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AUGUST 31, 2011
Where Children Sleep

Photographer James Mollison wanted to represent needy children in an original way.  He chose to photograph where they sleep to show the remarkable differences around the world.  The New York Times has posted a selection of his photos.  If you're intrigued, check out his book, Where Children Sleep.

I didn't add a photo to this post because they are all so very powerful, none better than another.  Please, click through.  It's worth the look.
 

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 30, 2011
One button Bob.

This game kept me distracted for a very long time.  How far did you get?

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 29, 2011
Vampire Academy is ending… sort of.

Straight from the author, Richelle Mead.
Richelle Mead

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 28, 2011
Calling all Writers!

StoryMakers

Students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades are invited to write a short story for a contest sponsored by Rocky Mountain PBS.  The deadline is October 14th, so get writing!

If you win, let us know.  Maybe we can post your story here!

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 27, 2011
Meet the Pond Snail
Want to know more?  Check out our International Wildlife database.

 

These small slimy creatures inhabit freshwater ponds world wide. They use their file like tongues to lick their food into small pieces. They have a tube like pouch of tissue by their lungs that functions as a snorkel. They live for one to two years happily licking algae and other plant matter. They have sometimes been known to even eat other snails. These snails are hermaphroditic, meaning they are both male and female, but still reproduction usually will happen with two snails. The eggs are then laid in gelatinous groups of 2-100 and will hatch in about 2-3 weeks. Pond snails don't just live in water but can also be found in ditches and muddy areas. They can even survive in ice. Don't you want one as a pet?

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posted by Arra, Lakewood Library

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AUGUST 26, 2011
What can you do in a minute?
Did you go to the Minute To Win It program at Standley Lake? What do you think about these under-a-minute accomplishments, as reported by Guinness World Records?

  • Fastest time for a dog to pop 100 balloons: 44.49 seconds
  • Fastest 100 meter hurdles while wearing swim fins (think about that one for a second—I can barely stand up in swim fins!): 14.82 seconds
  • Most toilet seats broken with the head in one minute: 46

Check out these records and more at guinnessworldrecords.com.

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posted by Jessie, Columbine Library

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AUGUST 25, 2011
Books like The Hunger Games
Hunger Games coverDid you love The Hunger Games?  There are many reasons you might - the dystopian society, the strong characters, the love triangle.  Check out this Glogster poster which will lead you to your next great book.
 

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 24, 2011
Bizarre Scholarships
Time to start thinking about how you're going to pay for college?  There are some really weird scholarships out there.  You can get money for college just for having a certain last name, being short, or being a Star Trek fan.  Maybe one of them is perfect for you.
 

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 23, 2011
Looking for Music News?
Artist Direct logoTry Artist Direct for music reviews, interviews with artists, music videos, photos, and the latestst music news. The site even has free music downloads!

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posted by Jessie, Columbine Library

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AUGUST 23, 2011
Anthony Horowitz Interview

Anthony Horowitz

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 19, 2011
Crafty Myths and Legends?
coverYou can easily wrap your own mummy, make a wind goddess tiger kite, create a thunder drum…

I can hear you asking, “Oh teen services librarians, where can I learn about the above mentioned amazing project ideas?” 
 
And then you can hear us replying “Well, awesome teenagers, we are so glad you asked. You can learn how to make these projects (and more!) in this new book---World Myths and Legends: 25 projects you can build yourself by Kathy Ceceri.

 

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posted by Allison, Belmar Library

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AUGUST 18, 2011
The Monstrumology Situation
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey is a fantastic book.  Set in 1888, it is the story of 12-Monstrumologist coveryear-old Will Henry as he helps Dr. Warthrop, a scientist who hunts and studies real monsters.   It's got adventure, suspense, and the best monsters!  The author says, "The books are a love story disguised as a monster story. I can think of no better way to describe them." There's even a Tumblr with pictures and deleted scenes!  The sequel, The Curse of the Wendigo, continues the story with yet another fabulous monster to chase.  The third book, The Isle of Blood, is due out in Septmeber.

