Just in case you don’t know, Spiderman 3 opens this weekend. I am so freaking excited about this movie! I can’t think of any other movie I am more excited to see this summer. Maybe Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End or Shrek the Third. Knocked Up looks pretty funny, though, and Evan Almighty has Steve Carell, so that will no doubt be awesome. No, wait, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! I might seriously be spending my entire summer at the movie theater. What are you guys excited to see this summer? Let us know in the comments below. Take a look at a few trailers below or go here and take a sneak peak at nearly every summer movie.

 

Spiderman 3

 

Evan Almighty

 

Live Free or Die Hard

 

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

 

Posted by Katie at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Report Card by Andrew Clements has been voted winner of the third-fifth grade and So B. It by Sarah Weeks winner of the sixth-eighth grade. Congratulations to those authors, and thanks to everyone who voted at their school or library. The William Allen White Children’s Book Awards are awarded annually by Kansas students.

The Report Card by Andrew Clements

Fifth grader Nora Rowley has always hidden the fact that she is a genius from everyone because all she wants is to be normal, but when she comes up with a plan to prove that grade are not important, things begin to get out of control.

So B. It by Sarah Weeks

After spending her life with her mentally retarded mother and agoraphobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York to find out who she is.

Have you read either of these books? Tell us what you think!

Posted by Lissa at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Young Adult Career Collection will help you find out more about possible jobs, careers, higher education, and other adventures. The collection also includes test preparation books for AP tests, GED, SAT and more. Don't forget to use the library's terrific Learning Express Library database for practice tests (login with your library card). Check out college application advice, college scholarship books, and everything you need to know about vocational and trade schools! Materials in this collection check out for three weeks. You might also browse the Reference books and the 371's in the Adult Non-Fiction for more books on these topics!
School's almost out for the summer, but college and career topics are popular year-round!

Posted by Lissa at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause

Vivian used to run with the Gang of Five, but their activities got the pack in trouble. The teenaged werewolves forgot the first role of survival: leave the humans alone. Humans may be weaker and easy to kill one on one, but they don’t forget or forgive or give up. So the pack moved to a new town and Vivian distanced herself from the Gang of Five to discover that it’s hard to make human friends. She’s never really tried before, but she’s lonely without her packmates. Vivian becomes attracted to Aiden, a boy who has a poem published about werewolves. The two date and start falling in love, but Vivian finds that controlling her wolfish instincts is harder than she thought. Will Aiden understand her secret werewolf half if she shares it with him or will he reject if he really knew what she is? Will Aiden survive the Gang of Five’s jealousy, who are disturbed by Vivian’s interest in a “meat-boy.”

Posted by Michelle at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is it July 13th yet?

Posted by Meghan at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Can’t get enough of the Uglies/Pretties/Specials series by Scott Westerfeld? No worries! Just announced last week on his blog, he has completed the 4^th book to be entitled Extras. Check out the cover! I can’t wait until this comes out in the fall!

In more book news, Sarah Dessen has also announced the new title of her upcoming novel, Lock and Key, due out in 2008! And of course there’s always Stephenie Meyer’s latest, Eclipse, also due out this fall (and if the book is as good as its cover, it will not disappoint Edward and Bella fans!).

Posted by Meghan at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

You aren’t the only ones going to prom this year! Your favorite YA authors put on their finest party clothes and danced like maniacs on Tuesday’s Prom Night for Manhattan's Young Adult authors. Gawker covers the story here and a few of the nights attendees also have pictures up on their blogs (check out John Green dancing to Mickey on his vlog and E. Lockhart’s post).

Prom sucks and you’re not going? You can always hang out with your friends, read your favorite YA authors, or even just go out to the movies and get ice cream. Start making plans for the summer- school will be out before you know it!

Posted by Meghan at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Forget being bored! The YWCA of Topeka is sponsoring a night of fun activities on May 5^th. Want to dance? There will be a DJ spinning from 7-9pm. There will also be an graffiti art wall (show off you best tags), organized sports (show off your toned triceps), food and prizes. It’s $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Check out the risking.the.alternative myspace for more details!

Posted by Meghan at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What can I say? I love the love stories.
Boy meets girl or girl meets boy, with the occasional boy meets boy or girl meets girl thrown into the mix.

First crush, first dates, first kisses - it's adorable and delicious.

Some of my favorite books in the Young Adult romance paperbacks include the "Smooch teen fiction" titles, the Diary of a Crush series by Sarra Manning, and anything by Rachel Hawthorne.

Give the paperback racks a spin and pick out something romantic!

Posted by Lissa at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

for teens, by teens
Fran R., age 14, thinks you should:

Read this!  Jane Eyre by the Bronte sisters 
Watch this! PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and LOTR are the best boy/girl movies ever. Candy mountain (Charlie) is hilarous on YouTube!!!!!!
Click this! http://www.shaniatwain.com/ and http://www.keanemusic.com/
Listen to this! JOSH GROBAN IS SO CUTE AND HE CAN MELT YOUR HEART WITH HIS VOICE.

