Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Trailer Tuesday: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer



Yeah, that looked intense, and I've already READ the book!

Mara was in a coma for three days. Upon awakening, she is told that her life-long best friend, her boyfriend, and another girl, died in the accident that plunged Mara into unconsciousness. Understandably haunted by the events, the loss of her memories surrounding the accident, and the loss of her friends, Mara is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Her entire world is a reminder of what she's lost, and she manages to convince her family to move away and start new lives in Florida, but starting over doesn't keep the memories at bay, and it doesn't mean she's safe.

Place a hold on The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Weekend Book Give-Away: All the Earth Thrown to the Sky

When going through hard times, people have different ways of coping.  Readers seem to be split into two major groups.   Some like to read fantasy that takes them a thousand miles away from their troubles.  And then there are those who like to read about people who are having an even worst time then they are...telling themselves "well at least I don't have it that bad".  Me, I try to practice gratitude ever day and be thankful that I have wonderful creative escapist books to read whenever I like, and that I also can learn empathy and how lucky I am by reading about struggles brave people endure.

Jack, the main character in All the Earth Thrown to the Sky by Joe R. Lansdale, is having a very hard time, and living in really tough time in America's history:

When the devastation wrought by endless dust storms in 1930s Oklahoma makes orphans of Jack, his schoolmate Jane, and her brother Tony, they take the truck of a dead man and set out to find a new start. 

This week's question has two parts:
  1. What do you like to read to get you through challenging times?
  2. What are you thankful for this week?   
Me, I like to read graphic novels when I'm stressed out, because they are imaginative, really pull me out of myself, and because they are quick...give me an easy feeling of accomplishment.   I'm thankful for my great job (working with you guys), my adorable French Bulldog Liza Lou, and my family...especially my brand new baby niece!

Winner will be selected by my buddy Random Number Generator on Tuesday November 29, 2012.  Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won. To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Book Trailer Tuesday: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Laini Taylor is a lovely lady with impossibly pink hair. She has written an INCREDIBLY GOOD BOOK about a girl with impossibly blue hair. A girl who was raised by a monster...



Daughter of Smoke and Bone is, by my estimation, the front runner for the prestigious Printz Award, and it's a great read to boot. If you are looking for a story about epic battles, good vs. evil, or true love, this is definitely your book.

This is also one of the title for the Sno-Isle Mock Printz. We'll be having a Mock Printz book discussion at Marysville Library on Saturday January 14th, and all of you are welcome to attend. We'll have more information about the event as that date gets closer. In the meantime, place a hold on Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Rate and Review - Books, Movies, and Music!



Did you know that you can now rate and review books, movies, and music through the Sno-Isle Libraries catalog?

The next time you're searching the catalog, look for the "Write a Review" link under the picture of the book or DVD cover. You'll be able to tell if other people have written reviews or if you'll be the first! These reviews are collected from libraries in several states, so you'll be able to share with your opinions with a wide audience. All you have to do is create a user name and password, and then you'll be on the way to writing your reviews.

Reviews are moderated, so they won't show up right away. But as long as you haven't written a review full of bad words (of course you wouldn't) it should show up by the next day.

Don't forget to submit book reviews at the Sno-Isle Teens site too - these will still be the only way to earn extra credit if your school offers it, and of course the ONLY way to win prizes during summer reading.

What's the first thing you've written a review for? Let us know so we can check it out!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Black Friday Craftacular

With money tight this year, and many teens  having trouble finding jobs, Black Friday may be a grim day for shopping.   But Sno-Isle Libraries is offering a fun, free, gifting alternative for teens and families the day after Thanksgiving this year! Six of our libraries are offering free craft programs:

BRIER LIBRARY - 1:00 p.m. Fun crafts for the whole family.
SULTAN LIBRARY - 11:00 a.m. Fridge magnets and bird feeders.
MILL CREEK LIBRARY - 1:00 p.m. Buttons, duct tape creations, gift bows,and holiday cards.
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE LIBRARY 1:00 p.m. Duct tape creations.
MUKILTEO LIBRARY - 1:00 p.m. Angry Bird pom poms.
OAK HARBOR LIBRARY - 2:00 p.m. Duct tape creations.

I love making duct tape wallets and have been using mine for years!  I've never made these Sesame Street ones, but would love to give it a try.  Maybe I'll see you at Mountlake Terrace Library?


All programs take place this coming Friday, November 25, 2011.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Weekend Book Give-Away: Between

This week's weekend book giveaway is a gorgeous brand new hardcover of Jessica Warman's (author of Breathless and Where the Truth Lies) newest book Between.

By weaving through her memories and watching the family and friends she left behind, eighteen-year-old Liz Valchar solves the mystery of how her life ended in the Long Island Sound.    

Hmmm...reminds me a bit of The Lovely Bones or Before I Fall, so if you like that trapped in limbo between life and death, "what does it all mean?" sort of thing, this should be right up your alley!

This week's question:  If you had to revisit your memories at the end of your life, which ones would you want to linger on longest?

