The Endangered Species Act of 1973

38 years ago today, President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This act provides for the conservation of ecosystems that are necessary for the survival of threatened/endangered species of fish, wildlife, and plants.

Find out the endangered species in New York (or any other state) by clicking here.

Or check out a book to learn more about endangered species. Here are a few options that you can reserve right now:

Endangered Species by Sean Sheehan

Endangered Species by Cynthia A. Bily

Endangered Species : Protecting Biodiversity

Endangered Animals of Antarctica and the Arctic by Marie Allgor

Animals on the Edge : Science Races to Save Species Threatened With Extinction by Sandy Pobst

Almost Gone : The World's Rarest Animals by Steve Jenkins

Amphibians In Danger : A Worldwide Warning by Ron Fridell

A Most Dangerous Journey : The Life of an African Elephant by Roger A. Caras

Face to Face With Elephants by Beverly and Dereck Joubert

Bengal Tiger : In Danger of Extinction! by Richard Spilsbury

Chimpanzee Rescue : Changing the Future for Endangered Wildlife by Patricia Bow

Top 50 Reasons To Care About Giant Pandas : Animals in Peril by Mary Firestone

Sea Otter Rescue : The Aftermath Of An Oil Spill by Roland Smith

Great White Shark : In Danger of Extinction! by Richard Spilsbury

Biodiversity edited by Louise I. Gerdes

TAB - Gingerbread Houses

Teen Advisory Board members!

(Grades 6 and up)

Join us on Wednesday, December 21st from 7:00-8:00pm to create your own gingerbread house.  Bring a small milk or juice container as well as a bag of candy to share.

See you there!

James Patterson's College Book Bucks Essay Contest

Are you a high school senior and know that you're heading to college next year?  If so, you may have already heard about how expensive college textbooks can be. (Like seriously expensive!)   So here's a cool opportunity... James Patterson, author of such favorites as the Maximum Ride series and Daniel X, is offering $70,000 in gift certificates redeemable at IndieBound stores.  All you have to do is submit an essay that answers the question “How has your favorite book inspired you toward what you’d like to do in life?”  The contest deadline is December 31, 2011. Winners will be announced nationally on March 1, 2012.

 Read more about this contest here, and if you choose to enter... Good Luck! 

Hunger Games Movie Trailer!

Are... you... ready?



So, who else just got chills from watching that? 

NaNoWriMo '11

Happy November and Happy National Novel Writing Month. Yep, that's right. It's NaNoWriMo again: time to trade in hours of watching and nights out for the joy of writing a 50,000-word novel in one month.

For those of you who not in the know, National Novel Writing Month runs from November 1st-30th, and is a self-proclaimed "fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing" and "thirty days and thirty nights of literary abandon!"

NaNoWriMo encourages quantity, not quality, so don't stop, don't think, just write. Use the opportunity to be free, write what you feel like writing, and see where the journey takes you! And take comfort in knowing that we're all producing mediocrity together.

Despite the fact that we aren't expected to create a work of quality, sometimes luck will have its way and, with enough editing, a NaNoWriMo novel can turn out to be a real masterpiece! Some even become popular, published books. Don't believe it's possible? The following books all started out as NaNoWriMo projects:

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (a 2007 Alex Award winner)

Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen (among YALSA’s 2009 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and 2009 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults)

Livvie Owen Lived Here by Sarah Dooley

Running for My Life by Ann Gonzalez

Losing Faith by Denise Jaden

So, will yours be next?

This is year is my sixth year embarking on the challenging and really kind of silly journey and I'd love for you all to join me! Knowing that you just wrote a whole novel, no matter how terrible, is an AWESOME feeling... and it's only 29 days away!

Want to sign up? Check out the Official National Novel Writing Website for more information.

And be sure to read Figment's NaNoWriMo Approacheth Survival Tips for some genuinely good advice on handling this frenzied month.

Happy writing, everybody!

Alternate Uses of Halloween Candy

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooo, it's Halloween! The one day a year where anything goes, crazy outfits, candy for dinner, and ringing the doorbells of strangers.

But what about tomorrow? And what about all that leftover candy? Here are 10 fun ideas you might want to consider when the novelty of just eating it has worn off (or made you a little nauseated):

1. Make one of the awesome ornaments seen here. All you need is some colorful hard candy, some cookie cutters, an oven, and a little creativity.

