Teen Books on Film in July!

Mon, 07/13/2015 - 3:18pm by manz

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is in theaters now, and is based on the book of the same title by Jesse Andrews. It tells the story of 17 year old Greg, who mainly spends his time being antisocial except for making films with his “friend” Earl until his mother forces him to befriend the girl down the street who was recently diagnosed with cancer. It sounds morbid, but it’s delightfully funny and Greg’s one-liners and views on the world are priceless. And Earl is just one of the funniest characters in teen lit. But then there is the whole girl-with-cancer thing that tugs on your sleeves. It’s not as sad as The Fault In Our Stars, but it’s definitely in the same “sick lit” vein.

Speaking of John Green, the film version of his novel Paper Towns hits theaters July 24 and there is so much buzz about it! In the story Margo arrives at Quentin’s window in disguise a month before graduation and drags him out on a night that ends up being a revenge mission against all those who did her wrong during high school. Soon afterwards Margo goes missing and Q follows clues to try to find out what happened to her. I’m really curious to see how this turns out on the big screen!

Both were good reads and recommended if you like realistic teen fiction.

EDIT: Paper Towns movie is now in the catalog!

The YA Book Prize Award (UK) goes to...

Fri, 07/10/2015 - 8:13pm by gulickb

Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neil won the YA Book Prize given in the UK for British and Irish writers of teen/YA fiction.

Only Ever Yours is O'Neil's first foray into teen fiction but don't let that make you think it's not excellent. The book follows 2 girls Freida and Isabel as they enter their final year "School" but of course this school is not the kind of school that we might go to, it is where all girls go to be trained to be perfect "companions" for powerful men. Frieda and Isabel have to stay in the top 10 most beautiful girls in their class to make sure that they are chosen by a powerful man and that they don't end up teaching more girls how to be "perfect" by being teachers in the school they grew up in.

This book really hits the subject of feminine beauty hard. It takes it apart, looks at it and puts it on display for all to see. It is a great book for anyone interested in dystopian stories that will keep you guessing where it's going. It has received much praise, and some criticism, for the subject of the book and it definitely deserves the praise it's been getting.

To Kill or Not to Kill, That is the Question!

Sun, 07/05/2015 - 5:52pm by hanxanth

Whether you love it or you hate it, everyone knows about William Shakespeare and his plays: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, the list goes on.

Regardless of your feelings towards the great bard, this comic is definitely worth a look! Kill Shakespeare starts out in the play Hamlet, where the Prince of Denmark has just accidentally killed the nobleman Polonius and is sent away to England. In the original play, we don't really know what happens to Hamlet during this time and he eventually returns to Denmark. Well now is your chance to see what happened in between! At least according to Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery. Hamlet is lost at sea, and rescued by King Richard III (the name of another Shakespeare play), who tells him of a great destiny in which he is called the Shadow King, a title Hamlet has recently been called in his visions by three crones (from Shakespeare's Macbeth!)

But what is the destiny of the Shadow King? Why, to kill a man who is said to be a god or a wizard. A man who holds a powerful quill and has accumulated a great following of people in King Richard's kingdom. A man named William Shakespeare.

Lumberjanes, the greatest scout group you wish you'd belonged to!

Thu, 07/02/2015 - 5:12pm by gulickb

BOOM! studios has in the past few years has been on a roll with their new lines of comics and graphic novels, from licensed products such as Bravest Warriors to their own original comics such as The Woods. Lumberjanes is no exception to this trend.

So what is Lumberjanes about? It follows a group of girls at a summer camp, but this is no ordinary summer camp. From the very beginning of the story the graphic novel shows that something strange is afoot, with bear-ladies and foxes that disappear. Another really cool aspect of the graphic novel is that each section of the graphic novel (which was originally released as an individual comic)has an overarching theme based on one of the Lumberjane badges and so you can try and figure out what that badge is!

The series has been praised for its style and also for being a female led female written series.

The story is intriguing and will leave you asking "what's going on!?!?!" So if you love adventures, comics or even summer camps then this graphic novel is for you!!

and remember "beware the kitten holy"

Gorgeous New Country-Rock: Traveller

Wed, 07/01/2015 - 9:23am by eapearce

Chris Stapleton’s first solo album, Traveller, has earned critical acclaim, particularly from NPR Music. Featured on NPR earlier this month, Traveller has now been ranked in the top 25 albums of 2015 so far by the organization. I think this honor is more than well-deserved! Stapleton’s story is a fascinating one. Born and raised in Kentucky, Stapleton dropped out of college and was driving an ice truck and playing music locally in the evenings. After encouragement from friends and fellow musicians passing through, Stapleton finally bit the bullet and moved to Nashville, where he began working as a songwriter for artists like Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan and Darius Rucker. One of the first songs that he wrote, “Nobody’s Fool,” was ultimately recorded by Miranda Lambert. Stapleton also lent his voice as backing vocals to many songs, but couldn’t seem to break out on his own as a solo act. He even recorded an entire album a few years ago, but his label declined to release it.

Traveller is the result of his final chance in the studio—or rather, what likely would have been his final chance if Traveller had proved a lesser album. Morgan Hayes, Stapleton’s wife, who sings harmony on the album, says that she can tell that Traveller came from a “deeper place” inside of Stapleton. The songs focus on common country themes: heartbreak, homesickness and hangovers, but the lyrics are well-crafted and, to borrow a line from one of the cover tracks, “as smooth as Tennessee whiskey.” Traveller is truly a beautiful album, and worth a listen even for those who don't usually enjoy country music.

