Weekend Book Giveaway: Horde

This week's book is a another brand new hardback, this time the final chapter of the Razorland Trilogy, Horde:

The horde is coming .Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run. With her knives in hand and her companions at her side, she will not falter, whether fighting for her life or Fade's love. Ahead, the battle of a lifetime awaits. Freaks are everywhere, attacking settlements, setting up scouts, perimeters, and patrols. There hasn't been a war like this in centuries, and humans have forgotten how to stand and fight. Unless Deuce can lead them.This time, however, more than the fate of a single enclave or outpost hangs in the balance. This time, Deuce carries the banner for the survival of all humanity.

For your chance to win this book, tell me which book series you have read that had the strongest ending.

Winner will be selected by Dawn on Friday, January 3, 2014 . 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. 

Weekend Book Giveaway: Altered

This week's book is a brand new hardback copy of Altered, Gennifer Albin's thrilling sequel to Crewel:

Life. Possibility. Choice. All taken from Adelice by the Guild--until she took them back. But amid the splendid ruins of Earth, Adelice discovers how dangerous freedom can be. Hunted by soulless Remnants sent by Cormac Patton and the Guild, Adelice finds a world that's far from deserted. Although allies are easy to find on Earth, knowing who to trust isn't. Because everyone has secrets, especially those Adelice loves most. Secrets they would kill to protect. Secrets that will redefine each of them. Torn between two brothers and two worlds, Adelice must choose what to fight for.  Adelice is about to learn how tangled up her past and future really are. Her parents ran to protect her, but nothing can save her from her destiny, and once she uncovers the truth, it will change everything.

For your chance to win this book, tell me about something  made possible by the freedom in your life.

Winner will be selected by Dawn on Tuesday, December 31, 2013. 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. 

Trailer Tuesday: The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

I confess the trailer for The Burning Sky makes me want to drop everything and read this one. This is probably because I'm a huge fan of Tamora Pierce, Alison Goodman, Megan Whalen Turner, Kristin Cashore, and Rae Carson and this trailer hits some mental cord that reminds me of them.

From the publisher: " Magic, romance, and intrigue combine in The Burning Sky, the first book in the Elemental Trilogy, for fans of Cinda Williams Chima and Kristin Cashore. It all began with a ruined elixir and a bolt of lightning. Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation--or so she's been told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of the Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the most powerful tyrant and mage the world has ever known. This would be a suicide task for anyone, let alone a reluctant sixteen-year-old girl with no training. Guided by his mother's visions and committed to avenging his family, Prince Titus has sworn to protect Iolanthe even as he prepares her for their battle with the Bane. But he makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the tyrant closing in, Titus must choose between his mission--and her life."

Trailer Tuesday: How to Love by Katie Cotugno

December is the perfect month for a love story. Give How to Love by Katie Cotugno a try!

From the publisher: "Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he's never seemed to notice that Reena even exists. . . until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated--and pregnant--Reena behind. After: Almost three years have passed, and there's a new love in Reena's life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena's gotten used to life without Sawyer, and she's finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn't want anything to do with him, though she'd be lying if she said Sawyer's being back wasn't stirring something in her. After everything that's happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again? In this breathtaking debut, Katie Cotugno weaves together the story of one couple falling in love--twice.

Weekend Book Giveaway: Emerald Green

This week's book is the hotly awaited third book in The Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier - Emerald Green:

Gwen fulfills her destiny in this thrilling final book of the romantic time-travel trilogy.Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is.She's only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-Germain, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she's just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along.This stunning conclusion picks up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate.

46 people are waiting to get their hands on this.  To get a beautiful brand new gift-worthy hardback of this title, tell me just why you want it and convince me to send it to you.  No random drawing this week.  I want to be persuaded.

Winner will be selected by Dawn on Tuesday, December 10, 2013. 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.

Trailer Tuesday: Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green

Yikes! This one looks intense!

