New YA Books in the System!

Hello everyone! :) I just wanted to take a few quick minutes to tell you about a few new Young Adult books that are now in the system, available for checkout.

November Blues by Sharon Draper is a sequel to her Coretta Scott King Honor book The Battle for Jericho. The story revolves not only around Jericho, but also around his cousin's girlfriend, November. When a horrible accident robs Jericho and November of one of the only people they care about, will the two teens be able to deal with the aftermath of their loved one's death without falling apart?

The Icebound Land is the eagerly awaited third book in John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series. Halt has sworn to rescue his young apprentice, kidnapped by ruthless Skandian slave-traders, even though it means defying the king himself. Joined in his quest by warrior student Horace, the two men find themselves traversing the frozen northern islands, where they must battle a ruthless black-clad knight as they attempt to rescue their friend.

The Craftster Guide to Nifty, Thrifty, and Kitschy Crafts by Leah Kramer offers a marvelous collection of fifty different craft projects, nearly all of which originate from the 1950s and 1960s. Each craft comes complete with concise instuctions, full-color images, and a load of laugh-out-loud humor.

Infernal Devices is the third in Philip Reeve's Hungry City Chronicles, taking place nearly 20 years after the previous book, Predator's Gold. Tom and Hester now have a daughter named Wren, who longs for something more than the quiet town they live in. However, being kidnapped isn't exactly what she had in mind. Nevertheless, before Wren knows it, the young teenager has set off a series of events that will lead both her and her parents into a hair-raising adventure, surrounded by enemies both old and new.


Okay, everyone, that's it for right now. If any of these books sound like fun, just click on the hyper-linked title and it will take you to the Arlington Public Library's catalog, so you can place a hold.

~Miranda

Happily Never After? - New Twists on Old Tales

If you asked me to tell you the exact moment that I fell in love with fairy tales, I couldn’t…at least, not exactly. As I child, I know I loved them – that elusive “happily ever after” always kept me greedily coming back for more. However, as I grew older I suppose I also grew jaded. It didn't take long for me to learn that “happily ever after” wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. But then, I discovered something that changed the way I looked at fairy tales forever. The tame, watered-down versions I’d been fed as a child were not the original tales; the true stories were actually MUCH darker – and they didn’t always have happy endings.

From that point on I became fascinated with unearthing all the numerous variations that could be found on just a single familiar tale, like Cinderella, for example. I immediately began building a collection of fairy tale adaptations. It was easy, of course, to find picture books that retold the famous stories, such as Cinderella Skeleton, The Frog Prince Continued and Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter. However, although these were definitely fun to look at, I wanted something meatier, something that would flesh out the characters I knew and loved – I wanted NOVELS! So, off I went in search of what I was sure would turn out to be a very elusive topic. Was I ever in for a shock! There was FAR more out there than I ever could have imagined! It quickly became obvious to me that I wasn’t the only one that craved more substance in my fairy tales, and I soon became devoted to authors such as Donna Jo Napoli, Gail Carson Levine, Mercedes Lackey, and Robin McKinley. Of course, I discovered many other wonderful authors as well - while they weren’t fairy tale novel gurus, each had one or two wonderful “fairy tale-related” stories like Edith Pattou’s East, Shannon Hale’s The Goose Girl, and Diane Stanley’s Bella at Midnight. It also wasn’t long before I discovered a wonderful series called “Once Upon a Time” where each book focuses on a different fairytale and turns the story on its head. For example, what if Little Red Riding Hood wasn’t so little and had more of a problem with werewolves than actual wolves? Or what if Beauty, instead of being held captive by a Beast, became the prisoner of a mysterious Native American shaman instead?

