HANDLE WITH CARE

Just a few minutes ago, as I was straightening up the new book display in the Young Adult area, I found something that made me very sad. Our new copy of This Dark Endeavor: the Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel was badly damaged. Though it only has a few torn pages, I will have to remove it from the collection because any more tearing will make the last few pages impossible to read.

(watch the book trailer)

Please, if you return a book that has torn pages, gotten wet, has food stains, or been damaged in any way, tell us. If you tell us right away it gives us an opportunity to repair the book A.S.A.P. Be aware that if the book is badly damaged, as was This Dark Endeavor, and we have to withdraw it from our collection we will ask you to pay for it. (You get to keep the book!) However, by paying the replacement fee it will allow us to purchase a new copy, allowing the book to be available for the next person who wishes to read it.

Send me an email telling me what you've read that you have liked.
kids@scarborough.lib.me.us

Three new books!

Remember Toby McGill? We first met him in Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor. While working at the pizza place Killer Pizza, Toby and his friends are shocked when they find out the shop is really a front for an underground monster hunting organization. Now they are back in this new installment.

Killer Pizza: The Slice. Toby, Annabel, and Strobe's visit to New York City is cut short when they are sent on a secret mission delivering a defecting monster to the Monster Protection Program.

Stephen Biesty, best known for his Cross Section books, has paired up with writer Stewart Ross in a book about explorers. Into the Unknown: how great explorers found their way by land, sea, and air highlights specific travelers and what they used to get around. There is Pytheas the Greek, Leif Eriksson, Captain Cook, and Umberto Nobile, to name a few. For each entry, Biesty has a pull-out section showing details about the explorers mode of transport. It is a lovely book; one that readers can dip into over and over again.

Every wonder what to do if a pack of wolves threatened to attack you? What if you were pinned under a fallen rock? These and many more make up The Worst-Case Senario Survive-O-Pedia. After a brief explanation on how the accidents can happen, the book explains in four or more easy steps, how to come out alive. The book's design reminds me of Ripley's Believe It or Not! with it's two page spreads, limited text, color photos, and entertaining diagrams. This is a great book to take along on those long car rides.

Stop in and we point out more new books!

Would you like a little Dystopia with that novel?

Why are novels with a Dystopian theme all the rage right now in Young Adult literature? Maybe it's because the future of human society is unknown, so writers are free to imagine all kinds of scenarios.

The term Dystopian comes from the French word Dystopia, which means "an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives." (from the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary) It is the opposite of Utopia, a word taken from the book Utopia written by Sir Thomas More in 1516. Utopia describes a place of ideal perfection.

A very popular Dystopian novel is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

If you liked The Hunger Games, try:

Divergent by Veronica Roth. The story takes place in a future Chicago where sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life. Her decision is made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomoly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

Or Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. It won the 2011 Printz Award. "In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl."


Another book that is quickly becoming popular is Matched by Ally Condie.
"All her life, Cassia has never had a choice. The Society dictates everything: when and how to play, where to work, where to live, what to eat and wear, when to die, and most importantly to Cassia as she turns 17, who to marry."

The sequel, Crossed, continues to story of Cassia as she sacrifices everything and heads to the Outer Provinces in search of Ky, where she is confronted with shocking revelations about Society and the promise of rebellion".

My personal, all-time favorite is The White Mountains by John Christopher. Written in 1967, this fast-paced, exciting story is the first in The Tripods trilogy. "Young Will Parker and his companions make a perilous journey toward an outpost of freedom where they hope to escape from the ruling Tripods, who capture mature human beings and make them docile, obedient servants."

Do you have a favorite Dystopian novel? Send me an email to kids@scarborough.lib.me.us
with your title(s).

Megan Turner

On Wednesday afternoon on October 26, the Scarborough Library Teen Book Group had a Skype visit with author, Megan Whalen Turner. It was so awesome. Megan was funny, insightful, and very, very interesting. We all had lots of questions that she graciously answered.

Our next book for discussion is Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg.
"When he is wrongly accused of gravely injuring his baby half-sister, thirteen-year-old Branwell loses his power of speech and only his friend Connor is able to reach him and uncover the truth about what really happened."


If you are in Grades 6 thru 8 and you are interested in joining the book group, please contact Mrs. C in the
Youth Services Department. 883-4723 ext. 6278

Want to join a book club?

