Summer Recap

Welcome to a new school year!  No matter if you love it or hate it, there is no doubt that is is upon us again.

Here at the library, we had a great summer.  We had classes and film screenings and craft sessions and more.

Just a little recap:

Making dream catchers during Crafternoon:

Crafternoon 3 using bleach on black shirts:

Stargazing (I couldn't get good pictures of the outside portion):

One of our many game nights:

Glass etching during Crafternoon 4:

Zombies After Hours:

The winning zombie cookie.



I wasn't able to get pictures of all our activities, but there were lots more than this and we had a great time.

Now, we're gearing up to get back to our regularly scheduled programming.

If you need volunteer hours and/or are a great party planner or into the latest books, consider applying to be on the Teen Library Council.  They are responsible for helping me order everything in the teen area and for planning events.  Applications can be picked up in the Teen Library or from your English teacher at school and are due by August 31.

Anime Club will start meeting again on September 11.  It is the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 5-6:30 and is open to all teens.

Teen Tuesdays will start back up on September 25.  They are the 4th Tuesday of each month from 5-7pm.  TLC plans a different theme for each of these with food and activities to go with it and they are a ton of fun.

We also have a new program debuting this fall called Friday After Hours.  It'll be September 21 and November 16 this fall from 6-10pm.  We'll eat, watch movies, do crafts, and other stuff as decided by TLC.

We also scatter special activities throughout the year, like Banned Books Week Open Mic Night (Oct. 2), Teen Read Week Read-a-Thon (Oct. 19), and our 2nd Annual Scary Movie Marathon (Oct. 26).  That's just a sampling, so be sure to keep up to date on teen activities on the teen calendar.

I hope you have a painless school year!  See you soon!

Our Library: the Summer Edition

I think libraries get a bad rap.  They are so stereotyped: the librarian with glasses and a bun, shushing people as they browse the stacks.  When I go into schools to chat with students, I'm always sure to tell them that we are not your mother's library.  We are LOUD.  We are so much more than books (although, we have a lot of those as well!): we have video games going all the time and computers that are age discriminate so only teens can log on.  We have some really comfy couches too, perfect for hanging out.  It is very rare that I'll ever shush you, although I can't say it has never happened. ;-)

See?  This is the second picture that popped up on Google Images.

I work very hard, in coordination with my Teen Library Council, to make sure that this is a great place for teens, no matter if you're attending a program or just coming to do some homework without your little brother bugging you constantly.  Our summer reading program and activities are no different.

I've broken things up into 3 different categories this summer.

I love this year's theme!

Summer Reading Program

This is where the swag is.  Basically, for every hour increment that you hit (we start at 10 hours and go up to 70), you get a prize.  You are guaranteed something at every level.  Prizes start small with pizza gift certificates and eventually work up into t-shirts and lunch at the Thai place and cap out with a drawing for a Kindle Fire (you read that right).  We have TONS of prizes, not just the stuff I mentioned here.

Some people are hesitant to do the reading program because they aren't really "readers."  That's ok!  We count listening to audiobooks in our program too.  Audiobooks are anywhere from around 7-10 hours long, so theoretically you could listen to 7 books and be eligible for the Kindle drawing.

Our summer reading program for teens starts June 4.  We're having a picnic lunch on the patio that day from 11-1, so you can come pick up your reading forms and grab lunch and a book at the same time.  But you aren't limited to that day or time; the reading forms will be available until we run out, which could be days or weeks later.

Summer Book Chats

This year, all the books in our book chats are independent novels, meaning that you don't have to read one to understand the next.  I hope that that makes it easier for people to attend one session and not the others, if they so choose.  Additionally, participants who attend the book chat will get to keep their book.  Score!

This year's books:

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Peak by Roland Smith

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefeter

Summer Activities

This is where the meat of our summer is.  We have lots and lots of different activities going on.  There is something for everyone!  We have AR Game and Fish coming out twice to issue boating safety certificates and, later, hunter's education cards.  We have craft sessions.  We have a Lord of the Rings movie marathon.  And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Seriously, there are so many things that I lack the stamina to type them all out.  You can pick up a brochure of everything from the library, if you happen to swing by, or you can go to our website to download a copy.

Registration for our summer activities starts May 28.  Everything except the picnic on June 4 and the Game Nights on Tuesdays requires registration; how else will I know how much food I need??

I'm thrilled about all our summer programs and I hope that you are too!  And, remember, you are always welcome to call me (580-0987 x 2703) or email me (miranda.w@baxlib.org) with any questions or issues.

Happy summer!

Mandy's Book of the Week (5/7)

Howdy!  I was on vacation last week and, while I was there, I spent a lot of time with my feet buried in the sand reading a good book.  It was great!

This week's book is a bit older but it is a new addition (within the last 6 months) to our library.

This book follows three best friends (Maddie, Zoe, and Angela) through the beginning of their sophomore year in high school.  It is formatted totally in chat mode (through IM), which is a neat twist.

Each girl has something going on that is either pulling her away from her friends or pushing her back toward them.  Angela is a bit boy crazy and lands several boyfriends.  Zoe is being hit on by a teacher (which she doesn't realize) and discovering religion.  And Maddie makes an epic mistake that gets forwarded to the entire school.

This is the first book of three and is one of the most challenged books in the country.  It frequently ends up on a Banned Books Week list.  It is a fun and quick read and waiting on you here at the library!

Mandy's Book of the Week (4/23)

Hello all!  Today I present you with a graphic novel.  I don't think I've ever highlighted one of these before, so I'm happy to have found one so awesome!

I'm not a visual learner, so graphic novels, in and of themselves, haven't ever had too strong of a draw for me.  This one, however, is great.

