Carrie @ Newport Way Archive.

Heads up, Newport Way Library high school students!  Mercer Island Library is hosting a series of SAT Prep classes in March and April.  The classes are free, but space is limited. 

Get ready for the SAT with five classes taught by Sandweiss:

• sessions run Sundays, March 28 through April 25, from 2-5pm 
• the series includes three prep sessions, a practice test and a review of test results
• each participant receives an Official SAT Study Guide
• participants must register for and attend all five sessions 

To register, call 206 - 236 - 3537 or click here to register.  When you register, you will be signed up automatically for all five sessions.  NOTE that this class is held at Mercer Island Library, not at Newport Way Library. 

It's rainy and kind of crummy in the Puget Sound region right now...perfect for curling up with a book!  You might start with books honored by librarians, teachers, and other heavy readers.  The Michael L. Printz Award for literary excellence is given to a book for teens every year.  Winning this award is the highest achievement in teen lit!  KCLS teen librarians also choose books for what we call the Mock Printz Award.  

The Printz Award Winner for 2010 is

Going Bovine  by Libba Bray

Sixteen year old slacker, Cameron, sets off on a madcap road trip with a punk angel, a dwarf, a yard gnome, and a mad scientist...to save the world and perhaps his own life!  This wildly imaginative modern take on Don Quixote is complex, hilarious, and stunning.  Cameron's life will never be the same after "going bovine."

Printz Honor Books for 2010 include

•  Charles and Emma: the Darwins' Leap of Faith  by Deborah Heiligman  

Once Charles Darwin sets his rational mind to marry the religious Emma Wedgeworth, they both must take a leap of faith in order to build a life together.

• The Monstrumologist: William James Henry  by Rick Yancey        

Will Henry, orphan and assistant to a monstrumologist, races against time to save his town (and himself) from the anthropophagi, a pod of monstrous creatures who prey on humans.

• Punkzilla  by Adam Rapp                                                        

Fourteen-year-old runaway Jamie, homeless and strung out, embarks on a harrowing journey to reach his dying brother.

• Tales of the Madman Underground: an Historical Romance, 1973  by John Barnes                                                                                                         

Karl Shoemaker wants to begin his senior year with a new identity separate from his counseling group, his alcoholic mother and the legacy of his dead father.

The Mock Printz Award for 2010 (chosen by *your very own KCLS teen librarians) goes to

• Marcelo in the Real World  by Francisco X. Stork

The Mock Printz first and second runners-up for 2010 are

• Wintergirls  by Laurie Halse Anderson
• The Color of Earth  by Kim Dong Hwa (graphic novel)

Click on the titles of the books to place a hold.  Happy reading !!

Did you know you can find book reviews in the KCLS catalog?  And anyone can write a review--just enter an email address and password! 

• For example, right now there are 11 reviews of Schooled (by Gordon Korman) in the KCLS catalog.  Look under the picture of the book cover and click on "11 reviews."  Here is one of them:

"This book was exciting and it sucked me in, just like a vacuum cleaner. It is about a hippie whose grandmother (Rain) has fallen out of a plum tree, (don't ask me why) and Cap has gone to live in the world we know as modern times. Will Cap survive the everyday challenges? Why should I tell you? Read it!"  

And here is a review from our catalog for Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: 

"What a truly uplifting book! I very, very rarely read books about teenage boys, however I'm so glad I read this one. How this boy manages to overcome poverty and grief with laughter and determination is so inspiring. He never lets hope die and never gives up. Arnold works hard to see people for who they are rather than what they are. I was completely drawn into the story laughing and crying at times over the hope, sorrow and pain..."  

• You can also look for author/book websites to find out about books. 

Anyone interested in picture/word combos will like The Invention of Hugo Cabret (by Brian Selznick).  One of the best reviews of this book is a Flash slideshow of some *awesome* drawings from the book.  Reading this book is like watching a movie!  Take a peek!   

If you haven't read The True Meaning of Smekday (by Adam Rex), well...Boov-humbug!  Take a journey with Gratuity (aka Tip), her cat Pig, and a Boov named JLo.  In this book, Christmas = Smekday and a year has only three months.  Confused?  Tune in to the Boovian tutorial for humans --and have a Merry Smekday!  

• Another great place to find book reviews by and for teens is Teenreads, where books are organized by title.  And look for book reviews in KCLS Databases, using your library card.  Try Booklist Online (under 'B') and NoveList (under 'N').  Finally, the KCLS Library Talk blog has a teen page loaded with talk about books for teens.      

 BTW, place a hold on any of the books above by clicking on the title.

The book buzz at Newport Way and our local schools is all about the most popular nominees for the Young Reader's Choice Award.  You can place a hold on the books by clicking on the title.  The reviews below are gathered from teen and adult book lovers across the country.  And what do they say about the books?  Check 'em out! 

The Candy Shop War - Brandon Mull

"I could not put this book down.  When I first started to read this book I thought this was going to be another 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' story.  Boy was I wrong.  When I got to the middle of the book, I had to stop and find something chocolate to eat before I could continue, the plot was that mouth watering...I recommend parents to read this one out loud to their kids to explain the moral about candy and strangers..."  More > 

The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trent Lee Stewart

" 'Are you a gifted child looking for Special Opportunities?'  As Reynie proceeds through a series of clever, convoluted tests, there is no doubt he is gifted.  Sticky, Kate, and Constance Contraire also pass the tests...they must work together to defeat the evil Mr. Curtain, who is plotting to take over the world using a type of mind control."  More > 

The Alchemyst: the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel - Michael Scott

"It seems that Josh's boss is not who he claims to be.  Nick and Perry are really Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, and their secrets don't stop there...[ancient myths] transform this fast-paced rollercoaster of magic, mystery, and myth into a new legend..."  More > 

City of Bones - Cassandra Clare

"I am very pleased to say that this book almost outdoes the Twilight saga.  I have not yet determined which is better but both had me unable to stop reading.  This book deals with demons, vampires, and supernatural beings in a new and interesting way.  The main character, Clary, is very intelligent and takes in her new 'sight' without any doubts.  The twist in this book is insane and sad, to me, and it will make you want to read the second book, City of Ashes, to find out the truth."  (from a review in the KCLS catalog)  More > 

Hey, kids and teens!  Need some book recommendations for the holiday break?  Check the blog between now and December 21st for reviews of some of the Young Reader's Choice Award nominees for 2010.  You can also check out past nominees and winners. 

The Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award is the oldest award for books chosen by kids in the US and Canada.  Since 1940, students, librarians, teachers, and parents have nominated books. 

Then, each year, you guys get to read as many books as you can and vote between March 15 and April 15 !!  If your school is not participating, talk to your local KCLS librarian about voting.

 Teachers, you might want to take a look at YRCA resources. 

The 2009 winners of the National Book Award were announced this week.  For a list of all the nominees, and interviews with many of the authors, visit the National Book Foundation site.

Winning titles are linked below to the KCLS catalog, where you can place a hold.

Adult Fiction

 Let the Great World Spin / Colum McCann 

In the dawning light of a late-summer morning, the people of lower Manhattan stand hushed, staring up in disbelief at the Twin Towers. It is August 1974, and a mysterious tightrope walker is running, dancing, leaping between the towers, suspended a quarter mile above the ground. In the streets below, a slew of ordinary lives become extraordinary in Colum McCann's intricate portrait of a city and its people.  (book jacket)

 Adult Non-fiction

The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt / T.J. Stiles             

In The First Tycoon, Stiles offers the first complete, authoritative biography of this titan, and the first comprehensive account of the Commodore's personal life. It is a sweeping, fast-moving epic, and a complex portrait of the great man.  (book jacket) 

Young People's Literature

How could we not know of this courageous teenager and her remarkable contribution to the U.S. civil rights movement? Phillip Hoose's riveting and intelligent portrait incorporates photographs and other galvanizing primary source illustrations, as well as Claudette Colvin's own voice, to draw the reader fully into 1950s Montgomery, Alabama.  (from the National Book Foundation website)                                             

Poetry

Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy / Keith Waldrop

These three linked series achieve a fusion arcing from the Romantic to the Postmodern that demonstrates language's capacity to go to extremes--and to haul daily lived experience right along with it: life imitates language, and when language becomes these poems, life itself gets more various, more volatile, more vital.  (from the National Book Foundation website) 

It's never too late to write a novel!  NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) continues through November 30.  KCLS provides free writing workshops for youth, teens, and adults. 

And if you're not quite ready for (ahem) 175 pages?  Try a writers group for teens.  Several library branches have groups that meet regularly.

If you can get to Seattle, Richard Hugo House offers a free, drop-in writing circle every Wednesday from 6-7 pm.  Check out other Hugo House workshops for teens or enter the Gods and Monsters new works competition.  There's a $100 prize!!

(image from Karin Dalziel)

We open the meeting room for study most school days from 3:00 - 5:00 pm.  Students can work on group projects, study on their own, or just hang out.  

The meeting room is available:

Beginning October 15,  Study Zone will take place every Thursday from 3:00 to 5:00 pm in the meeting room.

Volunteer tutors, trained by KCLS, provide free homework help during Study Zone hours.  K-12 students can find help in all subject areas, including math, science and reading. 

If you have any questions about Study Zone, contact Teen Librarian Carrie Bowman at 425.747.2390.

Kids in grades K-4 can practice reading with teens this summer.  Teen volunteers will listen to kids read and play games with them to improve their reading skills.

Kids can sign up for one 30-minute session each week, starting June 23.  If no one is waiting, kids can continue for a second 30-minute session.  Dropping in is fine, too, so if you can't sign up, just drop in!

Look for Read & Lead signs and teens with name tags in the Children's Area of the library.  A teen will greet kids and parents.

When:  Tuesdays from 3-6 pm

July 7th - 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm

July 14th - 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm

July 21st -  3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm

July 28th - 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm

August 4th - 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm

August 11th -  3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm

August 18th -  3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30pm, 5pm, 5:30pm

 (photo by cleverclaire)   

Take a field trip to the Library!  KidsQuest Children's Museum is coming to the Library next week (Tuesday, May 19) with hands-on activities for kids in grades 4 and up.

May 19 @ 4:00 pm -- Northwest Animal Wildlife  

Come see skins, replica skulls, and play around with activities relating to Northwest wildlife!

photo: Mike Baird                                                                                                                     photo: Jeff Kramer