Tuesday, December 29, 2009

February is Adventure Month

Here is the suggested booklist for the February meeting of the Books and Bites bookclub. Clicking on the linked book title will take you to the library catalogue to see the book's availability.

A print version of the booklist and an adventure book display can be found in the Teen Corner of the St. Albert Public Library.

Airborn
Matt Cruse Series #1
By Kenneth Oppel

The Angel Experiment
Maximum Ride Series #1
By James Patterson

Black Rabbit Summer
By Kevin Brooks

Candor
By Pam Bachorz

Carpe Diem
By Autumn Cornwell

Deeper
By Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams

Escape From Memory
By Margaret Peterson Haddix

Hatchet
By Gary Paulsen

The Highwayman’s Footsteps
By Nicola Morgan

Hit the Road
By Caroline B. Cooney

The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games Trilogy #1
By Suzanne Collins

Jellicoe Road
By Melina Marchetta

The Kingdom Keepers
By Ridley Pearson

The Last Thing I Remember
The Homelanders Series #1
By Andrew Klavan

Nobody’s Princess
By Esther Friesner

The Pale Assassin
By Patricia Elliot

Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates
By Philip Caveney

Seeds of Time
Eagle Glen Trilogy #1
By KC. Dyer

Sleeper Code
The Sleeper Conspiracy Series #1
By Tom Sniegoski

Stormbreaker
Alex Rider Series #1
By Anthony Horowitz

A Templar’s Apprentice
By Kat Black

To Catch a Pirate
By Jade Parker

Tomorrow, When the War Began
Tomorrow Series #1
By John Marsden

Unwind
By Neal Shusterman

Wish You Were Here
By Catherine Clark

Monday, December 14, 2009

Coming Soon: Books and Bites!

Books and Bites is a new bookclub just for you. No, this isn't like your Mom's bookclub, it's about sharing the books you like with other people. NO REQUIRED READING, but you do have to be willing to try some different kinds of books each month in whatever theme we have chosen.
For example, January is Fantasy month. If you love Fantasy and want to share your favourite book with us, bring it! If you've never read fantasy, pick something from our list or choose your own book and give it a try. Then we spend an hour talking about the books we liked (and the ones we didn't). Who knows, maybe you'll find your next favourite book suggested by someone here!

Here is the suggested booklist for the January meeting of the Books and Bites bookclub. Clicking on the linked book title will take you to the library catalogue to see the book's availability.

A print version of the booklist and a fantasy book display can be found in the Teen Corner of the St. Albert Public Library.


The Amulet of Samarkand
Bartimaeus Trilogy #1
By Jonathan Stroud
Nathaniel, a magician's apprentice, summons up the djinni Bartimaeus and instructs him to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from the powerful magician Simon Lovelace.

Artemis Fowl
Artemis Fowl Series #1
By Eoin Colfer
Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories. These fairies are armed and they're dangerous.

Ash
By Malinda Lo
In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed to love her and the King's Huntress whom she loves.

Black Unicorn
By Tanith Lee
With her talent for mending things, Tanaquil reconstructs a unicorn which, brought to life, lures her away from her desert fortress home and her sorceress mother to find a city by the sea and the way to a perfect world.

The Blue Sword
By Robin McKinley
This is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, that no woman had wielded since the Lady Aerin herself bore it into battle.

Book of a Thousand Days
By Shannon Hale
Dashti, sworn to obey her mistress, the Lady Saren, shares Saren's years of punishment locked in a tower, then brings her safely to the lands of her true love, where both must hide who they are as they work as kitchen maids.

A Chalice of Wind
Balefire Series #1
By Cate Tiernan
Separated since birth, seventeen-year-old twins Thais and Clio unexpectedly meet in New Orleans where they seem to be pursued by a coven of witches who want to harness the twins' magickal powers for its own ends.

The Demon’s Lexicon
Demon’s Lexicon Series #1
By Sara Rees Brennan
Nick and his family have battled magicians and demons for most of his life, but when his brother, Alan, is marked for death while helping new friends Jamie and Mae, Nick's determination to save Alan leads him to uncover a devastating secret.

Dragonsong
Harper Hall Trilogy #1
By Anne McCaffrey
Forbidden by her father to indulge in music in any way, a girl on the planet Pern runs away, taking shelter with the planet's fire lizards who, along with her music, open a new life for her.

Dreamhunter
The Dreamhunter Duet #1
By Elizabeth Knox
In a world where select people can enter "The Place" and find dreams of every kind to share with others for a fee, Laura is training to be a dreamhunter when her father disappears, leaving her to carry on his mysterious mission.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
By Alison Goodman
Eon hopes to become an apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune and learn to be its main interpreter, but to do so will require much, including keeping secret that she is a girl.

Eragon
Inheritance Series #1
By Christopher Paolini
In Aagaesia, a boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of magic and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.

