TeenScene @ WPL

Get a CLUE at It’s a Mystery for Teens!

Posted on March 21st, 2013 by Mickie.
Categories: Events.

Peacocks and Mustard and Scarlet, OH MY! There has been a murder in the library! Who done it?! What did they use? Where did it happen? Are you going to eat the rest of those snacks?

Find out the answers to these questions, watch the classic whodunit movie CLUE on the big screen and see if you have what it takes to solve the mystery! Space is limited so reserve today!

Work together on a life-sized game board (huge dice included) to figure out the clues and find the murderer!

0 comments.

“And the award goes to…”: This year’s Printz winner & more

Posted on January 31st, 2013 by Becky.
Categories: Books, Events.

Have you heard? Monday was the big day for award announcements in libraryland for youth, and here at WPL, we gathered around our online streams of the announcements like it was the Oscars — ’cause, well, in our world, it pretty much is! The big awards you probably know about are the Caldecott (most distinguished American picture book for children) and Newbery (most distinguished contribution to American literature for children). But did you know there are awards for teen books as well?

image via School Library Journal

The big one is The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, and this year it went to In Darkness, by Nick Lake:

In the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, fifteen-year-old Shorty, a poor gang member from the slums of Site Soleil, is trapped in the rubble of a ruined hospital, and as he grows weaker he has visions and memories of his life of violence, his lost twin sister, and of Toussaint L’Ouverture, who liberated Haiti from French rule in the 1804.

There’s also the Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, which went to The Fault in Our Stars, written by John Green, narrated by Kate Rudd, produced by Brilliance Audio:

And don’t forget the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. Believe me, when a nonfiction book gets an award, it’s GOOD. No dry textbook stuff here! Don’t miss this year’s winner, Bomb: The Race to Build – and Steal- the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon:

In this suspenseful combination of science and history, Sheinkin masterfully exposes the international race to develop an atomic weapon and bring an end to World War II.  This true-life spy thriller features an international cast of characters and will keep readers on the edge of their seats.  -YALSA award site

Finally, I want to mention the The William C. Morris YA Debut Award, which honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens. Many of you already know this year’s winner, Rachel Hartman, and her book Seraphina:

In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

These are just a few of the MANY awards that were announced this week. You can see a full list of the ALA Youth Media Awards (including honor books), and you can browse and reserve all the books from the library. Happy reading!

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Love and Other Perishable Items: A Beta Books Review

Posted on December 23rd, 2012 by Becky.
Categories: Beta Books, Books, Events.

Airy, another avid reader at Beta Books, our read-’em-before-they-are-published teen book club, has submitted our latest review! Check out her thoughts below. Curious? Get the scoop here, sign out a book from the Teen Center, and mark your calendar for the next meeting!

Reviewer: Airy

Title: Love and Other Perishable Items

Author: Laura Buzo

What did you think of the cover? I think that the cover is okay.

Did you think it matched the story? Okay.

What did you think of the book?

The book was very interesting, and my favorite part is when Amelia and Chris’s relationship intensifies.

How would you rate this book? 4 stars — Awesome. I loved it and would give it to a friend.

0 comments.

Out of the Easy: A Beta Books Review

Posted on November 26th, 2012 by Becky.
Categories: Beta Books, Books, Events.

Jayla, another voracious reader at Beta Books, our read-’em-before-they-are-published teen book club, has submitted our latest review! Check out her thoughts below. Curious? Get the scoop here, sign out a book from the Teen Center, and mark your calendar for the next meeting!

Reviewer: Jayla

Title: Out of the Easy

Author: Ruta Sepetys

What did you think of the cover? I loved the book cover design of the ARC and definitely wouldn’t change it. It’s artistic and I think the birdcage is a metaphor relating to Josie Moraine’s (the main character) life.

What did you think of the book?

I thought “Out of the Easy” was very distinctive from most YA novels. While reading, it was easy to get lost in the story. I really liked Josie – she was a tough heroine, but also had her flaws which made her seem more real than fictitious. And the setting for the story, New Orleans, was perfect. The only things I disliked were the mystery elements (which were too weak and made me lose a little interest in the story) and the supporting characters could have had much more depth to them.

I would definitely recommend this to a friend who enjoys historical fiction, but not to someone who is use to fast-paced novels.

How would you rate this book? 3 stars – Pretty good. I wanted to see how it ended.

2 comments.

Author Jody Casella rocked as Beta Books guest speaker!

Posted on October 25th, 2012 by Becky.
Categories: Beta Books, Books, Events.

