Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!


How do you celebrate Halloween? Here in Oak Harbor this year we invited people of all ages to dress in costume and bring their pets along for our Picture it With your Pet Costume Contest. We had a good turnout, with a total of seven dogs and many more humans dressed in some very clever costumes.

Here are a few highlights for your enjoyment... it's probably a good thing nobody brought a cat.





Last Day for Teen Read Month Contests

Don't forgot...today is the last day to enter our Teen Read Month contests.  Submit your blog comments before midnight. 

If you have created some art for our 8th Annual Teen Art Contest, be sure to turn it in to your local library before closing today!

Hope you have enjoyed this month as much as I have, and found time to Read for the Fun of It!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Drugs and Zombies



I am in the middle of reading Edward Bloor's book A Plague Year and so far I am not too sure what I think about it.


It is well written and the main character Tom is a likeable, hardworking kid. He lives in a small Pennsylvania town that has a growing drug problem, specifically Meth.


The books promotion seems to be trying to tap into the current Zombie craze by drawing comparisons between addicts and zombies. If it is done well, I think it might work. Some of my favorite moments in the television show The Walking Dead are when the survivors, particularly the sheriff Rick Grimes, show sympathy for the undead.






I have yet to read the graphic novels the show is based on. But I believe the same sentiment is displayed there.


There has been one very notable scene in A Plague Year so far. It struck home to me the incredible sadness of addiction.


A character in the book is trying to describe addiction to a room full of students and he starts by asking two of them what they love. This is what he says:


"You love to read, miss. And then you get high, and you love to read even more when you're high."


And you love to play video games, Tom, and then you get high, and you love to play video games even more when you're high."



"But then something bad happens. You find that you don't love to read anymore when you're not high. It's not good enough."


"Now, here's the really awful part."


"Miss, you soon realize you don't love reading anymore even when you are high. And Tom, you don't love video games anymore, high or not. You don't love anything anymore. Not books, not games, not even getting high."


"But you keep getting high anyway because..well, that's what you do."

"That's what you do, so you keep doing it. Even though you hate it now. You have officially arrived at zombieland. You don't love anything. You don't like anything. You don't care about anything. It has all been taken away from you...by drugs."


A powerful statement.


Nate - Snohomish Library

Weekend Book Giveaway: Hades

This weekend's featured book is a beautiful brand new hardcover of Alexandra Adornetto's new book Hades:

Even the love of her boyfriend, Xavier Woods, and her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can't keep the angel Bethany Church from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, Jake Thorn bargains for Beth's release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly her loved ones as well.  

We've got 19 people lined up to read this right now, but one of you lucky blog readers will get this one to keep for yourself!

All you have to do to enter the random drawing is tell me in the comments is tell me if you had a supernatural motorcycle, where would you travel to first, and why do you want to go there?

Random entry will be drawn Tuesday November 1, 2011. To win you must include your name or initials, and be a teen in the Sno-Isle Libraries service area.


Thursday, October 27, 2011

Teen Read Month - Mini Contest #4

It is our final mini contest for Teen Read Month.  How did the time past so quickly?

Once again, we will be giving away a bag full of:
  • awesome swag
  • cool pins
  • books
  • candy
  • a really random surprise
This week's special featured prize book is an Advanced Readers Copy of Laini Taylor's newest, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which has huge buzz around it! Plus has been nominated for Sno-Isle Libraries' Mock Printz discussion, which I'll tell you more about soon. And there are 23 people waiting to read it, so you can skip that line!

Seventeen-year-old Karou, a lovely, enigmatic art student in a Prague boarding school, carries a sketchbook of hideous, frightening monsters--the chimaerae who form the only family she has ever known.

To win our last Secret Surprise Bag, tell me about a reading experience that changed your life.  Winner will be selected Tuesday November 1, 2012.  Must leave name or initials in the entry (so I know who you are) and be a teen in Sno-Isle territory to win.  Check back here to see the winner!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Book Trailer Tuesday: Iron Fey Series

You'll find some of this hit fantasy series by Julie Kagawa on the Teen Explore shelf:


Or place a hold by following the links:

Iron King
Iron Daughter
Iron Queen



Released today, and eventually showing up on your library shelves:
Iron Knight

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Monster Pops!



Turn your typical dessert into a delectable monster on a stick. Think cake pops, monster-style. It's time to play with your food and make it awesome. And horrifying. Or cute. It's up to you.

