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“Saw III” was the top ranking horror movie over the weekend. It was rated R for grisly 
violence and gore. Dr. Lynn Denlon is the pawn in Jigsaw Killer’s latest gory game. Ranked 6.8 on a scale of 10 by movie viewers this movie will keep you on the edge of your seat. “The Departed” dropped to #2 and “The Prestige” is now in 3rd place. Times and places of local movies.
Possibly the saddest break-up to come out of Hollywood since Brad and Jen, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe have formally separated.
From eonline.com:
Reese Witherspoon is on her way from Legally Blonde to legally single.
The Oscar winner has formally separated from Ryan Phillippe after seven years of marriage, Witherspoon's publicist, Nanci Ryder, confirmed to E! News.
"We are saddened to announce that Reese and Ryan have decided to formally separate," Ryder said in a statement. "They remain committed to their family, and we ask that you please respect their privacy and the safety of their children at this time."
Keep reading here.
I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
If Sydney Bristow had known she was going to be a spy when she grew up, she would have attended Gallagher’s Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Gallagher may look like an ordinary private school if you dropped in for a visit, but that’s because the school would be on Red Alert status. Gallagher, you see, is the premier school for intelligent, teenage girls who want to become spies. In addition to expanded science and foreign language offerings, the Academy offers classes like Covert Operations, Advanced Encryption, and P&E (Protection and Enforcement). Cammie was planning on having a great sophomore year, but she wasn’t planning on falling for a town boy. Can she find time for dating with all her schoolwork, and even more difficult, can she keep her identity a secret?
Ally Carter is working on a second book and you can find out more on her website or on myspace.
Almost twenty teens get together four days a week and perfect their swimming skills. They are
the Topeka YMCA Tortugas. Tortugas is the Spanish word for turtle. Known for being very slow on land, turtles are much faster in the water. These teens have learned about pushing yourself to the limit and doing their best. The benefits are a healthier body and the building of relationships between the teammates. Clint Dierking said, “I used to be chubby. Now, I’m in better shape.” Read more.
Jane was planning on settling in for an ordinary school year of tough classes, dealing with the nuns who love to give out school demerits, and her best friend Ally’s self esteem issues. However the year takes a turn for the bizarre after Ally projectile vomits on an unlucky freshman. After a day away from school, Ally comes back with a complete makeover and looking confident. What gives? Jane can’t believe it when she learns her best friend signed a deal with a demon to change her life. What’s a life without a soul? Jane can’t let her friend slip away, but how can she save her?
Maureen Johnson’s website has all sorts of great stuff like a blog with explanations on how she came up with her book ideas and another entry includes how you can win a free copy of the book. (Enter before Halloween). She also has a myspace account.
Looking for a movie that tells a good story? “The Prestige” is the movie to see. Given an 8.5 
user rating, this movie tells of rival magicians, Rupert and Alfred. Once friends, the two magicians enter a bitter battle for supremacy. They not only try to outwit one another but try to destroy the other. Coming in as #2 is “The Departed” which one commenter described as “a masterpiece right up Scorsese’s alley”. Directed by Clint Eastwood, is the #3 movie, “Flags of Our Fathers”. This is a very moving story about the six men who raised the flag at The Battle of Iwo Jima. Times for local movies.
From msnbc.com:
NEW YORK - Now this is weird. “Weird Al” Yankovic’s new album, “Straight Outta Lynwood,” has scored the enduring song parodist his biggest chart successes in a career that spans nearly three decades.
“Lynwood,” Yankovic’s 12th album, debuted this month at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, his first top 10 album ever. Meanwhile, the Chamillionaire parody “White and Nerdy,” reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, besting his previous high of No. 12 with “Eat It” in 1984.
“I literally danced a little jig (when I found out),” Yankovic says. “It’s just a number, but I’ve been obsessing over it for a long part of my career. Even with, you know, millions of records sold, I’ve never been in the top 10, and it’s always been a goal of mine.”
Read more about Weird Al here.
