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)

Spotlight on Nutmegs: Out of the Easy

“I leapt eagerly into books. The characters’ lives were so much more interesting than the lonely heartbeat of my own.”

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer.

She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny. (x)

Steampunk Booklist

Stop by the library to check out any of these adventure-filled books set in Steampunk societies and filled with gadgets, fantasy, and intrigue! Stop by the teen zone for more recommendations, from Cyberpunk to Urbanpunk to Elfpunk!

This Week at the Library: August 10 - 16

Gaming Club
Tuesday, August 12 from 1:30 - 3:30 PM

Crafts in the Teen Zone: Steampunk Goggles
Wednesday, August 13 from 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Movie Nights @ the Library: Divergent
Thursday, August 14 at 5:00 PM

Anime Club: Steamboy
Friday, August 15 from 1:30 to 3:30 PM

SYNC Free Audio Downloads - August 7 - 13

Check out these free downloadable audio books!


LIVING A LIFE THAT MATTERS

by Ben Lesser

Narrated by Jonathan Silverman and Ben Lesser

(Remembrance Publishing)

THE SHAWL

by Cynthia Ozick

Narrated by Yelena Shmulenson

(HighBridge Audio)

Spotlight on Nutmegs: My Book of Life by Angel

the cinnamon bun smell
was Mom making them for me
and the clothing stores were my
walk-in closets
and the ice cream place was my freezer
and the bathroom was my bathroom

After her mother dies, a rudderless sixteen-year-old Angel hangs out at the mall, playing an unexpectedly poignant adolescent version of house. When Angel meets Call at the mall, he buys her meals and says he loves her, and he gives her some candy that makes her feel like she can fly. Pretty soon she's addicted to his candy, and she moves in with him. As a favor, he asks her to hook up with a couple of friends of his, and then a couple more. Now Angel is stuck working the streets at Hastings and Main, a notorious spot in Vancouver, Canada, where the girls turn tricks until they disappear without a trace, and the authorities don't care. But after her friend Serena disappears, and when Call brings home a girl who is even younger and more vulnerable than her to learn the trade, Angel knows that she and the new girl have got to find a way out. (x)

Spotlight on Nutmegs: Insignia

“Those are some of the most powerful people in the world, and you swamped them in sewage! If you had real friends, they'd have told you that you're an idiot for even thinking about doing that!"

Tom bristled, indignant. "My friends do tell me I'm an idiot. All the time!”

The earth is in the middle of WWIII in Insignia, the first entry in S. J. Kincaid's fast-paced sci-fi adventure trilogy perfect for fans of Ender's Game.
The planet's natural resources are almost gone, and war is being fought to control the assets of the solar system. The enemy is winning. The salvation may be Tom Raines. Tom doesn't seem like a hero. He's a short fourteen-year-old with bad skin. But he has the virtual-reality gaming skills that make him a phenom behind the controls of the battle drones.

As a new member of the Intrasolar Forces, Tom's life completely changes. Suddenly, he's someone important. He has new opportunities, friends, and a shot at having a girlfriend. But there's a price to pay... (x)

This Week at the Library: August 3 - 9

Gaming Club
Tuesday, August 5 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm

Science in Action: Light Photography
Wednesday, August 6 from 4:00 to 5:00 PM

Librarian's Carnival!
Thursday, August 7 @ 3:00 PM

Anime Club: Drawing Manga
Friday, August 8 from 3:30 to 5:30

Watermelon Explosion!

This week in the Teen Zone we experimented with explosions - including the diet coke & mentos experiment, vinegar and baking soda, and trying to see how far we could propel a skateboard with an explosion. The final experiment? Slicing a watermelon with rubber bands! We were skeptical at first, but this video is proof that it can indeed be done... with explosive results!

Adding rubber bands...

385 rubber bands later... success!

Miss Meg got a little messy!

And last but not least - our video inspiration:

The Reapers are the Angels - Teen Book Review

The world is infested with zombies. There are a few groups of people fighting against them, and hoping to survive. Temple, a young girl, is on the run - from her past, from the zombies, and from a vengeful killer. She travels restlessly from place to place, killing zombies and looking for some place she can settle. This is a story of her journey through the only world she's ever known.

I rated this book a 3.5 because it was a good read in some aspects, but it fell a bit short in others. There was no real plot to speak of - it was more like a series of diary entries with a few smaller plots built in. The ending was very disappointing; it was almost as if the author didn't know how to end the story so he resorted to the ending that he chose. However, not everything in this book was bad, and it has some good merits. Temple was a good believable character, a strong heroine with a fatal flaw. This book dealt a lot with big, philosophical ideas, and I think there are a few passages and ideas in this book that are worth reading. I don't think you should read this book for an exciting story, but more for the life lessons and ideas and bigger questions that are asked. You can learn a lot from this book.
                                                                                                                         - Ashleigh L.