American Born Chinese is essentially three stories wrapped in to one.  First you have the old Chinese tale of the Monkey King.  Then, the story of Danny and his cousin Chin Kee.  And last, the story of Jin Wang, a boy whose parents immigrated from China and who really just wants to fit in.

I'm not going to get much into the tale of the Monkey King because I'd give too much away.  Just know that there is a monkey who rules over a mountain but that's not enough for him: he wants to be a god.

Danny is a white boy with a Chinese cousin.  This Chinese cousin, Chin Kee, comes to visit him every year and he is THE WORST.  He is basically every stereotype about the Chinese all rolled up in to one person.  Every year that he comes to visit, something so embarrassing happens that Danny is forced to transfer schools.

Jin Wang spends his first 9 years living in Chinatown, so he grows up with his parents' customs and other kids who look like him.  When he's 9, he moves to a suburb and is one of the only non-white kids at his school.  His whole world changes and he experiences racism for the first time.  He befriends a boy who has recently moved from Taiwan, but there is more to this boy than Jin knows.

At the end of the book, these three stories are linked together through some truly masterful storytelling.

Between the story, which is amazing, and the artwork, which is also incredible, you'd be hard pressed to find a better graphic novel in our collection.  Enjoy!

Mandy's Book of the Week (3/26)

Did everyone have a great spring break?  I ended mine by seeing The Hunger Games, so I'm a happy girl!

In the spirit of The Hunger Games, I'm offering up another book that is a serious mind trip.

This book is set about two generations (50ish years) in the future.  Some time in that 50 years, there was a war, called the Heartland War.  This war took place over abortion.  The pro-life side wanted life to be held sacred from conception while the pro-choice side wanted abortions to be available during the entire pregnancy.  Both sides got so worked up that a war broke out between them.

Eventually, they reached a compromise: life is held sacred from conception to the age of 13.  Between the ages of 13 and 18, if an abortion is still wanted, the parents can put an Unwind order on the child.  All parts (or, actually, 99.4%) of the child must still be living after s/he is unwound.  Basically, they divide you into pieces and give you to people who need new arms or hearts or eyes.  Terrifying, no?

If you would've had an abortion and really can't take care of your child, you can "stork" the baby.  Basically, you can leave it on someone's doorstep.  That person, when they find the baby, is then legally obligated to raise it.  If you get caught "storking" your baby, you have to keep it.

So twisted.

The story follows three teens who are set to be unwound: Risa, Connor, and Lev. 

Connor is one of those teens that just exasperate his parents.  He's not a bad kid, just difficult.  He gets in a lot of fights and isn't the best student, but he can still be thoughful and get good grades when he wants to.  Basically, he's a typical teen.  Connor stumbled across his Unwind Order by accident.  He was looking for something in his dad's desk and found it, along with three tickets to the Bahamas (one for mom, dad, and his little brother) for the day after he was to be unwound.

Risa is a ward of the state.  She is bright, gets good grades, and is a very talented piano player.  Unfortunately there have been some budget cuts and, since she isn't the next Mozart, they schedule her to be unwound to make room for someone else.

Lev is a tithe.  He is the 10th child in his family and, because 10% of everything is supposed to be given to God, he was designated to be that 10%.  He's being unwound for religious reasons.

The way in which these three stumble upon each other is a wild ride.  And this book will make you think while horrifying you at the same time.

The sequel, UnWholly, will be out in August.

Mandy's Book of the Week (3/12)

I dig dystopia.  The whole "big bad awful future" stuff is among my favorite thing to read right now, so, of course, I loved this book.

In Beatrice's world, there are four factions: Dauntless, for the brave, Amity, for the peaceful, Candor, for the honest, Erudite, the intelligent, and Abnegation, for the selfless.  The society deems that you must live with your faction of birth until the age of 16.  At that point, you get to decide your faction. Many choose to stay with their faction of birth ("faction before blood" is the motto, so you don't see much of your family if you go into a different one), but many also choose to change factions.

Beatrice loves her family, but she doesn't feel as selfless as the rest of them.  While they truly personify the meaning of the word, she feels more selfish and like she doesn't fit in with her faction.

Before you get to choose your faction, you are put through some mental tests to determine where you might fit the best.  The vast majority of people show a propensity for one faction very clearly.  Beatrice, however, does not.  She is a clear split in three equal directions.  This is known as being Divergent and is terribly dangerous.  Her test administrator tells her to keep this fact a secret because most people who are known Divergents end up dead.

On choosing day, Beatrice chooses to become Dauntless.  They are put through brutal and rigorous training at the Dauntless compound, but Tris, as she's now known, is coming out on top.  As they are nearing the end of their training, political upheaval begins and Tris, because she's a Divergent, is one of the only people who can save her blood family.

This book is simply amazing.  The sequel, Insurgent, is coming out in May.  I promise, you won't be able to put this one down!

Mandy's Book of the Week (3/5)

Happy Monday!

This week is Teen Tech Week and we're celebrating with a contest or artsy workshop after school each day.  For a full schedule of events, go to our website.

In honor of the technology geek in all of us, I present a tech book this week.

Mike and Lindsey are best friends and have been for a long time.  Mike falls for Lindsey.  Just as he's getting the courage to tell her, they have a disagreement, a total misunderstanding, and Lindsey leaves town for the summer.  When she comes back, she is suddenly very popular.  She doesn't even have the time of day for Mike anymore.

Then, at a party, Lindsey gets herself into a very...compromising...situation that is caught in its entirety on a cell phone camera and posted online.  The video goes viral and Lindsey feels as if her life is destroyed.  Mike has to decide if he is a big enough man to forgive Lindsey for everything she's done and be there for her in her time of need.

This book is a teensy little book, but it packs a big punch.  How terrifying, the thought of having something like that posted on the Internet!

Definitely a book for guys and girls, so come snag it today!