Happy New Year!

It's coming close to the end of 2008. In a few short hours the ball will drop, noisemakers will sound and 2009 will be ushered in!

We hope this past year has treated you well and you are all looking forward to the new year with anticipation. I know we are here at the Hauppauge Library! We have many exciting things planned for this coming year... new programs, more volunteer opportunities, and my own personal resolution for the new year... more frequent blog postings!!

If you have any opinions or ideas on any way to make the Hauppauge Library better for teens in 2009, (or any age group really) let your voice be heard- get involved in our monthly Teen Advisory Board meetings, speak to one of the librarians next time you visit, or comment to this post. Tell us what you've liked in the past, or what you'd like to see/do at the library in the future. Whether it's a suggestion for a program we've never had, or the addition of an item to the library's collection, or a new way to look at something we've always done- we'd like to hear from you.

May your hopes and dreams be realized in 2009! Happy New Year to one and all!

And just for fun- if you're a crafty person who hates to throw things out, check out this link from Crafting a Green World for ideas on how to re-use your holiday greeting cards. Let's go green in 2009!

Hello

Did you know that today is World Hello Day? It's actually the 36th annual one, so this celebration has been around for a while! Basically, the challenge is to greet 10 people today with a simple "hello." The concept behind this is really simple: if you say hello to people (especially people you may not have said hello to on a regular day) you're spreading good vibes. The creators of this day want to make everyone aware of the importance of personal communication for preserving peace in the world. That's a nice message, right?

So... hello! Let's see how many people YOU can say hello to today!

(Feel free to say hello to the Hauppauge Library via the comment button on this blog post!)

Imagine having to know all this in complete detail...

Here's a interesting website: Presidential Transition Resources

This is the official introduction to what's contained within the site:
The Presidential Transition Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-293) authorizes the General Services Administration (GSA) to develop a transition directory in consultation with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The Act provides that the transition directory "shall be a compilation of Federal publications and materials with supplementary materials developed by the Administrator that provides information on the officers, organization, and statutory and administrative authorities, functions, duties, responsibilities, and mission of each department and agency." Senate Report 106-348 clarifies that the directory is intended to "assist in navigating the many responsibilities that fall on a new administration" that is "confronted by an overwhelming amount of material."

What that means is:
Every president-elect gets a "study-packet" of all the governmental branches, departments and agencies (who heads them and what they do) as well as how they fit into the overall umbrella of our government.

There's A LOT of info contained in this website... A LOT! This site would be a great help to anyone doing a paper or project on this subject.

New Twilight Book... someday?

Here's something to ponder while waiting for the movie to arrive in theaters. It sounds a little more hopeful than her last statement... what do you think?

Stephenie Meyer, author of the hugely popular *Twilight* series of books,
told reporters that she's leaving the door open to writing a fifth
volume, *Midnight Sun*, though she previously said she'd put it on hold indefinitely.

"People are going to forget about it," Meyer said in a news conference in
Beverly Hills, Calif., on Nov. 8. "It's going to go away, and that'll be the
time when I sneak back in and give it a try again. But it's going to have to
be after everything is [over]. It's not writing in a fishbowl, because I
can't work that way."

Meyer earlier said she would put off finishing *Midnight Sun*--a retelling
of the first *Twilight* book from the point of view of vampire Edward
Cullen--after an early draft of the book's first chapters was released on
the Internet without her authorization. Meyer--whose books have sold more
than 17 million copies--later posted the draft on her official Web
site<http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html>.


"*Midnight Sun* is not on my schedule right now," Meyer said while promoting
the upcoming film adaptation of her first book. "It's part of my writing
process that, for me to really write a story--and like I was saying
before--I can't think about what other people want and what other people are
thinking and what the editing is going to be and what the expectations are
when I'm writing. Because it's paralyzing to do that. You really can't put a
word on the page. I have to be very alone with a story. It has to be just me
and what's happening, and I just can't feel that way about it right now."

The *Twilight* movie opens Nov. 21.



*Original link*:
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=62030&type=0 

Congratulations Teen Read Week Winners!

Teen Read Week (a yearly, national reading incentive from the American Library Association) is now officially over for 2008. This year's theme, Books with Bite, was met with enthusiasm by both staff and teens!

Brandon Bozeat was the winner for the 2008 Teen bookmark contest that captured the theme of Teen Read Week perfectly! Look on the library's homepage to see his design. His bookmarks will be available at the library for the next few months, so stop by soon! Congratulations again Brandon!

Also, the winners of the raffles were chosen this morning: I'm happy to announce that Rachel Strzeletski won the Borders Bookstore raffle and Kayla Blau won the I-Tunes raffle! Congratulations to both!

Thanks to everyone who helped to make it a success this year, especially the Decorating Committee who created the book displays! Thanks to all the teens who came in during the week to check out books. (I hope you are all enjoying the free book you were given as a reward for participating in Teen Read Week!)

Keep on reading everyone!

