Tween Tuesday

Tween Tuesday is a feature I started to highlight tween titles!

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

First off, I love the title for this one. I agree!!! I admit, if there's an animal on the cover, I have to check the end to see if it's still alive before I can read it. Wallace Wallace (yep, that's his name!) can't tell a lie. When his english teachers asks him to write a book review on Old Shep, My Pal, Wallace can't lie and has to let his teacher know just how much he hated this book. That lands him in dentention and also get Wallace involved in the school play, an adaptation of Old Shep, My Pal. Wallace starts to suggest changes for the show and it'll be one memorable school play!
This one had that trademark Gordon Korman humor and I laughed throughout. With the mix of sports and drama, I think it would make a good read for Glee fans, although much tamer, of course. The english teacher was a bit annoying-he needed to lighten up a bit-but he came around and I liked him in the end. (Honestly, I thought Wallace gave a great review from the start!) This one will have you laughing, especially if you've been forced to read those animal classics in school.

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

I'm happy to report, no dead dogs in this one either! Winn-Dixie is a stray dog found by Opal. Winn Dixie connects Opal with the people in her town and she makes new friends and learns to find her place in the world. I like what Publisher's Weekly said about this one-"each chapter possesses an arc of its own and reads almost like a short story in its completeness." That's exactly how I felt this one read. Each chapter was a mini-story. This book was a delight from start to finish. No dead dogs (yay!) and even though there's been tragedy in the characters lives, it doesn't weigh down the story, which I really appreciated. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is still my favorite Kate DiCamillo novel, but Winn Dixie rivals it closely!

In My Mailbox

IMM was started by The Story Siren!

I got a ton of books for my lit class this week and I'm very happy because I'm two weeks ahead in my reading schedule!:) I'm hoping I can keep it up.

Aside from my many library books, I got:

Medina Hill by Trilby Kent-I'll be participating in a blog tour for this one soon!

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater-so excited to read this one!

Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman-this is the first YA novel from the author of Queen Bees and Wannabees, which was the basis for the movie Mean Girls. I'm really looking forward to reading this one too!

I'm off to read this afternoon-my goal is to finish three books today-we'll see how I do!!!

YA Movie News

Some cool stuff going on this week!

Stephenie Meyer's The Host is heading to the big screen. I still haven't read this one, but at book club last night, several members commented they weren't sure how well this one would translate to film, since two characters share a body.

My favorite news of the week: Diablo Cody, Oscar winning writer for Juno, will be penning a script for a new Sweet Valley High movie. This is just too much fun to think about. Jessica and Elizabeth need an update and I think the script could end up being hilarious.

I've been watching The Vampire Diaries on CW. I think it has potential, but it just hasn't gotten there yet. But CW must think the same thing, because they've ordered nine more episodes, so I'm hoping the show will get better.

And yay for Glee fans-a full season of Glee goodness has been ordered. I am loving this show and I can't wait for next week's episode with Kristin Chenoweth!:)

Anime Training

Tomorrow I am heading to another library system to give a presentation on anime clubs. I'll be talking about the anime club I host at my library, how I choose anime, and activities we've done.

If any of you have run or participated in an anime club (library or elswhere) I'd love to hear about it! How did you run your club? How did you pick your anime? Did you have complaints about the anime chosen? What activities have you done?

I'll be working on my powerpoint today, so if you have any feedback for me you can comment below or send me an e-mail: greenbeanteenqueen at gmail dot com Thanks!

Are You There God, It's Me Margaret

This was a book that was on my classic children's read list for children's lit which explains the longer and more techinal review. I guess I could also use it as a Tween Tuesday pick.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: Well, it originally released in 1970, but it's still around today.

About the Book: Margaret has just moved and is entering sixth grade. She spends the year trying to figure out religion, growing up, and making friends.


GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: This was yet another book I somehow missed out on reading as a child. Honestly, the title threw me off-I thought it was a boring title and I was also a "good little Christian child", so why would I want to read a book where the character has to ask where God is? Yes, those are the exact thoughts that went through my head, which is a shame because I think I would have really loved this book as a tween.