2015 Morris Award Winner and finalists!

Mon, 06/29/2015 - 10:41am by gulickb

Every year the Young Adult Library Services Association (YASLA) awards the William C. Morris Young Adult Debut Award for first time authors writing for teens.

This year the winner of the Morris Award was Gabi, a girl in pieces by Isabel Quintero. It is a story about a girl, Gabi, who is having a complicated senior year. From her best friend getting pregnant to another friend coming out, to looking for her own romance and trying to get into college. All while writing poetry and trying to forge her identity. There's a good reason this book won the award, it's great. The characters don't fall flat as can happen sometimes and the struggles that Gabi faces are ones that are easily identifiable (even if you've never experienced them yourself).

The other finalists in the award were

The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley a story about Maggie Lynch who is moved from Chicago to Ireland when her mother gets suddenly married. The story follows Maggie as she deals with life and death, love and loss.

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by C.K Johnston is a story about an alternate world where dragons abound and cause massive destruction. The story follows Owen a slayer in training, his bard Siobhan (pronounced She-vaughn) as they face a dragon in Canada.

The Scar Boys by Len. Vlahos is a story about Harry Jones who in a college admission essay reveals a childhood defined by his physical and psychological scars and the solace that he found in friendship and punk music.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is a story about a girl who is born with wings, to a family that is unwise in love. After a young man becomes convinced she is an angel it is uncertain if she will survive this strange obsession.

To see previous years winners check out These lists

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #537 - “Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” ~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Fri, 06/26/2015 - 9:25pm by muffy

Our Endless Numbered Days * * by Claire Fuller is a dark and captivating debut that you are not likely to forget for a very long time, and one that you would be tempted to re-read, immediately.

Concert pianist Ute Bischoff scandalized the music world when she married James Hillcoat, a handsome and cocky teenager eight years her junior, who stood in one night as the page-turner of her music score. They settled into a comfortable family life until their daughter Peggy was eight years old. While Ute was away on a concert tour, James, an increasingly obsessed survivalist, took her to a remote hut in the woods, telling her that the rest of the world has been destroyed. For the next nine year, they lived rough in the wilderness, marking their days by the sun and the seasons, and making a life for themselves. Then Peggy saw an unfamiliar pair of boots in the forest and began to search for their owner...

"Fuller alternates Peggy's time in the forest with chapters that take place in 1985 after she reunites with her mother, building an ever-present sense of foreboding and allowing readers to piece together well-placed clues... (her) careful pacing gradually reveals the mystery of a life that is as sympathetic as it is haunting."

A fabulous crossover for mature teens, especially those who enjoyed The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean (a 2008 Printz Award Winner); Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson; Room by Emma Donoghue; and Stolen by Lucy Christopher, (a 2011 Printz Award Honor Book).

* * = 2 starred reviews

Artist Appreciation: Matisse

Wed, 06/24/2015 - 5:07pm by eapearce

Kids in grades 3-8 are encouraged to join us at the downtown library Thursday afternoon, June 25, at 2:00pm for a Henri Matisse program! A short presentation will discuss the artist's life and style of work and then attendees will have the chance to create their own art in the style of Matisse.

This is a great way to learn about and create your own fine art!

Graphic novels that are great for young and old.

Fri, 06/19/2015 - 5:33pm by gulickb

Crossover books are great, they offer something for the young, old and everyone in between and in graphic novels there seems to be a lot of these texts. I'm going to highlight just a couple of wonderful crossover graphic novels.

For teens and adults Neil Gaiman's Sandman is a great crossover graphic novel. Sandman follows a being named Morpheus or Dream who is one of the seven endless, entities who fulfill certain roles in reality. The 10 volume series (and subsequent prequels) deals with lots of great issues and the reader is invited to question preconceptions about the world within the graphic novel.

For children, teens and adults My Little Pony Friendship is Magic has really captured the imagination of people of all ages, the subculture that has grown up around it encompasses all genders, ages and nationalities. It follows a group of six ponies who are best friends and the adventures that they have. One of the reasons that it has become so wildly popular is because of how it deals with everyday life issues, plus it helps that they throw in lots of references to other pop-culture icons (such as Dr. Who or should I say Dr. Hooves).

The third crossover graphic novel(s) is great for teens and adults alike. Scott Chantler creates a fantasy world that is both fast and interesting in theThree Thieves series. If you are a fan of the fantasy graphic novel genre these books are worth reading!

Programming For Kids

Fri, 06/19/2015 - 1:54pm by evelyn

Are you looking for a fun summer hobby? How about learning how to program and/or design your very own video games? AADL partners with Gamestart to host lots of great programming and gaming events, but we also have some awesome new books and tools to help you out!

For younger learners, check out Awesome Algorithms and Creative Coding, which will give you an intro to basic coding. If you think you’re ready for a longer and more in depth look at coding, take a look at Adventures in Raspberry Pi and Adventures in Python.

If video games are your thing, you’ll want to read Video Games: From Concept to Consumer and Video Game Programming for Kids.

Want more? Check out our complete list of programming books and tools for kids.