So you want to read Sarah Dessen?

Today I'm over the at YALSA Hub blog talking about the different ways to start reading Sarah Dessen's amazing books.

Hub Reading Challenge

Challenge objective Read/listen to 25 of the titles on our list of eligible titles [pdf] to finish the challenge. The list includes YA novels, audiobooks, graphic novels, and books for adults, so there’s plenty to choose from. Bonus objective: read/listen to all eligible titles to conquer the challenge!

I have a list of books that I created - some that I've been meaning to read for a while so, so it's a great excuse. It my first time joining the HUB challenge! Hope I can make it. Have you joined?

Fast and Furious Reads

Over at the HUB, I'm celebrating the release of the movie (which I can't wait to see) and talking about MG and YA books that kept me on the edge of my seat. I'm constantly handing these books out at the library and have volunteered them for the middle school summer reading lists.

Teen Tech Week

Happy Teen Tech Week!

I don't use technology often with my teens because we don't have a computer lab available. We have several teen computers, where they come in to use for school work or more likely play on Facebook. I try to have technology programs where they have to do something and then turn it it or email me the results. Sometimes it introduces them to new technologies. 

This week, I'm hosting a contest for teens at the library:

Create an outfit for your favorite book character. Use polyvore.com (a free site) to create an outfit. Share it with Jennifer via the Otis Library facebook page, the Otis Library Pinterest page, or email the link to jrummel@otis.lioninc.org. Share the outfit with Jennifer before Saturday 3/16 at 3 pm to be entered into a drawing for an iTunes gift card.
 
Check out our pinterest page for inspiration:
http://pinterest.com/otislibraryct/choose-your-character-s-outfit/

There are times when contests work really well at my library, and times when no one enters. I hope this week it's one of those times that works really well! How are you celebrating Teen Tech Week?

Teen Romance Book Favorites

On the HUB today, myself and other bloggers are talking about our favorite teen romance books!

 Take a look.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Enjoy a great book!

Birthdays: a HUB post

Since my birthday's in a week, I'm talking about birthdays in books at the HUB today. I don't have any photos of me with birthday cake (mostly because I choose other desserts for my celebration) Here's a cake I made for my dad's birthday, Boston Cream Pie Jelly Roll. YUM.

My NaNoWriMo Post

is up at the Hub where I interviewed Donna Gephart, Jessica Burkhart, and Marissa Meyer about turning their NaNoWriMo works into published books. Check it out and leave a comment, especially if you're attempting NaNoWriMo too! 

From St. Louis into Action

Last week, I was in St. Louis for the YA Lit Symposium. Afterwards I was on vacation, reading, writing, and relaxing. The relaxation was great, except that part of me was itching to get back to work and start putting ideas into action. As it was, I settled for making a

To-Do List

1. Host a fan art night - where teens showcase their fan art and then create more
2. Create a What are you Reading Board (see photo below)
3. Look at sample enhanced books on Overdrive 
4. Play with Prezi and other technology programs
5. Work to become more involved with YALSA
6. Take a deeper look at my collection and make book lists
7. Attend the 2014 conference in Austin, Texas
8. Ask my teens about fan fiction - I haven't heard them talk about it, but that doesn't mean they're not participating in any communities
9. Take a look at the #yalit12 on twitter to read about the programs I missed while attending the awesome ones I did. 
10. Try to do more passive programs surrounding pop culture
11. Try to add more to my review: Similar Reads or For Fans of, try not to say "a great boy book" but instead "great for readers who like...", and try to combine the personal reasons of why I liked the book with critical analysis of the book. Basically, I need to make my reviews more well rounded. And of course, share my reviews with publishers/authors. 
12. Comment more on blogs. I've been slacking on this lately, but I need to start commenting again. 
13. Take another look at my Jane Austen inspired fan fiction and start working on it again. 

Over the weekend...

I was lucky enough to go to St. Louis to attend:

It was my first time attending this conference! I'm already planning to attend the next one - 2014 in Austin, Texas. I love meeting YA people (librarians and authors). I'm still trying to think of all the things I want to attempt at Otis Library. I have a list of things to do when I get back (I'm on vacation this week). Plus I want to read about the sessions I didn't get to see. The sessions were amazing. if you weren't able to go, you can still get a good idea about what happened on Twitter under #yalit12

Teen Romances

I'm talking about some upcoming one that look AMAZING at the Yalsa Hub blog this morning. Check them out!

My Interview with Sarah Dessen

Is up at the YALSA Hub today! Sarah's part of the Teens' Top Ten winners this year with her book What Happened to Goodbye! You can read my interview with her here.

Here's the READ poster I made of Sarah Dessen after meeting her a few years ago!

The Next Big Thing

The next big thing is adults reading teen literature, which is my new post at the YALSA blog The Hub this morning.

Do you read teen books? Check out the post and leave a comment on why you read these amazing books!!!