Those of you who came to this month’s Beta Books meeting got to pick the brain of a special guest speaker: YA writer Jody Casella! Her book Thin Space will be out in September 2013, so she was the perfect person to talk to us about the real world of generating ideas, writing books, revising them (and revising again…and again…and again!), getting published, and — a topic that never gets old with us — what makes the best cover art?!

Jody wrote an awesome post about her visit on her blog — be sure to hop over and check it out. As she writes,

These kids were smart and talkative and interested, with their own stories to tell. We talked about unreliable narrators and books we liked and things that got stuck up our noses. Also, how to come up with titles and unlikely names for killers and what to do if the middle of your story starts getting boring. (Answer: make a character die.)

Aw, shucks! Thanks, Jody, for sharing your book and your wisdom with us (and playing along with our crazy nametags and icebreaker games!). Beta Books will be counting down to the release of Thin Space right along with you…and then, of course, we would love to have you back to gab about the final cover.

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Do you like Parrots? Muppets? Johnny Depp? You are Going to Love this Post

Posted on September 19th, 2012 by Mickie.
Categories: Events, Random Fun.

The pirate speaks,”Books and Fun about Pirates! Today be talk like a pirate day and we love pirates! Read about them, find your own pirate name, learn the lingo and sing a song o’ the high seas! Talk like a pirate day be about fun and if you don’t like it you can walk the plank!”

• Need a good yarn? Read these books about pirates! (WPL is not responsible for your sudden desire to own a talking parrot)
• Don’t have a pirate name? Find your name and insist that your parents call you by it! Like this, “Mother–you simple DO NOT command Captain Jane Squiddly Britches to clean her room.  Saavy?” (WPL is not responsible for groundings and/or lectures about respectful discourse)
• Learn the lingo. Don’t Sprechen Sie the lingity? You can learn to speak pirate with our Mango Language program from our online collections.
• Sing a pirate song! Here is a super mash up video from Pirates of the Caribbean and Muppet Treasure Island. Have you considered the life of a professional pirate? Maybe you should! (WPL is not responsible for angry guidance counselors or your sudden disinterest in attending business school)

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Fame, Fortune, and the Bran Muffins of Doom: A Beta Books Review

Posted on August 31st, 2012 by Becky.
Categories: Beta Books, Books, Events.

Edrictheninja, another book fan at Beta Books, our read-’em-before-they-are-published teen book club, has submitted our latest review! Check out his thoughts below. Curious? Get the scoop here, sign out a book from the Teen Center, and mark your calendar for the next meeting!

Reviewer: edrictheninja

Title: Fame, Fortune, and the Bran Muffins of DOOM

Author: Marty Kelley

What did you think of the cover? It definetly made attracted your attention and the way he wrote the title made it clear that it takes place in elementary school.

What did you think of the book? the book was good and also pretty funny but had a lot of big words I understood most of them but i dont know if the target audience (young peaple according to holiday house a part of the marketing campiagn) would understand it. also the title made it sound as though it was more focused on bran muffins of doom versus the fame and fortune part

How would you rate this book? 3 stars – Pretty good. I wanted to see how it ended.

0 comments.

Beta Books: The latest reviews are in!

Posted on August 8th, 2012 by Becky.
Categories: Beta Books, Books, Events, Words & Writing.

The readers at Beta Books, our read-’em-before-they-are-published teen book club, have been super-busy this summer! Read on for their latest reviews. Curious? Get the scoop here, sign out a book from the Teen Center, and mark your calendar for the next meeting!

Reviewer: Emma D.

Title: October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard

Author: Leslea Newman

What did you think of the cover? It matched the story because it was the scene of the incident that happened.

What did you think of the book? I loved the format of it being in poems but hearing the feelings of inanimate objects. Yes, I would recommend it, but to someone who could handle it.

How would you rate this book? 4 stars – Awesome. I loved it and would give it to a friend.

Reviewer: sema3

Title: The High-Skies Adventures of Blue Jay the Pirate

Author: Scott Nash

What did you think of the cover? I think the cover reflected the story well. I don’t think the cover should be changed.

What did you think of the book? My favorite part was the part where the half destroyed ship flew along with gabriel flying in front of the ship. Another good part was when they were steeling weapons from the crows armory. I think I would recommend the book to a friend.

How would you rate this book? 5 stars – Unbelievable! I’d rather read this book than sleep!

Reviewer: edrictheninja

Title: The Classroom: The Epic Documentary of a Not-Yet-Epic Kid

Author: Robin Mellom

What did you think of the cover? it helped you imagine all of the characters appearances

What did you think of the book? i thought it was very entertaining and funny, i would reccomend it to a friend, and my favorite part was the end where he dumped orange soda on Coreys head and he ran into the girls restroom

How would you rate this book? 4 stars – Awesome. I loved it and would give it to a friend.

