TeenScene @ WPL

Not Your Auntie Muriel’s Holiday Reading List

Posted on December 15th, 2011 by Mickie.
Categories: All posts.

Have you already watched Elf a dozen times? Are you so full of Christmas cookies that you are likely to bust? Can’t watch one more holiday episode where something magical and beautiful happens and people twirl in their happiness under freshly falling snow? Ready to snap in half your mom’s John Denver and The Muppets Holiday CD?  Are you a little more Jack Skellington and a little less George Bailey?

Ok, then. This book list is for you. These holiday books are full of ghosts and sinister plans…donuts and divas…velociraptors and revenge…and not a single one of them has a reindeer.

Ok, Ok…this one is technically a Christmas classic, but it has ghosts and death and scary tombstones. And what about those starving, shrunken children under dude’s coat!? Charles Dickens is seriously dark and this version is a graphic novel which means it is a pretty quick read– so get your spooky on, Christmas Style.

In New York City to spend Christmas with his father, thirteen-year-old Adam Adlar discovers that he and his father are still targets of sinister forces and, despite his father’s objections, Adam finds himself drawn back into the struggle against hyper-evolved, deadly velociraptors determined to wreak havoc and spread terror.

Paul loves Christmas, but when his house almost burns down, his mom loses her job, and he catches his girlfriend kissing someone else, Paul decides to make the holiday season a time for revenge.

Upon learning on Christmas Day that their rich and imperious grandmother may soon die and disown the family unless the one who offended her deeply will confess, each of the three Sullivan sisters sets down her offenses on paper.

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Talkin’ transmedia: multi-platform books

Posted on December 13th, 2011 by Becky.
Categories: All posts, Books, Movies, Technology, Web sites to watch.

You probably know what transmedia is, even if you don’t use that word in your everyday convos (and who does?). It’s an invented word that got a lot of buzz this year, as we saw more books that jumped off the page onto many different media platforms, especially online.

This article highlights a bunch of them, from The Amanda Project (which has a tie-in web site of info gathered to help solve the mystery of a missing teen), to The Search for WondLa (whose illustrations can be held up to a webcam to unlock extras), to Pottermore (which extends and makes interactive the beloved Harry Potter universe).

I’d also add the Skeleton Creek series and 3:15 series (both by Patrick Carman), as well as the Cathy books.

So what do you think? Is this a future trend that will continue, or will straight-up ebooks soon rule the market? Personally, I like the idea of blending paper and other media for a while. That way there is still a piece to enjoy when you aren’t next to a computer/phone/tablet. Am I the old-fashioned librarian in saying this? Tell me in the comments!

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Yaaaawwwn: Books You Give Up Sleep For

Posted on December 8th, 2011 by Mickie.
Categories: All posts.

Does this make you yawn?

I have yawned THREE times just since starting this post.

A yawn is quite catching you see. Like a cough.
It just takes one yawn to start other yawns off.”
— Dr. Seuss (in Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book, New York: Random House, 1962.)

Studies show that yawns are most contagious between family members, but books can get you yawning too.  I like to read before bed, just to transition a bit and wind down, but usually I get so into the book that I am reading WAY past my bed time.  But reading anything I HAVE to read, looking at you school-assigned reading, always makes me nod off….I never did finish a Tale of Two Cities, but I hear it is lovely.

Here are some books you might stay up all night to finish.

Three words: Battle of Hogwarts. Oh yeah. I think I read this in 7 hours…the night it came out.

oh Stephen King...you have been keeping people up for decades--how do you sleep at night!?

May the odds be ever in your favor…but if your president’s breath smells like blood, then they probably aren’t.

Yeah...this one kept me up all night saying, "just one more chapter!"

There's ZOMBIES in them thar hills!

One wild night in the city and anything is possible...even love between the most unlikely of couples...sigh...

Love is a battlefield, but PASSION is a circus...

What book makes you give up sleep? Give me a shout back in the comments.

0 comments.

Magical Cats….They are Everywhere.

Posted on November 28th, 2011 by Mickie.
Categories: All posts.

