April Teen Book Club

This month the TBC is reading

Every year at Mount Washington High School somebody posts a list of the prettiest and ugliest girls from each grade--this is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, and how they are affected by the list.

Copies of the book are available at the front desk and the discussion will be on Wednesday, April 29th 6:00-7:00pm.

Check out what others are saying about the book below~

Review by: ilovedondraper (Iredell County Public Library) 5/5 Stars

Compelling story of standards of beauty.... does beauty make you happy solve all your problems... debates beauty on the inside and outside as well. A high school has a list of ugliest and prettiest girls. Because it is a tradition does it make it right wonders the new principal Ms. Colby? Great book for discussion!

LibraryThing.com review - 5/5 Stars

It is rare that I feel so strongly about a YA contemporary novel, but I cannot stop thinking about this book! The List takes everything that's complicated about being a high school girl and puts it in a glaring spotlight that you cannot avoid. It is a testament to Siobhan Vivian's writing that a book written in eight different perspectives can feel so intimate. It was done so flawlessly that, as a reader, you feel like you are in the middle of the story, observing everything as it unfolds. — Review by user ExLibris_Kate

LibraryThing.com review - 3/5 Stars

Every fall the list comes out of the prettiest and ugliest girl in each grade - needless to say the fallout from making the list is intense for all of the girls. Every chapter is told from the point of view of one of the eight and I found myself checking back to the list in the front of the book to remind me of who was who. A painful reminder of the growing up years. — Review by user lindap69

Teen Book Club - March - Recap!

The TBC got together a little late this time to discuss March's pick, but they did!  Here is what we read & discussed:

Paul Fleischman offers teens an environmental wake-up call and a tool kit for decoding the barrage of conflicting information confronting them. We're living in an Ah-Ha moment. Take 250 years of human ingenuity. Add abundant fossil fuels. The result: a population and lifestyle never before seen. The downsides weren't visible for centuries, but now they are. Suddenly everything needs rethinking - suburbs, cars, fast food, cheap prices. It's a changed world. This book explains it. Not with isolated facts, but the principles driving attitudes and events, from vested interests to denial to big-country syndrome. Because money is as important as molecules in the environment, science is joined with politics, history, and psychology to provide the briefing needed to comprehend the 21st century. Extensive back matter, including a glossary, bibliography, and index, as well as numerous references to websites, provides further resources.

Here are the discussion questions we used:

1.  General thoughts.  What did you think of the book?
2.  How readable was the book to you?  Did you enjoy the writing?
3.  How much had you thought about the portrayal of the environment in media before reading this book?
4.  Were there any facts in this book you were surprised to read?  Anything you thought was true, that this book proved false?
5.  What was the most interesting thing you learned from this book?
6.  Will you be changing anything in your lifestyle after reading this book?  Why or why not?
7.  What do you think was the main message the author was trying to convey?  Do you think he succeeded?
8.  How has reading this book changed the way you will read news on the environment in the future?
9.  Will you be checking out any of the resources mentioned in the book?
10.  Ratings and final thoughts!

Ratings

Melanie - 7/10 - Good short book to get to know better the troubles going on with the environment.
Catherine - 6/10 - Interesting, but a little bit hard to read.
Librarian Karyn - 6/10 - Tons of information about an important subject and great resources, but writing a little bit dry and slow.

If you enjoyed this book, there are MANY resources mentioned in the book and in the source descriptions in the back of the book.  However, if you would like to read a fiction book, why not try one on environmental disasters?

Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd - In 2015, when England becomes the first nation to introduce carbon dioxide rationing in a drastic bid to combat climate change, sixteen-year-old Laura documents the first year of rationing as her family spirals out of control.

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi - Twelve-year-old Miles Shaw goes to live with his father, a jazz musician, in New Orleans, and together they survive the horrors of Hurricane Katrina in the Superdome, learning about each other and growing closer through their painful experiences.

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher - In a world where water has become a precious resource, Vera and her brother befriend a boy who seems to have unlimited access to water and who suspiciously disappears, prompting a dangerous search challenged by pirates, a paramilitary group, and corporations.


For April we are reading The List by Siobhan Vivian – Discussion April 29th

Every year at Mount Washington High School somebody posts a list of the prettiest and ugliest girls from each grade--this is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, and how they are affected by the list.

Teen Book Club - March - Nonfiction!

For March the Teen Book Club is trying out some nonfiction - 

Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines by Paul Fleischman

Paul Fleischman offers teens an environmental wake-up call and a tool kit for decoding the barrage of conflicting information confronting them. We're living in an Ah-Ha moment. Take 250 years of human ingenuity. Add abundant fossil fuels. The result: a population and lifestyle never before seen. The downsides weren't visible for centuries, but now they are. Suddenly everything needs rethinking - suburbs, cars, fast food, cheap prices. It's a changed world. This book explains it. Not with isolated facts, but the principles driving attitudes and events, from vested interests to denial to big-country syndrome. Because money is as important as molecules in the environment, science is joined with politics, history, and psychology to provide the briefing needed to comprehend the 21st century. Extensive back matter, including a glossary, bibliography, and index, as well as numerous references to websites, provides further resources.