0 comments.

Mirror, Mirror: Wardrobe and Beauty Tips and Tricks

Posted on August 7th, 2012 by Becky.
Categories: Events, Fashion.

(Image by Flickr user Bram & Vera)

Calling all who love fashion! Do you know what clothes work for your body type? What colors look great with your skin tone? You’ll want to register for this event and mark your calendars!

What: Get tips and tricks and the latest trends from a personal shopper and make-up artist.

When: Monday, August 27, 7-8:30 pm

Where: Meeting Room A

How: Register here, or call 614-882-7277 ext. 5004

1 comment.

It’s a Transformation! Teen ARC Club –> Beta Books

Posted on May 7th, 2012 by Becky.
Categories: Beta Books, Books, Events.

Those of you who have visited our Teen ARC Club have probably heard the news — we’re changing the name! We voted and chose democratically: beginning in June, this group will be known as Beta Books. New name; same great flavor! Not to worry — we’ll still be reading and sharing ARCs (that’s Advanced Reading Copies — preview copies of books that haven’t yet been published!). We’ll meet 4-5 pm in the Activity Center on these days:

Friday, May 25

Wed, June 27

Wed, July 25

Wed, August 22

If you can’t make it to a meeting, never fear! You can sign out a book from the Teen Center at any time, and share your thoughts online. (However, the meetings are pretty hilar. I would recommend stopping by for the laughs and snacks if nothing else…)

Here’s our latest review from reader Maddie (thanks, Maddie!). The book is now out, so you can reserve it:

Title: Hourglass

Author: Myra McEntire

What did you think of the book? I liked everything about the book. It was well written with few if no mistakes, easy to read, and went by fast. My favorite part was when they went back in time to save the professor. I would recommend it to a friend.

How would you rate this book? 5 stars – Unbelievable! I’d rather read this book than sleep!

What did you think of the cover? I think the cover fit the book well. It showed how she’s coming from one place to the other. In my opinion, I’d like it if it showed both where shes going and where she’s coming out of.

3 comments.

Summer Orientations for Teen Volunteers: They’re Coming!

Posted on April 23rd, 2012 by Becky.
Categories: Events, Teen Volunteers.

Come find out the scoop about volunteering at the Library’s %2012 Summer Reading Program and summer events!

Summer Reading Volunteers MUST attend at least one orientation, so mark your calendar:

• Sun, May %20 @ 3 pm;
• Thurs, May 24 @ 7 pm; or
• Sat, May 26 @ 3 pm

Bring your schedule to sign up for times to volunteer!

Need to fill out a volunteer application or ask a question? All the links you need are in the “Teen Volunteer Opportunities” box on the top right of this blog.

Hope to see YOU volunteering this summer!

0 comments.

Poetry Jam workshop this Sunday!!

Posted on April 12th, 2012 by Becky.
Categories: Books, Events, Words & Writing.

Calling all writers age 12-16! This Sunday from 3-4 pm, poet Jennifer Hambrick will be hosting Poetry Jam: Bringing Your World to Life in Poetry.

Maybe you’ve never written poetry and want to try your hand at it, or maybe you’ve written some free verse and want to write more. Either way, here’s your chance!

We’ll find poem subjects from the world around us, turn them “on their heads,” mine them for meaning, and tell their stories in free verse poems. We’ll also workshop our poems and learn how to give and receive constructive criticism.

Bring plenty of paper and pencils and come prepared to look at your world a little differently! Registration required — click here to register online, or call 614-882-7277 x 5006.

0 comments.

Getting Hungry? Hunger Games Party for Teens this Friday!

Posted on March 19th, 2012 by Mickie.
Categories: Events.

Friday from 4:00-5:30 is our Hunger Games Movie Release Party!

Before you hit the theater tonight, join us as we explore Panem through food, fashion, and fun. Which district will you represent? Will you survive the Arena? How great is the movie going to be?! Costumes are encouraged! And may the odds be EVER in your favor!

While you are counting the minutes until the release, check out these foreign covers for the The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Which do you like the best? Give me a shout back in the comments…

2 comments.

Happy Pi Day!

Posted on March 14th, 2012 by Becky.
Categories: Books, Events.

It's March 14, aka 3/14, aka 3.14 or Pi Day! Everyone's favorite number that never ends and never repeats is definitely deserving of its own day. And if you think math and fiction can't overlap, think again! There's a great roundup of math-related books on The Hub, and a few highlighted below:

Making money has never been as funny as in Gary Paulsen's intro to basic economic principles.

In the near future, teenager Matt’s family exceeds their legal debt limit and Matt is taken by the government.