The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy #1
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Frodo the hobbit and his companions set out to deliver the One Ring of Power to the dark land of Mordor in order to destroy the ring in the forge of its creation.

The Fire Within
By Chris D’Lacey
When David moves in with Liz and Lucy, he discovers a collection of hand crafted, clay dragons that comes to life and has magical powers. David's personalized dragon, Gadzooks, can forecast the future, and inspires him to write a story.

Flora’s Dare
By Ysabeau S. Wilce
Flora Fyrdraaca fights a giant sea creature, rescues her best friend from a mass murderer, and more, all while lamenting her father's newly strict enforcement of household rules now that he is no longer drinking.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth
By Carrie Ryan
Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the Unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead.

Gideon the Cutpurse
Gideon Trilogy #1
By Linda Buckley-Archer
Ignored by his father and sent to Derbyshire for the weekend, Peter and his new friend, Kate, are accidentally transported back in time to 1763 England where they are befriended by a reformed cutpurse.

The Golden Compass
His Dark Materials Series #1
By Philip Pullman
When Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon decide to spy on a presentation to scholars at Jordan College, they have no idea that they will become witnesses to an attempted murder—and that they are taking the first steps in a dangerous journey.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter Series #1
By J.K. Rowling
Orphan Harry Potter is summoned to attend a famous school for wizards and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright.

Here, There Be Dragons
Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica Series #1
By James A. Owen
Three young men are entrusted with the Imaginarium Geographica, an atlas of fantastical places to which they travel in hopes of defeating the Winter King whose bid for power is related to the First World War raging in the Real World.

The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series #1
By Rick Riordan
After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia #1
By C.S. Lewis
Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the Professor's mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon her siblings discover the magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves.

The Tombs of Atuan
Earthsea Series #2
By Ursula K. Le Guin
When young Tenar is chosen as high priestess to the Powers of the Earth, everything is taken away -- home, family, possessions, even her name. For she is now Arha, guardian of the ominous Tombs of Atuan.

A Wrinkle in Time
Time Fantasy Series #1
By Madeleine L’Engle
One stormy night a strange visitor comes to the Murry house and beckons Meg, her brother, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a most dangerous and fantastic journey, a journey that will threaten their lives and our universe.

Kathleen

Thursday, November 19, 2009

New Moon Sneak Preview!

I'm going to a sneak preview of New Moon tonight at 10:00 pm!

Don't forget to try our New Moon trivia contest for your chance to win a collectible tin box filled with Twilight themed journals!

Kathleen

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Edmonton Teen Writing Group

WGA(Writers Guild of Alberta) EDMONTON TEEN WRITING GROUP NEXT MEETING
Sunday, November 20, 2009, 1:30 – 4:00 pm, Stanley A. Milner Library, Room 6 – 27 (6th Floor), 7 Sir Winston Churchill Square (That's the main branch of the Edmonton Public Library in downtown Edmonton)

The WGA Edmonton Teen Writing Group (for ages 15-18) meets monthly, facilitated by WGA Youth Mentor Alexis Kienlen. The purpose of this group is to unite teens interested in pursuing the craft of writing; to provide a fun, friendly, safe and structured environment for participants to receive constructive feedback on their writing; to involve themselves in literary discussion; and to engage with like-minded young writers. If you'd like to attend this meeting or would like further information about the group, please contact Alexis at alexiskienlen@hotmail.com.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Coming in November

The Teen Corner is all spooked out so stop by for your annual Halloween horror fix.

Coming up in November we have a Twilight movie night on Friday, November 13. With New Moon coming out the next week, we thought you might need a refresher. The Library closes at 6:00 so you need to be at the Library by 5:50 to get your seat. As usual, we'll bring the popcorn, you bring a friend.

Murder Mystery!
We had so much fun at last year's murder mystery day that we're doing it again. The first session filled up quickly so we will be running another session on Saturday, November 28. There isn't a lot of room left in that one either, so call soon to reserve a spot (780-459-1682).

We will have a Teen Advisory Board Meeting on Thursday, November 26. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Kathleen

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Spook it Up! Thursday, October 15


It's that time of year again, time to decorate the teen corner for Halloween! We provide all the decorations (and snacks of course) and you bring the imagination. I'll even read you a spooky story as you work.

This is a TAB event but of course everyone is invited (well if you're in grades 7-12).
If you have any questions, give us a call at the Library 780-459-1751.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

The Monstrumologist

I love book trailers! It's like getting the blurb from the back of the book, but with sound (usually creepy sound). Check out this one for The Monstrumologist. 


Friday, September 25, 2009

Amazing Altered Books!!





I just had to post a few pictures of the amazing altered books that were created in a mere three hours last Saturday. We have had the books on display at the Library along with some how too books if you want to give it a try.

