.

Curious about what steampunk is? I love this description: "It's imagining a direction that the Universe took, it's kind of Victorian and yet you have these futuristic steampowered contraptions." which is from a great video from PBS:

I hope this gives you some ideas about the steampunk genre and gets you excited about creating a costume for the TAG Halloween in the Park booth!

A great (very advanced) examplefrom Steampunkpictures.net!

DFTBA,
Sti

First Day of School and Some Awesome People's Birthdays!

2011-08-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

I know it summer hasn't ended outside, but inside it's all new backpacks and sharpened pencils. School has started!

Whether you're excited about this or not (you should tell me how you feel in the poll in the side bar!), it's happening. So why not mark the beginning of the new year by playing some video games with us on Tuesday, joining the Teen Advisory Group on Thursday, and creating things out of duct tape on Friday?

In other news, there is an important birthday today!

Ray Bradbury is 91 today! Ray Bradbury has written at least one book you'llprobably read for school- Fahrenheit 451 along with many many other wonderful, beautiful books. He's written important science fiction books like The Martian Chronicles. He's written terrifying horror stories like Something Wicked This Way Comes. He's written books of magical realism like Now and Forever: Somewhere a Band is Playing. And he's written everything in between. He's written so much I haven't even come close to reading all of his work, which you might think is odd if you know me. I'll be honest and say that I don't like the endings of some of his stories (they can be downright creepy!) but he has a power with words that makes you just stop and reread a one sentence over and over.

Anyway, as you can probably tell, he's one of my absolute favorite authors and he has said some of my favorite things about life, writing, books, and libraries. Including:

"Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories."

"I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room."

"We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out."

"I'm seventeen and I'm crazy. My uncle says the two always go together. When people ask your age, he said, always say seventeen and insane." (from Fahrenheit 451)

"There's no use going to school unless your final destination is the library."

"Anything you dream is fiction, and anything you accomplish is science, the whole history of mankind is nothing but science fiction. "

"Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future."

"[His] library was a fine dark place bricked with books, so anything could happen there and always did. All you had to do was pull a book from the shelf and open it and suddenly the darkness was not so dark anymore."

"I am madness maddened when it comes to books, writers, and the great granary silos where their wits are stored."

Right now I'm reading the graphic novel adaptation of Something Wicked This Way Comes, which is a great Halloween-type book. You should check it out!

One last thing to end this post. I did a double take when I heard Tightrope by Janelle Monae on some 'back to school' commercial, and I wanted to share it with you since it is a truly excellent song for going back to school and not just because it was being used to sell you new clothes.

Hope your first day was great!
DFTBA,
Sti

Best Friend Day

2011-08-16T08:11:00.001-07:00

Did you know yesterday was National Best Friend's Day? It was! Friendships are very important to me and to everyone else I know, so I wanted to highlight some famous friendships in books, tv and movies. Let me know who you think is missing or send me a picture of you and your best friend to post!

Books

TV/Movie

Harry, Ron, and Hermione
Chandler and Joey
Chuck and Morgan
Doogie and Vinnie
Will and Grace
Lorelai and Sookie
Dan and Casey
Matt and Danny
Liz and Jack
Troy and Abed
Any characters played by Nick Frost and Simon Pegg
Buffy and Willow
Shawn and Gus
Gilligan and the Skipper
Leslie and Ann
Norm and Cliff
Bert and Ernie
Han Solo and Chewbacca
Richie and The Fonz
Laverne and Shirley
Lucy and Ethel
Ando and Hiro
Buzz and Woody

Summer Update!

2011-07-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

I know I've been absent for a while, but if you've been at the library at all this summer I'm sure you understand! We've had a crazy busy summer so, at the end of June we had more people signed up for the Summer Reading Clubs then we had for the entire summer of 2010, so there's that. I've also been busy with our awesome Reading Redcoats: The British Invasion programs, which have been a smashing success if I do say so myself :)

Here's a brief recap of some of the things we've been up to, in photo form:

Castle Building

Tea Cup Candles

British Jeopardy

Knight Jousting

Fake Mustaches

Planetarium

And we can't forget about our EPIC Harry Potter Lock In!

Volunteer Information

2011-05-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Need volunteer hoursfor school or court ordered community service?

The Friendswood Public Library can help you out.

Volunteer Guidelines:

-Must be at least 14 years old**

-limit of 10 hours per year

-Sign up for hours with a librarian in the Juvenile Departmentor call at 281-482-7135.

Court Mandated:

-Must be from City of Friendswood Court

-We only accept curfew violations and minor trafficviolations (i.e. speeding, run stoplight/stop sign etc.)

-No violencerelated, theft, or drugs/alcohol related charges.

School Mandated:

-Friendswood area schools (i.e. Friendswood High School andClear Brook High School)

-No violencerelated, theft, or drugs/alcohol related charges.

- We accept hours for truancy, make up hours (for missingschool)

We also offer service hours for School/Church/Girl or BoyScouts (i.e. "Good Deeds").

When to volunteer:

We accept volunteers all year long, but there are times whenwe need a little extra help.

Summer is our busiest time of the year and we are alwayslooking for friendly and helpful teens to help at our various programs andcrafts with the younger kids.

Our bi-annual book sales (in May and December) also requirevolunteers to move and unload boxes of books.

Below are our volunteer orientation videos for summervolunteers, which will familiarize you with some of the things you’ll behelping with over the summer.

If you have any other questions contact the Juvenile Department through 281-482-7135 or talk to a librarian in the Juvenile/Children's Department.

1. Sign In

2. Ask a Librarian If You Can Help With Anything

3. Volunteering at a Program (like a Magic Show or Puppet Show)

4. Setting Up the Activity Room for a Craft

5. Cleaning Up After a Craft

6. You're Ready!

*We primarily offer volunteer opportunities to teens sinceit is more difficult for them find opportunities elsewhere.

And now Peeta! And Gale!

2011-04-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Peeta has been cast now too!

And it's Josh Hutcherson! I was really hoping it would be him, he doesn't exactly look the way Peeta does in my head, but I think he'll do a really great job. I loved him in Bridge to Terabithia Cirque du Freak and Little Manhattan (he's SOOO good in Little Manhattan!!). AND he's the voice of Markl in Howl's Moving Castle a movie that's very near and dear to all of our hearts.

And Gale is going to be played by Liam Hemsworth, who I only recognize from the Miley Cyrus movie The Last Song. I hope he'll be good, but I'm definitely more excited about Josh Hutcherson!

Here's our love triangle:

Peeta Katniss Gale
I was never really in one camp or the other (Peeta-or-Gale-wise) but now....I'm probably Team Peeta.

What do you think?

DFTBA,
Sti

Katniss has been cast!

2011-03-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

Have you heard?

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/03/17/hunger-games-gary-ross-jennifer-lawrence/

What do you think?

Harry Potter site

2011-03-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

I was talking with my friend Sarah yesterday (mostly about Doctor Who) and she told me about a Harry Potter related site to which she contributes. It's called Magic is Might and it provides daily updates from the Ministry of Magic during the 7th and final Harry Potter book (i.e. from Voldemort's rise to powere to his demise) in real time!

This is a really interactive site with lots of stuff to sift through for you loyal Harry Potter fans. So check it out!

