Are you a "Wimpy Kid" fan?

If you are, and you have already read each one a bazillion times, try one of these:

Alien Feast by Michael Simmons
Alvin Ho by Lenore Look
Dear Max by Sally Grindley
Diary of Melanie Martin by Carol Weston
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Geronimo Stilton series by none other than Geronimo Stilton, himself
Heads or Tails by Jack Gantos
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Last Invisible Boy by Evan Kuhlman
Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf by Jennifer L. Holm
Mudshark by Gary Paulsen
Please Write in this Book by Mary Amato

Christmas Treats

Try one of these goodies:
Mistletoe by Hailey Abbott and others
Let it Snow by John Green and others
The Greek Who Stole Christmas by Anthony Horowitz
Ex-mas by Kate Brian
Bells of Christmas by Virginia Hamilton
Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Holiday Tea Party Rescheduled

We're expecting a storm, so the Holiday Tea Party has been rescheduled for Wednesday, December 16 at 3:30. Join us for tea, juice, cupcakes, a story, a simple craft, and face painting by the best face painter in Vermont!

2009 Teens' Top 10

We have them all! Get a bookmark in the YA Loft listing the top ten books for 2009 as chosen by a national panel of teens. On the list is Breaking Dawn (duh!) and The Hunger Games (no surprise there, either). The number one choice is Paper Towns by John Green. My favorite is The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks, and I am very "appointed" that it made the list.

How about La Push?

Ever been to Forks?

It's almost time for New Moon to debut!

But you knew that. Until (and after) November 20, you can visit the official New Moon website at www.twilightthemovie.com.

In the Mood for a Little Horror?

Try one of these:

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding.

Gothic! : Ten Original Dark Tales edited by Deborah Noyes

Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Madness illustrated by Gris Grimley

All Hallows' Eve : 13 Stories by Vivian Vande Velde

The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld

The Devouring by Simon Holt.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

More Horowitz Horror: More Stories You'll Wish You'd Never Read by Anthony Horowitz

Spiders in the Hairdo : Modern Urban Legends retold by David Holt

Free Graphic Novel!

For a limited time, you can download a free copy of Media Meltdown at
www.mediameltdown.net. Go ahead--take advantage of the offer!

Even Fairies Love Libraries

Visit the Springfield Fairytown Library at the very first official Fairy Houses Tour with author Tracy Kane at the Nature Museum at Grafton on Saturday, September 26, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 27, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Tickets* for the tour feature an advance discount and are available from the Museum, Misty Valley Books in Chester, and Village Square Booksellers in Bellows Falls. Information on the tour (as well as on other Museum programs) is available at http://www.nature-museum.org/ or by phoning 802-843-2111. Participants in the tour will have a chance to make their own houses. This event will be loads of fun for the whole family. In the meantime, you can learn all about fairy houses by reading Tracy Kane's book Fairy Houses or by viewing the video "Kristen's Fairy House." Learn how to build your own fairy house and view others at Kane's website http://www.fairyhouses.com/about_author.htm .

*Tickets purchased in advance: Children $4, Adults $10, Seniors $8Tickets purchased at tour: Children $5, Adults $12, Seniors $10

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month!

In recognition of this special month, the Springfield Town Library is holding a raffle in the Children’s Room. Anyone who gets a new library card and those who already have a library card are eligible to win one of four copies of Biscuit’s Picnic accompanied by a Biscuit look-alike toy.

A library card is a must have back-to-school item as well as a ticket for exploring new adventures and finding information. If you know of a Springfield resident who doesn’t have a card, encourage him/her to get one. Non-resident cards ($40 per family/year) make great gifts for out-of-town family and friends. For more information call 802-885-3108.

Need a good laugh?

Read a funny book! Get lists at the following sites:

Funny Books for Teens www.duluth.lib.mn.us/YouthServices/Booklists/Funny.html

Teens Know: Funny Fiction for Teens
http://hclp.net/teens/books_zines/funnyfictionforteens.php

TeensPoint: A Great Web Site for Teens Everywhere
www.teenspoint.org

If we don't have the book you want, just ask and we'll get it for you!

Social Networking Workshop

For a copy of the "Making a Podcast" handout, go to

http://www.scribd.com/doc/17184710/Making-a-Podcast-Step-by-Step

Email Cheryl at childrensroom@hotmail.com with questions and comments.