Random drawing will take place Tuesday November 22, 2012.  Be sure to leave a name with your entry, and check back to see if you won (I'm looking at you Macey and Nethmi!)  To win you must be a teen (6th-12th grade, or 12-18) who uses a Sno-Isle Library.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Miss Representation



I just stumbled across this trailer on a friend's Facebook page. It looks to be a very powerful movie that raises issues we should all consider.

From the YouTube page:

"While women have made strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States still ranks 90th in the world for women in national legislatures, depression rates have doubled among teenage girls, and cosmetic surgery on minors has more than tripled in the last ten years. "

For more information, check out the website.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Book Trailer Tuesday: A.S. King

Last year A.S. King won a Printz Award Honor. Her latest book Everybody Sees the Ants has just been released. I read it, and it's really staying with me. I think it's for anyone who has ever seen, witnessed, or perpetrated bullying. While Lucky Linderman's voice was in a far lower register in my head, here's the trailer:



The trailer for her Printz Honor-winning Please Ignore Vera Dietz:



And the trailer for her first title, a Cybils finalist for Teen Science Fiction and Fantasy, The Dust of 100 Dogs:



I have to say that while the trailers are rather sedate, the books really aren't. Listen to the plot, and amp it all up a few watts, and then you've got a good idea of what to expect. What do you think? Have you read any of these books? Are the trailers good representations? If you haven't read them, do they make you want to?

Monday, November 14, 2011

Enter the 2012 Teen Video Challenge!



If you read this, you're probably already aware of the book trailer contest we hold each March during Teen Tech Month. Perhaps you've watched from afar and wanted to enter but were afraid to.



Here's your chance to practice making videos and possibly earn some extra cash in the 2012 Teen Video Challenge.



A little bit of imagination in a short public service announcement could make you the Teen Video Challenge Winner! The video produced by a Washington student or group of students that best encourages use of their local public libraries and promotes reading all summer long will take away the contest prize. The top video will be featured throughout 2012 as the official commercial for Washington’s Summer Reading Program.

The theme for the 2012 Summer Reading Program is Own the Night.


One video from each participating state will be submitted to the CSLP, which will award each State Teen Video Challenge Winner $275. Their public library or member affiliate will receive copy00 from CSLP and $50 from Upstart. The winning videos from each state will be posted to the CSLP website and become the official Teen PSA for the 2012 summer program.

In addition, the Washington State Library and the Washington Office of the Secretary of State will post the top 10 Washington applicant videos on their website.


The deadline to enter is March 9, 2012. You can read more about the contest details and rules at the offical site.




Need inspiration? Check out our Book Trailer winners from last year!

Official Hunger Games Trailer!!



WHAT DO YOU THINK??

Friday, November 11, 2011

Weekend Book Give-Away: Without Tess

This weekend's featured book is the newest by Marcella Pixley (author of Freak) called Without Tess.  From the author's website:

If you look inside Lizzie Cohen’s high school locker you will see that her world is falling apart. First you will find the unfinished homework assignments and crumpled tests with failing grades and furious teacher comments scrawled in red pen. Then you will see the crushed coffee cups and half eaten bags of chips. Look closer. On the top shelf, beneath an old sweater she is hiding something. A secret. It is a battered journal that used to belong to her older sister Tess, who died six years ago when they were little girls. It is filled with Tess’s poems and sketches, a record of a time long ago when Lizzie almost believed in magic—back when she did everything her sister asked her to do, even if it meant putting herself in danger. The journal is also an account of one child’s mind teetering on the brink between make-believe and something much more frightening and serious—a time when Lizzie was ready to grow up but Tess was still clinging to her belief in magic like it was the only thing in the world that mattered. Now Lizzie is using the journal to come to terms with the terrible guilt of her own survival. She will need to learn that sometimes growing up means letting go—even if that means saying goodbye forever.


To win a brand new hardcover copy of this most excellent sounding book, tell us about something you lost, and how it affected you.  Winner will be randomly drawn from all non-anonymous entries Tuesday.  Must be a teen (12-18 or 6th-12th grade) in Sno-Isle Library service area to win.  Check back here to see if you won!
   


Thursday, November 10, 2011

Veterans Day


Every year on November 11th we celebrate Veterans Day, honoring all men and women who have served in the U.S. military.

Why November 11th?

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for more information about the history and observance of Veterans Day.

Sno-Isle Libraries will be closed on Friday the 11th, and will re-open with regular hours on Saturday.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Book Trailer Tuesday: Deadly by Julie Chibbaro

I'll admit that I'm totally obsessed with diseases - to the point where people have told me I should have gone to medical school. Knowing that, you probably shouldn't be surprised when I say that Typhoid Mary is fascinating. Needless to say, after seeing the trailer for Deadly by Julie Chibbaro, I immediately placed the book on hold.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

An Author to Check Out







Last year I found the book Draw the Dark by Ilsa J. Bick and thought it was amazing. It's the story of a teen living in a small town who begins to have dreams and nightmares that bring out unusual talents--he can paint other people's thoughts and memories and he can inhabit the mind of a child from the 1940s. Both talents endanger and frighten the teen and made this a mysterious and vaguely creepy book that I couldn't put down. I also couldn't wait for the author's next book.





