New Fiction for December

Here are some new books that have been recently added to the teen collection:

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Welcome to Bordertown edited by Holly Black and Ellen Kushner
The Auslander by Paul Dowswell
The Project by Brian Falkner
The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas
Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen
Fateful by Claudia Gray
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
Addie on the Inside by James Howe
Legend by Marie Lu
Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet
Tankborn by Karen Sandler
Between by Jessica Warman
Variant by Robison Wells
All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

New Manga!

Thanks to a generous grant, we've recently purchased some new manga for our teen graphic novel collection. Our new titles include:

Akira vols. 1&2
Kekkaishi 3-in-1 vols. 1-9
Monster Hunter Orage vols. 1&2
Negima! Omnibus vols. 1&2
Tsubasa vol. 1
Ghost in the Shell vol. 1
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon vol. 1
Codename: Sailor vol. 1

Stop in and see the new additions!

Kifflie

National Gaming Day this Saturday!

Saturday, November 12 is National Gaming Day! Come play games on the Nintendo Wii in the Meeting Room, or sit down to a board game in the youth library. Free to all, and there is no advance registration! Questions? Call Kifflie at 532-8910.

New Books!

Here are some new books that have just arrived in the Teen Zone:

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson
iBoy by Kevin Brooks
Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Destined by P.C. and Kristin Cast
Crossed by Ally Condie
Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Steampunk! edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant
The Mark of the Golden Dragon by L.A. Meyer
A Web of Air by Philip Reeve
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Never Have I Ever by Sara Shepard
Stick by Andrew Smith
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen
Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham
The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Underdogs by Markus Zusak

Stop in and check these out!

--Kifflie

It's Teen Read Week!

Here are the Teens' Top Ten for 2011, as voted on by teens around the country:

1. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Simon & Schuster)
2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
3. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (Simon & Schuster)
4. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (HarperCollins)
5. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Harlequin)
6. Matched by Ally Condie (Penguin)
7. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson (Little, Brown & Company)
8. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (HarperCollins)
9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (HarperCollins)
10. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (Penguin)

Teen Read Week is Coming!

October 16 through October 22nd. We will kick off this celebration of teen reading with a special showing of the movie "X-Men: First Class" at 6:30 PM in the Meeting Room. Bring your own snacks and covered beverages. Most of all, bring your friends!

Later in the week, we will announce the winner's of the Teens Top 10 for 2011.

--Kifflie

New Books

Here are some new books that were recently added to the teen collection:

Sign Language by Amy Ackley
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Stay by Deb Caletti
You Against Me by Jenny Downham
The Dead by Charlie Higson
Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
Now Playing: Stoner & Spaz II by Ron Koertge
Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Murdock
Incredibly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Firebirds Soaring: An Anthology of Original Speculative Fiction edited by Sharyn November
The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey

Stop in and check them out!

--Kifflie

Teen Advisory Board Kick-off

Do you have a great idea for our library? The Teen Advisory Board will kick off its 2011-12 programming year on Saturday, October 15th. We will meet in the Youth Program Room starting at 1:30 PM. After the business part of the meeting is over, stay for some fun with board games and the Nintendo Wii, up until 4:00 PM.

In addition, every teen who attends can put their name in a drawing for a prize. Refreshments will be served. Advance registration is suggested but not required. Contact Kifflie Scott, Teen Librarian, at (262) 532-8910 or kscott@mf.lib.wi.us

Teens' Top Ten Voting Now Open!

You can now start voting for the 2011 Teens' Top Ten at this website: www.ala.org/teenstopten. You have until September 15th to complete your voting.

The nominated books have been flying off our display, so grab one while you can!

--Kifflie

Teens' Top Ten List

Here is the list of the Teens' Top Ten nominated books for 2011. Note: our library does not yet own all of these titles, but we will be happy to get any of them for you from other libraries if you are interested.

Bachorz, Pam. Drought
Beam, Cris. I Am J
Beaudoin, Sean. You Killed Wesley Payne
Black, Holly and Justine Larbalestier. Zombies vs. Unicorns
Card, Orson Scott. The Lost Gate
Clare, Cassandra. Clockwork Angel
Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay
Collins, Yvonne. Love, Inc.
Condie, Ally. Matched
Cremer, Andrea. Nightshade
Fitzpatrick, Becca. Crescendo
Grant, Michael. Lies
Hawkins, Rachel. Demonglass
Hawkins, Rachel. Hex Hall
Kagawa, Julie. The Iron King
Lore, Pittacus. I Am Number Four
Moore, Peter. Red Moon Rising.
Nelson, Jandy. The Sky is Everywhere
Oliver, Lauren. Before I Fall
O’Neal, Ellis. The False Princess
Patterson, James. Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel
Pearce, Jackson. Sisters Red
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Blessed
Westerfeld, Scott. Behemoth
White, Kiersten. Paranormalcy

Voting starts online on Monday, August 15th, at www.ala.org/teenstopten

Chess Club

Looking to improve your chess game? Ben Corcoran will be here on Tuesday, August 9th and Tuesday, August 23rd from 6:00 to 8:30 PM in the Youth Program Room.

Ben is also planning a chess tournament and simul for Saturday, September 24th in the Library Meeting Room. More details will follow.

--Kifflie

Teens' Top Ten

Each year the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) sponsors the Teens' Top Ten. A group of teens has selected the 25 nominations for 2011. You can view them at this website. A display of the nominated titles is up in the Teen Zone at the library. Check out as many of them as you can before voting starts on August 15!

Kifflie

Summer Program Wrapped Up

Our 2011 summer program is complete. We had 76 teens in the reading program, and 112 prize entry forms were submitted. Thanks to all who participated!

Kifflie

New Chairs in the Teen Zone

Our colorful new chairs are here! They are located near the teen magazines, near the Maude Shunk Local History Room and the Teen Librarian's office.

Thanks to the Community League for their generous donation of funds.

--Kifflie

Reminder: "Project Girl" program on August 6th!

[Reposted]

"Unmediafy Your Life!" Experience REAL girl power with Project Girl; bring a lunch and explore the harmful effects of media messages. Together we will learn to critically examine our media-based culture and explore key media literacy issues affecting girls. Come create incredible artwork, hang out with other girls, make new friends and take what you’ve learned about media back to your friends at your school. http://www.projectgirl.org/

Instructor: Emily Keown

Sat 8/6/11 @ 11:00AM – 2:00PM

Register by clicking on this link.

Questions? Contact Leslie Peterson at 532-8918.

Summer Update

We have one week left of the Summer Reading Program here at the library! Hard to believe, yes, but it's true. So get those entry forms in by Saturday, July 30th for our grand prize drawing!

This Thursday at 2:15 PM, we will have our last Teen Matinee movie showing for the summer. Come see "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" for FREE in the Meeting Room!

Our signage in the Teen area of the Library has changed. It now matches the header on this blog. Thanks to JJ, one of our reference assistants, for the design.

-- Kifflie

Open Gaming Event

The Library will hold an open Nintendo Wii gaming event on Saturday, July 16th, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM in the Youth Program Room. Available games will include: Wii Sports Resort, Super Smash Brothers, and Mario Galaxy. Open to ages 12 through 19.

-- Kifflie

Coming Soon: Easy A

On Thursday, July 14, at 2:15 PM, we will be showing the film Easy A in the Library Meeting Room. This teen comedy stars Emma Stone and is partially based on The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The film is rated PG-13 and runs for 92 minutes. Admission is free. Bring your own snacks and covered beverages.

-- Kifflie

Book Review: Black Hole Sun by David MacInnis Gill

On a terraformed Mars, Jacob Durango is a Regulator -- a highly trained and experienced enforcer. He is also "dalit," a mercenary outside the official channels of the Regulators -- basically muscle for hire. When the Draeu, a race of ruthless cannibals, begin threatening a group of miners, Durango gathers together a "davos," or troop of ragtag Regulators to protect the mining colony. Plenty of mayhem follows.

The plot is fast-paced and packed with action. The dialogue is snappy and at times hilarious, particularly between Durango and his AI implant, Mimi (who in her living days was Durango's commander in the Regulators). The author also does a good job in establishing settings on Mars without slowing down the pace of the story.

This book reminded me in many ways of Robert Heinlein's SF novels from the 1950's and 1960's, particularly the use of the first person narrator, the strong female characters, and the freelancing, anti-authoritarian bent of the work as a whole. It's refreshing to see this kind of writing making a comeback.

-- Kifflie

New Books

We have added some more new books to the YA collection! Come check these out:

From Bad to Cursed by Katie Alender
Nightspell by Leah Cypess
The Dark City (Relic Master #1) by Catherine Fisher
The Lost Heiress (Relic Master #2) by Catherine Fisher
Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer by Van Jensen (graphic novel)
The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge
Huntress by Malinda Lo
Die for Me by Amy Plum
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow
Everfound by Neal Shusterman
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
The Chaos by Rachel Ward
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Level Up by Gene Luen Yang (graphic novel)

Coming Soon: I Am Number Four

On Thursday, June 30, at 2:15 PM, the Library will show I Am Number Four to kick off our series of Teen Movie Matinees. Admission is free. You can bring your own snacks and covered beverages. The movie is rated PG-13 and runs 109 minutes.

-- Kifflie

New Books

Looking for something new to read? These books were just added to the Young Adult Collection:

Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Bitter End by Jennifer Brown
We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
Shine by Lauren Myracle
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

-- Kifflie

Book Review: Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin

Charlie Tracker and Aaron Littleton (stage name: Fielding Withers) are the stars of the hit TV show Jenna & Jonah's How to Be a Rock Star. It's hard enough to pretend to be in love on stage, but the show's producers have pushed Charlie and Aaron to be a couple off stage as well, and at this point in their careers, they can hardly stand each other.

So it comes as somewhat of a relief when Aaron is the subject of a Hollywood rumor -- one that is serious enough to cancel their TV show and send both actors into hiding for a time -- until the paparazzi catch up to them once more. They can only really escape by joining the cast of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing in a small Oregon theater camp.

Written in alternative points of view, this is a breezy read, somewhat predictable perhaps, but it does get inside the heads of both characters quite nicely and also has some great insights into what it means to truly become a good actor.

--Kifflie

Project Girl

(From the "Fine Print for Kids" newsletter -- a great program for girls ages 11 and up!)

"Unmediafy Your Life!" Experience REAL girl-power with Project Girl; bring a lunch and explore the harmful effects of media messages. Together we will learn to critically examine our media-based culture and explore key media literacy issues affecting girls. Come create incredible artwork, hang out with other girls, make new friends and take what you’ve learned about media back to your friends at your school. http://www.projectgirl.org/

Instructor: Emily Keown

Sat 8/6/11 @ 11:00AM – 2:00PM

Register by clicking on this link.

Questions? Contact Leslie Peterson at 532-8918.

Summer Reading Program Begins

The Teen Summer Reading Program at the Menomonee Falls Public Library starts today! You can sign up on the second floor of the library. Read at least one book per week and enter to win a flash drive or a book bag. Also, for the first three books that you complete, you will receive passes to local attractions such as the Milwaukee Brewers, Discovery World, and Pizza Hut.

The program runs through Saturday, July 30th.

-- Kifflie

Tonight -- Skateboarding Program

Just a reminder: Dennis Siegrist from TWEAKboarding will be here at the library tonight for a presentation on skateboarding. The program is FREE! Join us!

-- Kifflie

Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books

The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books will be held on June 17th and June 18th at UW-Waukesha. One of the festival's featured authors is Lynda Barry, who wrote and illustrated What It Is, which is a unique way of looking at the creative process (We own a copy of What It Is in our teen collection).

The Festival is a free event. Find out more at www.sewibookfest.com

Come Learn about Skateboarding!

Dennis Siegrist from TWEAKboarding in Menomonee Falls will give a presentation about skateboarding in the Library Meeting Room on Thursday, June 2nd at 7:00 p.m. Dennis and his family have been active skateboarders for a number of years. Come and learn more about this exciting sport. The program is free, and no advance registration is required.

-- Kifflie

New Chairs Coming for the Teen Area

Thanks to a gift from the Community League, we will be receiving some colorful new "saucer" chairs in the teen area sometime within the next month! Our deepest thanks to the Community League for making this possible.

-- Kifflie

Summer Reading Program Preview

Make sure "You Are Here" at the library for our Teen Summer Reading Program! Sign up on the second floor of the library starting Monday, June 6th. Read one book per week and enter your name to win prizes such as flash drives and book bags. This year, we will also have passes to local attractions such as the Milwaukee Brewers, Discovery World, Waukesha County Parks, and Pizza Hut. A grand prize will be drawn after the program ends on Saturday, July 30th. Take advantage of this opportunity to check out some great books in our teen collection!

-- Kifflie

New Books

These books were added to the Young Adult collection recently:

Chime by Franny Billingsley
Red Glove by Holly Black
Summer and the City by Candace Bushnell
Abandon by Meg Cabot
Where She Went by Gayle Forman
Eona by Alison Goodman
Mercury by Hope Larson
Wonderland by Joanne Nadin
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones

-- Kifflie

Free Movie This Friday!

Are you looking for something to do over spring break? The library will be showing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One this Friday afternoon at 2:00. This is a FREE showing. Bring your own snacks and covered beverages.

Book Review: Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King

Vera Dietz is keeping secrets. A lot of them. Particularly about her next-door neighbor and former best friend Charlie Kahn. Charlie is now dead, but that doesn't stop him from haunting Vera as she tries to navigate her way through high school, a full-time job as a pizza delivery technician, and her father's expectation that she won't screw up her life the way he did.

The novel alternates between Vera's past and present, slowly revealing the hard truth of how and why Charlie died, and why Vera is trying so hard to get through her senior year without drawing too much attention to herself. But the truth does catch up with her eventually, and Vera comes around to do the right thing, even if it is extremely painful.

The relationship between Vera and her father is a strong highlight of this book. Ken Dietz is a fascinating character in his own right, and we are lucky to hear from him from time to time and examine his pithy "flow charts."

A gritty blend of humor, suspense, and character study, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is a worthy Michael J. Printz honoree and a very good read.

Upcoming Teen Events

The Teen Writers group meets this Saturday, April 9th, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM in the Library Board Room. Refreshments will be available. Any teen with an interest in writing is welcome.

The next meeting of the Teen Advisory Board is Monday, April 11, at 3:45 PM in the Library Board Room. Summer will be here before you know it! I can use your input on program ideas. If you can't make the meeting, please email me your suggestions at kscott@mf.lib.wi.us

Hunger Games Casting Update

The producers of the upcoming "Hunger Games" movie have cast Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark.

Hemsworth is an Australian actor best known for his role as Will Blakelee in the 2010 film The Last Song. Hutcherson appeared in Bridge to Terabithia (as Jesse) and in last year's The Kids are All Right (as Laser).

The "Hunger Games" movie is scheduled for release on March 23, 2012.

Still More New Books!

Here are the latest new books we've received in the Young Adult Collection:

I Am J by Cris Beam
Strings Attached by Judy Blundell
Spotlight and Glamour by Melody Carlson (in paperback)
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
The Limping Man by Maurice Gee (last in the "Salt" trilogy)
The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman
My Candlelight Novel by Joanne Horniman (in paperback)
Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson (in paperback)
The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
The Demon-Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver (in paperback)
Free Fall by Mindi Scott (in paperback)
The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith
Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Stop in and check these out!

-- Kifflie

Chess Club Simul This Saturday

(Cross-posted from the main library page)

Our Chess Club instructor, Ben Corcoran, is going to play a "Simul" with all interested players on Saturday, April 2, 2011. A Simul means that Ben will take on multiple players at the same time. This will be Ben’s third Simul at the Menomonee Falls Public Library.

If you are interested, come to the Meeting Room by 12:30 p.m. on the day of the event to register. Play will start around 1:00. Prizes will be awarded to those who can beat Ben or play him to a draw.

Following the Simul, Ben will be available for a short lecture and demonstration for those who are interested in improving their chess game.

All are invited to attend, and there is no registration fee. Contact Kifflie Scott at 532-8910 if you have any questions.

More details on the event and prizes can be found at Ben's chess blog.

Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Cassia lives in the Society, where all important decisions are made from above -- even decisions about who will be married, or "Matched," to each other. At a special ceremony, Cassia learns that her Match is Xander, who has been her best friend since childhood. However, when she looks through her Match datacard, another face comes up -- that of Ky Markham, an Aberration, an outsider who, theoretically, should never have been Matched to anyone.

So begins Ally Condie's debut novel, the first of a planned trilogy. I have read plenty of dystopic fiction over the years, from 1984 to The Giver to The Hunger Games, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this story. However, I found it compelling enough that I finished it in one day. Condie writes in the first person present tense, which is a difficult way to tell a story, but after the first few chapters of the book, I didn't even notice this.

The next book in the series, Crossed, is scheduled for a November 2011 release. It will be a long wait. But if you've enjoyed books like The Giver and The Hunger Games, give this one a try.

-- Kifflie

"Hunger Games" movie news

Jennifer Lawrence has just been cast as Katniss in the upcoming "Hunger Games" movie, scheduled for a March 2012 release. She was a recent Oscar nominee for "Winter's Bone." No definite word yet on who will play Prim, Gale or Peeta.

More New Books!!

Our catalogers have been busy! Here are some more new teen books that we've just received:

Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel
Star-Crossed by Elizabeth Bunce
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card
Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
Trapped by Michael Northrop
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Grace by Elizabeth Scott
The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
Blessed by Cynthia Leitch Smith
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Stop in and pick up a hot new read!

New Books Added to the Young Adult Collection

Below is a list of new books that have been added to the Young Adult collection in the past few weeks:

X-Isle by Steve Augarde
The Book of Spells: a Private Prequel by Kate Brian
Matched by Ally Condie
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
Hold Me Close, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Pegasus by Robin McKinley
The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
Trash by Andy Mulligan
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Stop in and check them out!

-- Kifflie

Teen Advisory Board Meeting

The Teen Advisory Board will meet this Monday, March 14, at 3:45 PM in the Library Board room. Topics will include choosing a logo for the teen area and planning for a teen movie showing over spring break.

Any teen who uses the Menomonee Falls library is welcome to attend and share your suggestions.

Teen Writers Group

The Teen Writers Group meets this Saturday, March 12, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM in the Library Board Room. Refreshments will be served. Any teen with an interest in writing is welcome to attend.

Teen Movie Night March 10

The library will have a FREE showing of "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" on Thursday, March 10, at 6:30 PM in our Meeting Room. Bring your own snacks and drinks in covered containers.

The movie is based on the popular graphic novel series by Bryan O'Malley. It is rated PG-13 for stylized violence, language, sexual content, and drug references.

March 6-12 is Teen Tech Week. Stop by the display in our Young Adult collection to browse classic and recent sci-fi and tech-related titles.

Book Review: Blank Confession by Pete Hautman

Shayne Blank, sixteen, walks into a police station and confesses to Detective George Rawls that he's just killed someone. So begins Blank Confession, a fast-moving story of bullying, revenge, and how Mikey Martin, the shortest kid in his class, learns how to stand up for himself.

The story alternates between Rawls and Mikey, each of them giving their impressions of the mysterious loner Shayne. After coming to town, Shayne almost immediately clashes with the town bully and drug dealer, Jon Brande. The stakes keep going up throughout the book. Shayne does everything he can to resolve the situation peacefully, but as we find out, he can defend himself very well when things turn violent.

The action scenes in this book are well written. They have an almost cinematic feel to them -- which is no wonder, since the story is clearly based on a famous Western from 1953 starring Alan Ladd.

The book is only 170 pages, but it packs a lot between the covers. It gave me one very entertaining afternoon of reading.

Kifflie

Reminder: Snowboarding Program this Monday

A reminder that Dennis Siegrist from TWEAKboarding will be here Monday night, February 28, at 7:00 PM in our meeting room to do a presentation on snowboarding. The program is free.

Book Review: Annexed by Sharon Dogar

Anne Frank's diary of her experiences hiding from the Nazis became world-famous after her death. In Annexed, Sharon Dogar explores the story from the perspective of Peter van Pels, the teenage boy who shared living quarters with Anne for more than two years. It's a moving account that alternates between Peter's experiences in hiding and his final desperate hours in a concentration camp.

Unlike Anne, Peter did not leave behind any writings, so Dogar has tried to fill in the gaps for him. Compared to Anne, he comes across as more insecure and less in command of his feelings for most of the book. As he suffers in the camps, his memories of Anne do help sustain him for a remarkably long time, and his voice becomes stronger near the end of his story.

This is not an easy book to read, but it is powerful stuff.

-- Kifflie

Chess Tournament this Saturday

Test your chess skills! Ben Corcoran, our Chess Club instructor, will be conducting a tournament in the Library Meeting Room this Saturday, February 12. On-site registration will start at 9:30 AM, and play is scheduled to begin at 11:00. Depending on the number of players, we are hoping to run four rounds of chess. Prizes (chess books and chess T-shirts) will be awarded to the best players. If you have any questions about this event or want to pre-register, call Kifflie at 532-8910.

Teen Writers Meeting

The Teen Writers Group will meet this Saturday, February 12, at 2:00 PM in the Library Board Room. Snacks and beverages will be served. All teens with an interest in writing are welcome to attend. Questions? Call Kifflie at 532-8910.

Snowboarding Program Rescheduled

Due to this week's blizzard, the snowboarding program that was scheduled for Tuesday night has been moved to Monday, February 28, at 7:00 PM in the Library Meeting Room.

--Kifflie

College Goal Wisconsin

Are you planning to start college next fall? Need some help completing your financial aid application form?

On February 19 or February 20, you can get your questions answered at College Goal Wisconsin. Find more information at www.wicollegegoalsunday.org

Book Review: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Nailer is a ship breaker, a member of a crew that salvages metals from old oil tankers in what used to be known as the Gulf of Mexico. His life is full of scavenging, making quotas, and trying to stay out of the way of his dangerous, drug-addicted father.

Then one day, after a wild storm, Nailer and his friend Pima discover a wrecked clipper ship, a sleek modern vessel containing more riches than either of them have seen in a lifetime. They also discover that the ship's owner, a beautiful young woman named Nita, is very much alive -- and in a lot of trouble.

Should they help Nita? Or should they just take what they want and leave her for dead?

Set in a post-apocalyptic America, this book is a fast-paced adventure that also sounds a environmental warning of what might happen if we don't take care of the planet -- or each other. It is also the most recent Printz Award winner for young adult literature.

Kifflie

Snowboarding Program

(Cross-posted from the main library page)

Do YOU think you might have what it takes to be the next Shaun White or Seth Wescott? On Tuesday, February 1st, at 7:00 p.m., Dennis Siegrist from TWEAKboarding, a new Menomonee Falls business, will be at the library to speak about the fast-growing sport of snowboarding.

Dennis and his family have been active snowboarders and skateboarders for a number of years. His program will cover the history of snowboarding, the types of equipment that are used in the sport, and will also include some video clips of snowboarding action. There will also be a question-and-answer session at the end of the presentation.

The program will take place in the Library Meeting Room. It is free and open to the public. No advance registration is required. For further information, please contact Kifflie Scott, Teen Librarian, at 532-8910 or kscott@mf.lib.wi.us.

Some new books in the YA collection

Here are some new teen books that we have just added to our collection this week:

Runaway by Meg Cabot
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Factotum by D.M. Cornish
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (sequel to The Maze Runner)
Annexed by Sharon Dogar
Blank Confession by Pete Hautman
Entice by Carrie Jones
Crazy by Han Nolan
Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel
Love Bites by Ellen Schreiber
Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford
The White Horse Trick by Kate Thompson

Stop in and check them out!

--Kifflie

Milwaukee Bucks Library Reading Challenge

The Milwaukee Bucks Library Reading Challenge starts today! It is open to all Wisconsin kids and teens from third through tenth grades. Score "points" for reading books, magazines, and newspapers, and you'll receive a voucher for a free ticket to a Bucks home game.

Stop by the Youth Library to pick up a folder and a copy of the complete rules. The Reading Challenge ends on Saturday, February 26.

-- Kifflie