tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73792964984295743462024-03-05T13:00:08.369+04:30Teen TangentsThis Blog is designed for all of the Teens who think that the library is lame. We used to be you. Then we said...this is crap.....let's make the library rock. And so we are. This is your chance to tell us what you want, what makes you mad, what your causes are, and what we can do to make this library work for you.Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-16258656764034797752009-11-23T20:19:00.002+04:302009-11-23T20:34:53.951+04:30Announcements and ChangesHi everybody, I just wanted to take a few minutes and give you guys an update. Alissa and I both got new jobs. It was honestly a surprise, and also completely unplanned that we both would be leaving at the same time. Alissa started her new job last week, and so far she is really enjoying it. I am so happy that she has been given the opportunity to work in a field that she loves, even though I was not looking forward to not having her at work everyday. Shortly after she received her job offer, I also received a job offer. My new job will be directly related to the degree I earned in college, so I am excited that after five years I'll actually have the chance to use some of what I learned. However, leaving this job is one of the hardest things I have done in recent years. This has honestly been the best job that I have ever had. I love books, I love kids, tweens, and teens, and I absolutely love introducing people to a book and having them fall in love with it. I will miss this job so much, but as time goes on I have to face the fact that I am a grown-up and have grown-up goals that can't be met right now. I will still be at the library on a part time basis until Christmas at least, and I will always be a dedicated patron and volunteer. I have loved the library since I was a little girl, and I don't see that changing. So, thank you all for making this experience so fantastic for me (and Alissa as well.)<br /><br />Now, on to the other news. I will keep this blog running until the beginning of the year, but once new youth services people are hired I don't know what will happen to it. Even though I haven't been the most faithful blogger, I have really enjoyed having this here as a resource for local kids who can't always get into the library. Hopefully, whoever takes over next will continue this blog, but I don't know. All I can tell you is keep checking in for updates. Just in case the new people don't want to take on this project, I have a started a blog. I started it for a few reasons. 1) I like talking about books, 2) I'm afraid that this blog will not continue after I'm gone and I want the people who have been following to have some where to go, and 3) I enjoy having somewhere to talk about the things I like. The new blog is my personal blog so there is the chance that there will be posts about more than just books, movies, or CDs, but there will still be a ton of book stuff on there as well. So, if you're interested you can visit me <a href="http://smalltownbooknerd.blogspot.com/">here</a>, feel free to follow or comment and let me know what you think.Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-39661802301184495742009-11-12T19:24:00.003+04:302009-11-12T19:36:19.491+04:30To Re-read or Not Re-ReadYesterday one of my librarian pals had a question in her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">facebook</span> status. The question was "When it comes to the Harry Potter books, how many times is too many times in regard to re-reading?" My response? You can never re-read them too many times. I am a huge fan of re-reading novels. I don't know how many times I have read the Harry Potter series, and each time I love them more and more. There are numerous other books that I have read over and over again, including Nick and Norah's Infinite <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Playlist</span>, all of John Green's books, Twilight, and many more. I also do this crazy thing where if a book is part of a series I have to re-read all of the previous books each time a new book comes out. Part of this is due to the fact that I read so many books and part of it is that I don't want to have memories gaps when I am reading the newest novel. Also, a huge part of it is that I just love books. It is rare for me to hate anything that I read, and if I love a book I want to experience it over and over again. So, how do you all feel about re-reading books? And if you don't re-read books what do you do with books you purchase after you have read them once?Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-79135732160918420252009-10-13T17:51:00.003+04:302009-10-13T18:17:19.069+04:30Review: Love Is The Higher Law<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ95r50zMIjkJBPiy0HhyphenhyphennnBazeEoSz_PC4kNTBQPvRYR_eq1iZYwyRmqAkXtreWLj7s4nFEVrJ6oI-CDVD6Gb0YwM78z6FKL9kalou7Out5Bp0QQH8u3d3eJVerrM7AbqkkOfrkp_OSS/s1600-h/loveisthehigherlaw.