For all things Weird Al, check out his website weirdal.com. Or become his friend on MySpace and see his video for "White and Nerdy" or listen to his parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" called "You're Pitiful". If you want to compare "White and Nerdy" to "Ridin' Dirty", look at Chamillionaire's MySpace page, he's got both songs on his page.
She Blocked Me by Bob Ricci
Description: Parody of "She Hates Me" by Puddle of Mudd
“One night she said brb
Waited up for an hour or three
Then I started to realize
She wasn’t coming back online
She frickin’ blocked me
Trust--she frickin’ blocked me”
Need some more chuckles, put yourself on hold for Weird Al’s newest CD, Straight Otta Lynwood. Or read a book parody like Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody or The Best Case Scenario Handbook.
Grades 6-12
Watch Anime movies. Discuss movies and favorite graphic novels and characters.
Thursday
October 26
3-4:30 pm
Marvin 101A
Cards, poker chips and strategy! Learn the basic skills needed to play the wildly popular card 
game, Texas Hold’Em. Participants need to have a TSCPL library card and be in good standing. REGISTRATION REQUIRED – Call 785-580-4565.
For teens aged 14-18 years
Friday, October 27
2-4 pm in Marvin Auditorium 101AB.
12-18 years
Attention Yu-gi-oh duelists! Sign up for the opportunity to duel other Yu-gi-oh players. Walk-
ins are allowed if there are open slots, but a reservation guarantees a seat! REGISTRATION REQUIRED – call 785-580-4565.
Monday
Oct. 23
3:15-5:15 pm
Lingo Story Rm
The W. Clement Stone Nature Center is being turned into the Scary Prairie. Teens from The
Villages Inc. are planning a fundraiser to benefit the Stone Nature Center. There will be a haunted forest, bonfire, an alien spaceship, large tunnel of hanging body parts and a haunted hayrack ride. If you are looking for a scary experience we’ll see you at the Stone Nature Center, S. W. 10th and Eagle Ridge Lane on Oct. 27 & 28 from 6-10 pm. Read more.
Sure, there are tons of books out there about the Holocaust. You’ve probably already read The Diary of Anne Frank or Number the Stars. Why read ANOTHER book about the Holocaust?
Because this book is not about the survivors. It's not about the internment camps. It's not about the soliders or the supporters. This one is narrated by Death.
Liesel watched her brother die while on a train to meet her new foster parents. Her Communist mother was taken away to a concentration camp, never to be seen again. World War II is just starting and while the Fuhrer keeps promising great things for the faithful while under his regime, the poor keep getting poorer while the rich keep getting fatter. There are a few moments of happiness: Papa’s accordion, stolen books and soccer games. It isn’t until a Jew named Max takes refuge in their basement that things start to get tense. Can they smell him? Sense him? Is it written all over their guilty faces?
Through a series of stories witnessed by Death's evil eye, Liesel and her new family are just trying to hold on. Can they ultimately survive Hitler's regime?
We have all, at one time or another, been used or abused by a bully. Precious few of us got to be the obnoxious fool who perpetrated random acts of cruelness upon terrified classmates. Now, with the glory that is Bully, you to can avenge all the shameful and humiliating experiences of your school years. But is this video game more than the stereotypical mutations of beating up on fellow classmates and performing abusive pranks? It seems so as 1UP has given Bully a perfect score of 10. See why in the Bully Review.
From eonline.com:
Secure in his masculinity, Justin Timberlake is adding a touch of Pink to his look.
The FutureSex/LoveSounds purveyor is launching a North American arena tour in support of his latest chart-topping effort, announcing Tuesday that his FutureSex/LoveShow world tour will kick off Jan. 8 in San Diego.
And although Timberlake obviously has things all figured out, he's taking a M!ssundaztood woman along for the ride. Pink will join the former boy bander on the 34-date North American leg of his tour, which wraps up Mar. 29 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
"I've been rehearsing the band, getting the show ready and tight," Timberlake said in a video statement. "What do we got? Ten dancers, 14 band members, a million tricks up my sleeve, a crazy light show--and I might even show up. So that's pretty exciting. No, seriously, come out. I'll see you guys there."