The book was first published in 1970, but the overall themes of growing up and religion still are relevant today. There were a few things that would be outdated to today's readers such as Margaret mentioning records, but for the most part there wasn't much that dated the story. (I believe it had an update in 2001 to change some of the outdated words, so I'm not sure why they didn't change record!) You could place Margaret in any time period. I did find myself picturing Margaret in the 70's though, I think because I knew that was the setting the book was written in. I don't think a young reader would place Margaret in that setting though, especially since that time period most likely would not be something they would have much knowledge about.

Margaret struggles with her parents interfaith marriage and is not sure what religion she belongs to. She also talks to God, but feels like she can't tell her parents this. I think there are many children who struggle with religion and can relate to Margaret's struggle. There is a divide wih religions still today and I think there are children who might not feel as though they belong or understand their parents or friends beliefs.

The biggest theme that I think still remains true today is Margaret's growing up. She worries about when she'll grow breasts, she has to sit through talks on getting her period, and she's starting to notice boys. These are all things that girls, no mater the time period, go through. Although Margaret was really excited to get her period and talked about it with her friends-my friends and I did not want to get our periods! But we did hate "you're becoming a woman" presentations at school too!!

Girls develop at different ages and there's even a character in the book that is bigger and taller then the other girls in her school. There's also an emphasis for tween girls to look and act older, with magazines, movies, and tv shows, so I think tween girls could all relate to Margaret.

Even though it was written in a different time period, I didn't feel like Margaret's elementary school experience was all that different than my own in the 80's or my sister's in the 90's. The boy's teased her, the girl's giggled and gossiped, but this wasn't overly done, so it wasn't as though the boys were put in one box and the girl's put in another. I felt that Margaret and her classmates acted very much the way the same age still does today. Overall, I think the issues that Are you There God, It's Me Margaret deals with are timeless, which makes the book readable and relateable today. I would give this one to all tween girls to read.

YA Movie News Trailer Edition!

Ok, just after I posted this, I found some cool news!

First up, the movie rights to Wicked Lovely were sold.

Also, details about the Harry Potter theme park were released this week, with the park opening in Spring 2010. I will so be there!!:)

And there's been some cool trailers posted. I think my favorite is Percy Jackson-I can't wait to see that movie!

First up is the latest Percy Jackson trailer. I'm really excited about this movie and I keep hearing from my tweens and teens at work that they can't wait. I love the cast, so I hope it lives up to my expectations.



Next is the latest version of A Christmas Carol. This one's done in 3D and Jim Carey has a bunch of roles. I'll like it as long as the people don't have creepy soulless eyes like in Happy Feet.



And last, New Moon's new trailer. I watched this one and thought "man, I kind of want to read the book-oh, wait, I did and it wasn't that action packed." I guess when you cut out pages of a character's inner dialog and whining, you can make an action filled movie! Plus, I'll be seeing it because I like Dakota Fanning and I think she'll be great.

Want It Wednesday

Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman

Release Date: 4/26/10

About the Book: Meggy's mother was glad to be rid of her; her father, who sent for her, doesn't want her after all. Meggy is appalled by London, dirty and noisy, full of rogues and thieves, and difficult to get around in—not that getting around is ever easy for someone who walks with the help of two sticks.

Just as her alchemist father pursues his Great Work of transforming base metal into gold, Meggy finds herself pursuing her own transformation.
Earthy and colorful, Elizabethan London has its dark side, but it also has gifts in store for Meggy Swann.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: One of my all time favorite books EVER is Catherine, Called Birdy. I adore that book. So of course, I had to pick The Midwife's Apprentice as one of my Newbery reads for children's lit. While reading that one, I decided to check out Ms. Cushman's website and I saw she has a new book coming next year!! I was so excited, I did a happy dance and big squeel in my office. (Yes, it was a little embarassing, but my teens didn't see). So I can't wait to read about Meggy. And if you haven't ever read anything by Karen Cushman, you must pick up one of her books now-she's wonderful!

