Why I Need My Library

The American Library Association is sponsoring a contest asking you Why You Need Your Library.

If you are interested, you make a short (1-3 minute) video saying "Why I Need My Library"
and you could win $3,000 for your library and a $50 gift card for you.


Find out more about it here.

Calling All Book Club Members

Teenreads.com is having a contest especially for book clubs.

You can enter here for a chance to win enough copies of Sarah Zarr's Once Was Lost for our entire book club (plus a few new members).

Find Out More About the Book Here

Visit the Official Site Here

Help Us Bring E-Book to the Library

Please take a moment to fill out this quick survey and help us bring E-Books to the Booth & Dimock Memorial Library.

Have You Watched Any Good Movies Lately?

There are more and more YA books turning into movies and with the Hunger Games Film having just announced a release date in March 2012 and Beastly coming to theaters this March.

Below are just a few of the movie adaptations that have been made recently and a few that will be coming soon. Do you have a favorite or one that I missed?

Perks of Being a Wallflower...coming in November 2011

I Am Number Four...in theaters February 2011

Harry Potter...the first 6 films are already on DVD the final movie will be in theaters July 2011

Pride & Prejudice...on DVD

Water for Elephants...in theaters February 2011

Flipped...on DVD

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...on DVD

Mortal Instruments...coming in 2012

The Chronicles of Narnia The Voyage of the Dawn Treader...in theaters now

Gulliver's Travels...in theaters now

Percy Jackson and the Olympians...on DVD

The Twilight Saga...the first three films on DVD

Stop by the Booth & Dimock Memorial Library to check out one of these books or movies.

Vote on which adaptation you liked better, the book or the movie on the big board by the Teen Services Desk.

Don't forget the Academy Awards are at the end of February.

Watch out for the voting for Movie Night on February 24th.

Reading with the Teen Librarian: "Countdown" & "Annexed"

Earlier this month I posted that I would be participating in the YA Historical Fiction Challenge.

So far, I have read two of my proposed 5 books:

Annexed by Sharon Dogar & Countdown by Deborah Wiles

 
My Reviews:

Countdown is told by an eleven year old girl (Franny), wise beyond her years living through the Cuban Missile Crisis, the fear of Nuclear War and the rise of Communism. Her Dad is an active member of the Air Force, her uncle a war veteran with obvious post-traumatic stress syndrome, she has an older sister who is keeping secrets, a terrified younger brother and a mother who is trying to hold the family together. The President's announcement of the nuclear threat pushes into all aspects of lives of this family, and yet, the family is expected to continue their daily lives.


I have hear this book called as a Documentary-Novel and it certainly fits. Through Franny's eyes we see how the political climate is affecting her and her family; but, through the pages of photographs, news stories, quotes and song lyrics the reader sees what Franny and her family saw. Through these "extras" the reader is able to experience the 1960s and understand the actions of the characters.

There were parts of Franny's story that I would have like to see developed further, but overall I am very impressed by this book and recommended it to all fans of historical fiction or real-life dramas.

 -----------------------------------------

Annexed is the story of Peter Van Pels the boy in the attic with Anne Frank. We follow Peter as he makes his way to the Annex and as he grows up with a limited number of people in his daily life. We learn how he is encourage to continue his studies while outside other Jews are being sent away and while he grapples with the hope that he one day will be free or the despair that one day he might not be. The annex was of course discovered, and Peter also brings the reader to Auschwitz.

Peter's story is very moving. The characters ultimate fate is already known, but that won't stop readers from routing for their escape and survival and from succumbing to their obvious depression. Above all, this book is a character study of what it must have been like to be locked away, uncertain of your future and those of your friends you left behind.

Have You Seen...the YA Non-Fiction Books?

Who says you can't enjoy reading a non-fiction book?

Try reading about Janis Joplin
or make one of Bakarell'a Cake Pops





There are many new Non-Fiction Books that just arrived. Find them under the Audio-Books at the front of the Teen Zone.

Look for older books interfiled with Adult Non-Fiction.

And of course, if you want a book on a particular subject...
Ask the Teen Librarian. She is happy to help.

Chess Club

This week we had a wonderful first meeting of the Chess Club with UCONN Chess Club Members Tom Hartmayer and Alex Fikiet.

We learned a few of the basics, including Castling and then Alex played against all of the Booth & Dimock Members present. We followed up with an hour of playing against ourselves.

The Booth & Dimock Chess Club will be meeting again on Friday, February 11th from 2:45pm-5:00pm.

