Teens@CPL

Tricia is CPL’s teen librarian.  She LOVES audiobooks and is super excited for a long weekend full or reading, roller derby & bbqs.

Hey there CPL rgz!

Our group was mentioned on the readergirlz blog!!!  And if that isn’t amazing enough, there is also a shout out on Little Willow’s blog!

For all of our current members: Congrats!  And for anyone interested in joining this awesome book club, read on for more information:

Readergirlz — Tuesday, July 20th from 4-5:30pm

Read, reflect, reach out — and share with friends!

Pick up your copy of this month’s readergirlz.com recommended read at the Teen Services desk and join us for a lively discussion of the book.  To complete the afternoon we will have themed snacks and an author playlist.

July’s title is: I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Look to the right for links to Online Summer Reading and Summer Programs at CPL!

Hope your summer is off to a great start!

Happy Reading!

~ Tricia is CPL’s Teen Librarian and she is SO excited for this year’s Teen & Tween Summer Reading Program.

Teen-aged Jenna is smart, pretty and popular.  What her friends and boyfriend don’t know is that Jenna used to be Jennifer–a shy, overweight, picked-on child with a soul mate who disappeared.  Jenna’s past and present converge when Cameron, her one true friend, abruptly re-enters her life.

After being so intensely affected by Sara Zarr’s newest novel, Once was Lost, I was apprehensive about reading her earlier work.  The bar had been set so high for me, I was worried her previous novels wouldn’t live up to my expectations.  Boy, was I wrong.  Sweethearts is a tender, realistic portrayal of one girl’s difficult youth including her flawed but well-meaning family and her indescribable connection with a boy who needed a friend as desperately as she did.  A beautiful novel.

~ Tricia is CPL’s teen librarian and is currently preparing for an orientation for her summer teen volunteers.

If you like books with great sports writing, schmaltzy endings, and regular kids in extraordinary situations, then you should definitely read The Batboy.

Brian loves baseball, even though his big league father left him and his mom because of it.  Now 14-year-old Brian has the ultimate summer job as a batboy for the Detroit Tigers.  Life gets complicated when his favorite player joins the team.  Hank Bishop has just served a suspension for steroid use and appears to have little patience or passion for the game of baseball or for his biggest fan, Brian.

This is a great novel with two layers.  In the first storyline Brian is working at Comerica Park in a position any sports fan would envy.  The second thread follows Brian and his best friend Kenny in their own season of baseball, which is presented in a way that makes it just as exciting as the plot happening in the majors.

A wonderful story.

~ Tricia is CPL’s teen librarian, who loves the over-the-top endings in (most) sports books and movies.

Sadye and Demi are best friends.  Kindred spirits in a town that isn’t ready for their big personalities and high levels of razzle dazzle.  The duo is on their way to Wildewood Academy for a summer full of singing, dancing and lots of drama.

Dramarama has it all! Dancing, singing, acting, falling in love, getting your heart broken, jealousy, fighting, and finding yourself.  I loved everything about this book.  The characters leap off the page and the summer theater camp setting lends itself to lots of high drama.  Most of all, I loved Sadye.  It was wonderful reading about a character whose big dreams don’t quite come true, but who never stops speaking up for herself and what she knows is right.

5 stars!

 ~ Tricia is CPL’s teen librarian who wants to go back in time and be best friends with all of E. Lockhart’s heroines.

How smitten am I with David Almond’s books?

Let’s see…

1.  I drove to a children’s literature conference in Toronto for an opportunity to hear him speak.

2. I will read everything he publishes.

3. He is tied with Roald Dahl in the standings for my favorite children’s author.

4. I have very high expectations for every book of his I read and I have never been disappointed–this includes, Raven Summer.

While out walking with a friend, fourteen-year-old Liam follows a raven that leads him to an abandoned infant.  After discovering the foundling, Liam’s life begins to change.  He meets two foster children who profoundly affect his view of violence and war, as well as his relationships with family and friends.

~ Tricia is CPL’s Teen Librarian.  She is really excited to see the conclusion of Ponyo this afternoon at Anime Club.

Auden is an insomniac overachiever who excels in everything except her social life.  The responsible, focused daughter of divorced writer/professors, Auden is looking for a change.  For eight weeks she moves to the beach with her father, stepmother and infant half-sister, Thisbe.  Over the course of that summer she makes friends, meets an amazing boy, and begins to discover who she really is.

Reading a Sarah Dessen novel is one way I officially kick off my summer.  Sitting on the balcony in my outdoor rocker with an iced tea and one of her books is my idea of a perfect summer afternoon.

Along for the Ride includes all of the elements I enjoy in a Sarah Dessen novel — a summer setting, personal growth, love, friendships, and family dynamics. 

Read this wonderful book and follow it up with an Impromptu Hot Dog Party for you and your friends.

Happy Reading!

 ~ Tricia is the teen librarian at CPL.  She is writing this post during a meeting of the wonderful & amazing Young Writer’s Group.

YAY!  The 48 Hour Book Challenge is complete!  What a wonderful way to spend a weekend. =)

Here’s a breakdown of 24 hours I spent reading/blogging/networking:

Starting Time: Friday 2pm

2-2:30pm: Blogging/Networking

2:30-8pm: Reading

8:30-9pm: Blogging/Networking

9-10:30pm: Reading

Saturday, 7:15-9:45am: Reading

12:30-1pm: Blogging/Networking

1-5pm: Reading

5:30-6pm: Reading

8-11pm: Reading

Sunday, 8am-1pm: Reading

1-2pm: Blogging/Networking

Ending Time: Sunday 2pm

Total Time Reading: 21.5 hours

Total Time Blogging/Networking: 2.5 hours

Books Read:

1. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (formal review will be posted on Monday)

2. Raven Summer by David Almond (formal review will be posted on Tuesday)

3. Dramarama by E. Lockhart (formal review will be posted on Wednesday)

4. The Batboy by Mike Lupica (formal review will be posted on Thursday)

5. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr (formal review will be posted on Friday)

Happy Reading, everyone!

~ Tricia is the Teen Services Librarian at CPL.  After spending all weekend reading, she is looking forward to eating some pie and watching The Princess Bride.

5 things I loved about Book 5 — Sweethearts by Sara Zarr:

1. Jennifer/Jenna– a young girl/woman becoming aware of her own bravery and strength.

2. Jenna and Cameron’s indescribable friendship–borne out of hardship  and love.

3. Cameron’s honesty and his ability to truly understand Jenna.

4. Favorite scene: two people sharing the quiet that follows snow when everything is covered by an undisturbed blanket of white.

5. Sara Zarr’s uncanny ability to create a character’s voice that is so real the reader cannot help but become fully immersed in the story.

~ Tricia is the Teen Services Librarian at CPL.  She had a wonderful weekend spending every spare moment reading.