This Week at the Library: December 14 - 20

Star Wars Snowflakes
December 16th - All Afternoon

Winter decorations themed at the classic movies - and their upcoming sequel!

 

Teen Movie: The Giver
December  19th - 3:00 p.m.

Didn't catch The Giver in theaters? Come watch it at the library!

This Week at the Library: Dec. 7 - 13

Minute to Win It
December 12th
@ 3 p.m.

Fast Thinking and funny skills unite in this quick competition!

Horrorgami
December 11th

This creepy origami event is going on all afternoon - and all week, if you're interested!

This Week at the Library: Nov. 30 - Dec. 7

Gaming Club
Tuesday, December 2nd
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Join us in the Teen Zone to play video games and hang out with friends! Board games and table-top card games are always an option, too! Our new PS4 is first come, first served, so be sure to stop by and check it out.

Crafts in the Teen Zone: Snow Globes

Wednesday, December 3rd

@ 3:00 p.m.

Make your own winter wonderland!

This Week at the Library: November 9 - 15

Paracord Bracelets
Wednesday, November 12th
@ 3:00 p.m.

Make your own Paracord Bracelets - both a survival item and an accessory!

Maker Camp
Thursday, November 13th
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Join Miss Meg and Kristi to experience, invent and explore in a STEAM based creative environment. Grades 2- 9 welcome, no registration required.

Teen Movie Afternoons: Maleficent
Friday, November 14th
@ 3:00 p.m.

Join us for a showing of the movie Maleficent and create your own custom seasoned popcorn!

Wonder - Teen Review

Teen Review

Genre: Middle Grade Book

Summary: In the beginning August had never been in a real school, he had been homeschooled. Then his parents decided he was ready to go to a school. On his first day everyone was looking at him weird because his face is deformed. Next was the middle of the year and he had more friends and not as many people were looking at him weird. Lastly, August won and award at his graduation and everyone was really happy for him.

Review: I rated this book a 4 because I really liked the book. It had a really good storyline and events. The characters were very fun to read about. This was not my favorite book. The book Wonder was awesome but not the best one I have ever read. 

People might like this book if they liked: Sad, funny, and joyful stories.

Reviewed by Glenn (7th grade)

This Week at the Library: November 2 - 8

Gaming Club
Tuesday, October 4
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Recycled Book Candles
Wednesday, November 5th
@ 3:00 p.m.

National Novel Writing Month
All of November!

The Book Thief - Teen Book Review

Teen Review

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary: It is 1939, Germany, where the Nazis are at the peak of power. This story, narrated by Death, is about 10-year-old Liesel Meminger, who is sent away to live with foster parents in Molching, Germany. She begins stealing books and learns about the power of words. Liesel and her foster parents try to survive the bomb raidings, food shortages, and poverty, all while keeping a Jewish boxer named Max in their basement.

Review: I rated this book a 5 because it is a beautifully written novel about one of the most tragic events in history. The Book Thief shows how there is a good in everyone even in the toughest times.

People might like this book if they liked: Chains, Forge, Night, Diary of Anne Frank

Reviewed by Vanessa (9th grade)

This Week at the Library: October 26 - November 1

Eyeball Rings
Tuesday, October 28th
@ 3:00 p.m.

Harry Potter Wands
Wednesday, October 29th
@ 3:00 p.m.

Halloween at the 
Booth & Dimock Library!
Friday, October 31st

Stop by the Teen Zone to show off your costume & trick-or-treat!

This Week at the Library: October 19 - 25

Life Hacks
Tuesday, October 21st
@ 3:00 p.m.

Come check out the first in our Life Hacks series. This week we will be learning how to navigate without the help of a smartphone or GPS, and working in teams to win prizes!

Teen Techies
Wednesday, October 22nd
@ 3:00 p.m.

Be a Library Techie! Come and work on a library podcast, make videos with our equipment, or start a teen run blog. This is the Teen Advisory Board 2.0 - and yes, being a productive member of this group WILL earn your community service hours!

