Bella and Edward...My Opinion

Okay, so now that the last of the Twilight movie has been released, can we talk about Edward and Bella's relationship?  I know how many of you love the Twilight series, and swoon over Edward, but I just want to say: REALLY?  Do you really want a boyfriend who is so controlling?  Do you understand that controlling partners can lead to abusive relationships?  I am not the only one who feels this way.  Below is taken from a blog.  I did not write it, but I do agree with it! Here is a link to the blog
http://io9.com/5413428/official-twilights-bella--edward-are-in-an-abusive-relationship

Official: Twilight’s Bella & Edward Are In An Abusive Relationship

If you've suspected that there's something unhealthy about the relationship between Bella and Edward in the phenomenally successful Twilight series, then it turns out that you're exactly right. In fact, there are fifteen examples of unhealthiness.

Livejournal user kar3ning was reminded of something after going to see New Moon recently:

    According to the National Domestic Violence hotline, these are some signs that you may be in an emotionally or physically abusive relationship.

    Does your partner:
    * Look at you or act in ways that scare you?
    Check.

    * Control what you do, who you see or talk to or where you go?
    "Stay away from the werewolves. I love you."

    * Make all of the decisions?
    Check.

    * Act like the abuse is no big deal, it's your fault, or even deny doing it?
    "If I wasn't so attracted to you, I wouldn't have to break up with you."

    * Threaten to commit suicide?
    "I just can't live without you. In fact, I'll run to Italy and try suicide by vampire if anything happens to you."

    * Threaten to kill you?
    On their first date.

    These are some more signs of an abusive relationship.
    Has your partner...
    * Tried to isolate you from family or friends.
    Bella doesn't have time for anyone else!

    * Damaged property when angry (thrown objects, punched walls, kicked doors, etc.).
    Check.

    * Pushed, slapped, bitten, kicked or choked you.
    Does tossing her through a glass table count?

    * Abandoned you in a dangerous or unfamiliar place.
    "We're breaking up. And I'm leaving you in the forest."

    * Scared you by driving recklessly.
    Check.

    * Forced you to leave your home.
    She had to run away with him to flee from the other vampires in the first movie, and she had to drop everything and run to Italy in the second.

    * Prevented you from calling police or seeking medical attention.
    Check. Even in the hospital, nothing is a big deal.

    * Views women as objects and believes in rigid gender roles.

    * Accuses you of cheating or is often jealous of your outside relationships.
    Check, wolf-boy.

According to the NDVH, "If you answered ‘yes' to even one of these questions, you may be in an abusive relationship." This list is fifteen.

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It's Connie again.  
So, Twihards, has the blog post convinced you to rethink Bella and Edward's relationship? 

Have you discovered the great audiobooks in the Youth Services Room?

Audio books are a great way to hear a good book.  Sometimes the author of the book is the one who reads the book. Or the audio book will include an author interview that might tell how the author came up with the idea for the book or some other interesting information not included in the physical book.

Here are some examples of audio books in the Young Adult collection.

Hole in my Life by Jack Gantos

Did you read the Joey Pigza books when you were younger?  This is a biography of the author, Jack Gantos, who recently won the Newbery Medal for the best book for kids for the year.

At 18 years old, Jack was doing a dead-end job on a Caribbean island, looking for adventure and a way to make money for college. When he was offered $10,000 to sail a boatload of drugs to New York, he jumped at it. He got caught, and spent a year in a federal prison . In prison, Jack discovered the library where he was able to indulge his passion for literature and continue to write the journal he'd started in childhood. Denied a diary of his own by prison regulations, he wrote his notes in a tiny hand between the lines of a Russian novel. Jack discovered that he didn't have to let one bad choice map out the course of the rest of his life. There are such things as second chances. Paroled after a year in order to go directly to college to study writing, Jack had his first children's book published within two years of being released from prison.

Bullet Point by Peter Abrahams

Wyatt never really thought much about his dad—in prison for life. But then the economy tanked, and the community cut the baseball program from Wyatt's high school. And then the coach showed  Wyatt a photograph of his dad at sixteen, looking very much like Wyatt himself. Through a series of unfortunate—or perhaps they were fortunate—events, Wyatt meets a crazy-hot girl named Greer with a criminal dad of her own. A criminal dad who is, in fact, in jail with Wyatt's own criminal dad. Greer arranges a meeting, and Wyatt's dad is nothing like the guy he's imagined—he's suave, and smart, and funny, and cool, and—Wyatt's pretty sure—innocent. So Wyatt decides to help him out. A decision that may possibly be the worst he's ever made in his life.

Matched by Ally Condie

For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined all the best outcomes for all aspects of daily life; no one has the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best.  But then she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This unlikely mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable--rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. Matched reminds readers that freedom of choice is precious, and not without sacrifice.

The audio books for Young Adults are behind the Youth Services’ desks.  They are a little bit hidden, so be sure to ask one of the staff to help you find them if you have any trouble.

Happy listening!

Connie

The New Cloud Library is for Teens, Too!

                                   

Have you heard all the hype about the new Cloud Library at SPL?  

Did you know that the Scarborough Public Library as a new ebook lending service that allows you to download a book to multiple devices? 

Did you know that the Scarborough Public Library is the first and only library in Maine to off such advanced technology? 

