Teen/Adult Winter Reading program

Starting January 4th, reading books could win you a prize! Participate in the teen/adult winter reading program from January 4 through February 21, and for every three books you read, you can enter a drawing for great prizes! Entry forms will be available in the library and on the website by December 22. For more information, contact the Mahomet Public Library at 586-2611 or visit www.mahometpubliclibrary.org.

New for YA's at the Mahomet Public Library

This month's list is LONG...there's something for everyone in our new books list!

Fiction:
• Invisible i by Melissa Kantor
• Ash by Malinda Lo
• Fat Cat by Robin Brande
• Hold Still by Nina LaCour
• When the Snow Fell by Henning Mankell
• Angry Management: three novellas by Chris Crutcher
• Betraying Season by Marissa Doyle
• Breathless by Jessica Warman
• A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
• Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire edited by Tricia Telep
• A Family Secret by Eric Heuvel
• Flash Burnout: a novel by L.K. Madigan
• Gorgeous by Rachel Vail
• Homestretch by Paul Volponi
• The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade
• Muchacho: a novel by LouAnne Johnson
• North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
• Rapture of the Deep: Being an account of the further adventures of Jacky Faber, soldier, sailor, mermaid, spy by L.A. Meyer
• Riot by Walter Dean Myers
• Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Bauman
• Ruined: a novel by Paula Morris
• Shooting Star by Fredrick McKissack, Jr.
• Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd
• Sphinx’s Princess by Esther Friesner
• Timelock by David Klass
• Age 14 by Geert Spillebeen
• Andromeda Klein by Frank Portman
• Front and Center by Catherine G. Murdock
• Hate List by Jennifer Brown
• In the Woods by Robin Stevenson
• Lady MacBeth’s Daughter by Lisa Klein
• The Monstrumologist: William James Henry by Rick Yancey
• Crossing Stones by Helen Frost
• The Doom Machine: a novel by Mark Teague
• Outlaw: the Legend of Robin Hood: a graphic novel by Tony Lee
• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
• I Like it Like That: a Gossip Girl novel by Cecily Von Ziegesar
• Identical by Ellen Hopkins
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
• Untamed: A House of Night Novel by P.C. Cast
• Crocodile Tears: An Alex Rider Adventure by Anthony Horowitz
• Rage: A Love Story by Julie Anne Peters
• So Punk Rock (and other ways to disappoint your mother): a novel by Micol Ostow
• Wolverine: Worst Day Ever by Barry Lyga

Nonfiction:
• Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs by Rozanne Gold
• Alive in the Killing Fields: surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide by Nawuth Keat
• Health Care Reform by Lillian E. Forman
• The Keys to American History: Understanding our most important historic documents by Richard Panchyk

Books on CD:
• Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd
• The Boxer and the Spy by Robert B. Parker
• Devil’s Breath by David Gilman
• Would You by Marthe Jocelyn
• Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Twilight Program cancelled

The Twilight Program has been cancelled due to lack of preregistered participants.

2009 Quick Picks for Reluctant YA Readers

Along with the full Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list (available at http://ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/quickpicks/09qp.cfm), the committee selected the following titles as the Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers:

Abel, Jessica, and Soria, Gabriel. Life Sucks.
Franzini, Michael. One Hundred Young Americans.
Fulbeck, Kip. Permanence.
Kuklin, Susan. No Choirboy: Murder, Violence and Teenagers on Death Row.
McMann, Lisa. Wake.
Redd, Nancy Amanda. Body Drama.
Scalin, Noah. Skulls.
Shiraz, Yasmin. Retaliation.
Smits, Kim and Maat, Matthijs. Custom Kicks.
Willin, Melvyn. Ghosts: Caught on Film.

The full list will also be posted on the YA bulletin board.

Scrapbook of Thanks

On Monday, November 23 from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. students in grades 3-8 are invited to join Meg Loven of Stampin’ Up! for a Thanksgiving crafting program. Use your creativity and the provided crafting supplies to make a Scrapbook of Thanks. Registration is required. Please call the library at 586-2611 to preregister.

