Free Downloadable Audiobooks!

Most of you probably already know that Sno-Isle Libraries off free downloadable audiobooks and ebooks through Overdrive and the 3M Cloud Library. For the third summer in a row, SYNC (run by Overdrive, and sponsored by AudioFile Magazine) is also offering two free audiobook downloads a week, starting today. Each week there will be one contemporary and one classic audio download available.

Free downloads include: Grave Mercy, The False Prince, Rotters, Enchanted, Sold, Jane Eyre, Oliver Twist, Hamlet, and many others.

For the full list, go here!

Writing Workshops

For the next three Tuesday's Lynnwood Library has actual authors of teen fiction magically appearing at 4pm to help you hone your creative writing skills (and really, all your writing skills). This is a free series funded by the Friends of the Lynnwood Library, and a grant from Fred Meyer. Not only will the authors be there to answer all of your questions about writing and publishing, but I'll be giving away free books of the author's latest title to 2-3 teen attendees at each workshop.

Tuesday, August 2nd
Caridad Ferrer
4pm
Author Caridad Ferrer ("Adios to My Old Life," "When the Stars Go Blue") will use music, art, food, and other sensory stimulants to spark new creativity and precision in this writing workshop. Two attendees will win a copy of "When the Stars Go Blue."

Tuesday, August 9th
Sarah Jamila Stevenson
4pm
Author Sarah Jamila Stevenson ("The Latte Rebellion") will lead this writer's workshop on finding "voice" in your writing. She'll explain the idea of voice, illustrated with examples of distinctive writing voices from classic and contemporary YA novels. You will also talk about the difference between the author's writing voice and the characters' voices. As a group, you'll discuss what voice does for the reader's experience, and what role it plays in the writing process. Finally, the group will do a few writing exercises designed to help you find your own writing voice, and to help you experiment with character voices. Three attendees will win copies of "The Latte Rebellion."

Tuesday, August 16th
Lish McBride
4pm
Author Lish McBride ("Hold Me Closer, Necromancer") will guide teens in discovering the importance of characters and what makes them, be they good or evil, seem real. She'll share with you a few character tricks that helped her become a Morris Award finalist. Three lucky attendees will win copies of "Hold Me Closer, Necromancer."

Hope to see you there!

For directions to Lynnwood Library, click here.

Book Clubs for Teens!

Summer reading is in full swing! You've got book recommendations from the librarian who visited your school hot in your hands - and now that you've read one or two of them, you've got a few opinions about it to share. Some of the clubs talk about certain books, others it's all about the full-fledged book nerd fun - no particular book required. Here are some outlets for book fun this summer:

Darrington Library
Teen Summer Fun: Pizza, Books and Bags
Eat pizza and tell us about your favorite books. Plus, hear what other teens are reading. Make your own duct tape book bag.
Date: Monday, July 26, 2010
Start Time: 12:00 PM

Edmonds Library
The Breakfast Club: Books and Bagels
Join other teens for books and bagels! Chat about your favorite reads and get recommendations from other teens. Free books and monthly summer reading prize drawings at each meeting.
Dates: Mondays, June 28, July 26, August 23, 2010
Start Time: 11:00 AM

Langley Library
Monday Book Club
Join us on the patio at Island Coffeehouse and Books to soak in some sun while we discuss a book. Copies of discussed books are available at the Langley Library.
Date:

• Monday, July 12, 2010: Paper Towns by John Green


• Monday, July 19, 2010: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls


• Monday, July 26, 2010: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

Start Time: 2:00 PM

Lynnwood Library
Teen Pizza & Books: A Bring Your Own Book Club:
Like to read? Enjoy a slice of pizza and tell us about your favorite books - no required reading - just bring whatever you are excited about. Plus hear about what other teens are reading and discover your NEXT favorite book.
Dates: Fridays, June 25 and July 23, 2010
Start Time: 4:00 PM