There are so many wonderful re-tellings, but during my search I discovered something even better – GRAPHIC NOVELS! That’s right - while there aren’t many around, quality definitely makes up for quantity! There are some absolutely wonderful GNs that travel into the world of fairy tales. Probably the most famous series is Fables*, which is written by Bill Willingham. It takes all the fairy tale characters (good and bad) from all of your favorite stories and throws them together in modern day New York. They’re definitely NOT the characters you might remember from childhood, but what really makes this story interesting is WHY they’ve all been forced to live out their days in the mortal realm. Another terrific addition to the GN fairy tale genre is a series called Lullaby by Ben Avery. This story uses not only fairy tale creations, but also other characters from classic literature, such as a very curvaceous version of Alice from Alice in Wonderland and a sword-wielding Jim Hawkins from Treasure Island. Recently, Marvel decided to take on the genre as well with X-Men: Fairy Tales, and they’ll soon be releasing Spider-Man: Fairy Tales and Avengers: Fairy Tales, too! All of these stories take your favorite Marvel characters and put them into a fun variety of multi-cultural stories…each with its own special twist. Another recent favorite of mine is a four-volume manga called Pretear. This is a wonderful fantasy re-telling of the Snow White story, however, instead of seven dwarves, the main character, Himeno, finds herself in the middle of four hot guys and 3 adorable little boys. Together they must fight against an evil force that threatens to drain the life out of everything on Earth. I know it doesn’t sound much like the Snow White you might remember, but part of the fun is discovering all of the connections to the original story.

You can also find a variety of other types of fairy tale retellings in the form of short stories, poetry, movies and even Broadway plays. Gregory Maguire & Terry Windling both have some great short stories to share. And, while we don’t carry anything in the library’s collection, Disenchantments by Wolfgang Mieder and If the Shoe Fits by Laura Whipple have some great poetry to offer. As for movies, one of my all-time favorites is “Ever After” with Drew Barrymore and Dougray Scott, but if your looking for something dark, try “Snow White: a Tale of Terror”* with Sigourney Weaver and Sam Neill. Broadway also offers a wonderful morality play entitled “Into the Woods”; it’s a musical which brings together a variety of fairy tale denizens who must band together when a giant invades the enchanted forest. More recently, although not exactly a fairy tale re-telling, is the musical Wicked which retells the story of The Wonderful Wizard of OZ from the wicked witch’s point of view - its a dark tale based on Gregory Maguire's book, also entitled Wicked*. It shows the struggles of two unlikely friends as they do battle with each other and themselves in order to find out what's truly important in their lives.

There are so many more wonderful books, authors, etc. that I could continue typing for a ton more pages, but now that I’ve (hopefully) created an interest, I recommend you go out and explore for yourself. After all, as with many fairy tales themselves, the search itself is half of the adventure. ;-)

Miranda

* The starred titles are those that would probably be more appropriate for an older reading audience, 16 and up.

Nancy Werlin's Newest

I've been thinking about mysteries lately. This is probably because the Arlington Reads program theme is going to be Arlington Reads a Mystery. (Yes, Arlington Reads is in February this year, but we librarians like to think ahead.)

One of my favorite mystery/thriller authors is Nancy Werlin. The first book of hers that I read was "Locked Inside." It's about an orphan at an upscale boarding school. Her mother, Sky, was a "superstar," and Marnie feels estranged from everyone around her because she hasn't figured our who she herself really is or how to deal emotionally with Sky's legacy.

Then, of course, she gets kidnapped, and while she is literally locked inside an empty basement, she has to come to terms with her emotional turmoil. Which is all good and well, assuming she manages to survive the experience!

The Next Werlin book I read was Double Helix, which had a lot of the same tension, with a Sci-Fi twist. Great plot, interesting characters, but I still didn't like it as much, because the anti-cloning message was a little heavy handed.

Which is why I was a little hesitant to pick up Werlin's newest, "The Rules of Survival." For one thing, even the cover blurb lets you know the book is going to deal with child abuse. How do you cover such a heavy issue without the message overshadowing the plot? But I liked the first book I'd read so much that I picked it up anyway. And within two chapters I was hooked.

It's one of those books where it is hard to tell too much without giving away the plot twists, but it is about Matthew and his two sisters and how they deal with their abusive mother and the various men in her life. I think what gets me is how real Matthew's emotions are -- right down to how much he resents his baby sister Emmy (the book is formatted as a letter to her) for her innocence, which she has only held onto because Matt himself has protected her.