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 212px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392076360999846914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ95r50zMIjkJBPiy0HhyphenhyphennnBazeEoSz_PC4kNTBQPvRYR_eq1iZYwyRmqAkXtreWLj7s4nFEVrJ6oI-CDVD6Gb0YwM78z6FKL9kalou7Out5Bp0QQH8u3d3eJVerrM7AbqkkOfrkp_OSS/s320/loveisthehigherlaw.jpg" /></a><br /><div><em>From Barnes and Noble:<br /><br />The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on<br />September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her<br />younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from<br />Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if<br />he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to<br />school as everything happens around him.<br /><br />Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this<br />catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become<br />wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new<br />friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the<br />people close by.</em><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Love Is the Higher Law is a moving story about the events that took place<br />on 9/11. The story is told by three teenagers, two high school juniors<br />and a college sophmore. The story begins on the morning of 9/11 and<br />follows the characters throughout the year after the attacks. Each of the<br />characters is in a different place when the attack occur and each deals<br />with the events differently. However, as the story continues the reader<br />is able to see how the characters change and grow during the year. Their<br />relationships change dramatically and they realize that love truely is the<br />higher law (a lyric from a U2 song) and that only by letting other people<br />in can we begin to heal and grow. This is an incredibly genuine and<br />moving story about a tragic event which shaped each of our lives in<br />different ways. The story focuses on NYC and the Twin Towers, however,<br />the other tragic events of that day are not overlooked. This book<br />reminded me very much of Elie Weisel's Night (which you should also pick<br />up if you have not yet read it) in the way that I was able to connect with<br />the characters and identify with a major historical even. We will never<br />forget the events that took place on that historic day, unfortunatly as<br />time passes, the message of hope, love, and patriotism that abounded after<br />these events occured has been dramatically reduced in recent years.<br />Luckily, David Levithan reminds us over and over again that love truely is the<br />higher law. This is easily one of the best books that I have read this<br />year-and I have read a *lot* of books. Parents should be aware however,<br />that there is some adult language and mature content in this book.<br />Therefore, I would not recomment it for younger teens unless the parent<br />looks into it first.<br /><br /></div>Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-11391483118572092402009-09-28T23:38:00.004+04:302009-09-29T00:02:57.143+04:30Banned Books WeekThis week is Banned Books Week. Each year the ALA takes this week to celebrate books that have been banned and/or challenged over time. Some popular banned/challenged books include Burned by Ellen Hopkins, Speak and Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson, and Looking for Alaska by John Green. These are just a few of the many books that are challenged each year. Show your support for Banned Books Week by reading a banned book, visiting authors' websites, and writing letters to school districts or librarians who are dealing with bok banning. You can see a list of the most frequently banned books <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-commonly_challenged_books_in_the_United_States">here</a>, or visit the ALA site <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/index.cfm">here</a>. Also, author Ellen Hopkins has written a lovely poem titled <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juRla77tFOY&feature=player_embedded">Manifesto </a>which addresses those who seek to ban books. <a href="http://ellenhopkins.livejournal.com/">Ellen Hopkins </a>and <a href="http://www.writerlady.com/">Laurie Halse Anderson </a>both have wonderful blog posts that were written in response to recent attempts to ban books that they have written. Basically, I feel that no other person should dictate what you can or cannot read. I understand (and believe) that parents should monitor what their own children read, but not decide what is right for every child. Not every book is right for everyone, but every book is right for someone. Books, especially books that deal with drugs, alcohol, and sex, provide wonderful opportunities for parents and children to discuss critical issues. These books also give children and teens the opportunity to experience difficult situations without having to actually deal with the fallout. If you would like to be more involved you can visit the <a href="http://www.ncac.org/">National Coalition Against Censorship</a> as well as their <a href="http://ncacblog.wordpress.com/">blog</a>.Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-47961734184031454542009-09-14T19:26:00.002+04:302009-09-14T19:39:13.496+04:30Reading FunkHey guys. Sorry there hasn't been a lot of activity recently. I've been in kind of a funk. Work has been really crazy and we have spent 90% of our time doing boring stuff instead of the fun stuff that we usually let you guys in on. We are currently struggling to get a book order together. This is more difficult than usual because we haven't been able to order books since the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">beginning</span> of the year, the state cut library funding 5% and may cut it up to another 10%, and our budget hasn't been finalized. All of that makes things pretty insane. There are so many fantastic books that have come out this year, and that are coming out this year that it is really hard to narrow down our selection. However, the point of this isn't to complain to you guys, but rather to get you excited about the library. Another reason that there haven't been a lot of reading type updates on here is because I have been in a reading stand still. I seriously have about six books started right now and I can't get into any of them. So, if you have any reading suggestions for me I would love to hear them!Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-81603826486831341792009-09-05T02:00:00.004+04:302009-09-05T02:02:42.707+04:30First Line Fridays: September 4, 2009Here is this week's First Line:<br /><br />"If truth was a crayon and it was up to me to put a wrapper around it and name its color, I know just what I would call it- <em>dinosaur skin</em>." ~So B. It by Sarah Weeks<br /><br />Enjoy!Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-73362077112573441132009-09-02T01:16:00.003+04:302009-09-02T01:23:07.145+04:30Teaser Tuesday: September 1, 2008So, recently I have been reading a lot of random books. In addition to my regular YA, I have also been reading classics, memoirs, biographies, and titles from our local eighth grade reading list. So this week I am going to do two Teasers. The first is from 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson and the second is from On the Road by Jack Kerouac.<br /><br />"This bordered on being a nightmare scenario. This was adding insult to injury." ~LBE<br /><br />"My aunt once said the world would never find peace until men fell at their women's feet and asked for forgiveness. But Dean knew this; he'd mentioned it many times." ~On the Road<br /><br />If these two don't send you running to the bookstore or local library, then check out many more teasers <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/">here</a>.Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-50811467693416217542009-08-31T22:42:00.002+04:302009-08-31T22:55:04.007+04:30Back to School: YAY or NAY!!!So today starts the first full week of school here in Wythe County. I know that school officially started last Wednesday, but for me it didn't really seem like the school year was real until I had been there for a full week. I don't know if you guys are excited or not, but as a grown-up I can honestly say that I miss the beginning of a new school year. I have cousins in middle school and I can say that I think they are going to have such awesome stuff to study this year. The eighth grade reading list is spectacular. Some people would be embarrassed to admit that they are extremely excited about an eighth grade reading list, but I am a NERD and a librarian, so I can be excited. I was at Books-A-Million last week and they had excellent displays titled "On Your School Reading List" and also "NOT On Your School Reading List." These gave me plenty of ideas about displays for the library. So, now you tell us. Are you excited about being back at school? Also, what required reading did you love and what books top your "Not School Reading" lists?Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-25895578157775715162009-08-26T18:08:00.002+04:302009-08-26T18:24:43.249+04:30Teaser Tuesday (On a Wednesday)- August 26, 2009Today's Teaser comes from Beige by Cecil Castellucci.<br /><br />"She left my dad when I was three because he was just a disaster. Everyone thought he'd be the one that ended up dead, not my mom."<br /><br />If this teaser doesn't excite you, there are many more <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/teaser-tuesdays-aug-18/">here</a>.Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-76702114843761624022009-08-24T20:38:00.004+04:302009-08-24T20:45:55.915+04:30ALA Teens Top TenEveryone needs to go to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">YALSA</span> <a href="http://www.ala.org/teenstopten">website </a>and cast your vote for the Teens Top Ten. This is your chance to let your voice be heard and influence other readers! There are a whole lot of awesome books on the list this year including Paper Towns, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Graceling</span>, The Hunger Games, Identical, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and many more fabulous titles by incredible authors. So, sometime between now and September 18 go and vote, then let us know in the comments which three books you picked! The Top Ten List will be announced during Teen Read Week 2009.Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-47623187835379240712009-08-20T19:53:00.003+04:302009-08-20T19:56:15.797+04:30Identical by Ellen Hopkins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDO5eCrFD3cKmKsMSTlFkcPLS4Zq9io83H5jwYY03Z7U0K6MBdblfD7XjfL6nc0dLWwmSewWMbAy4kVW8Sdq_dv0lj-KFJu42OFD34MmJBWB-Vmm75kGG7MIGJFftVUbGUx_VykZhhU5n/s1600-h/identical.