Book Bag: Friendswood Youth Services Blog

So, Man of Steel premieres this week! To celebrate it's release and just celebrate superheroes in general, we're having a Superman Party from 2:00-4:00 on Saturday June 15! Come out for some Superman crafts, goodies and check out some books about superheroes! This is a come and go event, so you're welcome any time between 2:00 and 4:00.   DFTBA, Sti

I know I said I would be updating you on some creepy books for Halloween and Teen Read Week, and I'm ready to start! Our first suggestion is a new series called Tales From Lovecraft Middle School by Charles Gilman and it's called Professor Gargoyle 11-year-old Robert Arthur must vanquish Professor Gargoyle and learn the creepy origin story of the brand new Lovecraft Middle School Think of it as The Bailey School Kids series, only older and creepier! Our second suggestion is one of my favorite graphic novels of the past few years, Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel. Now I love most of TenNapel's graphic novels (I also suggest Cardboard , and Bad Island ), but Ghostopolis is definitely my favorite! Imagine Garth Hale's surprise when he's accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don't have, and he's stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostop...

Have I made you read Zita the Spacegirl yet? If we've spoken in person, the odds are I've tried! I can't say enough wonderful things about this graphic novel by Ben Hatke. Zita is an impulsive girl whose decision to push a button she finds in a meteorite results in her best friend being pulled through a wormhole to a distant planet. Of course, she has to save him! Along the way she makes some friends, some reluctant allies, and some enemies. Zita the Spacegirl is on this year's Texas Bluebonnet list, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's only a book for kids. It's also on the Maverick Graphic Novel list. I know 4 year olds who love this books and I know 40 year olds who love this book. It truly is an  adventure tale everyone can enjoy. If I have made you read this book and you'll be excited to hear the sequel, Legends of Zita the Spacegirl  is due out soon! You can put it on hold now through the catalog, if you want... Ben was rece...

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....

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 her Sword  by Barry Deutsch     Last Unicorn  by Peter Beagle       Lost and Found  by ...

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 wor...

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 m...