The Teen Summer Reading Finale 2010 party was simply amazing! If anything can be said of the party, it's that Darien's got talent. The Darien Idol competition was a HUGE hit with everyone clamoring to give a smashing solo or dazzling duet to rack up the highest points. For those who weren't singing, they were dancing up a storm while the performers sang on.

Of course, there was plenty of food and lots of prizes such as book bundles and gift cards which the winners were very enthusiastic about. Thanks to everyone who participated and we look forward to seeing you for our other amazing events! Check out the slideshow and video here for highlights!

It's almost here. Mockingjay, the last installment of The Hunger Games trilogy arrives next week. To celebrate the final adventures of Katniss and the Capitol we'll have trivia, games, prizes, pizza (what, you didn't think we'd let you starve, did you?) and of course copies of the book. So stop by the Teen Lounge on August 24 at 6 p.m. for our Mockingjay Release Party. Show off your knowledge of the games, debate whether Katniss should end up with Peeta or Gale (or neither) and maybe snag a copy of the fall's hottest read. Go District 12!

Courtesy of flickr user r8r

Answer these skill testing questions in the comments to win a book!  You must enter by 11:59pm on Thursday August 12th to be able to win! 

...here's a hint... try googling keywords from some of the questions!

1. What country is John Flanagan, author of the Ranger’s Apprentice series from?  (Book 9 is coming out in October.)

2. Does Scott Pilgrim defeat the evil exes in Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour?

3. What book has the longest sentence in an English-language novel?

4. Nicholas Sparks wrote The Last Song, Dear John, The Notebook and a number of other well known novels-turned-movies.  In college he participated in a sport, and has since given money to support the sport, as well as being a volunteer coach.  What is the sport?

5. How old was S.E. Hinton when The Outsiders was published?

6. Which of the following is not by Shakespeare:

     The Tempest

     "The Lady of Shalott"

     Romeo and Juliet

     "The Phoenix and the Turtle"

7. What is Daniel X from John Patterson’s books?

8. What date will Mockingjaybe released?
Bonus: What state does Suzanne Collins live in?

You'll need to have a library account to enter.  If you don't have one yet, check out Alex's awesome video for kids about how to make one:

DL Kids: How to Create an Account from Darien Library on Vimeo.

Today in the Teen Lounge our young chefs cooked up some delicious desserts as part of our no-bake snack event. Check out our recipes below and try them out for yourselves. 

Cocoa Coconut Balls

1 cup coconut
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 8-ounce can condensed milk
1 packet crushed plain cookies

Crush cookies into a bowl. Add coconut and cocoa.Mix in condensed milk. Roll the mixture into balls. Roll balls into a little extra coconut.

Oreo Balls

12 Oreo cookies
1/4 cup milk
8 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
spoonful of honey

Crush the Oreos in a bowl. Add the milk and mix. Add the peanut butter and honey. Roll into balls Refrigerate on a plate for at least 30 minutes.

Thanks to Easy Kids Recipes for the ideas!

For more delicious programming be sure to come to our Milkshake and Smoothie Mix Off on August 26 at 2 p.m. in the Teen Lounge for a cool way to finish off your summer. 

We hope you've been reading up a storm, so keep those book reviews pouring in!

If you forgot how to write one, click here to watch the video tutorial.

Comment below to tell us if you wrote a review this week. Your name will be entered in a prize drawing for a ******$25****** Amazon gift card. We'll contact you by next Wednesday if you are the winner!

You can enter EVERY WEEK.

Good luck!

Courtesy Flickr user Kristian D.

Got a poem you just can't finish? Want some feedback on that short story? Or perhaps you're just looking for a place to publish all your creative writing. We'll we want to help. The Darien Library is looking to start a teen writing program.

Comment below to tell us if you wrote a review this week. Your name will be entered in a prize drawing for a ******$25****** Amazon gift card. We'll contact you by next Wednesday if you are the winner!

You can enter EVERY WEEK.

Good luck!

Courtesy of flickr user dbking

Another awesome week of events in the Teen Lounge:

Monday: Caffeine and Cryptology at 11 a.m. in the Teen Lounge
Solve puzzles and enjoy a cup of coffee and a donut on a summer morning. 

Tuesday: Chess Teen Titans at 3 p.m. in Power Library Study Room 2. 
New to chess, a casual player, or a hardcore veteran? Either way, come to learn or to dominate the competition in this battle of brains.

Thursday: Galley Party at 6 p.m. in the Teen Lounge.  Get new copies of books that won't be in stores until the fall...  We're talking the sequel to Leviathan, the sequel to Beautiful Creatures, the new Mortal Instruments, so many awesome books.  Also, we'll have pizza. 

Friday: Smash Brothers Brawl Tournament in the Teen Lounge at 3 p.m. 
Who will emerge the ultimate Brawler?

Remember: if you’re registered for Designer Sneakers, it’s on Wednesday at 2 p.m.!