Keep reading here for the rest of the article.
Sadly, JT isn't coming to the Kansas City area with his tour. You can look at his official website for the closest cities, though, and Omaha is only 3 hours away. Or hit up his MySpace page and become one of his friends, then take a look at his video message about the upcoming tour. If you'd rather just hear JT, his FutureSex/LoveSounds album is definitely worth a listen.
Need a horror film to get you in the Halloween spirit? “The Grudge 2” is definitely a horror 
film but it hasn’t gotten good reviews. Those who have seen the movie only gave it a 4.6 rating and the average comment; “horrible movie”. The #1 movie takes place in Tokyo where sisters are exposed to a mysterious curse. Secrets need to be unlocked to save their lives. “The Departed” dropped to #2, but just barely. The new movie, “Man of the Year”, came in at #3 and brought in $12.3 M. “Jackass Number Two” was on the top of the charts a month ago is now #10. Listing & times for Topeka area movies.
Hey! It’s Teen Read Week here at the library and that’s what we want to see- YOU READING. I know there’s a particularly good episode of Veronica Mars on this week and that the football game is on Friday, but hey. Reading is the perfect activity no matter what you’re doing. Commercial breaks? Read a little bit of a magazine! Don’t want to watch your high school’s band do the halftime show? (Sorry, guys.) Pull the latest Lemony Snicket out of your bag and discuss it amongst your friends. There has never been a better time to catch up on your reading for English class or discover a new author.
Not convinced? Meg Cabot wants you to read. Win a trip to WrestleMania 23 by reading 10 books. Participate in any number of activities at the library this week (that involve reading) and swing by David J’s Place just to hang out (preferably with a book in hand). And if you’re reading this, good job! You’ve succeeded in reading something this week!
Tell us about some of your favorite books and authors! Leave a comment below.
Rachel Scott, 17, was the first student gunned down at Columbine High School on April 20, 
1999. From this terrible tragedy has come Rachel’s Challenge. In her journal Rachel wrote, “I have this theory that if one person can go out their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same”. Rachel’s Challenge is to look for best in others, dream for the future and do kind things for others. This message was brought to Capital City High School by Clint Flore, a friend of Craig Scott. Read more.
What is the realm of possibility? In high school, are any ideas, experiences or relationships really outside the realm of possibility? This novel is written in free verse poetry (that means it doesn’t rhyme) by about 15 kids at the same school, about their lives and loves. Some are guys, some are girls. Some are straight, some are gay. Some are happy, and some are still looking for better times. The stuff of high school is here, from crushes, gospel singers, and goth boys, to outcasts, in-crowds, and unrequited love. Stories are told in paragraphs, song lyrics, lists, couplets and fragments, but always in a unique and true personal voice.
If you are interested in skipping to the good parts, let me just tell you I loved “The Patron Saint of Stoners”, (beginning on page 127), because only an honor student could create an analogy like “Finding pot is to Clara as giving birth is to man” to describe her dilemma. In fact, Clara’s section made me laugh ‘til I cried.
Silver Lake sixth graders are learning and having fun at the same time. Whether they are
multiplying fractions to edge the football closer to the goal post or creating a PowerPoint presentation the students are becoming more interactive and involved. Brock Swartz thinks the learning is so much fun he doesn’t care that it is preparing him for a test. The new technological gadgets and gizmos are MacBook laptops and iPods. The Silver Lake Unified School District plans to expand the program to other grades. To read more…
Chances are, if you’re reading this, you have thus far escaped the dreaded curse of Friday the 13th. Congrats! If you haven’t been so fortunate today, my deepest sympathies. Perhaps you could hang scissors from a hook or carry an acorn in your pocket. Try putting a dress on inside-out (but not a shirt) or sleep facing south. Sound silly? Apparently, these are all signs of good luck. Avoid spilling salt, cutting your nails and wearing opal (unless you were born in October). Read more about superstitions here! Don't forget to check out our collection for similar titles.
