Teen Stuff from Marshalltown Public Library http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=3649&BlogID=106 books, news, etc. all for teens Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT Copyright 2026 Marshalltown Public Library en-us Sun, 14 Jun 2026 01:34:40 CDT Looking For Alaska by John Green http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=3649&BlogID=106&BlogPostID=4420 We had a great discussion of Looking For Alaska at the March 24 LOL. Here is a list of recommended books along the lines of  "If You Liked Looking for Alaska...You Might Like:"

The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher
Someday this pain will be useful to you by Peter Cameron
The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Nick and Norah's infinite playlist by Rachel Cohn
Ordinary ghosts by Eireann Corrigan
Born to rock by Gordon Korman
The astonishing adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
King Dork by Frank Portman
Maybe by Brent Runyon
Saints of Augustine by Patrick Ryan
What my girlfriend doesn't know by Sonya Sones
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Blankets (graphic novel) by Craig Thompson
I am the messenger by Markus Zusak

This list came from a list on Novelist (if you are an MPL library customer, you can access the list (with cover art and annotations) yourself by calling 754-5738 to get your login and password).

Lisa L. at LOL also recommended that the books The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst and As Simple As Snow by Gregory Galloway be added to this list.

I would also recommend A Separate Peace by John Knowles, a double recommendation of I am the messenger by Markus Zusak (already recommended above), a book of poetry by Auden (writer of the line"love your crooked neighbour with your crooked heart" in his poem As I Walked Out One Evening), and a book like Quotationary (with an entry on famous last words).

]]> joa Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:51:17 GMT LOL-Recommended "Books We Love" http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=3649&BlogID=106&BlogPostID=4414  

These books were highly recommended by participants at the recent "Books We Love" session of LOL at MHS:

The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution and Birth in America
by Joseph Priestly (Adult Biography, B Priestly)
 
The Making of America: The Substance and Meaning of the Constitution (textbook)
 
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth Speare (TEEN PB Speare Book on Cassette)
 
Project 17 by Laurie Stolarz (TEEN Stolarz)
 
Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling (J Rowling JCD books)
 
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (J Funke book on cassette)
 
Slumdog Millionaire by Vikus Swarup (on order)
 
Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven (Adult SF, Niven)
 
Neuromancer by William Gibson (Adult SF, Gibson)
 
Brisingr (and Inheritance series) by Christopher Paolini (TEEN SF Paolini TEEN CD Book)
 
Legend of Luke ( rest of the Redwall series) by Brian Jacques (J Jacques)
 
Interesting Times (Discworld series) by Terry Pratchett (Adult SF, Pratchett)
 
Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen (Adult Fiction, Gruen Adult CD Book)
 
Alex Rider series (starts with Stormbreaker) by Anthony Horowitz (TEEN Horowitz,
TEEN PB Horowitz TEEN CD Book)
 
The Last Summer (of you and me) by Ann Brashares (Adult Fiction, Brashares)
 
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Adult Fiction, Kidd Cassette book)
 
Midnight for Charlie Bone (& Charlie Bone series) by Jenny Nimmo (J Nimmo JCD Books)
 
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (TEEN Chbosky)
 
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Adult Fiction, Hosseini Adult CD book movie version)
 
Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (TEEN Rhodes)
 
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Adult SF, Adams TEEN SF, Adams)
 
I Am Messenger by Markus Zusak (TEEN Zusak TEEN CD book)
 

 

 

]]> joa Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:10:16 GMT LOL-Recommended SciFi/Fantasy http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=3649&BlogID=106&BlogPostID=4413  

Science Fiction and Fantasy Titles Recommended by MHS LOL group:
 
Tsubasa (manga series) by Koichi Mashimo (TEEN GN Tsubasa)
 
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (and all Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis (J Lewis JCD Lewis of all series Spanish graphic novel version)
 
Life as We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer (J Pfeffer, TEEN Pfeffer, JCD Book)
 
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Adult Fiction, McCarthy CD Book on Tape)
 
How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove (could request)
 
Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin (Adult SF LeGuin: Five Complete Novels)
 
Where late the sweet birds sang by Kate Wilhelm (Adult SF Wilhelm)
 
The Shamer’s Daughter (and whole series) by Lene Kaaberbol (TEEN SF Kaaberbol)
 
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (J Rowling JCD books)
 
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci (series) by Diane Wynne Jones (TEEN PB Jones)
 
The Wind Singer (Wind on the Fire series, Book 1) by William Nicholson (on order)
 
Pendragon (series) by D.J. MacHale (J MacHale)
 
Stone Canal (Fall Revolution series) by Ken McCleod (could request)
 
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (Adult Fiction, Gaiman)
 
Brisingr (and series) by Christopher Paolini (TEEN SF Paolini)
 
Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko (Adult SF, Lukyanenko)
 
Magic Kingdom of Landover series by Terry Brooks (Adult SF, Brooks some on CD)
 
Inkheart (trilogy with Inkspell, and Inkdeath) by Cornelia Funke (J Funke JCD books)
 
Clash of Kings(Book 2 of A Song of Fire and Ice series) by George RR Martin (Adult SF Martin)
 
The Gunslinger (Book one ofrecommended Dark Tower series) by Stephen King
(Adult Fiction, King Adult CD Book)
 
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (Adult Fiction, Gaiman TEEN PB Gaiman TEEN CD book)
 
The Dig by Alan Dean Foster (out of print, could be borrowed on interlibrary loan)
 
A Great and Terrible Beauty (trilogy with Rebel Angels and A Sweet, Far Thing)
by Libba Bray (TEEN SF Bray TEEN CD books)

]]> joa Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:07:02 GMT LOL discussion of Science Fiction/Fantasy http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=3649&BlogID=106&BlogPostID=4004 Please come to our Tuesday, January 10 session of LOL to recommend a science fiction/fantasy/horror book you have read. If you need some ideas, see this booklist from VOYA.