Express Yourself Like Jackson Pollock

Visit http://www.jacksonpollock.org/ and make a creation like the master's, then check out the book Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan.

This Just in...

from Grace Greene of the Vermont Department of Libraries:

"Hello, all: I am delighted to announce that the Green Mountain Book Award now has a blog where high school students can write their thoughts and comments about the books on the master list. Created by Sue Monmaney, the new librarian at Montpelier High School, this blog will be a great way for students to talk to others across the state. Please let your teens know about it, and urge them to write what they think about the books as they finish them. Here is the blog: http://greenmountainbookaward2009-2010.blogspot.com/ Also on the blog is an online form for kids and adults to suggest books for the next list. In addition to using the blog address above, you can also get to the blog and the online form from the DOL page of GMBA links: http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/gmba "

Summer Reads

Below is a list of books for summer reading enjoyment suggested by some of our young adult patrons. Topping the list (no surprises here) are the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer and Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle. Here's the rest in no particular order:

Vampirates by Justin Stomper
Airmen and Artemis Fowl By Eoin Colfer
Magyk by Angie Sage
A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen
Bone by Jeff Smith
Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Hoot and Flush by Carl Hiaasen
Pendragon series by D. J. MacHale
Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
A Murder for Her Majesty by Beth Hilgartner
Redwall series by Brian Jacques
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Guardians of Ga'Hoole series by Kathryn Kasky

Here's one I'd like to add to the list: The Devil's Paintbox by Victoria McKern

The weather's getting hot and humid. Come to the library and enjoy the comfort of the cool air while reading a book!

Express Yourself @ the Springfield Town Library

Kids entering grades 6 and up are invited to sign up for the Summer Reading program all day, every day beginning Monday, June 22. Come to the library for lunch at noon on Tuesday, June 23 and sign up while you enjoy pizza. While you're here, pick up a "Library Challenge Card." Check off a palette every time you read 100 pages, thumb through a magazine, attend a program, or volunteer for an hour at the library. Once all 10 palettes are checked off, bring the card back and exchange it for a $5 gift certificate to Friendly's or McDonald's and become eligible to win an MP3 player. So, stop by,and get in on the action!

Winners!

You probably already know that Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid won the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award. But do you know the winner of the Green Mountain Book Award? It's Crank by Ellen Hopkins. Check out her other books, also written in free verse: Burned, Glass, and Impulse.

Vote for your Favorite

It's time to vote for your favorite Green Mountain Book Award Selection. Ballots are due by May 1. If you want to participate, let us know and we'll submit your vote. Look for the announcement of the winner in the beginning of May along with the selections for 2009-2010.

Celebrate Earth Day!

Do you know that Al Gore has written a book about the global climate crisis and the environment for young adults? It's called An Inconvenient Truth : the Crisis of Global Warming. If you'd like to try something a little lighter, check out James Patterson's The Final Warning. Maximum Ride is on a mission to save the world from global warming. I hope he succeeds!

Worth a Look

Here's a website that could prove useful. It's called "Shmoop," and is self described as "an educational website for high school and college students that covers literature, US history, and poetry." The creators continue with, "Don't let our playful name throw you off; our content is painstakingly researched and our writers are primarily Ph.D. and Masters students from Stanford and Berkeley. Unlike many notes/cheating sites, we work closely with teachers to make Shmoop a valuable resource both outside and inside the classroom." The site is free and requires no login, so check it out at
http://www.shmoop.com/ and take the "Tour de Shmoop."

The Shameless Romance Novel Awards

What do you read after the Twilight series? Donna Freitas has some suggestions. In her "Be Still My Heart" article featured in the February 2009 issue of School Library Journal, she has declared the following pronouncements:

Most Likely to Melt Your Fingers While Reading Because It's So Hot : Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Best Declaration of Love: The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Best Budding Relationship: Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
Headiest Falling in (and Out of) Love Scenes: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Most Likely to Break Your Heart: The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Best First Kiss: Suck It Up by Brian Meehl
Most Romantic Gesture: I Am the Messenger by Markus Zuzak
Best Romance Under Duress: "Uglies" trilogy by Scott Westerfeld

"And what did she have to say about Twilight?" you ask. Well, she has deemed the characters as having the Best Extended Foreplay and Most Likely to Get Married.

