Teen Events for 12/26 - 12/28

I hope everyone had a fantastic white Christmas! We have one program this week and that will be Game Time on Thursday at 3:45! Hope to see you there!

Teen Events for 12/17 - 12/21

Hello all! We have two events this week!

Tuesday is our Dinner and a Movie! We will be watching The Dark Knight Rises beginning at 3:45. We should be done around 6:30 and dinner will be provided!

Wednesday is our monthly TAG meeting. If you have never been to one be sure to join us at 4:00. We will be discussing upcoming programs and ideas and of course there will be free food! We will also be playing a game afterward!

Thursday Game Time is CANCELLED this week so if you show up you will have to settle sitting in the Teen Area playing scrabble.

Also don't forget that next week the library will be closed on Monday and Tuesday for Christmas Eve and Christmas!

Teen Events for 12/11 - 12/14

Hello all! Here's what we've got going on this week!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh Club at 4:00! I've already been told that the card I have as a prize is one a few of you want, so come battle it out today to get it!

Wednesday is cooking class at 4:00! We will be making Nacho Dip. I have some of this in my fridge at home right now and I love it so if you want to learn how to make it be sure to come!

Thursday is our weekly Game Time at 3:45! Be sure to join the fun!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 11/26 - 11-30

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving break! Here is what we have going on this week!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh Club! Bring your cards and meet us at 4:00!

Wednesday is Book Club/TAG, we will have plenty of food so join us at 4:00!

Thursday is our Game Time! Come ready to play at 3:45!

December calendars will be out this week so be on the lookout for them! Hope to see you this week at the library!

No Teen Events!

Just a reminder that there will be no teen events this week. Have a great Thanksgiving and I'll see you next week!

Teen Events for 11/13 - 11/16

We have a couple of things going on this week!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh club at 4:00! Bring your cards and join us!

Wednesday is our cooking class! We are making Turkey Sliders again by request! Join us at 4:00 to eat some good food!

Don't forget that the LIBRARY IS CLOSED ON THURSDAY!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 11/5 - 11/9

Here is what we have going on this coming week at the library!

On Tuesday is our TEEN CHALLENGE! We will be having a Percy Jackson Trivia contest and the winner will receive a full set of the Lightning Thief series! Snacks and drinks will also be provided. The fun begins at 4:00!

Thursday we will have our weekly GAME TIME at 3:45! We have a couple of new games to play. We recently bought Mario Party 9 for the Wii and Street Fighters for the XBox so come join us for game time!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 10/29 - 11/3

Hello all! Here's what we've got going on this week!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh Club! We will meet at 4:00 PM so bring your cards and join us!

Thursday is our weekly Game Time at 3:45!

Now for a really fun event. This SATURDAY, November 3, is International Gaming Day! We will begin at 10:00 AM in the Whiteacre room and will play games until 4:00 PM! We will have a Mario Kart tournament at 10:30 AM, a Halo tournament at 12:00 PM and a Super Smash Bro. tournament at 2:00 PM! Prizes will be given to the winners! We will also have card and board games going on as well so there should be something for everyone! Be sure to join us on Saturday!

Teen Events for 10/15 - 10/19

Hello all! Here's what we have going on at the library!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh club! We will meet at 4:00 PM!

Wednesday is our cooking class! We will be making skillet lasagna and it looks yummy! Be sure to join us at 4:00 to learn how to make it!

Thursday is our weekly Teen Game Time! We will meet at 3:45!

Also don't forget about the TAG meeting on Monday, October 22! I will have free food and drinks there!

Teen Events for 10/8 - 10/12

Here's what we have going on this week!

Tuesday is our Zombie Sidewalk Chalk Decorating! This is going to be a lot of fun so show up in your best zombie attire. I will have some zombie makeup available. The fun begins at 4:00!

Thursday is our weekly game time at 3:45!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Read Month and Events for 10/1 - 10/5

Happy October everyone! It's Teen Read Month! The theme this year is It Came From the Library! I want to tell you about a contest going on in October! It is for Teen Read Month! Here are the rules:

Record the number of pages of any book or newspaper you read for pleasure each day for the It Came From the Library! contest. Please note, one newspaper article equals one page read. Reading logs must be turned into your library by November 5 to count toward the contest.

Prizes:
- The teen who logs the most pages read in October will receive $100 worth of books that he or she gets to select.

- All participants will be entered in a drawing, with the winning teen receiving $50 worth of books.