From the publisher: "Some say the seaside town of Echo Bay is cursed. They may be right. When a game of Truth or Dare spins out of control, three beautiful teen girls start receiving mysterious dares containing hints to dark secrets long buried. For artsy outcast Sydney Morgan; perfect, popular Caitlin "Angel" Thomas; and queen bee Tenley Reed, the truth is not an option. This is no party game-it's do or die. And it's their turn to play."

Weekend Book Giveaway: Drama High

For something a little different this week, our Advance Readers Copy is a non-fiction book:  Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater.

Friday Night Lights meets Glee!  The incredible and true story of an extraordinary drama teacher who has changed the lives of thousands of students and inspired a town.  Why would the multimillionaire producer of Cats , Phantom of the Opera , and Miss Saigon take his limo from Manhattan to the struggling former steel town of Levittown, Pennsylvania, to see a high school production of Les Misérables ? To see the show performed by the astoundingly successful theater company at Harry S Truman High School, run by its legendary director, Lou Volpe. Broadway turns to Truman High when trying out controversial shows like Rent and Spring Awakening before they move on to high school theater programs across the nation. Volpe's students from this blue-collar town go on to become Emmy-winning producers, entertainment executives, newscasters, and community-theater founders. This is a story of an economically depressed but proud town finding hope in a gifted teacher and the magic of theater.

If you love musical theater and Glee, you are going to want to read this inspiring story.  Our library copies have a waiting list, but you might have the ARC next week, if you answer this question:   What is your favorite musical, and what is so fabulous about it?

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday, December 3, 2013. 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.

Trailer Tuesday: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

From the publisher: "Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave. One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.
"
**Warning: This one's got a lot of blood**

Weekend Book Giveaway: The Eye of the Mind

How many of you read The Maze Runner by James Dashner?  I'm sure you will be excited to hear about his new book, The Eye of the Mind, which sounds pretty exciting.  Maybe like a mix of Brain Jack and Ready Player One?


Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it's addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway? But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he's holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. 

There are six people waiting to read this right now.  To enter our drawing for a chance to win an Advanced Readers Copy of this new book and beat the line, tell me what sort of thing you would like to try out if you had access to the VirtNet?  Cliff diving maybe?  Space travel?  Undersea exploration?  Or something totally different?

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday, November 26, 2013. 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.

NaNoWriMo - last three sessions

NaNoWriMo has only two weeks left to go...are you keeping up?  It can be
hard to focus at the end, what with Thanksgiving so late in the month, but maybe writing with a few more of our awesome authors will help!




Bernadette Pajer - The Professor Bradshaw mysteries
 Wednesday the 20th - 3pm -Monroe
 Monday the 25th -3pm - Sultan




Saturday the 23rd - 2pm- Dorine White - Cleopatra's Legacy - Lake Stevens



Keep up the great writing, everyone!

Weekend Book Giveaway: The Naturals

If you are looking for a little excitement, you might want to read this week's giveaway:  The Naturals by Jennifer Barnes.

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But, it's not a skill that she's ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they've begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie. What Cassie doesn't realize is that there's more at risk than a few unsolved homicides--especially when she's sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive. Think The Mentalist meets Pretty Little Liars-- Jennifer Lynn-Barnes' The Naturals is a gripping psychological thriller with killer appeal, a to-die-for romance, and the bones of a gritty and compelling new series.

Eight people are waiting to read this thrilling book already...you might skip the line and get an advanced readers copy, if your answer to this question is picked:  What skill do you have that might help solve crimes?

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday, November 19, 2013. 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.

NaNoWriMo - this week's authors

Hey NaNoWriMoers!  How is your book coming along?   Need some extra motivation to get writing...join local authors at our library, for a Write-In!

This week's upcoming Write-Ins:

Thursday - 3:30pm - Mindy Hardwick - Weaving Magic and Stained Glass Summer - Mukilteo Library

Saturday - 11am - Aarene Storms - Endurance 101 - Darrington Library

Saturday - 1pm - Dorine White - The Emerald Ring - Granite Falls Library

Saturday - 1pm - Alma Alexander - Worldweavers series - Stanwood Library

Sunday the 17th - 2pm - G.G. Silverman - Edmonds Library

So what is your word count so far?

Weekend Book Giveaway: Reality Boy

This week we are giving away the Advancd Readers Copy for a book I am dying to read, Reality Boy by Printz Honor author A.S. King (who also wrote great books such as Ask the Passengers and The Dust of 100 Dogs.)


This fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge explores the desperate reality of a former child "star" struggling to break free of his anger. Gerald Faust started feeling angry even before his mother invited a reality TV crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he's still haunted by his rage-filled youth--which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle--and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school. No one cares that Gerald has tried to learn to control himself; they're all just waiting for him to snap. And he's starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that...until he chooses to create possibilities for himself that he never knew he deserved.

Wowza!  For your chance to win this incredible sounding new book, tell me about a time you got so frustrated or mad, you wanted to snap.  Or if you can't think of an incident, tell me about something (such as an issue) that makes you get all worked up.

 Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday, November 12, 2013. 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.

2013 Teen Art Contest Winners

Congratulations to our 2013 Teen Read Month Art Contest winners!

This year we had three from Mill Creek!

Amanda M.

Chana K.

 

Diego O.

And one from Edmonds - Evangeline S!


















Thank you to everyone who entered, and to the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation who funds our prizes!  Previous winners can be seen here.

Trailer Tuesday: Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

This week's trailer is for a wonderful, if dark, historical fiction that takes place in an amazing city: Out of the Easy by Ruta 

 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. 

Congratulations to Kelly H. and Sierra M.

Congrats to Kelly H. from Oak Harbor, who is the winner of our Teen Read Month book review contest, whose review of Incarceron was pulled in a random drawing.  Kelly will get a copy of this beautiful Harry Potter poster.

 Also, congratulations to Sierra M. who won a Sno-Isle Teens shirt for posting her shelfie on our Facebook page.  :)

Thanks to everyone who took part in our contests this month.  Art contest judging will happen tomorrow...check back here for the winners!

Do you NaNoWriMo?

If you are an aspiring writer, or even a published one, you probably have heard of NaNoWriMo. And if you haven't, you should know that National Novel Writing Month is now celebrated every November by thousands of people from across the world, all supporting each other in doing the work it takes to put together enough words to make a novel in one month! It is not to late to sign up. The only way to write a book, is to start doing that writing!

Sno-Isle Libraries is supporting our NaNoWriMo enthusiasts this month by having a special series of Write-Ins with real live authors this month!  You can join them (for FREE) at our library and just sit down and write along side, ask them questions about the writing process, or if you bring a book...get it signed! You can see the calendar of our NaNoWriMo events here.


Today you can even hit two events...today at 3:30 Kendare Blake, author of Anna Dressed in Blood and Antigoddess will be at the Mukilteo Library.  

Then at 6pm, A.R. Kahler, author of "The Immortal Circus Trilogy" will be at the Top Pot Cafe at University Book Store in Mill Creek.


Tomorrow we have J. Anderson Coats author of (one of my favorites from last year) The Wicked and the Just at the Marysville Library at 4pm.

Thursday Louise Marley (Singer in the Snow and The Glass Butterfly) will be at the Arlington Library at 3pm.

And Friday Richard Farr author of the awesome non-fiction adventure Emperors of the Ice will be at the Brier Library at 3:30pm.


Stay tuned for more exciting author Write-Ins!

Weekend Book Giveaway: Unbreakable

This week's promotional freebie is Unbreakable by Kami Garcia, another great one for longer darker nights!

"I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me." When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, she doesn't realize that paranormal forces are responsible--not until mysterious identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her room and destroy a deadly spirit sent to kill her. Kennedy learns that her mother's death was no accident, and now she has to take her place in the Legion of the Black Dove--a secret society whose five members were all murdered on the same night, leaving the Legion in the hands of the next generation: a misfit group with unique skills. As the new members race to find the only weapon capable of destroying the demon, they use their individual talents to battle paranormal entities and earn their rightful place in the Legion--except for Kennedy. If she is truly the missing piece of the puzzle, can she stay alive long enough to find out--without losing her heart in the process?
"Protect Yourself."
"What you can't see CAN hurt you."

For a chance to win this spooky read, tell me if you believe in ghosts or not...and why.  OR tell me what your favorite ghost book is, and why.

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday, November 5, 2013. 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. 

Last chance to take part in Teen Read Month contests!

Quick reminder, October is almost over, which means our Teen Read Month contests are coming to an end :(

Be sure to get your entries in by the end of the day on Halloween/Thursday/31st.

Teen Art Contest - four talented teens will win $50 Amazon gift cards, and have their art displayed on posters in all our libraries!  Get your Art Contest Entry Form now!









Teen Review Contest - one lucky reviewer will win this awesome artist-signed Harry Potter poster!

Shelfie contest - enter for a chance to win one of our awesome Sno-Isle Teens Infamous for Information tshirts!





All entries must be completed by 11:59:59 October 31, 2013 (Pacific Time), and you must be 12-18 (or 6th-12th grade) and live in Snohomish or Island County to win.

Trailer Tuesday: Spellcaster

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray sounds like just the sort of spooky read you want around Halloween!

A boy cursed with visions that lead to madness. A girl granted the powers to save him. As soon as Nadia arrives in Captive's Sound, she knows something is seriously wrong. The town is shrouded in dark magic, more powerful and complex than she has ever seen. Mateo has lived in Captive's Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is "cursed" with insanity. When the mysterious girl he has been dreaming of every night appears (Nadia), he fears the curse may be true. But danger is coming, and Nadia and Mateo must work together to stop this unknown force before it destroys everything in its path.




What are your favorite spooky books?

Weekend Book Giveaway: Antigoddess

This week's book is Antigoddess by Kendare Blake, who wrote the chillingly delightful Anna Dressed in Blood and its sequel Girl of Nightmares.

Old gods never die... . Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health. Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra - an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. These days, Cassandra doesn't involve herself in the business of gods - in fact, she doesn't even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Kendare will be at the Mukilteo Library on Monday November 4th at 3:30pm, as one of our National Novel Writing Month guest authors!

For a chance to win an Advanced Readers Copy of her new book, tell me about your favorite figure from mythology, and what is so great about them.

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday, October 29, 2013. 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.

"Tech Thursday" - Google+Maker #WeekendProjects - chock full of great tech ideas

Today I thought I'd share a great online community maker source, google+MAKE.

Whether it's a "Crittergram" Capture Cam:

Read more: http://goo.gl/wbGgoz

a DIY solderless breadboard circuit that pulses LEDs in time to music:

http://makezine.com/projects/easy-led-color-organ/

or a "Drawdio" -- a simple sound synthesizer that you build on a pencil:

http://makezine.com/projects/drawdio-musical-pencil/

this google+ site will provide some fun tech projects to chase away the blues during all those rainy weekends we enjoy here in the Pacific Northwest. Whether you build a project that's listed, or whether you see a project and it gives you an idea, serving as the basis for your own inspired creation, it's a fantastic site to visit. 

I'm currently thinking about the making the drawdino, the pallet wall nursery, or the homemade speaker box...I hope there's something there that piques your interest as well!

If you do find a project and build it, please let us know!

Trailer Tuesday: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

This week's trailer is for an exciting sequel: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers!


 Sybella's duty as Death's assassin in 15th-century France forces her return home to the personal hell that she had finally escaped. Love and romance, history and magic, vengeance and salvation converge in this thrilling sequel to Grave Mercy.

Sybella arrives at the convent's doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge--but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

Have you read Grave Mercy?  Do you plan to now?

YALSA Announces 2013's Teens' Top Ten Reads

Most readers of this blog probably know that October is Teen Read Month, and many may also know that last week (Teen Read Week, Oct 13th - 19th) was the final period during which to vote for the 'best of the best' of last year's Teen Reads, and that on  Oct 21st the winners would be announced.

The task was undertaken and completed, and since it is the 21st, YALSA has announced the ten favorite Teen Read titles: 

 



10.  Lange, Erin Jade. Butter.
9. Cross, Sarah. Kill Me Softly. 
8.  Levithan, David. Every Day. 
7.  Albin, Gennifer. Crewel. 
6.  Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven Boys. (Ms. Stiefvater's book, "Scorpio Races", was #8 in the 2012 Teen's Top Ten Reads)
5.  Cole, Kresley. Poison Princess. 
4.  McGarry, Katie. Pushing the Limits. 
3. Roth, Veronica. Insurgent. (Divergent, the first book in this series, was the #1 choice for the 2012 Teens' Top Ten Reads)
2. Nielsen, Jennifer. The False Prince
and the number 1 book: 
.
.
yes...you have to wait at least a little bit!....
.
.
.
.
.
1.  Wein, Elizabeth. Code Name Verity.

--> --> Find these books at Sno-Isle: 2013 YALSA TEEN TOP TEN

Congrats to the authors, thanks to the teens who voted* -- and the next set of nominees comes out in April 2014.

Don't forget to visit Teens Top Ten Tumblers for cool YA graphics, info, and summaries of the nominees.

*I know 'd have had a hard time choosing among the original choices, as I've read many of the 28 nominees and so many were awesome...if you pick up any of these, you'll not be sorry to spend time reading them.

Is your favorite book in the list? Do you agree with the results? Comment below!

Win a beautiful Harry Potter print, signed by the artist!

You know I mentioned before that if you wrote a book review during Teen Read Month (October 2013) you would get entered in a drawing for a fabulous prize, but I didn't say what the prize was?  Now it can be unveiled!

For each book you review this month, you will get a chance to win this wonderful poster of the new Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone cover, signed by the artist Kazu Kibuishi himself!

Drawing will be held on Monday November 4, 2013, and winner will be announced here!

A little Teen Read Week fun: shelfies!

I saw this idea and thought it would be fun to do for Teen Read Week/Month!

Here I am with some of my favorite audiobooks of the year!

1. Take a selfie with your bookshelf, or some of your favorite books.
2. Post it to Facebook.
3. Friend us at Sno Isle Teens
4. Tag "Sno Isle Teens"
5. At the end of the month, everyone who entered will get placed in a drawing to win a Sno-Isle Teens Infamous for Information t-shirt!   (If you already have one, we can come up with a little something else ;)

Have some fun with it!

Weekend Book Giveaway: Sick

Looking for a new zombie book? Sick by Tom Leveen might be just the thing!

Brian and his friends are not part of the cool crowd. They're the misfits and the troublemakers;the ones who jump their high school's fence to skip class regularly. So when a deadly virus breaks out, they're the only ones with a chance of surviving. The virus turns Brian's classmates and teachers into bloodthirsty attackers who don't die easily. The whole school goes on lockdown, but Brian and his best friend, Chad, are safe (and stuck) in the theater department far from Brian's sister, Kenzie, and his ex-girlfriend with a panic attack problem, Laura. Brian and Chad, along with some of the theater kids Brian had never given the time of day before, decide to find the girls and bring them to the safety of the theater. But it won't be easy, and it will test everything they thought they knew about themselves and their classmates. 

For a chance to win, tell me about a time you got sick, and what was memorable about it.

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Wednesday, October 23, 2013. 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. 

Tech Thursday: Learn How to Design a Video Game - for free!

Gamestar Mechanic will teach you how to design a video game by playing a video game. Each "Quest" contains missions --challenges where you play, modify and design games to help you level up from player to designer. As you complete the missions in "Addison Joins the League", you earn items that you can use to make your own games.

So who is Addison in "Addison Joins the League"? You are...because Jhansi and Samson's colleague, Rodney, has stolen sprites and vanished into the night - and they need you to be the new designer.