2. Make a mosaic with it! Use sturdy cardboard as your base, cover it with colorful construction paper, then glue on candies (go for the colorful ones!). When you're done, cover it with spray shellac to prevent the candy from getting buggy or rotting.

3. CandyExperiments.com is awesome! Check out some of their fun experiment ideas and donate your candy to an afternoon of science fun.

4. Make Apple Candy Bar Salad or one of the other delicious-sounding recipes on this Squidoo page.

5. Save it to make miniature (and edible) cornucopia for Thanksgiving this year by filling sugar cones with a mix of candy corn, M&Ms, Runts, etc.

6. Chop up the chocolate bars and freeze the shavings so you have a year-round ice cream topping on hand.

7. Operation Gratitude (which sends care packages to US troops overseas) is looking for candy to send to Iraq! This is a copy of their current wishlist, and as you can see, Halloween candy is on it! Scroll down their list for information on donations and shipping. Or see if a dentist near you is participating in Operation Buyback.

8. Try making this candy corn fudge. It's easy and looks delicious.

9. Save some pristine candy to attach to wrapped gifts. All presents are more exciting to open when there are a couple of fun-size candy bars taped to the ribbon.

10. Make your own blizzard in the blender! Try crumbling your Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or all three and placing them in a blender with vanilla ice cream to create a homemade blizzard or flurry.

And of course, there's always the chance that you might just wind up eating it.

Happy Halloween! Be safe trick-or-treating!

NPR's new "Back-Seat Book Club"

Do you like to listen to books on audio CD or MP3?  NPR (National Public Radio) has a program called "All Things Considered" which is launching a new segment for kids ages 9-14, called the "Back-seat Book Club."  Once a month there will be a new book selection offered, and kids and parents are encouraged to listen to the book and give their feedback.

We're asking young people and their parents to join us in reading a special book each month. We also want young readers to join in the conversation with that book's author. We want to know what you think about the book. And most important, we want to give authors a chance to answer your questions. This is a great way for All Things Considered to celebrate kids' books and to provide a special treat for all those youngsters who are fed a steady diet of NPR news.

October's selection is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.  This book has won numerous awards, including the Newbery Award, the highest award for children's literature.  It was also a Suffolk County Battle of the Books title from this past summer and a Hauppauge Middle School Book Chat selection from last year. 

I personally have listened to this book on audio and have to say it was extremely well-done since the author himself is the reader... which is.not something that happens often in the audiobook world, believe it or not.  And anyone who has heard Neil Gaiman speak knows that his voice has a special quality to it that makes it easy to listen to him!  Check out the audio CD or the Playaway version today from the Hauppauge Library!

Teen Read Week 2011

Teen Read Week officially starts on Saturday! It runs October 16th through 22nd, and this year's theme is "Picture It @ Your Library", encouraging you to read graphic novels and other creative or illustrated books just for the fun of it!

Teen Read Week started in 1998. Libraries across the world celebrate by encouraging teens to read for pleasure and (by using their library) to read for free.

It's important to celebrate Teen Read Week because, even though there are lots of other really great entertainment options out there, reading for fun is free, entertaining, and proven to help improve test scores.

Visit the library for a few awesome graphic novels, or put one or two of these great ones on hold:

The Eternal Smile: Three Stories by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim

Maus I : A Survivor's Tale : My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman

Miki Falls: Book 1, Spring by Mark Crilley

Mail Order Ninja: Vol. 1 by Joshua Elder

Kitchen Princess 1 art by Natsumi Ando, story by Miyuki Kobayashi, translated by Satsuki Yamashito, adapted by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life. Vol. 1 by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Jellaby by Kean Soo

Dramacon Vol. 1-3 by Svetlana Chmakova

Plus!!!

If you check out any book during Teen Read Week, you'll automatically get... (drum roll please)... a free book + CANDY + a raffle ticket to win one of the lovely prizes below:


(One per teen, per day)

Enjoy reading for the fun of it!

Banned Books Week 2011

Tomorrow starts Banned Books Week, an annual event held the last week of September that celebrates the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Banned Books Week draws attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting books that have been targets of bannings, or attempted bannings.

Check out this map of the USA to see where some popular titles were banned. It's EVERYWHERE.

