New YA Books

Yea! We have new YA books. Here is just a sampling of some of the new titles you'll find in the Teen Zone:

• Riot by Walter Dean Myers


• Mare's War by Tanita S. Davis


• The Walls Have Eyes by Clare B. Dunkle


• The Squire's Quest by Gerald Morris


• Daniel X: Watch the Skies by James Patterson & Ned Rust


• Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti


• Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson


• Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia by Brandon Sanderson


• Sharp Shot by Jack Higgins


• Timelock by Davis Klass


• The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen


• The Importance of Wings by Robin Friedman


• Escape by Sea by L. S. Lawrence


• Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs


• The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry.

So, stop by the Teen Zone and check out some new books!

Next Book Selection: Holes

It looks like our next book selection is going to be Holes by Louis Sachar. I will order some paperback copies that can be picked up at our movie screening on Thursday, July 9th at 2pm. If you can't attend, please come by the children's desk later on to get a copy.

Hoot Discussion

So, to begin our discussion, I thought I'd post some questions to just get things started. You don't have to answer all of the questions (this isn't a school assignment); they are just a starting point. Feel free to add additional comments about the book, just remember to be nice about it and the feelings/comments of everyone else participating in this online discussion.

What did you enjoy about Hoot? Was it easy to "get into" the story? Was it a quick read? Were the characters and plot believable? Why or why not? Who was your favorite character in the story and why? Who did you dislike in the story and why? What are the major themes of Hoot? Are they relevant to your life; have you ever experienced anything similar to this novel? Were Roy's actions justifiable? Were Mullet Finger's? What about Mother Paula's? Was the ending what you expected? How did it differ from what you expected?

YA Summer Reading Programs

The following programs are for young adults entering 6th grade and up. YA programs are presented on Thursdays at 2 p.m.

June 11 YA Bookshelf--Hear about what's new in Young Adult Fiction and pick up our first book for online discussion here. (1 hour)

June 18 Balloon Sculpture--Learn to twist balloons into fabulous artistic creations. Space limited; please call 817-410-3406 to register. (1.5 hours)

June 25 Exploring Your Family Tree--Learn to use Ancestry.com and some of our other library resources to learn more about your family history. (1 hour)

July 2 Mad Science--Watch some wild science experiments. (45 min.)

July 9 Mid-Summer Movie--We'll be watching the movie version of our book club selection and passing out the next book! (2 hours)

July 16 Art Afternoon--Learn to draw a self-portrait. (1.5 hours)

July 23 Songs, Rhythm, and Dance with Doc Gibbs--Sing-Along, Play-Along, Dance-Along Music program. (1 hour)

July 30 Illustrated Journaling with Janee Trasler--Learn from a professional author and illustrator how you can to tell your life stories in comic book form. (1.5 hours)

Aug. 6 Zooniversity--See and learn about wild animals. (45 min.)

Aug. 13 End of Summer Movie--We'll be watching the movie version of our second book club selection! (2 hours)

See you there!

Summer Reading Club

The YA Summer Reading Club--officially known as Time Twistin' TTR.09 (that's Texas Teens Read 09)--flyers are available to pick up at the library in the Teen Zone or at the Children's Desk. We've got a great line-up of events, so be sure and join us. We're also reviving the online book club for the summer. Pick up a copy of our selection at the first program YA Bookshelf on Thursday, June 11th at 2:00 p.m., post your thoughts here on the blog, then join us for the movie on Thursday, July 9th at 2:00 p.m.

Featured Review: Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

I just finished reading Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta last night and couldn't wait to blog about it! Since it was the winner of the Printz Award for Young Adult literature, I had high expectations for this novel. And I must say that it far exceeded them -- It is probably the best book I've read in quite a while! Very impressed!

Jellicoe Road is the beautifully written story of Taylor Markham, a girl who doesn't remember much of her past except for being left at a 7-11 by her mother and is visited in her dreams by a beautiful boy. Who is he? Why do both her mother and Hannah leave her? Will Taylor be able to keep the Townies and Cadets from gaining more territory from the boarding school students? I felt really connected to the characters, and the end of the book left me in tears. And, I didn't even mind that I had the whole story figured out way before any of the characters did!

I loved how Marchetta weaves two storylines together, how the past eventually comes to explain the present! Amazing storytelling! This novel is truly deserving of the Printz Award, and I'd highly recommend it. However, I must caution that it does contain some content that may make it more appropriate for older readers.

If you've read Jellicoe Road, tell us what you thought!

New Books, Good Reads

So, has anyone read any good books lately? If you want to recommend any titles or just discuss any of the books you've read recently, comment here.

Since I work in a library, I have daily access to lots of great books! Feel free to comment on/discuss anything I've read. Some of my most recent reads are:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

First Light by Rebecca Stead

The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas

Hot Lunch by Alex Bradley

Dingo by Charles de Lint

Madapple by Christina Meldrum

Paper Towns by John Green

Envy: A Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen

Alfred Kropp: The Thirteenth Skull by Rick Yancey

Wrath of the Bloodeye by Joseph Delaney

The Bone Magician by F. E. Higgins.

I can't wait to hear about what you've been reading!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Congrats to Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book
for winning the Newbery Award!

I recently read The Graveyard Book, and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it but feel that it is geared toward older audiences. Like, Coraline this book has a very eerie, dark, creepy feel to it. I was hooked from the very first sentence, and I couldn't wait to solve the mystery-- why did Jack want to murder Bod's entire family?!

I enjoyed the descriptions of everyday life in the graveyard and Bod's ghost family. Gaiman set the atmosphere and developed the characters well. I really liked Silas and Liza Hempstock. And, I found that I had quite the soft-spot for Miss Lepescu even though Bod did not particulary like her at first! I totally saw that "Jacks of all trades" thing coming...

Overall, it was a really quick and enjoyable read. Have you read The Graveyard Book? If so, share your thoughts on it here!

Movie

Jurassic Park Movie Screening on Saturday, March 21st at 2:00 p.m. in the Children's Program Room at Grapevine Public Library. See you there!

Coraline movie

I went to see Coraline in 3-D the other day, so I thought I'd write about it. I read the book when it was first released and thought it was really creepy, especially the part about the button eyes. I haven't read the graphic novel, but I looked through it to see those creepy button eyes. Anyway, I quite enjoyed the movie. The animation style was quirky and I didn't really like it, but I must say that it fits the quirkiness of the story. I particularly was grossed out by the father's really long neck. The "other mother" was very spindly looking and rather disturbing as she should be. Overall I liked it. The 3-D effects helped to make it more interesting too.