Copies of the book available at the front desk

Discussion - March 25th 6:00-7:00pm

February Book Club Recap - We ♥ Eleanor & Park!

The Teen Book Club met last night to discuss the February book club pick...

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (audiobook)

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.

Discussion Questions

1. What did you think of the book?  First impressions?
2. Did you like the narrators?  What do you think they did well, not well?  Do you think it was good to have the two narrators?  How would the book have been different with just one?
3. Did you enjoy the writing in this book?  Would you be interested in reading other books by this author?  Why or why not?
4. How do Eleanor and Park's parents shape their outlooks on the future, relationships, and life in general?  How do they differ?
5. Is Eleanor's mother a "good" mother?  Why does she stay with Richie?
6. Do you think Eleanor and Park's relationship would be different if the story was set in 2015 instead of 1986?  How would it be different?  How would it be the same?
7. Steve says he is Park's friend - is this true, is he a true friend?  Are Steve and Tina "bad guys" in this story?  Do you think Tina and Eleanor could ever be friends?
8. Why are music and comics important in Park's life?  How are they important in Eleanor's?
9. Was Eleanor right to run away?  Should she have left her brothers and sister behind?  Was there anything else should could have done to help them?
10. Why do you think Eleanor does not open any of the letters from Park?  At the end of the book, what do you think those "three words" Park read are?
11. Casting call!  Do you have anyone in mind to cast as Eleanor or Park?
12. Ratings and final thoughts?

Ratings:

Catherine - 10 - Just read it, its amazing, an awesome audiobook.

Hannah - 10 - I love the book so much that I can't even say how much I like it.

Librarian Karyn - 10 - A sweet love story with authentic teen voices, and the narrators for the audio book made it even better!

Melanie - Didn't finish yet, withholds her rating until she does

If you liked this book you might also enjoy...

Another book by the same author 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she's really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can't stop worrying about her...

Another award-winning audio book   

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A. S. King -  Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities--but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she's never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person's infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions--and what she sees ahead of her is terrifying: A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women's rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she'll do anything to make sure this one doesn't come to pass.

Another book set in the 1980s 

Dancer Daughter Traitor Spy by Elizabeth Kiem - Marya is a ballet dancer born of privilege; her mother, Sveta, is the most popular ballet dancer in the Soviet Union: the regime's glamorous face to the west. When her mother disappears, Marya and her father suspect their lives are in danger and arrange a harrowing defection. But Marya has a secret - like her mother, she can see glimpses of the future: a gift coveted by the powers-that-be in the Soviet Union. Worse, she is sure her father is doomed to be murdered at their new home in Brighton beach.

Book Club Book - March 

Eyes Wide Open by Paul Fleischman

Paul Fleischman offers teens an environmental wake-up call and a tool kit for decoding the barrage of conflicting information confronting them. We're living in an Ah-Ha moment. Take 250 years of human ingenuity. Add abundant fossil fuels. The result: a population and lifestyle never before seen. The downsides weren't visible for centuries, but now they are. Suddenly everything needs rethinking - suburbs, cars, fast food, cheap prices. It's a changed world. This book explains it. Not with isolated facts, but the principles driving attitudes and events, from vested interests to denial to big-country syndrome. Because money is as important as molecules in the environment, science is joined with politics, history, and psychology to provide the briefing needed to comprehend the 21st century.

In February the Teen Book Club LISTENS!

This month the Teen Book Club is doing something a little different - we are listening instead of reading!  Stop by and grab the audiobook of Eleanor & Park and listen to it when you're on the bus, exercising, cleaning, whenever!

Our discussion and preview of next month's new books will be Tuesday, Feb. 24th 7:00-8:00pm

Bono met his wife in high school , Park says. So did Jerry Lee Lewis , Eleanor answers. I'm not kidding , he says. You should be , she says, we're 16 . What about Romeo and Juliet? Shallow, confused, then dead. I love you , Park says. Wherefore art thou, Eleanor answers. I'm not kidding, he says. You should be. 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. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love--and just how hard it pulled you under.

Teen Book Club - We Were Liars

The TBC met last night to discuss one of the most popular books of 2014:

Spending the summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her cousins and a special boy named Gat, teenaged Cadence struggles to remember what happened during her fifteenth summer.

Discussion Questions
1. First impressions: what did you think of this book?
2. Did you see the twist coming?  What did you think of it?
3. Can we trust Cadence’s narration?  Is she lying or hallucinating or what?
4. Were the Liars justified in any way for the crime they committed?
5. What do you think of the Sinclair family?  Cadence’s mother, aunts, granddad, the littles?
6. Did you enjoy the writing style in the book?  How did it read to you?
7. What has Cadence learned by the end of the novel?
8. Why do you think this was one of the most popular YA books of 2014?
9. Who would you cast to play in We Were Liars: The Movie?  (Cadence, Gat, Mirren, Johnny, Granddad?) (It has been optioned!)
10. Ratings and final thoughts!

