December 9, 2007

2007 Teens Top Ten announced

During Teen Read Week, over 6,000 votes were submitted to decide what books were teens' favorites. So if you're looking for something good to read, this might be a good place to start. Here's the rundown:

10. Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
Two brothers, sons of an incarcerated gypsy, leave London traveling to an
isolated and desolate village, in search of the brutal killer of their sister.

9. Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe
While vacationing with her family in Las Vegas, seventeen-year-old Jasmine
stumbles upon a murder mystery that she attempts to solve with the help of her friends, recently arrived from California.

8. River Secrets by Shannon Hale
Young Razo travels from Bayern to Tira at war's end as part of a diplomatic corps, but mysterious events in the Tiran capital fuel simmering suspicions and anger, and Razo must spy out who is responsible before it is too late and he becomes trapped in an enemy land.

7. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

6. All Hallows Eve: 13 Stories by Vivian Vande Velde
Presents thirteen tales of Halloween horrors, including ghosts, vampires, and pranks gone awry.

5. Firegirl by Tony Abbott
A middle school boy's life is changed when Jessica, a girl disfigured by burns, starts attending his Catholic school while receiving treatment at a local hospital.

4. Maximum Ride: School's Out -- Forever by James Patterson
After a short stay with an FBI agent who gives them a chance to attend school and live a normal life, the six genetically-altered, winged youths head toward Florida and Max's ultimate destiny--to save the world, whether she wants to or not.

3. How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkes
When sixteen-year-old Amy, a spoiled American, goes to Israel for a three-month summer vacation with a father she barely knows, she is not prepared for his Jewish family and the changes they bring about in her life.

2. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Suddenly unpopular sixteen-year-old Annabel finds an ally in classmate Owen, whose honesty and passion for music help her to face what really happened at the end-of-the-year party that changed her life.

1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
When the Cullens, including her beloved Edward, leave Forks rather than risk revealing that they are vampires, it is almost too much for eighteen-year-old Bella to bear, but she finds solace in her friend Jacob until he is drawn into a "cult" and changesin terrible ways.

What do you think? Is there a book they left off the list? Have you read and loved any of the books on the list? Let us know what you think.

November 21, 2007

Fun with Food

Go ahead...tomorrow you can stuff yourself full of delish food that Mom or Dad or Grandma slaved over for hours. That's what's fun about Turkey Day right?

Next Tuesday (Nov. 27) though, from 6:30-8 p.m., you'll get the chance to show off your culinary creativity in the return of Iron Chef!

Choose from a wide variety of foods we provide to create your own dishes. Past creations have included "Grilled Cheese Supremo" and "Strawberry S'mores."

The judges will determine whose cuisine reigns supreme based on taste, creativity and presentation. Sounds like fun, yes? For all the info, click here. Finish digesting your turkey, and head on over this Tuesday.

I'll see you at the Library.

November 15, 2007

Yikes! Correction on Director's Chair contest deadline

My total bad...I put the deadline as January 18, 2009 rather than 2008. You really don't have over a year to create your entry, so you'd better cancel that meeting with Industrial Light and Magic.

The actual deadline: January 18, 2008 at 11:59 p.m.

Good luck!

November 13, 2007

What magazine should be in YA?

I was recently told that one of our magazines, Guideposts Sweet 16, would no longer be available for subscription. This is an excellent time to get your input on what magazines we should offer in the YA department.

What I'd like to know is, what else should we have? What should we be getting rid of?

Click Here to take survey

Thanks a bunch for your input, and I'll see you at the library!

November 6, 2007

Bring out your inner movie maker

The Director's Chair

Ask a Librarian has this contest going on where you can create a 30-second video that promotes Ask a Librarian. If you're in grades 9-12, you can enter. I would so love for the winner to be from Winter Park!

What is Ask a Librarian?
It’s a free online service that allows you to chat with a Florida librarian for instant help with homework, papers and general questions.

What do you have to do?
Well...just make a creative and entertaining 30-second video that tells the world just how wonderful Ask a Librarian is and post it to YouTube. It can be funny, serious, a spoof, a dramedy...whatever you want.


What's in it for you?

The grand prize is a JVC hard-drive video camera. Second prize isn't too shabby either...a Nintendo Wii!!


How long do you have? You have until January 18, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. to post your video on YouTube, so get cracking!

Sounds like fun, yeah? For all the details, click here. Have fun, and I'll see you at the library

October 18, 2007

Vote For Teen Read Week Stuff

To kick off Teen Read Week (which is this week!) our library hosted a reading marathon on Saturday, and every single participant read over seven hours. Congratulations to Delaney D. for winning the event, not only by reading the longest, but by hopping, reading aloud, and waving one arm in the air all at the same time!