Thursday, October 27 at 3:30 pm at the Lynnwood Library. Preregistration required. Register here.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Weekend Book Give-Away: Nightshade

This weekend's featured book is a hot new paranormal romance featuring werewolves called Nightshade by Andrea Cremer.


Calla and Ren have been raised knowing it's their destiny to mate with one another and rule over their shapeshifting wolf pack, but when a human boy arrives and vies for Calla's heart, she's faced with a decision that could change her whole world. 

Right now there are 35 people to waiting to read one of Sno-Isle's copies, but one lucky blog reader can win an Advanced Reader Copy to keep!   All you have to do is tell me in the comments what sort of monster you would like to date (werewolf/vampire/kracken/???) and why, to be entered in our drawing. 

Random entry will be drawn Tuesday October 25, 2011.  To win you must include your name or initials, and be a teen in the Sno-Isle Libraries service area.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Teen Read Month - Mini Contest #3

This week's Mini Contest is for a Secret Surprise Bag once again contains:

Candy.
Really cool pins.
More books.
A really random surprise.
An assortment of the newest and greatest Sno-Isle Libraries swag.

Plus...a shiny new hardcover edition of the long awaiting new book by one of my favorite authors, Jack Gantos, called Dead End in Norvelt:

In the historic town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help an elderly neighbor with a most unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.


How can you win this great prize package?  In the comments below, write your own title and description (in the style above) about the book you would write about the summer you were 12 (or will be, if you are a 6th grader who is still 11).  For example mine would read something like this:

Bike Spokes and Weird Folks in Spokane

In the town pretending to be a city of Spokane, twelve-year-old Dawn R. spends the summer of 198something bicycling around with new found freedom, encountering fellow library geeks, dozens of books, milkshakes, swimming pools, Gremlins, and a bite in the butt from a surprisingly vicious dog!

Winning entry will be chosen next Thursday. Watch back here to see if it is you!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Creepy reads

It seems that without fail, every October my reading habits tend toward the creepy and spooky. The shorter days, chilly weather, and parade of pumpkins make me crave something that'll give me nightmares (or at least make me jump). Here are a few recent favorites:

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz: Once upon a tome fairy tales were awesome. As if Hansel and Gretel didn’t already have it tough in their original fairy tale, Gidwitz pops them into a handful of other obscure Grimm stories and casts the siblings as heroes. Over the course of the book the twins are beheaded (and reheaded), dismembered, hunted, killed, brought back to life, sent to hell, and a number of other terrible fates. Is there a happily-ever-after? I'm not telling. It's really good on audio and you can also watch the book trailer.

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann: This is still one of the creepiest books I've ever read. Missing boyfriend? Check. Creepy graffiti on your desk? Check. Strange whispers? Check. My advice, don't follow Kendall's lead and go looking for him alone in the woods.

Brains for Lunch: A Zombie Novel in Haiku by K.A. Holt: This isn't so much scary as it is funny and gross, but nothing says Halloween like zombies. Nearly 100 haiku's cover middle school life. Middle school is hard. It's even harder when you're a zombie.

What are your Halloween reads?

TRM - Mini Contest #2 - Entry #3

From M.E.:

 My favorite place to read is in a nook area underneath my bunkbed. It has a foam bottom with pillows and lanterns. I would want to protect it from vampires because like KJ it is my home. Why would I want vampires at my house??? I also would want to protect it because my cat will sometimes lay in there it is one of her favorite places too. I wouldn't want the vampires to think my kitty was the perfect appetizer! My second favorite place to  read is in my living room. I like to read there because the chair I sit in is super comfortable and has the softest woven blanket on it. I would want to protect it from vampires because, again, it is my home. I also would want to protect it, because if it was gone where would I read?


TRM - Mini Contest #2 - Entry #2

 From MB:

My favorite place in the world to read is in that little space between my bedroom door and my sister's dresser. Maybe it's just my talent for finding comfort in the most awkward places, but for some reason, it's the most reader-friendly place I can think of! I love sitting there with a mug of hot chocolate in the evening and devouring some of my favorite books (a few of which are shown here). There's just something about it that makes me gravitate towards that particular spot...though my sister doesn't really appreciate me blocking the door every night!

I have tons of reasons to protect this spot from dirty vampires! The first, of course, being that this is my spot, and nobody touches my spot! Nobody! Even if they are undead and have an affinity for blood-sucking. Also, I keep my laptop and other important things right around this area. If they got to my spot, that could only lead to them finding- *gasp*- my bookshelf! I would definitely become a slayer to protect my books. Oh, and my sister, too, but mostly just the books.
Hmm...I am going as a vampire slayer for Halloween...looks like I'm set!



Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Certain books and stories stay with you forever. Maybe they mirrored what you’re feeling or changed the way you looked at life or marked a person or place in your life. I remember the summer after I graduated high school sitting in a Laundromat on a 100 degree day in Chicago reading Annapurna, a woman’s place by Arlene Blum. Along with avalanches and tragedies, there was a sense of the possible. It was a glimpse of the adventures I was tentatively stepping toward. Through the years I have often sent out thoughts of gratitude to the authors that have added color and context to my day to day, capturing what I have neither the patience nor the talent to put into words.

Has a book ever had a major impact on your life? If so, you should enter Washington State's Letters About Literature 2012. “Letters About Literature encourages young readers to read a book and write a letter to the author about how the book changed their view of the world…. Readers in grades 4-12 write a personal letter to an author, explaining how his or her work shaped their perspective on the world or themselves. Students can write about works of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Entries in Spanish will be accepted and translated for the Washington State judges. State judges will select the top letter writers in Washington, who then advance to the national competition. Letter writers compete at three levels: Level I is grades 4-6; Level II is grades 7-8; and Level III is grades 9-12. One letter from each level from each state is entered into the national competition.

Click here for guidelines and individual entry forms .

Book Trailer Tuesday: The Scorpio Races

Maggie Stiefvater exploded onto the scene with Lament, and furthered her name with The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. Next up is The Scorpio Races, out today. I'm fairly interested in giving it a go, since I'm pretty worn out on faeries and werewolves. Here's a very interesting trailer, that tells you almost nothing about the book, but is still cool because of the stop motion art:




Publisher description:
Some race to win. Others race to survive.

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.

Some riders live.

Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.


Nota bene: Her stop motion trailer for Linger is pretty awesome, too. As are the two different versions of the trailer for Forever.

Dogtag Flashdrives are Here

Our awesome new Teen Read Month dogtag flashdrives are here! Want one? Review books that you Read for the Fun of It this month for your chance to win! 


Here are our winners for the first half of Teen Read Month:

Jasmein M. - Mill Creek Library
Emily M. - Brier Library
Deizanee McM. - Library on Wheels
Sadie J. - Lynnwood Library
Megan B. - Marysville Library
Sarah A. - Marysville Library
Kaitlynn K. - Marysville Library
Jynx T. - Granite Falls Library
Jessica L. - Marysville Library
Amelia von S - Lynnwood Library
Sereena G. - Edmonds Library
Diana L. - Marysville Library
Grace DeM - Edmonds Library
Ashley C. - Marysville Library
Keturah F. - Mill Creek Library
Mariela M. - Marysville Library
Krystal J. - Marysville Library

Congrats to our winners!  Your teen librarian will let you know when your prize arrives.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Teens' Top Ten Revealed


The 2011 Teen's Top Ten list has been announced!
Every year teens vote on their top ten favorite books of the previous year, and the winners are announced during the month of October. Nominees are selected by sixteen book groups from all over the United States - including the Mukilteo Library's very own Teen Advisory Group! Then during the months of August and September, teens vote online for their favorites.
Without further ado - this year's winners:
  • Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
  • Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
  • Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
  • I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
  • The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
  • Matched by Ally Condie
  • Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson
  • Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
  • Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
  • Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Have you read any of these books? Are there any books you think should have been included on the list that didn't make it? You can order them from Sno-Isle Libraries here.
Learn more about the Teens' Top Ten and see a list of all titles nominated here.


TRM - Mini Contest #2 - Entry #1

From KJ:

My number one favorite place to read is in my front yard on the grass under the shade of the dogwood tree. It's very peaceful, quiet, and I love reading in the sunshine, it's so much better than indoors! Unfortunately though, Washington weather tends to get pretty cold, so when it starts to head in a chilly direction, my second favorite place is in this little cubby I put together between one of my bookcases and my bed. The beanbag chair is super comfy, it's tiny and out of the way, and it's the only spot in the house I can escape to when I'm trying to get some peace and quiet.

Why would want to protect it from vampires? It's my house!! I don't really think they would want my front yard so much (too much sunlight), but if they did, I would have to do my best to drive them out. I don't really want to turn into a vampire slayer, but hey! This is my family's house we're talking about! Too much at stake here, with it not only being the best reading spot in the world, but also being well within the vicinity of my family. On the upside, I know a guy who makes survey stakes, I imagine that could be helpful.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Space Lab



"Your experiment, 250 miles above Earth, for the world to see. What will you do?"