Highly recommended.

Amber

Make your resolutions now. . .

Its about that time of year for New Years resolutions. I know some people wait until after new years to think about them, but by then you are already worried about other things at that point (school, work, relationships). New Years Resolutions are SO popular, that even the United States government has a list of them on their website. Here is a list of some New Years resolutions to get some ideas floating.

1. Be Fit/Lose Weight/Diet

60% of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese. But teen dieting is very different from adult dieting. Knowing what kind of diet is right for you can be hard, but there are some guides, such as “The Deal with Diets” and SparkTeens

2. Volunteer to Help Others

Volunteering can be an exciting and fun way to learn new skills, socialize with interesting people and contribute to your community. It also looks good on college applications. Each of the Arlington libraries has teen volunteer opportunities. Another resource is the USA Freedom Corps. They have a volunteer network where you can pull up your zip code and see a list of volunteer opportunities. I pulled up the 76017 zip code and found everything from volunteer gift wrapping to being a mentor.

3. Study Hard

Studying can be hard sometimes; why study if you can watch TV, play games, or hang with your friends? But even though studying is a chore, it pays off—when its time to enter college or look for that job, you will be better prepared. The library (and librarians) can help you with homework. Of course we have those books that you’ve been needing to read, and the librarians can answer almost any question you can come up with, but we also have 24-hour online homework help for when you’re at home and stuck on a question.

And what are my New Year’s resolutions? Um, I haven’t decided that yet. But I’m thinking about it.

Originally posted by Melissa on December 10, 2007

It Started with Tolkien . . .

Greetings, Fellow Teen Library Enthusiasts!

As this is my first foray into the world of blogging for the Arlington Library's teen page, let me take a moment to introduce myself. My name is James Ponder and I am a Senior Reference Assistant at the downtown George W. Hawkes Central Library. I am 29 years old, a Libra, and I enjoy reading teen literature (among other genres) because it is a great venue for unheard of authors, and because the targeted teen audience often allows for a greater range of imagination and creativity among its writers. I have also had a hand in some of the program planning for teens here at Central, and if you attended any of our Summer Reading Club activities this past season, the odds are good that we've already met.

Just recently, I read through James Patterson's first attempt at writing for teens with the Maximum Ride trilogy, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. In the first book, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, Patterson introduces us to all the main players, including a family of kids (ranging in age from 6-16) who have all had avian (bird) DNA mixed with their own to give them the power of flight, along with a whole host of other special "gifts." They are on a mission to rescue the youngest member of their flock after she is kidnapped by the same mad scientists that created them in the first place. As the bird-kids attempt to find their missing sister, they are constantly pursued by a group of vicious man-wolf hybrids, known only as "erasers," whose sole purpose seems to be capturing and/or killing the escaped flock, before they inadvertently reveal themselves to the world. This story is continued (and made even more interesting) in the subsequent books, School's Out Forever and Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, also by James Patterson, when the flock's leader, 16 year old Max (that's short for Maximum, btw) finds out the reasons why she and her friends were created, and what their lives are really meant to be. If you enjoy fast-paced chases, evil take-over-the-world-type scientists and well-written, snarky dialogue, check out this series and you won't be disappointed.

I am now working my way through the books of R.A. Salvatore, noted fantasy author for both teens and adults, and I cannot recommend highly enough the Legend of Drizzt series, featuring the well-known drow ranger, Drizzt Do'Urden (featured in the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance video games for PS2, as well as the Icewind Dale games for PC) and his companions. If you are a fan of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for D&D, or a fan of high-fantasy in general, they are definitely worth a look.

I also have to take this opportunity to recommend the books by J.R.R. Tolkien to anyone that hasn't already read them. If you enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movies, you will be truly blown away by reading everything that director Peter Jackson was forced to leave out. From the maddeningly stick-in-your-head songs of Tom Bombadil in The Fellowship of the Ring, to the detailed carnage that accompanies the Battle of Helm's Deep in The Two Towers, and all the way home again, with the scouring of the Shire by Saruman and Wormtongue at the end of The Return of the King, the books are soooo much better than the movies. (But isn't that always the case?) Follow that up with the Silmarillion, the Books of Lost Tales and the new Children of Hurin, and Mr. Tolkien can keep you lost in the legends of Middle Earth forever.