Gaming Club
Friday, October 24th
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Join us in the Teen Zone to play video games and hang out with friends! Board games and table-top card games are always an option, too! Our new PS4 is first come, first served, so be sure to stop by and check it out.

Arm Knitting
Saturday, October 26th
@ 1:00 p.m.

Looking for something to do? Drop by for crafts in the Teen Zone!

Join Dawn Zilich and make a scarf in one sitting! Learn the art of arm knitting - no prior nowledge required. Registration requested as space is limited.

Teens and Adults Welcome

This Week at the Library: October 12 - 18

Teen Read Week
Starting October 12th!

Join us all week (and the next!) to help celebrate Teen Read Week! Participate in weekly challenges and programs to earn points and win prizes.

Maker Camp
Tuesday, October 14
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Join Miss Meg and Kristi to experience, invent, and explore in a STEAM based creative environment. Grades 2-9 welcomed, no registration required!

Marble Mazes
Wednesday, October 15
@ 3:00 p.m.

Build your own marble maze!

The Fault in Our Stars
Friday, October 17th
@ 3:00 p.m.

Join us after school on Friday for a showing of this movie, based on the popular book by John Green, in honor of Teen Read Week!

This Week at the Library: October 5 - 11

Sea Tea Improv: 
Comedy Workshop
Tuesday, October 7
@ 3:00 p.m.

Tech Dissection
Wednesday, October 8
@ 4:00 p.m.

Paper Crafts
Thursday, October 9
@ 3:00 p.m.

Anime Club
Friday, October 10
3:00- 5:00 p.m.

This Week at the Library: September 28 - October 4

We have a busy week planned here in the Teen Zone - there's something going on every day, so make sure to stop by after school and check out what's happening! As always, many of our events (particularly crafts and various clubs) last throughout the afternoon, and we invite teens to drop in at any time that works for them.

Sea Tea Improv: 
Comedy Performance
Tuesday, September 30th
@ 3:00 p.m.

Presented in collaboration with Connecticut Humanities and as part of CT at Work, Sea Tea Improv will share the art, skill, and fun of improvisational comedy with an eye to the future!

Library Techies
Wednesday, October 1st
@ 3:00 p.m.

Be a Library Techie! Come and work on a library podcast, make videos, or start a teen-run blog. This is the Teen Advisory Board 2.0 - and yes, being a productive member of this group will earn you community service hours.

Electronic Cranes
Thursday, October 3rd
@ 3:00 p.m.

Circuitry and origami collide in this fun craft - no prior knowledge of either required!

Gaming Club
Friday, October 3rd
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Join us for fun gaming, including PC, Xbox, Wii, Nintendo DS, and PS2 Games - and try out our new PS4! Come hang out with your fellow gamers and have a good time.

This Week at the Library: September 21 - 27

Life Hacks
Tuesday, September 23
@ 3:00 p.m.

Cardboard Cryptex
Thursday, September 25
@ 3:00 p.m.

Teen Movie Afternoons:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Friday, September 26
@ 3:00 p.m.

This Week at the Library: September 14 - 20

Gaming Club
Tuesday, Sept. 16
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

T-Shirt Art
Thursday, Sept. 18
3:00 p.m.
*bring your own t-shirts, pillowcases, and more!*

Spotlight on Nutmegs: See You At Harry's

“I breath in and out through my mouth to feel the quiet. In. Out. Over and over. Until I fall asleep.”

Starting middle school brings all the usual challenges — until the unthinkable happens, and Fern and her family must find a way to heal.

Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. It seems as though everyone in her family has better things to do than pay attention to her: Mom (when she’s not meditating) helps Dad run the family restaurant; Sarah is taking a gap year after high school; and Holden pretends that Mom and Dad and everyone else doesn’t know he’s gay, even as he fends off bullies at school. Then there’s Charlie: three years old, a "surprise" baby, the center of everyone’s world. He’s devoted to Fern, but he’s annoying, too, always getting his way, always dirty, always commanding attention. If it wasn’t for Ran, Fern’s calm and positive best friend, there’d be nowhere to turn. Ran’s mantra, "All will be well," is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe it’s true. But then tragedy strikes- and Fern feels not only more alone than ever, but also responsible for the accident that has wrenched her family apart. All will not be well. Or at least all will never be the same. (x)

Spotlight on Nutmegs: Never Fall Down

“Long time I been on my own, but now really I'm alone. I survive the killing, the starving, all the hate of the Khmer Rouge, but I think maybe now I will die of this, of broken heart.”