Take a look at some popular banned books below. You might be surprised to find some of your favorites listed! Imagine if you never got the chance to read them?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Ttyl by Lauren Myracle

The Witches by Roald Dahl

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Celebrate Banned Books Week from September 24th through October 1st by reading a banned book! For more banned book ideas, try clicking one of the PDFs below:

Books banned in 2011

Books banned in 2010

Books banned in 2009

Peeta Vs Gale

If you're a Hunger Games fan, you have to read this funny (yet, thought-provoking) post on the Figment Blog... presenting:

Peeta Versus Gale!

The two are pitted up head-to-head in the categories: Chemistry, Grand Gestures, Better Meal-Maker, Battle Royal, and Better Babysitter. Click here to read the post and find out who is the overall winner, the overall better choice for Katniss!

"They’ve vied for Katniss’s heart and divided loyal fans into brutal, warring factions. We’re here to settle the score between these two Hunger Games hunks. And our choice is definitive."

And if you haven't read any of the Hunger Games series yet, click here to put book 1 (The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins on hold!

Talk Like A Pirate Day

Arrrr you ready for Talk Like a Pirate Day this year? It's September 19.

This year Talk Like a Pirate Day falls on a Monday, which is GREAT news because you have the whole weekend to brush up on your pirate speak! Luckily, Mango Languages has you covered. Just type in your library barcode and password, and you'll be able to start learning Pirate immediately and for free (or almost any other language, for that matter: Dari? French? German? Hebrew? Thai?).

Talk Like a Pirate Day began on June 6, 1995 by two guys named John Baur and Mark Summers (Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket). They were playing racquetball and, for some reason, started talking to each other in pirate slang. By the time they had finished their game, they were in full-out pirate lingo and it was then that they decided that "what the world really needed was a new national holiday, Talk Like A Pirate Day." Once it was deemed September 19th, it was celebrated privately for several years by its inventors. That is, until 2002, when John Baur just so happened to come across columnist Dave Barry's e-mail address. Surprisingly, Dave Barry thought it was a great idea and became convinced of the holiday's potential. And that's when he wrote his Miami Herald article.

Looking for some good books on pirates? Try these:

Piratepedia by Alisha Niehaus
Throughout this book, we make 27 stops around the world, learning all kinds of interesting facts about pirates, complete with pictures of artifacts, maps, and even movie photos. This book covers everything. There’s even an interactive pirate map game tucked into a secret back pocket!

Real Pirates by Clare Hibbert
In this collection of over 20 true pirate stories, we look at tales and facts from the Caribbean, Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, as well as a quick look at some other useful pirate facts.

Everything I Know About Pirates by Tom Lichtenheld
Want a humorous take on everything from tying pirate knots, to creating your own pirate name? This book covers educated guesses about pirate facts!

The Golden Age of Pirates by Bob Temple
“You live in a time of discovery, adventure, and travel.” You are living life at sea, and it’s dangerous, yet rewarding. There are lots of important decisions and, in this book, you get to make them. Choose your own adventure in this action-packed pirate story!

And for more official information on the fun holiday, check out the official Talk Like a Pirate Day Website.

Arr me hearty, a fine gentleman o' fortune be ye!
(Translation: Great my friend! You're a fine pirate!)

I learned that one on Mango Languages!

Amazing Audiobooks

YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) recently announced their list of "Amazing Audiobooks Nominations." This is exciting for me because I LOVE AUDIOBOOKS. With my busy schedule, it's hard to find a lot of time to read actual books (without falling asleep three pages in), but I don't have to miss out! I can listen to audiobooks during my commute every day and still get through books regularly!

If you're new to the world of audiobooks, welcome! Audiobooks can:
1. Make a long car trip seem shorter.
2. Be a great conversation starter if you're travelling with others.
3. Help you appreciate good books that you might not have picked up otherwise.

For the complete list of amazing audiobook nominations, click here!

A few of my favorite audiobooks are:

Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, read by Jim Dale, 7 discs.

Holes by Louis Sachar, read by Kerry Beyer, 4 discs.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, read by Marika Mashburn, 2 discs.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, read by Johnny Heller, 5 discs.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, read by Neil Gaiman, 7 discs.

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, read by Julia Whelan, 6 discs.

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, read by George Guidall, 6 discs.

Happy listening!

Library Card Sign Up Month 2011

Can you believe it's already September! Not only is this the last official month of summer but it's also officially Library Card Sign-Up Month.