From Space Lab:

We're asking you to come up with a science experiment for space and upload a video explaining it to YouTube. If your idea wins, it will be performed on the International Space Station and live streamed on YouTube to the world. And we'll throw in some out-of-this-world prizes, too.

We're excited to announce YouTube Space Lab, launching with Lenovo and Space Adventures in cooperation with NASA, ESA and JAXA. Watch amazing space and science videos and, if you're 14 to 18 years old, submit a space experiment idea for your chance to win out-of-this-world prizes. Find out more at Space Lab.

From Space Lab's FAQ's:

  • We'll be accepting entries from around the world from October 4th to December 7th, 2011.

  • The finalist voting period on the YouTube channel will be from January 3rd to January 10th, 2012.

  • All the regional winners will win a special prize trip in March 2012 to the USA at which the global winners will be announced.

  • The global winners' experiments will be performed by astronauts on the International Space Station and live streamed on YouTube around the world in mid 2012.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Weekend Book Give-Away: White Crow

This week's Weekend Book Give-Away is the newest book by master story teller Marcus Sedgwick, White Crow:

When Rebecca moves with her father from London to the tiny seaside village of Winterfold, she's bitter about leaving her home and friends behind. Then she meets Ferelith, a twisted and rebellious girl who goads Rebecca into playing increasingly spookier and more dangerous "games" with her. As the present-day storyline progresses, a chilling -- and ominously related -- mystery unfolds in excerpts from a long-dead priest's diary. Building suspense and divulging tantalizing secrets bit by bit, this wickedly macabre tale is sure to give you shivers.

To win this creepy fall read, tell me about spooky games you have played with your friends. Winner will be drawn Tuesday October 18, 2011. (Be sure to include your name or initials so I can figure out who won!)

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Teen Read Month - Mini Contest #2

Enjoying Teen Read Month? Have you had a chance to Read for the Fun of It? I love love love all the haiku you submitted for last week's contest. So much that I am having trouble picking one out, so I'm getting some more opinions...so sorry for the delay!

This week's Mini Contest is for a Secret Surprise Bag contains:
  • One super awesome book (either brand new or autographed).
  • Candy.
  • An assortment of the newest and greatest Sno-Isle Libraries swag.
  • Really cool pins.
  • More books.
  • A really random surprise.

Plus...an autographed copy of the brand new book by Nancy Holder and Debby Viguié (authors of the Wicked series) Crusade.

An international team of six teenaged vampire hunters, trained in Salamanca, Spain, goes to New Orleans seeking to rescue team-member Jenn's younger sister as the vampires escalate their efforts to take over the Earth.

How can you win this great prize package? Share a picture of your favorite place on Earth to read! You can place a link in the comments below to a picture on the web, or you can email it to me at teens @ sno - isle . org (but with no spaces) and I'll post it to our Facebook site! Tell us why it is such a great place to read, and why you want to protect it from vampires :D

Winning entry will be chosen next Thursday. Watch back here to see if it is you!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Book Trailer Tuesday: Where Things Come Back

I'm not going to lie, Where Things Come Back is a bit of an odd duck. But it's also one of my absolute favorites of the year. No question.

Here's the trailer:

WHERE THINGS COME BACK by JOHN COREY WHALEY Official Book Trailer from Corey Whaley on Vimeo.



Before Gabrielle disappeared, Cullen Witter held onto the hope that he wouldn't end up trapped in tiny Lily, Arkansas. He bides his time by coming up with book titles and imagining the zombie apocalypse. Without Gabrielle, Cullen does his best to maintain normal amid pain and absurdity when the town forgets one of their own has gone missing and instead becomes obsessed with the reappearance of a supposedly extinct woodpecker. But if a bird can reappear after 60 years of assumed extinction, surely a little brother can come back, too.

Place a hold on Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Weekend Book Give-Away: All These Things I've Done

Don't forget, the Pen Fatale Tour and will be coming through our area next week!:

Come meet Alyson Noël (author of the Riley Bloom series), Gabrielle Zevin (author of All These Things I've Done), Jessica Brody (author of My Life Undecided/The Karma Club), and Mary Pearson (author of the Adoration of Jenna Fox/The Fox Inheritance)!

Thursday, October 13 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Barnes and Noble
19401 Alderwood Mall Parkway
Lynnwood, WA

This weekend's book giveaway is for a title that I have been dying to read, All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin (author of two of my favorite teen books Elsewhere and Memoir of a Teenage Amnesiac):

In a future where chocolate and caffeine are contraband, teenage cellphone use is illegal, and water and paper are carefully rationed, sixteen-year-old Anya Balanchine finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight as heir apparent to an important New York City crime family.