Based on the true story of Cambodian advocate Arn Chorn-Pond, and authentically told from his point of view as a young boy, this is an achingly raw and powerful historical novel about a child of war who becomes a man of peace. It includes an author's note and acknowledgments from Arn Chorn-Pond himself.

When soldiers arrive in his hometown, Arn is just a normal little boy. But after the soldiers march the entire population into the countryside, his life is changed forever. Arn is separated from his family and assigned to a labor camp: working in the rice paddies under a blazing sun, he sees the other children dying before his eyes. One day, the soldiers ask if any of the kids can play an instrument. Arn's never played a note in his life, but he volunteers. This decision will save his life, but it will pull him into the very center of what we know today as the Killing Fields. And just as the country is about to be liberated, Arn is handed a gun and forced to become a soldier. (x)

Booklist: How to Survive High School

It's that time of year again... back to school season! Check out this great booklist full of teens figuring out how to survive high school & the real world, and just maybe having some fun along the way, too!

This Week at the Library: August 17 - 23

Gaming Club
Tuesday, August 19
1:30 - 3:30 PM

Back to School Notebooks
Wednesday, August 20
3:00 - 4:00 PM

Movie Nights @ the Library: Divergent
Thursday, August 21
@ 5:00 PM

Summer Reading - Teen Reviews!

You guys wrote so many great reviews this past week, there was no way we could have fit them all on one page! Here are just a few of the books you liked best, and your reasons why. Don't forget to stop by the Teen Zone to ask for more recommendations - and ask your friends too, of course!

The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort

""This was an intriguing, entertaining, engaging, insightful, hilarious novel that is an easy read." 

                                                                             - Callie

Jackaby by William Ritter

"When Abigail Rooks arrives in New England Looking for an adventure, the last thing she expects is becoming a book keeper for a detective. But she soon finds out that her young boss, R.F. Jackaby, deals in supernatural crimes. Before she knows it, she is sucked into a murder investigation that has the whole town in panic, and one that Jackaby claims involves a nonhuman murderer. Follow Abigail and Jackaby as they uncover the supernatural creatures that live among us while trying to save the town from the monsters that hide in plain sight."

                                                                      - Patrick

The Final Four by Paul Volponi

"I thought that this book was very suspenseful and exciting, because when the game in the book got into almost five overtime it was intense. I would recommend this book."

                                                                        - Cameron

I am the Mission by Allen Zadoff

"An interesting sequel to "I am the Weapon." It was an exciting book and left me wanting for more."

                                                                  - Chance

The Tombs by Clive Cussler

"A bit of a crazy story, with an even crazier ending! A little...ridiculous in places, but I guess Bako is so rich, he has no limits, and doesn't care."

                                                                 - David

Spotlight on Nutmegs: One for the Murphys

“Sometimes I wonder. On the pathetic scale, where would I land? I know other kids my age would go to the mall if they cut school, but I'm off to the library.”

Twelve-year-old Carley Connors can take a lot. Growing up in Las Vegas with her fun-loving mother, she's learned to be tough. But she never expected a betrayal that would land her in a foster care. When she's placed with the Murphys, a lively family with three boys, she's blindsided. Do happy families really exist? Carley knows she could never belong in their world, so she keeps her distance.

It's easy to stay suspicious of Daniel, the brother who is almost her age and is resentful she's there. But Mrs. Murphy makes her feel heard and seen for the first time, and the two younger boys seem determinded to work their way into her heart. Before she knows it, Carley is protected the boys from a neighbourhood bullly and even teaching Daniel how to play basketball. Then just when she's feeling like she could truly be one of the Murphys, news from her mother shakes her world. (x)