Graphic Novel Survivor

Just a last minute reminder that tomorrow night (Tuesday, October 21st 2008 from 6:30- 7:30pm) we will have a very exciting program here at the library... Graphic Novel Survivor! This is your chance to have your opinion on great graphic novels heard throughout the country. Yes, throughout the country! Let me explain...

Barbara Moon, a representative from the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Graphic Novel Selection Committee, will be with us to hear what YOU think about graphic novels. She'll have with her a whole bunch of books (some you may know, some you may not.) You'll have a chance to look through them and see which ones you like. Through a series of "eliminations" the group will vote on which ones should remain standing in categories such as: best book for younger readers, best superhero book, best manga for older readers, etc.

At the end of this program, Barbara will take your opinions and report back to her fellow selection committee members in order to form an official nation-wide list of great books for teens. There are programs such as this being held in libraries across the country in order to create this list- and your voice is among them!

Come to Graphic Novel Survivor, Tuesday October 21st from 6:30- 7:30pm. There will be snacks and giveaways as well! Tell your friends!!

Teen Read Week: Books With Bite @ Your Library

Celebrate Teen Read Week by stopping by the library. If you check out a book to read anytime during the week, you can take home a prize and enter a raffle to win a gift basket. Teen Read Week runs from October 13 - 18.

Browse through our Books With Bite display and sign up to join us on Friday, October 17th for our Twilight Masquerade Ball.

The latest book from the creator of Coraline and Sandman

Here's something interesting... Neil Gaiman, author of many books for adults- and a growing number of titles for kids and teens, has written a new novel entitled, The Graveyard Book.

It's getting fabulous reviews:

This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming. Although marketed to the younger YA set, this is a rich story with broad appeal and is highly recommended for teens of all ages. Copyright Booklist™ - 2008.

Wistful, witty, wise—and creepy. Gaiman's riff on Kipling's Mowgli stories never falters, from the truly spine-tingling opening, in which a toddler accidentally escapes his family's murderer, to the melancholy, life-affirming ending. Copyright Kirkus™ - 2008.

A lavish middle-grade novel, Gaiman's first since Coraline, this gothic fantasy almost lives up to its extravagant advance billing. When the chilling moments do come, they are as genuinely frightening as only Gaiman can make them, and redeem any shortcomings. Copyright Publishers Weekly™ - 2008.

Now here's the interesting part... the author has just finished a 9-city tour, where at each stop he was video-taped reading one chapter, completing the book on the final stop. Head on over to the Mouse Circus site (the official Neil Gaiman site for young readers) to see all of the chapters being read aloud by this master of storytelling.

What a great concept!

Twilight Masquerade Ball

Friday, October 17
7:00- 9:00pm
Halloween comes early to the library! Whether you’re a fan of the Twilight books, a fan of vampires and werewolves, or just a fan of costume parties- do not miss this special after-hours event. We’ll have loads of activities, plenty of food and a DJ spinning some tunes. We will also have a T-shirt making activity so bring a T-shirt if you wish. Prizes will be given out for best costumes, so come dressed up!

Halloween is just around the corner

If you like to celebrate Halloween, you'll definitely want to check out this wonderful site. It's full of great ideas for costumes, decorations, crafts and food- everything you need for Halloween!

What are your plans for Halloween? What about costumes? Share your stories with us by sending us a comment!

Better late than never

You've heard of that phrase, right? Well this blog post is a perfect example of that!

On Saturday, August 16th 2008, teens from the Hauppauge Library competed in a county-wide book trivia contest called Battle of the Books. All summer long participants in this program had been reading 8 novels and remembering as much trivia from each as they could. They attended many practice sessions throughout the month of July, and spent countless hours reading the books- sometimes reading them more than once! We had tons of fun creating a team name (The Flying American Reading Warriors) and making T-shirts and costume accessories to match.

At the county-wide Battle (which was held on the campus of Stony Brook University) six of our teens (plus one alternate player) represented the Hauppauge Library. The day was packed with both nerve-wracking drama and loads of fun. They did absolutely fabulous and had such a good time meeting other teens from across Suffolk County.

Click here to see the official scores from the Battle from the Battle of the Books website.

One of the highlights was finding out that the Hauppauge Library won the Team Spirit Award. This was an award given by the judges to the team they thought exemplified the very important art of team enthusiasum and spirit.

Congratulations to all who participated in this summer-long program and to all who put so much effort into making it a success! (And sorry for taking so long to post this wonderful news!)

Back to School

Don't Buy the Elevator Pass!!

Heading to Middle or High School for the first time? Here's some good advice from those who were in your shoes not too long ago. Middle Schoolers click here and High Schoolers click here.

Attention TWILIGHT fans!!!

We all know that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has been moved to July but did you know that Twilight has taken it's release date?
Twilight will now be released on November 21st instead of the original December 12th date. So there's still something to look forward to!!

Harry Potter movie delay

Yes, it's sad but true... the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, originally set to be released in November, has been pushed back until July of 2009. If this news makes you unhappy, just know you're not alone. Click here to read more.

Breaking Dawn Mayhem!