An example of the scrapbook is in the library display case. It's a cute paper bag scrapbook. Since it's made from paper bags, you have pages for attaching pictures or writing thoughts, and some pages have pockets for inserting pics or information on tabs (which you can see in the example!)

This would even make a great gift to give to that person you're thankful for!

Twilight Jeopardy Time Change!

Please note that the Twilight Jeopardy program will now be held from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 17th.

Twilight Jeopardy

Gear up for the release of the movie New Moon by testing your knowledge of the the four books in the Twilight series at the Mahomet Public Library on Tuesday, November 17 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. After "Jeopardy", see if you can "Drive Like a Cullen" or make a Twilight key chain. Snacks will be provided, and a prize drawing will be held. Please contact the library at 586-2611 to preregister.

Teen's Top 10 for 2009

More than 11,000 teen voters chose Paper Towns as their favorite book in the 2009 Teens' Top Ten! Here is a list of the Top 10 chosen by voters:

1. Paper Towns by John Green
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
4. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
5. Identical by Ellen Hopkins
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
7. Wake by Lisa McMann
8. Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
9. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
10.Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Let us know what you thought of these books!

New YA Books @ the Mahomet Public Library

Here are some of the new titles in the YA collection:

- The Goldsmith’s Daughter by Tanya Landman
- IraqiGirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in Iraq ed. by Elizabeth Wrigley-Field
- Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
- It Had to Be You: The Gossip Girl Prequel by Cecily von Ziegesar
- Fire by Kristin Cashore
- The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

An order for YA books was just placed last week, so be watching the shelves for those "NEW" book stickers! Next month's list should be a lengthy one...

Teen Read Week Drawing

Congratulations to Lisa R., winner of a $10 book store gift card in our Teen Read Week Drawing! Here are some of the titles that teens chose as their favorite books of all time:
- Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
- Football Hero by Tim Green
- Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Ida B. by Katherine Hannigan
- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
- Whales

Take a look at some of these suggestions when you're stumped on what to read next, and let us know what you think!

Happy Teen Read Week!

I hope to see you tomorrow to play a few board games, snack on Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies and popcorn, and check out some new YA books!

Help choose the theme for the 2010 Teen Read Week. The 2010 choices are Books with Beat @ your library, Deal with It @ your library, and Find an Alibi @ your library. Go to the survey to cast your vote.

Later this week: watch for the announcement of the "Teen's Top 10" winners!

And don't forget to enter the drawing for a $10 Book Store gift card, this week only!

Read Beyond Reality @ Your Library!

“Read Beyond Reality” at the Mahomet Public Library during Teen Read Week October 18-24, 2009. Drop in anytime between 3:30 and 4:30 on Tuesday, October 20 to play board games and enjoy snacks! All week, teens in grades 6-12 can enter a drawing to win a $10 bookstore gift card. Just tell us your favorite book of all time! Results will be posted right here on the Mahomet Public Library teen blog.

So stop in Tuesday, October 20, and challenge me to your favorite board game :)

Banned Books Week - Sept. 26-Oct. 3

Banned Books Week is recognized this year the week of September 26 - October 3, 2009. Below is a list of ALA's Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2008-

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
4. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
5. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
7. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
8. Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
9. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
10. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper

Have you read any of the books on the challenged list? How did you feel about the book? What age group do you think it is best suited for?

New YA Books!

Check out one of our new YA books today!

Fiction:
• Exclusively Chloe by J.A. Yang
• Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
• After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr
• The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd
• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
• Orange Houses by Paul Griffin
• Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
• Riley Park by Diane Tullson
• Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian
• Surf Mules by G. Neri
• The Unknowns: a mystery by Benedict Carey
• Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd
• 20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
• Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson
• Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Large Print)
• Love the One You’re With by Cecily Von Ziegesar (Gossip Girls-The Carlyles)

Nonfiction:
• Split in 2: Keeping it together when your parents live apart by Karen Buscemi

Not seeing the titles or types of books you like to read? Post a comment to let us know what you'd like to see in the YA collection!