The library has a teen book club. If you enjoy reading and talking about the books you've read then this is for you. We meet for one hour. Our next meeting is Wednesday, October 26 at 4 pm. We will be talking about the book, The Thief by Megan Turner.


BOOK SUMMARY: "The most powerful advisor to the King of Sounis is the magus. He's not a wizard, he's a scholar, an aging solider, not a thief. When he needs something stolen, he pulls a young thief from the King's prison to do the job for him.

Gen is a thief and proud of it. When his bragging lands him behind bars he has one chance to win his freedom-- journey to a neighboring kingdom with the magus, find a legendary stone called Hamiathes's Gift and steal it.

The magus has plans for his King and his country. Gen has plans of his own.

The Thief is the first book in the Queen's Thief series. Faced paced, the surprise ending will leave you breathless and reaching for the book two, The Queen of Attolia.

Watch the trailer for The Thief.

If you haven't read The Thief, that's okay. Come and talk about a book you've recently read and enjoyed.

For more information contact the Youth Services Department and ask for Mrs. C

883-4723 extention 6278

Have you read this book?

This Dark Endeavor: the apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
by Kenneth Oppel

This dark and dramatic gothic tale is set in eighteenth century Geneva Republic. The young Victor Frankenstein, 16 years old, attempts to create the forbidden Elixir of Life that was described in an ancient text found in his family's secret Biblioteka Obscura.

For fans of The Monstrumologist : William James Henry by Richard Yancy or Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

Early Release Day Party

Just a reminder that Friday is the day for some fun at the Library!

Hope to see you there.

Early Release Day Party!

Early Release Day Party!
Noon to 4 pm for grades 6 thru 8

If you find yourself waiting for a ride home, come over to the Library for some fun!
We'll have our gaming center up and running, along with board games and an arts and crafts table.

Record a sixty-second book talk we will post to this blog!

Bring your own snack and have fun!

If you are thinking about coming, please have your parents read over the Library's After School Use policy.

See you there!

Reading Assignments

School is back in session, and with that comes the reading assignments.
First up was Colonial Fiction.

We are left wondering what is next.

Just a reminder that we do have a wide range of genre specific titles for you to check out. Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Suspense and Mystery, and Science Fiction/Fantasy. Call ahead to the Youth Services (883-4723, ext. 6277) and ask us to hold a few titles for you. Or send us a quick email with your request (mrsc@scarborough.lib.me.us) We will have several books waiting for you at the front desk. Easy-peasy.

So, what is the next reading assignment?

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

A book talk written by Sasha.

The Alchemyst
by Michael Scott
Book One in The Secrets of Nicholas Flamel.





15-year-old Sophie Newman and her twin brother Josh are just ordinary people, until the yfind that fact is false. Sophie and Josh possess incredible power, but only Sophie's power is "awakened". Meanwhile, Josh works for Nicholas Flamel, who is actually an Alchemyst. (An alchemyst is a person who practices acient tradition that includes mythological, religious, and spiritual concepts). Nicholas owns an ancient book called, The Codex. His enemy, Dr. John Dee steals the Codex, all but the last page! If Dee gets that last page then the whole world might end! Can Sophie, Josh, Nicholas, along with a warrior maid, Scathach (Scatty) save that from happening?







The Alchemyst is a book anyone can enjoy!

Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

The ghost of Jade Green haunts the dark and gloomy home of Judith Sparrow’s Uncle Geoffrey. The townsfolk say that the young Jade cut off her own hand!
Uncle Geoffrey agrees to let penniless orphan Judith Sparrow live with him under one condition: She must NOT bring anything green into the house. Judith thinks that’s a strange rule, but she accepts it. Well, almost. She does bring one green thing in, but it is well hidden. Or so she thought! Could that be the cause of the mysterious happenings? When she hears the clawing and scratching coming from the closet, Judith was very sorry she did not head his warning! Read Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor to find out what happens to Judith Sparrow!

Last Shot by John Feinstein

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery
by John Feinstein

Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson have won a trip of a lifetime -- to cover the Final Four tournament being held in New Orleans. And, they get to cover the game as reporters! Quickly, Susan and Stevie discover that someone is trying to blackmail star player Chip Graber into throwing the championship game. The two college reporters team up to track down the culprit!

