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.

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?

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!

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!

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...

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!