It can be a little overwhelming at first (remember, the ministry was full of lots of fear mongering against Muggles and Muggle-born wizards in the 7th book-something that always alarms me), so here is a little info before you dive in. Just click here

And when you're ready here is Magic is Might!
magicismight.co.uk

DFTBA,
Sti

How Much Wood Would A Woodchuck Chuck?

2011-03-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

Our Movie Maker group filmed this funny short on Tuesday after working on some longer videos. Hope you enjoy!

Just so you know...

2011-03-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

YA March Madness Returns!

2011-03-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! It's time for March Madness again!

If you'll remember, last year we voted on the best YA book, and y'all chose The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This year we're switching it up with a Heroes and Villains Showdown.

One one side of the bracket we have 8 heroes, on the other side 8 villains. Each week 2 heroes and 2 villains will be pitted against each other until we have the Ultimate Hero vs. the Ultimate Villain to see who wins and who falls.

This week the contenders are*:

Heroes

Katsa vs. Clary Fray

Percy Jackson vs. Ichigo

Maximum Ride vs. Katniss Everdeen

Scott Pilgrim vs. Eragon

Villains

Voldemort vs. Artemis Fowl

Galbatorix vs. Mrs. Coulter

Valentine Morgenstern vs. Saint Dane

Duke Roger vs. Kronos

The ballots are available in the library on the back side of the large black display wall (you can't miss it!), so come out and vote for your favorites!

*If you're not familiar with a character, don't fret! Come in and check out our character sheets filled with info on each character, including background, strengths/abilites, weaknesses, a quote, and books that feature similar characters!

A Quick Spotlight for Friendswood Native

2011-03-07T13:26:00.000-08:00

I was approached by a library patron who wanted me to share the success of a Friendswood High School grad (who also happen to be her daughter :D) who is now in law school and releasing an album with her band called Calm Paradox

Her name is Michelle Kennedy and here's a bit about her:

While many 20-year-olds are still contemplating majors, Michelle Kennedy has made the most of her short years: She has a Philosophy degree, her own record label, and a debut album through her musical ventures as the Calm Paradox.

Michelle Kennedy was a harpist and classically trained vocalist before a random internet search changed her life forever: She stumbled upon The Strokes debut album Is This It? and fell violently in love with indie rock. So out went the harp and in came a guitar. That was 2005.

A native of Friendswood, Texas, Michelle Kennedy moved to Utah in 2008 where she began performing at open mic nights and small acoustic shows. She launched her label in summer 2010 and soon after started recruiting friends to back her up as the Calm Paradox. When plans fell through, Michelle headed into the studio solo to realize the loud and brash record she had been envisioning. That was November 2010.

Nearly 10 years after The Strokes made their historic debut, Calm Paradox is now emerging with How to Mind.

How to Mind was released on iTunes March, so head on over for a listen! If you're a fan make sure to 'like' her on facebook and support someone who grew up right here in Friendswood!

A few new books

2011-02-23T14:25:00.000-08:00

A great batch of YA books just came across my desk, here are a few that really intrigue me.

He is coming to kill me.
Now would be a good time to run.
I cannot run.
I am too afraid to run.

Paul Varderman could be at any normal school - bullies, girls and annoying teachers are just a part of life. Unfortunately 'normal' doesn't apply when it comes to the school's most evil bully, Roth, a twisted and threatening thug with an agenda quite unlike anyone else. When Paul ends up delivering a message from Roth to the leader of a gang at a nearby school, it fuels a rivalry with immediate consequences. Paul attempts to distance himself from the feud, but when Roth hands him a knife it both empowers him and scares him at the same time . . .

Storm is being forced to attend the School of Possibilities for troubled youth. But Storm notices that something strange is going on at his new school. The students are not...normal.
Soon he's being spied on, followed by classmates-and worst of all, forced to accept the headmaster's perfectly behaved daughter as his girlfriend. He can feel himself becoming more obedient, more like his classmates. Storm tries to resist, but he doesn't understand how or why the school is controlling him.
Can Storm escape-or will he be turned into a zombie of "good" behavior like everyone else around him?
In New York City, three fourteen-year-old best friends who are all daughters of celebrities watch out for each other as they try to strike a balance between ordinary high school events, such as finding a date for the homecoming dance, and family functions like walking the red carpet with their famous parents.

In many ways, Natalie O'Reilly is a typical fourteenyear- old girl. But a routine visit to the eye doctor produces devastating news: Natalie will lose her sight within a few short months.
Suddenly her world is turned upside down. Natalie is sent to a school for the blind to learn skills such as Braille and how to use a cane. Outwardly, she does as she's told; inwardly, she hopes for a miracle that will free her from a dreaded life of blindness. But the miracle does not come, and Natalie ultimately must confront every blind person's dilemma. Will she go home to live scared? Or will she embrace the skills she needs to make it in a world without sight?

Summaries taken from http://authorsplace.co.uk/anthony-mcgowan/bibliography/, goodreads.com, and amazon.com

Girls Only Slumber Party!

2011-02-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

I've been hearing some chatter that it would be helpful to have the permission slip available online in some way. This makes a lot of sense, you guys are brilliant! I am not computer savvy enough to know how to post it here so if you'd like it just email me at librariansti@gmail.com and I will send it to you!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the second time around

2011-01-31T14:51:00.000-08:00

Sirius Black's Wanted Poster

Title/Year originally published: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban/1999

When I originally read it: 1999, I believe I got it for Christmas…

What I thought of it then: When I first read this book I thought parts of it were the saddest things I’d ever read. When Harry overhears that his parents’ best friend betrayed them to Voldemort and was so angry he wanted to kill Sirius Black I cried, a lot. Besides that I thought the whole Time Turner device was really nifty on J.K.'s part (yeah, we're close, I can call her that*). I loved Lupin and the fact that chocolate is the remedy for when you've had all your worst memories brought to mind by Dementors.I also always love Scabbers so I was really sad when he turned out to be the betrayer of Lily and James Potter. Sigh.

When I re-read it: January 2011

What my thoughts are now: This book is so great, I can see why it's a lot of people's favorite of the series. I mean, c'mon time travel! Werewolves! Knight Buses! Lots of time spent in Diagon Alley! Escaped convicts! Creepy creepy Dementors! Our first glimpse of Hogsmeade and Honeydukes! I wasn't as sad this time around-- it seemed like Harry didn't spend as much time being upset about Sirius and plotting to kill him, so that was good. When I first watched the movie I didn't really like it since so much is left out (though I loved the whole look of the movie), but on rewatching I can see that the director was trying to be true to the book while saving time...but I did miss that the movie audience doesn't get to learn about Messr. Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail...

Anywho great book, next we start my favorite (I hope it stays my favorite), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!

Usually I post some photos from the movie, instead I'm going to post some from my recent trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter that have to do with the 3rd book!

City of Bones movie info

2011-01-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

Did you all know that there's going to be a film version of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones? I am super excited! Lily Collins has been cast as Clary Fray and I think she'll be pretty great, especially because she's already a huge fan of the books! Here's a short interview with her:

http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2011/01/11/lily-collins-city-of-bones-mortal-instruments/

Karen reads Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

2010-12-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

And here's Karen's take on Chamber of Secrets! You're so lucky to get 2 reviews in 1 day!

Title/Year originally published: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets/1999

When I originally read it:

Now.

