YALLFest 2012

Hello, readers!

I had the pleasure of being at YALLFest 2012, and I'd like to share some photos (thanks to Darcy C. and Jen H. for their awesome camera skills) and highlights, as well as feature some new titles from YALLFest 2012 authors. As always, just click on the title of the book to be magically transported to our online catalog, where you can place a hold on a book and have it sent to your neighborhood CCPL branch.


Top 5 things I learned:

• 4 new elf puns, courtesy of Sarah Rees Brennan
• Whipped cream pies MUST be made just moments before shoving in someone's face, or else they become sugary slop
• Pseudonymous Bosch's real name (BUT I'LL NEVER TELL!)
• That Andrea Cremer loves animal collective nouns (e.g., an exaltation of larks)...and sexual innuendo
• YA authors overwhelmingly like torturing their characters.

On the Friday before the big day, we rolled out the red carpet (figuratively and literally) for seven of the biggest names in YA lit here in the Teen Lounge. From left to right, pictured here are Psuedonymous Bosch, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Michelle Hodkin, Gitty Daneshvari, and Carrie Ryan. They were all just as amazing as their books would indicate!

Drum roll, please....We have our writing contest winner!

Hello, readers!

November is not just the month where men have an excuse to grow horrid mustaches (claiming it's "Movember" or "No-Shave November"). No, November is also National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. In honor of NaNoWriMo, we'd like to publish a fabulous short story by a fabulously talented young writer. This story is the winner of CCPL's 2012 Short Story Writing Contest for Teens (earning a $25 Visa Gift Card!). Check it out, then check out NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program and start writing your own novel!

The Library Hermit

by Chloe W.

Prologue

 

 

The library is full of secrets.

 

Some people might think it merely a building full of books. Dull, dusty, and old. But someone taught me the truth: a library is a place of magic. Within the walls and aisles and pages there lies a world of stories where you can find love, adventure, and home when you need it most.

Let me tell you a story of my own, about the extraordinary girl I met there and the world that she showed me.

 

Sarah's Picks: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Hi there!  My name is Sarah, and I work in the Young Adult department at the Charleston County Public Library. Some of my favorite things are: the first day in spring when it's warmer outside than inside, my dogs, Chip and Izzy, and (naturally) a good book.



The book for this round of my picks was pretty easy to, well, pick. Starting today, September 11, teens around the lowcountry are encouraged to try their hand (click here!) at identifying the places we left copies of Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. See a sneak peek here:

Also, I happen to love the book. And have a teensy-tiny (literary) crush on the author.

In the novel, a young Oskar Schell goes on a mission to find a lock. The lock must match the key that belonged to his father, who died in the 9/11 attacks. Interspersed with newspaper articles, photographs, business cards, and plenty of other tidbits, Oskar's quest will captivate you, break your heart, make you cry, make you laugh.  Foer brings his unique writing style to another (also read Everything is Illuminated!) unique narrator.

First sentence:  "What about a teakettle?"

Okay, so you can take this information and run with it--run all the way to any of our branches to check out the book, to our catalog of downloadable books to read an e-copy, to our scavenger hunt website, and/or to meet Mr. Foer (you can bet I'll be there!) on Tuesday, October 23rd at College of Charleston's TD Arena at 5pm.

Happy reading,

Sarah

Palmer's Picks: Gimmie Some Manga! Review of Dororo by Osamu Tezuka

Hi guys! My name's Palmer, and I work in the Young Adult Services department of the Charleston County Public Library. I love graphic novels, root beer floats and thunderstorms (and flip glasses). I also love finding truly awesome books and sharing them with you avid readers! Remember to click on any title to put it on



                                                                                  