Ratings

Melanie: 8/10 - The writing was good, slow at first, the end made me like it more.

Catherine: 8/10 - Hooks you from the very first chapter!

Librarian Karyn: 9/10 - Intriguing story, little bit of mystery, addicting prose-like writing that you just wanted to read more and more of.

If you enjoyed We Were Liars, then you might also enjoy:

Another book by the same author: 

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - Sophomore Frankie starts dating senior Matthew Livingston, but when he refuses to talk about the all-male secret society that he and his friends belong to, Frankie infiltrates the society in order to enliven their mediocre pranks.

Another book about wealthy families: 

Daughters by Joanna Philbin

In New York City, three fourteen-year-old best friends who are all daughters of celebrities watch out for each other as they try to strike a balance between ordinary high school events, such as finding a date for the homecoming dance, and family functions like walking the red carpet with their famous parents.

Another book with amnesia: 

Don’t Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout

Seventeen-year-old Sam seems to have everything until she and her best friend, Cassie, disappear one night and now Sam has returned with amnesia, striving to be a much better person and aware that her not remembering may be the only thing keeping Cassie alive.

And if you DIDN’T enjoy it, then something completely different!: 

The Finisher by David Baldacci

Vega Jane has never left the village of Wormwood. But this isn't unusual, nobody has ever left. At least not until Quentin Herms. Vega knows Quentin didn't just leave, but that he was chased. And he's left behind a very dangerous trail of clues. The Quag is a dark forest filled with terrifying beasts and bloodthirsty Outliers. But just as deadly are the threats that exist within the walls of Wormwood.

~ Next Month ~

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (Audiobook)

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

Meeting – Wednesday, Feb. 25th 6:00-7:00

January Teen Book Club

For the first book club of the new year, we decided to pick a book that was popular in 2014.  We picked the book voted the best contemporary fiction for teens on GoodReads.com by nearly 34,000 readers!

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

A New York Times Bestseller 

 "A rich, stunning summer mystery with a sharp twist that will leave you dying to talk about the book with a pal or ten ."--Parade.com

 "Thrilling, beautiful, and blisteringly smart, We Were Liars is utterly unforgettable." - John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars

 A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends--the Liars--whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth. 

Read it. And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE. 

------

Copies of the book are available at the front desk.  Discussion will be Wednesday, January 28th 6:00-7:00pm.  Also, preview the new books for February!

Teen Book Club - November

So, due to weather, our Teen Book Club meeting for November actually happened in December.  Oh well!

Our book for November was

When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate 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.

Here are the discussion questions we used:

1.  First impressions.  What did you think of the book?
2.  This book has dual narrative, in that it has 2 narrators, Hannah & Clay.  Did you enjoy this kind of writing of the story?  How would it be different if it was just Hannah?  Just Clay?  Someone else entirely?
3.  Are each of Hannah’s 13 reasons equally important?  Why specifically did Hannah commit suicide?  Who is responsible for Hannah’s death?
4.  Did you have a book with a copy of the Map in it?  Did that enhance your experience of the story?
5.  Why did Clay leave the room after kissing Hannah?  Do you think he had to?  What else could he have done?  Why did Hannah put him on her list of the 13 reasons why she killed herself?
6.  What role do adults play in what happened to  Hannah?  Do you think any adult could have done something to help her?
7.   How do you think Clay is changed by listening to the tapes?
8.  Why do you think this book is popular?
9.  Selena Gomez is set to star in the movie adaptation of the book.  Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson) is rumored to be playing Clay. Like/dislike?  Who else would you cast?
10.  Ratings and final thoughts?