BBAW Reading Habits

Today's BBAW post is about reading habits. Fill yours out too and leave me a link-I'd love to read about other bookworms reading habits too!:)

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
-Yes, I eat while I read. I eat lunch, dinner, and all sorts of snacks because I'm always reading. Mostly I eat cookies or crackers while I read and yes, this has sometimes gotten me in trouble with the husband because I leave crumbs on the couch!:)

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
-I read a book once about a girl who's mom wrote in her books and she thought it was so cool to read her mom's thoughts since her mom had since passed away. I thought that was a cool idea too, but my notes on my Babysitters Club Books were pretty boring, so I stopped doing it. I would mark up books again, but I just always forget.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
-Ok, I admit it, I'm a dog-ear person! My husband hates dog-ears though, so I've been trying to be better and use a bookmark, but that old habit will creep in sometimes. You'd think with as many books as I have, I'd have some good bookmarks, but they're always disappearing!

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
-99% fiction, although non-fiction might sneak it's way in sometimes. I'm working on reading more non-fiction. I want it to be interesting and read like fiction though. I'm always up for suggestions!

Hard copy or audiobooks?
-I do both. I listen to audiobooks, but I don't ever buy them-the two I own I won from contests. If I purchase the book, it's in book format-harcover or paperback-I'm not picky.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
-I try to read to the end of chapters, but sometimes I can't-I'm at lunch, I'm really tired, etc. so I will stop in the middle of a chapter. I do try to loook for a break in the story to stop at though. But most of the time I read to the end of the chapter.
And I have this awful habit of skipping ahead in my reading to the end of the page or chapter to make sure what I want will happen or I'll at least be prepared, and then I go back and read it. I don't do this with books I want to be totally surprised at though, like the last Harry Potter. I would not let myself skip ahead on anything.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
-No, I don't but I probably should. When I studied for the GRE they said that was a great practice!

What are you currently reading?
-I just started The Maze Runner by James Dashner and I'm almost finished with Looking for Alaska by John Green on audio. I'm also working my way through my children's lit course reading list.

What is the last book you bought?
-I bought Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead a couple of weeks ago.

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
-I ALWAYS have multiple books going. I always have ever since I was a kid. I guess I like it because if I get bored with one or frustrated with the story, I can pick something else up. I also listen to a lot of audiobooks, so I've got those going on top of my other reading.

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
-I read anywhere anytime. I guess my favorite place to read is on my new couch after I get home from work. It's the best way to unwind.

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
-I like series if they don't last forever and each one has a purpose in the story. The author has to prove to me there was a reason there's more to the story, other than the publisher wanted another book. I think series books that could still stand on their own are important. But I do like stand alone books too. And there are some series I would read forever no matter how many books came out-like Harry Potter and I'm dying for Sonya Sones to write another book about Sophie and Robin!!

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
-The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-I give that one to everyone! I also recommend The Quantum Prophecy by Michael Carroll to pretty much every adventure reader I ever meet. Beastly by Alex Flinn and Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin are on our state high school reading list this year and the two that I tell all the teens to read.

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
-I currently have three bookshelfs in my house holding my books. One shelf is for school and review stuff, which I organize in order recieved and then by release date. I also have all my ALA books on that shelf to hopefully get to for review!
My next shelf is for books that I don't have reviews that have been requested, but are books I've bought and would like to read. It's mostly teen books, but there's a shelf and a half of adult titles too. And the top shelf holds all of my signed books. These are all organized by author's last name (I am a librarian, you know!)
The last shelf is for books I've read, and it's organized by author's last name too.
I also have a shelf at work of books for my teens to borrow-mostly ARCs-so they're organized by release date as well.

Tween Tuesday

Tween Tuesday is a new feature where I will post a few of my favorite tween reads.

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix (The Missing Book One)

Here's the booktalk I use on my tweens (and teens!):

A plane lands out of the blue. No one knows where it came from or where it was going, and once they get on board, the only passengers are babies. Now, thirteen years later, Jonah and his friend Chip are starting to recieve letters that say "you are one of the missing" and "beware."