A library card can grant you access to tons of free materials and activities! For example:

1. Free computer and internet access every day (this especially comes in handy after a hurricane).
2. Hundreds of books, DVDs, CDs, and video games to take home and enjoy.
3. Classes all week long, like crafts, story times, lessons, workshops, family movies, game nights, and magic shows.
4. Help with your homework through the use of Live-brary, where you can get tutoring through BrainFuse and do research with our library-card-holder-only Online Resources.
5. TONS of free audiobooks and e-books to download onto your devices.

...And a whole slue of lovely librarians to help you with whatever you're looking for (like me, for example).

Stop in with some ID and get a card and you'll have access to lots of cool and useful things for free. For more information, call us or visit us online: http://www.hauppaugelibrary.org/

Book Reviews by YOU. Take 2!

Shooting Kabul

N.H. Senzai

Reviewed by Justin, Gr. 12

"Shooting Kabul" was definitely a great novel written by N.H. Senzai. The novel starts off in Kabul, Afghanistan were Fadi and his family are planning an escape to America in order to escape the influence of the Taliban. In the effort to escape, Fadi had his younger sister Mariam's hand slip right through his fingers as the truck drove off. Not being able to turn back, both Fadi and his father felt as if their honor was lost. Finally landing in America the family did whatever they could to search for the whereabouts of Mariam. While Fadi's father took the toll for what happened, Fadi personally felt responsible for Mariam's loss. Fadi on top of all the guilt had to now attend a new school in Fremont, California adapting to the new way of life. While in California a series of events takes place which makes it difficult for Fadi and his family to live in and go about with their daily lives. With all that has happened an opportunity comes up were there is a photography contest and the grand prize consists of two free tickets to a few countries which included India. Fadi sees this as a chance to go and rescue his sister and restore the honor to both his father and himself that he felt he had lost. Will this be the chance for Fadi to finally rescue his sister or will Fadi and his family never be able to return back to Kabul and find Mariam? What may seem like an opportunity doesn't always come the way a person may expect it. This novel is great in the sense another culture is brought into perspective along with a way of life and what a family may have gone through while in America. The time period which the novel takes place is also very modern and some of the events which take place is very much recognizable. This book was very interesting and fun to read so that it will get you "hooked" on from the beginning to the end. Its something that if you have time, you should definitely read.  It’s a great book!

The Limit

Kristen Landon

Reviewed by Nicholas, Gr. 7

"This was a good book, I am glad that I chose it to read. This book is about a boy who is forced to go to a workhouse to pay for his family's debt. There is a law that says children must work if their parents go over their ""limit"". The story is about his time spent there and his attempts to escape.  The author uses a lot of detail to describe what is going on and this helped me picture it all in my head. I really liked the main character, Matt, because he took a lot of chances.  I would recommend this book to my friends because it has an interesting plot that can relate to our lives and we could be the main character if our world was like that."

The Allegea Biscotti Collection

Olivia Bennett

Reviewed by Emma, Gr. 7

"I read the book called "The Allegra Biscotti Collection", and I enjoyed it. This book is about a girl named Emma Rose who is 14 and lives in the city. She is a fashion designer and loves to make clothes.  Some of her clothes were left in her dad's factory where a famous fashion editor sees her work and wants to publish it in her magazine. Emma has to learn how to juggle school and having a secret identity, Allegra Biscotti. I would recommend this book to people, who love fashion.

The Last Best Days of Summer

Valerie Hobbs

Reviewed by Justin, Gr. 12

Lucy Crandall a twelve year old girl who all summer is looking forward to the last week in August were she can spend time with her Grams. For Lucy the week with Grams at Crescent Lake in California is the most perfect time in the world for her. Lucy can get away from her overprotective mother, her best friend Megan's obsession with becoming popular, and Eddie the neighborhood boy with Down Syndrome that she spends time with who constantly insists that both him and Lucy are friends. When Lucy goes to Grams all her problems goes away, and Lucy feels "centered". What seemed like it was going to be a perfect week, is nothing but perfect. It becomes more of a roller coaster ride with a lot of mixed emotions throughout the week, with some happy moments, but also some awful moments as well. Its a week full of surprises. Nothing goes as planned. Even Grams herself doesn't seem to be herself as she once was, which slowly makes Lucy  more and more concerned with her. While it seems like there are lots of ups and downs, will Lucy still be able to find some happiness and excitement during the week, or will this be a week of disappointment and disaster that she will always remember? The only way to find out is by reading the book and seeing what happens to Lucy during the last week of August when she goes and visits Grams. While I found the book to be a good read and humorous, I may find it to be more geared and appealing to a female audience. It may not be as appealing or interesting to read for a male audience. Overall however it was a great book and one teens should read.

