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

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

New Books New Books New Books!

It seems it is either feast or famine when it comes to the new books. I just got a huge pile of shiny new hardcovers on my desk. Here is a selection of titles, but there are too many to list them all so come by and take a look.

Walkaway by Alden R. Carter
Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi
Iron Jaw and Hummingbird by Chris Roberson
Piggy by ireille Geus
The Blind Faith Hotel by Pamela Todd
Ghost Medicine by Andrew Smith
Burn by Suzanne Phillips
The Savage by David Almond
Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde (with a very creepy cover)
Bio-pirate by Michele Martin Bossley
Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
Kendra by Coe Booth
Holly's Heart series 1,2,and 3 by Beverly Lewis

and if you're looking for something to do over the break, check out Stray Sock Sewing by Daniel (yep that's his whole name). Strange name, but really fun ideas for things to do with those odd socks that got left behind when the aliens pulled their partners into another dimension.

Kathleen

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Board Game Night and Christmas Gift Crafts

Just a reminder that Board Game Night is Thursday November 27, 6:30-8:30 p.m. upstairs in the training room (the one with red walls and computers).


Christmas Gift Crafts
Saturday, December 6, 1-3 p.m.
Main Floor Program Room

Save your hard earned cash and make your gifts. We will be making a card, an ornament and a gift from the kitchen (think popcorn). At the end of two hours you should have three gifts to give! Just to make sure that we have enough supplies for everyone, please call and register at the Adult Reference desk at 780-459-1682. Bring a friend, just make sure you put their name down too. If you have questions, call Kathleen at 780-459-1751.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Edmonton Teen Writing Group

I just recieved this information and thought I would share it with the aspiring writers out there. Kathleen


EDMONTON TEEN WRITING GROUP

The Writers Guild of Alberta is proud to be launching a mentored writing group in Edmonton, specifically designed for teens age 15 to 19. The purpose of this group is to unite teens interested in pursing the craft of writing; to provide a fun, friendly, safe and structured environment for participants to receive constructive feedback on their writing, involve themselves in literary discussion, take part in writing-on-site projects, and engage with like-minded young writers. The group will meet on a monthly basis, with the first meeting to take place on Sunday, November 23, 2008.


Sunday, November 23, 2008

1:30 – 3:00 pm

Stanley A. Milner Library, Writers Centre

7 Sir Winston Churchill Square


This session will be facilitated by WGA Edmonton Youth Writing Mentor Alexis Kienlen, and WGA Program Coordinator Kelsey Everton.


We request that those of you who plan to attend this meeting contact Alexis Kienlen at alexiskienlen@hotmail.com to confirm your attendance. If you are unable to attend this month’s meeting but would like to join at a later time, please write Alexis a note and she will keep you on the mailing list for future meetings and group information.


For more information, you can also contact Kelsey at (780) 422-8174.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

It's All About You

I need your help because I have HOMEWORK! I forgot how grim that can be. So, here's the thing, I need your help to finish my assignment. I've made a short (10 question) survey that should take you all of 5 minutes to complete. You do have to be in Grades 7-12 to answer the survey. It's mostly multiple choice with two short (really!) answer questions. The last one is for you to recommend a book for me to read, and since the answers are anonymous, I won't come back and tell you if I didn't like it.

Here is the link to the survey through surveymonkey.com:Click Here to take survey

Thanks for your help!
Kathleen

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Halloween Happenings


It's become a tradition to decorate the Teen Corner for Halloween. I bring the non-healthy snacks, you bring your creativity and we make something spooktacular.

Thursday, October 16, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Meet in the Teen Corner

After decorating we will have a short Teen Advisory Board meeting. The people who attended last month had so many great ideas, we couldn't decide what event to plan next! As always, everyone is welcome who is in Grade 7 and up.

Questions? Call or email me!

Kathleen

Monday, September 08, 2008

September Teen Advisory Board Meeting


There went summer and here we are back to the regular routine. That means it's time for the Teen Advisory Board to meet and plan events for the next few months. We're always looking for new members! You don't have to promise to be at every meeting and event, just come when it fits your schedule. Our first meeting will be Thursday September 18 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, but after that we will pick a time that will fit the majority of members.

If you don't know what the TAB does, here it is in a nutshell. We talk, we eat, we plan. You tell me what kind of events you want to see at the library and help plan them, show me the glaring holes in our book collection (or movie or music) and give me suggestions on how to fill them. Since I'm not a teen, I need advisers, right!

If you have any questions you can call me at 780-459-1751 or email me at ktroppmann@sapl.ab.ca

See you there!
Kathleen

Friday, August 22, 2008

And the Winner is...

Congratulations to Kelsey B. who won the grand prize Flip Video camera at last night's TeenSRC wind up party! There were only 16 names in the draw so the odds were pretty impressive.

We had lots of snacks (and way too much candy), played some Scattergories and talked books. Everyone who was at the party went home with a prize as well, just for showing up!

Here's some summer reading statistics to impress your parents:
Number of St. Albert teens signed up on TeenSRC: 53
Number of Reviews posted: 115!
Number of people in the final draw: 16

It has been a great year for the Summer Reading Club and I'm sorry to see it end. The website will be rebranded and put back up in September so if you haven't had enough yet, you can continue to post on the TeenRC site all year. Sorry no prizes :(

If you are looking for something new to do this September, why not join the Teen Advisory Board? I'm always looking for new ideas, opinions and suggestions for teen services here in the library. Our next meeting will be Thursday September 18 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Times and dates after that will be determined by YOU. If you have any questions, call me at 780-459-1751.

Kathleen