                                                                                   DORORO

BY OSAMU TEZUKA

Is is cheesy for me to describe Dororo as a super-sweet story of adventure, friendship, and family that mixes in some amazing Japanese supernatural lore? What if by super sweet, I mean super awesome, super action-packed, and super funny (although Dororo does have a few tender moments)? The hero of Dororo is a young ronin (a masterless warrior) named Hyakkimaru who was born with some serious issues. Our story opens with Hyakkimaru's father, quite the power-hungry guy, offering up fourty-eight parts of his yet unborn son to fourty-eight demons in exchange for control of the region. As a result, Hyakkimaru is born without things like eyes, ears, arms, legs, a nose, and a voice. Fourty-eight missing parts in all makes Hyakkimaru quite unlike your typical infant and unlikely to survive, so his grieving mother sends him downriver in a basket to his fate. Lucky for Hyakkimaru, a kindly doctor discovers him in the river and raises the child as his own, discovering that despite his fourty-eight disadvantages, Hyakkimaru has developed senses beyond the abilities of a normal human and can function quite well without his missing parts. As Hyakkimaru grows into a boy, the doctor begins to construct prosthetics to help the lad appear a little less unusual to the outside world. The prosthetics make Hyakkimaru's life easier for a while, but the growing boy seems to be attracting some unwanted supernatural attention...

August Author of the Month: John Green

Hiya, readers! This month we're kicking off a new series of posts and displays at the Main Library: Author of the Month. YA regular and devoted nerdfighter Chloe W. got first pick, so August's author is the extra-fantabulous John Green. Check out what Chloe has to say about Monsieur Green below. All of the books will be on display in the teen space at the Main Library for the month of August, so come on by to check them out!

Also, if you've got a favorite author you'd like to see featured, shoot us an email, comment on this post, or give us a call at (843) 805-6903.

--Staffer Sarah

Why John Green is My Favorite Author

By Chloe W.

There is a difference between merely liking an author’s book a great deal and calling him or her your favorite author. When someone is your favorite author, you don’t only like his books, but you like him as person, you’re interested in his life, and you really care about him (or her). That is why John Green is my favorite.

I first found out about who John Green was last year when I started watching the vlogbrothers videos. John and his brother Hank have a hugely successful YouTube channel where they have been making vlogs since 2007. Watching the videos and seeing how awesome they are caused me to go get his books from the library as fast as I could.

The style of John Green’s writing is very realistic according to a teenager’s perspective--so incredibly smart and thoughtful yet humorous and filled with adolescent shenanigans.

It’s difficult to choose which of his books I like best. From Looking for Alaska--the story of Miles, the boy obsessed with people’s last words who goes to boarding school where he meets Alaska (which manages to be both filled with pranks and heartbreak)--to An Abundance of Katherines (the story of Colin the child prodigy who has dated 19 girls named Katherine), John Green’s writing never fails to be enjoyable.

The Fault in Our Stars is my personal favorite of his books. This book means a great deal to me not just because I love the story of Hazel and Augustus so much, but also because the experience of seeing an idea become an actual book is a beautiful thing. I was there with all the other nerdfighters (a community dedicated to “decreasing world suck” that was started by the Green brothers) watching when the title was announced, when the cover was released, when the vast amount of pre-orders was so great that the publisher agreed to move the release date up three months. I understood the little things in the novel you can only get when you know a lot about an author, such as the goat soap references, because any well-versed nerdfighter knows that John and Hank’s parents make goat soap. And I was lucky enough to attend the Tour de Nerdfighting, where I met John and Hank and got my book signed and inscribed. All these things are a part of my love for The Fault in Our Stars, or TFiOS, as it’s commonly called.

But it isn’t only John Green’s books I like. John Green is someone I look up to. I’m interested in his opinions and what he has to say. I love watching his vlogbrothers videos as well as his video series The Miracle of Swindon Town, which can be seen in the YouTube channel HankGames, where John plays FIFA 11 as Swindon Town F.C. and discusses a different topic or shares a story in each match. His videos on the YouTube channel crashcourse, where John teaches World History, are informative but still manage to be funny and so distinctly John-esque that they’re always a joy to watch.