Everyone who has read this series posivitly raves about it and the first book was nominated for some really prestigous awards.  Here's the bad news: the publisher of this amazing series has decided to stop at three books.  They told the author this after he finished the third book so it doesn't even wrap up nicely.  Mr. Yancey expects at least one more book.  Also, everyone who has gotten their hands on The Isle of Blood say it is the best of the series so far!

The world of teen books is all a buzz about this revelation.  One blogger managed to interview Mr. Yancey about the situation (no spoilers but there are some mild curse words).  Fans are doing a letter campaign and encouraging others to read these books.

Have you read it?  What did you think?

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 17, 2011
Time to Vote!
Every year, the American Library Association hosts a contest where teens (like you) can vote for the best books of the year.   It's called the Teens' Top Ten and previous years' lists (scroll way down) are a great place to browse if you are looking for a new good book.

They have been collecting nominations since April for this year's contest.  Now it's time to vote!  You *must* be a teen to vote in this!  No cheating, adults!

The deadline for voting is September 15th and the winners will be announced during Teen Read Week, October 16-22.

The nominees are: 

Bachorz, Pam. Drought.
Beam, Cris. I Am J.
Beaudoin, Sean. You Killed Wesley Payne.
Black, Holly and Justine Larbalestier. Zombies vs. Unicorns.
Card, Orson Scott. The Lost Gate.
Clare, Cassandra. The Clockwork Angel.
Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay.
Collins, Yvonne. Love, Inc.
Condie, Ally. Matched.
Cremer, Andrea. Nightshade.
Fitzpatrick, Becca. Crescendo.
Grant, Michael. Lies.
Hawkins, Rachel. Demonglass.
Hawkins, Rachel. Hex Hall.
Kagawa, Julie. The Iron King.
Lore, Pittacus. I Am Number Four
Moore, Peter. Red Moon Rising. 
Nelson, Jandy. The Sky is Everywhere.
Oliver, Lauren. Before I Fall.
O’Neal, Ellis. The False Princess.
Patterson, James. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel.
Pearce, Jackson. Sisters Red.
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Blessed.
Westerfeld, Scott. Behemoth.
White, Kiersten. Paranormalcy.

I loved a lot of the books in this list, but if I were a teen, I would vote for Before I Fall by Oliver.  What will you vote for?

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 16, 2011
Secret Messages in Logos
Have you ever noticed that Amazon’s smile is also an A-Z reference. Cisco’s logo is also the Golden Gate Bridge? Tostitos has people enjoying salsa? This website shows the secret hidden meanings in twelve well-known logos.

Our logo has a hidden meaning too. Can you see it?

JCPL logo

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake

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AUGUST 15, 2011
The White Cat by Holly Black

In a world where curse magic is real, where bare hands are as dangerous as knives…
White Cat
Put a hold on it now!

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 14, 2011
Programs at Standley this week
We have two events for teens this week:

On Tuesday, August 16th, from 6-7pm, we're having the Do It Yourself University Kaplan class on acing the ACT/SAT Essay.  (Adults are invited to attend this too.)

On Wednesday, August 17th, from 7-8pm, we'll be having a Minute to Win It Teen Time.  Come see what silly tasks you can complete in a minute, just like on the show.

Teen Time Logo

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 13, 2011
Sticky Inventions

Here is a list of some sticky inventions:

  •  1906 Blibber-Blubber gum was invented by Frank Fleer but never went on sale. In 1928 Walter Diemer, an accountant at Fleer’s company, invented the pink Double Bubble gum that we all know today.
  • The Post-it note was launched in 1980. The glue was discovered by a company chemist Spencer Silver at 3M but it was Art Fry who suggested using it for Post-it notes.
  • In 1923 Richard Drew first invented masking tape as a solution to creating distinct lines in two toned auto body painting. Then in 1925 he produced what is known today as Scotch Tape.
  • Researchers Harry Coover and Fred Joyner invented cyanoacrylate 1942 when looking for a light plastic substance for gun sights. In 1951 they found that a trace of water triggered a chemical reaction that turns the liquid glue into plastic, thus the invention of Superglue.

Want to know more?  Try the Kids InfoBits database.

