Connected Youth

Be one of the local teens tuning in at the library as the Austin Public Library celebrates the third annual Teen Tech Week March 7-13, 2010. We’ll be joinging thousands of other libraries and schools across the country who are celebrating this year’s theme, “Learn Create Share @ Your Library.”

Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries’ non-print resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology.

Programs We’re Offering:

Create Your Debut Book Cover
Ever wonder what your first book would look like? Why wait until you actually write one!? With our handy instructions, you (yes you!) can participate in the art direction from start to finish.

Digital Scavenger Hunt
Embark on a library scavenger hunt where you will film your answers! Teens will receive instructions to find certain items or locations within the library and use either Flip video cameras or digital cameras to record their answers.

Schedule of Events:

MONDAY, March 8
Create Your Debut Book Cover - 4:00-8:00 p.m. Manchaca Road Branch Library

TUESDAY, March 9
Digital Scavenger Hunt – 4:00-6:00 p.m. Southeast Austin Community Library

Create Your Debut Book Cover - 4:30-5:30 p.m. Carver Library

Digital Scavenger Hunt – 5:00-6:00 p.m. University Hills Library

ConnectedYouth Open House – 5 p.m. Terrazas Branch Library

WEDNESDAY, March 10
Anime Buttons – 3:30-4:30 p.m. -Cepeda Library
Create Your Debut Book Cover - 4:30-5:30 p.m. Oak Springs Library
Digital Scavenger Hunt – 4:00-5:00 p.m. St John Branch Library
Digital Scavenger Hunt – 4:00-5:00 p.m. Faulk Central Library
Digital Scavenger Hunt – 5:00-6:00 p.m. Ruiz Library

THURSDAY, March 11
No Programs Planned

FRIDAY, March 12
Digital Scavenger Hunt – 4:30-5:30 p.m. Terrazas Library

SATURDAY, March 13
DDR Game Tournament - 2:00-4:00 p.m. Terrazas Library

Ever wonder what your first book would look like? Why wait until you actually write a book!? With our handy instructions, you (yes you!) can participate in the art direction from start to finish.

1. Use your real name OR go to the “Fake Name Generator” to get a super cool pen name!
http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/

2. Choose a word for your title OR go to the “Random Word Generator” and get your title. The word listed under the category “Random Verb” is your title.
http://www.websitestyle.com/parser/randomword.shtml

3. Go to “Flicker Creative Commons” to get your cover photo. Type your title into the search box. Then simply pick the picture you like.
http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php

4. Use Picnik or Photoshop to create your cover.
To use Picnik simply click on the “Using Picnik” link by your photo. Or save the photo on your computer and go to www.picnik.com

*Come to one of our classes this week!

Our Spring gaming tournament is DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION SUPERNOVA. This tournament is for ages 8-17.

Tuesday, Jan. 26 @ 6 p.m. Yarborough Branch

Friday, Feb. 12 @ 2 p.m. Oak Hill Branch

Saturday, Feb. 20 @ 2 p.m. North Village Branch

Saturday, Feb. 27 @ 2 p.m. Cepeda Branch

Saturday, Mar. 13 @ 2 p.m. Terrazas Branch

Saturday, Mar. 27 @ 2 p.m. University Hills Branch

Saturday, Apr. 10 @ 2 p.m. Milwood Branch

Saturday, Apr. 24 @ 2 p.m. Spicewood Springs Branch

Thursday, Apr. 29 @ 4 p.m. Faulk Central

Saturday, May 1 @ 1 p.m. Manchaca Branch (wildcard & Finale)

Before the official Printz Award was announced, library staff held our own vote for the Printz.  What do you think about our winners?

Winner:
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Y FIC LAB
Compulsive liar Micah promises to tell the truth after revealing that her boyfriend has been murdered.

Honors:
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Y FIC AND
Eighteen-year-old Lia comes to terms with her best friend’s death from anorexia as she struggles with the same disorder.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
Y FIC CHI
Relates the intertwining fates of former street gang leader Han Alister and headstrong Princess Raisa, as Han takes possession of an amulet that once belonged to an evil wizard and Raisa uncovers a conspiracy in the Grey Wolf Court.

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
Y SS TAN
Fifteen illustrated short stories, some humorous and some haunting, set in the Australian suburbs.

This Monday, The Printz Award was announced. This award was created to celebrate the absolute best in teen fiction. Take a few minutes this week to check out a title or two for some fabulous award winning reading. As always click on the call number to go to the Austin Public Library’s online catalog.

Winner:
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Y FIC BRA
Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen year-old who, after being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt- Jakob’s (aka mad cow) disease, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed video gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital in an attempt to find a cure.

Honors:
Charles and Emma: The Darwin’s Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman
J 921 DA
Charles Darwin and his wife, Emma, were deeply in love and very supportive of each other, but their opinions often clashed. Emma was extremely religious, and Charles questioned God’s very existence.

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy
Y FIC YAN
In 1888, twelve-year-old Will Henry chronicles his apprenticeship with Dr. Warthrop, a scientist who hunts and studies real-life monsters, as they discover and attempt to destroy a pod of Anthropophagi.

