Here are some members from Darien Library TAB!

The first meeting of Darien Library's TAB (Teen Advisory Board) is Thursday, September 23rd at 4 pm in the teen lounge. If you would like to join TAB, email me! We already have lots of people signed up, and it's going to be a lot of fun. One of the major privileges of TAB is deciding what will be written on thewalls of the teen lounge! You will also be planning events and helping me decide what books to buy.

What does TAB do?

When and where does TAB met?

Who can join?

If you would like to join the Teen Advisory Board, either leave a comment on this post or email me (the teen librarian) at eleone@darienlibrary.org

Karl Shoemaker has a plan: Operation Be Normal.  It starts with avoiding his best friend, and ends with getting through the semester without getting put in therapy.  Karl has been in mandatory group therapy (called the madman underground) with the same kids since forever, and he is sick of it: the same stories, the same problems, year after year.  The problem is that with five jobs, an erratic, alcoholic mother, more pet cats than he can count, and a reputation for being a “psycho,” it’s going to be difficult for Karl to have a normal year.  When he is offered what amounts to a "get out of jail free" card for therapy, his fellow madmen think he's turned on them.  After everything they have shared, it is considered to be a first rate betrayal, and one even Karl is not sure he should commit.

Tales of the Madman Underground is one of the best books I’ve read recently.  Karl is a great character: funny, sweet, and full of rage.  This is a story about friendship and family, and the relationships that form when adults can’t be trusted.  Karl and his friends have very difficult lives—it’s not unusual for them to find themselves sleeping in cars or sneaking into basements because their homes are not safe.  Sometimes the madmen make hard choices or bad choices, but they are there for each other.  They stand up and help each other make the best of what are sometimes horrible life situations.   That is the root of Karl’s dilemma: does grabbing hold of normalcy mean abandoning his friends and his only support system?
 

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!

What if Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde really existed, and their families, Jekell’s descended from a brother or cousin, and Hydes’ descended from the man himself, continued down the generations, carrying family secrets and family traits? 

Jill Jekel and Tristan Hyde are both in the same advanced Chemistry class, when their teacher announces a prestigious chemistry contest with a large cash prize.  Jill’s dad was a brilliant chemist, but his recent death has left her family without much extra money, and Jill may not be able to afford college.  Tristan doesn’t care about the money, the prestige, or anything except keeping his violent dreams at bay.  When he hears that Jill’s family may have some old formulas, he agrees to team up with Jill: Jekel and Hyde recreating the Jekell and Hyde experiments…  the gimmick might be enough to win Jill the prize money, but Tristan secretly plans to use the project to cure his violent urges before they get out of control.  As they work together, late at night, quiet and studious Jill finds herself more and more attracted to Tristian, and Tristan finds in Jill something to hang on to as his sanity slips further away...

Jekel Loves Hyde is a romance, suspense and mystery all rolled into one.  I didn’t think it was as funny as Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Fantaskey’s other novel) but it’s got an interesting plot and enough of a twist at the end that it will keep you guessing.  Horror/romance fans, this book is for you!       
 

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!

...a copy of THE SCORCH TRIALS by James Dashner, the sequel to THE MAZE RUNNER. This book doesn't go on sale until October, but we have it!

Come to the Teen Summer Reading Finale Party this Thursday at 7 p.m. and enter for a chance to win this book!!

I better get reading....or else I might change my mind and not give it away!

Teen Librarian Sarah is back with another AMAZING book discussion about The Knife of Never Letting Go, which is the first book in Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking series. 

The Knife of Never Letting Go from Darien Library on Vimeo.

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. 

Scott Pilgrim is a twenty-three year old underachiever who lives in an apartment in Toronto with his roommate, off of whom he mooches unapologetically.  Scott’s in a band, and in volume 1: Precious Little Life, he has just started dating a high school girl named Knives Chau.  Everyone, except Scott and Knives, realize that this is slimy behavior at best, but their friends are happy that Scott has stopped moping over his ex.  Then Scott starts to see a girl in his dreams: a beautiful, cool-looking Amazon delivery girl who rollerblades through his dreams.  When Scott decides to order some CDs from Amazon in the hopes of meeting his (literal) dream girl, Knives and Scott are pretty much done as a couple (...not that Knives knows about it). 

There may be some hitches along the way in the form of the seven evil ex-boyfriends Scott must fight if he wants to date the Amazon girl, not to mention Knives’ increasing obsession… but it won't be a dull ride!        

That’s right, it’s going to be a huge summer blockbuster starring Michael Cera.  So very awesome.  Everyone knows that the book is always better than the movie—so get the Scott Pilgrim series and decide for yourself.  The art is amazing, the funny quips in the margins are the best, and did I mention that Scott is an awesome fighter, his band sucks and there is going to be a video game?