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posted by Arra, Lakewood Library

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AUGUST 12, 2011
Book Review: Lemonade and Other Poems

Lemonade, and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word by Bob Raczka and Illustrated by Nancy Doniger

Lemonade coverIf you like poetry or artistically arranged words, check out this book! Each poem is composed using a single word as a starting point. On the first page dedicated to the poem, the poem is artistically arranged. Sometimes it is difficult to read what the poem actually is on this page. However, do not despair! There is a second page dedicated to each poem where the poem is written in stanza form that anyone (even me) can read.

This would also be a fun book to take a look at if you write poetry yourself. After reading the poems in this book, you could challenge yourself to write poems springing from one word.
Just to give you a taste of Lemonade, here is the poem mentioned in the title of the book:
 
lemonade
 
made
one
and
 
added
one
lemon
load
 
and
one
mom
 

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posted by Rene, Evergreen Library

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AUGUST 11, 2011
News Nails
Rose's nailsNow you can have fun News Nails when you’re reading your favorite book from the library. When you’re picking out your book from the library, people will stop and think, “Wow, that girl reads so many books there coming out of her nails!” I’ve gotten many reactions to my News Nails like, are those fake nails, where did you go and get those done and, how did you do that? I’ve gotten many great reactions. It doesn’t take long and you should have most of the supplies at home.
 
You will need:
White nail polish
Rubbing alcohol
News paper
Clear nail polish
Cotton balls
 
Steps:
  1. Make sure your nails are clean and free of polish.
  2. Paint your nails white. (I did 2 coats but it depends on the nail polish how many you will need)
  3. Let your nails dry fully.
  4. Get a cotton ball wet with rubbing alcohol.
  5. Get your favorite news paper and rip 10 little pieces off. (Make sure your pieces have words on them and are big enough to fit on your nails, bigger is better)
  6. Place a news paper piece on your nail. (with the words toward your nail)
  7. Put the cotton ball form step 4. on the news paper.
  8. Hold the cotton ball firmly on your nail for 15-20 seconds.
  9. Peel off cotton ball and news paper from your nail and let dry.
  10. Repeat until all your nails are done.
  11. After your nails are dry paint them over with a coat of clear nail polish to make them last longer.
  12. Enjoy you fun News Nails.
So try your own News Nails and read your favorite book like, Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games, or whatever you want to read, but whatever you read you will be reading in style.

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posted by Rose, volunteer at the Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 10, 2011
Who Had the Best Civil War Facial Hair?
John Dunlap StevensonThere’s beards, mustaches, sideburns.. and mutton chops. 

Vote for your favorite at the Smithsonian’s cool Civil War website.

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 9, 2011
Some words about words
1. "Typewriter" is the longest word that can be made using the letters on only one row of the keyboard.
2. "Go" is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
3. No word in the English language rhymes with "orange," "silver," "purple," or "mouth."
4. "Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
5. The sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the alphabet.
6. The only 15-letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is "uncopyrightable."
7. "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in "mt."
8. Only 4 words in the English language end in "dous": "tremendous," "horrendous," "stupendous," and "hazardous."
9. The letters of the alphabet in order of frequency of use are: ETAISONHRDLUCMFWYPGVBKJQXZ
10. Five words begin with "dw": dwarf, dwell, dwelling, dwindling, dwy.
11. The 3 longest word without using a vowel are: "crwth" (pronounced krooth), which is a type of stringed instrument, "llwchwr," a city district in Wales, and "rhythms."
12. The longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched."

From The Book of Lists for Teens by Sandra and Harry Choron

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 8, 2011
My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

Some things in life simply aren’t a choice.
My Life Undecided
Put a hold on it now!

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 6, 2011
Science Saturday - Periodic Table of Elements

The periodic table has been around since 1869 when Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleyev put the elements in ascending order of atomic size. He was even left gaps in the table for elements that had not yet been discovered. Recently, the periodic table got a new look. In the past elements that did not have a static atomic weight were given an average weight on the table. Now, 10 elements with fluctuating weights will be displayed as a range instead of a single number. There are two new elements that were added to the periodic table just this year. They don't have names yet but go by the numbers 114 and 116. These elements were created by smashing atoms together and only existed for a couple of seconds.

Want to know more about the periodic table?

Check out our online database Science Online

Check out this fascinating book about the periodic table: The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World From the Periodic Table of the Elements

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posted by Arra, Lakewood Library

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AUGUST 5, 2011
Free (Audio)Book Friday!