Such a great premise and an easy sell. After I book talk it, the hold list jumps up like crazy. Plus, Margaret Peterson Haddix is the queen of tween suspense and her books are always flying off the shelf. Found is the first in a series and Sent just released last month. I can't wait to read it, but I'm number 22 on our library hold list, so it'll be awhile! A great read for anyone looking for suspensful mystery.

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon

Robot Dreams is a recent discovery for me, even though it's been out for a couple of years now. It's a graphic novel that's told entirely in pictures-almost no text at all. It tells the story of Dog who wants a friend, so he purchases a robot. But while at the beach, Robot gets in the water and becomes rusted and Dog has to leave. The two spend the next year reflecting on their friendship and having various adventures-real or dreamed.

I will say this one was a little sad and bittersweet, but it was such a fun, touching story that I couldn't help but enjoy it. It'd be a great introduction to graphic novels, especially for showing just how much emotion can be packed into them.

BBAW Interview with Jackie of Farmlane Books

As part of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, I swapped interviews with another blogger. I was lucky to meet Jackie of Farmlane Books. Jackie's blog is a great read, so be sure to check it out. And not only does she blog, she runs an online bookstore-how cool is that?

Me: I love the heading for your blog. Did you pick the books to put on it or is a random snapshot of your bookshelf?

Jackie: Thanks! That is a photograph of my bookshelf, but I admit to moving a few books around so that all my favourite authors appeared.

Me: What is your favorite genre to read?

Jackie: I don’t really have a favourite genre - I like reading anything that has a great plot and strong characters. I suppose that I mainly read adult fiction or literary fiction, but my favourite book of 2009 so far is The Hunger Games (a YA book) and I also recently enjoyed The Strain (a horror thriller)

Me: I Iove The Hunger Games-I hope you get to read Catching Fire soon!

Why did you start blogging?

Jackie: I started blogging as a way of recording thoughts on the books I’d read and to try to find people with a similar taste in books. Few of my real life friends read, so it is wonderful to discover a whole community of people who share my passion for books.

Me: I agree-I love that there are other bookworms out there like me!

What is your favorite thing about blogging?

Jackie: Before I started blogging my TBR pile contained about 5 books. I often struggled to find books that I enjoyed reading, randomly picking up books that appealed from the library shelves, frequently with disappointing results. The amazing recommendations of other bloggers has grown my TBR pile to over 500 books. The quality of the books I read has increased dramatically and I have a renewed passion for reading.

Me: Do you have a favorite blogging moment?

Jackie: I love so many things about blogging. I never dreamt that it would lead to conversations with authors and publishers, but my top moment was probably being cited as one of the top book blogs in the UK.

Me: Wow-top book blogs in the UK-congrats!!I saw that you gave up your job to start selling books online? What is that like?

Jackie: I love selling books! I love being surrounded by books and the freedom of being able to work from home, choosing my own hours. I can spend as long as I like researching books on the Internet and it is all work! I now have about 7000 books in my house, so it is like living in my own book shop - a dream come true!

Me: I've always wanted to live in a bookstore-so jealous! :)

Since you're in England, do you notice a difference between books published there and books published in the US? Is there a book that you would love to see make it's way over to the US?

Jackie: I do notice a difference between the UK and US book market, but I often exploit it for my book business. I’m lucky in that I can normally import any book I want to read then sell it in my online store. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is one book which I’d love to see picked up by a UK publisher. I have heard that it is amazing.

Thanks Jackie! And be sure to check out her blog: Farmlane Books

Book Blogger Appreciation Week

Today is the first day of BBAW and of course my internet decides it doesn't want to work today. But if you do have internet and aren't working all day like me, you can visit all the wonderful bloggers who are talking about why they love blogging and show your love for bloggers!!

On a side note, I downloaded a Kindle app. to my iPhone and I also got a free e-book copy of the first Maximum Ride book, which is cool, because now if I forget a book, I can read one on my phone! You know the first things I looked for to download were all related to books :)

In My Mailbox

Can you believe I didn't get any books this week? I checked out some books for my lit class at the library, but nothing in the mail or from the bookstores. I did however purchase an iPhone today because my old phone is broken. And I downloaded the B&N ebook reader application. I don't know if I'll use it that much, but I'm planning on using the eaudiobooks from the library on my new phone.