First Hunger Games Trailer

If you lost power this weekend, chances are you missed the MTV Video Music Awards. In typical MTV Award Show Fashion, there was a pretty important movie trailer premier. Last night, we got our first glimpse at The Hunger Games movie!

Unfortunately, it was a little disappointing, all that anticipation to see Jennifer Lawrence run for a few seconds and the mockingjay logo rotate a few times. But never the less, take a look and get a feel for the much-anticipated Hunger Games movie:



And don't forget, if you still haven't read the book, there's plenty of time! Reserve a copy of The Hunger Games now.

Celebrity Libraries

To the left... Oprah's home library.

The Accredited Online Colleges blog has compiled photos of 20 beautiful celebrity libraries. Aside from Oprah, the list includes famous names like Rod Stewart, Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, Ralph Lauren, and Sting.

Now if only we could see inside the books!

Take a look and a swoon at these libraries of the rich and famous. Maybe you'll be motivated to create or modify your own (less elaborate and less expensive) home library.

Book Reviews by YOU.

Here are some of our Teen’s Top Ten Book Reviews from over the summer.

Paranormalcy
by Kiersten White
Reviewed by Victoria, 8th grade
Paranormalcy, a book by Kiersten White, tells a story about a girl who always thought herself to be normal, despite all the paranormal things in her life. Evelyn, or Evie, the protagonist, has worked for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, or IPCA since she was eight. She never had a family. She is one of their agents, who works in the field to neutralize paranormals. When she finds out that she is one, and she is caught up in a faerie prophecy, that's when things begin to take a turn for the worse. Read Paranormalcy to find out what happens.

Enchanted Ivy
by Sarah Beth Durst
Reviewed by Lena, 7th grade
If you enjoy fantasy books this is perfect for you. I really enjoyed this book. It's about a 16 year old girl named Lily Carter whos dream is to go to Princeton, but when her grandfather takes her there she's in for a surprise. If she can pass the Legacy Test and find the Ivy key she is automatically accepted in. There's only one problem she doesn't know what it is.


The Seventh Level
by Jody Feldman
Reviwed by Samantha, 7th grade
I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to all of my friends. This book is about a boy name Travis. Travis wants to be a part of The Legend. The Legend is his middle schools most top secret club. But first he has to pass the seventh level. I mostly enjoyed that all seven tasks got him into trouble.


Once
by Morris Gleitzman
Reviewed by Victoria, 8th grade
Once, by Morris Gleitzman, tells the story of young Felix in his quest to find his parents, during a time when the Jewish weren't so welcome. This was the time of Adolf Hitler, and the Nazi soldiers. The Nazis were killing the Jewish, and Felix had a close encounter. He is rescued by a kind man named Barney, who has done the same for many kids. The novel tells of all the lucky things to happen to Felix. "Everybody deserves to have something good in their life at least once" -Barney (page 122)

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall
by Mary Downing Hahn
Reviewed by Casey, 6th grade
"The rating word choice for me in regards to this book is ""Eh"". It was not a horrible book, but I would not recommend it to anyone. The storyline is about a ghost that haunts a house in the late 1800's in England, the boy who hides in his room in fear of the ghost which is his sister, and the cousin that comes along to this crazy household. Although the ghost was a nasty character, her self-centered and evil personality made her the most interesting one. Her time was spent finding ways to torture those that were still living because she was mad that she died. The only thing I liked about the book was that it was an easy read. For some reason I could not get into the book. I tend to like supernatural stories but this one was boring. My favorite quote from the book is said by the ghost - ""I tell you, you WILL be my friend, whether you wish to be or not. I always get my way. It's useless to fight me."" A friend is someone you like to be with, are not forced to be with. This ghost is too self centered to understand that. I did not care for this book to be on the Top 10 list. Maybe others would like it more than I did."

