That's Gross

October is a month full of bonfires, candy, scares, and sometimes things that are gross.  

Our teen librarian knows the students of Zionsville love any program that deals with food, so she decided to mix it with something that is just plain gross.  

In the past we've had October programs centered around cupcakes and there's this other book that is downright disgusting, but don't worry, it's pure fake. 

Now if you are looking for something that leaves you reading about gross things and not eating foods that look gross, the library has you covered.  If you want to make something that looks gross and tastes delicious, students in grades 6-12 will have to join us on Wednesday, October 29 at 5:30PM for our Gross Desserts program.  Registration is recommended to ensure we have enough supplies.  What are we making?  Let's just say that is so gross that you don't have to worry about anyone eating it.

Challenge Update

Hopefully everyone reading this has signed up for Winter Reading.  With nothing to download and no passwords to remember, it's easier than ever for both adults and teens.  Just stop by the reference desk and ask for a Challenge Sheet and write down your challenge.  It can be to read for 30 minutes a day or read a book.  The fantastic thing about this is people who are not book readers can win a fantastic prize basket.  How?  Let's say you read The New York Times every Sunday, or maybe you love Rolling Stone (the library carries both), just because you are not reading a book doesn't mean you are not reading.  Well, some of you may be wondering how I am doing on my reading challenge.  I am the over ambitious librarian who is reading 30 books that other people have picked out.  Sadly, I have read two and am currently working on two more.  Like everyone, life gets in the way and I was asked to help a friend move out of state and came home to a husband who said, "We're going to install a new ceiling fan in the kitchen tonight."  Now while it appears I may not reach my goal of 30 books by March 3rd, I'm still going to turn in my Challenge Sheet because I'm still reading.  Here's a quick review of the two books I have finished so far.

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper: I listened to this on audiobook.  It is about a girl with cerebral palsy and while people think she's not smart based solely on her looks and actions, she is likely one of the smartest people in her grade.  When so many people have an idea of who you are, how easy is it to change their mind?  With a fish on the cover jumping out of a fish bowl, I had no idea what I was reading/listening to, but I enjoyed it.  Realistic fiction is right up my alley and it was a pretty good read.  I had to laugh because at the end of the book was a suggestion for another realistic fiction book I read and enjoyed, A Mango Shaped Space by Wendy Mass.

Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star by Rachel Renee Russell: This book is the third in what is currently a series of five books.  I have given this book to many people and say, "It's like Diary of a Wimpy Kid" for girls.  The drawings are a bit more sophisticated than Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but the story is just as fantastic.  References to a pesky little sister and phrases like, "That's what I wanted to say, but I only said it in my head so no one heard it but me."  If you or a loved one is looking for a quick, funny read, this is for you.  Don't believe me?  I challenged a coworker to read it for her reading challenge.

So there you have it, my reviews so far.  How is your challenge coming along?

A Librarian's Reading Challenge

I might be crazy.  That photo you see is my reading list for the next two months.  Back in October, I asked coworkers and customers, both teens and adults, to pick one book from each bookcase in the teen fiction area, including graphic novels.  I explained to each person that they would be a part of a unique experiment in which I would read 30 books in just under two months.  Why?  For the first time ever, adults can set their own reading challenge.  "Pop Into a Book for Prizes" begins January 7 and ends March 3.  This means that I will read 30 books in the months of January and February, but I do have a few rules: 1) the book must be a part of our physical collection (not an e-book); 2) audiobooks are permitted as a substitute for reading the book; 3) if a title selected is part of a series, I will read the first book in that series and not read the book selected; 4) if a book in a series is selected and I have read that book, I will read the next book in the series that I have not read; 5) if a book selected is one I have already read, another title will be selected for me.  This is pretty major since I really don’t like to read fantasy or romance books and I don’t care to read any book with more than 300 pages.  However, I am ready to dive into my own personal reading challenge and get out of my reading comfort zone.  You’ll have to check out the library’s Twitter and Facebook accounts to keep track of what I’m reading and periodically check the blog to see reviews for some of the books I’m reading.  Looking at the list, some of these books I would not willingly read, but it is part of the fun.  Besides, I always pick books for other people, why not have people pick books for me?  Be sure to bring your entire family to the library on Monday, January 7th so everyone (from toddlers to teens to adults) can pick up their own Challenge Sheet.

1. City of Beasts by Isabel Allende

2. Remembering Green by Lesley Beake

3. Remembrance by Theresa Breslin

4. Bad Connection by Melody Carlson

5. The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore

6. The Hunt for Dark Infinity by James Dashner

7. The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi

8. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

9. The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

10. The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman

11. The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman

12. Listening at the Gate by Betsy James

13. Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks

14. A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee

15. Like the Willow Tree: The Diary of Lydia Amelia Pierce by Lois Lowry

16. Doomed Queen Anne by Carolyn Meyer

17. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kristen Miller

18. Eragon by Christopher Paolini

19. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

20. Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The Story of Pyillis Wheatly by Ann Rinaldi

21. Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Talented Pop Star by Rachel Russell

22. Everwild by Neal Shusterman

23. The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith

24. The Hobbit: or There and Back Again by J. R. R. Tolkien

25. A Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Halprin Wayland

26. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

27. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

28. Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 1 by Hiromu Arakawa

29. Death Note Volume 1, Boredom by Tsugumi Ohba

30. Bone Volume 1, Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith

Mary Pearson Author Visit Book Winners!