If you are not usually a sci fi/fantasy fan, here is a few recommendations of books you might like:

The Shamer's Daughter series
Books by Sherryl Jordan including The Hunting of the Last Dragon, The Secret Sacrament
Gregor the Overlander series by Suzanne Collins
A Fast and Brutal Wing (very interesting read recommended to me by Mrs. Inhelder at MHS...you have to decide if it actually fantasy or not)
A Great and Terrible Beauty and sequels by Libba Bray
The Giver by Lois Lowry (dystopia)
 
Please add your own by posting comments. joa

]]> joa Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:30:48 GMT Upcoming LOL programs http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=3649&BlogID=106&BlogPostID=2202 In celebration of Valentine's Day and Library Lovers month, we'll have a special Book Lovers LOL on Tuesday, February 12th. Just come with an idea of a book to recommend...bring a copy if you can or email me and I'll bring one from here. PLUS we'll have treats, and prizes...we'll have some random drawings for some new books that are by authors we've read over the past couple years for LOL. All you have to do is come, and you have a chance of winning a new book.

LOL takes place at MHS in Mrs. Fritzell's Room (106) and takes place over the A and/or B lunch periods.
 
Also, there is still time to read (and copies available of) Stone in My Hand to read before our special visitor, Palestian Dana Awaad, comes on Tuesday, February 19th. Even if you don't have time to read or finish the book, please sign up to come and learn more about this country...as she'll be traveling from Ames to talk with you. She has recommended the following website if you want to learn more about the country before she visits.
 
 
Passia: Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs: www.passia.org
 
B'tselem: Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories: www.btselem.org

I also just read Three Wishes by Deborah Ellis...which I would highly recommend. Ellis interviewed Israeli and Palestian youth about living in this conflicted part of the world.
 
 

]]> joa Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:13:49 GMT Follow-up on LOL Book Club Discussion of Ender's Game http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=3649&BlogID=106&BlogPostID=1985 I very much enjoyed our quite spiritied discussions of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card....it also brought up more questions than answers for me.

One thing mentioned in both A and B lunch periods was the rumor that Michael Jackson owned the movie rights to the novel. I checked on that and I believe that information is going to fall under the realm of "urban legend". The info I could find shows that Fresco Pictures has been working with Card on the screenplay...I couldn't find any potential release dates, or even an indication if the project is moving forward, etc. If you find more info...please post under the comments.

Also, I incorrectly stated that the book Ender's Game was written in 1977. I have since discovered, thanks to our sci-fi guru here at MPL, Kevin Maring, that part of the book was published as a short story in 1977, but that the novel wasn't published until 1986 (when it won the Hugo and Nebula Awards.)

A contested plot point in our discussion seemed to be whether or not (or precisely when) the Buggers connected (via their unique mental form of communication) with Ender and the exact origin/role of the video game he played (the one with the giant) and the subsequent replica land.  I don't think this point was resolved...and wondered, after people had a chance to look back over the book, or think about it more...what do you think?

One thing most of us seemed to agree on was our dislike of the newer cover art (in relationship to the tone/intended audience for the book.)

]]> joa Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:58:22 GMT Follow-up to LOL Book Discussion of The Kite Runner http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=3649&BlogID=106&BlogPostID=1828 LOL, the high school book club that meets over the lunch hour to discuss a book (or other ideas) at least once a month just finished with an Iowa High School Book Award winner, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

This book was made into a movie that has just been released in theaters, and tells the story of two boys who have grown up together in Afghanistan: Amir, a wealthy elite Pashtun, and Hassan, his Hazara servant. When Amir secretly witnesses a brutal assault on Hassan by village bullies, the guilt over his unwillingness to stand up for or even try to protect his friend eats away at him throughout his life.

While many parts of this novel are painful or disturbing to read, the insight into Afghan culture, the glimpse of what the country was like before the Taliban, and the multi-layered relationships among the characters make this a book that is hard to put down.

A few "read beyond" ideas for those who want to read more about Afghanistan: A Thousand Splendid Suns, also by Khaled Hosseini, The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seirstad, The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky by Farah Ahmedi,  Kabul Beauty School: Beneath the Veil of Afghan Women by Deborah Rodriguez, and Zoya's Story: An Afghan Woman's Struggle for Freedom by Zoya.

In the juvenile collection, recommended titles include Parvana's Journey (see review on my Kids Blog), and it's prequel The Breadwinner, both by Deborah Ellis, and Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples.

 

]]> joa Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:32:22 GMT Interesting article....for those who have read Feed http://engagedpatrons.org/Blogs.cfm?SiteID=3649&BlogID=106&BlogPostID=1466 I just saw something that I thought those readers of the young adult novel Feed by M.T. Anderson might be interested in. (Our LOL high school group read and discussed feed last spring.)

I was just reading through a library journal and came across reference to this article "Direct Brain-to-Game Interface Worries Scientists" from Wired magazine (link below). It talks about how the technology will use brain activity--essentially thought--as the video game controller...which is really close to how the implanted "feed" in the futuristic sci fi novel used thought to automatically innundate the thinker with "targeted" information.

http://www.wired.com/print/medtech/health/news/2007/09/bci_games

 

]]> joa Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:23:54 GMT