Hugo Trailer

In the wake of the release of the final Harry Potter movie, there is some exciting news for Hugo Cabret fans (like me)! The first official trailer for Martin Scorsese's "Hugo," based on Brian Selznick’s award winning book, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" has been released!

Take a look! It's beautiful.



This is Martin Scorsese's first 3D film as well as his first family-oriented film. "Hugo" is the story of an orphan boy who lives a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station in the 1930's. When he meets his friend, Isabelle, the two get wrapped up in a mystery involving a mean toy shop owner, Hugo's late father, and an automaton.

For more on the Hugo cast, see IMDB.

If you haven't read Brian Selznick’s 2008 Caldecott winner (and one of my personal favorite books), "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," you can reserve a copy here.

J.K. Rowling Interview

Now that the last Harry Potter movie is almost here, the Harry Potter saga is coming to a close.  Check out this very interesting article about J.K. Rowling and her future writing endeavors.  If you're a Harry Potter fan, you may be happy with the very last part of the interview...

The Giver may be a movie someday

Another book to movie to get excited about- The Giver by Lois Lowry.  It was just announced that Jeff Bridges will produce and star in the movie adaption of this popular book.  Can't wait to see how it turns out! 

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen and the full Hunger Games movie cast

Well there she is! It's Jennifer Lawrence looking a lot more like I pictured Katniss Everdeen to look.

This week’s Entertainment Weekly (available tomorrow) will feature pictures and interview with Jennifer Lawarence about the Hunger Games movie! It's really coming!

Here is a little preview from the article on the Entertainment Weekly website:

When Lawrence was offered the role, she describes her response as a mixture of elation — and desperate anxiety. “I knew that as soon as I said yes, my life would change,” she says. “And I walked around an entire day thinking ‘It’s not too late, I could still go back and do indies, I haven’t said yes yet, it’s not too late.’” And yet, who can turn their back on Katniss? “I love this story,” she says, “and if I had said no, I would regret it every day.” After officially signing on, Suzanne Collins herself called to offer a starstruck Lawrence her most hearty congratulations. “I feel like when you said yes,” the author told her, “the world got lifted off my shoulders.”

And, similarly, several more actors have been added to the Hunger Games movie lineup. IMDB lists them here: The Hunger Games (2012) Full Cast and Crew.

Exciting stuff on the Hunger Games front!

Children's Book Week

Happy Children's Book Week! This includes teens too!

Children's Book Week has been celebrated nationally since 1919, but has been underway even longer! In 1913 Franklin K. Matthiews, a librarian for the Boy Scouts of America, toured the country, promoting higher standards in children's books. He then enlisted the help of a few other key people, Frederic G. Melcher (the visionary editor of Publishers Weekly) and Anne Carroll Moore (the Superintendent of Children's Works at the New York Public Library). With this trio at work, Children's Book Week was in full force by 1944.

Today, we celebrate with all kinds of fun events across the country (You can find out what's happening nearby here) and with a big Children's Choice Book Awards Gala!

For more on Children's Book Week, visit Children's Book Week Online. There's even a printable bookmark by Jeff Kinney! And check back later for the Children's Choice Book Award winners. They're being announced at the Gala tonight! If you voted for your favorite teen book and author of the year then you can't miss it!

Hunger Games Movie: More Casting

Well, there are finally a few more confirmed cast members for The Hunger Games movie!

We already know about Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, but here are a few other characters:


Josh Hutcherson as Peeta


Liam Hemsworth as Gale



Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket


Amandla Stenberg as Rue



Willow Shields as Prim


Dayo Okeniyi as Thresh


Leven Rambin as Glimmer

Not bad! Also, according to New York Magazine, John C. Reilly has been offered the role of Haymitch. Let's cross our fingers that he takes it! He'd be perfect!

Book Crossing and Teens' Top Ten Nominees

Did you or your library do anything to celebrate Teen Literature Day yesterday? Did you Rock The Drop? If not, that's okay- you can still do something just like it!

Introducing... Book Crossing! This awesome project goes on every day, all year, and it's just like Rocking the Drop, except it's not only for teens and it's a little more calculated.

Just make a quick, free account (I have one!) and you'll have access to all kinds of features like lists of (worldwide) book locations for your hunting pleasure, labels to order or print for your book-giving pleasure, and their community of book-loving people. Once you plant a book, you can watch it travel all over the world by tracking it's various log-in's! Check out Book Crossing's About for all the details.