Librarian Karyn - 10/10 - This book is AMAZING on audiobook, I didn't want to stop once I started this addicting, heart-wrenching story.
Catherine - 10/10 - Honest, raw, and spoke to the real issues.
Melanie - 10/10 - Great book to raise more awareness of teen suicide & written beautifully.

~~~

If you enjoyed this book, you may also enjoy:

Another book by the same author – The Future of Us - It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

More books that deal with suicide

• By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters - High school student Daelyn Rice, who has been bullied throughout her school career and has more than once attempted suicide, again makes plans to kill herself, in spite of the persistent attempts of an unusual boy to draw her out.

• Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams - Living with their mother who earns money as a prostitute, two sisters take care of each other and when the older one attempts suicide, the younger one tries to uncover the reason.

• Hold Still by Nina LaCour - As Caitlin struggles to cope with her best friend Ingrid's suicide, she turns inward and quiet, but finding Ingrid's hidden journal, a new classmate, and new projects help Caitlin find a way to reach out again.

• Impulse by Ellen Hopkins - Three teens who meet at Reno, Nevada's Aspen Springs mental hospital after each has attempted suicide connect with each other in a way they never have with their parents or anyone else in their lives.


For December we are reading

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs -  As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow--impossible though it seems--they may still be alive.

Discussion on Tuesday, December 30th 6:00-7:00pm

Teen Book Club - Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong

Heya!  The TBC met tonight to discuss NCPGW.

Here are the discussion questions we used...

1.  First impressions, what did you think of the book?
2.  What did you think of the characters?  Who was your favorite?
3.  There are a lot of cliques in this book (cheerleaders, jocks, geeks), are cliques the same everywhere?  How do you feel about them?  Charlie and Nate don’t belong to the same clique, but they are still friends.  Why do you think this is?
4.  When Nate runs for class president his friend tells him he is ‘literally trying to win a popularity contest.’  Do you think this is what most student elections are?  Should they be that way?
5.  What are Charlie’s relationships with his parents like?  Why do you think he is so unhappy?
6.  If you decided to skip Thanksgiving to go to a robotics competition without telling your family, how do you think they would react?  Would it be worth it if like in the book, you came in 2nd?
7.  Why do you think Team Rock Opera don’t want Charlie at the Robot Rumble?
8.  What did you think of the cheerleaders?  Do they fit the cheerleader stereotype?  What about other stereotypes in this book?
9.  Did you like the art in the book?  What about it appealed to you or did not appeal to you?
10.  Ratings and final thoughts.

Melanie - 9/10 - Thought it was one of the best graphic novels she's ever read: funny and entertaining!

Catherine - 9/10 - A really good teen book; funny and relatable.

Jill - 9.5/10 - Cute, funny, serious when it wanted to be, just great!

Librarian Karyn - 9/10 - Loved the story, loved the art, loved the part where they referenced Star Wars!

For October we are reading...

Cal Thompson is a carrier of a parasite that causes vampirism, and must hunt down all of the girlfriends he has unknowingly infected.

Meeting on Wednesday, October 29th 6-7pm.  Books available at the front desk.

Join the TBC!

This month the Teen Book Club is reading

Charlie is the laid-back captain of the basketball team. Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. Their unlikely friendship nearly bites the dust when Nate declares war on the cheerleaders and they retaliate by making Charlie their figurehead in the ugliest class election campaign the school has ever seen. At stake is funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms-- but not both. Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on Thanksgiving? Nothing can possibly go wrong

Copies of the graphic novel are available at the circulation desk.
Discussion, snack, and preview of the new books for October on Wednesday, September 24th 6:00-7:00pm

Teen Book Club - June - Distant Waves

The Teen Book Club met last night to discuss...

In the early twentieth century, four sisters and their widowed mother, a famed spiritualist, travel from New York to London, and as the Titanic conveys them and their acquaintances, journalist W.T. Stead, scientist Nikola Tesla, and industrialist John Jacob Astor, home, Tesla's inventions will either doom or save them all.

Here are the discussion questions we used~




1. What did you think of the book? General thoughts?

2. Did you have a favorite character in the book? Least favorite? Favorite scene or part?

3. Why do you think Jane was chosen to be the narrator in the book? How would the book be different if it was Mimi, or the twins?

4. What kind of relationships did the sisters have with each other? Did their relationships change after the revelation about Mimi?

5. Do you believe in psychics and premonitions? Do you think the dead can be contacted?

6. Why did Mimi want to leave home? Why didn’t she want to tell Victor about her heritage?

7. What did you think of the writing style in the book?

8. Do you believe time travel is possible? What time/place in the past would you visit?

9. If you were casting the actors and actresses for the movie version of this book who would you cast for: Jane, Mimi, Emma & Amelie, Blythe, Thad, Tesla, Ninette, and anyone else you want to cast?

10. Ratings and final thoughts!


Melanie gave it a 7.5 out of 10 and said "It is an interesting plot line with a smooth blending of history with fiction and the characters are well developed."

Miss G gave it an 8 out of 10 and said "The Spiritualism and relationships between the sisters drew me in, and then I couldn't stop reading, I had to find out what would happen to them on the Titanic!" 