The theme of this year's Teen Read Week is LOL @ Your Library. To celebrate we made Gocks--that's goth sock puppets to you--on Tuesday night. There were some WILD creations. I'll post pictures soon.

There are several opportunities to get your voice heard during Teen Read Week. Click on the links below and vote!

Teens' Top Ten
Every year during TRW, you can vote for your favorite new books to create a national top ten list. Visit this link to vote for the 2007 list and to see past lists.

Future Teen Read Weeks
You can vote for next year's TRW theme on this site. The choices are Books with Bite, Find Magic, or Your Quest Begins. You can also add your own idea!

TRW Reading Survey
Take this survey about your reading habits to help librarians provide better teen services.

If you're looking for something funny to read, take a look at some of the things we have in the library.

Stop by the library and tell me a joke so I can LOL too! ;-) I'll see you there.

October 3, 2007

Want to go to New York?

I read today about a cool contest hosted by The Olive Garden. It's called "Pasta Tales," and the winner receives a trip to The Big Apple and a $2500 savings bond. There are also winners in each grade category and they will receive a $500 savings bond and dinner with their family at a local Olive Garden. Not too shabby.

Here's what you have to do:

“In today’s fast-paced society, time spent with family is precious,” said Steve Coe, spokesperson for Olive Garden. “This year’s essay question allows young writers to reflect upon their family’s activities and describe the qualities that make them memorable.”

From Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, Olive Garden will accept essays of 50 to 250 words from students in the U.S. and Canada.

For all the info, visit the Olive Garden web site.

What have you got to lose? Get writing, good luck, and I'll see you at the library.

September 10, 2007

"art happens" at WPPL!

I was so happy to hear that the walls of our Community Room on the first floor of the library will be dedicated to teen art in the month of October! What does this mean for you? If you're age 12-18, of the arty persuasion, or even think you might want to try it for the first time, go ahead and submit your work!

You can submit up to two pieces, but they must be mountable on a wall. Please also bear in mind that people of all ages visit the library, so keep your submissions appropriate for public viewing.

Each piece must be accompanied by an entry form, which you can find below in the "Happenings" section of this page, and must be submitted to the Youth Services department of the Winter Park Public Library by MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2007.

The show is juried, and, if selected, artists will be notified. Art will be displayed October 1-31. Prizes will be given to the best pieces in the show.

Have questions? Give me a call at the library--407-623-3300 ext. 4. Ask for Lisa.

Good luck, and I'll see you at the Library!

August 9, 2007

Winners of the Teen Summer Reading Program

Congratulations to the following teens, grand prize winners of the Teen Summer Reading Program!

iPod Video -- Kristen P.
Wii -- Kyra B. and Emanuel G.

It's been a great summer, but we're just getting started on new programs for teens. For more information, look at the Happenings section of this page.

August 1, 2007

End of Summer Blues

Where did the summer go? One minute, I'm all excited about the kick-off party, and the next minute I'm handing out pizza at the last program. Oh well, it just means that we have next summer to look forward to.

First, a few stats: The Library offered 22 programs for teens and a total of 252 teens attended them. We also had a total of 204 register for the summer reading program. Thanks to everyone who was a part of it!

DON'T FORGET...the big summer prizes have yet to be given away. On Thursday, August 9 from 3-4, author Tracy A. Akers will be visiting our library to talk about her book The Fire and the Light, which won the Florida Book Award Bronze Medal for Young Adults. You will also be able to purchase your own signed copy of the book. Tracy was also kind enough to agree to draw the winners for the iPod Video and the 2 Wii consoles we have to give away. If you haven't yet turned in your reading log, be sure to do so before then so your entry will be included in the drawing.

Lastly, our pizza taste-off was the last program of the summer. We had pizza entries from all over Winter Park. For the curious here are the results ranked in order:

1) Pizza Hut
2) Hungry Howie's
3) Papa John's
4) Carlucci's
5) Domino's
6) Park Ave. Pizza
7) Mellow Mushroom
8) Pizza Valdiano
9) Fratello's
10) Giovanni's

Congratulations to Pizza Hut! Let's see if they keep their title next year...

April 30, 2007

The summer of sweet, sweet reads

Hi everyone!

I must say, I was overwhelmed by the response to the poetry contest. We had over 200 entries! It was a difficult decision, but we finally chose the winners. Check them out in the "Happenings" section of this page.

As the end of the school year rapidly approaches, I must say I am really psyched up to start the summer reading program. There are some MAJOR books coming out this summer, and I encourage you to put your name on the waiting list as soon as they hit our catalog. They're not going to sit on the shelves, I can tell you that much.