In addition, yesterday (to celebrate) YALSA announced the 25 nominations for this year's Teens' Top Ten. Read all twenty-five through the summer and get ready to vote for your favorite from August 22 through September 16!

Someday My Printz Award Will Come- Results

Over the winter, teens in grades 6-12 volunteered to read and review books from a selection of titles that were possible contenders for the Michael Printz Award, an annual award given by the American Library Association for excellence in Young Adult Literature.  Participants rated the books on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the best) and gave their opinions, both positive and negative.  Thanks to all the teens who contributed to the "Someday My Printz Award Will Come" read and review volunteer project. 

Titles (listed alphabetically)                                    

13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison

(Reviewed- 2 times; 5 stars)

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

(Reviewed- 2 times; 5 stars)                    

Ashes by Kathryn Lasky 

(Reviewed- 2 times, 4 stars)

Batboy by Mike Lupica 

(Reviewed- 3 times, 4 stars)

Countdown by Deborah Wiles 

(Reviewed- 1 time, 4 stars)

Death Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughrean  

(Reviewed- 3 times, 4 stars)

Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong 

(Reviewed- 3 times, 5 stars)

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta  

(Reviewed- 1 time, 4 stars)

Free as a Bird by Gina McMurchy-Barber  

(Reviewed- 4 times, 4 stars)

I.Q. Book 1: Independence Hall by Roland Smith  

(Reviewed- 2 times, 5 stars)

The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork  

(Reviewed- 5 times, 4 stars)

The Line by Teri Hall  

(Reviewed- 3 times, 5 stars)

Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell 

(Reviewed- 3 times, 5 stars)

Lucky by Wes Tooke 

(Reviewed- 2 times, 4 stars)

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper 

(Reviewed- 1 time, 5 stars)

Paper Daughter by Jeanette Ingold 

(Reviewed- 2 times, 2 stars)

The Rivalry by John Feinstein 

(Reviewed- 3 times, 4 stars)

The Shadow Project by Herbie Brennan  

(Reviewed- 3 times, 4 stars)

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi  

(Reviewed- 4 times, 4 stars)

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson  

(Reviewed- 11 times, 4 stars)

Theodore Boone: kid lawyer by John Grisham 

 (Reviewed- 5 times, 4 stars)

The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt 

(Reviewed- 3 times, 4 stars)

Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill  

(Reviewed- 3 times, 4 stars)

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen 

(Reviewed- 6 times, 4 stars)

You by Charles Benoit  

(Reviewed- 10 times, 4 stars)

Yummy by Randy DuBurke 

(Reviewed- 7 times, 4 stars)

This project was very successful- we received a total of 94 reviews!  Out of the 28 titles that were available to read, only two were not chosen at all by the teens participating: Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick and To Come and Go Like Magic by Sharon M. Draper.  I'm kind of curious why these two titles weren't chosen by anyone to review, especially because Revolver was chosen as the official runner-up for the actual Printz award.   I tried to read Revolver myself and couldn't get through it, so maybe my question for that one is why it won the runner-up prize of the Printz Honor award!   Any thoughts on this would be welcome.  

The actual winner of the Printz Award was Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi: 

 "The best thing about this novel is how the realistic aspects intermingle with the fictional components so smoothly." -Staci 

"The best thing about this book was also what made it disturbing... how very real the futuristic world seemed." - Megan

The two books that were reviewed most often (and favorably as well) were:

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

"This book was absolutely amazing.  There were twists within the plot, with surprises you'd never expect.  The suspense keeps your fingers ready to hungrily turn to the next page!"- Raisa

"The best part of the book was its poetic roots.  The poems Lennie writes are very beautiful.  she leaves them lying around, on random scraps of paper, cups, tree bark, etc, and it makes it seem as though you're walking through her town finding the poetry."- Sarah

You by Charles Benoit 

"The best thing about this book is how you feel as if you're actually a high school student facing the same things as Kyle.  I liked the book although it ended too quickly." -Kerrin

"I liked how realistic it was... you probably know or knew someone in high school like Kyle or maybe he reminds you a little bit of yourself." - Danielle

"This book doesn't have a "happily ever after."  It involves a lot of self-reflecting, putting you in the shoes of Kyle.  I personally was led to question a lot of decisions I have made and any book with such power deserves to be recommended."- Brendon