Kathleen

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Free Creative Writing Worshop for Teens

Do you like to write? Is it at the kitchen table where you make everyone within earshot listen to your latest ode? Or is it in your room with the door locked in a secret book you keep locked in your drawer? Maybe it's online and you're writing for a zine or your own blog! Whatever your flavour you won't want to miss this opportunity to expand your skills with writer/author Don Trembath. The session is called The Escape Artists: Writing to Get Away because writing is the perfect way to recreate your world. Sound interesting? Pick a time and give us a call to book your space.

(The important bits)
Saturday, October 3
9:00 am to Noon OR 1:00 - 4:00 pm (Your choice)
The Escape Artists: Writing to Get Away
For teens in grades 7-12
NO you don't have to have a Library card (but I think you should anyway because they bring joy)
call 780-459-1682 to register or get more information

Thursday, September 03, 2009

September Programs for Teens

Looking for something new to try? How about creating art from worn out books?

Saturday, September 19, 1-4 pm
Teen Altered Book Event

What's an altered book you say? Take an old book, rip or cut out some pages, stick the others together, add some paint, ribbon, pictures, charms or what ever you like and voila! altered book.

You don't need to know any more than that, just come with a willingness to get crafty (and probably dirty). Sound good? Call the Library at 780-459-1682 to register because we only have room for 10 people.

Thursday, September 24, 7-8 pm
Teen Advisory Board Meeting

This is our first meeting of the year. The Teen Advisory Board (TAB for short) is always open to new members and you don't have to come to every meeting. We get together about once a month (we'll set the dates for the rest of the year at this meeting) and you give me ideas for programs, new movies, books or cds, and any other ideas you have for improving the Library. For example, most of the following list of programs were suggested by the TAB:

Murder Mystery in the Library
Movie nights
Games night
Book discussions
craft programs
Breaking Dawn book launch party
Harry Potter movie party

and these are already planned for this fall:

Creative writing workshops (October 3 and 17)
Halloween decorating (October 15)
Murder mystery (November 21 and 22 *November 21 is already full)
Cheap Christmas Gift Crafts (December 12)

So bring a friend and your ideas, I'll bring the snacks. If you have any questions, give me a call at the Library at 780-459-1751 (really, I don't bite).

Kathleen

Grand Prize Winner

Congratulations to Kate, the winner of our grand prize digital camera! Kate is happy that she will have her own camera now and won't have to borrow her brother's :)

Summer reading went much too fast, school is already back an now we're busy planning for fall. I'm already looking forward to next year's pile of summer reads!

Monday, August 17, 2009

EEK Summer Reading is Done!

How did that happen? It's time to have the Wind Up Party and I feel like we just started.
Sorry, no delaying the inevitable.

If you've participated in TeenRC this summer you're invited to the Wind Up Party
Wednesday, August 19
1-3 PM
Main Floor Program Room

We'll eat some snacks, share our favourite summer reads, give out some prizes and maybe play some games.
Remember, If you have posted at least 4 times this summer, your name is in the draw for that digital camera!

Questions? Call Kathleen at 780-459-1751

Friday, July 03, 2009

Friday, June 26, 2009

It's Here! Summer Reading!

School's out (or almost) and it's time to move on to summer. The Teen Summer Reading Club is back up with a fresh look (www.teenrc.ca) and ready for you. Just like last year, you sign up for an account, read some books you like and post some reviews then sit back and see if you won a weekly prize (while you read more books you like).

There's a bit more information below, but you should check it out and see what's new.
And don't forget about posting some of your own writing on the site. I've seen poetry, stories and songs so far.

FAQ:

Do I need a library card to play?
Nope, but we always think it’s a good idea to have a library card. Even if you don’t have a card but live in St. Albert use St. Albert Public Library as your Home Library so you can be part of our prize draws.

Can I win a prize if I don’t have a library card?
See above. Just make sure I can find you to get your prize to you if you win.

What are the prizes?
Each week I’ll draw one name from the people who have submitted approved reviews that week. The weekly prizes will be a Library book bag with loot inside. It might be a water bottle, journal, Frisbee or a gift card! At the end of the game in August we will have a wind up party for everyone who attended. If you have at least 4 approved reviews, your name goes in the grand prize draw for a digital camera! Oooh Ahhh!

How do I sign up?
1. Go to www.teenrc.ca and click on Join Now.
2. Fill out the information (we need your phone number and email only for the game in case you win something or we need you to adjust a post) TeenRC is run by librarians who will never share or misuse your information. The site is fully moderated and no exchange of any personal info is allowed.
3. Wait for your activation email in your inbox, reply and you're off!

How do I write a review?
There are tips online at the site as well as at the Library. Spelling and punctuation don’t count, but content does (in other words you can’t just say I liked it, you have to tell us why you liked it. Or hated it.)