Here are the Top 5 books to be released this summer that I'm most excited about:

5. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan: This is the third book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. How cool would it be if you, as a modern day person, discovered that you are the child of a Greek god? That's exactly what happened to Percy in the first book, The Lightning Thief. Unfortunately, being the son of a god also means that a lot of monsters and other gods are looking to wipe you off the planet. This book deals with the disappearance of the goddess Artemis. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. This book's release date is tomorrow, May 1!

4. Love is a many trousered thing by Louise Rennison. Georgia Nicholson and her crazy diaries are back. So, apparently, is the Sex God, Robbie. Weren't Masimo and Dave the Laugh enough to worry about? Georgia and her adventures make me laugh and wish I were one of her mates. The new book comes out July 3.

3. Maximum Ride--Saving the world and other extreme sports by James Patterson. I love this series! It's a wild thrill ride as the bird kids are constantly pursued by the Erasers. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them--but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another? Reportedly, this is the last book in the series, so it will be great to find out why the experiments were conducted in the first place and the identity of the ultimate enemy. We'll find out on May 29.

2. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. If you have yet to read Twilight and New Moon, run--don't walk--to the Library and pick up a copy. The saga of Bella and Edward is truly epic. Can a vampire and a human ever find true love and happiness with one another? In Eclipse, Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings, and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob -- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which? Watch for it starting August 7.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. You knew this one was coming. Many of you have grown up with Harry and have come to love him and his friends. Although I was an adult when I first entered his world, Harry's stories spark my imagination and thrill me with the ultimate struggle between good and evil. Will Harry survive this last adventure? July 21, I can hardly wait.

What are some of the books for which you are waiting impatiently? Send me an email, and let me know and I may get copies for WPPL. lblue@wppl.org. Happy reading, and I'll see you at the Library.

April 9, 2007

Harry Potter Alert!

I wanted to give you a gift to those of you who read this blog and are Harry Potter fans. The last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was added to our catalog today. As I'm typing this, there is nobody in the reserve list. If you want to be one of the first to check out the book when it arrives on July 21, go to our catalog now and reserve your copy. Make sure you have your library card number handy!

Also, there are just 8 days left to get your poems in for the "Well Versed" poetry contest. The deadline is Tuesday, April 17. First prize is a $50 iTunes gift card; second prize, a $25 iTunes gift card and third prize 2 movie passes. All winners will be announced at the Coffee Bean Cafe Open Mic Night on Tuesday, April 24. For all the info, click here.

Happy writing, and I'll see you at the Library.

April 4, 2007

Summer is on its way...

Morning, all. I'm just back from a much-needed vacation in Ireland. It was lovely, and we had a great time. But now I'm back at work and gearing up for what promises to be a spectacular summer at the Winter Park Public Library.

We've organized our schedule for teen programs, and I wanted to give you a sneak preview of what's in store...

At the kick-off party on Saturday, June 2 (10-12), we'll have a Free Throw Shoot-Out competition, a rock wall and free goodies to all who register for the Summer Reading Program.

Other summer programs include

 A Harry Potter party to celebrate the last book and the 5th movie. You could win a free copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!
 Thursday nights are movie nights. Those who attend will vote on the movie they see. And yes, we’ll have nosh on hand.
 Monday nights are “Bored Game” nights. We’ll have special tournaments to find out who reigns supreme in Monopoly, checkers and other games we all know and love.
 Back by popular demand, Marble Magnets and make your own Soaps/Lotions/Bath Salts. We had so much fun making these during Teen Read Week that we are going to do it again this summer.
Henna Tattoos and a Taste of India. Mychele is back with some cool tattoo designs and you’ll get to munch on yum Indian food.
 You decide on the best pizza in Winter Park at the Pizza Taste-Off.
 Nancy is back to teach us more relaxing Yoga Basics as well as some nifty Tae Kwon Do moves.

And, get this, the grand prizes for the summer are a Wii Game Console and an iPod Video! You can register to win these prizes by turning in your reading log at the end of the summer. Also, for each program you attend, you get another entry into the drawing. That's up to 23 chances to win.

Keep watching the WPPL Teen's Page for more information on the Summer Reading Program, or drop by and visit me and I'll give you the lowdown. Also, don't forget, the deadline for the Poetry Contest is April 17. Good luck, and I'll see you at the Library.

March 5, 2007

What it is, cat?

Stuck in town during Spring Break? Make plans to do some chillaxin' at the Library on Tuesday, March 13 from 7-8 at our Seventies Night. There'll be all sorts of boss "artifacts" from the Seventies, mondo food, and some quizzes to find out just how much you know about the Me Decade.

There will also be a costume contest, so come dressed in your groovy best. To register, call us at 407-623-3300 ext. 4 or drop by the YA department. I'll check ya later at the Library.