Were you one of the people standing in line at a local bookstore to be among the first to get your copy of Stephanie Meyer's new book Breaking Dawn? Check out this video to relive some of the excitement. Was this what it was like at the event you were at? Let us know!



And just to keep the fun going, you may want to try this recipe for vampire cupcakes!

New Harry Potter Book?

Well, yes and no...

There is a new book coming out in December by J.K. Rowling, entitled The Tales of Beedle the Bard. This book offers readers a chance to read the complete collection of fairytales given to the character Hermione Granger in the final Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (Only one of these five tales were included in the final story.)

Rowling originally wrote the stories and hand-bound seven copies herself, giving six to close friends and auctioning off the final copy for charity last year. Now she has decided to make the collection available to the public, with proceeds going to her charity.

From the Associated Press: A British charity said Thursday it hopes to raise 4 million pounds ($8 million) through sales of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard." Rowling co-founded The Children's High Level Group charity, which supports institutionalized children. She has signed over her royalties.

And while we're on the subject of Harry Potter, check out the new trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!

Teen Bookmark Contest

Are you creative? Would you like to create a bookmark that will be professionally reproduced and displayed in the library? We invite you to submit an original design for our "Teen Design a Bookmark Contest."

The theme for this bookmark contest is: "Books with Bite." Think vampires... think food... think dental hygiene... think whatever comes to mind when you hear the phrase "books with bite!" Get creative!

One design will be chosen to be displayed in the library during our "Teen Read Week" celebration in October. Stop by the library to pick up an entry form or just click here to print one out. The deadline for entries to be submitted is Saturday, August 30, 2008.

Good luck and, more importantly, have fun!

Mehndi Tattoo Workshop

Space is still available in our upcoming Traditional Mehndi Tattoo Workshop on Wednesday, August 13th 2008 from 4:00- 5:00pm. Join us for this creative and fun class!

Above you'll see pictures from last year's workshop. Participants designed and applied their own Mehndi (Henna) tattoos. Although the tattoos are not permanent, they do last for a few weeks so if you're interested in attending this program you have to hand in a permission slip signed by a parent or guardian. You can pick one up at the library, or just click on the link below.

Permission Form

Volunteer Opportunity Reminder- Don't Buy the Elevator Pass

Attention teens entering Grades 7, 8, 10, 11 & 12!

Do you remember your first few days of middle school or high school? Did you ever wish you had someone back then "showing you the ropes" to help ease your transition? Well, now is your chance to do this for someone else! The incoming 6th and 9th graders could use your advice.

All you have to do is click on either of the links below to print out the form you need (or stop by the library to pick one up.) Then just fill it out by giving the best advice you can give. When you're done, hand it in to a librarian at the Youth and Family Services desk and you will receive one-hour of community service for your efforts!

Click here to give advice to incoming 6th graders

Click here to give advice to incoming 9th graders

The deadline for handing in completed forms is Saturday, August 16th. (Towards the end of August, check out the Teen Frequency webpage for a compilation of all the advice given.)

Calling all Reviewers

The HPL Teen Frequency website is looking for reviews! Got an opinion on something you've recently read, watched, or listened to? We'd love to hear about it!

Use our Review it! form to submit your thoughts on a book, movie or album and we'll post it on our website!

Batman The Dark Knight trailer - Opens Friday, July 18th 2008

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging trailer

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 trailer

City of Ember Trailer!

Balloon animals... more than just rubber chickens

Although if it's chickens you really want to make, I'm sure that you can be taught! Just come on down to the Hauppauge Library! What is this event that I'm talking about?

Balloon Sculpting
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
2:00-3:00pm
Learn from a professional how to create works of art from simple balloons. Each participant will leave with several balloon animals along with the knowledge of how to create more.

There's still room left in this amazing program. Just call, email, or stop by the library to sign up.

**Due to the teaching style of the program (where one skill learned builds upon another) you must arrive on-time for this program... not an easy feat, I know, with the traffic in this town! But the programmer requested that once he gets started, no one else be admitted into the room. (Kind-of strict, but necessary so he doesn't have to re-teach the first few steps -- which are critical to the whole program -- ten times while everyone else waits.)

Battle of the Books 2008 is finally here!

That's right! For those of you who have been patiently waiting for the announcement of titles for this year's Battle, wait no more! The titles are as follows:

Best Foot Forward by Joan Bauer
Code Orange by Caroline Cooney
Flush by Carl Hiaasen
Heat by Mike Lupica
Hidden Talents by David Lubar
Maximum Ride: the angel experiment by James Patterson
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
Wolf Rider by Avi

Stop by the Youth and Family Services reference desk for an information packet which will give you everything you need to know about participating in this fun program over the summer.

Twilight Trailer!

I can't wait to see this!

William Fitzsimmons

William Fitzsimmon's latest album "Goodnight" has been on non-stop repeat on my iPod for the past 2 weeks; it's so good I may need an intervention to stop listening to it. What are some of your favorite albums?

Test Post!

This is a test post!


Look for more coming soon!