If you’ve read so many books this summer and don’t know what to read during your last few weeks of freedom before school starts, maybe you can try one of these:
Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata A former show dog, Cracker is recruited as a bomb sniffer for the American Army in the Vietnam War. He is paired up with Rick. The two quickly bond and their successful missions lead to even more dangerous missions.
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron On a frigid night in 1988, a half frozen kitten was deposited in the book return of a rural library in the Midwest. The library director, the book’s author, adopts the kitten and names him DeweyReadMore Books. Dewey works magic in the community of Spencer, IA. He becomes friends with disabled children and newspaper-reading business men, and inspires the library director. He also eats rubber bands!
Elephant Run by Roland Smith During World War II, Nick is sent to Burma to live with his father where his parents think he will be safe. However, the Japanese occupation of Burma has started. Step one for Nick and his Dad is to get their elephants to a safe island where they will not be harmed by the Japanese. On the way back to their plantation, Nick and his Dad are taken prisoner and that’s where the story really begins.
Homestretch by Paul Volponi This story moves at the pace of the fastest racehorses! Gaston runs away from his abusive father, hitchhikes on a flatbed truck, and ends up with a job on a racehorse farm in Arkansas. He’s hired to work with an unsavory and cruel horse trainer, but before you know it, Gas becomes a jockey.
Lizard Love by Wendy Townsend Grace, a country girl who loves animals, is in a state of shock when she and her mother move to downtown Manhattan. She feels like an alien in a new land until she discovers a shop called *The Fang and Claw* and gets to know Walter, one of the scaled animals’ caretakers. Then, Grace meets a gorgeous iguana, who she adopts on the spot and things begin to change for her.
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater For years Grace has looked for the beautiful wolf with the yellow eyes. Every winter he visits, coming out of the woods from behind her house. When a local teen is killed by wolves, Grace races out to make sure that *her* wolf is safe where she discovers a wounded boy shivering on her porch. One look at his yellow eyes and she knows it is her wolf in human form. Has fate brought them together?
Golden Library Teen Advisory Board Applications due Aug. 1
Golden Teens! This is for you! If you’ve already filled out an application, don’t forget to bring it back to the Golden Library on or before this Sunday, Aug. 1! If you’re not sure what the TAB is, or why you should join, keep reading.
What is the Teen Advisory Board? The Teen Advisory Board is a group of students (grades 7-12 or homeschooled equivalent) who will meet monthly at the library to share ideas and unique perspective to improve library services to teens. Our meetings will be different from one month to the next, depending on the goals TAB members wish to pursue. We’ll likely discuss a wide variety of topics, including what’s going on this month at the library, news in the teen book world, and any ideas that you, the Teen Advisory Board, have for making the library a fun and informative place to be.
Reasons to Join the Teen Advisory Board
Make new friends
Get involved in your library and community
Fulfill volunteer requirements for college applications and community service
Recommend books, CDs and DVDs for the library
Suggest library programs for teens
Help with library projects
Because it’s fun!
Responsibilities of a TAB Member
Be an active participant of the TAB
Attend as many library programs as possible
Be a responsible library user
Be an advocate for the library and the TAB
Help with setup and cleanup at meetings
Is the Teen Advisory Board for You?
Will you be a student in grade 7-12 (or homeschooled equivalent) in the 2010-2011 school year?
Can you commit to attending as many of our meetings (on the second Monday of the month*, between 4-5:30 p.m.) as possible?
Can you fulfill the responsibilities of a TAB member?
Are you interested in the library and improving services to teens?
* except for October, when we’ll meet on the third Monday
Hurry, hurry, hurry! Pick up an application at any Golden Library information desk (there is one teeny bit for a parent to fill out) and bring it back by Aug. 1 to be considered for Golden’s NEW Teen Advisory Board!
It's the middle of summer, school is a long way off yet, and you're looking for something to do, right? Here are some ideas of FREE and almost-free stuff to do around Denver. Have fun!
Register for the Teen Summer Reading Club, read 8 hours before the end of July, and you can get free passes to Brunswick Lanes, Lakeside Amusement Park, and a free ticket to a Rapids game!