New in the YA department

It's a short list this month, but there are a few items in the process of being cataloged, and I have some more orders to place! Watch next month's list for more new books!

Fiction:
• Daniel X: Watch the Skies by James Patterson & Ned Rust
• Almost Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Audiobooks:
• New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
• If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Wanted: Book Reviewers!

I have one copy of the not-yet-published book "Everwild" by Neal Shusterman, and am looking for someone who would be interested in reading and reviewing this book for the blog. "Everwild" is Book 2 of the "Skinjacker Trilogy", with the first book being "Everlost". The copy I have is an Advance Reviewer Copy (ARC), not a final copy...it's an uncorrected proof of the book. I would like to share any reviews you write on the blog, as well as with the publisher of the book. E-mail amy.webb@mchsi.com if you are interested in reviewing this book, due to be released Nov. 2009, and I will contact you when a copy is available at the library for you to pick up.

Word of the Day

Why settle for a word a week, when you can learn a new word each DAY! See the side bar for a new word each day from Merriam-Webster Online!

Word of the Week

QUASAR (noun)- An extremely distant, and thus old, celestial object whose power output is several thousand times that of the entire Milky Way galaxy. Some quasars are more than ten billion light years away from earth.

(from "100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know" from the editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries)

I would love to have...

What would you like to see in the teen department of the new library building? Share your ideas on decorating, furniture, materials, and anything else you’d love to see in your new area by posting your comments on the blog!

Word of the Week

EVANESCENT (adjective) - vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor

(from "100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know" from the editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries

Used in a sentence:

from The Return of the Native - By Thomas Hardy, John William Cunliffe

"...All was unstable; quivering as leaves, evanescent as lightning ...."
(from www.brainyflix.com)

Word of the Week

I had so much fun looking for words to define for our weekly trivia, I've decided to add a word and definition each week to the blog. Each word comes from "100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know" from the editors of the American Heritage Dictonaries. Feel free to comment with the word correctly used in a sentence!

Today's word is...

CIRCUMLOCUTION (noun) - 1. The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language. 2. Evasiveness in speech or writing. 3. A roundabout expression.

Teen Summer Reading Program Winners!

Congratulations to the Grand Prize winners in the teen summer reading program!

Kaleb S.
Lisa R.
Nicole N.
Meaghan M.
Hanna A.

Prizes were also awarded to:

Seth W.
Ryan H.
Christopher A.

All participants in the teen summer reading program may pick up their participation prizes starting Wednesday, July 22nd.

Thanks to the 44 teens that participated!

New YA Books & Audiobooks

Fiction
• The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy
• It’s Not You, It’s Me by Kerry Cohen Hoffmann
• Boys R Us: A Clique Novel by Lisi Harrison

Nonfiction
• Skateboarding: Legendary Tricks by Steve Badillo



Audiobooks:
• Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• The Compound by S.A. Bodeen
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Transworld Skateboarding Magazine

Transworld Skateboarding Magazine is available at the Mahomet Public Library! According to Magazines USA, "TransWorld Skateboarding Magazine is one of the most progressive skateboard magazines in the world. Each monthly issue gives you ground breaking photography covering street, vert, pool and park skating. Other features include in depth buyer’s guides, pro spotlights, trick tips and access to the top pros."

I browsed a few copies, and found lots of interviews and frame-by-frame pictures of skateboarding stunts, as well as advertising for a variety of boards, shoes and clothes. Our most current issue is available to browse in the library, but all past issues may be checked out.