What I thought of it then:

When I re-read it:
Ah, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. With such a favorable impression left upon me by the first book, of course I had to read the second one. (or I should say, listen to) There is the magic way Harry is supposed to travel to school (on the subway platform) and then, when he fails to make his train, the adventure with him and Ron in the flying car. I thought it a strange concept that one ghost haunts nothing else but a girl's bathroom in the school and the bathroom becomes the central point of the book. And could Gaylord (excuse me, Gilderoy Lockheart) be any more annoying. Geesh. In my opinion the end was very clever the way that Tom Marvolo Riddle turned out to be Voldemort and that Ginny was the one that helped him. I just knew it was Gaylord (excuse me, Gilderoy Lockheart) that was Voldemort. And, I must say Harry Potter is brilliant. I thought this book was a little bit boring 2/3rds of the way through, but then picked up in the end. Definitely not my favorite of the first two books.

What my thoughts are now:

So I’ll be starting The Prisoner of Azkaban next week. I hope that it has more adventure then the last book. Also, I would like more interaction between Harry, Ron, & Hermione. Hermione was pretty much absent from the last book when she was petrified.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the second time around

2010-12-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Title/Year originally published: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets/1999

When I originally read it: 1999

What I thought of it then: Believe it or not, I don't have a clear memory of checking out the second book like I do with the first. I don't know why though, so much stuff happens! I do remember thinking that Gilderoy Lockhart was obnoxious...

When I re-read it: I may be saying this with every book as I re-read them, but this one might be my favorite! Like I said before, there's so much stuff going on here! Moaning Myrtle! Tom Riddle's diary and learning about Voldemort's past! Seeing Dumbledore's office for the first time! Seeing Ginny's crush on Harry (I only vaguely remember Ginny in the earlier books, and I certainly forgot her song about Harry), Colin Creevy's creepy fanboy obsession, the flying car, whomping willow, Hagrid's friendship with a giant spider, Hagrid going to Azkaban (I COMPLETELY forgot about that happening! Scary!), basilisk, the return of the Sorting Hat, Ron's wonky wand and spitting up slugs after his valiant attempt at cursing Malfoy, new brooms for Slytherin still not being enough for them to win a Quidditch match, Harry overhearing people talk badly about him in the library (that part broke my heart) and so so SO much more. Also, for some reason I remember Dobby having a bigger part...

What my thoughts are now: It's probably obvious from the above post that I really liked this book.. :) And like my re-reading of Sorcerer's Stone, I was more aware of what/who was going to be important in the books so I could keep a closer eye on what they were doing. The added bonus of having some of the visuals from the movie were also fun, and especially helpful in the case of Lockhart and Moaning Myrtle because I could just imagine Kenneth Branagh and Shirley Henderson, and thus I was not as annoyed with them. And Ron (Rupert Grint's) face as he vomited up slugs was also etched into my mind as I read that part. :)

So, 2 down 5 to go! As soon as the second copy of Prisoner of Azkaban is returned Karen and I will get started. In the meantime, have a Happy New Year!!

Do you cook?

2010-12-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

(This is one of my favorite dishes to make Curried Black Beans and Chickpeas with cous cous)

When I got to college, I earned a reputation among my roommates as being a good cook. Now, don't be fooled, I am by no means the next Rachel Ray but I did know my way around a kitchen. I could use a garlic press, make scrambled eggs, bake a cake, cook something in the oven besides a frozen pizza and basically follow most recipes. I guess it never occurred to me that not everyone's parents and friends' parents cook a lot. I was used to helping my mom out in the kitchen and watching while my best friend E (who is an amazing and mostly self taught cook) cook with her mom.

It's not the end of the world if you don't know how to cook in high school, college, or even after college. But it can be a lot of fun. Also it ends up being cheaper (And FAR healthier) than buying fast food or already prepared meals. And there's a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that comes with making a really good dish for your friends and family.

So let me know, do you cook? Do you want to learn?

Whether you do or not, here are a few great resources for learning a bit about the art of cooking that are written for teens (though I've been known to use them myself!).

Young People Cooking: sick of reading cookbooks for young people that included 'Ketchup Spaghetti pie' Toni Von Eeden created Young People Cooking to give teens and young adults an easy guide to cooking. This site is pretty awesome, check out it's Epic Online Guide to Understanding: How to Cook for helpful hints for starting out. You can also join their group on facebook.

and

(Click on each picture for a link to the library's catalog)

Sam Stern's books are really great, lots of beautiful pictures and easy to follow recipes that are a little adventurous for American taste buds (he's British).

Step by step instructions for tons of great recipes for meals, snacks and desserts.

DFTBA,
Sti

Squee!

2010-12-14T11:47:00.001-08:00

A (very) quick break from Harry Potter

2010-12-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

I think that all of you teens who attend my programs know how I feel about bullying. I hate it. I think anyone who's ever been the subject of bullying hates it and we don't need to live in a world where people are mocked, belittled and/or abused for being who they are. This is 2010, we are living in the future, and we may not have flying cars or time travel (YET) but we should be able to be kind to our fellow human beings. ANYway, off my soapbox. This was all leading to showcasing this website that aims to stop cyber-bullying: Say It 2 My Face

Here's a little from their "about" page:

Too often, people view the cyber world as a world in which you can do anything and more relevantly, say anything. People, especially adolescents, inappropriately utilize the cyber realm as a cop out to send messages that they'd never say to some ones face. People assume that they can use derogatory language or broadcast hateful messages against their peers without any consequences. Given recent events, it is likely that if people stopped to think about the possible life-ending result of their actions they would have acted differently, or better yet, not at all.

If you have a chance, check it out. Become their friend on facebook. Take the pledge when it's available. Just do what you can to make this world the better place, we all know it can be!

DFTBA,
Sti

Karen's Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

2010-12-08T12:52:00.000-08:00

This is Karen. She is the best, she assists our Library Director and pretty much manages lots of important things around the library (and she's a notary so she's my hero!)

As you may know if you read this blog regularly, she is reading the entire Harry Potter series with me. And these are her thoughts on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:

When I originally read it:

The first time I read it was in 1998 when my kids were little and I read it out loud to them. I had completely forgotten the whole second half of the book. Weird, huh?

What I thought of it then:

When I was reading the book the first time, it was hard to retain because I was reading it out loud to two small children that would stop me over and over and ask questions. Plus I didn’t know how to pronounce a lot of the names, so when the movie came out I was like OHHHH!!, that’s how you say that.

When I re-read it:

So I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the second time. I actually listened to the audio book the second time around. The reader of the book was fantastic except when he’s trying to be Hermione Granger. My favorite moments of the book were when Hagrid comes to get Harry from the Dursley’s, learning that Professor Snape is not really trying to kill Harry and when Gryffindor beats out the Slytherins to win the house rivalry.

What my thoughts are now:

This is the only book of the series that I have read. so I’m totally psyched to read the Chamber of Secrets. I can’t wait to see what trouble they are going to get into the next year at Hogwarts. Whose body will Voldermort be in? What will Snape do to Harry this year? Will Neville grow up some and stop being such a baby? Will Hermione still be as irritating? Can’t wait, on to the next book.

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone the second time around

2010-11-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know I just blogged about rereading the Harry Potter series yesterday...but I'm already finished with the first book (I've been listening to it for a while).

So here's the format I think I'll try to follow for each book.

Title/Year originally published:

When I originally read it:

What I thought of it then:

When I re-read it:

What my thoughts are now:

Maybe I'll do a separate blog for when I rewatch the movie for each book? I'll take your thoughts on that as well..

