Josh and Emma are neighbors and best friends, they have been since they were little, but ever since they shared a kiss a few years back they never managed to get over the thought of "what if".  Now it's 1996 and AOL is just coming on the scene. No one in Josh and Emma's high school have the internet yet, not until a friend gives Emma the free trial 100 hours of AOL l start-up disc she recieved in the mail.  Emma is bored one day and decides to give it a shot, but when she first logs on to AOL a website called Facebook pops up onto the screen and a page opens.  A profile page of herself...15 years later.  Josh and Emma have no idea what this "Facebook" thing is, but they do know it's a look into the future and if the future doesn't look good...why not change it now.

photo courtesy of Flickr user Ben Atkin

Did you know that the Teen Lounge now has it's very own iPad for you to use!? It's already packed with tons of cool games, books, and other fun apps.

If you don't see a game on there that you would like to play, let us know!  To use the iPad while your hanging out in the Teen Lounge just stop by and ask the teen librarian if you can borrow it for a bit.

More YA books on OverDrive are here! 

We've ordered a selection of different titles, so either check out all the YA books we have in the link above, or scope out a few of the latest offerings from the list below!

But wait! What is OverDrive you ask? OverDrive is a great (FREE!) software program that allows you to download your favorite books onto your e-reader. So no matter where you are--traveling in the car with your parents and siblings for the holidays--you can download a book to your e-reader, blackberry, laptop, etc. and get reading! Don't have an e-reader? You can check-out a nook color from the library and read to your heart's content!

There are some really great books out there, and this is just another way for you guys to find, access, and read books that you'll love.

Looking for a good YA book that's sports-themed?  Look no further. 

This comprehensive list was compiled from books found in our collection.  All center on sports-related issues, anywhere from baseball, to basketball, to chess (yes! that is a sport in my book), to snowboarding, to football--with a healthy dose of angst served on the side.

Enjoy!

Stop by the Teen Lounge this Saturday, November 12th all day long for some games and competition.  We've got an iPad loaded with all your favorite gaming apps, old school board games, and of course video games! If Mac and PC gaming is more your thing then maybe you'd like to know that we have 4 Minecraft accounts on our Teen Lounge computers! Check out our sweet book display complete with gaming guides and gaming books.

There is something for everyone. 

*Refreshments will be provided!

Teen Read Week 2011 is here and to honor it we are holding a READ OFF YOUR FINES event on October 18th from 2-9pm.  That means if your "caught" reading in the Library between the hours mentioned you will recieve a waiver card from Erica, Beth, or Alex.  If we didn't happen to see you, find us and let us know all about what you've read and we will be happy to give you waiver card. When you receive the card bring it to the front desk and hand it in to get all of your fines waived! It's that simple so don't let this oppertunity pass you by!

*Refreshments will be served*

Hey Everyone! 

Have you had a chance to stop by the Teen Lounge lately?  For those of you in the know--and for those of you who aren't yet--we now have Recommended Reading Cards hanging from the shelves in the Teen area! 

What exactly are these cards, you ask?  Well, they highlight just a few of the great reads found in our collection that we, as your awesome librarians, think you'd enjoy!  They're also conveniently located on the bookshelves so that if you are struggling to find a new book (or you need one for a book report!) you can flip through any (and all) of the cards to find a read that appeals to you. The cards have been sorted by topics, so make sure you circle the lounge to see what else is there that might catch your eye. 

Recommended reading topics include:

• Fantasy
• Self-Esteem
• Non-Fiction
• Light, Feel-Good Reads
• Diary and Journal
• Friends and Friendship
• Relationships, Romance, and Forever Friends
• LGBTQ
• Mysteries
• Stories of the Sea

We've tried to cover a variety of topics, but if you feel we've missed something, let us know, and we'll try to add more cards. 

Happy reading!

Photo Courtesy of Flickr user davidsteltz

Hey Everyone!  New update for the Teen Lounge: Skull Candy headphones! 

We have two on hand, so drop by and try them out!  Just ask any of the librarians and we'll get them for you!

"Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys will be the next discussion book in our Fall Book Discussion Series.

Home and Away - 2011 Fall Book Discussion Series

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Thursday, October 6 at 7 p.m.

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously - and at great risk - documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.

 “[A] gripping story.” -- School Library Journal, starred review

"...beautifully written and deeply felt."-- Booklist, starred review

The discussion on Between Shades of Gray is the first of four carefully selected, critically-acclaimed, discussion-worthy books. Our Fall Book Discussion Series will continue with In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson on Tuesday, October 18 at 7 p.m., and Next to Love by Ellen Feldman on Tuesday, November 15 at 7 p.m.

Library staff members will lead the discussions.

We have copies of the books available for patrons to borrow, but prior reading of the books is not necessary to attend the discussions.

Additional parking for evening and weekend Library programs on Thorndal Circle (behind Nielsen’s).