New YA books at the library

Here's a list of items recently added to the Mahomet Public Library YA collection:

Fiction

• I Stay Near You:One Story in Three by M.E. Kerr
• Arthas: the Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden
• Stop in the Name of Pants! (Confessions of Georgia Nicholson) by
Louise Rennison
• Take a Chance on Me (Gossip Girls) by Cecily Von Ziegesar
• Attica by Garry Kilworth
• Almost Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• Just One Wish by Janette Rallison


Audiobooks
• Night by Elie Wiesel
• How to Build A House by Dana Reinhardt
• Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
• Madapple by Christina Meldrum

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyers

I finished the series in record time for me. As I've said before, this series was impossible to put down, and the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, didn't let me down. The final novel is divided into three books, the first and third ones from Bella's perspective, and the second book from Jacob's perspective. We follow Bella through her wedding, honeymoon, pregnancy, and transformation. An impending visit from the Volturi adds tension to the story, as the Cullens prepare to defend themselves against the Volturi, who are determined to acquire the gifted vampires to work for them, or destroy them. Rather than give everything away, feel free to comment on the story, and we can discuss it from there.

I'm looking forward to the release of the movie New Moon, scheduled for November 20, 2009!

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

I finished Eclipse a few days ago. I've heard a few people say they didn't enjoy this book as much as the others, but I still found it pretty good. There were some slow parts, but I felt the book reinforced Jacob's feelings for Bella, and helps us see how she feels about Jacob.

I've started Breaking Dawn (about 300 pages into it), and this one is a little more difficult to grasp for me (As if a world with vampires and werewolves should be easy to grasp in the first place!). I'm also undecided yet on how I feel about the shifting "books" within the book. First we have Bella's viewpoint, now we've shifted to Jacobs...I guess I'll withhold judgement until I finish the book (which shouldn't take long!)

Federal Student Aid resources

Thinking about whether to attend college, and how you'll pay for it? Then download a PDF of the brochure "My Future, My Way: How to Go, How to Pay-A Workbook for Students in Middle and Junior High Schools" . This workbook helps you answer questions such as "Why think about college now?", "What can a college education do for me?", and "How will I pay for college?". This and other Federal Student Aid publications can be downloaded at Student Aid on the Web.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Yesterday I finished New Moon, the second book in the Twilight series. While I didn't find it as exciting as the first book, I still couldn't put it down. Bella spirals into depression when Edward and his family leave Forks, for Bella's own protection. After a few months of withdrawing from life, Bella starts hanging out with Jacob Black, an old friend from her childhood. Bella loves Jacob as a friend, and his friendship helps Bella feel alive again. But conflict arises when Bella sees changes in Jacob that draw him away from her. What is going on with the boys at the reservation? Why has Jacob become so distant? And what brings Alice Cullen back into Bella's life? Read New Moon to find out more...I don't want to spoil it for anyone!

What Should I Read Next?

Not sure what book you should dive into next? Do you have a favorite book, and you'd love to find others like it? Try the website "What Should I Read Next?". Enter the title and author of a favorite book, a database of reader's favorite books is searched, and a list of suggestions is returned. I entered "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer, and a list of 10 suggestions was returned. Take a look, and see if this resource can find books to match your reading interests! In fact, send us a comment to let us know how it worked for you!

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Yes, I'm a little late in reading most popular books. Harry Potter was the same way. But once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down! Unfortunately I had seen the movie first...I wish I had read the book first, so my mind could have created the characters that I read about, rather than the movie dictating the characters for me. Regardless, I LOVED the movie, and I LOVED the book! Edward and Bella's story is very romantic, but very tragic. Bella moves from sunny Phoenix to dreary Forks, Washington to live with her father. She worries that she won't fit in at the new school, but the other students are very friendly. Except for Edward Cullen, who along with his adopted brothers and sisters, keep to themselves. Bella is fascinated by Edward, but confused by his mood changes. What ensues is a complicated romance between a human, Bella, and a vampire, Edward. The back of the book sums up the complexity: "About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him-and I didn't know how dominant that part might be-that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him."

I finished Twilight last night, took a short break, and thought, "I'll just read one chapter of New Moon...which suddenly became three chapters! So far it's as addicting as the first book.