In addition to playing/learning from straight-playing "Addison Joins The League", you can also download a few templates to practice your own game designs. They also offer special challenges where you can earn sprites and other components for ultimately awesome games.

The have a great social media aspect: you can publish your games and connect with a other designers, a community of over 250,000 GM enthusiasts.

NOTE:
"Addison's Complete Quest" is the full introduction to game design and is available for a one-time cost of $19.95. But I think that playing the free version is good enough because it will allow you to learn/understand game design theory...Plus it's fun to earn Sprites!

Trailer Tuesday: Far Far Away

If you love fairy tales, you are going to love Far Far Away by Tom McNeal, which has been nominated for the National Book Award.

 Jeremy Johnson Johnson hears voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of The Brothers Grimm. Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But Jacob can't protect Jeremy from everything. When coltish, copper-haired Ginger Boultinghouse takes a bite of a cake so delicious it's rumored to be bewitched, she falls in love with the first person she sees: Jeremy. In any other place, this would be a turn for the better for Jeremy, but not in Never Better, where the Finder of Occasions--whose identity and evil intentions nobody knows--is watching and waiting, waiting and watching. . . And as anyone familiar with the Brothers Grimm know, not all fairy tales have happy endings.


Are you a fan of the Grimm brothers' tales?  If so, which is your favorite?

Weekend Book Giveaway: Teardrop

Did you know that Lauren Kate (author of the Fallen series) has a brand new series coming out?!

Teardrop is an epic saga of heart-stopping romance, devastating secrets, and dark magic . . . a world where everything you love can be washed away. Never, ever cry... Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before. But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance--a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined.

Teardrop doesn't hit the shelves until the 22nd, but we already have 9 people waiting...but you have a chance to get an Advanced Readers Copy next week! 

For a chance to win, tell us about a good piece of advice someone has given you, that you try to live by.

Winner will be selected with Random Number Generator on Tuesday, October 15, 2013. 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. 

Tech Thursday - Google Maker Camp: Make a Ghoulish Halloween

For many teens, 2013 Summer Maker Camp is but a distant memory. Fear not - over the next few weeks you can re-join Google Maker Camp hosts each Thursday thru Halloween for special Hangout-on-Air sessions, where they will feature their favorite costumes, makeup projects, pumpkin carving...and even a virtual field trip showing what happens after an Alien Invasion!

Schedule:

Thurs. 3 — Welcome to Maker Camp
Thurs. 10 — Macabre Makeup and Costume Design
Thurs. 17 — Fiendish food and the Art of Pumpkin-Carving
Thurs. 24 — Haunted House How-tos and Spooky Alien Fieldtrip
Thurs. 31 — Halloween Parade

Watch the first Halloween Hangout-on-Air:

 

Screenshot of Maker Camp Halloween Edition

Sign up for Maker Camp Alerts: http://makezine.com/maker-camp/sign-up-for-maker-camp/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teen Halloween Party

Halloween is just around the corner and to get you in the spooky spirit, the Mill Creek Library and Mill Creek Parks and Recreation Department are teaming up for the third annual Teen Halloween Party on Friday, October 18th from 7-9 p.m.

This Halloween Party has something for everyone. You can play "Minute to Win it" games, board games, enjoy pizza and snacks, and compete in a costume contest. Four prizes will be awarded for best costume: cutest, scariest, funniest, and most original. Check out some of the winners from last year.

We'll have some creepy crafts. Make "Horror"-gami, decorate mini pumpkins or create spiders out of pipe cleaners. While you're here, check out a scary thriller or mystery from the "Horror-ible Books" display! 

You could win this!

Make sure you stay for the door prizes. We'll be giving away gift cards to local businesses books (including Finding Bigfoot), and other miscellaneous prizes.

Space is limited to 50, so please preregister on the library website. The Teen Halloween Party is open to teens in grades 6-12. Pizza and snacks are provided by the Friends of the Mill Creek Library. We hope to see you there!