Whether I’m reading his books or watching him play video games, John Green is someone I find interesting, someone I can really look up to, and someone I would call not just an author but a friend.

New Graphic Novels Arriving at the Main Branch!!

Good news for all readers of manga and graphic novels! The bevy of new graphic novel acquisitons that we've been anxiously awaiting has finally begun to arrive! To whet your appetites for graphic novels, I'm going to give you a little taste of our newest additions:

Salem Brownstone
by John Harris Dunning and Nikhil Singh


This creepy tale appeals with equal parts of  strangeness and loveliness. Its serpentine illustrations and odd storyline together make for a book that reads and looks like a noir detective film set in haunted circus. There is definetly a touch of genius, as well as a touch of insanity in this slim book... for truly remarkable artwork that will lurk in your brain for weeks after, give Salem Brownstone a try!

The Tragedy of Mass Shootings

Welcome to That Reminds Me of a Book, a regular feature where we link current events and pop-culture happenings with YA books.

Hate Gets a Gun

 
As another story breaks about a mass shooting, this time in a Denver movie theater, it's so hard to grasp around why someone would shoot and kill random, innocent people. These latest shooting victims were just watching a Batman movie.

Thankfully, good fiction can offer insights into the real world. For instance, events like the movie theater shooting affect many, many people, even people like us who weren't involved. But imagine that you were. One teen book tells the story of a school shooting from a unique perspective: a girl who helped to make the list of victims. Check it out:


Hate List
By Jennifer Brown

At the end of their junior year, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend pulls a gun at school, leaving six students and a teacher dead and many others wounded. Valerie gets shot in the leg trying to stop him just before he ends his own life.

Until then, Valerie had no idea that the "hate list" she and Nick created would be used to target victims in a vengeful shooting spree. For her, the list of tormentors was a way to ease the pain of being bullied and an outlet against the constant fighting between her parents. Although the police investigation reveals that Valerie had nothing to do with the shootings, many people, including her parents, have a hard time believing that she is not at fault too.

After a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends, and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy--and her role in it.

(Click on the title to reserve a copy at your favorite CCPL branch.)

What Are Teens Reading This Summer?

HERE'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY...

What are your fellow teens reading this summer? Dystopias, romance, you name it. Here are recommendations straight from our summer reading contest entries! (Click on any title to put the book on hold at your favorite CCPL branch. Or, click here to search our eBooks.)



Divergent
By Veronica Roth

Rate it! Excellent (9th grader)

What's it about? Beatrice Prior lives in post-apocalyptic Chicago where people are locked in by a metal fence surrounding the city. On kids' 16th birthdays, they must choose a faction. When you choose a faction, you must remain in that faction or you will become faction-less, homeless, and destitute. The factions are: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent).
(Sequel: Insurgent)

Cinder
By Marissa Meyer

Rate it! Excellent (8th grader)

What's it about? It is a retelling of Cinderella with a big twist: The girl, Cinder, is a great mechanic and also a cyborg. She lives in China, and when it gets infected with a disease, she is immune—and the only ones immune to the disease are Lunars, who are from the moon.

 

Palmer's Picks: Review of Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You: A Novel

Hi guys! My name's Palmer, and I work in the Young Adult Services department of the Charleston County Public Library. I love graphic novels, root beer floats and thunderstorms (and flip glasses). I also love finding truly awesome books and sharing them with you avid readers! Remember to click on any title to put it on hold.

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You

by

Peter Cameron

The facepalm that graces the cover of Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You speaks more precisely of the plight of our hero, a socially and intellectually frustrated high school senior named James Sveck, than any other illustration I can imagine. James's life seems to encompass everything a facepalm stands for—frustration, humiliation or, to borrow a definition from Urban Dictionary, "The only logical answer to a stupid question or statement."