Have you noticed the clowder of cats lately? Not just any cats…MAGICAL cats.  When is the last time you read about a magical dog? It happens…but not as often as cats. More often a story about a dog shows them saving the day or being there for you when you need them the most….but cats? Cats are sneaky and full of magic…don’t turn your back on them because you’ll never know what they are going to do next. Behold the evidence:

Five original stories where strange changes occur, from a boy and a cat changing places and a young man learning the price of selfishness to an invisible princess finding herself.

A talking cat, intelligent rats, and a strange boy cooperate in a Pied Piper scam until they try to con the wrong town and are confronted by a deadly evil rat king.

Young Christopher Chant, in training to become the next Chrestomanci or head controller of magic in the world, becomes a key figure in a battle with renegade sorcerers because he has nine lives LIKE A CAT..

Plain Kate's odd appearance and expertise as a woodcarver cause some to think her a witch, but friendship with a talking cat and, later, with humans help her to survive and even thrive in a world of magic, charms, and fear.

Sabriel, daughter of the necromancer Abhorsen, must journey into the mysterious and magical Old Kingdom to rescue her father from the Land of the Dead. Her only companion...a fluffy white talking cat who may actually be a demon intent of her destruction.

For three years, seventeen-year-old Cas Lowood has carried on his father's work of dispatching the murderous dead, traveling with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat, but everything changes when he meets Anna, a girl unlike any ghost he has faced before.

Princess Wisdom, who yearns for a life of adventure beyond the kingdom of Montagne, Tips, a soldier keeping his true life secret from his family, Fortitude, an orphaned maid who longs for Tips, and Magic the cat form an uneasy alliance as they try to save the kingdom from certain destruction.

Cassel Sharpe knows he killed his best friend. He also knows that the cat he keeps seeing in his dreams is trying to tell him something. Could the two things be related? This book is Harry Potter meets the mob.

What is YOUR favorite cat book–magical or otherwise? Give me a shout back in the comments, people!

4 comments.

Thanksgiving hours: Happy Turkey Day!

Posted on November 23rd, 2011 by Becky.
Categories: All posts, Books, Events.

Just a friendly reminder: we’re closing at 6 pm tonight (Wed, Nov. 23) and remaining closed on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 24). We’ll be open as usual on Friday and Saturday this week, 9 am-6pm!

What are you reading over the long weekend? For some great ideas, check out our %2011 Gift Guide for teens — it’s chock-full of some librarian favs!

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The Twilight Belt: Where the biggest Twi-hards live?

Posted on November 22nd, 2011 by Becky.
Categories: All posts, Books, Web sites to watch.

How many of y’all use the web site Goodreads to track what you and your friends are reading? I know I do, and so does your Westerville Public Library! But even so, it took alert reader Mickie to point out this awesome post on their blog. They’ve taken their vast amount of data on the Twilight Saga and made a handy infographic to show where the most Twilight fans (and non-fans) reside. And 12 times more females read Twilight than males — surprised?

If you’re all “been there, done that” about Twilight but still love you some vampire fiction or paranormal romance, be sure to scope out our list of Twilight readalikes!

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How’s that Novel Coming Along? Adventures in NaNoWriMo Land

Posted on November 14th, 2011 by Mickie.
Categories: All posts.

We are half way through November, do you know where your novel is? Keep writing! If you need a pep talk, stop by nanowrimo.org for inspiring advice like this gem from Erin Morgenstern:

Never delete anything. If you can’t stand to look at it, change the font to white and keep going.

If possible, get a running start. It gives you flexibility for later in the month when you desperately need to do something, anything that doesn’t involve writing once in a while.

Do something, anything that doesn’t involve writing once in a while. Take a walk, go to a museum, do yoga, paint your toenails, spin around in circles. Shake your brain up so the ideas can move around.

Backup. Frequently. Flash drives are your friends. Also, I hear you can store things on clouds now but I’m not sure how that works. It sounds very whimsical, though, and I am a fan of whimsy.