I'm busy working on my lit class blog, so posting has been a little light. But I finished Catching Fire and have been reading lots of great books for my lit class, so I'll review those soon.

Since I didn't get anything fun in the mail (well, book related anyway) anyone get something super cool this week?

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

My Most Excellent Year A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger


Rating: 4.5/5



Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: 2008, paperback 2/19/09

About the Book: Three high school friends are asked to reflect back on their best year.

Augie and T.C. are such close friends they have adopted each other as brothers. When Ale moves to Boston freshman year and the three become a trio. Romance, baseball, musical-theater, and learning sign-language make freshman year the most excellent year.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: It's really hard to explain what this book is about, because it has so much. But trust me when I say it's a fun and charming read. It was a light read, but wasn't total fluff, as some of the storyline dug a little deeper. It'll pull at your heartstrings-in a good way, not a bawl your eyes out way. In a lot of ways, I could see this one easily turning itno a teen movie.

The novel is told from three points of view-Augie, T.C. and Ale are all the main narrators. There are journal entries, letters, websites, e-mails, that move the story along. Ocassionally there's an e-mail put in from some of the parents, but for the most part the teens carry the story. Each teen ends up with a project and something changing their life during freshman year. T.C. falls for Ale, but has to work to win her over. Augie is put in charge of a school production, realizes he's gay, and starts to crush on a cute boy at school. Ale, the diplomat's perfect daughter, discovers a love for musical theater and doing what she wants. There's also a story about a young deaf boy and Mary Poppins that comes into play later on in the novel.

So you can tell there's a lot of stuff going on in this novel-but it all works! It's a modern fairy tale that (for the most part) is believable. You may have to suspend reality for just a moment, but I like to think anything can happen! :) My Most Excellent Year left me smiling. I wanted to step into their world and befriend T.C., Ale and Augie.



There really is something for everyone-musical theater, romance, baseball, political activism. I think readers who may shy away from typical romancey-type books might give this one a try. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this one. It really stood out for me because it had a really unique feel to it. It's going in my favorite reads of the year pile for sure!

Side note-I posted both the hardcover and the paperback covers. (Hardcover is on the left, paperback is on the right) Which one do you prefer? I like them both-the first one is simple, but the second tells you a little bit more about the book, I think.

Want It Wednesday

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Release Date: January 2010

About the Book: Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I just love that cover! It's sparkly and beautiful. And I am so excited about all the mermaid stories that have been coming out lately. Mermaids and romance and forever bonding-I'm so there!!!

Tween Tuesday

Tween Tuesday is a new feature where I will post a few of my favorite tween reads.


A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

I listened to the audiobook of this one, and reviewed it here. But I enjoyed it so much, it's worth mentioning again. It's a pitch perfect debut and I can't wait to read more from Linda Urban. Zoe dreams of playing piano at Carnegie Hall, but then her father buys her an organ. There's a lot packed into this one-Zoe's relationship with her father, a friendship (and possible romance) with a boy at school, and her organ lessons and upcoming
performance in the "perform-o-rama." It's a sweet, touching story that tweens, and older, can surely relate to.

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis

Emma-Jean is one of my favorite tween characters ever. Some reviewers have tagged her as autistic, but the reader can decide from themselves as they read about the smart, and socially awkward, Emma-Jean. Emma-Jean is another charming read that will stick with you. I'm looking forward to catching up with Emma-Jean again in the sequel, Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love, which came out in May.

OMG-Shortlisted for Best YA Blog!

Book Blogger Apprecation Week is coming up September 14-18, thanks to the amazing My Friend Amy. (I don't know how she puts this whole thing together. She should get lots of awards for that!)

I found out today that my blog has been shortlisted for Best YA Blog! I can't believe it! I've been in shock all day! Thank you!

I'm in a catagory with other bloggers who always make my must read list (The Story Siren, Pop Culture Junkie, Mrs. Magoo Reads, and My Favorite Author) Check out their blogs as well, as they are all wonderfully awesome bloggers and such great supporters of YA.