Posted by Lissa at 08:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have you discovered the comic science fiction genius of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series?

Read the books and watch the movie!

True fans will want to discover some of the cool things that have been created by the many people who love "the guide" and also have savvy computer skills. My favorite is this text based game from the 1980's that has been adapted for online play.

Play the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy game online.

Are you wondering why am I writing about this today? With the death of Kurt Vonnegut this week, I have been missing my favorite authors more acutely than usual. Douglas Adams and Kurt Vonnegut (both of whom I discovered while in high-school) are probably the two authors at the top of my all-time favorites list.

Who are your all-time favorite authors?

Posted by Lissa at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

         Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a story about what could happen. The government has taken complete control and humankind lives only for pleasure. Books were banned because the people decided they did not care to think, to make decisions, to take a stand on moral issues. Apathy rules supreme as days are spent watching four panel wall televisions and listening to seashell radios. Firemen do not put out fires, but create them in order to destroy anything of literary value.
          Guy Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, is one such fireman and quite dedicated to his work. However, when he meets Clarisse, the seventeen-year-old girl next door, he finds that his perspective changes. She questions his occupation and the more he tries to answer her inquiries, the more he finds himself at a loss.
Unlike the rest of the world, she likes to watch people, talk to her family, and think about life. Montag is intrigued and begins to wonder if he is doing the right thing by burning books. Increasing his consternation, Montag's wife Mildred consumes an entire bottle of sleeping pills in an attempt at suicide.

Then one day he is sent to destroy a household of books and the owner is still inside. Despite all their efforts, the firemen cannot convince her to leave, even after they saturate all of her books in kerosene. The owner lights the match herself and perishes with her beloved possessions. Montag is distressed and curious; he cannot comprehend what could be so important that she would die for it, and he steals one of the books. He becomes engrossed in reading stolen books with encouragement from Clarisse. His wife, however, is frightened by his change in behavior and reports him to the firemen.
         Montag barely escapes with his life as another man is executed publicly in his place to satisfy the people. Montag joins a group of rebels who have dedicated their lives to memorizing great literary works and contributes portions of Ecclesiastes and Revelation from the Bible. As they are leaving the vicinity, they turn and watch as another country drops a bomb on their city, demolishing it. They decide to return and help rebuild a society that sorely needs their assistance.
         Bradbury writes a compelling tale considering the possibilities in which society becomes less and less concerned with intellectual betterment and more and more concerned with technological entertainment. Without books, knowledge, passion, and communication, are lost in a culture that has become absorbed with hedonism.
        Existence sustained with pleasure alone, however, proves miserable, as demonstrated by Mildred's suicide attempt. Books are not only entertainment, but also sustenance for human life. They tell histories, teach lessons, and turn thoughts to what it truly means to live the good life.
        We students should be encouraged to read this book, especially considering the increasing impact technology is having on the youth. Fahrenheit 451 reminds us that we are the future and that implies a responsibility on our part to learn from past mistakes and appreciate literary works for what they are-- art. We have an obligation to contribute positively to society, and that obligation begins now, not five or ten years from now.

By Christa Packard

Posted by Gayle at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ode to Cliff Notes

Who were those minor characters that I have already forgotten?
Cliff Note save the day!

I thought star-crossed lovers sounded so romatic! And since when is passionate love so deadly?
I tried watching the movie "Romeo and Juliet" instead, but Cliff Note knows more about this play than Claire and Leo combined!

That giant red A, the albatross, the hills like elephants, the white whale...they haunt me, because I don't know why they are important. Oh great and all-knowing Cliff Note, what should all of this imagery and symbolism mean to me?

I read the book on the first day of summer, but now it's autumn, back to school, and my book report is due. Can't anyone help me remember those details that were seated out from my brain during the long hot days of summer?
Cliff Notes for the win!

The TSCPL Cliff Note collection is shelved alphabetically by the title of the book or play. Cliff Notes are also listed in the library's online catalog, so when you search for The Three Musketeers, for example, the Cliff Notes appear in the list of other results. Cliff Notes are not a substitution for not reading an actual work of literature, especially if you were assigned to read the book, but they are a great way to expand your knowledge of the book and better understand the background (and study for the test!)

Posted by Lissa at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Shawnee Heights High School German teacher, Hildegard Becker-Lipp, has organized an exchange program between students from Leer, Germany and Shawnee Heights. Every other year in the spring, 15 students from Leer visit Shawnee Heights . At the end of May the Shawnee Heights students travel to Leer. The biggest difference the German students noticed was the food in the United States. “The foods are a lot sweeter here,” said Nane Bartels, an 11^th grader. Becker-Lipp said, “We hope we will form lifelong friendships.” Read more.