Weekly Trivia topics

If you read this blog, you have insider information as to the topics of our teen summer reading program weekly trivia questions! And they are:
June 1-7: Name the Author - Caudill nominees
June 8-14: Twilight Trivia
June 15-21: Percy Jackson Trivia
June 22-28: Name the Author - Abraham Lincoln HS Award nominees
June 29-July 5: Fourth of July Trivia
July 6-12: Define It!
July 13-17: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Trivia

Stop in each week to answer our trivia questions. If you get all the answers correct, we'll add your entry to our grand prize drawing. And while you're in, check out a book, pick up a reading program entry log, and earn more chances to win the grand prize!

Read on the Wild Side!

If you're entering 6th through 12th grade next fall, have you picked up your reading log for the teen summer reading program??? You should! They're now available in the library, and will soon be available online at the library web site. For every three hours you read, you can enter our grand prize drawing! What can you win? Five people will win either a $10 gift card to the location of their choice, or a 4 GB flash drive...you choose!

You can also enter our weekly trivia contest for a chance to have another entry in the grand prize drawing. Check back soon for a sneak peek at what each week's trivia questions will focus on. This information will only be posted on the Mahomet Public Library teen blog!

Read on the Wild Side!

Mahomet Public Library will host a teen summer reading program (for teens entering grades 6-12) from June 1-July 17, 2009. Read the books, magazines, and newspapers you enjoy (or listen to a book on CD/cassette), and for every 3 hours of reading, enter a grand prize drawing. Entry forms can be picked up at the Mahomet Public Library, or printed from the Mahomet Public Library web site starting May 26, 2009.

Every time you read 15 minutes, mark a box off on your entry form. When you’ve read 3 hours, bring your entry form with your name and phone number to the Mahomet Public Library to be entered into our grand prize drawing. Then pick up another form, and read your way towards another entry!

We will also have weekly trivia contests so you can earn more entries into the grand prize drawing!

Participation prizes will be awarded to all participants who read at least 3 hours! Additionally, if your entry is one of 5 drawn on July 17, you can choose a $10 gift card from the location of your choice in Mahomet or Champaign/Urbana (for example, Borders or Barnes and Noble Bookstores, Subway, Dairy Queen, Monical’s Pizza, McDonald’s, Play it Again Video, or another location of your choice), or a 4 GB flash drive – You choose!

Entry forms available in the library starting May 26, or print one from the library web page (www.mahometpubliclibrary.org). For more information, contact the Mahomet Public Library at 586-2611.

2010 Abraham Lincoln H.S. Book Award

Take a look at the 2010 nominees for the Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award. The Abraham Lincoln Award is awarded annually to the author of the book voted as most outstanding by participating students in grades nine through twelve in Illinois. The award is named for Abraham Lincoln, one of Illinois' most famous residents and himself an avid reader and noted author. The nominees for 2010 are:

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Aftershock by Kelly Easton
Avalon High by Meg Cabot
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Christopher Killer: A Forensic Mystery by Alane Ferguson
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
The Good Guy by Dean Koontz
Gym Candy by Carl Deuker
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
Look Me in the Eye: My Life With Asperger’s by John Elder Robison
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Pride of Baghdad by Brian Vaughan
Rooftop by Paul Volponi
Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

New YA Books at the MPL

Here is a list of new YA books at the Mahomet Public Library, as of the end of April:
• Chasing Boys by Karen Tayleur
• Crank by Ellen Hopkins
• Girls against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change by Bonnie Burton
• Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
• Maximum Ride 1 by James Patterson
• 3 Willows: the Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
• If I Stay by Gayle Forman
• Wolverine: Prodigal Son story by Anthony Johnston
• Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry
• Dragon Ball, Vol. 3 story and art by Akira Toriyama
• Dragon Ball, Vol. 4 story and art by Akira Toriyama
• Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 1 story and art by Akira Toriyama
• Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 3 story and art by Akira Toriyama

Teen's Top 10 Nominations

See the 2009 Teens' Top Ten nominations! (PDF). There are 25 nominations and 25 weeks until Teen Read Week, so if you read one nominated book a week, you'll be ready to make an informed decision as to which book is your favorite when it's time to vote the week of October 18-24.