If you are interested in learning more about the Titanic:

· 910.9163 DAV – Voyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds They Came From by R. P. T. Davenport-Hines

· 910.916 WEL – Titanic: Legacy of the World’s Greatest Ocean Liner by Susan Wels

If you want more Titanic Fiction:

· YA ACT PAU – Deck Z: The Titanic: Unsinkable, Undead by Chris Pauls - Imagine being trapped aboard the doomed Titanic on an icy Atlantic. . . with the walking dead.

· YA PAR GRA – Fateful by Claudia Gray - When seventeen-year-old Tess Davies, a ladies' maid, meets handsome Alec Marlow aboard the RMS Titanic, she quickly becomes entangled in the dark secrets of his past, but her growing love puts her in mortal peril even before fate steps in.

· YA HIS WOL – The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf - Recreates the 1912 sinking of the Titanic as observed by millionaire John Jacob Astor, a beautiful young Lebanese refugee finding first love, "Unsinkable" Molly Brown, Captain Smith, and others including the iceberg itself.

If you are interested in learning more about Nikola Tesla:

· 621.3 MY – My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla by Nikola Tesla


Our next book is Ashfall by Mike Mullin and we will meet on TUESDAY, July 29th at 6:00pm. We will skype live with the author! 

After the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano destroys his city and its surroundings, fifteen-year-old Alex must journey from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Illinois to find his parents and sister, trying to survive in a transformed landscape and a new society in which all the old rules of living have vanished.

Teen Book Club - May

The TBC met last night to discuss the book for May - An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.

Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships.

Here are the discussion questions we used:

1. What did you think of the book in general?
2. If Colin ever perfected an equation for relationships, would you use it?  Why or why not?
3. What did you think of the footnotes throughout the book?  Did they make the story better/worse for you?
4. Why does Colin like anagramming words? How does this affect his interactions with others?
5. What did you think of Hassan?  What kind of influence was he on Colin?  Why do you think they became friends?
6. What did you think of Gutshot, Lindsey, Lindsey's friends, and Hollis?
7. Did you have a favorite scene or part in the book?
8. How does Colin see himself vs. how do other people see Colin?
9. If you could go on a road trip...
1. Which real person that you know would you go with?
2. Which celebrity would you go with?
3. Which made up character would you go with?
4. And where would you go, and why?
10. Ratings and final thoughts!
1. BONUS QUESTION: If you were casting for AAoK: The Movie, who would you cast as Colin, Hassan, Lindsey, Hollis, etc?

Our ratings:

Melanie: 7/10 - Good book for reluctant readers because it was a fun story and easy to read.
Catherine: 9.5/10 - Perfect book for teens - it will make you laugh, it's a lot of fun!
MissKaryntheLibrarian: 8/10 - This book has a cute story, interesting characters, a setting I could imagine perfectly, and math, if you like that sort of thing!

For June we are reading Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn.

In the early twentieth century, four sisters and their widowed mother, a famed spiritualist, travel from New York to London, and as the Titanic conveys them and their acquaintances, journalist W.T. Stead, scientist Nikola Tesla, and industrialist John Jacob Astor, home, Tesla's inventions will either doom or save them all.

 Copies of the book are available at the library.  Discussion, snack, and preview of the new books for July will be on Wednesday, June 25th 6:00-7:00pm.

Teen Book Club April - Wicked Lovely

The Teen Book Club met tonight to discuss Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr.

Seventeen-year-old Aislinn, who has the rare ability to see faeries, is drawn against her will into a centuries-old battle between the Summer King and Winter Queen, and the survival of her life, her love, and summer all hang in the balance.

Here are the discussion questions we used:

1. What did you think of the book?  General thoughts?
2. Did you have a favorite character?  Favorite scene or part?
3. How did Donia feel about Keenan?  What makes her feel that way?
4. How does Aislinn feel about her grandmother's way of dealing with the faeries?  Does Ash follow her example?  If she had chosen different, how might things have turned out differently?
5. How does Keenan feel about Seth?  What does he do about him, and why?
6. With such a terrible risk attached to it, why would any of Keenan's chosen girls choose to take up the staff?  What made his Summer Girls refuse?  Do you think you would have done it?
7. What do you think will happen in the future for Keenan, Donia, Ash, and Seth?
8. What did you think of the portrayal of faeries in this book?
9. What did you think of the writing style?
10. Ratings and final thoughts!

Here are our ratings!

Melanie - 6/10 - The beginning was slow going, but the plot line was very interesting.
Catherine - 6.5/10 - A little slow, but a fun read.
MissG - 7.5/10 - A modern fairy story with classic elements, vivid descriptions, and memorable characters.

For May we are reading...

Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships.

Discussion, snack, and preview of the new books for June on Wednesday, May 28th 6:00-7:00pm

Teen Advisory Group Meeting Notes - March 2014

The Teen Advisory Group had their March meeting this past Saturday.  Here is what we talked about!

The TAG bulletin board in the hallway looks great, so thanks to Melanie and Catherine for putting that together!  The board will stay up for the rest of this week, then I will be redoing it to advertise the Summer  Teen Internships available.

The PALS book sale is coming up next month and you might have noticed that they are now taking donations in the hallway.  This means they will soon need some volunteers to help in the sorting of the books.  This will probably start at the end of this month/beginning of May, I will let you know for sure when I hear.