April Fools

and May Fools, and June Fools ...

I HATE practical jokes!! But, for those of you who enjoy them, here's a book with some harmless ideas for pranks:
Funny Business : Clowning Around, Practical Jokes, Cool Comedy, Cartooning, and More by Helaine Becker

If you're looking for something with a bit more substance, try The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart. It's about a teen who infiltrates and shakes up "The Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds," an all male secret society who claims her boyfriend as a member. The book has received much critical acclaim. It was a National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalist and received the 2009 Michael L. Printz Award. But don't let that scare you away. It's a good read, and that's no joke!

Read the Book--See the Movie

We have lots of DVDs based on books. It's always fun to read the book and compare it to the movie. Here's a sampling:

Because of Winn Dixie
Ella Enchanted
Eragon
The Golden Compass
Holes
I am the Cheese
The Mighty
Speak
Tuck Everlasting
A Wrinkle in Time
Not to mention the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies
And the BIG ONE: Twilight, on the shelf soon!!!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

To help you celebrate St. Patrick's day, how about reading a book about Ireland or by an Irish author? Here are some favorites:

Airman by Eoin Colfer
Black Potatoes : the Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.
Hush : an Irish Princess' Tale by Donna Jo Napoli
The New Policeman by Kate Thompson
Nory Ryan's Song by Patricia Reilly Giff
Over the Water by Maude Casey
The Pirate Queen by Emily Arnold McCully

So, pick a book Agus cuid eile an lae dhuit fein. (That is, "And the rest of the day to yourself.")

The Crash of 1929

Confused about today's economy? How do things compare to what happened in 1929? Were any safeguards put in place then that prevent a repeat situation? Check out PBS' "The American Experience" website on "The Crash of 1929" at:
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/crash/

There you will find a the film, personal accounts of people who suffered through that hard time, photographs of the time period, etc.

The next time you're in the library, check out this book about the crash:
Six Days in October : The Stock Market Crash of 1929 by Karen Blumenthal.

And get a better grip on your finances with the following:
Better than a Lemonade Stand! : Small Business Ideas for Kids by Daryl Bernstein
Coping with Money by Richard S. and Mary Price Lee
Debt Information for Teens : Tips for a Successful Financial Life Including Facts about Money, Interest Rates, Loans, Credit Cards, Finance Charges, Predatory Lending Practices, Preventing and Resolving Debt-Related Problems, and More edited by Karen Bellenir.

Award Winning Books

Winners of the Michael L. Printz Award were recently announced. This award is for young adult books that exemplify literary excellence.

The 2009 award goes to Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

Honor Awards were received by the following:
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II, The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson.
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

For more information about the award, click on the following link:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/printzaward/Printz.cfm

Don't Try this at Home ...

...Just enjoy watching the crazy and talented people who do extreme sports.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour made a stop at the Lebanon Opera House a few days ago. One of the films screened was "The Red Helmet." Watch it on You Tube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjojJgErUsk&eurl=http://www.justacroteam.com/content/view/63/52/lang,en/



Here's a "teaser" worth watching:

http://www.ryanleech.com/downloads/videos/Crux-DVD-Teaser/

Watch the DVD X-treme Sports & Other Action Adventures available in our collection.

After you've finished watching the films, check out these books
Extreme Sports edited by Janel D. Ginn
Skateboarding is not a Crime : 50 Years of Street Culture by James Davis
Xtreme Sports : Cutting Edge by E.J. Maxwell.

Again: Don't try this at home!!!

Valentine's Day

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.

They must be felt with the heart.

Helen Keller said that. She must have been a romantic; she's not alone. According to Hallmark, 188 million Valentine cards are exchanged each year (and that number does NOT include all of those packaged cards the kids give out at school). That's amazing! What's even more amazing is all of the information you can find about Valentine's Day at

http://www.history.com/minisites/valentine/

There are videos about the history of Valentine's Day, how chocolate is made, and even the Valentine's Day massacre. You can find games, love quotes, romantic movie titles, etc., etc. This website is definitely worth a look.

Do you like conversation hearts? I sure do! Find out about this sweet Valentine treat at

http://www.necco.com/OurBrands/Default.asp?BrandID=8

Happy Valentine's Day!!