Posted by Gayle at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Romiette and Julio Author: Sharon M. Draper To begin with, have you ever read a book about love and mystery at the same time? If you havent then you dont know what you are missing out on. You may not be the romantic type, but you will be after you read this book. I never thought that I would like a romantic book, but this has to be one of my favorite books in the world. First, this book is about this boy named Julio and a girl named Romiette. Romiette is this lonely girl that goes to school knowing that nobody really wants to talk to her or be her friend. Romiette though has this one friend named Destiny. Destiny is like a best friend everyone has. If you dont have a friend like Destiny, then you need to find one. Julio on the other hand had plenty of friends, but had to move because of gangs.
He moved into Roomettes area. At first nobody noticed Julio, but after the first day of school everyone knew who he was. Julio got into a fight with this boy named Ben. Ben was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. After the fight Ben and Julio became friends even though they got into a fight. Second, Ben was Julios first friend and maybe even last, if he didnt change is attitude. The first time Julio and Romiette met it was on the Internet, in a chat room. They didnt know that they went to school together, but then they both went into a private chat and got to talk and found out that they go to that same school. They set up a date to meet each other. Destiny didnt like the sound of that. Destiny was putting thoughts in Roomettes head about Julio and he is a pervert. So Romiette really didnt want to meet him. Next, even though what Destiny told Roomette, she still met him. She found out that he was no pervert, but just a kind-hearted gentleman. Romiette and Julio got even closer and closer towards each other. Well the Purple Gang didnt like this one bit. The Purple Gang started to threaten them verbally, telling them they better stop talking to each other. The Purple Gang didnt like the fact that Romiette was messing with somebody from another race. See Romiette was black, and Julio was Mexican, so the Purple Gang would harass them all the time. Soon, the Purple Gang started to meet them places so they can deal out there problems. So Ben, Destiny, Romiette, and Julio made a plan to stop all the violence. They decided to let the Purple Gang find out what they were going to do without letting them now that it was a set up. So the Purple Gang heard them and went to where they were going to be. Things started to go the wrong way right off the bat. At first the car stopped working, and Romiette and Julio were getting to far ahead. It was getting dark, so nobody could see what was going on. While Ben and Destiny were having car problems the Purple Gang came up to them and started to mess around. After that, The Purple Gang was getting real violent right away. They took out their guns, and started to put it up to Julios neck and the back of the head. They put blindfolds on both of them, so they didnt know where they were going. The Purple Gang took them to the lake. They put them on a boat in the middle of the lake. It was getting to be a stormy night. At first it wasnt too bad, but then it got worse. Romiette was getting real scared because she is afraid of water, and drowning. The lightening was getting closer and closer to the boat. They both were panicking and didnt know what to do. The lightening was about two strikes away from them. So Julio told Romiette that they have to get out of the boat no matter what or they were going to die. Romiette had to follow him, but she told him not to let her go no matter what happens. After, they jumped out of the boat the lightening struck, and hit the boat. The whole boat was all over the lake. Julio lost the grip of Romiettes hand. He was freaking out, and Romiette was drowning. He finally found her in the water. He was out of breath by the time he reached her. She was cold, and he was as well. They had to find warmth, or they would die of the coldness. They found a knocked over tree trunk with a cubbyhole for them to lie in. When they were doing this the parents of the two were worried sick. Destiny and Ben were also worried they didnt know what had happened to their best friends. The next morning, there was a search crew out looking for Romiette and Julio. The whole lake was covered with volunteers. The news team was out there live. Were Roomette and Julio found? Or did they die in the lake? To find out you would have to read the book. In conclusion, this book is a great book to read if you want a mystery book. This has to be one of the few books that I like and will read over and over again. If you dont read this book you dont know what you are missing out on. So try to get a hold of this book as soon as possible. ~~book review by teen, Jordan~~

Posted by Gayle at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

No, not for a political candidate. It's for favorite teen book!
Even better, right? 

Teen Read Week is celebrated every year in October. During that week, YALSA hosts a contest for teens’ top ten literature choices for the year. We posted last years’ top ten on Graffiti and to no one’s surprise, Harry Potter led the list. So in order to get ready to vote this year, check out the 25 nominees at www.ala.org/teenstopten. (Even if you don’t want to vote in October, it’s a great way to get ideas for books you might want to read.) The last in the Harry Potter series isn’t being published early enough to be eligible for this years’ list, so what book will be at the top? Personally, I’m hearing a lot about Clay (Frankstein-like), Just Listen, What Happened to Cass McBride (I reviewed it last year), New Moon (loved it), Life As We Knew It, and Skin. Have you read any of the 25? Did you love ‘em or hate ‘em? Post your comments and recommendations below!