James, as a highly intelligent but slightly socially awkward teen, finds himself at odds with the world at every turn. He can't identify with other teens his age, his self-described "shark" businessman father, his thrice-divorced mother, or his snobby sister. A botched attempt to establish a connection with the one person he can identify with (other than his grandmother) lands him in hot water, with his sanity and sexuality being questioned by both his family and the new therapist they've enlisted to help wheedle out of James exactly why he doesn't want to go to college.

Jen's Picks: Dead To You

Greetings! I'm Jennifer Hawes, and I work with young adult books at the Charleston County Public Library. Welcome to my random thoughts about books for teens. If a book grabs you, click on any title to reserve a copy, or search CCPL's ebooks. Happy reading!

Dead To You

By Lisa McMann

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. When we meet him in Dead To You, he's 16 and awkwardly awaiting a reunion with his family at a train station. 

During that long gap of years, Ethan grew up with a woman he figures must have been responsible for his abduction. Maybe she'd just wanted a child—although she was hardly the model mom. She sold her body, abandoned him for periods of time, and eventually dumped him for good at a group home. Miserable, he ran away and became homeless.

That’s when he started looking at missing children reports and found news of the abduction. At last, he's about to meet his real family, one who will love him unconditionally. Sounds awesome, right?

Summer Short Story Writing Contest!

CCPL’s TEEN Underground presents…

SUMMER SHORT STORY Writing CONTEST!!

Click to enter our teen Summer Reading contest!

WHO:  Charleston County residents ages 12 to 18.

 WHAT: Your fabulous writing. Send us your very best short story. It should be a complete story written in 1,000 to 8,000 words. Here’s the rub: Your story must involve a library. Any library. Anywhere. In any manner, large or small. But your story must include the word library at least twice.

Want a little camaraderie for this adventure? Join the Underground Writers club on Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Main Library.

WHEN:  Deadline for submissions is August 10. DEADLINE EXTENDED TO AUGUST 22!

Love dogs?

Well, good news: the Dog Days of Summer are here at CCPL!

Palmer's Picks: Wise Child by Monica Furlong

Hi guys! My name's Palmer, and I work in the Young Adult Services department of the Charleston County Public Library. I love graphic novels, root beer floats and thunderstorms (and flip glasses). I also love finding truly awesome books and sharing them with you avid readers! Remember to click on any title to put it on hold.

Wise Child

By Monica Furlong

If you’re like me, you’ve spent a good amount of time sitting in class or studying for tests, bored out of your mind and desperately wishing that school was a whole lot more like Hogwarts.“I’d be acing this class if it was Defense Against the Dark Arts,” you might’ve thought while trying not to drift off to sleep. "Writing a paper on ways to ward off werewolves is way more interesting than studying stupid plant cells! And why can’t I be learning how to make love potions instead of memorizing the dumb ol’ periodic table?”

Trust me, I understand.

Wise Child

The idea of a magical education is something that has filled me with longing ever since I began reading the Harry Potter series. Something I hadn’t imagined, however, was the kind of magical education the late Monica Furlong brings to life in Wise Child--something I like to call "magical homeschooling."

Instead of attending a magical academy housed in a sprawling castle and modeled largely after the English private boarding school system, Wise Child, the heroine of Furlong’s book of the same name, is taken in by her village’s resident healer and (suspected) witch when her father fails to return from a long voyage on the high seas. Living with Juniper means a whole new world of education and responsibility for Wise Child (the local nickname for youngsters who are a little too clever for their own good).

The magical homeschooling in Wise Child is a bit of far cry from the Divination and Charms classes that fill the days of the students at Hogwarts. Juniper’s particular brand of magic is something a touch more realistic--that is, she emphasizes the study of herbs and their properties, the value of learning to speak and write in English and Latin, and familiarizing oneself with the movement of the stars.

Teens Review Books for Teens

You Review:

Welcome to the place where teens review books just for teens. Email teenunderground@ccpl.org if you want to review, too! Click on any title to put the book on hold at your favorite CCPL branch, and be sure to comment at the end.