The library is offering two paid teen internship postions at the library this summer.  Full information can be found in the handouts at the desk or on the blog post I did a couple of days ago.  Applications are at the desk or can be printed out from the website.  I did a webinar about how to get the most out of the teen interns and it was suggested that we have projects for them to work on.  The project idea I have so far is for them to do a library 'commercial' and TAG members suggested some sort of art project to beautify the library.

I would like to get more teens coming to Teen Book Club so any ideas for that?  TAG members suggested pairing a craft with book club.

Upcoming Programs

• Wed. April 16th - Bottle Cap Necklaces
• Wed. April 23rd - After School Movie (Teens' Choice)
• Sat. April 26th - Mini Terrariums
• Wed. April 30th - After School Movie (TBD)
• Wed. April 30th - Teen Book Club - Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
• Fri. May 2nd - Bracelets Three Ways
• Wed. May 7th - After School Movie (TBD)
• Sat. May 10th - Practice SAT
• NEXT TAG MEETING - Sat. May 10th 3:00-4:00pm

 We also discussed changing the day that Teen Knitting Club meets to accommodate the schedules of the teens who want to come.  TKC will now be the 2nd Wednesday of the month from 5:30-6:30.  Next one will be May 14th.
 

 Last, we did our suggestions & recommendations portion of our meeting!

Programming

• Coding (Jill)
• Movie character Halloween party (Catherine)
• Cheesemaking
• Board Game Night, esp. Scrabble, Scene It, or Apples to Apples
• Pie making

Books

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Miss G)
• 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Melanie)
• The Last Dragon Slayer by Jasper Fforde (Miss G)
• How the Irish Became American by Joseph O'Grady (Catherine)
• Panic by Lauren Oliver (Miss G)
• Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (MissG)
• Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Catherine)
• Clean by Amy Lynn Reed (Hannah)
• The Unidentified by Rae Mariz (Hannah)
• Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins (Jill)

TV

• Full Metal Alchemist (Jill)
• Fairy Tail (Miss G)
• Game of Thrones (Catherine)
• Karin (Miss G)
• Dharma and Greg (Melanie)
• Will and Grace (Melanie)
• Bates Motel (Miss G)

 Movies

• Perks of Being a Wallflower (Catherine)
• Along Came Polly (Catherine)
• Silver Linings Playbook (Melanie)
• Gone Baby Gone (Catherine)
• American Hustle (Catherine)
• Celina (Melanie)
• Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (Miss G)

 Music

• Mya Kern (Hannah)
• The Invincibles soundtrack (Catherine)
• Wicked soundtrack (Jill)
• Perks of Being a Wallflower soundtrack (Melanie)
• Neon Trees - Habits (Melanie)
• Gin Blossoms (Catherine)
• Augustana (newest album) (Catherine)
• Loretta Lynn (Catherine)

Video Games

• The Stanley Parable (Jill)
• Atelier Escha & Logy (Miss G)
• Super Smash Bros Melee (Jill)
• Arkham games (Jill)
• The Last of Us (Hannah)

 Websites

• soundrown.com - relaxing background sounds for concentration (Hannah)
• picmonkey.com  - photo editing (Melanie)
• ravelry.com - knitting & crocheting patterns (Catherine)

YouTube Channels

• VSauce - Mind blowing facts & the best of the internet (Jill)
• Thought Cafe - a motion graphic studio that promotes critical awareness through animated shorts (Melanie)
• The Game Theorists - Every Saturday, we separate the fact from the fiction in some of your favorite video games. From arrows in knees to zombies in space, from headshots to Halo, we've got you covered. Learn random info while we look in-depth at the designer's decisions for old, new, and forgotten gaming gems. Hey, it's just a bunch of theories. Game Theories! (Jill)

That's all for this month, come to the next TAG meeting on May 10th!

Teen Book Club - February

The TBC met tonight to discuss Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah.

A riveting memoir of a girl's painful coming-of-age in a wealthy Chinese family during the 1940s. A Chinese proverb says, "Falling leaves return to their roots." In Chinese Cinderella , Adeline Yen Mah returns to her roots to tell the story of her painful childhood and her ultimate triumph and courage in the face of despair. Adeline's affluent, powerful family considers her bad luck after her mother dies giving birth to her. Life does not get any easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are subjected to the disdain of her stepmother, while her stepbrother and stepsister are spoiled. Although Adeline wins prizes at school, they are not enough to compensate for what she really yearns for -- the love and understanding of her family.

 Here are the discussion questions we used:

1. What did you think of the book in general?
2. Why did Adeline's family have some negative feelings about her?  How do her siblings act toward her?
3. What was Niang/Jean (Adeline's stepmother) like?  Why do you think she acts the way she does?
4. How does Adeline feel about school throughout the book?  What does going to school mean for her?
5. Who was PLT?  What happened with PLT and why did it upset Adeline so much?
6. How does Adeline's father feel about her?  Why do you think he feels this way?
7. Who are the people who support Adeline at different times throughout her childhood?
8. What did you learn about Chinese history from reading this book?
9. Did you enjoy reading nonfiction?  Would you want to read more nonfiction like this?  (memoirs/biographies)
10. Ratings and final thoughts!

 Melanie gave it an 8/10 and said "It really opened my eyes to what sad things happen in the world, and it was amazing to see this girl still had hope."
MissG gave it an 8/10 and said "A totally riveting story of an unhappy childhood, but so inspiring to see this girl still work hard and never give up."

For March we are reading a graphic novel!

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki

Nausicaä , a gentle but strong-willed, young princess, has an empathic bond with the giant insects that evolved as a result of the ecosystem's destruction. Growing up in the Valley of the Wind, she learned to read the soul of the wind and navigates the skies in her glider. Nausicaä and her allies struggle to create peace between kingdoms torn apart by war, battling over the last of the world's precious natural resources.

Our meeting will be on Wednesday, March 19th at 6:00pm.

Teen Book Club ~ January ~ Steampunk!

The Teen Book Club met last night to discuss a short story collection, Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories by various authors.

Here are the discussion questions we used:

1.  How many of the stories did you read, and which ones?
2.  Which was your favorite?
3.  Least favorite?
5.  What about the graphic novel type stories?  Did you enjoy these?
6.  What common elements tie all of these stories together and make them "steampunk?"  Do you have a better understanding of what steampunk is now?
7.  We have novels by many of the authors who wrote the stories for this collection.  Did reading these stories make you more likely to check out novels by these authors?
8.  Did all of the stories have similar settings?
9.  What did you think of reading a short story collection instead of a novel?
10.  Ratings and final thoughts!


Melanie gave it an 8/10 and said ~ It was really cool that all these authors wrote stories to make a good steampunk book!
Catherine gave it an 8/10 and said ~ I had never read steampunk before, but now I know that I love it!
MissG gave it a 9/10 and said ~ A varied and imaginative collection of stories all with a really neat steampunk twist.  Makes me want to read more steampunk!

Our book for February is a biography/memoir...

Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah

The daughter of a wealthy Hong Kong businessman describes her very difficult childhood and the psychological abuse she suffered at the hands of her stepmother.

Copies of the book are available at the front desk.  Our discussion will be Wednesday, February 26th 6:00-7:00pm.

Teen Book Club December Meeting and Year in Review!

Hey YAs, yesterday the TBC met to discuss this month's book, Stardust by Neil Gaiman and to watch the movie to compare!

Here are the discussion questions we used:

Pre-Movie

1.  What did you think of the book in general?
2.  Did you have a favorite character or scene?
3.  What do you think of Victoria Forester?  Is she worthy of Tristran's love?  Does Tristran love her?
4.  Have you seen the movie before?  What parts of the book are you most excited to see in the movie?
5.  Rating and final thought for the book.

Post-Movie

1.  What did you think of the movie in general?
2.  What are some of the changes between the book and the movie?  Which did you like, dislike?  Why do you think these changes were made?
3.  Were the characters how you imagined them?  Better, worse?
4.  This story is available in many forms; book, movie, audiobook, and graphic novel.  How does the format change the story?
5.  Rating and thought about the movie compared to the book?

Melanie: 10!  I love the writing and found it amazing how he could fit such a wonderful adventure story into as little as roughly 200 pages.
Miss G: 9  I listened to this on the audiobook version and loved it, but not quite as much as I love the movie.  They're almost two different stories, because of some major changes in the movie.

For January we are reading...

Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories by various

A collection of fourteen fantasy stories by well-known authors, set in the age of steam engines and featuring automatons, clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never existed.

Meeting, discussion, and snack on Wednesday, January 29th 5:30-6:30pm

Now...for the year in review.  A reminder, here is what the book club read in 2013~

Everyone voted on their favorites, so, here are the overall rankings~

1.  Seraphina

2.  The Year of the Gadfly

3.  Stardust

4.  Delirium

5.  Code Talker

6.  Life as we Knew it

7.  The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

8.  Nobody’s Princess

9.  Bloody Jack

10.  Zom-B

11.  Skinned

12.  Trapped

Individual favorites were...

Melanie

1.  Code Talker

2.  Stardust

3.  Seraphina

Catherine

1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

2. Seraphina

3.  The Year of the Gadfly

Clare

1.  Seraphina

2.  The Year of the Gadfly

3.  Delirium

MissG

1.  Seraphina

2.  Delirium

3.  Stardust

Now on to the new year!

Teen Book Club November: Code Talker

This month the TBC read Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac.

Here are the discussion questions we used:

1.  What did you think of the book?  General impressions?
2.  Did you have a favorite character?  A favorite scene or part?
3.  What was Ned's life like at the boarding school?  How was it different from his home life?  How did he cope?
4.  Why does Ned want to join up?
5.  What is the warfare method the Americans call "banzai" that the Japanese use?  Why do they use it?
6.  What does the pouch of corn pollen mean to Ned?
7.  Why were the Code Talkers important?  Had you heard of them before reading this book?
8.  The story is told as if Ned is telling the story to his grandchildren.  How do you think they feel about their grandfather's time as a Code Talker?  What do you think are the most important lessons they learn?
9.  How was this book similar to or different from the book we read in September, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian?  Which did you prefer?
10.  Ratings and final thoughts!

Melanie gave the book a perfect 10!  She said she loved how the author put the history in a book that made her want to learn more about the Code Talkers and World War II.

Miss Gardiner gives this book a 9/10.  She thought this was a page turner that showcased a little known part of history.


For December we are reading...

  Stardust by Neil Gaiman

