Our Box City!

       A group of teens had a blast last Wednesday night at our first Teen Program of the summer: Let’s Build a Box City!  

        Karen Martin, who works at SEDCO and has a Master’s degree in City Planning, helped the kids think about what buildings they might want in their town.  The teens worked in groups, with each group deciding which buildings they would create from all kinds of boxes brought in by the staff at SPL.  We had a library (of course!), a huge mall, a nuclear power plant, police and fire station, farm, town hall, church, school, beach, bus – and even the last phone booth in America!  At the end of our time together, the kids assembled their town, deciding, with Karen’s help, what buildings went together and how best to layout a community.  

       Lots of good thinking and great creativity happened! 


       Karen Martin was very impressed and had a blast with the teens.  A big “thank you” to her for sharing her time and knowledge with us.

      More great summer Teen Programs are scheduled!  Teen Board Games will be happening July 2nd, Let’s Get a Clue, with Detective Ron Nelsen on July 9th, Improv with David LaGraff on July 16th, a showing of the great movie, “Back to the Future” on July 23rd and learning about flight on July 30th with Trent Schreiber from 4-H.  


       And of course there is the final Teen Party (free book and ice cream! )for all participants in the Summer Reading Program  on August 6th!

There is lots going on in the Youth Services Room at Scarborough Public library this summer. Stop by!

Happy reading,
Connie

After "The Fault of Our Stars"...Now what?

So you read and loved John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and you saw the movie.  Now what?  

Here are some great books to read.

Anything by author John Green is a great choice. Here are two suggestions.

Looking for Alaska
      Miles heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School. Down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. Like every other boy there, Miles falls madly in love with her. Then. . . . After.  Nothing is ever the same.

An Abundance of Katherines
     Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate Colin sets off on a road trip to try to find some new direction in life and create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships. 

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
       One of my favorite recent books.
       Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by  Jesse Andrews
       Seventeen-year-old Greg has managed to become part of every social group at his Pittsburgh high school without having any friends, but his life changes when his mother forces him to befriend Rachel, a girl he once knew in Hebrew school who has leukemia.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
       When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his class mate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah’s voice recounting the events leading up to her death.

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn  Schneider
       Star athlete and prom king Ezra Faulkner's life is irreparably transformed by a tragic accident and the arrival of eccentric new girl Cassidy Thorpe.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
       After she dies in a car crash, teenage Samantha relives the day of her death over and over again until, on the seventh day, she finally discovers a way to save herself.

Happy Reading!
Connie

"That was the best Friday night ever!"

       That was an enthusiastic remark overheard at the end of last Friday night’s Teen LockDown!  Nearly 40 kids had a blast with the quiz show, karaoke, wii, arts and crafts, Twister, bean bag toss, book dominoes, snacks and more.

We ended the night with a flash mob of the Cupid Shuffle!  Too  fun.  

 

                                    Mrs. C. gets her penny in the paper cup she made!!

        Don’t forget to sign up for our Summer Reading Program. Record what you read in a log that you turn in by August 2nd to be invited to an ice cream party and get a free book.  Also, check the library’s website to learn about all the cool Teen Programs happening on Wednesday nights this summer.  Be sure to sign up as slots fill quickly!

Happy Reading,
Connie

Lockdown @ the Library June 6th!

It’s time for another fabulous, fun-filled LOCKDOWN at the Library!  

On June 6th, from 6-8:30, the library will be closed to everyone but entering 6th, 7th and 8th graders.  The theme is Game Night, and there will be a quiz show, Lego relay, karaoke, book dominoes, wii, snacks and MORE!  

This event kicks-off the Teen Summer Reading Program. Be sure to register for that and sign up for all the cool programs that will be offered on Wednesday nights this summer!

Thanks to the Teen Advisory Board for their help in planning this event.

Pre-registration is required for the Lockdown.  There needs to be at least 25 kids signed up for the Lockdown to happen.  So, grab your friends and sign up today!  Stop by the Youth Services desk or call 883-4723 option 3.

See you there!

Connie

Read the book before the movie comes out!

On June 6th, “The Fault in Our Stars,” based on John Green’s amazing novel of the same name, is coming to theaters.  Read the book first!  It will make you laugh and cry all at once. 

        It’s the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster, who is 16 and a three-year stage IV–cancer survivor.  She understandably is very depressed. To help her deal with this, her doctor sends her to a weekly support group where she meets Augustus Waters, a fellow cancer survivor, and the two fall in love. Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share a witty sense of humor and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel's other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and don’t forget they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.


      John Green looks at big issues in this book:  life, love, and death—with sensitivity and honesty. Readers feel what it is like to live with cancer, sometimes no more than a breath or a heartbeat away from death. But really the book celebrates love and life.


      John Green is a popular author for young adults, and this may be his best book yet.

      And guess who plays Hazel in the movie?  Shailene Woodley, who played Triss in “Divergent.”
Here’s the trailer.

Get some tissues. Read the book.  We’ll all be at the Lockdown at the library on June 6th, but I plan to see the movie the very next day!

Happy reading,
Connie

Teen Quiz Show @ the Library

         If you visited the library last Tuesday, April 29th, you saw and heard the happy voices of 22 middle and high schoolers who participated in a Teen Quiz Show.  Designed, planned and run by the Teen Advisory Board, this event was a great success.  Two rounds of questions were held, with two teams participating in each round. The questions were about books, movies, music and video games.

    Can you answer some of the questions?

•    Who are the makers of Minecraft?
•    What is Triss’s full name in Divergent?
•    In what Dewey Decimal number is "Music" located?

Or the real stumper:
•    What are the names of the 4 library staff members in the Youth Services Room?
      (answer: Mrs. C., Lauren. Marilyn, Connie)

      The Teen Quiz Show was such a hit that the library’s next Lockdown just might have this as a theme! The Lockdown happens after hours on a Friday and is open to entering 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. It is a very popular event, so watch for more information!

    Interested in joining the TAB (Teen Advisory Board) and helping to plan cool events and share ideas?  Just ask for an application at the Youth Services desk and get involved .

Happy reading,

Connie

Sweet Tweets @ the Library!

Happy National Poetry Month!

      A dozen teens participated in Poetry Workshops at the library during April.  They created great Book Spine poems, 

  

clever Six-Word Memoirs (describe your life in 6 words),

"Art is dreams put to paper."

and eloquent Poetry Tweets (poems no longer than 140 characters, like a tweet on Twitter). 

Back and forth 

my paintbrush goes

like the waves

on the beach shore

clearing my thoughts

erasing my worries

my escape from reality

 

   
     This year the young poets had the opportunity to illustrate their poems, if they wanted, either with photographs or drawings.  The results were fabulous! 

      A couple of poets shared longer works they had written.  The audience was impressed with their creativity.  





      I am already looking forward to the third annual Sweet Tweets next April when National Poetry Month comes around again!

Here’s a challenge: write YOUR Six-Word Memoir.  I’d love to hear it.

Happy writing …and writing,
Connie