Pick up Last Shot by John Feinstein for a fast-paced, sports mytery.

Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

I keep thinking I’ll post a film of myself giving a booktalk. I don’t know why I haven’t. It’s almost the end of summer! I think I need someone to come in and hold the video camera.

Instead, I will write out my booktalk.

Small as an Elephant
Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Published by Candlewick Press, 2011

Jack love elephants. His first real memory is seeing an elephant at a circus.

Jack was hoping that on their way to their campsite at Acadia National Park, his mom would stop by York Wild Animal Kingdom so he could see Lydia, the park’s elephant.

That is what caused the argument between mother and son. This vacation was supposed to be really fun. A great get-away before Jack starts school. Yet on that first morning when Jack wakes up and walks out of his tent, he discovers his mother has abandoned him. She took the food and left Jack with about $12. That was the money he had saved for souvenirs!

I wasn’t sure I’d like this book because I thought it would be really depressing, but it wasn’t. I was hooked from page 1.

“Elephants can sense danger. They’re able to detect an approaching tsunami or earthquake before it hits. Unfortunately, Jack did not have this talent. The day his life was turned completely upside down, he was caught unaware.”

The story follows Jack as he makes his way from Acadia National Park back to his home in Boston, hoping no one will notice him. All he has for company on his long journey is a small toy elephant. He keeps himself company by remembering facts about elephants.

I’ve been a big fan of Jacobson’s ever since I read Winnie Dancing on her Own. Jacobson is a gifted writer.

What have you been reading?

GAMING NIGHT AT THE LIBRARY!

On Thursday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. the Library will host another GAMING EVENT. We have a variety of gaming devises, both old and new to choose from. Hope to see you there!

TEEN BOOK GROUP TONIGHT

Just a reminder that tonight, Thursday, July 14 at 6:30 pm is the YA Book Group. This informal gathering is a chance to talk about what you’ve been reading so far this summer. If you are planning on attending, email me (mrsc@scarborough.lib.me.us) or call (883-4723. Option 3) to let me know.

What are YOU reading this summer?

Early Monday morning on January 10, 2011 In San Diego the winner of the Michael L. Printz Award was announced. This award is for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a Topeka, Kansas school librarian who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association.
So what book one this year’s Printz Award?

Ship Breaker
by Paolo Bacigalupi
Published by Little, Brown and Company,
a division of Hachette Book Group.

In Ship Breaker, near a drowned New Orleans ravaged by hurricanes and global warming, Nailer and his young crew eke out a meager existence by scavenging materials on the ship-littered coast.

It is a taut, suspenseful novel that is also a relentless adventure story featuring Nail who risks his life to rescue the swank girl, Nita. Bacigalupi artfully intertwines themes of loyalty, family, friendship, trust and love.

As I read this book I kept waiting for it to get boring, but it never did. Page after page I found myself forgoing sleep in order to get to the amazing ending. Yes, I did expect what happened, but because the writing was so gripping I overlooked the predictability.

If you want a great book to curl up with this summer, try Ship Breaker!

Ship Breaker is about a dystopian society. Other science fiction books you might enjoy include: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer, Trash by Andy Mulligan, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Exodus by Julie Bertagna, and Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien.

Check out the new book display!

Over the past two days there have been a lot of Scarborough middle schoolers rushing into the Library hoping to pick up one of the titles listed on the reading list. It is great to see so many of you wanting to get a jump on the assignment. However, I bet you are finding that most, if not all of the books have already been checked out from the Scarborough Public Library. Holy petunia! There is hope!

Let me take this time to remind you to request the book or books you want to read. If you don’t, you are going to have a l-o-n-g wait until the book is on the shelf.

We understand you really want to read the titles listed, but the assignment states that you can read any title written by those authors. So, We made a display of those other books. Why not give them a try.

For example, Rodman Philbrick (The Last Book in the Universe) wrote an equally compelling story in The Young Man and the Sea. It's boy versus nature. Skiff Beaman undertakes a dangerous trip alone off the coast of Maine to try and catch a bluefin tuna. He’s hoping that by selling the enormous fish, he will earn enough money to take care of himself.

Jerry Spinelli has lots of books to choose from. By far his best is Maniac Magee. Jerry Magee becomes legendary in this snappy story that takes a look at race relations.