So here we go!

Title/Year originally published: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/1997 (sorry the info in the last blog entry was wrong, so most of you were about 2 or 3...and I was 12)

When I originally read it: I don't recall exactly, but it must have been it first came out because I hadn't heard any of the hype*, so I'll say 1997.

What I thought of it then: Let me paint a picture for you, this was probably the summer while I was in jr. high and I was browsing through the juvenile fiction stacks* and I came across this kinda interesting looking book*. I checked it out and read it, and I thought it was pretty good. I pronounced Hermione as 'Hermoine' in my head, something that didn't get fixed until the movies came out...I loved how pathetic Scabbers was. Peeves annoyed me. For some reason, even though he comments on how pretty Angelina is during the Quidditch game was, I was convinced Lee Jordan was a girl (I still think it'd be awesome if he was, a girl prankster friend of the Weasley twins? Awesome). But I think I probably forgot about it until I heard the 2nd one was coming out.

When I re-read it: I started last week (November 23) and finished today (November 30)

What my thoughts are now: It's really interesting and frankly really awesome to reread the first one after having read the entire series. I don't often re-read a series so this is a new sensation. I like re-meeting characters I've known for so long, and knowing in advance what and who is going to be important to the stories. For instance I dislike any mention of Scabbers when I initially loved him. Fred and George are just as funny though. And Ginny's minor appearance made me giggle. I did wonder why we don't see Ron play any more chess as the series goes on (or do we and I just don't remember?) or if that epic chess game got it all out of his system. Also, having the movie characters in my head actually made some scenes scarier/funnier/sadder, even when I didn't imagine them in the way they happened in the movie. If that makes any sense.

Little things that bothered me. The reader of the audiobooks in America is Jim Dale and he is great. But he pronounces some of the words a little differently than we're used to. For instance, Hermione is more like Herminy, the 'T' in Voldemort is silent, and the way he says the spells is different. Another thing is that when I read these books I didn't know a fraction of the stuff I now know about British customs/words/culture etc. So this time I really noticed all the ways they change words for the American version of the books. Crisps become chips and other really tiny things that shouldn't bother anyone, but irritated me.

Overall, I stand by my opinion of really liking this book!

Okay, I'll be waiting for Karen to catch up before starting Chamber of Secrets. Should I make her blog about her thoughts?

DFTBA,
Sti

*that makes me sound like I'm trying to be cool 'I was into before it was popular' but I'm not!

*my library didn't have a separate YA section

*It was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone!

Re-reading Harry Potter

2010-11-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

I meant to report on this much earlier, but over my birthday weekend I got to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. And was it ever amazing! Probably my favorite of the movies so far. The few people I've talked to who weren't absolutely in love with it said that the slowness of it was part of the problem. While I think this is a valid point, it didn't detract from my love.

There were so many things to love! Beautiful scenery, all the Harry's, Bill Weasley!, George Weasley drinking coffee (tea?) with something sticking out his ear hole, Ron gazing at Hermione, scary Nagini, crazy Bellatrix, terrified Lucius Malfoy, even more terrified Draco Malfoy, Dobby and Creacher, Ron gazing at Hermione (wait did I say that already?), the much improved acting of all 3 of our main characters,the scariness, the tears, all the Polyjuice potion, the ministry of magic, Luna and her dad, and much more!

Okay, I could post a BILLION more pictures (I think these are all from listall.com)

After I saw the movie, I asked Karen (she's the assistant to the Library Director and she is awesome) if she had seen the movie yet and she revealed a horrible secret to me...She has only read/seen the first Harry Potter! Well, as you know, this is unacceptable! So together we are reading them (well listening) together and when we finish each book we'll probably watch the corresponding movie! This is so great because, except for Goblet of Fire, I've never reread a HP book! And I read Harry Potter and the Soceror's Stone when it was first published in America...that was 1999, you guys! You were all 4-6 year olds!

I'm thinking of posting a quick entry for each book as I finish complete with what I remembered thinking of the book when I first read it and my thoughts on it now that I've finished the series. What do you think?

Harry Potter of the Day! #3

2010-11-17T08:37:00.000-08:00

Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Daniel Radcliffe on the hilarious website Go Fug Yourself. I love the made up conversation between the 3 of them :)

http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/go_fug_yourself/2010/11/rupertgrint_111210.html

JK thought it was good!

2010-11-16T13:39:00.001-08:00

Harry Potter of the Day:

“Basically, it amounted to the fact that she felt I had been very good in this ‘Harry Potter’ film, and as a reward for that, she wasn’t going to [write] any more ‘Harry Potter’ [books]” — Daniel Radcliffe, discussing a text message he received from J.K. Rowling following the London premiere of Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

Daniel Radcliffe sings!

2010-11-15T19:03:00.000-08:00

In honor of Deathly Hallows coming out on Friday I'm going to post a Harry Potter related something or other everyday this week! Here's Monday's, Daniel Radcliffe singing all of the elements :)

Dr. Horrible Sing Along Scavenger Hunt!

2010-11-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

So on Friday our program was Dr. Horrible themed scavenger hunt! I can't decide what was more fun, creating and putting the hunt together with Keith or watching our teams take on our challenges!

First we split our teams into the Henchman's Union in the Evil League of Evil (ELE) and the "Hammer Heads"- Captain Hammer's groupies. The mission of the Henchman/ELE was to steal the Wonderflonium before the Hammer Heads could stop them.

The first challenge was a Straw War, each team tried to topple the other's cups using Q-tip torpedos and straws:

When they had toppled all of the other teams cups they could move on to building a free standing (for at least 3 seconds) tower of Jenga blocks.

Once their buildings were complete they saddled up("there's no recourse..") a stick pony and ran outside singing the Bad Horse chorus:

Once outside we had a laundry relay that was pure chaos:

When our laundry was dry and folded, our teams had to solve a riddle.

You stand on one side of a river with Dr. Horrible, Captain Hammer and Penny. You have to get everyone across the river to continue your mission, but you can only take one person with you at a time.

If you leave Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer on one side of the river while taking Penny across, Captain Hammer will dislocate Dr. Horrible’s shoulder…again, and you can’t take Dr. Horrible across and leave Captain Hammer and Penny together or they might French kiss or something.

How do you get them all across the river without anything bad happening?

Before racing back inside, each team had to recite 5 quotes from Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog (bet you can't guess what the most popular quote was! :P) Once they were back in the library there were more puzzles to solve! First a Hidato puzzle and then an actual puzzle of the dvd cover.

The last major challenge was a quiz about Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog. All questions had to be answered correctly before the last clue to the Wonderflonium was received.

Once the final clue was handed over, there was a mad dash around the library searching for a box marked "Wonderflonium: Do not Bounce"

And, as in our favorite singalong blog, the would-be evil villains were successful in stealing the Wonderflonium. When the Hammerheads returned from their search they found themselves in the lair of the Evil League of Evil complete with Bad Horse (and Frank J. Brown) residing at the head of the table.

But in the end, good and bad alike got to celebrate with ice cream and singing along to the music of Dr. Horrible.

Happy Hauntings!

2010-10-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hey all, sorry it's been so long since I've blogged! Fall has been running away from me, but here I am with a few fun things you may like.

First, a few of my favorite Halloween books:

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury: This slightly creepy story follows a group of friends out trick or treating. When their friend is abducted, they chase through time and place with the help of the mysterious Mountshroud to save him--learning about the origins of Halloween throughout the world.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury: What can I say, I love this guy! This one is about 2 friends and a terrifying carnival that comes to their town. Sooo creepy!

