A little icy rain on Sunday morning made us remember to be wary on the roads but the colder temps also reminded us that we've got 99 hats and scarves are on their way to the Domestic Violence Crisis Center. Our shout-out for helping hands for our 3rd annual knit-a-thon, brought the community together -- teens, adults, and children -- and their needles together, resulting in 52 hats and 47 scarves, which will be delivered to the shelters run by the Crisis Center. We put our hands together for you! Thank you so much! We look forward to offerering more opportunites to serve the community. Read about the enthusiasm that's already building for our new teen space!

The Dead and the Gone is the second book in Susan Beth Pfeffer's moon trilogy. For information on the third book in the series, a continuation of Miranda's diary, click here. (Warning: if you haven't read Life as We Knew It, there are some spoilers for that book here.)

The Dead and the Gone tells the same story as Life as We Knew It, but in New York City instead of a small town. A meteor has hit the moon, knocking it closer to the earth. That means a whole bunch of natural disasters, starting with the rising tides and including tsunamis, volcanoes, earthquakes, and more. Alex and his two sisters are trapped in the city with dwindling food supplies and no parents to help them.

I read this book in about a day. It is so riviting. It's hard not to get sucked into the mood of the story, and it's pretty terrifying. I also kept thinking about what I would do in Alex's situation. And let's just say I don't think I'd do as well--I mean, no hot water? Living on the 14th floor with no elevator? Half a can of beans for your food for the day? Hmmmm.

I highly recommend this book. Just don't try to check it out til I return it tomorrow!

And remember, if you check out a book before we close on Wednesday, you can keep it til we re-open in January. If you need any recommendations for books to tide you over til the new building opens, just let me know!

Here are some new releases you might be interested in:

Sonic Unleashed

Tomb Raider Underworld

Naruto: The Broken Bond

Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

Um...can I just say that MC vs DC is going to be amazing? It's getting fantastic reviews, and those of you who care about these things probably all played it already. But STILL. I can't WAIT to get my hands on this!

One of my favorite things from my time at the Young Adult Literature Symposium was getting to see Gene Yang draw for us! He drew a picture of the Monkey King, a character you'll be very familiar with if you've read American Born Chinese. Here's a picture!

And here's a picture of Gene Yang and Terry Trueman talking about their books.Terry Trueman is hilarious and really open about his life. If you haven't read Stuck in Neutral, I highly recommend it.

I also learned a lot about hosting events for those of who are fans--of books, movies, TV shows, comics, and more! Are you a huge fan of Twilight? Harry Potter? Batman? The Sims? Tell me what you love--I want to give you the chance to have an event here at the library. Email me or comment here!

I'm here in Nashville, TN at the Young Adult Literature Symposium. I've gotten to meet so many great people, and best of all, there are loads of amazing authors here: Gene Yang, Terry Trueman, Coe Booth, Barry Lyga, and Patrick Jones, just to name a few! I'm going to try to get pictures of all of them for you...

Okay, Terry Trueman just started talking. Gotta go -- I'll be back!!

Check out this great article by DHS student Samantha Wood!

And what she writes is true: "If you are interested in joining or learning more about the teen committee, or have any questions about the new teen section, please contact sludwig@darienlibrary.org." I'd love to hear from you!

I visited the new library today and the teen room is going to be aMAYzing. I can't wait wait wait to get there.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year is getting pretty good reviews! Check out some of the highlights on Rotten Tomatoes.

If you can't get enough of Zach and Vanessa, check out all the HSM stuff we have at the library!

Limelife is a mobile site just for girls.

Brightsorm offers online resources to help you with your classes, including AP courses.

Urban Dictionary, an old favorite, is worth mentioning because it's where you can contribute your own slang. For example:

The 2008 Teen's Top Ten list is out.

1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
5. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
7. The Sweet Far Thing  by Libba Bray
8. Extras by Scott Westerfeld
9. Before I Die  by Jenny Downham
10. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

What do you think?