Be sure to check out all the nominated blogs in the various catagories and get your votes in soon. Voting ends Saturday September 12 at 11:59 PM (EST).

And be sure to join in the fun during BBAW-it'll be a week long party and I can't wait to be part of it!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was created by the wonderful Story Siren!

This week I bought Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I'm super excited to read it, but haven't been able to spend much time reading this week. I'm hoping I can finally sit down this weekend and get lost in this book.

I also bought When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead-I've heard great things about this one!

A Short Rant

Dear adult library patrons:

Teens are patrons too. It is very rude to butt in on a librarian helping any patron, including teens. Their question is just as important as yours. Please learn to wait your turn.

Thank you,

An annoyed teen librarian

Quick Update!

Man, I feel like I haven't blogged in forever! I promise I will get reviews up ASAP-with school starting up again, I'm having to rework my schedule and it's been a busy couple of weeks.

My end of summer contest ends tonight at midnight (central time) so be sure to enter if you haven't already! I don't know if I'll get the winners tallied by tomorrow, since I have to work, but I'll have them up by Monday for sure.

A HUGE WOW and THANKS to all the people who read this blog-I just noticed I have over 300 followers! That's amazing-you guys rock!!!

I'm off to prepare for Teen Night: Medieval Night at the library!

Guest Blog: Sally Rippin

Today I am pleased to feature author Sally Rippin. Sally loves libraries and librarians, so of course you have to read her wonderful post!

Sally Rippin is the author of the YA novel Chenxi and The Foreigner. She also is the author and illustrator of numerous children's books (she's super busy and super talented!) Be sure to check out her blog as well!

Here's Sally:

So, being a complete novice, I asked Joanna, my lovely blog-tour co-ordinator at Annick Press, for some tips and she suggested I might have a few words to say about what I like about libraries. Well, that’s an easy one. Librarians are what I like about libraries! (Note: GreenBeanTeenQueen squeels in delight! YAY for librarian love!) I can tell you, librarians are every author’s best friend. I may write the best book I’ll ever write but if it doesn’t get into the hands of a reader, as far as I’m concerned it may as well have never been written. And how many times have I bought novels for my own three sons for them to turn up their nose in disgust at my poor choice in literature? But if their school librarian hands them that very same book – well, that’s a different thing. Then I won’t see them for hours until the book is finished - while their own pristine copy waits hopeful on the shelves! I don’t even bother trying any more.

You see, my two teenage sons have the extraordinary advantage of having not one, but two, incredible teacher-librarians at their high school. These two amazing people have turned a place that from my memory of high school years was a fusty unattractive room that no teenager with half an ounce of dignity would ever voluntarily visit, to the central hub of a whole school! It’s the place kids hang out. At lunchtime, the library is full. Some kids lounge around on beanbags reading books and magazines or chatting, others play on the old upright piano or sit on the computers in the glass-enclosed computer lab. (I never cease to get a kick out of hearing my sons tell me they spent their whole lunch time in the library – and not on detention either!) Not only do my sons’ two librarians and their staff organise school literary festivals, excursions and reading competitions, I have the distinct impression that they know every child in the school and what book they’ll want to read next! (And this is a school of 1,250 students!) Amazing, I know.

However, I don’t know about the US or Canada, but sadly this is certainly not the case for all government run schools in Australia – my sons are particularly lucky. Unfortunately more and more Australian schools are replacing libraries with information technology centres and qualified teacher-librarians are being replaced by technicians or parent volunteers. One author friend of mine told me how he’d visited a school in Melbourne that had a small portable building for a library that was unlocked by a parent volunteer for only one hour a week. And this is the same generation that laments that our children are not reading! To me, it’s simple: librarians and good libraries are the lifeline of a thriving reading culture. And so, to me it’s obvious that a librarian is an author’s best friend.