About the Teens' Top Ten
Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. Nominations are posted in April during National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year during Teen Read Week. Readers aged twelve to eighteen can vote online anytime that week.

"Shift" by Jennifer Bradbury

"Shift" by Jennifer Bradbury is a great read for boys or girls. The story's chapters alternate between present and past as we learn about Chris and Win, two boys that embark on a cross-country bike trip after their high school graduation. The problem is, only one of them returns. When Win leaves Chris as he stops to change a flat tire shortly before the end of their journey, Chris angrily figures Win went on to his uncle's house in Seattle. Chris returns home and heads off for college, only to find that Win hasn't returned, and has no uncle in Seattle. Win's rich, controlling father has an FBI agent putting pressure on Chris to find out where Win is, making Chris's start to college difficult. As the chapters alternate, you see the mystery unfold, and can start to see what's happened to Win. Read this book! You're left wondering until the very end how things will be resolved.

Save the Date!

Join us for the GROUNDBREAKING EVENT for the new Mahomet Public Library at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 30th. Everyone is welcome...bring your shovel and help us get started! Groundbreaking events will be held at the new library site, east of Sandy Ridge Subdivision on Highway 150. I'll post more details as they become available.

April is National Poetry Month!

In honor of National Poetry Month, check out "Gregory's 30 Poets/30 Days" at the GottaBook blog. Each day in April you'll see a new previously unpublished poem by a different children's poet. See the blog at

http://gottabook.blogspot.com/2009/03/announcing-30-poets30-days.html.

for an alphabetical list of participating authors, as well as links to other blogs celebrating National Poetry Month. And don't be turned off by the fact that it's "children's poetry"...poems can be humorous or uplifting, no matter what age they are created for.

National Library Week

Celebrate National Library Week at the Mahomet Public Library April 12-18! We will be holding daily prize drawings Monday, April 13 through Saturday, April 18. Check out a book, enter a prize drawing, and find out about all the exciting things going on at the Mahomet Public Library!

Photographers of all ages are invited to submit photos of buildings and locations in Mahomet, which will be displayed in the library and compiled on CD as part of the library’s historical collection. Visit the library web site or stop in the library for submission requirements. Photos will be accepted through Friday, April 17.

Children in grades K-5 can stop in the library anytime between 3:00-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15 for crafts, games and snacks! Make and take a magnetic bookmark, then play some games of skill. No registration required.

The Friends of the Mahomet Public Library will wrap up National Library Week with their Spring Book Sale. The sale starts Thursday, April 16 from 5-8 p.m. with a preview night for Friends members (Join for $5 at the door!). The sale is open to the public on Friday, April 17 from 9 am-5:30 pm and Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

For more information, visit www.mahometpubliclibrary.org or call the library at 586-2611.

"Crank" by Ellen Hopkins

"Crank" is the Abraham Lincoln High School Book Award winner for 2009, so I just had to read it. I didn't realize beforehand that "Crank" is a story told in poems. I found this book very interesting. It tells the story of Kristina, your typical good girl, and her downfall after becoming addicted to meth. Kristina visits her father, who she hasn't seen in many years, to try to reconnect with him. On this visit, Kristina meets Adam, a gorgeous guy who introduces her to meth. During this visit to her dad's, Kristina becomes "Bree", a more daring person than Kristina ever could be. The story continues to describe Kristina's addiction and how it affects her life. The book is depressing at times, but it was a real eye-opener. Hopkins states in an author's note that the book is loosely based on the experiences her own daughter went through. I found that many poems in this book needed to be read two ways; not only left to right, but sometimes single words off to the side read top to bottom gave even more insight into Kristina's thoughts and feelings. This book was easy to read, with the poem format, and I had a hard time putting it down. I look forward to reading the sequel, "Glass".

