Sisters Octavia and Talia are pretty much prepared for the summer from hell: accompanying their 80+ year old grandmother Mare on a cross-country road trip to a reunion in Alabama.  It’s not going to be pretty. Octavia and Talia haven’t really been friends lately, and Mare is far from being a normal sweater wearing, pie making grandma.  Instead she drives her convertible like she’s in NASCAR, wears stilettos and smokes like a chimney.  Along the way, Mare starts to tell her granddaughters about her history: what it was like growing up in the Depression, living in the segregated South, running away from home at 17 to join the Women’s Army Corps, about getting shipped off to Europe to help fight the Second World War.

Mare's War is a really good book.  The story of the road trip is interesting and Octavia and Talia are good characters with a pretty realistic dynamic between them.  The best part of the book is Mare’s storytelling.  She is vivid, engaging and strong.  Her story is heroic, and describes a little-known part of history, but it isn't preachy.      
 

Come join in on the fun!

The Teen Lounge now boasts four iMac's exclusively for Teens to enjoy. That's right, fantastic four!!!

Here's a list of iMazing things you can do:

• Create movies in iMovie
• Sample your own beat in Garageband
• Chat with your friends in iChat
• Take photos of yourself and do all sort of crazy fun stuff in PhotoBooth
• Play Plants vs. Zombies!
• Design simple video games in Scratch
• Surf the interwebs and of course lots more!!!!

So, invite your friends and check out the awesome Teen Lounge on the Lower level of the library!!

See you there!

Blue Baker is a normal, nice kid with a normal, nice family: a Mom, a Dad and a little sister.  He has friends, goes to school, and has regular run-ins with the town bully.  When his Dad dies, he gets set up with a counselor at school, Mrs. Molloy, who tells him to try writing out his feelings, which is how he ends up writing the story of The Savage.  The Savage is a savage: he lives under an abandoned chapel, hunts and kills for food, doesn’t speak except in grunts and has sticks and chicken feathers in his hair.  The Savage is Blue’s private story, but as he writes more and more chapters, it starts to become real.  The Savage starts showing up around town, and eventually Blue is going to have to face him.

Dave McKean’s illustrations make The Savage.  It’s a quick read from Almond, an author who has won numerous awards for his other books.  
 

Now's your chance.  We're looking for a group of volunteers to work on a new monthly podcast...    We need:

Talent! (Voices)

Behind the scenes! (recording, editing, writing)

EVERYBODY!

Come find out more and start planning the first episodes on Saturday Aug 1st at 3:00pm in the Teen Lounge. 

If you can't make it Saturday, but would like to volunteer, email hmartyn@darienlibrary.org

image courtesy of flickr user pateffron

4pm TODAY Thurs July 30

Teen Lounge

The fastest completed puzzle wins prizes!

images courtesy of flickr users jhritz and romanlily

Prom Nights From Hell is full of horrifying short stories about going to the prom, by all your fav authors.  Stephenie Meyer writes about a girl (--or is she?) with a secret plan to ruin the prom.  Lauren Myracle writes about what happens when you use magic to get a date.  Meg Cabot tells the story of what happens when a vampire shows up at school and asks your best friend on a date.

These stories are fun and well written, and a little scary.  Highly recommended, and a must if you’re trying to read through Stephenie Meyer, Meg Cabot, Lauren Myracle, Michele Jaffe or Kim Harrison.  
 

EAGER by Helen Fox.

We'll be discussing this fantastic science fiction book on Thursday, July 30th at 7 p.m. Pizza will be served. Returning and new members are welcome--this group is for students entering grades 7 and 8.

This is the true story about how a regular guy managed to trade a paperclip for a home of his own.  Kyle was pretty much a regular unemployed free-spirit without too many prospects.  One night he decided to post an ad on craigslist offering to trade one red paperclip for anything better, with the intention of continuing to trade up until someone offered him a house.  Kyle’s journey takes him to some strange and interesting places, he meets some weird and wonderful people and becomes an internet celebrity.  He trades the paperclip for a fish pen, the fish pen for a doorknob and so on… 

One Red Paperclip is unforgettable because it shows how nothing can be turned into something with the application of creativity and determination.  Kyle is a quirky writer and a good storyteller.  I really recommend this book.  You can also read Kyle’s blog at oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com
 

Photo of the original red paperclip courtesy of flickr user kylemac

On Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,  learn how to tell a story using storyboards and panels from T. Motley, a professional cartoonist.

Check out some of our great graphic novels for teens, too!

Register by e-mailing sludwig@darienlibrary.org or visiting the Teen Lounge. A complimentary lunch will be provided. For teens 12 and up.

The Harry Potter Marathon continues on Saturday the 18th at 9am for The Goblet of Fire, The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Order of the Phoenix.

There's going to be movie magic and treats galore!  These movies are rated PG-13, so the event is for Teens 13+ only.

Sunday the 19th at 2pm come to the Teen Lounge and learn to make Origami Crane Decorations.