Suffer from Triskaidekaphobia or Paraskavedekatriaphobia? According to Wikipedia:
Thirteen may be considered a "bad" number simply because it is one more than 12, which is a popularly used number in many cultures (due to it being a highly composite number).
When a group of 13 objects is divided into two, three, four or six equal groups, there is always one leftover object.
The number 13 also retains biblical meanings. At the Last Supper, Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th to sit at the table (also spilling the salt).
It has also been linked to that fact that a lunisolar calendar must have 13 months in some years, while the solar Gregorian calendar and lunar Islamic calendar always have 12 months in a year.
Triskaidekaphobia may have also affected the Vikings — it is believed that Loki in the Norse pantheon was the 13th god. This was later Christianised into saying that Satan was the 13th angel.
The Mesopotamian Code of Hammurabi (ca. 1686 BC) omits 13 in its numbered list. This seems to indicate a superstition existed long before the Christian era.
A specific fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia.
The Quill Book Awards are a people’s choice award given to books each year in 19 different categories. The 2006 winners were announced this week! Behold the winners of the youth categories:
Young Adult/Teen Winner—Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Children’s Chapter Book/Middle Grade Winner—The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket
Graphic Novel—Naruto, Volume 7 by Mashashi Kisimoto
The Quill Book Award Ceremony will be shown on NBC on October 28, 2006. Read the full list of winners from their website if you're interested in the rest of the winners and nominees. Or if you want to know more about these winners, click on Snicket's website, Naruto's website, or Paolini's website.
Exciting Potter news! Warner Brothers announced yesterday in their Harry Potter Newsletter that the trailer for "Order of the Phoenix" will be shown in front of the movie "Happy Feet", which opens on November 17th! The newsletter did specifically state that the trailer would only be available on the big screen when it is released. Let's see how long it takes to find its way to the internet. 
Is the new controller for Guitar Hero 2 all its played up to be? Seeing is half of believin! Is the song list worth a rip? Hearing and seeing is all of believin! Groups such as Danzig, Nirvana, Kansas (more than dust in the wind), Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine and the afore mentioned Motley Crue are on hand for your guitar playing heroics. Guitar Hero 2 with the lights out is more dangerous. Really. Any songs you think should be in the game that were left out unjustly? Leave a post with your band and song of choice for the makers of the next Guitar Hero experience.
“Open Season” didn’t appear to be all that popular and has now dropped to #3 at the box 
office. “The Departed” came in as #1 with many well known actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon & Jack Nicholson. Two men go under cover; one infiltrates the gangland of mobster Frank Costello and the other the Boston Police Department. There is violence and bloodshed but this movie was given an 8.7 rating. Another movie with violence & a R rating, “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning”, opened at the #2 spot. If you are looking for additional movies click here.
Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo by Greg Leitich Smith
I picked up this book because of the title--How could I not?--and found a humorous tale of a trio of friends struggling with science fairs, love and friendships at a science magnet school. Honoria has brains, ambition, and a huge crush on her friend Shohei. Shohei is a slacker and completely unaware of Honoria's interest. And finally, there's Elias who lives under the shadow of highly successful older brothers and is crushing on Honoria. Ah, the love triangle, one of my favorite romantic comedy plots. The friends take turns telling the story as they try to help Elias when he faces the Student Court. Elias lands in Student Court after a disastrous encounter with his teacher over the science fair results.
Read an interview with the author or check out his website. If you like this book, check out A View from Saturday by E. L. Kongisburg in which four pre-teens band together as a highly successly quiz team.
Announcing the end of the one-day novelist!
National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org) takes a fast-paced approach. Participants begin writing November 1, with a goal to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of the month. Register now at www.nanowrimo.org, customize your profile, and set your regional affiliation to Kansas in the My Nanowrimo section, then start reading and posting in the forums to learn more.