So what do you think? Write back and let us know what teen authors you most enjoy, or what books we at the library should read and review next. Until next time - Happy Reading!

Originally posted by James on November 6, 2007

Spy a book ...

I just finished reading a book about a group of teens going to a special school who get to go off and do spy stuff. It fell apart mid-way through, and I couldn’t possibly recommend it.

It made me nostalgic for another book where teens go off to a special school to learn how to be spies. It’s called I’d Tell you I love you, but then I’d have to Kill You by Ally Carter. In this book, Cammie, whose mom is the headmistress, attends the Gallagher Academy, which, to all appearances, is a prep school for girls. Only, these girls are prepping for a future career as spies. And things are going well, until Cammie breaks one of the cardinal rules of her school. She falls in love with a boy from the outside.

The sequel, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, just came out this month. Disney has optioned the rights for the movie.

Ally Carter’s web site
http://www.allycarter.com/index_ya.html, contains lots more information, including her tips for teen writers.

*****

If you prefer less romance in your spy novels, I recommend the Alex Rider adventures by Anthony Horowitz. In the first book, Stormbreaker, Alex finds out that his boring bank manager uncle wasn’t so boring after all. In fact, his uncle was a spy, and now that his uncle is gone, the bad guys think Alex might know something.

There are currently six books in the series . . and if you start reading now, you may have just enough time to get caught up before the seventh, Snakehead, is released in November. More information is on Horowitz’s web site at http://www.alexrideradventures.com/. There was a Stormbreaker movie, but it came out to mixed reviews, and I haven’t seen it yet. There are plans to make movies from the rest of the books.

More fun spy-type books

Spy Goddes: Live and Let Shop by Michael Spradlin. Reform school for delinquents turns out to be secret spy academy. Book 2: From Hawaii with Love.

SilverFin by Charles Higson The first in the Young James Bond series, continuing with Blood Fever, Double or die and Hurricane Gold. A fifth book is planned for release soon.

originially posted by Amber on October 19

Aaaargggghh . . .

Ahoy me hearties. I trust you be guessin' today may be International Talk Like a Pirate Day. You be guessin' right! With it bein' Talk Like a Pirate Day, I'd enjoy encouragin' ye to read like a pirate too!

Here be a graphic novel ye may be able to finish today, if ye puts yer shoulder to it: One Piece. Vol. 1, Romance Dawn by Oda, Eiichiro.

It's about a group of ragtag pirates out to obtain the world's greatest treasure.  What could be more excitin' than that?

posted originally by Amber on September 19, 2007

Tesseract . . .

I write today to mark the loss to the literary world of Madeline L’Engle on September 6. She was the author of the Time Quartet series that started with A Wrinkle in Time, as well as YA novels such as The Arm of the Starfish. She wrote over 60 books in all.

I hardly know what to say. I’m sure many of you have read A Wrinkle in Time, as I did, and fell immediately in love with the characters. My copy is yellowed and literally falling apart from being read and re-read, both before and after I got hold of it.

Yesterday, my husband and I were discussing which character we identified with most. He’s analytical and math-minded, so of course he says Meg, while I’m more emotional and empathetic, so I said Charles Wallace.

I am, however, possibly the only person who had nightmares relating to the scene where all the red balls are bouncing in unison (I was young, okay? And it really is a creepy scene).

If somehow you missed this book, get thee to the library and check it out now. It deals with space, time, love, loss – and the fact that the shortest distance between two points is rarely a straight line.

I’m sorry this entry is a little belated, but we’ve spent the last week getting the Studio: Teen Arts Underground up and running (if you haven’t been down yet, it’s in the basement of the Central Library, and we would love to see you – ages 13-18, must have library card and photo ID on first visit).

posted originally by Amber on September 11, 2007