Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan

A Review by the Cameron Village Regional Library Middle School Book Club

Jake Semple is a juvenile delinquent on his last last chance. E.D. Applewhite is a serious, organized planner in a family of free-spirited artists. It’s not likely that they’ll ever get along, but when Jake is taken in by E.D.’s family as a student at their Creative Academy homeschool, they have to at least try.

Can they set aside their differences to help when the Applewhite family finds itself suddenly responsible for mounting a community theater production of The Sound of Music?

Masked Murder @ Cameron Village Regional Library

Hey guys, save the date: August 1, 2009 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.!  Cameron Village Regional Library’s Teen Advisory Board is presenting a murder mystery for you to solve!  The mystery unfolds as a live-action game of Clue, based on the classic board game!

At the end of a fabulous masquerade thrown by Cornelius Cash, fabulously wealthy billionaire, a grisly crime is discovered.  Butler, the manservant of Cornelius Cash, was a man of many secrets, none of them his own – he had the dirt on everyone at the ball.  Now Butler is dead in the mansion at the end of a long and extravagant evening, an evening where secrets are discovered and everyone has a motive for murder.

Teens in grades 6-12 are welcome to join us for murder and mayhem on August 1, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.!  Please call (919) 856-6723 to register for this event!

Same Girl, Different Story

As I was reading Evermore by Alyson Nöel (incidentally, one of the YALSA Teens’ Top Ten nominations for 2009), I kept stopping and looking at the cover of the book.  There was something about it.  Today, it hit me: the girl on the cover of Evermore is the same as the girl on the cover of North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley.  See here:

Weird, huh?

At any rate, both books are fast reads.  They have a lot in common — themes include learning to accept yourself for who you are, living with your own imperfections, trying to create and maintain (and sometimes repair) relationships.  However, that’s where the similarities end.

Wrock Out at Cameron Village Library!

Do you love Harry Potter? Do you like live music? Join us at Cameron Village Library on Wednesday, June 24, at 6:00 p.m. for a live performance by The Remus Lupins and The Whomping Willows!  These two nationally touring acts are bringing their love of Harry Potter to Cameron Village Library for the only Triangle performance this summer!

This concert will be recorded for a live podcast by Pottercast.  Pottercast is the award winning podcast of The-Leaky-Cauldron.org, which draws more than 40,000 listeners per week, and will be doing a live podcast along with the concert.

We hope for good weather, so we can hold the show outside the library, but we are prepared to host gaggles of Potter fans indoors if it rains!

Admission is free and the event is open to fans of all ages.  We hope to see you there!

Just One Week ‘Til Camicon!

Hey everyone!

Just a friendly reminder that Camicon, Wake County Public Library’s first-ever anime mini-convention is next Saturday, June 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Cameron Village Regional Library!

Join us for  anime screenings, Para Para dancing, karate demonstrations, fan art and cosplay contests, a performance by the Triangle Taiko drummers, prize giveaways and more.  Click here for more information.

We hope to see you next weekend!

CAMICON 2009

The Hero Factory

Create your very own superhero (or superheroine) alter ego!

Go to The Hero Factory and design your super self.  There are lots of choices for hair, eyes, costumes and powers.  Choose wisely!  And, have fun!

Meg Cabot Is Funny!

Need a New Camera?

Hey everyone!  Nikon USA is sponsoring a photography contest for all Wake County Public Libraries patrons, including teens!

The contest is called Picturing Wake: Our County in Photographs.

You live in Wake County, right?  You take pictures of stuff, right?

Enter our contest online (or submit prints to Katrina Neville at Cameron Village Regional Library), and you could become the proud owner of a new Nikon D40 Digital SLR!  That’s a prize worth over $500!

Simply submit up to three photos you have taken over the last 2 years of people, places and things in Wake County and you could win!

For complete details, click here.

Book Review: 13 Reasons Why

In 13 Reasons Why, an intense debut novel, author Jay Asher takes us on an all-night journey of discovery through Hannah Baker’s hometown. Hannah Baker is dead; she committed suicide two weeks before we meet her. We meet Hannah, and learn of her death through the novel’s other main character, Clay Jensen, who has received a collection of cassette tapes narrated by Hannah, and sent to him before her death.