Marysville Library
Summer Reading: Pizza, Books, and Prizes!
Join other teens for pizza and chatting about the books you've read this summer. Talk about your favorite reads and get recommendations from other teens. Monthly Summer Reading prize drawings at each meeting! (You don't need to be present to win, but extra prizes will be awarded to teens that come.)
Dates: Wednesday, July 28, August 25, 2010
Start Time: 6:00 PM

Mill Creek Library
Teen Book Club:
Do you like talking about books with your friends? Join the Teen Book Club the fourth Thursday of each month for a lively book
discussion. Snacks are provided and books may be picked up after the first of the month.
Date:

• Thursday, June 24, 2010: Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka


• Thursday, July 22, 2010: The Girl with the Pearl Earing by Tracy Chevalier


• Thursday, August 26, 2010: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Start Time: 7:00 PM

Monroe Library
Summer Reading Wrap-Up: Books and Movies
Wrap up Summer Reading with root beer floats and a movie. Cool off in the library’s air conditioning and talk about the books you read this summer.
Date: Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Start Time: 3:00 PM

Mukilteo Library
Brunch Bunch Book Club:
A book club with discussions, activities, and food for middle schoolers.
Date:

• Wednesday, July 7, 2010: The Declaration by Gemma Malley


• Wednesday, July 14, 2010: Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick


• Wednesday, July 21, 2010: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld


• Wednesday, July 28, 2010: Peak by Roland Smith

Start Time: 10:00 AM

Oak Harbor Library
Pizza and Books: Bring Your Own Book Club:
What are you reading this summer? Enjoy a slice of pizza and tell us about your favorite books. Hear what other teens are reading, and maybe find a new favorite.
Date: 7/14/2010
Start Time: 3:00 PM

Oak Harbor Library
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Date: Thursday, July 22, 2010
Start Time: 5:30 PM

Download Audiobooks for Free

Did you know you can download audiobooks from the Sno-Isle Library website to listen to on your mp3 player? I absolutely love listening to audiobooks on my iPod when I'm exercising, doing housework, or in my car. It makes what could be a boring task entertaining and even fun. Here are just some of the great titles you can currently request to download from our website:








In addition to audiobooks, you can also download eBooks, videos, and music!

Free Comic Book Day

Hey everyone...it is FREE Comic Book Day!

Here at the library we like to provide you with free books, magazines, cds, and (my favorite) graphic novels every day. We just ask you bring them back after three weeks. One thing we don't have is free comic books for you to take home and keep forever. But today is your lucky day!

Go to you local comic book store today and get a FREE COMIC BOOK!

Stores participating in our area:

The Comic Stop in Lynnwood
World of Collections in Edmonds
The Comic Stop in Everett Mall
Everett Comics and Cards in Everett
Gamer Time in Snohomish

I can personally recommend dropping by and saying hi to the folks at The Comic Stop. They run one of the most friendly comic book stores I've ever been in are super nice.

Teen Fire

Do your friends just not understand your love of books? Are you searching for the right community to get your nerd on in safe online anonymity? Well, the publisher Sourcebooks may have the social network for you.

Teen Fire has book groups, forums, chat, authors, contests, free stuff, and other nifty (yes, I AM that old) features. Users even have the ability to create their own profiles and pages. There's even a whole section devoted to videos of teens and their favorite books (which reminds me - you are working on your entry to our video contest, right? ;))

Check it out. You never know. You might just love it.

via SLJ

Win a signed copy of THE SEA OF MONSTERS

I have one Rick Riordan-signed paperback copy of Percy Jackson #2, The Sea of Monsters.

In order to win, you must:

1. be 12-18 years old,
2. able to pick it up at one of the Sno-Isle Libraries,
3. watch the following video, (all of it)
4. answer in the comments the questions I ask after the video:

(Yes, I know, I ask so much of you)



Would you want to read on one of those, or are you going to hold onto reading your paper books? What do you guys think about ebooks in general? What do you like/dislike about this whole issue? Why?

You have until 11:59pm on Sunday, March 14 to answer.

I'll draw one lucky winner from the comments. If you add interesting discussion by returning and interacting with other comments, you can earn more entries per substantive comment (meaning: only if those comments add something to the discussion), up to 3 entries per teen.