Download a list of free days at various museums, the zoo, and Botanic Gardens!
Don't want to wait for a free day? Follow the instructions to get a culture pass.
Here's a list of free things to do around the metro-area.
And here's another list of free things to do nearby, but also around the state.
The teens paired up, one artist and one zombie model per team. When the zombies were fully rotting and very undead, they each took a turn on the runway. The category and overall winners were selected by our esteemed judges, Marcellus Turner, Marjorie Elwood, and Leslie Bonato. Here's how the undead and their artists placed:
BEST WOUND: Team 3 The Hufflepoosters Kalyn O'Byrne and Miranda Flora
BEST OUTFIT: Team 4 New Age Dead Stephany Moss and Analise Handley
BEST MAKEUP: Team 2 Thriller! Miah McConkey and Dillon McConkey
BEST OVERALL and BEST WALK: Team 1 Give Me Your Brains Kayla Kim and Cristina Kim
6-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 14 At the Standley Lake Library
Combine two great flavors this July at Standley Lake Library! Enjoy conversation about your favorite books over a slice of pizza. Bring your library card - you're guaranteed to want to check something out!
It’s summer, and what’s better than enjoying the fabulous free entertainment (not to mention the air conditioning) at the library? Going to a movie! Here are some reviews we’ve received of movies showing this summer. Add your own reviews (or read others) here.
Eclipse i saw the midnite showing and i thought it was really great!!! cant wait to see it again, loved it! - nikki, 13
Alice in Wonderland so worth my time! it was just one of those movies that's soo good that you can't explain it. - ABI, 13
While it was a good movie, I think that Tim Burton was just trying to use flashy colors and interesting backgrounds to distract from the thin plotline. - ChRaMc, 13
This movie is awesome, way better then the cartoon! I love the special effects!!! - Alayna, 12
This was an amazing movie, especially in 3-D. I enjoyed the story line and the different approach to to classic stroy of Wonderland. Although I think that Tim burton needs to try a new actor, I believe that Johnny Depp was the perfect actor for this movie. - Olivia, 15
Toy Story 3 this movie was soooooooooooooooo funny i luved it the big teddy bear was so mean though but still good movie - bree, 11
It was a really great movie and very funny! Barbie and Ken were really funny! - Natasha, 12
Prince of Persia I loved this movie!! If you don't like fighting, though, you probably won't like the movie. - Kira, 13
it was amazing, breath taking. - Krystal, 16
What else have you seen? I’m hearing great things about The A-Team and How to Train Your Dragon and bad things about The Last Airbender and The Karate Kid. Leave your reviews on our movie review page or in the comments here.
Linger, the sequel to Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, comes out July 20th. The author created this trailer and it is something special. (Even if you haven't read the book.) Want more? Read Maggie's blog.
For your reading pleasure during the summer reading club, READ RENEW RETURN
They are packaged with rubber bands and a red tag indicating the theme of the bundle. When you check them out, just leave the rubber bands and tag at the check out desk. Ask a librarian if you need help!
Teens can learn a fun and practical craft this summer at Standley Lake Library. Using old magazines and glue, make your own sturdy, useable bowls. You'll never wonder what to do with your old magazines - and never go without a bowl - ever again!
You may be asking yourself why we have posted a picture of the backs of our heads onto this blog. The answer is, we want to have a reminder of what our real hair looks like before we color our hair. That’s right, stodgy teen librarians around the system will be coloring their hair pink, red, blue, purple or green if the teens at their library meet the finisher goal for the Summer Reading Club!
Learn more about how you can turn your teen librarian’s hair a different color!
Just for fun, see if you can identify which librarian is your teen librarian.
As one of the youngest members of a family of international thieves, Katarina Bishop has been helping pull jobs since she was three-years-old. At 15, Kat wanted out. She escaped “the life” by conning her way into one of the world’s most elite boarding schools. She left her family, her friends and everything she knew for a chance at a new life. Then, three months later, she was pulled back in. Five valuable works of art have been stolen from a very dangerous man and Kat’s father is his prime suspect. Kat’s been given two weeks to find the paintings and see them returned if she wants to protect the people closest to her. She has assembled a crew and they’re about to take on the biggest heist of their lives.