Tom and Alex invited anyone who was interested to attend the UCONN Chess Club on Tuesdays at 7:30pm. You can find out more about the UCONN Chess Club here. Alex recommended ChessCube as a great place to play against others online.

Don't forget the Booth & Dimock Memorial Library has some excellent books on the history of Chess and how to play the game.

One of the chess facts learned is that Chess was often used in medieval literature to bring star-crossed lovers such as Lancelot and Guinevere together and was considered a crucial attribute of heroes such as King Arthur.---From the book The Art of Chess by Colleen Schafroth.

Chess Club Snow Date

Because of this week's snow storm,

The Chess Club will now meet on Wenesday, January 19th from 2:45pm-5:00pm.

See You There!

February Book Club Selection

The book club met today to discuss A.S. King's  Please Ignore Vera Dietz. The overwhelming opinion was that despite it being strange and many unexpected twists, it was still a very well done book.







We also chose our next book, for Thursday, February 10th. We will be reading North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Hadley. Books will be made available at the Teen Services Desk.





Here is the synopsis provided by GoodReads:

As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face?

It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper.

She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?

Written in lively, artful prose, award-winning author Justina Chen Headley has woven together a powerful novel about a fractured family, falling in love, travel, and the meaning of true beauty.

New Website

Have You Seen the New Teen Website???

Here is a preview, but make sure you check it out for news on upcoming events, new books, T.A.B., The Gaming Club, Book Club and more!

 

http://www.coventrypl.org/teen-services

***Pages from this blog will be disappearing as they are replaced on the new website.

And the Winners Are...

The American Library Association just announced their top books, audiobooks and videos for children and young adults.

Read the official press release here.

Or watch these videos to find out about the great YA books nominated and presented with awards.
And come into the library and check out a winner or nominee.


Michael L. Prinz Award for Excellence in Literature written for Young Adults

Nominees: Stolen by Lucy Christopher; Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King; Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi; Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick; Nothing by Janne Teller

The Winner: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi



Ship Breaker


The Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:


Middle School Age (11-13) Category: After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

Teen (13-18) Category: Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

 

The Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

Odyssey Honor Recordings

Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman; The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness; Revolution  by Jennifer Donnelly; will grayson, will grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award for books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered expereince

The Nominees: will grayson, will grayson by John Green and David Levithan; Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher; Love Drugged by James Klise; Freaks and Revelations by Davida Willis Hurwin; The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams

The Winner: Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

 

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens

The Nominees: Hush by Eishes Chayil; Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey; Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride; Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber; The Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston

The Winner: The Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston



YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults


The Nominees: Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel; They Called Themselves the KKK: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti; Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement by Rick Bowers; The Dark Game: True Spy Stories by Paul Janeczko; Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates by Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw.

The Winner: Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel

For Harry Potter Fans

This was too wonderful not to share.

Daniel Radcliffe or Harry Potter?

I Am Harry Potter from Daniel Radcliffe

Have You Seen...Our Audio Books

Yes, We Have Them,

And Yes, We Have Brand New Titles.

Revolution--by Jennifer Donnelly

Misguided Angel--by Melissa de la Cruz

The Hunger Games--by Suzanne Collins

The Cardturner--by Louis Sacher

The Dead Tossed Waves--by Carrie Ryan

Plus Many More.

They are located above the New Non-Fiction

The Newest Titles are Marked with Red Dots

Check One Out Today!

New Gaming Club Dates

The Gaming Club will meet from 2:45pm-5:00pm on 

January 6th and 20th

February 3rd and 17th

March 3rd and 31st

Future Dates To Be Announced.

Don't forget you can take the bus from the schools and we are always looking for new members. See you then!

Read with the Teen Librarian: Historical Fiction

I want to have a way to share what I am reading (or at least some of it--because I read a lot) so I am going to start this semi-regular feature in the blog letting you know the YA books I've read recently, or maybe just talk about a book or two.

To kick off the new year, I am also going to join a reading challenge for 2011. There are lots of challenges out there based on genres, number goals, you get the idea.

Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres, so I am going to try the YA Historical Fiction Challenge, hosted by YA Bliss.
 
 
There are three levels of this challenge and I am going to start with Level 1 (read 5 books) and upgrade as I find more YA Historical Fiction I want to read.


 



Here are my 5 books: 

Annexed by Sharon Dogar 
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa M. Klein
Countdown by Deborah Wiles


In case you want to try and read a historical fiction novel this year, you can use this list of YA Historical Fiction at the Booth & Dimock Memorial Library to find a great book. Keep in mind, this list doesn't include all the books out there or that we have. Let me know if you find one you think I should add to the list.