Author: Marcy

A Call to Love

Hate exists in this world. We have all felt it, and sadly, we have most likely all perpetuated it at some point in some capacity. With the anniversary of  9/11, a true testament to the powerfully destructive force that is hate, upon us once more, it feels like a most poignant time to reflect upon hate and the intolerance and fear it facilitates, and conversely, and much more importantly, to reflect on its counter, love, and the tolerance and compassion it facilitates.

Our library shelves are littered with books telling stories steeped in hate. And reading them serves us. We do not need firsthand experience to learn lessons. When we read, we step into another world, we feel that world and when we leave it, we take with us the lessons and knowledge we gained while in it and can apply them to our own worlds.

Hate is run amok on the other side of our planet presently, driven by the same fear laden intolerance that exploded the Twin Towers here 17 year ago. Families torn apart, people brutally raped and murdered, lives destroyed. The three following books bring you into that world. We encourage you to be brave and go there from the safety of your own mind.

A Cave in the Clouds: A Young Woman’s Escape from ISIS by Badeeah Hassan AhmedA Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi

Refugee by Alan Gratz

We then challenge you to come back, not in despair, not in dissolution of humanity, but with a knowing that there is something you can do. You can love. Love yourself first. Treat yourself with kindness and respect. Nurture your mind, body and soul. Then extend that love outward to your fellow humans, knowing that just as you are not perfect, but you love yourself anyways, they are not perfect, and you love them anyways.

Bring Your Own Book Book Club!

Welcome back to school, teens! We hope everyone is enjoying their first weeks of school! For those of you who are new to the Teen Room, we have a lots of activities and projects to look forward to! This year, we’re so excited to resume the Bring Your Own Book Club!

BYOBook Club

This year, we’re starting a Bring Your Own Book Club! Rather than having everyone read the same book, we decided it would be fun if we had a “theme of the month” on the months where we’re having book club. Then, you can choose whatever book you want to bring as long as you can relate it to the theme. The first BYOBook Club we’ll be having is Friday, September 27, at 3:30pm in honor of Banned Books Week. What effect does banning books, or other forms of censorship, have on us today? Bring a banned or challenged book and let’s talk about that!

Back to School

With starting school the Teen Room is gearing up to be of as much help to you as possible. This blog post is going to be dedicated to everything we have to help you succeed academically! Please remember this is not everything that we offer; we offer a wide variety of recreational options as well!

We have a computer lab with six computers dedicated entirely to your homework needs. These computers do not have a time limit, so you don’t have to worry about being kicked off in the middle of your paper. This is also a quiet space for you to work, not a hangout room, so the noise level is a lot lower than in the teen room. These computers have internet access so you are able to access your email, Google drive and anything else you may need, like our databases!

Databases! We are very fortunate that we and the Wyoming State Library offer several hundred different databases for you to use. Some of the databases are in-house use only, but the majority you can use out of house by logging in with your library card. You can browse through the databases to find some that will help you or search using subjects! Databases can be found at http://ccpls.info/databases/.

Okay, so we are a library, which means we have books; in the Young Adult department we house all our nonfiction books in the computer lab. This is a great place to look if you need physical references for an assignment or if you have something you’d like to read more about. One really helpful section is our math and science collection. These are books that will take a math concept and break it down. One particularly interesting set to look at is our collection of The Manga Guide to... These use the style of manga to teach math or science concepts.

Our next educational tool is actually in the main Teen Room, our iPads. We have two iPads that you are always welcome to use for educational or recreational purposes.

Finally, our best resource is the staff in the entire building! If you need help with anything… ANYTHING just ask a staff member. We are all trained to help you with your needs and if we can’t we help you, we will find someone who can! All you have to do is ask!

We are always adding stuff to our collections so stop by to see if there is something new! We hope you have a great school year and please let us know if there is anything we can do to help you make the 2019-2020 school year the best one yet!

Awesome Audio

Hey, summer readers! Do you know about our YA collection of audiobooks? For most popular books and Soaring Eagle Nominees, we like to carry a form of audiobook. Whether it be book on CD, Playaway, or e-audiobook, we offer our patrons many ways to listen to books. Without further ado, here are all your free resources our library offers you in audiobooks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

CD Audiobooks

Do you enjoy listening to stories on long car rides or on your CD player? CD Audiobooks are often the best choice for long road trips or with your family! With audiobooks by YA authors like JK Rowling, Rick Riordan, Victoria Aveyard, Alan Gratz, and Jennifer Nielsen, there is sure to be a series we have that you or your family will love!

Playaways
As technology advances, we mustn’t forget the invention of the Playaway! A Playaway is an audiobook in a pocket sized, mp3 player-like device. All it takes to read a Playaway are headphones and the provided battery. With a Playaway, you’ve got a convenient audiobook to listen to anywhere you go; no phone, CD, or internet required!

E-audiobooks (Libby and RB Digital)

For all you tech-savvy patrons with access to a phone, computer, tablet or iPad: a great audio resource for you are e-audiobooks! At the click of a button, you have access to hundreds of e-books and e-audiobooks on your device.