The cassettes detail the thirteen reasons why Hannah felt she had no choice, no other option, but to kill herself. She names names, points out places where things happened, and describes how other people’s treatment of her affected her sense of privacy, security and self-esteem, pushing her toward making the only decision that made sense to her.

Now, about a month after having finished reading the book, Hannah’s story remains with me. Do we honestly think about how our words and actions affect others? How can we tell when someone feels so hopeless? What can we do to help?

There are lots of resources to help people contemplating suicide and also those who have had to live through the pain of losing a loved one to suicide. Access them here:
Hopeline of North Carolina
SAVE
Metanoia

Mostly, I think about what everyone can do to help prevent others from feeling hopeless and suicidal. Be kind, be respectful, be aware. You never know how your words or actions may affect someone else. If you act and speak with kindness and compassion toward everyone, despite your differences, you just might make a difference!

Review by Katy @ Cameron Village Library

Ugly Models

To follow up on the previous post discussion “What Is Beauty?”…

The other day I happened to be at home while Rachael Ray was on, and because I love her, I watched the show. She had the coolest feature on about a talent agency called Ugly NY Talent, which is actually a sister agency to the original Ugly Models based in London. Anyway, the idea behind the agency is that instead of using only “traditionally beautiful” models in advertising and films, directors and producers of this type of media should also consider using people who exhibit other kinds of beauty in their appearance.

During the segment on the show, several of the “ugly” models gave their definition of “ugly”. One model said, “Ugly is the new pretty.” Another said, “Ugly is a different kind of beautiful.”

The thing is, these people weren’t ugly at all. They were unique, appealing in different ways, from being ordinary looking to extremely exotic or out-of-the-ordinary.

I like that these people are out there getting representation in the media. It really is time to stop promoting one type of “beauty”, that ultimately makes people feel bad about themselves. It’s time to see the beauty in everyone, and to help one another recognize that they are beautiful, inside and out.

I encourage you to take a look at the link to Ugly NY Talent. Check out some of their models. What do you think?

Also, if you are interested in reading up on the topic, check these out:

Eccentric Glamour: Creating an Insanely More Fabulous You by Simon Doonan

In Your Face: the Culture of Beauty and You by Shari Graydon

Duckling Ugly by Neal Shusterman

Uglies (series) by Scott Westerfeld

(Submitted by Katy @ CAM)

Thanks Again

Thanks again to everyone who entered our Teen Tech Week Scavenger Hunt Challenge!

Here are photos of some of our winners:

Ceewin and her iPod

Andrew and his XBOX

BTW, I just realized (ten days later) that I never posted the final answer to the scavenger hunt (sheesh!).  Remember, you were to unscramble your answers to spell out the title and author of a book about a boy who ingests a pill-sized computer that he believes will help him get what he wants.

The book is Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini, available for request at your local WCPL branch!

 

Winners!

Oh my gosh, you guys!  I forgot to factor in the weekend (when many of us library-types are off) when doing the work of drawing the last winners.  I am so sorry to leave you all hanging for two whole days!

First, let me announce our Thursday, Friday and Grand Prize winners:

Thursday’s iPod Shuffle was awarded to Austin, age 15, who uses the Wake Forest Library.

Friday’s iPod Classic goes to Sean, age 12, an Eva Perry Library frequenter.

Our Grand Prize XBOX winner is Andrew, age 14, who uses the West Regional Library.

Congratulations, guys!  We hope you enjoy your prizes!!

(BTW, if you haven’t gotten a call from your friendly teen librarians letting you know that you have won, you will soon!)

I’d like to extend one more thank you to everyone who participated in our contest!  It looks like the overwhelming majority of you would like to see something like this again in the future, so we will see what we can do here at the library to make that happen.

Of course, we couldn’t have given away such awesome prizes without our sponsors, the Friends of the Wake County Public Library, Inc. and SavageGeek, Inc.  To find out more about these great sponsors, please visit their web pages!

TTW Scavenger Hunt Question 9 and The Word Jumble!