Do you prefer to read a book on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod?

If you have heard about the Cloud Library, you might have thought that it was for adults only.

WRONG!  Mrs. C. has ordered some great teen titles for the ebook collection and is ordering more all the time!
You can search for books in the new Discovery Station near the adult catalogs, or go to this link on the library’s home page. http://www.scarboroughlibrary.org/eBooks/eBooks.html  

The link will lead you to lots of information about how the Cloud Library works and also to this link for the catalog. http://www.scarboroughlibrary.org/eBooks/eBooks.html


Here’s a book I love that is in the ebook Cloud Library collection for you to check out:

       Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist – books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

Ask if you have any questions about the Could Library.  We are always happy to help!

Connie

Calling all Middle School Bookworms!!!

         Calling all Middle School Bookworms!!!
     
          Do you like to read?  Want to get together with other kids to talk about books?  Join the new Book Club for middle school kids at the Scarborough Public Library! 

          We’ll meet on Wednesdays, from 3:00 to 3:45.  Our first meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 7th.  Youth Service Assistant Connie will facilitate. 

Don’t miss this book club!  It will be SO much fun! 

                                                              Book Club Registration

Name: _____________________________________________________   Grade:_______________
Email address: _______________________________________________   Phone:_______________
Parent/guardian’s Name:__________________________  

Thanks!  Please drop this form off at the Youth Services desk.  See you November 7th! 
Be thinking of a cool name for our club?

Connie

Teen Lock Down!

Don’t miss….. 

The Teen Lock Down!!! 

WHERE is THE place to be on Friday, October 26th?

THE place to be is the Scarborough Public Library for the second Teen Lock Down!

Doors will open at 6:00 p.m.  We will “lock down" at 6:30, with pick-up time at 8:30 p.m.   All Scarborough middle school kids in grades 6 to 8 are invited. 

Join the Youth Services staff (that’s Mrs. C. Lauren, Marilyn, and Connie) for Wii games, duct tape crafts, making a mini golf maze, karaoke, snacks, and more.  There’s a zombie theme; come in costumes if you want (you don’t have to).  And practice your dance moves.  We’ll all dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”   Pretty scary, huh?

The kids who came to the Lock Down last June had a blast!  They videotaped themselves with some Flip cameras we had on hand.  Check out the video:

So, what do you need to do?  Pre-register by calling Youth Services 883-4723 option 3, or stop by.

                                     
You don’t want to miss this!!

See you there,

Connie

Marvel!

The Youth Services Room:

A Great Place to Get Fabulous Books to Read
AND a Great Place to Get Help with Homework and Research!!

 We LOVE to help you find books you will LOVE to read, and we also LOVE to help you with homework. The Youth Services Room has a wonderful collection of non-fiction books. We can help you search the catalog to find just the right information for your report.
    And have you investigated MARVEL!? This huge collection of databases  provides every resident of Maine with access to a collection magazines, newspapers, journals and reference books that are credible, reputable resources.  (Google isn’t always reliable. You know that, right?)

Check out some of the cool information you can find in Marvel!:
Did you know that Scarborough used to be called Owascoag?  Click here to read an article about the history of Scarborough in the Maine Memory Network.

In Annals of American History you can find a video of the first man walking on the moon. Newspapers (Proquest) includes newspapers from all around the world.  Middle Search Plus is a great database of lots of magazines about current events. And don’t miss Britannica Online. This includes three different encyclopedias (from easier to more difficult, depending on what you need) with lots of images, maps, videos. You can translate the articles into Spanish, if you want!  Look up “frog.” Click on the audio and listen to a frog croak. It just doesn’t get much better than that, does it?
    You can find Marvel! by going to the Scarborough Library’s home page, drop-down menu “Books and More,” and clicking on Marvel! From home you may need to create a quick account. But it’s all free!
    So, when you need help with research or homework, stop by the Youth Services Room at the Scarborough Public Library!  See you there.
Connie

Banned Books Week 2012 September 30th- October 6th

 This year marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week, a celebration of the freedom to read and the importance of free and open access to information.

You would be shocked at all the great books that have been targeted with being removed from public libraries or schools. Sometimes a person finds something offensive in a book and wants it taken out of a school or public library. Librarians are against censorship like this. If every book that offended everyone was taken away, our shelves would be pretty empty and our freedom to read very limited.

We are lucky to live in a society where our reading is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.  Celebrate that by reading a banned book this week!

The list of banned books is really, really, sadly very long. You can do a Google search to find long lists. Here are a few books from those lists:

• The dictionary (seriously?!)
• Where the Wild Things Are (a child who yells at his mother!! Supernatural elements!  Oh, no…)
• Little Red Riding Hood (a version that promoted alcohol to minors…Little Red bringing a bottle of wine to sick Grandma)
•  I couldn’t make this stuff up.
• Here are some more:
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• Hunger Games
• Twilight
• The Giver
• Are You There, God?  It’s Me, Margaret
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
• Most of Sarah Dessen’s books

I could go on and on. Go here for a list of the Top  Ten Frequently Challenged books by year. To celebrate your freedom to read, curl up and read a banned book this week!

Want to listen to some banned books? Go to the North Carolina State University site to listen.
Connie