Another big thank you to teen author Mary Pearson!  On Wednesday, November 7, Mary spoke with more than 70 teens about her book The Adoration of Jenna Fox.  Each teen who signed up was given a free copy of the book, which Mary then signed and gave all teens a small gift.  In addition to the awesomeness of a free book signed by the author, free pizza, and more than 30 minutes to ask questions about the writing process, eight lucky teens walked away with something extra special.  By completing a crossword relating to the book The Adoration of Jenna Fox teens earned a chance to win one of three copies of The Fox Inheritance, which is the second book in the trilogy.  Teens also earned a chance to win another one of three copies by completing an author visit evaluation form.  On top of that, two teens who handed in their author visit evaluations were big winners, as they each took home a signed copy of Fox Forever, which is quite possibly the most exciting part of the evening since the book doesn't come out until March of next year.  Several teens asked how they would know who won, so we decided to list all the winners on our blog.

Congratulations to Ryann Bowers, Ella Clayton, Lauren Geletka, Kris Gutierrez, Tori Hanshew, and Brandon Milby who all won copies of The Fox Inheritance, and another congratulations to Sara Bush and Nathan Olesinski who are the only two people likely in the state of Indiana to have signed copies of Fox Forever!

Once again a big thank you to Mary Pearson, our Teen Council who picked Mary to come to the library, and to all of our staff, volunteers, and teens who came to the visit.  Thanks to you, this has been our most popular teen author visit to date.  We will bring another author here in 2014, but in the meantime, keep an eye out for information about a book release party in March 2013 as well as autographed copies of Mary's books as summer reading prizes.

Countdown to Author Visit with Mary Pearson

We are very, very excited to be hosting Mary Pearson.  In less than two weeks, she will be at our library talking about her book The Adoration of Jenna Fox, the writing process, and answering your questions about writing, publishing, being an author, and any other burning questions you may have.  If two weeks seems like too long, perhaps an interview with the author will tie you over.

What do you find most difficult about writing?

“Getting started. A blank page is always intimidating. And the middle is difficult too. Whenever I get to the middle of a book I always think I’m totally lost and in trouble—too much is going on in my head! But I know most writers feel that way, and I remind myself that it is normal to feel out of control. The key is to keep moving forward, so I do. I set daily goals for myself to make sure I keep going. If you write only one page per day—about 250 words—in less than a year you can have a whole novel. Small bite-sized goals are easier to swallow and far less intimidating, so I focus on those.”

Which one book had a large impact on your life?

“That’s a tough one. There were so many, but I would have to say The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton was a favorite that had a definite impact on my future. It was the first book that I read that felt like it was written for me. I devoured it over and over again and it made me want to write similar relevant books for teens.”

What advice might you have for aspiring writers?

Not so fast, you'll have to go to the Harbinger's online edition to see the answer to this question and others.  A special thanks to Sara Bardool and the folks at the Harbinger for letting us share this interview.

Oh and if you still don't have your free copy of The Adoration of Jenna Fox, just bring a signed permission slip either to the library or the school media center.  Then bring your book the day of the event and Mary will sign your book!  We hope to see you there.

Thoughts on “The Hunger Games” Movie

I am a librarian. I did the same thing pretty much every librarian did last weekend: I called my librarian friends and they gathered their loved ones and a crew of ten to see "The Hunger Games." It has been several years since I have read the book, so I will resist even trying to compare the movie to the book. Instead I will concentrate solely on making this a movie review and not a comparison. First of all, I feel compelled to say the movie is violent. I have described the plot to many people as a futuristic "Gladiator." My high school history teacher told me I had to study history because history repeats itself. "The Hunger Games" is exactly that. 24 kids, called tributes, between the ages of 12-18 are put into an arena, which can be altered at the push of button, and the winner gets to live. As a tribute, you can help your odds of winning by getting sponsors. You get sponsors by getting the public to like you. This may sound familiar if you have seen the movie "Gladiator" featuring Russell Crowe, but "The Hunger Games" has less blood.
Now that the violence of the movie has been addressed (you are prepared when a character actually says "It's a bloodbath,"), it is time to move forward. First of all, go to the bathroom before setting foot in the theatre. This is a two hour and twenty-two minute movie. Normally, I start squirming at the hour and a half mark, but this movie did not feel like a two-plus hour movie. It has action, compassion, young love, chess-like strategizing, Jennifer Lawrence, Lenny Kravitz, Woody Harrelson, and a very nice cast mix. The blood, violence, and historic aspect (think of the Colosseum in Rome and all the people who died fighting to the death in an entertainment arena) of this movie is the draw for guys, but the refreshing independence of a female protagonist is a perk for the ladies in the audience. But it is not all business; there was more than one moment that left me teary-eyed and there was at least one instance where the theater was completely silent, creating an opportunity for sniffles to be heard from several movie goers.
I am cheap and prefer to see movies in the comfort of my own home, but I was happy to cough up the money. CNN says the movie raked in $155 million in the opening weekend, making it the third largest opening weekend in history (behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Dark Knight). If you do not see it, you may be left out of many upcoming movie conversations over the next few years. Also, go ahead and make sure you mark November 22, 2013 on your calendar. Why? That, my friends, is the next biggest awaited movie release, the second installment of The Hunger Games trilogy, "Catching Fire."

Teen Book Review

Another day goes by, and yet I have another book to review. I always think that authors are big celebrities; they live in awesome places but never anywhere close by. WRONG! The latest book in my project led me to read Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson. Christine lives in Indianapolis! Plus, her book is a teen book, which is very exciting because I love teen books so much I haven’t read an adult book in more than three years.

Claire de Lune is a book about a girl who has just turned sixteen and her mother tells her she is a werewolf. While there is a little romance in this book (I don’t care very much for romance books, so this was good news to me), but Christine actually focused more on the roles of werewolves. For example, only women are werewolves, male werewolves do not exist. Also, we learn about the alpha wolf and how werewolves avoid ripping and tearing all their clothes during transformation. Of course, we also learn that Claire’s crush’s father is a werewolf hunter and wants to cure werewolves of their “problem.” But being a werewolf is like being a superhero, no one is allowed to know your secret. Plus, add in the fact that werewolves have been attacking and killing people in Claire’s neighborhood so now both Claire and her mother are in danger. This title has lots of action and does not skimp on the details of the attacks.

If this is not on our shelves and you’ve already read the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, you can always try Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause, the Shiver series by Maggie Stiefvater, Red Rider’s Hood by Neal Shusterman. If you want more information on how to bring out your inner wolf, perhaps try How to be a Werewolf by Serena Valentino. Happy reading!

Teen Book Review

Remember I told you I had a big stack of books in my office? I sat studying them today and thought, “I think I’ll write another book review.” So here it goes. The Limit by Kristen Landon is set in the future, when spending limits are monitored. Author Margaret Peterson Haddix (author of Found and Among the Hidden) wrote this about The Limit, “A frighteningly familiar world with an unsettling twist.” And author James Dashner (Maze Runner trilogy) said, “Fast paced, full of great humor, adventure, and surprises.” Geez, if Haddix and Dashner think it’s cool, then it’s got to be worth my time.

So in the future, if your family goes over their limit, a division of the government will come to your home and, depending on the agreement you have with them, a member of your family will immediately be taken away to work off your family’s debt. This is what happened to 13 year-old Matt. Luckily for Matt, he is incredibly smart and tests into “Top Floor” work. But with a pool, a gym, challenging work, food ordered off the internet and delivered to your door, and a cleaning service that you never see, why would anyone want to leave? However, why are teen workers having seizures? And what about headaches? The government is doing something to these kids without their permission and Matt has to find out what it is before he succumbs to the same problem. I wanted more conflict and more action sooner than it came, but overall it was not a bad read. Younger readers will devour this conspiracy book and ask for more. Readers looking for more action and detail may want to try Conspiracy 365 by Gabrielle Lord.

Teen Book Review

I have a huge project on my plate this year and part of it involves reading LOTS of books. I currently have about a dozen books on my "to read" shelf in my office, and I was rather impressed with one and wanted to share it with you. If you have ever talked to me, you might know that I am not a fantasy reader. There is just something about made up, nonexistent worlds that I cannot wrap my mind around. And talking animals? It's just not for me. However, my recent project required me to read Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner. Wagner is an author out of the Chicago area, and her book is the result of a dare made by her husband. So there I sat, at home, in my office, reluctantly reading a book about mutant rats trying to overthrow a corrupt government. My only comfort was a note on the front of the cover, "Expect great adventures in Nightshade City.--Rick Riordan." The author of our beloved, action filled Percy Jackson series enjoyed it, so there had to be something great hidden within the pages.

I tried hard to keep up with the characters. Seriously, I actually had to write them on a piece of paper and write notes about the characters because I had trouble telling one rat from the other. I needed to jot these little tidbits down because my brain just does not process fantasy details very well. I gave it some time, trudged through, and was so glad I did because this book is amazing! There is lots of action, the characters have depth, there is an underground war, what is not to love?! By the end of the book I was surprised and sad that the second book of the series was not yet published... The White Assassin came out November 1st of this year. If you've read any of the Redwall books by Brian Jacques, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo, or Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (that's the same person who wrote The Hunger Games!) you might enjoy this book. You'll have to stop by the Library or check out our catalog, because we own all these books. Also, check back for more teen titles to be reviewed as well as for more info on my exciting project.