For a chance to win this awesome sounding book, answer me this: If you lived in this future, which of these things would be hardest on you, and how creative would you get to break the rules?

Winner will be picked Tuesday October 11, 2011. Must leave name or initials and check back here to win!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Scott Westerfeld in Seattle



I know there are Westerfeldians in this audience.

From his site:

Friday, October 7
7:00PM
Not 5PM as previously advertised!
Central Library
1000 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104

This is a Secret Garden Bookstore event, so you’ll be able to buy books.


I Twittered at him to see if his talk would be similar to one I heard by him a few weeks ago. It will be. Which means:

Go. Seriously. Drop whatever plans you had and GO. It will SO be worth it. PROMISE. Even if you haven't ever had any interest in any of his books. GO.

Review and Win - Dog Tag Flashdrive

It is Teen Read Month, and addition to giving away awesome Secret Surprise Bags, we will be having drawings for these awesome dog tag flash drives. What do you need to do to win? Just review any books you Read For the Fun Of It this month, and your name will be entered in the drawing!

Need some ideas for things to read? Here are some booklists we put together just for Teen Read Month:

The rest of our great booklists can be found here.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Teen Read Month - Mini Contest #1

So...you want to know more about these Secret Surprise Bags, eh? Each Wednesday I will post a mini-contest here where you can get a chance to win a bag filled with:
  • One super awesome book (either brand new or autographed).
  • Candy.
  • An assortment of the newest and greatest Sno-Isle Libraries swag.
  • Really cool pins.
  • More books.
  • A really random surprise.
This week's Mini Contest is for a Secret Surprise Bag containing an autographed copy of the wonderful book The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by local author Sherman Alexie.

I really LOVE this book. Not only is it a great story, moving, thoughtful, and really funny...it as terrific illustrations by one of my favorite local artists Ellen Forney. If you want to celebrate great teen reads, this is a perfect place to start.

How can you win the Secret Surprise Bag containing this awesome book?

Write haiku about your favorite teen books! No limit to how many haiku you write...only one can be the winner, but it won't be a random drawing...it will be the one I like best :D

Here is an example I just made up for Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson:

Melinda won't talk.
Lonely in crowds, carrying
Secret from party.

Top haiku will be selected Wednesday October 12, 2011.
Winner must be a teen (12-18 or 6th-12th grade) in Snohomish or Island Counties who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

It is Teen Read Month - Let's Celebrate!


In many places they like to enjoy Teen Read Week, which is pretty cool and okay by me. But it simply is not enough time to contain all the love we have here at Sno-Isle for awesome teen books and those who read them. So instead we insist on spending a WHOLE MONTH celebrating! That's right...it is Teen Read Month again here at Sno-Isle Libraries, and boy do we have all kinds of fun planned for you. The theme this year is Picture It @ Your Library, when we invite you to:

Visualize winning prizes.
  • Here on the teen blog you can enter to win Secret Surprise Bags in weekly mini-contests.
  • Submit book reviews to be a randomly drawn winner for a sweet Sno-Isle Teens dog-tag flash drive.
Imagine entering our 8th Annual Art Contest.
  • Create a 2-D art piece celebrating what you see when you "Picture It at Your Library."
  • Top four winners get a $50 Amazon.com gift card.
  • Entry deadline is Oct. 31, 2011.
  • For ages 12 to 18.
  • Funded by the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation.
  • Print out the entry form here.
Envision yourself at one of our great teen events.
  • Love manga? Take a manga class or learn about the past, present and future of manga.
  • Love movies? Watch movies inspired by books such as "I Am Number Four" and "True Grit."
  • Love creepy things? Discover zombie pumpkins, sugar skulls, spooky movies, and put on your scariest costume for the zombie ball.
  • Plus, photo scavenger hunts, a foodie competition, and so much more!
  • Find out about all these events through our Teen Events Calendar.
Which Teen Read Month aspect or event are you most excited about?

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Book Trailer Tuesday: The Perfect Chemistry Trilogy by Simone Elkeles

These books are REALLY popular. And I suspect it might have something to do with the trailers:

The first one is oddly a rap video trailer, which is new to me...


Place Perfect Chemistry on hold.



Place Rules of Attraction on hold.



Place Chain Reaction on hold.

Check out all of the books by Simone Elkeles.