A don’t ignore A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle. Vicky Austin, whom we first met in Meet the Austins is spending the summer in Florida to visit with her grandfather, who is dying of leukemia. Vicky is able to find comfort with a pod of dolphins.

These are just a few of the many titles you can find at the Library that will meet the reading list assignment.

Share one of your favorite books written by one of the author’s on the reading list.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Our very own Mrs. C recommended this book to me, and I have to say, I was not disappointed. From the first page, I could not put this book down. Jennifer Donnelly, who also wrote the acclaimed A Northern Light, weaves a tale that encompasses rock music, the French Revolution, two teenage girls from different centuries, and how it is possible to recover from soul-crushing grief.

Andi Alpers is a 17 year old girl who looks, from the surface, to have everything. She is super smart and a talented guitarist with a Nobel-prize winning father, an artist mother, and a place at an exclusive New York school, but it is clear from the offset that she is suffering. Not just poor-little-rich-girl suffering, but the kind of grief that makes her consider the unthinkable. We soon learn that her younger brother, Truman, died in tragic circumstances and Andi blames herself.

Flunking out of every class except music, Andi is given an ultimatum by her often-absent father: she must accompany him to Paris and finish the outline for a final thesis (about a fictional classical composer) while he completes DNA testing of a preserved heart that historians claim belonged to Louis-Charles, the doomed Prince of France, who was imprisoned during the French Revolution. Once there, Andi finds an old diary written by Alex, a street performer who was a companion to Louis-Charles and who charted her own experiences as well as the terror of living through the Revolution. Andi becomes engrossed in Alex’s story, as do we, and we find out what happens to Alex and the little prince. Through the diary (and with a little help from a cute rapper named Virgil), Andi begins to see her way out of the shadows of grief.

The last third of the book did not have the same appeal to me as the rest of the novel, where Andi experiences a time-slip that seems to come out of nowhere, but the rest of the novel is more than strong enough to pull the reader through. By the end, we learn of Alex’s and the Dauphin’s fate and learn if Andi can be saved from herself.

This book is very dense and detailed but was so engaging that I read it much faster than many shorter books. I would recommend it to readers who are interested in historical fiction, but also edgy stories about teenagers with problems. Music lovers (especially guitarists) are in for a treat, and readers who are already Donnelly fans will be blown away by this book.

The Montmaray Journals, Books I & II

A Brief History of Montmaray: The Montmaray Journals, Book I
and
The FitzOsbornes in Exile: The Montmaray Journals, Book II
by Michelle Cooper

Reading a review of The FitzOsbornes in Exile, the newest book by Michelle Cooper, sent me looking for A Brief History of Montmaray, Cooper’s first book in the series, The Montmaray Journals.

I had shelved A Brief History of Montmaray many times, yet had little interest in reading it. I think it was because of the cover; I just assumed it was another story filled with crumbling castles, vampires, and a long-forgotten mystery. Boy! Was I wrong!

Instead, I stumbled upon a book filled with intrigue and romance. The story is set in 1936 on the remote island of Montmaray, where the last descendants of an impoverished royal family attempt to survive.

Written as journal entries, we are immediately drawn into sixteen-year-old Sophia FitzOsborne’s dilemma: How can she convince her cousin, Veronica, to leave their island home and travel to dazzling London to be presented to society? Both girls are princesses, but Veronica, a year older than Sophia, is determined to stay on Montmaray to continue her research for her massive tome, 'A Brief History of Montmaray'.

Sophia records the day-to-day adventures with Veronica, her younger sister Henry (her real name is Henrietta, but she changed her name because she wanted to be a boy), Rebecca, the often hostile housekeeper who looks after Veronica’s father, John, who is King. Sophia also shares her love for the handsome Simon Chester and her longing to go to London for her debut into society.

Readers will quickly understand that with the instability of a world on the verge of war – Hitler is rising to power – things will quickly change and never be the same again.

Oh, and did I say there is a murder and a mystery!

If you have read, I Captured the Castle by Dodie Smith or A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, you will absolutely be enthralled by A Brief History of Montmaray. The sequel, The FitzOsborne’s in Exile picks up Sophia’s narrative five days after A Brief History ends.

Happy Reading… Lire Pour le Plaisir!