February 20, 2007

Heads up....poetry contest!

Robert Frost once said, "A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness." Then again, he also said, "A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom."

Whatever reason people choose to write them, millions of poems have been written over the ages to signify beauty, heartache, joy, despair and every other conceivable emotion or thing. I myself have penned one or two over everything from the loss of a love to the runniness of my morning eggs. Now it's your turn.

The Well Versed Teen Poetry Contest is your opportunity to wax poetic. You can submit up to two original poems by the April 17th deadline. The form and content are open, but please, no offensive or vulgar language. Complete rules are available here. From there you can print out the entry form or you can drop by the library and pick one up.

As always, if you have any questions, please call us. 407-623-3300 ext. 4. Happy writing, and I'll see you at the Library.

February 5, 2007

The Deathly Hallows are upon us.

Hooray for Harry! As you have probably heard by now, a release date has been set for the 7th and final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows...July 21! We'll definitely be having a teen program to celebrate the Order of the Phoenix movie and the new book. Stay tuned for more info.

If ever you're stuck at home but need a reference question answered, check to see if I'm online at Yahoo Messenger and IM me. My user ID is wpplteen.

Next entry, I'll tell you about the Well Versed Poetry Contest coming up in April. Check back soon, and I'll see you at the Library.

January 29, 2007

Pants and snippets

Greetings and salutations (kudos for knowing which teen movie that's from),

I just finished reading Forever in blue: the fourth summer of the sisterhood by Ann Brashares. All I can say is awwwwww. What a lovely way to finish off a series. I've grown to love and care about Tibby, B, Carmen and Lena. Their fictional future looks bright, and I will miss them lots. If you haven't yet read it, plop yourself on the reserve list to check it out! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, start here.

Speaking of Traveling Pants, you can enter for a chance to win a trip for you and 3 friends to New York City to meet Ann Brashares. All you have to do is describe in 250 words or less how your group of friends remains close. You have a bit of time, the deadline is March 12. Click here and good luck!

As for other good reads, I've discovered a Scholastic podcast that has excerpts from new YA novels. Right now you can hear a bit from The murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty, author of The year of secret assignments. This podcast is a good way to sample what's new and decide if you want to give the whole book a try.

That's it for today. Happy reading, and I'll see you at the Library.

January 16, 2007

Online homework help

It's 9 p.m., your algebra homework is due tomorrow, you're stuck on problem 12 and neither the friends that you called nor your mom or dad know how to solve it either. Don't panic. There is still one place you haven't tried. With Live Homework Help powered by tutor.com you can talk live with a real tutor who can help in math, science, English and social studies, grades 4-12. They're open from 2 til 10 every day, so even at 9 p.m. you're not doomed. Best of all, it's free!

To get to Live Homework Help, first visit our Library's Kids & Teens page. Then click on the "Live Homework Help" logo. That's all there is to it!

January 3, 2007

WPPL 2.0

Welcome to the shiny and new Teens Place! You may have noticed (or you may not have if this is your first online stop at the library today) that our entire Library’s Web site has been redesigned by our dedicated Web committee and design genius Alex. Since this small corner of the cyberverse is under my care (me being Lisa the YA Librarian…Hi!), let me take you on a brief tour.

To your left, you will see a future library book that I think is worth giving you a heads up. I’m a big fan of the Sisterhood series by Ann Brashares, and this looks to be the last one, so….heads up! If you click on the book cover, you will be taken to the catalog record where you can get dibs on checking the book out when it finally arrives. Also, below the cover, you can click for more new stuff and see everything new in the YA department including CDs, video games, movies and those rectangular things we call books.

Directly below the blog is a list of what programs are coming up for teens. Right now you can register for Basic Yoga Techniques, which will take place on January 23. Upcoming programs that I haven’t listed yet include making calligraphy valentines for your sweeties and a Mardi Gras party with king cake and my now famous gumbo! Stay tuned for more info.

The purple box below Happenings is your gateway to What to Read Next. Need to read a biography that’s over 100 pages? Looking for some good vampire books? This is the place to click. Keep checking back! I’m adding new stuff all the time.

Lastly is the Web links section. Now I know you all have favorite sites and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love Google for finding quick answers. The problem is that everyone and their Uncle Joe can post stuff on the ‘net. Do I trust Uncle Joe to tell me the reasons behind the creation of the United Nations or what the bestselling PS3 games are? Um, I think not. The sites included on this page are reliable sources of info and/or seriously fun things I’ve found while clicking. Take a gander. I’d even love to hear your suggestions for cool Web sites.

Ok, this first blog entry is almost as long as my first college essay, so I’ll say adios for now. Stay tuned, and I’ll see you at the Library.