Sync logoIf you liked A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, you're definitely going to want to download Gillian Shields' Immortal. Just trust me. And then you would be a fool not to download the greatest love story of all time (IMHO), Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. See if you can tell who Twilight's Edward is based on...don't worry, it's super obvious.

You will need to download the OverDrive Media Console to your computer, but only the first time. Once you have that, get your free audiobooks! You have until midnight on Wednesday, August 10th to get your free downloads. What are you waiting for???

Immortal book coverWuthering Heights book cover

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posted by Jenny, Golden Library

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AUGUST 4, 2011
Book Review: The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Mockingbirds coverI honestly didn’t expect to like this book, although mostly because I don’t like the cover! The Mockingbirds is about a girl who wakes up one morning and finds out she just lost her virginity to a boy she doesn’t know during a night she can’t remember. Her friends point out that if she was too drunk to agree to sex, then it counts as rape. She goes to a private boarding school where the teachers believe all the students are perfect—which means when a student does something wrong the teachers pretend it’s not happening. Because of this, the students have taken it upon themselves to investigate and dole out punishment for the crimes of other students.

What I loved most about this book is how powerful the teens are—they really take the initiative to make things happen! This is a great book for those who don’t mind the serious subject—especially if you want to feel empowered to fight injustice!

Have you read it?  What did you think?

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posted by Jessie, Columbine Library

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AUGUST 3, 2011
42 absolutely useless facts

1. Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

2. Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

3. The national anthem of Greece is 158 verses. No one in Greece has memorized all of them.

4. There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

5. The average person’s left hand does 58% o the typing.

6. The venom in Daddy Longlegs spiders is more poisonous than a Black Widow’s or a Brown Recluse’s, but they cannot bite humans because there jaws wont open wide enough.

7. Mel Blanc (the voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots.

8. A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

9. There are more chickens than people in the world.

10. Two-thirds of the world’s eggplants are grown in New Jersey.

11. On a Canadian $2 bill, an American flag is flying over the Parliament Building.

12. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

13. Shakespeare invented the words "assassination" and "bump"

14. Marilyn Monroe had six toes on one foot.

15. If you keep a goldfish in a dark room it will eventually turn white.

16. All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.

17. Winston Churchill was born in the ladies room during a dance.

18. Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.

19. Los Angeles’s full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula and can be abbreviated to 3.36% o its size: L.A.

20. A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

21. An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.

22. Tigers have striped skin not just striped fur.

23. The name of all the continents ends with the same letters that they start with.

24. In most ads, including those in newspapers, the time displayed on a watch is 10:10.

25. The only real person ever to be a Pez head was Betsy Ross.

26. The Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in the film It’s a Wonderful Life.

27. If you toss a penny 10,000 times, it will be heads not 5,000 times but more like 4,950. The heads picture weighs more.

28. A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.

29. American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.

30. China has more people who speak English than the U.S.

31. You share your birthday with at least 9 million other people in the world.

32. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

33. A goldfish has a memory span of 3 seconds.

34. A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.

35. On an American $1 bill, an owl is in the upper-left-hand corner of the upper-right "1," encased in the "shield." A spider is hidden in the front upper-right-hand corner.

36. It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

37. The winter on 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

38. Polar bears are left-handed.

39. A cockroach will live for nine days without its head before it starves to death.

40. In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.

41. Donald Duck comics were banned in Finland because Donald doesn’t wear pants.

42. Mister Rodgers was an ordained minister.

From The Book of Lists for Teens by Sandra and Harry Choron

 

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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AUGUST 2, 2011
Dragonflight Movie News
Dragonflight CoverAre you a science fiction fan? Then you might be excited by this news!

 

Dragonflight, the first novel in Anne McCaffrey’s science fiction series, The Dragonriders of Pern, is being scripted for a live-action feature. Pern fans, don’t hold your breath though, this is not the first time an adaptation has been in the works.

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posted by Rene, Evergreen Library

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AUGUST 1, 2011
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
If love were a disease, would you take the cure?

Delirium

Put a hold on it now.

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posted by Jenna, Standley Lake Library

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