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare: This book isn't technically a Halloween book, but it is about witches...well a witch trial anyway. After her grandfather dies, Kit travels from the Caribbean islands to live with her Puritan aunt and uncle in Connecticut. Her differences make her an outsider which upsets some people in the community. One of my favorite books of all time.

Shadowland: The Mediator series Book 1 by Meg Cabot: Suze sees and talks to dead people. She's a Mediator, someone who helps ghosts fulfill their unfinished business and move on to the other side. Unfortunately this isn't always easy, something she learns the hard way when she moves to San Fransisco.

Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan: Okay, I'm reading this right now and it feels kinda perfect for Halloween. Mary lives in a village surrounded by a fence. The fence is the only thing that keeps out the Unconsecrated. When her mother is bitten by an Unconsecrated and turns into one herself Mary must choose to join the secretive Sisterhood (who provide for the village but also hide information from them) or marry Harry the brother of Travis, who her heart belongs to. When the fence is breached Mary and her friends escape to attempt to make their way to whatever lays beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth. This basically feels like Twilight with zombies.

A few more suggestions:
The Restless Dead
Demonata series by Darren Shan
Devilish by Maureen Johnson

And a few more fun things for you:

Yesterday our teen craft was papercrafts (this sounds a little lame, but it's really really cool, we made our own TARDIS' and characters from Scott Pilgrim!) I said I would provide the link so you could make them at home too, so here it is!
Cubeecraft.com

Also, for those of you who are fans of Doctor Horrible: Obscure Doctor Horrible Costumes

That's all for today.
DFTBA,
Sti

It's that time again!

2010-09-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

It's Banned Book Week everyone!

Stay tuned for more posts about BBW

Movie Makers Meeting #2

2010-09-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

We had our second meeting of the Movie Makers last night, and it went really well! Merritt proposed an idea for our project that everyone agreed was really awesome.

You all remember my blog post about Scott Pilgrim: the movie and the comic, right? Of course you do! Anywho, Merritt thought it would be cool to do our own version of Scott Pilgrim where, to win the affections of Ramona Flowers, Scott must battle her 7 evil exes. Only, instead of the evil exes from the books we've chosen book/movie/tv characters for our Scott Pilgrim to battle! Here they are:

Howl Jenkins (Howl's Moving Castle)
Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)
Peeta Malark (Hunger Games trilogy)
the creepy twins from The Shining
Captain Jack Sparrow
Voldemort (well, you know)

We're thinking that Edward Cullen will also make a quick cameo as well as other favorite characters like Katara, Kingdom Hearts characters, and Frank J. Brown.

So the homework for next meeting is to watch/read/research Scott Pilgrim so you know what we're talking about when we plan out the episodes! If you haven't come to Movie Makers yet, you are definitely welcome, there are lots of characters to be cast and lots of other things to do if you don't want to be in front of the camera!

DFTBA,
Sti

What side are you on?

2010-09-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, you've debated Team Jacob vs. Team Edward and Team Peeta vs. Team Gale. Blah blah blah love triangles blah blah blah

The real question I want to know the answer to is: Are you Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

Zombies vs Unicorns Anthology Book Trailer from cosproductions on Vimeo.

And if you have to ask what team I'm on, you must not know me very well.

Movie Makers: Meeting 1

2010-09-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came to our first meeting of Movie Makers yesterday. Everyone had a lot of great ideas and I hope we can get to them all.

The idea that we decided on for our first foray into film making is to make a short (3 minute) video where our favorite fictional character (from books, movies, tv) meet. What would they talk about? Would they get along? Would it be funny?

So your assignment for the next meeting (September 21, 5:30-6:30) is to research a favorite character that you want to be. We'll need to know what that character would wear, as well as other things about their personality and life. Come prepared and bring a friend, we'll be brainstorming script ideas!

DFTBA,
Sti

Sometimes it's nice to be reminded

2010-09-04T08:39:00.000-07:00

This is Sadie, I like what she has to say:

Nerd Fitness AND Hunger Games make up tutorial

2010-09-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

So today is my day off because I work on Saturday (*hint hint* Come visit me!), so I am blogging to you from the comfort of my home while Rumples McTavish sleeps (shhhhh, she got out last night and it freaked her out a bit so let's let her get some rest).*

Anyway, I'm writing to you from my zebra striped couch to tell you that the vlogbrothers have made a few new fantastic videos. Not that all of their other videos aren't fantastic, I just thought you would all appreciate these.

First John Green (nerdfighter, and author of Paper Towns, Looking for Alaksa, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and An Abundance of Katherines) helps us work out. The Nerd Way.

And guys, I'm not ashamed to admit that I participated along with this video (though I'm really bad at sit ups), so you should too!

And, to fulfill a bet, and to celebrate the release of Mockingjay, Hank Green (@ecogeek, nerdfighter, and brother to John Green) shows us how to apply make up for "District 12 look."

I did not participate in this one, because I was too busy giggling..

Which video did you like best?

*For those of you not in the know, Rumples McTavish is my hamster. She is awesome.

Author Sophie Jordan

2010-08-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a couple other librarians and I went to a workshop where the new (to YA, anyway) author Sophie Jordan shared her thoughts and insights about writing, the awesomeness that is YA literature, PTAs (she thinks they're like the mafia--and I don't blame her), selling your book to a movie studio before it's even released, how much YA writers make in advances (advances=the $ you make when you sell your book), and more. She was lovely and we would have happily listened and talked to her for another hour.

Which means, of course I'm really excited about her book Firelight, which comes out in September (I've already put in an order for it for the library, hopefully we'll get it quickly!)! Here's a quick summary:

Descended from dragons, the draki's ability to appear human protects them from hunters. Jacinda lives with her pride in the Cascades, but she chafes under her special status as the only fire-breather in hundreds of years. Recklessly breaking the “no-fly” rule, she attracts hunters; mercifully, one hunter, a beautiful boy who looks upon her with wonder, lets her escape. After this, the pride intends to hobble her rebelliousness, and Jacinda is forced to flee. But while twin sister Tamra, who never manifested and was shunned, is happy with the move, Jacinda feels only anguish within Nevada's desert climate. Then she meets Will and, despite recognizing him as the same draki hunter, feels herself come alive. Jordan's compelling addition to the supernatural star-crossed lovers theme is equal parts taut suspense and sensuous romance, with visceral writing and believable relationships among characters, particularly among Jacinda's family. A foreshadowed twist and a thrilling confrontation in the end pages leave Jacinda heartbroken and in trouble, and readers will howl for more.

Uh, AWESOME. And there may be a movie one day? Even better.

I brought back a few postcards and stickers for the book, so if you want one drop by and I'll provide. You can also get swag to keep and share by joining Team Draki at Sophie's website: http://www.sophiejordan.net/ya/news.html

She's also on facebook as Sophie Jordan and twitter as @soverySophie, and she mentioned that she loves to hear from teens who like to read!

DFTBA,
Sti

Teens' Top Ten! Your chance to vote!

2010-08-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

The American Library Association's (ALA) annual Teens' Top Ten has started! You can vote everyday until September 17

Vote here: Teens' Top Ten

And then tell me what you voted for in the comments!

More and More Purple Hair!