Windblowne

Windblowne
By Stephen Messer

You Reviewed by Javari

This book has a really original story line. The main world is all based around kites. Oliver, the central character, is a boy who lives in a land where people are obsessed with flying kites. But when Oliver tries to fly them, they crash in horrible ways.

Every year, the town of Windblowne has a festival of kites. Oliver really wants to fly a kite with success, but his parents are not helpful. So, when he finds out that his great-uncle Gilbert was once a champion kite flier, Oliver gets his hopes up that he will now be able to fly a kite without being laughed at. But Oliver’s hopes are dashed when Gilbert refuses to help.

Author Interview: Kendare Blake of Anna Dressed in Blood

Author Kendare Blake

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

KENDARE BLAKE

Romance, ghosts, and gore...what more could a YA reader ask for? Meet Anna, the murderous main (ghost) character in Anna Dressed in Blood. Author Kendare Blake creates a terrifyingly cruel, yet strangely intriguing, dead girl—a victim whose revenge on the living will leave you forever fearful attics. Luckily, there's Cas, a ghost-hunting teen who just might save us all from Anna's fury...unless he falls in love with her first.

Watch for the sequel, Girl of Nightmares, due out Aug. 7. Meanwhile, meet Kendare Blake:

 
We are dying to know how you came up with the idea of Anna, this blood-soaked and grotesquely murderous yet sympathetic character?

Anna came entirely from her name. Anna Dressed in Blood. And I thought, who's that? Oh. She's a dead girl. And she kills people. Well, that's not good. Someone will have to kill her.

You Review (In Haiku)

Hey again, readers!

We at CCPL Teen Underground like to introduce a new series of posts called "You Review." You may be thinking, What could that be? I don't get it. Or you may be thinking, Ah, I've been waiting for my chance to share what I thought about the latest YA book I read, and this is my space to do it! Well, the latter thinker is correct--this is YOUR space to tell us (and the People of the Internet) what you think about books you've read.

Our first edition will be poetry-themed in honor of National Poetry Month. Some of our favorite teen readers have submitted a few of their own Haiku Reviews (click here to see staffer Sarah's attempts...). Click on the title to go straight to that book in our online catalog.

Feel free to leave comments, including your own Haiku Reviews (after all, this is YOU Review)!

Sarah's Picks: It's Time for Haiku Reviews!

Hey readers! My name is Sarah, and I work in the Young Adult department at the Charleston County Public Library. Some of my favorite things are: the first day in spring when it's warmer outside than inside, my dogs, Wallace and Izzy, and (naturally) a good book.

This month, I thought I’d do a quick-and-dirty series of reviews. Inspired in part by the book There is No Long Distance Now: Very Short Stories by poet Naomi Shihab Nye (on my reading list), National Poetry Month, and the popularity of novels in verse, I am going to limit myself to the 17 syllables of haiku…Oh, and don't forget to click on any of the titles to reserve a copy of the book through our online catalog!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

This book with pictures

Tells a deeply sad story--

Keep tissues handy.

Novels in Verse: Drugs, Sex, Death, and Heaven

NOVELS IN VERSE

It's National Poetry Month! Time to study sonnets written by men in white wigs, right? Not necessarily. Edgy teen books written in verse is a hot area of publishing today, one that drags stanzas and meter into the realms of drugs, sex, war, murder, pregnancy, and suicide. You won't be bored! (Click on the titles to place holds, or go to our eBooks.) 

Tricks
By Ellen Hopkins

Five troubled teenagers fall into prostitution as they search for freedom, safety, community, family, and love. Other novels by Ellen Hopkins, queen of edgy books in verse, include Perfect, Glass, Fallout, Identical, Impulse, Burned, and Crank.

Author Interview: Jenny Hubbard of PAPER COVERS ROCK

(Updated with new pics at the bottom!)

Jenny Hubbard

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

JENNY HUBBARD

We loved meeting Jenny Hubbard when she visited the Main library—almost as we enjoyed Paper Covers Rock, her beautiful debut novel that has won numberous national awards and an endorsement from mega-author Pat Conroy. Luckily, she answer a few questions for those who didn't get to meet her:



Paper Covers Rock is your first novel. How did you come up with the idea for it?