Punkzilla by Adam Rapp
Y FIC RAP
“Punkzilla” is on a mission to see his older brother “P”, before “P” dies of cancer. Still buzzing from his last hit of meth, he embarks on a days-long trip from Portland, Ore. to Memphis, Tenn., writing letters to his family and friends. Along the way, he sees a sketchier side of America and worries if he will make it to see his brother in time.

Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes
Y FIC BAR
In September 1973, as the school year begins in his depressed Ohio town, high-school senior Kurt Shoemaker determines to be “normal,” despite his chaotic home life with his volatile, alcoholic mother and the deep loyalty and affection he has for his friends in the therapy group dubbed the Madman Underground.

The Austin Public Library will be closed, Monday, January 18th for Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday.

We’ve been getting tons of fabulous new non-fiction books at all of our library locations. Visit us and browse the shelves, you’ll find the following gems and plenty of other interesting books too!

Click on the call number to go directly to the catalog.

I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous and Obscure
Editor: Rachel Fershleiser
Y 808.066 I
Collects memoirs from hundreds of teenagers composed of six words, ranging from the humorous to inspiring and dramatic, and includes six-word autobiographies from popular teenage celebrities.

The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider’s Guide to the Subculture of Cool Japan
Patrick W. Galbraith
Y 306.1 GA
The Otaku Encyclopedia offers fascinating insight into the subculture of Cool Japan. With over 600 entries, including common expressions, people, places, and moments of otaku history, this is the essential A to Z of facts every Japanese pop-culture fan needs to know.

Fairie-ality Style: A Sourcebook of Inspirations From Nature
David Ellwand
Y 398.45 ELL
In this stunning follow-up to “Fairie-ality: The Fashion Collection from the House of Ellwand,” photographer Ellwand uses a gorgeous array of natural elements to explore the limits of imagination in home design and couture.

My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic
Michael A. Tompkins
Y 618.928 TO
My Anxious Mind helps teens take control of their anxious feelings by providing cognitive-behavioral strategies to tackle anxiety head-on and to feel more confident and empowered in the process. My Anxious Mind also offers ways for teens with anxiety to improve their inter-personal skills, whether it be with friends, family, or teachers; manage stress; handle panic attacks; use diet and exercise appropriately; and decide whether medication is right for them.

So why not curl up with a good book that you can read inside your warm, toasty house? We’ve had some great new books come into the library this week. Make sure to check out the New Book sections at your local library. Click on the title to go to the Austin Public Library online catalog.

Hush, Hush – Becca Fitzpatrick
High school sophomore Nora has always been very cautious in her relationships, but when Patch, who has a dark side she can sense, enrolls at her school, she is mysteriously and strongly drawn to him, despite warnings from her best friend, the school counselor, and her own instincts.

Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld
In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.

Lips Touch Three Times – Laini Taylor
Three short stories about kissing, featuring elements of the supernatural.

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President – Josh Lieb
Omaha, Nebraska, twelve-year-old Oliver Watson has everyone convinced that he is extremely stupid and lazy, but he is actually a very wealthy, evil genius, and when he decides to run for seventh-grade class president, nothing will stand in his way.

Check for these titles coming soon to a branch location near you. Or check with your branch Librarian, they may already be on the shelves!

Alexander, Jill S. The Sweetheart of Prosper County.
Beil, Michael D., The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour.
Burg, Ann E. All the Broken Pieces: A Novel in Verse.
Cashore, Kristin. Graceling.
Chima, Cinda Williams. The Demon King.
Clayton, Emma. The Roar.
Dashner, James. The Maze Runner.
Headley, Justina Chen. North of Beautiful.
Kantor, Melissa. Girlfriend Material.
Kelly, Jacqueline. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate.
Korman, Gordon. Pop.
MacLean, Sarah. The Season.
Morton-Shaw, Christine. The Hunt for the Seventh.
Potter, Ellen. Slob.
Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me.
Taylor, Greg. Killer Pizza: A Novel.
Walker, Sally M. Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland.
Williams, Suzanne Morgan. Bull Rider.
Zielin, Lara. Donut Days.
Zink, Michelle. Prophecy of the Sisters.

The Texas Lone Star list is a recommended reading list developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round Table. The purpose of the list is to encourage students in grades 6, 7, or 8 to explore a variety of current books. The Lone Star list is intended for recreational reading, not to support a specific curriculum. Due to the diversity of this age range, Texas librarians should purchase titles on this list according to their individual collection policies. Each book on the list has been favorably reviewed for grades 6, 7, or 8 in a professional review source.

Now get to reading!!!

In a literary battle of vampires vs. werewolves who will be victorious? Join us for a celebration of the teen paranormal genre at an after hours teen event!

Saturday, November 21
5:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Univeristy Hills Branch
4721 Loyola Ln.
(512)974-9940

Check out our Fangs vs. Fur button on the right for more info!

Help us out by taking our Fangs vs. Fur Family Feud Survey!