Question 9 is posted below! One name will be drawn from today’s correct entries to win an iPod Classic! In addition, the Literary Word Jumble is finally here. One name will be drawn from all correct entries for the word jumble to win the Grand Prize: an XBOX 360!

If you haven’t already done it, download the Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet to record your answers. You will need to have all of your answers to unscramble the highlighted letters to spell a book title and author — and enter for the grand prize, an XBOX 360!

9: If you click on the “Help Me Find” tab in the WCPL catalog, what is the first list you see under “New Additions”?

And here it is, the word jumble:
Unscramble the highlighted letters in your answers to the scavenger hunt questions to spell out the title and author of a book about a boy who ingests a pill-sized computer that he believes will help him get what he wants.

(Hint: you need all of your previous answers on the downloadable answer sheet to figure this out!)

Once you have your answers, click here to enter them online!

Good luck, and remember to post your answers by midnight tonight to be eligible for the iPod Classic and the XBOX 360 drawings!

Wednesday’s Winner!

Wednesday’s Scavenger Hunt winner is Ceewin, age 15, who uses the Green Road Library! Congratulations, Ceewin, on winning an iPod Shuffle!

To the rest of you, keep playing the game! Two days left in the contest — you can still win an iPod!

Also, keep in mind, that even if you win an iPod during the week, you will still be eligible for the grand prize drawing of an XBOX 360!

TTW Scavenger Hunt Questions 7 and 8

Questions 7 and 8 are posted below! One name will be drawn from today’s correct entries to win an iPod Shuffle!

If you haven’t already done it, download the Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet to record your answers. You will need to have all of your answers at the end of the week to unscramble the highlighted letters to spell a book title and author — and enter for the grand prize, an XBOX 360!

7: Find the list of databases on the WCPL Website. If you type “Rihanna” in the search box of the Biography Resource Center, what does the database tell you her full name is?

8: Find the list of databases on the WCPL Website. If you have a question about how to repair your car, which library database would you consult?

Once you have your answers, click here to enter them online!

Good luck, and remember to post your answers by midnight tonight to be eligible for the iPod Shuffle drawing!

Tuesday’s Scavenger Hunt Winner Is…

Carson, age 12, who uses the Cary Public Library! Congratulations, Carson!

To the rest of you, keep playing the game! Today might be your day!

Also, keep in mind, that even if you win an iPod during the week, you will still be eligible for the grand prize drawing of an XBOX 360!

Are you having fun?!

TTW Scavenger Hunt Questions 5 and 6

Questions 5 and 6 are posted below! One name will be drawn from today’s correct entries to win an iPod Shuffle!

If you haven’t already done it, download the Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet to record your answers. You will need to have all of your answers at the end of the week to unscramble the highlighted letters to spell a book title and author — and enter for the grand prize, an XBOX 360!

5: Check the “Things To Do” page on the Wake Teen Link (WCPL’s Teen Website). What is the name of the teen book club at Wake Forest Library?

6: The web links page of Wake Teen Link connects you with some really great websites! Under the category “Real Life”, which Relationships link offers “a Christian perspective on teen dating”?

Once you have your answers, click here to enter them online!

Good luck, and remember to post your answers by midnight tonight to be eligible for the iPod Shuffle drawing!

Monday’s Winner!

The winner of Monday’s iPod Shuffle is Rachel, who uses the Eva Perry Library! Congratulations, Rachel!

Now, for the rest of you: hop to it and participate by answering today’s scavenger hunt questions!

TTW Scavenger Hunt Questions 3 and 4

Questions 3 and 4 are posted below! One name will be drawn from today’s correct entries to win an iPod Shuffle!

If you haven’t already done it, download the Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet to record your answers. You will need to have all of your answers at the end of the week to unscramble the highlighted letters to spell a book title and author — and enter for the grand prize, an XBOX 360!

3: Which website, featured in a post on WCPL’s Flip The Switch: Teens aWake blog, will donate 10 grains of rice to a hungry family for every vocabulary word you get correct in their quiz?

4: Flip the Switch: Teens aWake has many book reviews posted. What book was reviewed on September 27, 2007?

Once you have your answers, click here to enter them online!

Good luck, and remember to post your answers by midnight tonight to be eligible for the iPod Shuffle drawing!