Now, if I could just get my sons’ librarians to recommend my books to them… :)

If you’d like to read more on these two wonderful librarians, go to: http://www.aeuvic.asn.au/publications/files/Library_Feature.pdf



Thanks Sally! That library sounds awesome (a piano in the library? I'd love to visit!) And yes, the US is having the same problem with librarians being cut out of school. So listen to the wonderful Sally Rippin and GreenBeanTeenQueen and be sure to visit your school (and public) library!

Be sure to check out the rest of Sally's blog tour:

Monday, August 31: Tea Time at Annick Press (http://annickpressblog.blogspot.com/)
Tuesday, September 1: The Book Muncher (http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/)
Wednesday, September 2: Cindy’s Love Of Books (http://cindysloveofbooks.blogspot.com/)Thursday, September 3: Green Bean Teen Queen (http://www.greenbeanteenqueen.com/)
Friday, September 4: Hey! Teenager of the Year (http://heyteenager.blogspot.com/)
Saturday, September 5: Into the Wardrobe (http://peteredmundlucy7.blogspot.com/)

Note: the dates are based on North American time zones; if you’re following along from Australia (like Sally!), just move everything one day later!

Glee!!!

Ok, so this is not book related, but for some reason the bookish people I know are also Glee fans. Maybe because we're such a super smart group of people!:)

So you can imagine my joy in the fact that Glee returns tonight! If you didn't catch the pilot over the summer, tonight's your chance. And if you did see, tonight is the director's cut, with extra special scenes! Yay!

Anyone else share my Glee joy?

Tween Tuesday

Since starting at my library three years ago, I've become the "tween expert"-I'm not really sure how that happened! I still try to read a good mix of tween and teen fiction, even if I'm not doing as much tween programming. Tween Tuesday is a new feature where I will post a few of my favorite tween reads. (I know it's almost Wednesday, but I wanted to give the Catching Fire giveaway lots of front page blog time!:)

The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan


-All five books in the series are out now (although, I will admit I'm still on book four!) But this is a series to know, especially with the movie coming out in February. One of my co-workers just discovered this series and we're planning a program for December. I would suggest it for fans of Harry Potter (it has a lot of the same elements, but I felt it stood on its own instead of reading too much like a HP copycat). There's also a ton of humor and it's a great way to learn about Greek mythology! The series also has great cross-over appeal for teens and adults.

Gregor the Overlander Series by Suzanne Collins

-Before we had The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins gave us Gregor. This is another one that I haven't finished the series completely, but what I've read I've loved. (FYI-the books do get darker as the series goes on, as there is a war being raged) The premise behind the series is it's an "urban Alice in Wonderland."

Skulduggery Pleasant Series by Derek Landy


-This is a recent discovery of mine. I was told to listen to the audibook forever ago and I finally did. It's not often that my husband agree on audiobooks to listen to on road trips, but this is one we both enjoyed. Skulduggery is a wise-cracking skeleton detective who meets up with Stephanie. There's mystery, magic, and lots of humor! Plus, the narrator is wonderful and really brings Skulduggery to life. This is another one that I think has great teen and adult appeal as well.

Win a Catching Fire Prize Pack!!

If you're like me, you are super excited that Catching Fire is finally here! And I have a chance for a great prize pack for all you Hunger Games fans!


THREE lucky winners will win:


-A copy of Catching Fire
-A *very* limited edition promotional t-shirt (see photo)
-A collectible mockingjay pin


All you have to do is leave a comment below with a way for me to contact you if you win!

+2 extra entries if you share this contest (twitter, facebook, blog, etc.)

-Contest is open to US addresses only, (as long as your prize can be shipped in the US, it doesn't matter if the winner is outside the US)
-Contest ends Sept. 15

The Fine Print: The Catching Fire book promotion is open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if you have a friend in the States who can accept your prizes by mail!). Entrants under age 13 must have parent or guardian permission to enter.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

COULD YOU SURVIVE ON YOUR OWN, IN THE WILD, WITH EVERYONE FIGHTING AGAINST YOU? Twenty- four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
READ THE FIRST CHAPTER

Be sure to visit The Hunger Games official site-there are all sorts of cool things for fans. Check out the message boards to talk with other fans and you can even play in the Tribute Trials and see how you'd do in The Hunger Games.