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 234px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372067478875020418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDO5eCrFD3cKmKsMSTlFkcPLS4Zq9io83H5jwYY03Z7U0K6MBdblfD7XjfL6nc0dLWwmSewWMbAy4kVW8Sdq_dv0lj-KFJu42OFD34MmJBWB-Vmm75kGG7MIGJFftVUbGUx_VykZhhU5n/s320/identical.jpg" /></a> <div></div><div><div>From Barnes and Noble: <em>Kaeleigh and Raeanne are 16-year-old identical twins, the daughters of a district court judge father and politician mother running for Congress. Everything on the surface of their lives seems Norman Rockwell perfect, but underneath run deep and damaging secrets.<br /><br />Kaeleigh is the good girl-her father's perfect flower, something she has tried so hard to be since she was nine and he started sexually abusing her. She cuts herself and vomits after every binge, desperate to feel something normal. Raeanne uses painkillers, drugs, alcohol, and sex to numb the pain of not being Daddy's favorite. Both girls must figure out how to become whole, but how can they when their world has been torn to shreds?</em><br /><em></em><br />Ellen Hopkins is such a beautiful writer that it makes me green with envy. I was immediately drawn into this book and it was extremely hard for me to put it down until I had finished. Kaeleigh and Raeanne were wonderful characters and they were easy to relate to. Even though I have never experienced any of the trials that these girls did, in many ways it felt like I was right there with them. It is an amazing gift for an author to be able to draw you into the story in a way that makes you feel like you are a vital part of the plot. There were many twists and turns throughout the story, and some pretty huge shocking turn of events. At one point there is such a huge REALLY BIG THING that was so unexpected I re-read the page three times, blinked my eyes, and immediately went to my twitter account to say "Ellen Hopkins just BLEW MY MIND!!!" This was a wonderful book that was exciting and heart-breaking all at once. There were times that I wanted to cry for Kaeleigh and Raeanne and other times that my heart smiled along with their triumphs. I have said before that I think everyone should read at least one of Ellen Hopkins' books because of her unique writing style, I will say now that I believe if you only ever pick up one of her books, it should be Identical.</div></div>Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-11105520970703967132009-08-19T00:50:00.002+04:302009-08-19T02:01:23.408+04:30Teaser Tuesday: August 18, 2009Today's Teaser comes from The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima.<br /><br />"Hastings placed his hands over the wound, speaking a charm slowly and distinctly. The skin immediately blistered up, turning a nasty green and yellow, as if the poison had risen and collected just under the skin.<br /><br />If this Teaser doesn't do it for you, there are plenty more <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/teaser-tuesdays-aug-18/">here</a>.Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-6012072827064666292009-08-13T18:28:00.003+04:302009-08-13T18:35:13.112+04:30Princess Bookie ContestJust a quick post to let you guys know about a really awesome contest. Princess Bookie is having a contest to give away a TON of YA books. There are 17 YA books including and ARC of Fire by Kristen Cashmore, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, and a pre-order of CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins. I loved Shiver and have been looking forward to Catching Fire and Fire since I read the first books in those two series. Make sure you check out all the details <a href="http://cutelittlecindy.blogspot.com/2009/08/another-contest_12.html">here</a>.Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-22451229717389856302009-07-31T22:12:00.003+04:302009-07-31T22:21:28.646+04:30First Line FridaysSince there isn't much going on lately to post about, and we aren't ordering books yet, I thought I would try something new on here. A big craze on Twitter right now is First Lines Fridays. It is pretty simple, all you have to do is share the first line of a book. I am going to do this regularly with whatever my current book is. I love Teaser Tuesdays, but sometimes the opening line of a novel grabs you more than a random quote from inside the book. Enjoy!<br /><br />"'Oh my God, what's she doing here?' my best friend, Sidney van der Hoff, was asking, as I came up to the corner booth to hand out menus." Pants on Fire by Meg CabotWythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-25791763284002796792009-07-29T19:38:00.002+04:302009-07-29T19:41:07.308+04:30Teaser Tuesday (On a Wednesday)Today's Teaser comes from Max by James Patterson. It is the fifth book in the Maximum Ride series. Enjoy!<br /><br />"Fang dropped my hand to put his arm around my shoulders, his warmth searing my skin through my jacket. I really, really hoped that I hadn't suddenly sprouted a catrillion new nerve endings."Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-53263000190054196912009-07-26T06:19:00.000+04:302009-07-26T06:33:35.433+04:30Random Reading StuffsI'm currently in the middle of The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima. It's pretty good. It is the middle book in a trilogy, and the first book was very good as well. I have so many books in my TBR pile that it isn't funny. I also committed to reading 20,000 pages this summer for the adult SRP, and I have about 8,000 pages left to read in the next month. This morning I found an excellent reading list at www.teenreads.com. The list consists of 300 books that they considered must reads. Some of the books are adult books, some are classics/required reading, and the rest are YA books. I think that I am going to try to read my way through this list. I'm not really going to put a time limit on it, 300 books is a lot, but there were several books I have been meaning to read on the list. There were also several books that I have never heard of. Everyone should check the list out and met me know how many of the books you have read or have been on your TBR lists. One last thing, it is almost book ordering time and we are always looking for suggestions. So if there are books you love, from picture books through YA, please let us know! Leave suggestions in the comments!Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-76175222165258227502009-07-22T17:50:00.002+04:302009-07-22T18:02:37.474+04:30Thanks Hagrid!So....this is Alissa today. I wanted to talk about my anti-reading reputation. First, I feel like I need to clear some things up. I am going to try and concentrate but Rochelle is to my right makign horrible noises over some communist Chinese candy her brother gave her. Random, I know. Anywho so I have a reputation for hating reading. This is not true. I actually read all the time. I love children's books so I read a lot of picture books and novels like "The Mouse and the Motorcycle." (don't judge me) I also LOVE self-help books. There is something about someone else confirming to me that I am totally mental and need a lot of therapy to undo years of damage that makes me want to read more and more. What I don't read is fiction. I used to, then a few depressing books kind of ruined it for me. People are always coming into the library and asking us about Young Adult novels and I am not help at all. Instead I'm like, "No, I don't know that, but I CAN tell you about Suri Cruise's new haircut."......I can hear the John Greens of the world pulling the triggers on their suicide guns. I know, I know. Reading is super important and valuable. I get it. I have a better time with movies of books! Last night we went to see "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince." WHOA man. If you haven't seen it you should. Neville looks like he is about 37 now and the kids that plays Tom Riddle is scarier than the guy from "The Omen." So much happened in the movie that it actually made me want to read the "Harry Potter" series finally. It has only taken me about seven years to finally crack. Today is day one of my Potter Quest. I am going to need moral support from all of you to keep reading. When Rochelle told me the last one is about 4000000098739847298798797529349287341 pages long, I almost wet myself. So any cool Harry Potter websites, crafts, recipes, or encouragement you can send to help me keep reading for the next 7 books would be super helpful. HOLY MERLIN'S BEARD BATMAN....Alissa is going to read....!!!!Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-17042030796021458872009-06-27T00:45:00.003+04:302009-07-13T19:45:04.492+04:30Summer Reading ProgramDon't forget that Summer Reading Program has started. It isn't too late to sign up! We have programs every Wednesday for teens and we would love to see you! I am going to be gone for the next two weeks but Alissa will be here (and will probably need some help.) I will try to update from the road with book reviews and other randomness.Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-27090012254442004952009-06-16T22:38:00.004+04:302009-06-16T23:11:10.502+04:30Iran, Florida, and The ManAnd once again we are straying from the primary purpose of this blog (to let you know about library stuff, books, and reading related things.) However, Alissa and I are both pretty passionate about the things I am posting on. Ally is really into politics as a whole (me not so much...I kind suck at politics) and I am always into protesting and standing up for what you believe in (her too only not as loudly as me!) Also, we both think that it is pretty important for you to be aware of what is going on in the world. This week there was a (possibly rigged) election in Iran. I don't know a lot about it. I know the basic facts but I am not really up-to-date on my Iranian politics. John Green seemed pretty informed in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mqf00InV9E">this </a>video though. You can also type in "Iran election" into any search engine and get a huge amount of information. The point is that I don't think we have to know everything there is to know about Iran to know that if this election was rigged (which since they are recounting the votes seems pretty likely) that it is wrong. If you are going to ask for the opinions of the people then make sure you listen to what they say. Many of the YA authors that we love and support are sending their support to the Iranian people. Scott Westerfeld has a wonderful blog post <a href="http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/?p=1050">here</a> explaining the new time change in our posting. Basically in Iran there are censors who are looking at all blogs with Tehran local settings in order to find and shut down any blogs protesting the election. Since changing the settings to GMT +3:30 makes it harder for them to do their jobs, he is encouraging everyone who has a blog to change the settings. It is a wonderful blog post and you should all go read it. Like him I would like to tell any Iranian censors that I pretty much think oppression sucks and so do rigged elections. I hope that in the time you wasted reading this post that some people who actually know what's going on there were able to continue their protests! Have a wonderful day killing the spirit of your people!