Plus, mark your calendar for the Topeka National Novel Writing Month Kickoff Event. This kickoff features fun advice from former participants, ideas to get you started, goodies to keep you going, and a network of similar-minded frantic writers to encourage you until the 50,000 word finish-line.
When: Monday, October 23
Time: 7-8:30 pm
Where: Marvin Auditorium Room 101AB
To register, call 785-580-4540 or email us.
From MTV News:
Cassidy is recovering in an undisclosed hospital after being involved in a serious car accident on Wednesday night in New Jersey.
The rapper was a passenger in an SUV en route to a studio in Yonkers, New York, when a U-Haul truck swerved into oncoming traffic and struck the SUV. The truck crashed into the side of the vehicle that Cassidy was sitting in, according to a J Records spokesperson and members of Cassidy's camp.
Continue reading about Cassidy here.
Did you hear what the guys did to that new kid at football camp? Whispers and rumors are circulating through the halls of Nearmont High School: something awful happened during Raider Pride Night, the traditional hazing ritual for freshman and other new football players, but the team isn’t saying a word. Matt, senior football star and all-around good guy, knows that as co-captain he could have, should have, stopped the incident from happening, yet he did nothing. A football team should stick together, right? That’s how games are won, recruiters are impressed, and how Matt might get a Division I scholarship that will finally get him away from his brutal, overbearing father. Saying something would certainly tear the team apart; saying nothing is tearing Matt apart. In the powerful novel Raiders Night by Robert Lipsyte, Matt must choose to either support the victim or let the past stay in the past – for the good of the team.
Reviewed by Julie
Did you rock out with Guitar Hero on your Playstation 2 and love it? Have you been dreaming of testing your rock star abilities on one of the next generation consoles? If so, you may now jam next gen with Guitar Hero 2 for the XBOX 360. Activision has not released the game or the new guitar controller yet, but prepare to get your Hero on soon. So get over your stage fright and look for this rockin game to appear at your library next year. Stop asking “Who’s your daddy?” Start asking “Who’s your hero?” Guitar Hero 2, of course.
Grades 6-12
Do you have a passion for drawing manga characters and/or creating comic strips? A 
professional art instructor will help you create and draw your characters. Local professional graphic novelists have been invited to join the group for a discussion on how to get published.
The animated movie, “Open Season”, came out on top this last weekend. One commentor 
said “It’s terrible and wonderful at the same time”. Boog, is the domesticated bear who is stranded just days before Open Season. A friendship is formed between Boog and Elliot, the mule deer, to rally all the forest animals against the hunters. Kevin Costner stars in the #2 box office hit, “The Guardian”. This is an action, drama about a troubled young man, rescues and the Coast Guard. “Jackass Number Two” dropped to #3 & the “Gridiron Gang” dropped to #6. Movie listings & times.
Set in early 1960s Middle America
Semiprecious by D. Anne Love
It’s the middle of summer in Mirabeau, Texas, but already Garnet Hubbard looks forward to fall – to entering seventh grade and becoming a teenager at last. With Opal, her beautiful and popular fourteen-year-old sister, as her guide, Garnet is sure to have a great year. But everything changes when their mother, Melanie, packs them up and heads for Nashville, determined to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a country singer. Almost before they know it, Melanie drops her girls at her sister’s house in Oklahoma, assuring them she’ll be back just as soon as she’s settled in Tennessee. But when a few days turn into a few weeks and beyond, with no Melanie in sight, the girls begin to realize what has happened.
Set in World War II
Set in late 1950s America
Set in late 1940’s America
Plenty Porter by Brandon Noon
The daughter of poor share-croppers in rural Illinois, Plenty Porter is the youngest of eleven children. In their cramped, old farmhouse, with thirteen mouths needing to be fed, Plenty feels as though she is “one too many.” But when her older sister begins to act mysterious, Plenty might be the only person able to uncover her secrets. With the help of an unlikely friend named Ed – the son of a wealthy landowner – Plenty comes to terms
