Book Bag: Friendswood Youth Services Blog

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...

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 soo...

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

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:

:) Did you like my pun there? I love bad jokes. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I know I did, I love cooking with my mom, I love eating, I love taking family pictures, I especially LOVE cranberry sauce and PIE, and I even kinds love washing dishes (don't laugh!) so Thanksgiving is pretty much an ideal holiday for me. This year it was also my grandma's birthday so I got to talk to her on the phone for an hour. Well...maybe talk isn't the word I should use, listen is better since my grandma likes to ramble on and on. Remind you of anyone you know? :) Leave a comment to tell me about any fun traditions you have on Thanksgiving? My sister reenacted the funny commercial where the grandpa eats a scoop out of the pumpkin pie and then fills it in with cool whip! Hope everyone also survived the insanity of Black Friday! I ventured out late that evening when it had died down, but I didn't buy much, just an awesome cd and my sister bought a wonderful documentary: ...