And now her new book has arrived! But is Ashes anything like Draw the Dark? Well, it's just as mysterious and creepy, but it's nothing I expected. It starts as the story of Alex, a girl with a terminal illness, but suddenly moves into the story of how she, a child, and a veteran with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder survive an electromagnetic pulse that kills most of the people around them. Oh, and there are zombies, too. And menacing town elders. And forced marriages. And general awesomeness. And the best part? It's the first volume in a trilogy!


Give Ilsa J. Bick a try and let me know what you think. Do you have any favorite authors you can recommend?

Friday, November 4, 2011

Weekend Book Give-Away: Everybody Sees the Ants

This weekend's featured title is award-winning author A.S. King's newest book, Everybody Sees the Ants. I read this a few weeks ago, and can personally attest to the awesome level. It's high.

Lucky Linderman is anything but lucky. He's been plagued with bullies for years, and ever since Nader McMillan shoved his face into concrete at the public pool, he's been seeing ants. Not normal ants, but ants that dance and hold signs and yell commentary about whatever going on in Lucky's life. Especially when things get weird. Well, weirder.

To win this excellent novel, tell me in the comments what type of creature you'd hallucinate when in uncomfortable situations. Keep an eye on this blog next week to see if you won!*

*Anonymous answers won't be counted, so don't forget to include your initials and home library branch!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Being an American Essay Contest


for ages 13-19. Teachers must submit entries.

From the Bill of Rights Institute:

How does the Constitution establish and maintain a culture of liberty?

In an essay of no more than 1000 words, analyze and discuss:

  • How one of the Founding principles established in the Constitution helps preserve liberty
  • Why at least one Founder, as evidenced in a primary source document, believed your chosen principle was a safeguard to liberty
  • Why your principle continues to be important today
  • How you personally help preserve a culture that ensures the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in America


All contest entries are due by 11:59 (PST) on December 15, 2011.

Cash prizes for Students in each of the five regions of the
2011-2012 Being an American Essay Contest
First place - $1,000
Second place - $500
Third place - $250

Cash prizes for Teacher Sponsors in each of the five regions of the
2011-2012 Being an American Essay Contest

Teachers who sponsor a student with a winning essay will receive $100 for each
student that places in his/her region.

via SLJ

Art Contest Winners!

With 110 entries to go through, our judges had a huge challenge in selecting the four winners of our 8th Annual Teen Read Month Art Contest.  Finally they narrowed it down, and the winners are:

Annabelle Barrett of Marysville


















Megan Meadows of Lynnwood


















Michelle Domanowski of Arlington


















Garret Maytum of Monroe

















The winning art will be added to our winners' gallery here soon.

Each winner will be recognized at their local library with a special ceremony, have their art made into posters to be placed all over our libraries and community, and receive a $50 gift card for Amazon.com provided by the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation.

Thanks again to everyone who entered, and to the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation for its continued generous support of teen programs and activities!


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

More Dogtag Flashdrive Winners!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed books that you Read for the Fun of It this Teen Read Month! I love reading your reviews and hearing what you think about books, their characters, and how they effect you. Sharing books is one of my favorite parts of reading them, and I'm glad to share that experience with you.

Here are the dogtag flashdrive winners for the second half of Teen Read Month:

  •  Amanda P. - Mountlake Terrace Library 
  • Anna G. - Mill Creek Library 
  • Anushri R. - Mukilteo Library 
  • Blake K. - Arlington Library 
  • Emma M. - Mill Creek Library 
  • Kayla M. - - Mountlake Terrace Library 
  • Liya E. - Mountlake Terrace Library 
  • Mark N. - Lynnwood Library
  • Nitesh C. - - Mukilteo Library 
  • Pauline W. - Arlington Library 
  • Rimal D. - - Mukilteo Library 
  • Shelby G. - Brier Library 
  • Victoria N. - Edmonds Library 
  • Violetta S. - - Mill Creek Library

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

Much thanks to the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation for sponsoring this great prize, and so many wonderful things we offer here at Sno-Isle.

Check back soon for the winners of our 8th Annual Art Contest! Judging will take place Thursday...

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Book Trailer Tuesday: The Trailee Award

The second annual Trailee Awards are under way! They seek to identify the best of the best in book trailers that really make you want to read.

For all of the categories and videos, head here, where you can also submit your votes.

Voting ends 12 PM CST, December 16, 2011.

For just a taste of some of the trailers up for the awards:

Category: Publisher/Author created for secondary readers (7-12)

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes, by Brandon Mull (trailer by Escape Goat Pictures)


Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann (trailer by Vand Media)


The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making by Catherynne M. Valente illus. by Ana Juan (trailer by David Taylor Design)


Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (trailer by Quirk Books)




Category: Student created for secondary readers (7-12 grade)

Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer (trailer by Josie Baker, Ivy Kerr, and Xavi Stevens, from Denton, Texas)


Sleepless by Thomas Richard Fahy (trailer by Rachel Coleman, a student at Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas)


Teen Idol by Meg Cabot (trailer by Anna Milius, a student at Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas)


Tenderness by Robert Cormier (trailer by Daniel Neal, a student at Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas)


Go vote!