In the sleepy English countryside at the dawn of the Victorian Era, life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall--a secluded hamlet so named for an imposing stone barrier that surrounds a fertile grassland. Armed sentries guard the sole gap in the bulwark to keep the inquisitive from wandering through, relaxing their vigil only once every nine years, when a market fair unlike any other in the world of men comes to the meadow. Here in Wall, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to beautiful Victoria Forester. But Victoria is cold and distant--as distant, in fact, as the star she and Tristran see fall from the sky on a crisp October evening. For the coveted prize of Victoria's hand, Tristran vows to retrieve the fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn swain over the ancient wall, and propels him into a world that is strange beyond imagining. But Tristran is not the only one seeking the heavenly jewel. There are those for whom it promises youth and beauty, the key to a kingdom, and the rejuvenation of dark, dormant magics. And a lad compelled by love will have to keep his wits about him to succeed and survive in this secret place where fallen stars come in many guises--and where quests have a way of branching off in unexpected directions, even turning back upon themselves in space and in time. 

 At our meeting on Friday, Dec. 27th we will not only be discussing the book, but we will be watching the movie too!  And ordering pizza!  So read the book and join us from 2 to 4:30 on the 27th.

At our meeting this month we also decided the books we would be reading for the next several months...

January - Steampunk - Steampunk! by various authors (short stories)

February - Biography/Memoir - Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah

March - Manga (Japanese graphic novels) - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki

April - Fairies - Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

May - Roadtrip - An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

See you next time!

Teen Book Club - October - ZOM-B

Heya YAs.

Last night the Teen Book Club met to discuss Zom-B by Darren Shan.

When the news starts reporting a zombie outbreak in Ireland, B's father thinks it's a hoax-but even if it isn't, the two of them joke, it's only the Irish, right? That is, until zombies actually attack the school. B is forced on a mad dash through the serpentine corridors of high school, making allegiances with anyone with enough gall to fight off their pursuers. But when they come face-to-face with the ravenous, oozing corpses, all bets are off. There are no friends. No allies. Just whatever it takes to survive.

Here are our discussion questions:(trying not to give away any spoilers for those who have not read yet, so some sentences may read a little weird!)

1.  What did you think of the book?  General impressions?

2. Did you know before the end of the book whether B was a boy or a girl?  What clues did you read?  Were there any false clues, that made you think the opposite?

3. What did you think of B as a character?  How is B shaped by B's father's beliefs?

4. What was the first sign of zombies for B?

5. What did you think of B's friends?

6. Do you think the illustrations added to the story?  Did you enjoy them?

7. Do you think B deserved what happened?

8. Did you have a favorite scene or character in the book?

9. What do you think will happen in the 2nd book?

10. Ratings and final thoughts!

Melanie gave it a 6/10 and said "It would be a good read for kids who want to start improving their reading."

MissG gave it a 6.5/10 and said "Quick action read that would be very appealing to boys ages 10-14, lots of questions unaswered, drawing you to the next book!"

If you liked Zom-B you may like…

The rest of the series

1. Zom-B

2.  Zom-B: Underground

3. Zom-B: City

4. Zom-B: Angels

5. Zom-B: Baby

6. Zom-B: Gladiator

Other zombie books:

Dead Reckoning by Mercedes Lackey: In 1867 Texas, Jett, a girl passing as a boy while seeking her long-lost twin brother, joins forces with Honoraria Gibbons, an inventor, and White Fox, a young Army scout, to investigate a zombie army that is terrorizing the West. YA PAR LAC

The Enemy by Charles Higson: After a disease turns everyone over sixteen into brainless, decomposing, flesh-eating creatures, a group of teenagers leave their shelter and set out of a harrowing journey across London to the safe haven of Buckingham Palace. YA PAR HIG

Generation Dead by Dan Waters: When dead teenagers who have come back to life start showing up at her high school, Phoebe, a goth girl, becomes interested in the phenomenon, and when she starts dating a "living impaired" boy, they encounter prejudice, fear, and hatred. YA PAR WAT

Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon:   Streetwise, tough, and savvy, Nick and his quick sarcasm are the stuff of legend... until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity. With his fellow students turning into flesh-eating zombies, how can he stop them... without getting grounded by his mom? YA PAR KEN

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry: In a post-apocalyptic world where fences and border patrols guard the few people left from the zombies that have overtaken civilization, fifteen-year-old Benny Imura is finally convinced that he must follow in his older brother's footsteps and become a bounty hunter. YA SFF MAB

Unforsaken by Sophie Littfield: Having learned that she has powers both to heal people and to create zombies, sixteen-year-old Hailey is trying to lead a fairly normal life with her brother and aunt in Milwaukee, but when she attempts to contact her boyfriend, she brings dangerous villains--both alive and undead--to her doorstep. YA PAR LIT

Zombies vs. Unicorns by various: Twelve short stories by a variety of authors seek to answer the question of whether zombies are better than unicorns. YA SFF ZOM

for November...

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac

Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved countless American lives. Yet their story remained classified for more than twenty years. But now Joseph Bruchac brings their stories to life for young adults through the riveting fictional tale of Ned Begay, a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy who becomes a code talker. His grueling journey is eye-opening and inspiring. This deeply affecting novel honors all of those young men, like Ned, who dared to serve, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians.