Recent Returns

Child of Dandelions by Nanji, Shenaaz. - In Uganda, in 1972, President Idi Amin announces that God has given him a message - all the foreign Indian citizens must leave the country at once, abandoning their homes and businesses. Sabine is 15, and her parents are torn about whether or not to flee the country. Over months, Sabine experiences fear, despair, and hope as her family makes increasingly desperate choices. 3 circs in 8 months - this book is not as popular as it should be! Sabine's story is sad, but happy at the same time. Give it a try!

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Caletti, Deb - Ruby falls for Travis. She knows he's bad, but it doesn't matter. Ruby's librarian mother knows it does matter, and sets out to rescue Ruby. She's suffering from her own heartbreak, so when a chance to reunite an elderly lady with her long-lost love offers itself, the three women begin a journey of discovery together. 52 checkouts! One of the best!!

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini - The third book in the Inheritance trilogy, it follows the young warrior Eragon and his dragon Sapphira on their adventures. Discover who Eragon truly is, and what lies in store for him as he learns to master his magic, and discovers that Saphira is not the only remaining living dragon. Or is she? 67 circs on 9 copies (not counting the audios...)

Read one of these wonderful books today...

Thursday Game Night

Well, we have a repeat winner! On Thursday night Mr. T won for a second time (he won the first week, June 11).

We had a great turnout, with 19 attending, and 12 participating in the tournament.

I hope you all will drop by this week, as we gear up for a great holiday weekend.

Don't forget, the Library will be CLOSED Friday and Saturday.

See ya!

Summer Reading Lists

Every summer, I find lists and lists of "Great Summer Reads". I always intend to read books from them, and sometimes I do. Sometimes, I don't.

But often, the lists tell me less about the books on them, than they does about the people who made the lists, so (since I love being nosy about people) I love browsing them...

Anyway, here are a few lists I've found that seem interesting:
Tween Fiction from the Kansas Star
Suggested Reading from the Coretta Scott King committee
TeenReads Ultimate Teen Reading List - compiled from reader suggestions

Do you have a favorite list of summer reads? Or just one title you'd love to suggest?
Right now, I'm reading a book by Robert Sawyer, entitled "www:wake". It is FASCINATING. Sci-fi of the very finest kind. If you've read and enjoyed Little Brother, or Starship Troopers, or Old Man's War, or if you like science fiction in general, I strongly suggest giving this book a try!

Recent Returns

Cirque Du Freak: Sons of Destiny (book 12) by Darren Shan - 3 copies have checked out 39 times! This series just seems to grow in popularity - people are still reading and re-reading them...

Being by Kevin Brooks - 14 circs since 2007 - When Robert's doctor discovers that he is not a human being, but rather a mechanical android, the orphan teen sets of to discover who- and what - he really is, in this science fiction thriller.

Dragon and Liberator by Timothy Zahn - 8 circs since 2008 - this is the final book in the "Dragonback Adventures" series - in which Jack Morgan and Draycos finally face off against Neverlin and his allies, attempt to rescue the K'daa fleet, discover whether or not Alison is a friend or an enemy, and finally reveal the ultimate fate of Jack's parents. Great sci-fi adventure!

and, last but not least:
Amulet: book one, the Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi - 9 circs since 2009. After a tragedy, Emily, Navin and their mother move to the ancestral family home - and then their mother is kidnapped into a strange otherworld, from which the children struggle to rescue her.

R-U-Game Tourney Night 2

Last Night was FABULOUS!

We had 23 great gamers.... and TUMOR was the official winner of the night's tournament.

Rock Band rocked - and we got all the songs unlocked, finally!

The only issue was messiness - I'm gonna have to chat with everyone about keeping their chips on their plates...

If you haven't joined us yet, please come on in - I'd love to have another dozen people next week!

R-U-Game?

Last Thursday was the first official 2009 Summer Game Tournament.

Our weekly winner was Mr. T, who edged out his competitor in a very close-fought SuperSmash Brothers Melee duel.

Tomorrow I will try to post tonight's winner, and a brief description of the action!

New Books! Lots of them!!

Hoppergrass by Chris Clinton Brown - t is 1969, and Bowser has arrived at The Hill, an institution for delinquent teenage boys. No one is doing much to protect the boys who find themselves there, but Bowser doesn’t expect to stay long. He thinks he might be crazy (and others agree), so he’ll probably be off to the nuthouse soon. But then one of the boys is killed...
Silvertongue by Charlie Fletcher - The heart-stopping conclusion to the international blockbuster trilogy finds the battle between the statues and gargoyles of the city still raging--and 12-year-old George Chapman and his friend Edie caught in the middle.
Look Both Ways by Jacqeulyn Mitchard - Meredith and Mallory Brynn are finally coming to terms with their special gifts: Meredith to see into the past, Mallory to see into the future. But they never expect that their powers will reveal danger so close to home!
Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen - Calen, a young mage-in-training, is vaguely dissatisfied with his life. Learning magic isn't as exciting as he thought, he's alone much of the time and always in trouble with his master for something. Then he meets Princess Meglynne and an unlikely friendship begins
Dead is a State of Mind by Michelle Perez - here's a gorgeous new guy at Nightshade High: Duke Sherrad, a fortune-teller claiming to have descended from Gypsies. Even though she's psychic herself, Daisy is skeptical of Duke's powers. But when a teacher who was the subject of one of his predictions ends up dead, she begins to wonder if Duke is the real deal after all?
Dead is so Last Year by Michelle Perez - Something strange happens after Rose Giordano begins working at a research laboratory. Doppelgangers of Nightshade residents are seen all over town. Rose and her sisters think it's a coincidence, until the rumors start that their missing father has been spotted.
Dead is the New Black by Michelle Perez - The hilarious first installment in a campy new series. Nightshade, California, is home to the psychic Giordano sisters. Daisy Giordano believes a vampire is attacking girls all over town. She suspects cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returns to school from summer break with a new look--she appears to be dead.
Fate by Jennifer Barnes - Bailey Morgan lives a double life: high school student by day, ancient mystical being by night. As the third Fate, Bailey literally controls the fate of the world. Then she meets the rest of the Sidhe. Before Bailey knows it, she's drawn into an otherworldly web.
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane - Eighth grader Molly Williams has just lost her father in a car accident, and her mother has become withdrawn. Molly wants to make herself known to the kids at school for something other than her father's death. So she decides to join the baseball team. The "boys'" baseball team.
Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor - 16-year-old Kate wishes she could be more like the independent heroine of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, Lady Brett Ashley ("without a doubt the coolest woman in the world"). But Kate's plans to spend a peaceful summer writing, reading and playing tennis go awry when her mother, wanting a temporary separation from Kate's father, whisks Kate away to stay with old friends at their summer house in Cape Cod
Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George - As Creel and Luka plan their wedding, Velika, the dragon queen, is kidnapped by a band of rogue dragons. Creel and Luka leap to aid the dragon king Shardas in rescuing her, in the follow-up to "Dragon Slippers" and "Dragon Flight."
Funny How Things Change by Melissa Wyatt - Remy loves Lisa. He also loves his mountain home; and then he meets Dana, an artist. How much does one person owe his home, his family, his girlfriend? How much does he owe himself?
Slathbog's Gold by Mark Forman - Right at a time when Alex is wishing his life could change, he sees a sign in Mr. Clutter's bookshop window: "Adventurers Wanted. Apply Within." The sign seems to be referring to him. Moreover, not just anyone can enter Mr. Clutter's bookshop. But Alex does, and the adventure begins. Alex is the eighth man needed to complete a band of adventurers seeking the lair of Slathbog the Red - and evil dragon with a legendary treasure.
All the Broken Pieces by Ann E.Burg - Two years after being airlifted out of Vietnam in 1975, Matt Pin is haunted by the terrible secret he left behind, and now, in a loving adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events forces him to confront his past.
Firebirds Soaring - Sci-fi and fantasy short stories - a beautiful collection!
Taken By Storm by Angela Morrison - Leesie Hunt is a devout Mormon girl, but when she meets Michael, a deep sea diver, romance blossoms. Will they compromise their beliefs in the name of love? Would it be right to do so? Told via online chats, poems and dive logs.
My Big Nose and other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter - In her hilarious and heartbreaking debut novel, Salter delivers a story about a teenage girl who in her quest for perfection learns to broaden her horizons, accept herself, and find love right under her nose.
The Nine Lives of Travis Keating by Jill MacLean - Travis and his widowed father have moved to Fiddler's Cove, where Mr. Keating will serve for a year as the area physician. Travis is unhappy about it, and the almost instant attention of the school bully makes matters even worse. Ostracized by the kids at school and feeling distant from his father, Travis discovers a colony of feral cats living in a dilapidated cove. His decision to care for them eventually has long-ranging repercussions as he reaches out to some of his classmates.
Crowned by Julie Linker - Set in the world of teen beauty pageants, this hilarious novel follows two girls on the pageant circuit who stop at nothing to win--including scandalous Internet photos, message board gossip, and accidentally ruined costumes.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly - As 11-year-old Callie explores the natural world around her in 1899 Texas, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.
Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford - In this laugh-out-loud novel about getting through high school, getting the girl, and getting it together, readers join Will Carter as he enters his freshman year in high school.
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han - Romantic and heartbreakingly real, this novel follows 15-year-old Belly through the most important summer of her life. Every year, her family shares a beach house with Belly's mother's best friend, Susannah, and her two sons. Belly has always had a crush on Conrad, the older boy, but he has always treated her like an annoying younger sister. This summer, everything changes.
If the Witness Lied by Caroline Cooney - Three orphaned teenage siblings, separated by the tragic supposed patricide of their father by their two-year-old brother, reunite a year later to save this same brother from the clutches of their evil aunt, who wants to sell them out on a tell-all television show.
Jack Tumor by Anthony McGowan - Hector is being bullied by a talking, know-it-all brain tumor that names itself Jack, and insists on coaching Hector through life even as it's threatening to take his life away. A delightfully zany tale.
The Great Wide Sea by Madaline Herlong - Three boys and their father go on a yearlong cruise after their mother's death. But one morning the boys wake up and find their father gone. Can they deal with being alone? What happened and why? Will they ever know?
In Mike We Trust by Patrick Ryan - 15 year old Garth Rudd mourns his father's death. When his father's estranged brother comes to visit, Garth quickly trusts him; but has he done so too quickly?
Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson - the next in the excellent 31 clues series!
Truancy by Isamu Fukui - Tack, 15, lives in a dystopian society where a corrupt government oppresses its citizens. A group of young resistance fighters called the Truancy violently strikes back against the system. Tack joins the movement after his sister is accidentally killed in a Truancy attack on a government official. His intention is to murder its leader in revenge, but he finds himself drawn into the group's philosophy and is torn between wanting to bring down the government or destroy the ferocious resistance.
Truancy Origins by Isamu Fukui - Fifteen years ago, the Mayor of the Education City was presented with twin six-month-old boys, but he had no way of knowing that they would change the city forever. One will try to destroy the City--the other will try to stop him.
Evermore by Alyson Noel - The first book in Nol's exciting new Immortals series. Since the accident that claimed her family, 16-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people's thoughts, and know a person's entire history through one touch. She's been branded a freak at her new high school, but everything changes when Ever meets the mysterious Damen August.
Geek Charming by Robin Palmer - From the author of "Cindy Ella" comes a modern-day fairy tale in which a geek meets the princess of L.A.'s poshest high school, who lets the F-lister into her A-list world.
Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten - Nina was beautiful, artistic, wild . . . and adored by her younger sister, Ellie. But one day, without any warning, Nina disappeared. Two years later, Ellie can't stop thinking about her sister. Although everyone else has given up hope that Nina will return, Elile just knows her sister is out there, somewhere. If only Ellie had a clue where to look. And then she gets one, in the form of a mysterious drawing tucked into the pages of a book.
Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Merriott - Scarred and orphaned by enemy fire, 15-year-old Zira learns her true identityand fulfills her destiny, in this romantic fantasy adventure for young teens.
Bloodline by Katy Moran - Fast-paced and full of intrigue, this debut novel set in eighth-century Britain transports readers to a time of blood and steel--a time when peace was fleeting and won at high personal cost.
Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine - bk 6 of the Morganville vampires