Take risks. (Microsoft Word wanted to autocorrect that to “Take care.” Clearly, Word does not understand NaNoWriMo. Also, this is why I normally write in Scrivener. Scrivener would never suggest such a thing.)

When in doubt, just add ninjas. (Ninjas do not need to be actual ninjas.) (But they can be.)

Let yourself be surprised.

Think you are wasting your time? Maybe not–here is a list of actual novels written as NaNoWriMo month projects. Now why are you wasting time reading blogs!? Brew some more coffee and get back to that novel!! We’re hosting a night of support and camaraderie for the final push on 11/30 @ 7pm and we can’t wait to see what you have written!

3 comments.

Fictional Food: The oh-so-yummy food/book connection

Posted on November 12th, 2011 by Becky.
Categories: All posts, Books, Events, Movies, Web sites to watch.

Considering that it combines two of my favorite things EVARRR, food and books, you can see why the blog Fictional Food is one I’m going to be checking obsessively. It highlights foods eaten in books, and posts recipes and ideas for making your own. It’s also begun to feature recipes from comics, games, movies, and television. How cool is that?!

Right now I’m obsessing over The Hunger Games section of the site, especially this giant list. Who knew there was so much food eaten in The Hunger Games? A THG movie release party at the library is brewing in my head…it would be great to feature some of these dishes (well, perhaps not the roasted rabbit).

Of course, this brings up the delicious question of what other good food fiction books are out there. I always drooled a little when reading what the characters cook in the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, as well as all the feasting that happens in Redwall. What other food-centric books can you think of? Post ‘em in the comments! I’m off to get a snack!

1 comment.

From Mysteries to Chronicles: Harris Burdick Gets an Update

Posted on November 10th, 2011 by Becky.
Categories: All posts, Art & Craftiness, Books, Words & Writing.

How many of you have read The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van Allsburg? It’s a fascinating collection of black-and-white drawings with weird captions that just beg to have a story written to explain them (and in fact, many Language Arts teachers have had this same idea for a writing assignment!).

Now The Chronicles of Harris Burdick has just been released, offering 14 authors’ attempts to tell the story behind the surreal pictures — including Walter Dean Myers, Kate DiCamillo, and even Stephen King.

“Mr. Linden’s Library:

He had warned her about the book.

Now it was too late.”

As a cool tie-in, don’t miss Figment’s writing contest, which invites you to submit your story for a chance to win prizes, including a copy of the new book!

Love this kind of book? You may also like other plot-your-own stories, and don’t miss Twice Told: Original Stories Inspired by Original Art.

0 comments.

Untranslatable: A post for the word nerds among us

Posted on November 9th, 2011 by Becky.
Categories: All posts, Homework Help, Web sites to watch, Words & Writing.

I just stumbled across this, and it may be one of my new favorite posts: %20 Awesomely Untranslatable Words from Around the World. If you speak another language, are learning one in school, have traveled to another country, or are generally a Word Nerd (as am I), you may appreciate some of these:

Jayus (Indonesian) — “A joke so poorly told and so unfunny that one cannot help but laugh.” I don’t know about you, but these are the jokes that often make me laugh the hardest! Closely related are jokes that make you think this.

Iktsuarpok (Inuit) — “To go outside to check if anyone is coming.”

Prozvonit (Czech) — This word means to call a mobile phone and let it ring once so that the other person will call back, saving the first caller money. In Spanish, the phrase for this is “Dar un toque,” or, “To give a touch.” (Ha! I’ve done this…but only occasionally…*cough*)

Do you know a word that exists in another language but doesn’t have a corresponding word in English? Tell us in the comments!

And if you’re interested in learning another language, you definitely need to check out one of our online services, Mango Languages. Mango is an online language-learning system that can help you learn languages like Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Italian, Russian and more. Create an account, hear and see the vocabulary, and track your progress!

3 comments.

Celebrating 50 Years of the Peace Corps

Posted on November 7th, 2011 by Mickie.
Categories: All posts.