If you want to get technical about it, it’s my third novel. The first two are in a drawer in a folder marked, “Burn in the event of my death.” But, yes, it is my first published novel. The germ of Paper Covers Rock began with a terrible true story I heard while I was teaching at a boys’ boarding school, one that had nothing to do with boys or schools. That terrible true story is no longer a part of the novel. Funny how that happens. I taught at the boys’ school for 10 years, and when I started there, I was the only single female teacher. I taught poetry, and I read the sometimes great and terrifying work of my students day in and day out. Although my story is not at all Miss Dovecott’s, I can relate to and empathize with her plight.

Jen's Picks: The Fault in Our Stars

Greetings! I'm Jennifer Hawes, and I work with young adult books at the Charleston County Public Library. Welcome to my random thoughts about books for teens. If a book grabs you, click on the title to reserve a copy, or search CCPL's ebooks. Happy reading!

The Fault in Our Stars

By John Green

This week, I fell in love.

I fell in love with a guy named Augustus Waters. I also became quite fond of his girlfriend, Hazel Lancaster. But mostly I fell into awe of John Green, author of my new favorite teen book of all time, The Fault in Our Stars. Anyone who uses words like “cancertastic” and who actually made me want to read a book about teens facing death by cancer surely warrants so much admiration.

Honestly, I’m not big on reading depressing books just for fun. But I am a sucker for smart sarcasm, and the book (TFiOS as fans call it) opens with Hazel at a cancer support group held in a church basement that she’s dubbed the Literal Heart of Jesus. Every week, the group leader reminds them that he's alive despite losing both testicles to cancer, which leaves Hazel musing, "AND YOU TOO MIGHT BE SO LUCKY!"

Teen Tech Week @ CCPL!

Hey there, techie teens! Looking to upgrade your gear? Enter our contest and you could WIN $50 to Best Buy or Amazon.com.

For this year’s Teen Tech Week, we’ve come up with a heap of challenges that will take you to the outer edges of the internet and back. As you complete the challenges, record your completion of each task on this online form.

For every four challenges you complete, you will be entered once to win our grand prize (a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com or Best Buy—your choice). Complete ALL the challenges, and you’ll get three chances to win the grand prize!

South Carolina Junior Book Awards

Awesome Books for Middle Schoolers!!

The 2012-2013 South Carolina Junior Book Award nominees are in! Check out the results. They include dangerous underwater worlds, kids forced to work in sweatshops, and a talking origami Yoda. Yes, there is a book (or two or three) for all tastes. Click on any title to reserve a copy!

Start off with:



The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
By Tom Angleberger

When Dwight, the class weirdo, shows up with a talking origami Yoda, kids tease him. But Yoda seems to know things—and his advice is oddly wise. Is the Force really with him, or has Dwight fallen off the deep end?

Sequel: Darth Paper Strikes Back

S.C. Young Adult Book Award Nominees

Great Books for S.C. High Schoolers!!

The South Carolina YA Book Award Nominees are in for 2012-2013!

Our state's students, librarians, teachers, parents, and others chose these books as the very best for high schoolers. (Heads up: Teachers like to pick summer reading requirements from these lists...so get a head start!)

Click on any title to reserve a copy:



Pathfinder
By Orson Scott Card

Rigg has a secret ability to see the paths of others' pasts. However, revelations after his father's death set him on a dangerous quest that brings new threats from those who would either control his destiny or kill him.

Hunger Games Tribute Training Camp

Your name was drawn at the reaping...

We hereby summon you to Tribute Training Camp to be held under cover of darkness after the Main library closes at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 9. Ages 10 to 18 shall attend. Arrive in comfortable attire or costume.

You will demonstrate: Nerf sharpshooting, costume preparation, game strategy, knot tying, Tracker Jacker evasion, and specific knowledge of The Games.