- All top ten readers will also receive a free book.

Simple enough, right? Come by my desk to pick up your reading log. LIke the contest said, all participants are entered into a drawing. That means if you record at least ONE book, you will be entered into the drawing. In addition to the statewide contest prizes I'm throwing in one more. The MCALESTER TEEN who records the most pages read will receive a $25 dollar gift card that they get to choose. Walmart, Game Stop, a restaurant, ITunes, etc.

Now here is what we have going on at the library!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh club at 4:00 PM!

Game Time is at 3:45 PM on Thursday!

Also, don't forget about our Zombie Makeup Sidewalk Chalk Decorating next Tuesday, the 9th. It's going to be a lot of fun so you don't want to miss that!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 9/24 - 9/28

We have one teen event this week plus one special event!

On Tuesday we have our Library Celebration from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM! We will have something for everyone so come join the fun or come help out!
On Thursday we will have our weekly game time from 3:45 PM - 5:45 PM!

The October calendars are now out so be sure to pick one up!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 9/17 - 9/21

We've got a couple of events this week at the library:

TODAY we have our TAG meeting along with Book Club at 4:00 PM. I would love for anyone interested to come! I will be serving Fat Boys Pizza so come have some good food as we talk about upcoming teen programs!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh club at 4:00! Bring your cards and join us!

Just a reminder that we will not have game time this week!

Also  I wanted to let you know about an exciting event we will have Tuesday, September 25. The library has reached 10,000 customers so we are celebrating in the lower parking lot beginning at 4:00! If you would like to help or just join the fun, be sure to be here that day!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 9/10 - 9/14

Here's what we have going on this week at the library!

Tuesday is our Teen Challenge! We will be having a Mario Kart Tournament! I will have a prize for the winner, and there will be snacks and drinks for everyone who comes and participates! The tournament begins at 4:00!

Wednesday is the return of our Cooking Class! We will be making Tortilla Rollups! These are so good so come so you won't miss out! We will begin at 3:45!

Thursday is our weekly Game Time! Come join us at 3:45 for fun and games!

I also want to remind you about Teen Book Club! We will meet Monday, September 17, at 4:00 PM! This is also the time we have our Teen Advisory Group meeting! If you are interested at all in helping make the decisions about what we do in our Teen Programs here at the library, you want to be a part of this group! I will be serving Fat Boys Pizza and drinks so expect some good food! If you are interested, please let me know you are coming so I have enough pizza for everyone!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 9/3 - 9/7

We have three events this week!

Tuesday we will have Yu-Gi-Oh Club at 4:00 PM! Bring your cards and join us!

On Wednesday I will teach you how to make paper rockets. We should have a lot of fun with these so come at 4:00 to learn how to make them!

Thursday there is NO TEEN GAME TIME! I will be gone! However, I did move game time this week to FRIDAY!

Friday is Teen Game Time. We will meet at 3:45 and will end at 5:30. I'm cutting it a little short because we close at 6:00 on Fridays.

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 8/27 - 8/31

We've got one event this week!

Tuesday is our Teen Movie! We will be watching Hunger Games. We will begin at 3:45 PM on the dot. This movie is a little longer than two hours so it will end a little after 6:00 PM.

Don't forget that Teen Game Time is CANCELLED this week! I also want to give you a heads up; next week Game Time will be moved to Friday (Sept. 7) from 4:00 - 5:30. I didn't want you to give up two game times in a row so it will be moved to Friday next week.

Be sure to be looking for the September calendar this week!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 8/20 - 8/24

We've got a great week coming at the library.  First up, we have new books out in the Teen Section and more are on the way! Come check them out this week!

Monday is our Book Club/Teen Advisory Group meeting. If you are interested at all join us today at 4:15! It is scheduled to start at 4:00 but we will be pushing it back to 4:15. I will have some GOOD pizza there today! The Teen Advisory Group (TAG) meets to help come up with ideas for future teen programming at the library so if you want a say in what goes on around here, be sure to join us!

Tuesday is our bi-weekly Yu-Gi-Oh Club! Bring your cards and join us at 4:00!

Thursday is our Game Time! We always have a blast at these so join us at 3:45 for video and board games!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 8/13 - 8/17

Hello all! I hope school has gotten off to a great start! Here is what we have going on at the library this week!

Tuesday is our Teen Challenge! We will be playing Monopoly beginning at 4:00 PM! Snacks and drinks will be provided!

Thursday is Game Time beginning at 3:45 PM! I'm sorry we had to cancel last week but we should be up and running this Thursday!

Don't forget about Book Club/TAG next Monday at 4:00 PM! If you haven't signed up yet you still have time. If you don't think you will have time to read the book, but want to come to the TAG (Teen Advisory Group) meeting let me know you are coming so that I have enough food!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 8/6 - 8/10

Here is what we have going on this week at the library!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh Club at 4:00 PM! Bring your cards and join us!

Thursday is Game Time at 3:45 PM! We've been having a lot of fun playing video games and board games!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 7/30 - 8/3 and the KINDLE WINNER

Our Summer Reading Programs are done! We had a great summer and I had a wonderful time with all of the teens that participated this year.

The drawing for the Kindle was done this morning and the winner is Olivia R.!

Here is what we have going on at the library this week!

Tuesday is our Teen Movie! We will be watching The Three Stooges at 2:00 PM! Also a reminder that this is the last event that begins at 2:00. Beginning in August we will go back to our school year hours.

Thursday is our Game Time from 3:45 PM - 5:45 PM! 

Friday from 4:00 - 5:00 I will have the prize cabinet open for everyone who participated in the Summer Reading Program. I have your Book Buck totals and will be able to tell you how many prizes you get!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 7/23 - 7/27

The Summer Reading program is winding down! We have one more week so here's what we have going on!

Monday is Book Club/TAG at 4:00 PM. If you signed up for Book Club or are a member of TAG come today for snacks, drinks, and discussion!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh Club! We will meet at 2:00 PM so bring your cards and join us!

Wednesday we will have the last Summer Reading Programs. At 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM we will be doing bleached t-shirts and at 4:00 PM we will be making Slushburgers!

Thursday is Game Time from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM!

Beginning in August we will be going back to our school hours so be on the lookout for the August calendar coming soon!

Teen Events for 7/9 - 7/13

Don't forget you can still volunteer to help with the book fair next week! Also, you now have a new way to stay informed. Along with checking Facebook or this blog, you can now receive text messages to remind you of the teen events. Standard text message rates apply. To subscripe to the Teen Event reminders send a text message to (510) 817-0546 with the message @teenevents

Now, here is what is going on this week at the library!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh Club from 2:00-4:00!

Wednesday is our Summer Reading Programs! At 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM we will be doing Toilet Paper Roll Designs. These are really neat to make! I have plenty of spots available for this so just show up!  At 4:00 PM we will be making Fudge Pie. I have a few openings so if you want to come be sure to sign up! This pie is delicious!

Thursday is our Game Time from 2:00-4:00!

Be sure to come see us this week at the library!

Teen Events for 7/2 - 7/6

Before we get to the weekly events here are a couple of announcements:

I am still in need of VOLUNTEERS FOR THE BOOK FAIR! The book fair will be July 16-20 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. If you are able to help please come talk to me!

You now have a new way to stay informed. Along with checking Facebook or this blog, you can now receive text messages to remind you of the teen events. Standard text message rates apply. To subscripe to the Teen Event reminders send a text message to (510) 817-0546 with the message @teenevents

We have a great week coming at the library! Here is what is going on the first week in July!

Monday we have our Summer Reading Programs. We will be making glow in the dark jewelry at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Then at 4:00 PM we will be making pancakes! I have a couple spots left in all of these classes so sign up soon!

Tuesday is our Teen Challenge! We will be having a Vampires vs. Werewolves Trivia game. Drinks and snacks will be provided! Join us at 2:00 PM!

Wednesday the library is CLOSED! Enjoy the 4th of July!

Thursday is our Game Time! Join us at 2:00 for video and board games!

Friday is the Magic: the Gathering Club. Bring your cards and join us at 2:00!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 6/25 - 6/29

Here's what is going on this week at the library!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh Club! We will meet at 2:00 PM!

Wednesday we will be making Thai String Dolls at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. These are a lot of fun to make and great for guys and gals. Then we will be making bacon wrapped smokies at 4:00 PM. I tried these over the weekend and let me just say YUM! Right now the cooking class is full, but we normally have cancellations so come by and see if we have room!

Thursday is our Game Time from 2:00 - 4:00!

Also, I NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR BOOK FAIR! Some have already signed up but if you would like to help come talk to me. There will be rewards for those who help!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 6/18 - 6/22

We have a week full of programs planned for this week!

Monday is Book Club/TAG. We will be discussing Kristen Chandler's book Wolves, Boys, & Other Things That Might Kill Me. We will have pizza and drinks so if you signed up be sure to come. If you have never been to book club but are interested or if you are interested in joining the Teen Advisory Group (TAG), be sure to come today at 3:00 PM. The TAG group helps come up with ideas for teen programming.

Tuesday is our monthly Teen Movie! The plan is to watch Sherlock Holmes 2: Game of Shadows. We will begin at 2:00 PM. The movie is 129 minutes long so we should be done around 4:15 PM. If for some reason I am unable to get that movie I will post what we will be watching instead. We will have free popcorn and drinks so be sure to join us!

Wednesday is our weekly Summer Reading Programs! At 10:00 AM we will have a self-defense demonstration in the Teen room. Then at 4:00 PM we will be making Avalanche bars, which are DELICIOUS! Right now my cooking class is full, but there are usually cancellations so come anyway and we might be able to get you in!

Thursday is our weekly Game Time! Come join us at 2:00 PM for video and board games!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 6/11 - 6/15

Hello, sorry for the late post! Here is what is going on for the rest of the week!

Wednesday is our Summer Reading Program day! We will make homemade body scrub at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM and our Cooking Class will be at 4:00. Spots are limited so call the library if you want to come! Be sure to check out the rest of the Summer Programs and sign up for what you want to come to because they are filling up fast!

Thursday is our Game Time from 2:00-4:00! Come play video games and board games with us!

Friday is Magic: The Gathering club. We will meet at 2:00 so bring your magic cards and play with us! (This is not magic as in magic shows, this is a card game similar to Yu-Gi-Oh, in case anyone was wondering!)

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 6/4 - 6/8

The Summer Reading Progams have begun! Spots are filling up fast for the programs so sign up for the ones you want to come to soon! Here's what we have going on this week!

Tuesday is our Teen Challenge. We will be playing Apples to Apples. Winner will get a prize! We will begin at 2:00 PM so be sure to come!

Wednesday we will have our Craft and Cooking Classes. We will be making Dry-Erase Calendars at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Then we will be making Cheddar Pulls in our cooking class at 4:00! We only have two more spots open for a cooking class so if you want to come be sure to sign up!

Thursday is our Game Time! Remember in the summer we begin at 2:00 PM and end at 4:00 PM! Join us for video and board games!

Don't forget about the book buck program this summer. Earn them throughout the summer and at the end of July you can redeem them for prizes! Also for every book buck you earn, you also get entered in a drawing to win a KINDLE! Here's how you can earn book bucks:

100 Pages read = $1 book buck
Book Review = $1 book buck
Program Attended = $2 book bucks

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 5/28 - 6/1

I hope everyone is having a great summer so far! Here are this week's events:

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh Club. We will meet at 4:00 so be sure to come and bring your cards!

Thursday is our game time! We will meet at 3:45 and will be playing some fun games!

Friday is our Summer Reading Program Kickoff! We will be decorating the teen room! We will begin at 2:00 PM and will have drinks and snacks for everyone who helps!

Beginning next week we will have new times for our Teen Programs so be sure to check the June calendar to get the new times or just read on here! If you haven't signed up for the Summer Reading Program yet be sure to do so! I'm giving away bags to those who sign up until I run out so sign up quick!

Events for 5/21 - 5/25

We have a full week planned at the library this week!

Monday is Book Club! We will be discussing Downsiders by Neal Shusterman and will be having pizza and drinks! We will begin at 4:00 so be sure not to miss it. Afterwards we will have a short TAG (Teen Advisory Group) meeting. If you are interested in Book Club or in joining TAG be sure to join us or come ask me questions!

Tuesday is the Teen Movie. We will be watching Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol starring Tom Cruise. Because it is a little longer than two hours we will begin the movie at 3:30 PM instead of the normal time. Join us for some free popcorn, cookies, and drinks!

Wednesday, because we had to cancel the Creative Corner earlier in the month, we will be making the bouncy balls! Join us at 4:00 to learn how, there may be a prize for the person who can make the best!

Thursday is Teen Game Time! We always have a great time playing video and board games so come and join us at 3:45!

Don't forget to sign up for the SUMMER READING PROGRAM! Also be sure to sign up for the craft and cooking classes you want to attend before they fill up! Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 5/14 - 5/18

Here's what is going on this week at the library!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh Club! Bring your cards and join us at 4:00!

Wednesday is our Cooking Class! We will be making omelets so join us for some good food at 3:45!

Thursday is our weekly Teen Game Time. We will start the fun at 3:45!

Don't forget to sign up for the Summer Reading Program! We have a lot of great stuff planned that you won't want to miss!

Also don't forget about turning in book reviews! The drawing for a prize will be May 31!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 5/7 - 5/11

We have a full week of events this week at the library for our teens!

Tuesday is our TEEN CHALLENGE! We will be playing Pictionary so practice your drawing skills and join us at 4:00 PM.

Wednesday is our CREATIVE CORNER! We will be getting our hands dirty making homemade bouncy balls! Join us at 4:00 PM to make your own.

Thursday is our weekly GAME TIME! We had a record 18 teens participate last week so come join the fun and play some games with us beginning at 3:45 PM!

Friday is our MAGIC: THE GATHERING club! This is a newer program and we need participants! Join us at 4:00 PM, bring your Magic cards, and have some fun!

Also, remember you can now sign up for our SUMMER READING PROGRAM! We will have plenty of crafts, cooking classes, and all of our normal programs as well so be sure to sign up so you can join the fun this summer. Right now, when you sign up you get a free drawstring bag while I have them! So sign up soon!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

So I completely forgot to add one important day into this week's events. Free Comic Book Day is this week! Normally, Free Comic Book Day is on the first Saturday in May. HOWEVER, we will begin our Free Comic Book Day on FRIDAY instead of Saturday because I will be here that day. So from 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM on Friday come by and pick out your free comic book! If you can't come on Friday, I will be here from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM on Saturday so you can pick one up then as well!

Teen Events for 4/30 - 5/4

Summer is almost here! In the meantime, here's what we have at the library this week!

On Tuesday, May 1, is our bi-weekly Yu-Gi-Oh Club meeting. We will meet at 4:00 PM. Bring your cards and join us.

On Thursday is our weekly game time! We will begin at 3:45!

One more IMPORTANT subject. Beginning on TUESDAY you may begin registering for the Summer Reading Program. The first few that sign up will receive a free bag with our Summer Reading Program Theme "Own the Night" printed on it. So come and get registered this week!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Teen Events for 4/23 - 4/27

We've got 3 events this week for teens!

Monday is our Book Club! We will meet at 4:00 PM and will have food and drinks. We also have a few announcements so if you signed up be sure to come!

Tuesday will be our Teen Movie! We will be watching Jack and Jill starring Adam Sandler. The movie will begin at 3:45 PM and we will have popcorn and drinks.

Thursday is our weekly game time! We will begin at 3:45 PM and will play games until 5:45 PM.

One more reminder. Beginning NEXT WEEK on May 1 (Tuesday) you may begin registering for the Summer Reading Program! We've got a lot of great programs planned so be sure to come register!

Hope to see everyone this week at the library!

Teen Events 4/16 - 4/20

We have a lot of things going on at the library this week for the teens! Be sure to join us!

Tuesday is Yu-Gi-Oh Club at the library! We will meet at 4:00 PM. Bring your cards and join us!

On Wednesday is possibly one of my favorite programs, our Teen Cooking Class. This time we will be making White Chili. I've made this several times and it is SO GOOD! We will begin at 3:45 PM.

Thursday is our weekly game time! We begin the games at 3:45 so come join us for the gaming action!

On Friday is our new Magic: The Gathering Club. Bring your Magic cards at 3:45 and join us!

One more note - Beginning May 1 you may begin registering for the 2012 Summer Reading Program! We have a great summer planned for everyone! Everyone entering 6th grade in the fall through 12th grade is welcome to come register!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Book Spine Poetry Creations!

We had a great time creating book spine poetry this week. Here are everyone's creations!

Here was my example poem showing the teens what to do.

Here are the teen's creations; I think they did an amazing job!

Elizabeth L.

Kennedy

Dalton R.

Jacob E.

Kristian E.

Joseph J.

Brandon L.

Keaton B.

 

Teen Events 4/9 - 4/13

We've got some great events coming up at the library this week!

On Tuesday we have our monthly Teen Challenge. This time, we are doing Book Spine Poetry in honor of National Poetry Month. Come be creative and have some fun with us! I will be taking pictures of the creations and posting them on the blog. As always we will have snacks and drinks! We will begin at 4:00 PM!

Wednesday, for everyone asking how I made the origami book on my desk, I will be showing you the basics in our Teen Creative Corner! If you would like to come please let me know so that I have enough books for all of you! We will begin at 4:00 PM!

On Thursday we will have our weekly game time beginning at 3:45! These are always a lot of fun so come play some video and board games with us!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Book Review: The Scorpio Races

The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Stiefvater

My Rating:

The Scorpio Races  is told from the persectives of Sean Kendrick and Puck Connolly. Every year on their island a race is held on the water horses that surface every fall. Sean, a returning champion of the races, has an important reason to race again this year. Puck, the first female ever to race, has her own reasons. The two strike up an unlikely friendship as the story races forward.

I could not put this book down. I loved how it was written from both Sean's and Puck's perspectives. The story line is well written. The story makes you feel like it could actually happen but enough fantasy to give it a new twist. A story about courage, standing up for yourself, family, and friendship; I would recommend this book to any teen, boy or girl.

Teen Events for 4/2 - 4/6

Here is what we have going on this week!

On Tuesday we will have Yu-Gi-Oh Club! We will meet at 4:00 PM and stay until 6:00 PM. Bring your cards to the library and join us!

On Thursday we will have our weekly game time! 3:45-5:45!

Also, we have recently added new YA books and Manga to our shelves so if you havn't been by in awhile come see what's new on the shelves! Hope to see you in the library!

Winner! Winner! Winner! & a New Contest!

The winner of the $25 Walmart Gift Card is Dalton R.! Congratulations!!!

Now the beginning of a new contest! The next drawing will be for a grab bag of books and goodies! To enter the contest, all you have to do is turn in a book review to me at the teen desk. For every book review you submit, you get one entry into the drawing. It is that easy! The more reviews you submit, the better your chances of winning! For more information about the book reviews, see the very first post on this blog! We will have the drawing May 31 so get to reading and get those reviews to me!

The Lightning Thief - Teen Book Review

This book review was submitted by Dalton R., age 15.

The Lightning Thief
By Rick Riordan

Dalton's rating:

This book is really great for those who like Roman and Greek mythology. The book is about a boy named Percy Jackson who is a demigod, meaning half mortal and half god. His father is a god, and not just any god, one of the big three gods. His dad's name is Poseidon, god of the sea.

Percy's story starts off with a normal day as a teenager. Then one of his teachers turns into a fury and tries to attack him. After another teacher of his comes, the fury flies away. This teacher reveals his true form as a centaur. This is when Percy learns he is a demigod.

On the way to the safe place for demigods Percy, his mom, and his best friend Grover are attacked by a Minotaur. Percy then learns another secret: Grover is a satyr. Percy then has to fight the Minotaur with a pen, but when he clicks the pen, a sword comes out. After slaying the Minotaur, Percy enters the camp. Then his real quest begins.

This book is based on a lot of Greek characters and has a lot of action and adventure. I found this book to be a very good read. If you like it, try the other four books in the series.

Teen Events for 3/26 - 3/30

I hope everyone had a fantastic spring break! Here is what we have coming up next week!

On Monday is our Book Club meeting! We will meet at 4:00 PM. If you have not been to Book Club before and are interested, come join us to find out what it's all about!

On Tuesday we will have our Teen Movie! We will be showing Real Steel beginning at 3:45 PM so come join us. This movie is 2 hours and 7 minutes long so it will finish around 6:00 PM.  We will have free drinks and popcorn!

Thursday we will have our weekly Teen Game Time! We have had a great turnout the past couple of weeks so come join us and the fun!

I will have the April calendars out the beginning of next week so be sure to pick one up! Hope to see everyone next week!

Maximum Ride: An Angel Experiment - Teen Book Review

This book review was submitted by Dalton R., age 15.

Maximum Ride: An Angel Experiment
By James Patterson

Dalton's rating:

This book is one of my top 10 favorite books! I LOVE this series so much! This series is about 6 average kids with not so average lives. Ok, so I lied a little they aren't reallly that average. They have wings and some super crazy awesome powers.

The book starts out with them on the run from the people who gave them the wings. The book is in first person so throughout the book you hear everything through Max. It has a lot of really great action. It is very suspensful at some parts.

My favorite character has to be sweet little Angel. She is the youngest of the group. Her special power is mind control and reading people's thoughts.

This book is basically about Angel getting kidnapped by the people in lab coats. Max, Fang, Iggy, Gasman, and Nudge have to go rescue her.

If you like this book, I recommend reading the other six books in the series.

Events for 3/19-3/23

Last week we had a great week at the library! We played some great games, cooked some great food, and battled it out in our Hunger Games program. This week we will have two programs for everyone to enjoy!

Tuesday we will have our Yu-Gi-Oh Club meeting. We will meet at 4:00 and leave around 6:00. The prize for this week will be the last published Shonen Jump! So bring your Yu-Gi-Oh cards and join the fun!

Thursday we will have our game time. Come join us for video and board games! The fun begins at 3:45!

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Spring Break! With all your free time, be sure to come see us at the library this week!

Tuck Everlasting - Teen Book Review

This book review was submitted by Kennedy B.

Tuck Everlasting
by Natalie Babbitt

Kennedy's rating:

This book is about a spring that if you drink some, you would never die. The main characters are Winnie and the Tuck family. Winnie meets the Tucks by running away in the woods. The reasons why I liked this book is because of how Jesse and Winnie relate so well. I liked the way Winnie and the Tuck family are completely different but really click.

I really recommend that you read this book!

Teen Events for 3/12 - 3/16

Another week packed full of teen programs is coming!

On Monday, we will have our second Magic: The Gathering club meeting. It will begin at 4:00 PM and last until 6:00 PM. Bring your Magic cards and join the fun!

Tuesday is our monthly Teen Challenge! I'm very excited for this one! We will be playing a trivia game about THE HUNGER GAMES! We will begin at 4:00 PM. Feel free to come in full costume attire if you like! The winner will receive a complete set of The Hunger Games trilogy and food, drinks, and snacks will be provided!

On Wednesday we will have our Teen Cooking Class! This week we will learn how to make calzones. Come at 3:45 PM and become your own personal chef for the afternoon!

Thursday will be our weekly game time! Come at 3:45 PM and play your favorite games here at the library! We always have a lot of fun!

Hope to see you there!

Brisingr: Teen Book Review

This book review was submitted by Dalton R., age 15. He warns that this review is over book 3 of the Inheritance Cycle, so if you haven't read books 1 and 2, there may be some small spoilers!

Brisingr
by Christopher Paolini

Dalton's rating:

This book starts off with Eragon and Roran going to look for Katherine. They find her in the Razac's lair. After this, they go back home but Eragon stays to "take care of something." This is where the action begins.

Eragon has to go across the Empire to get back home without his dragon Saphira. He then goes to an elven city where he trains with an old dragon rider to master being a dragon rider.

Also, throughout the book Eragon fights Murtagh, his half brother, a lot. The first time they battled (in the book Eldest) Eragon lost his sword Zarroc. In this book he gains a new one he names Brisingr and everytime he says the name it bursts into flames.

The book is full of action, humor, and a little romance. It is a good book for those who like adventure, action, and fantasy. But if you havn't read Eragon and Eldest, I recommend reading those first!

Events for 3/5 - 3/9

We have a week full of programs this week at the library! This week is Teen Tech Week so we have several events especially for this week.

Monday we are having an online scavenger hunt. This will begin at 4:00 and we only have a few spots available. If you would like to participate, get here quick to sign up! We should be able to squeeze everyone in for some fun! Winners will receive prizes!

Tuesday is our bi-weekly Yu-Gi-Oh club. If you play, be here at 4:00 and stay until 5:15! This week's meeting will be a little shorter than normal but we will still have plenty of time to play! I also have a surprise card for the winner this week!

Wednesday learn how to wrap your earbuds to keep them from getting tangled. Bring your earbuds and be here at 4:00!

Thursday we will have an EXTENDED game time. Instead of the normal two hours, we will have the game room open for three hours! Plenty of time to play your favorite games! We will begin at 3:45 and will end at 6:45!

Also a reminder, there is still plenty of time to sign up for Book Club. This month we are reading Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar. If you read the book and come to the meeting and/or write a book review, you get to keep the book! We will meet on March 26 so come get your book today!

Hope to see you this week at the library!

Winter Town - Book Review

Winter Town
by Stephen Emond
My Rating:

Winter Town tells the story of Evan and Lucy, childhood best friends. Lucy moves away after her parents divorce, but comes back every Christmas break to be with her dad. The story focues on the winter Lucy comes back looking completely different. She has gone from a normal looking girl to one who wears heavy black makeup, dresses differently, and acts differently. Evan is left trying to figure out what happened to her. The book follows the story of them trying to continue their friendship. It tells of Evan and Lucy's discovery of who the other really is, as well as finding out who they are themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought it was written very well. At first it is told from Evan's perspective, but eventually switches to Lucy's perspective and provides a fresh outlook on the story. I also enjoyed how the author incorporated artwork into the book. For those who like to read manga and graphic novels, this may be a book you would enjoy. The graphics intermingle with the story and make it more interesting.

I would recommend this book to older teens, both guys and girls, especially those who like reading graphic novels. It really is a nice mixture of story and pictures.

Events for 2/27-3/2

Here's what is coming up at the library next week!

On Monday we will have our first Magic: The Gathering Club meeting. If you play Magic, be sure to join us at 4:00 PM!

While we normally have a teen program on Tuesdays, next week is CANCELLED. I will not be here to supervise the fun. Come pick out some new books!

On Thursday we will have our weekly game time! Come join us at 3:45 PM to play some video and board games!

Hope to see everyone next week!

X-Isle: Teen Book Review

Yay for our first Teen Book Review! This book review was submitted by Dalton R., age 15!

X-Isle
By Steve Augarde

Dalton's Rating:




This is a story of two boys named Ray and Baz. The story takes place after a flood that covered the earth. These two boys are on the mainland, one of the last places above water. They are trying to get off the mainland and go to a place called X-Isle, it is said to be a safe place for boys. When they finally get there, they find out that isn't true at all.

The rest of the story is very nice. the other characters they meet are either nice or very mean. The story gets a whole lot more interesting after they get to the island. It is full of mystery and many questions go unanswered until the very end.

A very good book for those who like suspense and action.

Events for 2/20-2/24

Hello all! We will have two events next week for our teens!

On Monday, February 20, at 4:00 we will have our Teen Book Club. This month we read X-Isle by Steve Augarde. If you did not sign up for this month, but want to learn more about book club, come join us anyway to see what we do.

On Tuesday, February 21, beginning at 4:00 will be our Yu-Gi-Oh Club. Bring your cards and join us. We will have a prize card for the winner this time so make sure to come!

I also want to remind you that the library will be closed on Thursday, February 23. Our game time will resume the next Thursday.

Hope to see you next week!

You Are My Only - Book Review

You Are My Only
by Beth Kephart
My Rating:

This story is told from two perspectives: Emmy Rane who has lost her baby and Sophie, a fourteen-year-old girl who is kept secluded by her mother. A wonderful, heart-felt story that tells both sides of a kidnapping. The story is occasionally confusing as it switches back and forth from Emmy to Sophie, but I really enjoyed reading this book. Kephart does a very good job of portraying Emmy's heartbreak and Sophie's confusion. The book will keep you reading to find out how their stories end.

Events for 2/13-2/17

We've got a great week coming up for the teens at the library! On Tuesday the 14th, we will have our second Teen Challenge. This time around we will be having a speed tournament. If you dont' know how to play come anyway and learn how. We will begin at 4:00 and will have drinks, snacks, and prizes for the winners!

On Wednesday the 15th, we will have our Teen Cooking Class. We will be making, bite size apple pie. Now I tried this recipe over the weekend to make sure it would be good, and let me tell you it was delicious! What my family didn't eat within 10 minutes, they ate for breakfast the next morning! So come at 3:45 on Wednesday and learn how to make these yummy bite size pies!

Lastly on Thursday the 16th, we will have our weekly Teen Game Time beginning at 3:45. This is always a lot of fun. If video games aren't your thing, we still have plenty of board games for you to play with your friends!

Remember that you can turn in a book review any time! As incentive, every time you turn in a book review, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 Walmart card on March 30! Check out the first post on the blog for more details on what to do!

Hope everyone has a great week and look forward to seeing you!

Welcome!

Welcome to the McAlester Library Teen Blog! My name is Erin and I am the Teen Librarian here at the library.  Every week we will provide the upcoming teen news so that you know what's going on in the library for teens! Also every week, we will be providing book reviews. Why should you be interested? Because you will have a chance to write the reviews! Here's how it will work:

1. Read a book (duh!) This can be any book in our YA section!

2. Write or type your book review! Rate the book 1-5 stars, and give a brief description of the book and why you liked/disliked it! If you hand-write it, please make sure that I will be able to read it!

3. Turn the review in at the teen desk! Don't forget to put your name and phone number on it so that I can call you if I have any questions!

That's it! I will accept reviews from anyone 6th-12th grade. I will read your reviews before I publish them, so make sure they are appropriate. If your review is chosen to be published I will let you know! It will be published under your first name and last initial, along with your age. If you have any questions, please feel free to come talk to me in the library!