2010-08-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe you're getting tired of me talking about my Purple-Over, but I wanted to share the newest developments!

Lisa has posted the video of the first version on youtube, so you can see just how adorable I am (when I watch this I vacillate between thinking how cute I am and being really embarrassed...)

And here are some pictures of the second version that happened over the weekend:

Before

I'm a unicorn!

I hope this comes out right!

The sink we used to wash out my hair was tiny!

Aaand the after picture!

Hope y'all like it!

DFTBA,
Sti

Hair update!

2010-08-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, the video made by Lisa is done and I will post it here as soon as she puts it up on youtube!

Also, since the poll seems to be leaning toward my hair needing to be darker/brighter/more obvious purple, Merritt and Angelica are coming to the library today to go to work and make it so! Stay tuned for new pictures!

A few changes around here

2010-08-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

If you visit this blog on any sort of regular basis, you may have noted a few changes I've made today. Hopefully this will make it easier to navigate and read. I hope you enjoy it!

YA Fantasy Showdown!

2010-08-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, if you were a fan of our March Madness showdown of YA books, you're going to love Heather Zundell's YA Fantasy Showdown. Male and female characters from our favorite YA fantasy novels will duke it out to see who the ultimate Fantasy character is! Each round consists of photos and info about each of the combatants as well the showdown's creator's idea of how the fight would go down. Vote for your favorite and see who wins!

DFTBA, Sti

Movie Monday: Legend of the Guardians (Guardians of Ga'Hoole)

2010-08-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, confession time. But first, an obvious fact: there are a lot of books at the library. And here's the confession: I haven't read all of them.

Shocking, I know

Anyway, one series of books that I haven't read and haven't even thought to read was the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series by Kathryn Lasky. But now that I've seen the trailer for the movie, I might want to....
"Deep in the Forest of Tyto the adventure takes wing! Soren is born in a forest kingdom where Barn Owls have lived in peace for eons. But evil now lurks in the owl world, an evil that will shatter Tyto's peace and change Soren's life forever. In the first four books of this popular series Soren and his band make their way to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree where they will join with like-minded owls - honest, brave, wise and true - to boldly face danger and be tested in ways they never imagined." -amazon.com

Sounds cool now! Here's the trailer. It's in 3-D (the movie, not the trailer) and looks absolutely gorgeous:

Here's one of the book covers:

And here's one of the movie posters:

Is anyone planning on seeing this? Who wants to go with me and tell me how wrong they got it? :)

DFTBA,Sti

Hair update

2010-08-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hair Update:
I know I promised a video of my hair dyeing would be up last week, but there were a few obstacles in the editing process so it's still under construction. But when it's done I will post it here!!

The whole process was a lot of fun, Lisa and I went to the salon together and laughed and talked while Julie bleached and then dyed 7 strips of my hair.

I like the finished product, but it came out much more subtle then I expected. Though a professional salon is probably not going to be in the practice of doing completely Crayola-fantastic dye jobs, and I have naturally dark brown hair so I don't hold it against Julie's talent.

Overall I'm very happy with it. Who knows, maybe I'll keep them forever?

What do y'all think? Answer in the comments and/or the poll on the right.

DFTBA, Sti

You Did It!

2010-07-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

Today at about 3:15 a teen patron named Anna turned in the reading log that pushed your Total Hours Read to 5,000 hours!!!

You know what this means, right? On Saturday night at the End of Summer Party you will be the first to see my purple hair streaks!

Truthfully, I'm a little nervous now that the time is here. I mean, I'm a grown woman (hard to believe, right?) and I'm going to have purple in my hair. Purple! But I made a promise, and I'm not going to back out now. Especially since Angelica has already done purple tips and Merritt is planning to as well.

Stay tuned for the video, which should be posted Saturday afternoon!

DFTBA,
Your soon-to-be-purple-haired librarian Sti

Your burning questions answered by the Dictionary

2010-07-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Or, an editor of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (p.s. 'diction' is one of my favorite words)

This is one of those things I know have been bothering you for a long time. What is the proper plural form of the word 'octopus'?

I will definitely be using the third form from now on!

DFTBA,
Sti

Movie...Tuesday Willy Wonka/Charlie and Chocolate Factory

2010-07-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, blogging every Monday is turning out to be difficult! Okay, here we go. Today's movie is a double feature.

In 1964 Roald Dahl wrote a little book called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, about a boy named Charlie Bucket and his adventures in the fantastic candy factory of the strange and mysterious Willy Wonka. I'm sure you've heard of it. Lots of other movies have been made from Mr. Dahl's books--but I'll save those for other blog entries.

So far, there have been 2 movies based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And there seems to be a lot of controversy about which is better/more scary. My favorite is the original movie that came out in 1971 starring Gene Wilder called Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Other people prefer the new movie starring Johnny Depp Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Personally I think Depp (though I love him) is a creepier Willy Wonka. Also, he doesn't sing. I have a problem with that. But that's just my opinion...

As with all movies based on books, both of these films deviate from many parts of the original text. Willy Wonka doesn't go into detail about the fates of the bad children, the geese and golden eggs don't exist in the book, and Charlie doesn't misbehave in the book. In Johnny Depp's version, we learn a lot more about Willy Wonka's history, and many things are updated to be more modern (Tommy Teavee is also obsessed with video games and the internet, when such things didn't exist yet when the book was written). However, as usually happens, they are still great movies on their own.

Also, my month without desserts/sweets is almost at an end*, thus the candy themed blog post. Thanks for reading! Let me know which Chocolate Factory movie is your favorite in the comments!

DFTBA,
Sti

*I gave up desserts for the month of July, I'm not quite sure why. So if you want to bring me sweets in August I will thank you most profusely :)

Movie....Thursday? Scott Pilgrim

2010-07-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry about not posting on Monday, we had our Volunteer Appreciate Lunch and I also had to return the indoor planetarium to the Lunar and Planetary Institute, after that the day just seemed to fly by!

Anyway, I'm really excited about this movie coming out on August 13. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is directed by one of my favorite directors, Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Spaced) and stars the usually hilarious Michael Cera.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is based on a series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley about a 25 year old slacker named Scott Pilgrim and his exploits/adventures with his band, his roommate, the new girl he's seeing and her 7 Evil Exes that he must battle in order to date her.

These are young adult books that lean a little more into the 'adult' of young adult, and the movie is rated PG-13. I know that's fine for most of my readers, but I wanted to put a little disclaimer here just in case, if you're not old enough or don't have permission from parents wait a few years until you are old enough/have permission. It's totally worth the wait.

Anyway, here's a link to Bryan Lee O'Malley's site: http://www.scottpilgrim.com/

Here's the cover of the first Scott Pilgrim book:

Here's the movie poster:

And here's the trailer:

Check out the movie's website too for some fun stuff, including making your own avatar! Here's mine:

Check it out!
Sti

Help choose YA programs!

2010-07-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hello, it's me again! Soon I'll be planning the Young Adult programs for the fall. These happen on Tuesdays and Fridays at 4:30. Tuesdays are reserved for video games and Fridays are usually crafts or snacks or movies. If there's any craft or snack or movie you would like to do/eat/see feel free to leave it in the comments or email me at librariansti@gmail.com I'm always open to suggestions!

Another thing I am thinking about doing is a film workshop on the Tuesday evenings that we don't have TAG meetings. Would anyone be interested in writing a script, casting, acting, making sets, costuming, doing make up, directing, filming and editing a short film with other teens? I think it would be a lot of fun! Let me know!