You will attempt to win prizes (including movie tickets, posters, and books) by gaining the favor of our elite Gamemakers.

You will eat free pizza and snacks.

You will depart at 8 p.m.

For more info, call 843-805-6845 or email teenunderground@ccpl.org.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

(BTW, if you loved The Hunger Games, click here for our list of other creepy dystopias that will likewise give you nightmares and question the future of our wonderful world.)

Happy training!

Jen's Picks: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Greetings! I'm Jennifer Hawes, and I work with young adult books at the Charleston County Public Library. Welcome to my random thoughts about books for teens. If a book grabs you, click on the title to reserve a copy, or click here to search CCPL's e-books. Happy reading!




The Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns

By Rae Carson

Elise is a 16-year-old princess about to marry a king she’s never met – and she actually hopes he’s old or ugly or fat or smells or something, anything, that will keep him from being disappointed with her.

You see, Elise loves to eat. She eats when she’s stressed out, bummed out, or just plain bored. The result: She’s overweight and insecure.

But Elise has this to offer: She is God’s chosen one, according to the magical stone she was born with in her belly button. Trouble is, she has no clue why God would choose her to do anything.

Nerdfighters, Unite!



Me, Chloe the Nerdfighter





Meet the Nerdfighters

This year, when asked the momentous question, “What do you want for Christmas?” I asked not for a fancy new gadget, nor a car, but for an experience. Namely, the nearest Tour de Nerdfighting event.

Confused?

Jen's Pick: The Future of Us...Your Future on Facebook

Greetings! My name is Jennifer, and I work with young adult books at the Charleston County Public Library. Welcome to my random thoughts about books for teens. If a book grabs you, click on the title to reserve a copy…or click here to search CCPL's e-books. Happy reading!






The Future of Us

       The Future of Us

By Jay Asher

and

Carolyn Mackler
 

 

Imagine seeing your Facebook self 15 years in the future. Maybe you’re married to the hottest guy or girl in school, you’re making big bucks, and you have a gaggle of cute kids? Awesome!

Sure, but what if your future life really stinks?

So goes the premise of The Future of Us, the new book by Jay Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why) and Carolyn Mackler (The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things).

Books With Looks

When Words and Images Unite

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? How about a drawing? A painting? A sketch? The books below combine words with images to tell some really amazing stories! (Click on any title to reserve a copy at a CCPL branch, or click here to search our e-books.)

Wonderstruck

By Brian Selznick

Having just lost his mother and his hearing in a short time, 12-year-old Ben leaves his Minnesota home to find the father he's never known in New York City. There, he meets Rose, who is also longing for something that's missing from her life. Ben's story is told in words; Rose's is told in pictures.

Take On the Challenge (and Win)!

Read If You Dare: 365 in 60 Days

We have just received a brand new set of the Conspiracy 365 series by Gabrielle Lord. There are 12 books in the action-packed series, one for each month of the year, conveniently named things like January, February, March...you get the idea. Now, we challenge you: Read all 12 books in 60 days!

So, what's a challenge without The Rules? 

Jen's Pick: A Monster Calls

Hi there! My name is Jennifer, and I work with young adult books at the Charleston County Public Library. Welcome to my random thoughts about books for teens. If a book grabs your interest, click on the title to reserve a copy…or click here to search CCPL's e-books. Happy reading!

A Monster Calls

By Patrick Ness

To appreciate this haunting new fictional story, you must know Siobhan Dowd’s real-life story. She was a human rights worker and a popular author. A Monster Calls would have been her fifth young adult novel. She’d created the idea, the characters and the novel’s beginning.

Yet, she died of cancer in 2007 at age 47, taking her artistic energies with her.

In stepped Patrick Ness, author of The Knife of Never Letting Go series. He had never met Dowd.

But he'd heard about her monster.

Ness embraced her story, infusing his own creative vision to give it a full life, with gut-gripping results.