Posted by Michelle at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

“From a distance they strike the skyline like steel lace. Not until you get closer do they take on color, many colors, from orange sherbet to lemon-and-lime.” -- The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg

Several tall towers rise above the house at 19 Schuyler Place where two brothers, Morris and Alex Rose, live with their dog. Their great-niece Margaret Rose is stuck at summer camp, where she refuses to participate in the activities by explaining “I prefer not to” until her great-uncle comes to rescue her. The uncles are old men now, but over their lives they have watched their neighborhood downtown change from a popular destination, to an abandoned run-down area, to a place of urban renewal. Their once-thriving clock and jewelry store is now just a little booth called The Time Zone out at the shopping mall. The two uncles have spent their whole lives working on the towers in their backward, tall metal structures that sparkle and shine when the sun reflects off of the glass and metal bits that dangle from their rungs. The towers are beautiful (to most people anyway) and they have been part of the neighborhood for many years. Margaret Rose is outraged when she discovers that the city has condemned the towers because the new neighbors believe they will affect property values. She has to do something to keep the towers from being demolished, so she (secretly, quietly, without her uncles’ knowledge) launches a three-phase plan to save the towers and preserve her uncles’ creations.

The best part about this book is Margaret Rose. She is a character-and-a-half, and I just wish I had her confidence and self-assurance and bravery when I was her age. So many books written in the first-person have characters who fill the pages with their self-doubt and worries. Not Margaret Rose. She is only 12 years old the summer that she works to save the towers, but she has a lifetime of wisdom. I listened to the book on CD, and the unabridged audiobook is narrated by Molly Ringwald, who I believe is absolutely perfect for this part.

Posted by Lissa at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I used this website called DFILM to make this video-cartoon about Terry Pratchett's fantasy novel The Color of Magic. It's easy to make your own cartoon -- and if you make a video about a book, send me the link and I will post it on graffiti!

Please watch my cartoon and leave a comment to tell me what you think! And be sure to try to make you own cartoon - it's easy and fun!

Posted by Lissa at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A new youth oriented hangout has come to Topeka. Martin’s Cultural and Teen Center, 425 SW 30^th is being sponsored by members of the Kansas Black Expo. Martin’s Center was created to give adolescents a place to hangout and be safe. Highland Park High School senior, Mark Johnson said “with nothing to do, trouble is easy to come by.” For some teens it is a home away from home. For others, Martin’s is an after-school hangout. From 9 pm to 12:30 am on weekends, it is a club with music, dancing and supervision. Read more.

Posted by Gayle at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you wanted to start a club at school and you wanted to make sure no one else was interested in joining, what would you call it?
Geography Club by Brent Hartinger is a story of a small group of gay, bisexual, lesbian and straight teens who finally feel less alone when they realize that other people at their school are also hiding, pretending and lying about their true selves.
Nothing in this book is about geography. There is a good deal of kissing, some boasting about sex, a night of alcohol, a little baseball, a few really bad double dates, but no geography.
Two more books continue the stories of this group of lonely souls, particularly following Russell Middlebook, the funny and believable gay teen main character. The Order of the Poison Oak is a sequel, and Split Screen is more of a zombie movie spin-off. Both are just as wonderful as the first. Also check out Brent Hartinger’s website.

Posted by Lissa at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

April Fool’s Day is over. But if you are still in the mood for something funny, here’s a list of books that will tickle your funny bone, make you laugh out loud, or perhaps cause you to snort! If you have other humorous books you want to recommend to teens, post your suggestions in the comments.

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
Georgia Nicolson is a raunchy, irreverent, and irresponsible British teen who shares her hilarious life events.

Be More Chill  by Ned Vizzini
For scifi humor, read about Jeremy, your average high school dork who is love with an unattainable girl. He decides to get help from an odd source—a supercomputer in pill form that communicates directly with the brain to help the user act more cool.

The Chicken Doesn’t Skate by Gordon Korman
Milo gets a baby chick to study for the science fair. When he takes it school everyone goes crazy. The students make it their mascot, but Milo is ready to cook her at the end of his project.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
Virginia has issues with her body, dealing with boys, and just fitting into the world.

Slot Machine by Chris Lynch
Thirteen-year-old Elvin is overweight and packed off to camp. He and his friends are forced to try out various sports to find out where they belong.

How Angel Peterson Got His Name by Gary Paulsen
This collection of short stories based on the author’s childhood made me laugh/snort in public more than once. Paulsen tells stories of how he and his friends tried to shoot a waterfall in a barrel, break the world record for speed on skis, hang glide with an Army surplus parachute, and perform other daredevilish stunts.

Oddballs by William Sleator
Author, Sleator, uses real life childhood events to create funny tales of a childhood in a large lively, and unconventional family in this collection of short stories.

Posted by Michelle at 02:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)