DFTBA,
Sti

Old Spice vs. New Spice

2010-07-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's you turn to decide. Which of these videos is better/more hilarious/more helpful for libraries.

The first is a quick video of the Old Spice man Isaiah Mustafa giving libraries a shout out:

And the second is sort of a spoof on the commercials, made by an academic library called Harold B. Lee Library:

It's hard for me to choose really....so you tell me!

DFTBA,Sti

Somebody has a doppelganger!

2010-07-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines doppelganger as:
1 : a ghostly counterpart of a living person
2 a : double 2a b : alter ego b c : a person who has the same name as another

*I* define doppelganger like this:

Taylor and one of the illustrations for the Summer Reading Club :)

Movie Monday- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

2010-07-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

It's Movie Monday again! I missed last week since we were closed but now I'm back! These entries will be dedicated to movies based on books. Upcoming movies and older movies worth remembering and the books that inspired them. I'll discuss what I think are the pros and cons of the movie vs. the book (and I want to hear your comments, so don't hesitate to speak up!). If there are any movies you think I should write about, shoot me an email at librariansti@gmail.com!

But before we get to our newest featured book movie, I just wanted to announce that the teens in the Teen Reading Club have read a total of 3200 hours so far!! You guys are seriously blowing my mind! Seriously!

Okay, onto the movie of the day. I put off watching the trailer for this until just now because I wanted to give you my opinions right as I had them. So here they are, my thoughts on the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: All I can say is...wow. It's been a few years since I read Deathly Hallows and I didn't know if I was emotionally ready to see all of it on film yet. But now that I've seen the trailer I'm really excited! I know I'll cry my eyes out, so I'm glad they're making 2 movies instead of one, this way I can space the tears a few years apart. But the action in just these few minutes already blows and my mind and gave me goosebumps. And made me want to watch all of the movies over again!

In our last TAG meeting we discussed having a party for the release of the movie. DO you have any thoughts or requests for party activities?

DFTBA,
Sti

Free Photo Editing online!

2010-07-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I hosted a Photo Editing program at the library for 11-14 year olds, I showed everyone a few (free!) websites where you can edit, decorate, or destroy photos online.

So that you don't forget the websites, I'm posting them here:

My favorite
fotoflexer.com/
and the less free but totally cute
www.picnik.com

Here's an example of things you can do to your photos on these sites:

Me and my sister Before aaaaaaaaaaaand After a bit of fun on Fotoflexer

If you send me your before and after photos I'll post those too!

DFTBA,
Sti

Movie Monday

2010-06-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to dub Monday's on the blog "Movie Mondays." These entries will be dedicated to movies based on books. Upcoming movies and older movies worth remembering and the books that inspired them. I'll discuss what I think are the pros and cons of the movie vs. the book (and I want to hear your comments, so don't hesitate to speak up!). If there are any movies you think I should write about, shoot me an email at librariansti@gmail.com!

Today's movie is
Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

One version of the book and the poster for the movie (it's going to be 3-D!!)

Now, I just saw the trailer this weekend, I had no idea that they were making it! I never got around to watching Prince Caspian, though apparently I need to now. Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, so it's no wonder I'm so excited about seeing it as a movie. :)

If you haven't read the book, here's a brief and almost spoiler-free summary:

Edmund and Lucy Pevensy along with their bratty cousin, Eustace, are transported through a painting into Narnia where they join Prince Caspian on a voyage to the west. The children are tested on this voyage, and visit strange lands and encounter unusual creatures.

And here is the trailer:

Now, it's been 4 or 5 years since I've read Dawn Treader but lots of the scenes from the trailer look spot on, so I'm really looking forward to this release!

What are your thoughts?

New York Public Library continues to bring the awesome

2010-06-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

I found this video today promoting the New York Public Library's Anti-prom 2010: glamprom, a dance party for every kind of teen

So awesome! I love that libraries are a place that are accepting of everyone, and I hope you like it too! :)

Something I agree with

2010-06-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

I spent most of the weekend in New Braunfels/San Marcos/Austin with my sisters shopping, floating the river, eating and seeing my favorite band in concert. It was a lovely holiday weekend, and I hope yours was too. The opening act for the concert was a singer I really love. She's called Serena Ryder, and one of her songs was chosen for a Canadian school program called Music Monday* that highlights how important music education in schools is. The song is called Sing! Sing! and I wanted to share it with you, especially since music is such an important part of my life:

*http://www.burnabynow.com/entertainment/Sing+Sing+they+Monday/2998445/story.html

Summer Reading Challenge!

2010-05-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be fun to see if our Young Adult patrons would respond to a challenge this summer. So I chose an incentive I thought you would enjoy, on top of all the prizes you already receive for joining the reading club during the summer.

The Young Adult Reading Club is still relatively new. It's for ages 11-18 and instead of counting the amount of books/pages that you've read, you keep track of the amount of hours you've read. I think this works really well, it rewards people who don't breeze through books and it challenges those who do!

So. Here is the challenge I'm issuing to all the teens who are planning on joining the Texas Teens Read Summer Reading Club

If you read a total of 5,000 hours I will dye purple streaks in my hair. Another Young Adult, Merrit Rowley has agreed to join me in this challenge.

So, we will go from looking like this:

To looking something like this:

(Actual results may vary)

Are you up to it?

DFTBA,
Christina "Sti" Hicks

Today in History

2010-05-19T12:44:00.001-07:00

You know all about star-crossed lovers, don't you? You've heard of Romeo and Juliet. You've heard of Jack and Rose. You know all about Bella and Edward. All couples who are kept apart by warring families, different social statuses, natural disasters, and even life and undead-ness.

On this day in 1536, Anne Boleyn second wife of King Henry VIII of England was beheaded by her husband. Not exactly romantic, right? Most people would agree. It had only been a few years since Henry had split with the Catholic church and started his own religion The Church of England so that he could divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne (who refused to become his mistress, she would only be his queen). That's a little more romantic, right? To some people, maybe. Other people through out history have hated on Anne Boleyn for being a home wreaker, but she ended up just being the first in a long line of ill-fated women to marry Henry VIII-- all in his pursuit to have a male heir to become king when he died. *spoiler alert* He never had a legitimate son and his daughters would go on to rule England--most famously, the daughter he had with Anne Boleyn became Queen Elizabeth I. She's kinda famous.

If you're as intrigued by this crazy family (and there's even more crazy I haven't gone into!) and the time period they lived in, here are a few books you might enjoy:

YA books
Doomed Queen Anne by Caroline Meyer

Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Caroline Meyer

Nine Days a Queen: The Short Life and Reign of Lady Jane Grey by Ann Rinaldi

Adult Fiction (that I read as a YA)
The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell

Non-fiction
Anne Boleyn by Norah Lofts

Our Eating Challenge

2010-05-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd post a video of the food challenge we had a couple weeks (or was it months?) ago.

This is our attempt (successful by a few people) to eat 6 Saltine crackers in 60 seconds. We also attempted to eat a spoonful of cinnamon, eat a piece of white bread in under 45 seconds and we played Fluffy Bunny. It was a fun, messy, and hilarious day that I'm getting hungry just thinking about!