What if I’m scared of librarians?
Granted, we can be an odd bunch but it’s nothing a little chocolate can’t cure. Stop by the
Library Information Desk and ask us for a recommended book, then just try to shut us up! Really we’re just here to help and when we sit at that desk we’re just waiting for a good question from somebody like you.

What if I don’t like to read?
Hmmm, I’m pretty sure you do read everyday even if you don’t pick up a book. If you haven’t had any fun with those novel studies at school you may not have found the right book for you yet. Put us to the test or sign up for TeenRC and ask the other teens for a list of suggestions. You’d be surprised how many enthusiastic answers you get.

If this hasn’t answered your questions, please contact us at the Library or just dig around the TeenRC site.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Summer Reading Club

If we are planning for summer reading club, that means summer must be coming somehow! We will kick off summer reading on June 26 with the first prize draw on July 6. We will use the same plan as last year with weekly prize draws and the grand prize draw at the final party. Watch for an announcement about the big prize!

Kathleen

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

February: TAB Meeting and Teen Writing Workshop

Got the February blahs? Ready to just hibernate until spring? We have the cure! Get your creativity revved up and bring it to the Library.

February 19 - 7:00 -8:00 pm Teen Advisory Board Meeting
We need some creative minds to come up with a plan for the Rodeo parade. We also need a suggestion for our suggestion box for the corner. No plain Lucite box for us! Maybe we'll use our ninja craft skills and make something that night? We also have a little problem with the Fear Factor event we planned for March - no live animals, no mold and we have so many allergy issues to watch for that we will have to, sigh, cancel it. Now we need an alternate plan.

February 21 - 1:00 - 4:00 pm - Teen Writing Workshop with Author Don Trembath.
I know there are lots of great writers out there who would like to polish their skills in this workshop. We had local author Don Trembath here at the Library two years ago and the participants all wanted to come back the next month! If you like to write, please take the time to try this out. No horrible embarassment, no marks, no pressure. Writing is fun when you do it just for yourself.

FAQ:
Do I have to be library member? No, but you do have to register before the program.
How do I register? Call the Adult Reference Desk at 780-459-1682.
Can I bring a friend? Of course, just make sure they registered!
What if I don't know anybody! No worries, everybody else is just like you, there because they like to write.

If you still have questions, call Kathleen at 780-459-1751.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

More and more new books!

This morning I arrived to find more than 50 new paperbacks on my desk, ready to be put on the shelves. Everything from fantasy to sports, romance to diaries from a demon. Check it out, I'm sure you'll find something enticing.

Kathleen

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

New Books this Week

Here are a few of the new books that arrived this week:

Flora's Dare: How a girl of spirit gambles all to expand her vocabulary, confront a bouncing boy terror, and try to save califa from a shaky doom by Ysabeau S. Wilce This is the sequel to Flora Segunda and is fantasy with a very twisted sense of humour.

Chloe Doe by Suzanne Phillips A gritty story about a girl who takes to the streets and the people who try to save her.

Monster Academy: Monster Hunters book 2 by Dean Lorey This is the third book by this author about these characters. They are very funny fantasy stories with lots of action and monster death.

Bloodchild by Tim Bowler If you like creepy thrillers, you'll love this book. Will wakes up one day without any memory but with a strong sense that something terrible is happening in his town. Why did someone try to kill him, and why do people seem so hostile toward him?

The Dragon's Lair by Elizabeth Haydon The third story of the Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme follows Ven into the midst of two warring kingdoms. He is supposed to find out the cause of their dispute and report back to his King. Unfortunately, the cause is a very angry dragon!

By Royal Command by Charlie Higson This is the 5th book in the Young James Bond series and it pulls in characters from the last 4 books. I love this series!

Headlong by Kathe Koja Lily and Hazel both attend the exclusive Vaughn school for girls. Lily has always belonged to the lifestyle at Vaughn and taken it for granted. When Hazel, the scholarship student, arrives on campus the two become friends and Lily sees that her life may not be as completely perfect as she always thought.

A couple that I have read lately and want to recommend are Impossible by Nancy Werlin and Graceling by Kristin Cashore. Both are fantasy novels with strong female characters. Impossible is about a girl who finds out that her family has been cursed by an Elfin knight and the only way to break the curse is to complete three impossible tasks. Graceling is more traditional fantasy. When we first meet Katsa, she is a strong-arm bully for her uncle the King. She is Graced, meaning she has some kind of special talent, in her case she believes it is killing. She is not happy with the way her life is but doesn not know how to change it. As the story goes, she does take control of her life and it changes dramatically. Romance, adventure, intrigue!

Stop by and see what else is new.

Kathleen

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Teen Advisory Board Meeting

In case you hadn't seen yet, the meeting will be Thursday, January 15 at 7:00 (yes that is tomorrow). Sorry for the late reminder.

Kathleen