"What I Saw and How I Lied" by Judy Blundell

Recently, I finished the book "What I Saw and How I Lied" by Judy Blundell after hearing about it from other librarians that couldn't put it down. The story starts out post-World War II, and Evie's father has just returned from serving in the war. Her father starts a successful business, but not long after his return home, he is getting phone calls from a fellow soldier. A spur of the moment vacation to Florida leads to new friends they meet at their hotel, new opportunities for the family, and a new romance for Evie. As the story progresses, a mystery unfolds involving Evie's dad, her mom, and a soldier that Evie's dad met during the war. The mystery keeps you reading to the very end to uncover secrets, lies, and murder. I enjoyed the mystery of this book, and liked how the details unfolded.

2009 Abraham Lincoln Winner

The 2009 Abraham Lincoln Book Award Winner is "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins. Have you read this book? Here's a summary from LINC:

"Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter, gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina. Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul--her life."

I've requested this book, so once I've read it, I'll comment back...I'm looking forward to hearing your comments, too.

"Feathered" by Laura Kasischke

Three high school seniors, Anne, Michelle, and Terri, are off to Cancun for their spring break. The girls are armed with sunblock and advice from their parents about how to stay safe thousands of miles from home. Will they follow that advice, or throw caution to the wind? This story is told in alternating chapters from Anne and Michelle's point of view. Tell me what you think of this story!

Teen Tech Week Survey

Visit www.ala.org/teentechweek to participate in the Teen Tech Week survey. Give your thoughts on what next year's theme should be, and let librarians know about how you use technology. Visit March 8-March 14!

Teen Health and Wellness Free Trial

Rosen Publishing, proud sponsor of Teen Tech Week, is pleased to offer you a FREE trial to its award-winning, critically acclaimed Teen Health & Wellness database.Get started right away at www.teenhealthandwellness.com!

Username: teentech Password: teentech

Your trial begins on 02/18/09 and ends on 03/27/09.

New Library!!

Have you seen the pictures and floor plan for the new Mahomet Public Library? It's gonna' be great! And there is more space for teens in the new building! What would you like that space to look like? What would you like to see in the new teen area? And I'm talking furnishings, theme of the area, materials you'd like to see...anything!!! What kinds of technology do you think the new library should have?? Give us your suggestions! Either post to the blog, or e-mail amy.webb@mchsi.com. Would you be interested in becoming a member of a teen advisory group that helps give input on what teens would like to see in the new library? Then contact Amy at the library, on this blog, or at the e-mail above. Now is your chance to shape the look and feel of the teen area...don't let this chance pass you by!!

Photography Project

Capture Your Community in Pictures!
Photography Project - Mahomet Public Library

Teen Tech Week is March 8-14! To celebrate, teens in grades 6-12 or equivalent are invited to submit photographs of the buildings and locations in Mahomet. Photos will be displayed in the library, on the website, and compiled into a CD that will become part of the library’s historical collection. Photos can be prints, saved to a CD, or e-mailed submissions. To enter a photo, visit www.mahometpubliclibrary.org or stop by the library for complete guidelines and entry forms. Entries must be turned into the Mahomet Public Library between Sunday, March 8 and Thursday, March 12, 2009.

All photographers will be entered in a random drawing for one of three $10 Dominoes gift cards.

Start capturing the pictures that define Mahomet today, so they can be a record of our community in the future!

New for YA's

Here's what's new on the YA bookshelves:
Julius Caesar (text adaptor, Richard Appignanesi; illustrated by Mustashrik
Learning to Fly by Paul Yee
Forever Princess by Meg Cabot
Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle
Parties and Potions by Sarah Mlynowski
It Had to Be You by Cecily Von Ziegesar
Ransom My Heart by Meg Cabot
Into the Volcano by Don A. Wood
10 Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah
Secret Circle-Initiation and the Captive by L.J. Smith
Secret Circle-The Captive Part II and the Power by L.J. Smith
Blood Blade by Marcus Pelegrimas
Walls of the Universe by Paul Melko
PS I Loathe You by Lisi Harrison
Fade by Lisa McMann
Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs
Dope Stick by Walter Dean Myers
Elephant Run by Roland Smith

And new Books on CD:

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini