Online Teen Readers - Events

Meet the Author: Sara Zarr

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 10:00:00 -0800

Meet National Book Award Finalist Sara Zarr for a virtual visit at Mercer Island Library on Tuesday, April 12 at 7pm.

Sara is the acclaimed author of three novels for young adults: Story of a Girl (National Book Award Finalist), Sweethearts (Cybil Award Finalist), and Once Was Lost (a Kirkus Best Book of 2009). Sara's fourth young adult novel, How to Save a Life, will be published in October 2011.

Sara will be answering questions generated by Online Teen Readers with the guidance of the Mercer Island Teen Advisory Board about writing and the creative process. Come with your own questions to ask, too!

More information about the event is available at www.kcls.org

Sara's visit sponsored by the Friends of Mercer Island Library.

Photo credit: Jeffrey Overstreet

Chat Address for Sara Zarr

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:00:00 -0800

The chat is tonight, 7pm! Follow this link to enter the chat room. You will need the password: kclsotrs. Before you go, though, here's a couple of things to know:

1) Even though we're not really in a meeting room at the library, the library Rules of Conduct still apply.

2) Be safe when you're meeting people online, even if you already know them and even if it's the library's chat room. Don't give out your full name or address. For other online safety tips, be sure to read the KCLS Online Safety Guide.

3) This is a teen room. While we welcome librarians, teachers, students, authors, etc., we would like them to refrain from commenting. There is one teen librarian moderator, but other interested adults should contact Jennifer Fleck at jafleck@kcls.org.

4) If necessary, folks who are not able to follow KCLS library rules will be asked to leave or banned from the chat room.

Photo by croncast on Flickr.com

Live Chat for Sara Zarr

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:36:37 -0800

Tuesday, March 29 at 7pm, join other teens to brainstorm questions to ask National Book Award nominee Sara Zarr for her virtual visit to Mercer Island Library. Meet up at the library and use a laptop computer or join in from home. The chat address will be posted tomorrow morning on the OTRs blog.

Sara will visit the library via Skype on Tuesday, April 12 at 7pm. She will field questions about reading, writing, publishing, and perhaps whatever else we come up with. Find out more about Sara's virtual visit at www.kcls.org.

Sara Zarr is the acclaimed author of three novels for young adults: Story of a Girl (National Book Award Finalist), Sweethearts (Cybil Award Finalist), and Once Was Lost (Kirkus Best Books of 2009).

This author visit brought to you by Online Teen Readers and Mercer Island Teen Advisory Board and sponsored by the Friends of Mercer Island Library.

Cupcakes & Books

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:00:02 -0800

We must have a sweet tooth-- first ice cream, now cupcakes! But it's hard to resist. After all, books are such a delicious treat, it makes us think of other goodies. So here's the latest:

Cupcakes & Books! On Tuesday, August 3 at 7pm, we'll be decorating and eating them at Mercer Island Library. We'll also be grabbing the very latest teen books.

Thanks to generous donations from Island Books and KCLS librarians, we will have Advanced Readers Copies, also known as ARCs, of books that haven't even been released for publication yet. Pick one up and review it on the blog, and the book is yours to keep!

Find out more about the event here.

Pictures by bookgrl on Creative Commons and Pamela from DC Metro

Summer Reading!

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:00:00 -0800

As you now know the summer book for OTR's is Marcelo In The Real World. We look forward to your wonderful reviews and want to know if you loved the book as much as we did! You might also win prizes for reading this month's pick. How you ask? Simply participate in KCLS' summer reading programs!

Read 3 Get 1 Free! Pick up the forms at your local library. Read three books. Write three reviews. Turn in the form. Get a free book! We do this all year long, but during the summer as you turn in your forms you are entered into both a monthly drawing for $25 Gift Cards to Target in June, Barnes and Noble in July and Zumiez in August and also for the end of the summer laptop drawing! So, start the summer off right by reading Marcelo In The Real World AND take part in R3Get1Free!!

Read-Flip-Win! Do you like to make movies, or see your beautiful face on the "big" screen? If the answer is YES then enter RFW! Simply create a video book trailer (think movie trailer) OR a video book review (think movie critic) and enter to win an HD Mino Flip video camera! Check out the contest page for more information! Check out this Video Book Review of Marcelo In The Real World!

Now that you know all about the wild and crazy stuff happening at the library this summer join in to win absolutely fantastic prizes!

For more information feel free to contact the two Jennifers - Jennifer Fleck jafleck@kcls.org or Jennifer Wooten jwooten@kcls.org 206-236-3537

Laurie Halse Anderson Tomorrow

Fri, 21 May 2010 13:56:27 -0800

The time has arrived!
Laurie Halse Anderson will have a virtual visit at Mercer Island Library tomorrow at 1pm.

Island Books is offering a 30% off coupon for any Laurie Halse Anderson book to anyone who comes to the event.

To register or to find out more, click here or visit kcls.org

Live Chat Address

Tue, 18 May 2010 18:52:39 -0800

The chat is now! Follow this link to enter the chat room. You will need the password: kclsotrs. Before you go, though, here's a couple of things to know:

1) Even though we're not really in a meeting room at the library, the library Rules of Conduct still apply.

2) Be safe when you're meeting people online, even if you already know them and even if it's the library's chat room. Don't give out your full name or address. For other online safety tips, be sure to read the KCLS Online Safety Guide.

3) This is a teen room. While we welcome librarians, teachers, students, authors, etc., we would like them to refrain from commenting. There are two teen librarian moderators, but other interested adults should contact Jennifer Fleck at jafleck@kcls.org

Virtual Visit With Laurie Halse Anderson!

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:58:31 -0800

As the kickoff to our new online bookclub, OTR is proud to welcome renowned teen author Laurie Halse Anderson! Ms. Anderson will Skype in from her home in Northern New York where she will discuss three of her books: Wintergirls, Chains and Speak.

When: Saturday May 22 at 1:00.

Where: Mercer Island Library Meeting Room

Registration required

In preparation for her visit, we will host a live chat where you can learn more about Online Teen Readers (OTRs) and also submit questions for Ms. Anderson. Live chat will be Tuesday May 18 at 7:00.

Check us out on Facebook too!

Welcome, Online Teen Readers!

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:26:38 -0800

Do you love to read, but never seem to have the time or the motivation? Would you like to read more, but you can't think of a "good" book? Have you thought about joining a book group, only to find you just can't fit a monthly meeting into your schedule?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Online Teen Readers is the place for you! OTRs (ott-ers) are teens reading and talking about books on their own schedule online.

BOOKS lets you know the featured book of the month with extra info about the story, the author, and other interesting tidbits.

CHATTER lets you know what other teens have to say about what they're reading, whether it's the featured book or one they discovered on their own.

EVENTS lets you know about fun get-togethers OTRs will be hosting. Look for author visits, pre-pub parties (look at books before they've even hit the book market), or chats.

Special thanks to artist extraordinairre, Martina, for the terrific OTRs logo. Thanks also to Mercer Island Library's Pre-Pub Club for the unofficial "reading" logo and Teen Advisory Board for program development.