<br /><br />Speaking of oppression...the lovely Maureen Johnson is still having trouble with her book censoring friends in Florida. Go watch her hilarious/heart warming video <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8aLRBhNUmo">here</a> to see what she thinks of censorship...(hint she's not a fan)... Here's the thing. I know that I have had several "book challenging" tangents on here...but I HATE IT!!! Seriously. Yes, you have the right to say "I don't want my child to read this," but you do not have the right to say that other children shouldn't read something. I am a librarian, I order a lot of books, I read a lot of books (obviously), I love YA lit. I have no problem telling the parent of a 12 or 13 year old that they should look at a book before their kid reads it, or that a book has mature content. That is part of my job (in my opinion) and it is helpful because I don't get a lot of challenges. However, I have about 20 teens who come and check out books. It is a lot easier for me to police my YA section than it is for librarians at larger libraries. And truthfully, it isn't our job. It is a parents job to be aware of what their children are reading. They should read entire books though, not just passages of books before they make the decision that a book is inappropriate. *Deep breath* Okay, now that my tangents are over, I hope that all of you are equally as disgusted as I am about Iran and Florida book challengers, and that you all have wonderful days!Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-15015136736541609462009-06-14T07:43:00.002+04:302009-06-14T07:47:27.815+04:30Geektastic ARCI am <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">sooo</span> excited! When I got home today an ARC of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Geektastic</span> was waiting for me! I didn't get it free but I did find a copy on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">eBay</span> for like $4.00 after shipping, which was pretty awesome. I already read over half of it tonight and can say that I will most <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">definitely</span> be ordering a copy for the library come September! I'm sure that none of my teens are as excited about this as I was, but they will be once they have the book!Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-76918778189004211182009-06-09T20:09:00.002+04:302009-06-09T20:16:23.360+04:30Teaser Tuesday June 9, 2009Here's the first Teaser we've put up in a long time. It's from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I am literally one of the last people on Earth to read this book, but so far I am enjoying it.<br /><br />"I keep seeing Rue speared, my arrow piercing the boys neck. Then I realized...he was my first kill."<br /><br />This is such a happy teaser! I hope you enjoy it.Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-28873936459267619452009-06-08T18:25:00.002+04:302009-06-08T18:35:41.354+04:30We're Back!!!After an unusually long absence we are back! Things have been so hectic/crazy around here. First, Ally and I both found out that we each have 30 extra hours of holiday time that we haven't used. This sounds great, but in reality it means that we each have almost 60 hours that we have to take off work before the end of June. We found out the last week of May. Also, Summer Reading Program starts in June, so it is really hard to find time to take off. We also had a huge meeting in Richmond in May and we were out of town for three days. It was an unusual experience. We had to drive five hours to the Library of Virginia and then spend one whole day in a meeting. We talked about next year's SRP as well as some other boring library related things. Ally and I spent most of our free time shopping and spending tons of money that we didn't need to spend. After all that excitement, I took the next several days off because my brother left on June 3rd. He will be in country for the next 45 days, he will have a four day leave at the end of July, and then he will be on his way to Iraq. So, except for his four day leave and his two-week leave once he is overseas, I won't see him again for 400 days. That is a lot of days! So all of my free time was spent hanging out with him instead of reading/working/blogging. Once I finally got back to work I discovered that for some strange reason my computer wouldn't let me get on blogger. After messing with various settings for a few days I finally got things under control. So, I should be back to blogging on a semi-regular basis. Summer Reading Program does start on June 19th and it takes up a lot of our time, but I will hopefully still be able to update you guys on what's going on! Happy Monday!!!!Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-32348884416832412612009-05-23T01:27:00.004+04:302009-05-23T02:08:10.055+04:30Review: Peeps by Scott Westerfeld<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS_EwXFJUXR_mNeqDg0Vo32XD3HTtxUYc2uV1rOy3O1o9tTaM_vVDKgId8cMt4Drwl8uHVy7CJj7v1x25QZ4YC5hSvKz7v_JciPbw6974Q-HTejPQPgkJpClBiJ9D80CxNSflx78lWPLl/s1600-h/peeps.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338759801546123842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS_EwXFJUXR_mNeqDg0Vo32XD3HTtxUYc2uV1rOy3O1o9tTaM_vVDKgId8cMt4Drwl8uHVy7CJj7v1x25QZ4YC5hSvKz7v_JciPbw6974Q-HTejPQPgkJpClBiJ9D80CxNSflx78lWPLl/s320/peeps.jpg" /></a><br /><div><em>From Barnes and Noble: A year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying than in attending biology class. Now, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman named Morgan, biology has become, literally, Cal's life.<br />Cal was infected by a parasite that has a truly horrifying effect on its host. Cal himself is a carrier, unchanged by the parasite, but he's infected the girlfriends he's had since Morgan. All three have turned into the ravening ghouls Cal calls Peeps. The rest of us know them as vampires. It's Cal's job to hunt them down before they can create more of their kind. . . .</em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div>First of all I have to say that I really adore Scott Westerfeld. All of his books are a little bit dark and twisty and involve plots where the main characters find out that the "good guys" aren't always good. However, this is one thing that makes his books remarkable. Peeps is a new take on vampirism. Instead of people running around biting other people, vampirism is a disease that is spread through saliva and other bodily fluids. The parasite that cause vampirism causes the people who are infected to hate everything they once loved and to go a little crazy. Cal is lucky enough to only be a carrier. He works for an agency that tracks down people who are "parasite positive" aka Peeps. As far as heroes go, Cal is decent. The reader doesn't really get to know him, the story and his search for every girl he has come in contact with since his infection is where the story focuses. One unique element in this book was that every other chapter is devoted to a different parasite. As you read these chapters about real life parasites that humans come in contact with every day and how they manifest and mutate, your skin will crawl. However, these chapters really do add to the story. The parasite chapters help you understand the parasite that turns humans into vampires. I really enjoyed Peeps. The ending is a little strange, but that is because there is a sequel. Many questions are left unanswered that are hopefully dealt with in <em>The Last Days. </em>I would recommend Peeps to anyone who enjoyed Twilight, Anne Rice, or any other vampire book. Scott Westerfeld has an incredible ability to weave a story. I have enjoyed everything of his that I have read, but Peeps is my favorite so far. </div>Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-47325330181422069402009-05-15T23:22:00.007+04:302009-05-17T01:33:17.005+04:30Chelle's Life According To...The BeatlesOkay, so most people know that I have a sick obsession with The Beatles. Basically, I don't think that there is any situation that their music won't help. So, here is my life according to The Beatles. We will have "Ally's Life According To..."next Friday. Feel free to link your meme in the comments section!<br /><br /><br /><br />The Rules: Pick an artist, and using ONLY SONG TITLES from only that artist, cleverly (preferably) answer these questions. This is harder than it seems! ADDITIONAL RULE: You cannot use the same artist I did, or duplicate song titles even if they were performed by another artist.<br /><br />1. Are you a male or female?<br />Lady Madonna<br /><br />2. Describe yourself.<br />Blackbird<br /><br />3. How do you feel about yourself?<br />I Feel Fine<br /><br />4. Describe your EX.<br />The End<br /><br />5. Describe your CURRENT significant other.<br />If I Fell<br /><br />6. Describe your current location.<br />Octopus's Garden<br /><br />7. Describe where you want to be.<br />Penny Lane<br /><br />8. Your best friend?<br />Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds<br /><br />9. Your favorite color is?<br />Mean Mr. Mustard<br /><br />10. You know that...<br />Can't Buy Me Love<br /><br />11. What's the weather like?<br />Here Comes The Sun<br /><br />12. If your life was a television show what would it be called?<br />Revolution<br /><br />13. What is life to you?<br />The Long and Winding Road<br /><br />14. What is the best advice you have to give?<br />All You Need Is Love<br /><br />15. If you could change your name what would it be?<br />Sexy SadieWythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7379296498429574346.post-75407781255773467372009-05-06T01:35:00.002+04:302009-05-06T01:38:21.819+04:30Teaser Tuesday: May 5, 2009Today's Teaser comes from Mary Shelley's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Frankenstein</span>.<br /><br />"How dare you approach me! How I wish I could kill you with one blow and bring back to life the two people you have cruelly murdered." <br /><br />Enjoy!!!Wythe County Public Library Youth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09524862667316814725noreply@blogger.com0