Chat with Scott Westerfeld

Based on how many of you ask me for The Uglies Trilogy, I suspect there's a healthy cadre of Westerfans out there. Therefore, I figure you should know that Scott Westerfeld is the featured author at readergirlz this month. They are talking Leviathan.

If you are still waiting for your copy of Leviathan to come in, the postergirlz have some recommended reads to go along with Leviathan:

• The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkowski


• Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel


• The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson


• Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey


• Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

And, because this is the month of BOOK TRAILERS, here's Leviathan's awesome one:



"Do you oil your war machines, or do you FEED them?" muhahahahaha!

Westerfeld will be chatting at the rgz blog all month long, including a LIVE chat on March 17th at 6pm.

As an added bonus, here's a video Westerfeld made:

Frisbee in the Lynnwood Library?

Can we do that?

Well, yeah. As long as the library is closed. Which is exactly what we're doing Friday night (February 26th). By 7pm, Lynnwood Library will have been transformed into an 18-obstacle course for Frisbees. Dare to try your hand?

We'll provide the Frisbees, the snacks, and for a few lucky players, a prize. You'll be 12-18 ready to have fun - absolutely no skill is required!

As with all library programs, this is a FREE event thanks to the Sno-Isle Foundation & the Friends of the Library.

Supernatural Authors - tonight at Alderwood B&N

Tonight two great up and coming authors will be at the Alderwood Barnes & Noble at 7pm.

Carrie Jones is the author of Need and its brand new sequel Captivate.

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town...


Alyxandra Harvey is the author of Hearts at Stake.

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family...

See you there!

Download the new Will Shetterly vampirish book

Will Shetterly has written some great books, including some of my favorite urban fantasy book (alas, many are now out of print). Now he has a brand new "vampirish" book called Midnight Girl you can read online for FREE!

Your dad used to be the spooky-mysteries TV show host Professor Midnight. Your grandmother lives in the basement and only comes upstairs after dark. Your mom died when you were a baby, and nobody will tell you about her. Oh, and you have two birthdays, both on Halloween. And that's the part of your life that's normal. But with this birthday, everything is going to change...

Sounds great! I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.

The Ranger's Apprentice Giveaway!

Ok, since the winners of the Harry Potter giveaway are most likely quietly ensconced in their reading chairs revisiting the last three adventures of that scar-faced bespectacled boy, it's time for a new giveaway. Now, The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan may not be as popular as good 'ole Harry, but I assure you, if you are a fan of adventures and quests concerning orphaned young underdogs, you will love Will, who has been apprenticed to the mysterious Ranger.

I have TWO copies of the newest installment in this series, The Siege of Macindaw, to giveaway. Same drill as before, you must comment to have a chance at the books - this time I want you to tell me what your favorite fantasy book (or series) is that ISN'T Harry Potter, Twilight, or The Ranger's Apprentice.

The rules: You MUST be between the ages of 12-18. You MUST be able to pick up your prize at one of the 21 Sno-Isle libraries (or be on the bookmobile route). Find a library near you. Note that you can only enter ONCE! :)

You have until Tuesday, August 11th at 8pm to enter! We'll have a random drawing and announce the winners Tuesday night - so you'll have to check back to see if you win - and then the winners will need to email us at the address we'll provide on the 11th.

Just to whet your appetite, here's a teaser book trailer for the first three books:



And, if you need more proof of this series' cred (I don't know why I'm assuming you haven't read it, I've personally given it to scads of you - and there are currently 72 holds on The Siege of Macindaw) THEY ARE MAKING A MOVIE OF THE FIRST BOOK TO BE RELEASED NEXT YEAR. Just so you know. It's not like I'm all excited or anything... *looks away*

Hunger Games Contest - Meet the Author!

from the Scholastic website: 

HOW WOULD YOU SURVIVE?

Tell us in 500 words or less how you would survive the Hunger Games for a
chance to win a private lunch with Suzanne Collins in NYC!

THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL GET:

• A private lunch with Suzanne Collins at the Scholastic headquarters in New York City!
  (Travel, accommodations, and a $500 food allowance for the winner and a parent or guardian will be provided.)
• A signed, personalized copy of THE HUNGER GAMES
• A personalized Advanced Reader's Copy of CATCHING FIRE – the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy
• A collectable mockingjay pin
• 100 RUNNERS-UP WILL RECEIVE
  an Advanced Reader's Copy of CATCHING FIRE
  and a collectible mockingjay pin!
• NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest open to legal residents of the 50 United States
  and the District of Columbia between the ages of 12-17 as of May 15th, 2009.
  Void where prohibited. Come back March 16th for complete details and official rules.
  

ENTER HERE from March 16 through May 15.

via PW.

5 weeks of contests!

To celebrate the second annual readergirlz Teen Bookdrop, rgz is having a contest a week leading up to the event!

From the rgz blog:

"Here's the deal: each week from now until Support Teen Literature Day on April 16th, we'll be awarding a package of books to one winner. To enter, you just comment on our blog posts (comments on older posts count - a point for each comment!) and get an extra ten points for taking up the week's challenge. Get ten more any time by becoming one of our blog followers!"

For more ways to win go here!

Meet Sarah Mylanowski! In NYC!

To celebrate the release in the last of the Magic In Manhattan series (Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, Spells & Sleeping Bags), Parties & Potions, they are running a sweepstakes to w"in a trip for four to Manhattan to have lunch with Sarah Mlynowski!"

"Answer the below question and win!
As Rachel and Miri know, life’s a ball when
you’re a witch! In 100 words or less, tell us what
you would do if you could be a witch for a day!"

Just answer the question and fill out the entry form.

If you aren't feeling up to writing 100 words or less for that question, but are still interested in the series and author, she's all over the internet with chats and interviews.

Like Love?

Harlequin, the long-lived, publisher of adult romances is starting a line for teen girls - and they want your help. On their site:

"The Harlequin™ Teen Panel is an online reader panel for teens between the ages of 13and 17.

Members of the Harlequin Teen Panel will participate in fun quizzes and discussions about things like: books, movies, music and websites. In other words, everything that you’re interested in.

This is the place to be if you love to read!
Sign up today to share your opinion about the books you’ve read and the books you’d like to read—as well as other things that help you choose your books."

More importantly, according to my sources:

"Teens will be asked to fill out fun quizzes; they’ll participate in discussions and will also receive FREE books (approximate retail value of $10-$15 per book?) and have a chance to enter into sweepstakes (with [parental] permission)."

Check it out, and remember, as always, if you find a book you love so much you think others should read it, ask the library to buy it - we probably will.

Win $500 by writing a letter?

Yep. Five hundred bucks to Target, which is sorta like cash money. I could spend $500 at Target, easy.

What you have to do:

"[W]rite a personal letter to an author, living or dead, from any genre-- fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic, explaining how that author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or themselves. There are three competition levels: Level I for children in grades 4 through 6; Level II for grades 7 and 8, and Level III, grades 9 - 12."

Full instructions here and even more info, including examples of past winners, here.

The catch? You've only got until December 6th. That's Saturday.

Free Meg Cabot?

It's been eight years in the making - the last book in Meg Cabot's PRINCESS DIARIES series, FOREVER PRINCESS, is out on January 6th. Why am I telling you this? Well, the publisher, HarperCollins, is making an electronic copy of the first book available free online in celebration. FREE. No, really. To anyone who wants it. I read it on Meg Cabot's blog, so it's got to be true. Read it here.

Browse Inside this book Get this for your site

A Free Book? On the Computer?

Ok, well that's not really too terribly unusual these days, but this is one I really like. If YOU like smart and snarky main characters and you haven't read Something Rotten by Alan Gratz, well, now's your chance.

In honor of yesterday's publication of the sequel, Something Wicked, they have put an electronic version online until November 30th. So you can give it a go without even moving from the chair you're sitting in right now. Give it a try.

How can you go wrong? Besides, there's a skull in that "o," and a dagger for that "i."

That's a good sign, right?