Tonight! 11/7

7-8pm

Thinking about joining the Peace Corps? Or just want to hear some amazing stories? Come listen to Jamie Rhein, president of the Central Ohio Returned Peace Corps volunteer group (CORVA), and other CORVA members as they discuss their experiences living overseas. Visit our events calendar for more information.

2 comments.

We’re a 5-star library once again!

Posted on November 3rd, 2011 by Becky.
Categories: All posts, Events.

Great news! Your own Westerville Public Library has been awarded a 5-star rating by Library Journal! We are second in our budget category. Even more cool, 6 of the top 10 in this category are OHIO libraries! <insert applause for our great state here> Seriously, we here at WPL couldn’t be more proud, and the main reason we are great is that we serve such great people. Give yourselves a pat on the back for helping make your library a star!

What do YOU think makes the library great? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

1 comment.

This Book Blog Is Dressed in Black.

Posted on October 24th, 2011 by Mickie.
Categories: All posts.

As Halloween Creeps Closer, I find myself craving darker books and shadowy corners. And I begin to channel the dark father of goth and write awful poetry.

OK, actually I just found this great Goth Poetry Generator online and I have been churning out the angst….like this gem:

what have you done to me?
a haze of pain as emotions shudder.
once we were together in paradise,
wide-eyed and glad-hearted,
but your thirst soured.
a vengeful pool of memory -
tears follow rain, follow pain,
love burnt to ashes.
in a burst of vengeance,
i still love you.

Oh yeah….good stuff. Write your own and paste the ennui treasure in the comments…if you dare.

Can’t get enough of the Goth stuff? Read on, pale mortals….

0 comments.

Teen Read Week!

Posted on October 19th, 2011 by Mickie.
Categories: All posts.

Hi ya’ll! It is Teen Read Week and that means teens everywhere are celebrating reading just for the fun of it.

Our friends at YALSA say, “This year’s theme is Picture It @ your library®, which encourages teens to read graphic novels and other illustrated materials, seek out creative books, or imagine the world through literature, just for the fun of it. Libraries across the world celebrate Teen Read Week with a variety of special events and programs aimed at encouraging teens to read for pleasure and to visit their libraries for free reading materials.”

Stop by the teen room and play Teen Room Scavenger Hunt BINGO for a tasty prize or make a collage mask if you are feeling crafty. Click here to help pick out next years theme or click here to see the top ten teen-chosen books of %2011. Or just stop by and say hi and pick up a good read….just for the fun of it.

1 comment.

Kids as Parents: Books About Families who aren’t

Posted on October 18th, 2011 by Mickie.
Categories: All posts.

Ok, some parents are great–many parents are super great. But the parents in these books–not so much. In these books, the parents behave badly. When parents behave badly, kids have to become the parents and how exactly do you deal with being a kid and a parent at the same time?

Lucky has a bully problem...a serious one. Worse than that Lucky has a squid for a mom and a wimpy turtle for a dad. Whats a kid to do? Lucky escapes by visiting his granddad in his dreams. But his granddad has been missing in Vietnam since 1972. That doesn't seem to bother Lucky until he begins to bring things out of his dreams...can he bring out his granddad?

Everyone thinks Kurt is a madman...maybe he is. Maybe you would be too if your mom was an alcoholic cat woman who likes to steal your money. We know what to do when life gives you lemons, but what do you do when life gives you 37 dead cats?

Maybe this summer will be different for Lacey. Maybe this summer she'll get a job at the library and Momma will get a job at the Winn-Dixie so they can buy food. Maybe this summer Granddaddy will stop telling Momma what to do. He should stop, he's been dead for years.

Shawn has cerebral palsy and can't talk, move or interact. Shawn knows that it kills his dad to see him like this, but he can't tell his dad that he knows. Shawn also can't tell his dad that he has heard him talking about ending Shawn's suffering...once and for all.

Deanna was 14 when her father found her in the back seat of a 17 yr old boy's car. Deanna's father used to look at her like she likely to sleep with anyone...now he doesn't look at her at all. What will Deanna have to do to get him to look at her like she is his daughter again?

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