Libby is an app that’s free to anyone with a library card that gives you access to hundreds of the latest and greatest e-audiobooks and e-books in our library Overdrive collection. On Libby, there are no late fees; and once you download a book it requires no internet connection or data to enjoy reading or listening. You can also borrow 6 books and place up to 5 holds at a time. The Libby app is perfect for any bookworm who likes to multitask and utilize technology. It is easy to meet your reading goals and listen to all the stories you’ve ever wanted to explore with the Libby app!

*Sidenote: If you’re looking for Libby on a kindle, it is going to be found under the title of its parent app, Overdrive.

RB Digital also offers a collection of e-audiobooks that we may not have on Libby, plus magazines! An awesome feature of RB Digital is that there are no waiting on holds involved with downloading your e-audiobook or magazines. You can also have up to 15 books downloaded at once, 10 holds placed, and an unlimited number of magazines! As with Libby, your downloads check out for 14 days with the option to renew or return when desired. And once again, there are no late fees due to automatic returns on the RB Digital app! With RB Digital, you can listen to your stories wherever you can take your devices!

For more information or help finding or downloading any of these resources, stop on by the library for assistance or pamphlets on these resources! Overall, our e-audiobooks are such an amazing resource to anyone who loves reading and listening to stories, so definitely check these out!

Hogwarts Escape Room Round 2

Did you miss our Hogwarts Escape Room?

Never fear! The awesome staff in the Teen Room has decided to do it again and soon! Join us Wednesday, July 31 for our Hogwarts Escape Room redo! Sessions start at 2pm and run for 30 minutes; our last session will start at 5pm.

Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! You’ve been given detention by Professor Vector; the last student who had detention with him went missing after Professor Vector went to a Quidditch game. The student was never seen again; this will be your fate if you and your team do not successfully escape his classroom. Will you escape or will you fade away?

5 Great Summer Reads

Hello, summer readers! June is almost over, but summer reading is still going strong! If you’re having a hard time choosing what book or series you want to start next, here are 5 great summer reads that the YA staff recommends for teens!

Poet X

For those who enjoy books in verse, The Poet X is a beautifully written book about Xiomara, or X, who loves writing poetry to express herself. Her highly religious Dominican family has double standards when it comes to her brother, the golden child of the family who seems to do no wrong. X is by no means a wild card, although her family expects her to be a clean, grateful, God-loving girl. Struggling to feel accepted for herself at home, X puts her heart and soul into her poetry. This is a great book for all teens who struggle with feeling unaccepted among their family.

 

Seven Deadly Sins (Manga)

For all you manga lovers, the Seven Deadly Sins series is the most exciting adventure manga for the summer! Follow Meliodas and Princess Elizabeth as they set out to reunite all the outlawed Seven Deadly Sins to save the kingdom from the corrupt holy knights!

 

 

We Are Okay

After having a rough year, Marin is desperate for change and to find a place to belong again. Marin spends her summer almost alone in her college dorm since most students are home for summer break. Marin struggles with feelings of isolation and finding meaning while she is at her lowest. Luckily, she has the support of her best friend to get her through the days, although self-doubt and struggles with mental health make everyday tasks much harder. This is a great read for those of you who tend to struggle in the summers, feeling isolated and generally down when you have too much time on your hands and miss your friends.

Space Boy (Graphic Novels)

Space Boy is the story of Amy, a girl with synesthesia. For some this means they see music; for others, they smell colors. For Amy, everyone she meets has a flavor, whether it’s the flavor of hot chocolate when she hugs her father, or pineapple and jalapeno when she chats with her best friend. After growing up on a mining colony in deep space, she is forced to move with her family back to Earth. Following 30 years of cryogenic stasis, she wakes up to find herself on a new world, with new technology all around her, and her only friends are now older and half a light year away. Amy struggles with adapting to her new life until she befriends Oliver, a boy with no taste.

Space Boy is a great story about dealing with change that hooks the reader at every turn, and the art style has a very cute simplicity to it while still developing a compelling and charming world.

Manga Classics (Manga)

Here’s a treat for manga and literature enthusiasts! The Manga Classics are a great new way to read some of our classic novels. Whether you struggle to comprehend wordier classic novels, or simply wish to experience one of these stories in a new style, all of us in YA highly recommend checking out the Manga Classics! Written in the classic manga style (read right to left), this collection offers a new way to enjoy some great classic stories.

We currently have the following books in the Manga Classics collection:

Great Expectations

The Jungle Book

Les Misérables

Macbeth

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Romeo and Juliet

The Scarlet Letter

 

We hope you enjoyed this month’s book review (clap clap) and happy reading!

 

Teen Summer Reading!

Are you participating in our Teen Summer Reading program?!

It’s super easy! Come down to the Teen room and grab a bingo sheet. Then all you have to do is read 3 hours or 300 pages, whatever is easiest for you. You keep track however you want. When you read 3 hrs or 300 pages you get to pick your prize. You can win a free book, a drawstring backpack, a water bottle, slime, pizza and so much more! Easy, right?