As a segue into books, here are a few YA books that deal with food:

Cooking Up a Storm by Sam Stern

What's cooking? An enthusiastic young chef shares his teen-tested tips and recipes for everything from breakfast to dinner, desserts to brain-boosting snacks. A kid's gotta eat -- and what better way to make sure that the food on your plate hits the spot than to make it yourself?

Dear, Julia by Amy Bronwen Zemser

Shy sixteen-year-old Elaine has long dreamed of being the next Child, to the dismay of her feminist mother, but when her first friend, the outrageous Lucida Sans, convinces Elaine to enter a cooking contest, anything could happen.

Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs by Rozanne Gold and her All Star Team

Step-by-step instructions and cooking tips are compiled in this cookbook for teens that features more than eighty recipes for healthy, tasty meals, treats, and desserts.

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff

Fifteen-year-old Andrew Zansky, the second fattest student at his high school, joins the varsity football team to get the attention of a new girl on whom he has a crush.

Chew on this : the unhappy truth about fast food by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson

My saucy stuffed ravioli : the life of Angelica Cookson Potts by Cherry Whytock

While preparing for and going on vacation to Italy with her friends and family, food-loving English teenager Angelica deals with her unrequited love for Sydney, her fear of being seen in public in a bikini, and her worries that her mother might be havingan affair. Includes recipes.

Fat Boy Swim by Catherine Forde

Teased and abused for being grossly overweight, Jimmy, a fourteen-year-old Scottish teenager who dreams mysterious dreams and secretly aspires to become a chef, decides to turn his self-loathing life around by learning how to swim.

2010-05-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

If you loved Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, which was featured in our March Madness book tournament, you should give his newest YA book For the Win a try. We don't have it here at the library yet (though we will soon!), but you can also read it for free online here
If you want to know more about it first, here's a quick summary:

"In the virtual future, you must organize to survive

At any hour of the day or night, millions of people around the globe are engrossed in multiplayer online games, questing and battling to win virtual “gold,” jewels, and precious artifacts. Meanwhile, others seek to exploit this vast shadow economy, running electronic sweatshops in the world’s poorest countries, where countless “gold farmers,” bound to their work by abusive contracts and physical threats, harvest virtual treasure for their employers to sell to First World gamers who are willing to spend real money to skip straight to higher-level gameplay.

Mala is a brilliant 15-year-old from rural India whose leadership skills in virtual combat have earned her the title of “General Robotwalla.” In Shenzen, heart of China’s industrial boom, Matthew is defying his former bosses to build his own successful gold-farming team. Leonard, who calls himself Wei-Dong, lives in Southern California, but spends his nights fighting virtual battles alongside his buddies in Asia, a world away. All of these young people, and more, will become entangled with the mysterious young woman called Big Sister Nor, who will use her experience, her knowledge of history, and her connections with real-world organizers to build them into a movement that can challenge the status quo.

The ruthless forces arrayed against them are willing to use any means to protect their power—including blackmail, extortion, infiltration, violence, and even murder. To survive, Big Sister’s people must out-think the system. This will lead them to devise a plan to crash the economy of every virtual world at once—a Ponzi scheme combined with a brilliant hack that ends up being the biggest, funnest game of all."

If this is anywhere near as good as Little Brother it will change the way you look at things (in this case gaming). I'm looking forward to reading it!

Beastly the book is now a movie!

2010-04-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Or it will be very soon.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

I am a beast.

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

The trailer looks like they took some liberties with the way he looks once he's turned into a beast but it still looks really good. And that's the guy who played Alex Rider right? And Neil Patrick Harris (aka Dr. Horrible!)!
Needless to say, I'll probably be reading this book soon! I've been meaning to for a while, it was even on the Lone Star list 2 years ago. :)

Tayshas video

2010-04-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you're aware of the Tayshas reading list that is put out by the Texas Library Association, but it is awesome. Like the Lone Star list, it has lots of great new books but these are aimed more at high school age people.

Here's a video featuring some of this year's list:

Check 'em out!

Supercute!

2010-04-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

Found this awesomely adorable (adorably awesome?) band called Supercute! today on one of my blogs. Thought I'd share them with you!

Here's the blog entry about them:
http://www.iheartdaily.com/2010/04/heart-it-supercute-.html?utm_campaign=entertainment%3A%20Hear%28t%29%20It...%20Supercute!&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=HTML%20Version%20-%20Image%20Link%207

And here's a video of them:

March Madness Round 2 Ends in Close Calls!

2010-03-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

Oof! Round Two has officially closed and boy was it a tough round! I know that many of you were faced with the moral dilemma of choosing between two favorite books, and I'm sorry about that, but rest assured that means you have awesome taste in books!

Here are the final scores:

Shiver: 50.90909%
Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie: 40.0901%

Lightning Thief: 71.4%
Maximum Ride: 28.6%

Little Brother: 19.6%
Hunger Games: 80.4%

Artemis Fowl: 45.6%
Eragon: 54.4%

Round 3 pits

Shiver vs. Lightning Thief

and

Hunger Games vs. Eragon

May the best book win!

Book Bag: Friendswood YA Blog

Crash Course- John and Hank Green make learning fun!

Author Visit!

A few book/library videos for your Friday enjoyment

Interview with Amandla Stenberg

Todd watches Doctor Who

Spring 2012 YA Programs!

We're #5! We're #5!

David Tennant Reads a Bedtime Story

C.S. Lewis and Louisa may Alcott. What do they have in common?

2012 Texas Lone Star List

Hunger Games Trailer Released!

You're one of the first to know!

More photos of the Hunger Games cast

Guess what book comes out tomorrow!

Helpful Links for Homework and Fun

Scavenger Hunt on Friday!

All Hallows Read

Happy Halloween Mateys!

The Fault in Our Stars

It's Teen Read Week 2011!

ThisIsTeen brings more books to you...on facebook!

Banned Books Week-Virtual Read Out videos

Sesame Street at the Library

Banned Book Week 2011!

What's a P.O.D.A.?

Something we should do!

Movies galore!

Steampunk?

First Day of School and Some Awesome People's Birthdays!

Best Friend Day

Summer Update!

Volunteer Information

What to Read Next?

And now Peeta! And Gale!

Katniss has been cast!

Harry Potter site

How Much Wood Would A Woodchuck Chuck?

Just so you know...

YA March Madness Returns!

A Quick Spotlight for Friendswood Native

A few new books

Girls Only Slumber Party!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban the second time around

City of Bones movie info

Karen reads Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the second time around

Do you cook?

Squee!

A (very) quick break from Harry Potter

Karen's Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone the second time around

Re-reading Harry Potter

Harry Potter of the Day! #3

JK thought it was good!

Daniel Radcliffe sings!

Dr. Horrible Sing Along Scavenger Hunt!

Happy Hauntings!

It's that time again!

Movie Makers Meeting #2

What side are you on?

Movie Makers: Meeting 1

Sometimes it's nice to be reminded

Nerd Fitness AND Hunger Games make up tutorial

Author Sophie Jordan

Teens' Top Ten! Your chance to vote!

More and More Purple Hair!

Hair update!

A few changes around here

YA Fantasy Showdown!

Movie Monday: Legend of the Guardians (Guardians of Ga'Hoole)

Hair update

You Did It!

Your burning questions answered by the Dictionary

Movie...Tuesday Willy Wonka/Charlie and Chocolate Factory

Movie....Thursday? Scott Pilgrim

Help choose YA programs!

Old Spice vs. New Spice

Somebody has a doppelganger!

Movie Monday- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1