Summer Thrills

Today's my first post as a regular blogger for The Hub! I'm talking about books featuring Amusement Parks with roller coasters and a little romance. Check it out here!

Teen Read Week: Books with Beat

Teen Read Week celebrates reading for the FUN of it! Reading for pleasure is the reason I became a Teen Librarian - because the books are amazing. Plus I love the feeling when a teen asks me for recommendation and then comes back loving the book. It's the best feeling in the world.



In celebration for Teen Read Week, I'm creating a display of books dealing with music. Here's a few on my list.

Guitar Girl
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Spin it Like That
Unsigned Hype
Audrey, Wait
Lemonade Mouth
Born to Rock
Heavy Metal and You
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
My Double Life
Make 5 Wishes
Tempo Change
When You Wish
Diamond
Beige
Rock Star, Superstar
Fat Kid Rules the World
Spin City
Emako Blue
Yellow Flag
The New Policeman
Singer of All Songs
Overnight Sensation
Battle of the Bands
Firmament
The World is Mine
Fake ID
Ballad
After Tupac and D. Foster
Once False Note

Happy Reading :) Read something this week, just for the fun it!

ALA Midwinter

Tomorrow I'm headed to Midwinter in Boston
I'll be at the YALSA Happy Hour and the Twitter Meet up
Love meeting bookish people, maybe I'll see you there :)

HAPPY TEEN READ WEEK!

Things to do:

1. Visit Libraries for wicked cool events all over the world
(At Otis we have free teen books up for grabs, Dungeons and Dragons night, Screening of the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Creating Ice Cream Sundaes)
2. Visit YALSA (ultra cool librarian club) to check out which books make it into the
Teens Top Ten - aka books you LOVE
3. Visits author sites - giving out free books
4. Visit READERGIRLZ who are hosting their annual awesome chatting with authors event all week long.
5. Enjoy a great book, talk about books, or introduce someone to your favorite books

Teen Tech Week Reads: Press Play

Two great new books for Teen Tech Week:

GoldenGirl blogs on her school’s page: Bradford Web. Spencer really is a golden girl, she’s got the right connections (down to her family connection of to Grace Kelly) She dishes about her bffs, her boyfriend, chilling with her friends at A-list functions and all the wild times they have together. Things she might mention: her lingering feelings for her ex-boyfriend who just flew back to town, her doubts about her best friends, or her annoyance with her boyfriend's behavior. Things she doesn’t mention: school work, parents/siblings, or much about her past. The only thing she does mention from her past is her ex-boyfriend. Her friends don’t approve of him – he thinks outside the box and doesn’t buy into society. They think her current boyfriend fits her style, her class, and her social standing much better. Now, he’s come back home and she sees him for the first time when he crashes a party. A stranger witnesses the two of them having a moment (kissing). Spencer knows she needs to make sure that secret stays buried. She offers Regan a chance into her golden society. However, Regan's already had a nasty little run-in with Paige and Paige isn't going to make her transition easy. Can Spencer keep her indiscretion to herself or will it become public knowledge?

A great start to a new series that Gossip Girl fans will enjoy.

The Sword Thief is the 3rd book in the 39 Clues series (each written by a different author - so far). Amy and Dan have been waylaid at the airport en route to Japan. Instead of boarding the plane, they're taken to a room while Natalie and Ian Kabra take their place. Nellie, their au pair, has already boarded. Unsure of the next step, the siblings leave the airport only to find a car waiting for them. Uncle Alistair wants to work with them again, but can they trust him? Together they head to Japan using Uncle Alistair’s private jet, along with decoy incase any other Cahills are watching. When they arrive in Japan, they meet up with Nellie and the Kabras. In order to find the clues, Amy and Dan know they have to compromise and make alliances, but they do not know who to trust. Are their lives once again in danger while searching for the next clue?

I'm addicted to this series and while a different person pens each book, they each contain so much action that it's almost impossible to differentiate between the writers. This series has a fabulous online component too, that you must check out if you haven't yet.

Here's a few books on display @ my library.

Crimson Skies

Eagle Strike

Epic

Gamer Girl

Good Girls

Halo

Head Games

Heir Apparent

Hunger Games

Just Listen

Kingdom Hearts

Little Brother

Nick and Norah’s

Infinite Playlist

Notes from the

Teenage Underground

Pilot Episode

The Black Sheep

Thirteen Reasons Why

World of Warcraft

Happy Teen Tech Week!

Teen Read Week 2009

Read Beyond Reality @ your library

Now I need to start thinking of sci-fi/fantasy programs.
This could be very fun.

TEEN READ WEEK: Books with Bite

First be sure to VOTE for your favorite book: you can vote for three books

Then Vote for next year's theme

If you haven't seen the full TWLIGHT trailer: check it out. I 4 1 am dying to see this movie



Pimp out your own coffin, take quizzes, and other fun things

Finally, check out READERGIRLZ Nite Bites chats