But wait, there’s more!!! Anytime you cross off a square you get a raffle ticket! You can use those tickets to enter for a chance to win one of our SIX prize baskets. Each basket has a different theme; Find Your Zen, Baker’s Dozen, Gamers, Cup of Sunshine, and not one, but two Night at the Movies.

Find Your Zen comes with a fleece throw for stargazing, a cosmic magnetic sculpture, a Kylo Ren piggy bank, and $50 Goldbucks to be used at any participating stores in town.

Baker’s Dozen comes with two different mixes, pot holders, measuring cups and spoons, a $25 gift card to Alla Lala Cupcakes, and $25 gift card to Ice Cream Café.

Gamers comes with a 35mm mega acrylic D20, some magic cards, a deck case, and $50 gift card to Dungeons & Dugouts.

Cup of Sunshine comes with tea, hot cocoa mix, a reusable cup, a journal and a $50 gift card to Rapport.

Finally, our two Night at the Movies baskets come with buttered popcorn, four different kinds of candy, and a $50 gift card to Foothills Movie Theater, and all this comes in a big popcorn container!

Stop by the Teen room and pick up your reading log today! We will have our drawing for the grand prize baskets at our final party Wednesday, July 24, 1-4 pm; you do NOT have to be present to win! All other prizes will be passed out till August 19.

Teen Summer Reading is Out of This World!

 

 

This year, our summer reading program is theme is “A Universe of Stories” and we have a ton of fun activities in the Teen Room here at Campbell County Public Library! We’re kicking off the summer with a party on May 23, 3-5 pm! Join us down in the teen room for an open mic, and snacks, and you can even visit the Wyoming Stargazers’ Digital Planetarium up in the atrium! Make sure you                                                                 grab a ticket and reading log!

 

On June 19, 2-5:30, we will be hosting a Hogwarts Escape Room! Bring your friends to find the clues to escape Professor Vector’s office. But be warned; you only have 30 minutes!

 

 

 

Throughout the summer weekends we will be having a Star Wars Marathon starting on June 21, 1-4 pm. Catch up on all the movies before Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters this December!

 

 

We will be having a Space Escape Room on July 10, 2-4 pm. Your group is trapped in a space shuttle that will self-destruct if you do not solve the clues! See you there!

 

 

Finally, we will be having our End of Summer Party on July 24, 1-4 pm. There will be outdoor water games, snacks, and drawing for our six prize baskets. You do not have to be in attendance to win, but please come join us!

Make sure to stop by this summer, grab a reading log, and earn some awesome prizes! We’ll be having clubs and activities all summer!

Teen Volunteers!

The Library needs you!

Do you:

• Want to help your community?

• Enjoy hanging out with fun people?

• Like to eat snacks?

• Want to gain job skills before applying for the real thing?

• Want to build an impressive resume before graduating?

If you said “yes” to any of these, consider signing up to be a CCPL Teen Volunteer! Applications are available in the Teen Room of the library. Pick one up, and return, with a parent/guardian signature, by Friday, May 24, at 4:45 pm. Training and orientation will take place the following week. If you can’t volunteers this summer but would like to once school starts pick up an application and turn it in. We’ll hold on to it for our next orientation in September!

Questions?  Call the Young Adult department at 687-9227, or Darcy Acord, Youth Services Librarian, at 687-9229.

National Library Week Teen Edition

This month in the teen room, we have so many fun things going on! Summer may be around the corner, but hang tight! This month we’re celebrating libraries and what they mean to us for National Library Week!

 

National Library Week

This year’s theme for National Library Week is “Libraries = Strong Communities”.

Please share with us how the library impacts you and write on the room display, either “what the library means to you” or “why you’re visiting today”. Doing so may result in a piece of appreciation candy! Also, partake in the National Library Week themed makerspace with book art, page painting, or paint a book end! For those of you more drawn in by mind puzzles, the giant Sudoku board in the hallway may be for you!

 

Calling All Teens!

If you haven’t already taken a survey about ideas for our upcoming podcast, please do so! Your voice is very much heard and is being taken into consideration! Podcast Surveys are found on the tables of the teen room.

Another way to use your voice in the teen room would be to give us suggestions on what to rename this “Can’t Stop Reading” teen blog (meta, right!). As long as the language is appropriate, all suggestions are welcome! Leave your vote in the specified ballot box on the teen room desk!

Thanks Volunteers!

National Library Week also happens to fall on Volunteer Appreciation Week! Since September, our teen volunteers have given us a total of 472.75 hours of precious time! From everyone in YA, we appreciate all that our volunteers do for us and the library. You guys truly make our community a better place!

Check Out Our Soaring Eagle Award Winners!

Another big thank you to those who participated in reading and voting on our Soaring Eagle books this year! The winners have been posted and we’re even more excited to see what next year’s Soaring Eagle nominees will hold!

The Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

WINNER!

 

Project 1065 by Alan Gratz

1st Runner Up

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

2nd Runner Up!