This new title from Ally Carter, author of the Gallagher Girls series, is like a teenage Ocean’s 11. The characters are lots of fun and you will enjoy figuring out all the angles as the crew works their biggest job. Heist Society is quick, exciting and hard to put down. This book will not disappoint anyone looking for a good story with lots of danger and adventure.
We need a new name! Sure, JCPL Teens is descriptive enough, but it's a little utilitarian, don't you think? Some of our favorite blogs have clever names, like The Fictionistas, Hip Librarians Book Blog, In the Library with the Lead Pipe and Persnickety Snark. Would a blog by any other name be as awesome? Help us out! We'll be accepting suggestions (submitted as comments to this post) until July 1st. After that, we'll hold a contest to choose the winner. Get creative! Get clever!
"The name we give to something shapes our attitude to it" - Katherine Paterson
PS: Incidentally, I am loving this song right now:
It's time for the Teen Summer Reading Club again! Read, Renew, Return all summer long from June 1st through July 31. We will have programs throughout the summer and prizes to keep you reading (as if you needed that!).
Here are a few reasons to come into your local Jefferson County Public Library and join the Club this year:
COUPONS - You'll get coupons just for signing up and you'll get even more after you finish your first 8 hours of reading
FREE BOOKS - You'll also get a free book beginning on Book Award Day (check your library for the date) for finishing your first 8 hours of reading
EMBARRASS YOUR LIBRARIAN- We are challenging teens at each library in Jefferson County to reach a goal for the number of teens who finish 8 hours of reading throughout the summer. If the teens meet that number at your library, your teen librarian will dye her hair a very bright and embarrassing color. You can vote on the color when you finish your first 8 hours. Check with your library to find out about your goal.
GAMING - When you read 16 hours over the summer, you can enter a drawing to get an invitation to Games Night. Games Night is an after hours gaming event just for teens that will be held on August 6 at many of the library locations.
But wait, there's more!
Whether you join the Summer Reading Club or not, we will be holding programs just for teens throughout the summer. Look for these exciting and FREE programs @ your library:
Hemp Jewelry
Altered T-Shirts
CD Disco Balls
Manga Drawing
Book Swaps
Woodland Creature Habitats
Come by and see us this summer and enjoy all of the events going on for teens!
Seen any good movies lately? Some of the best (and worst) movies are based on books! Here is a list of some movies based on books for teens. Let us know if you've seen them and what you thought of them. Did you know you can post movie reviews on the Library's website?
Rock out in celebration of summer! To mark the last day of classes, teens are invited to the Standley Lake Library to play Guitar Hero until their fret-fingers cramp up. Friday, May 28 3-4:30 p.m. - Drop by any time!
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Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Elephant Run
Homestretch
Lizard Love
It's the middle of summer, school is a long way off yet, and you're looking for something to do, right? Here are some ideas of FREE and almost-free stuff to do around Denver. Have fun!
6-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 14
It’s summer, and what’s better than enjoying the fabulous free entertainment (not to mention the air conditioning) at the library? Going to a movie! Here are some reviews we’ve received of movies showing this summer. Add your own reviews (or read others) 
One Theme, Three Books
You may be asking yourself why we have posted a picture of the backs of our heads onto this blog. The answer is, we want to have a reminder of what our real hair looks like before we color our hair. That’s right, stodgy teen librarians around the system will be coloring their hair pink, red, blue, purple or green if the teens at their library meet the finisher goal for the Summer Reading Club! 
We need a new name! Sure, JCPL Teens is descriptive enough, but it's a little utilitarian, don't you think? Some of our favorite blogs have clever names, like 
Rock out in celebration of summer! To mark the last day of classes, teens are invited to the Standley Lake Library to play Guitar Hero until their fret-fingers cramp up. Friday, May 28 3-4:30 p.m. - Drop by any time! 
