Free Life Coaching for Teens

Now teens (10 – 19 years old) can get free personal coaching online. Whether your goals are higher grades in school, starting a career, improving your social life, or getting better at a sport, now you can get help defining your goals and achieving them. Check it out at http://www.goal33.com/.

Coraline, the Movie is Almost Here!

I was very excited to see the preview for the upcoming movie Coraline, based on the amazing book written by Neil Gaiman. I can't wait to see it in 3-D. To curb my enthusiasm, I decided to read the graphic novel in the interim. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels, but I have to say, this is one that cannot be missed. Wonderful illustrations and a terrific adaptation of the novel. Check out the book and/or graphic novel from the library today before the movie is released this February 2009.

Teen Holiday Game Days!

Play Dance Dance Revolution, board games and Bingo;
Test your singing skills with High School Musical karaoke and Singstar Popstar; Eat snacks, and relax at the library.

Thursday, December 18th
3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Renton Downtown Library

Drop-In at the Library for Holiday Crafts!

Drop in at the Renton Main Library for hot chocolate and crafts. Get in the holiday spirit, and make your own one-of-a-kind personal holiday cards for your friends and family. This is a free program, and all materials will be provided.

Monday, December 15th, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

YA Author Defends Teen Intelligence

The Washington Post recently did an interesting article on YA author M.T. Anderson. Anderson, the author of several great young adult books including Feed and the latest volume of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: The Kingdom on the Waves, says "It's insulting to believe that teens should have a different kind of book than an adult should. Teens like challenges. They know the world is complicated, and they can tell when a book is simplifying life."

Check out the entire article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/28/AR2008112802766.html

Can You Write Like a Wimpy Kid?

Here's your chance to win a visit to your school by Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Yes, you can become a Wimpy Hero at your very own school! How, you may ask? All you have to do is create an original comic on an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of white paper, and send it in to the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Comics Contest. The deadline is January 31, 2009. See details here: http://www.wimpykid.com/contest.pdf

National Gaming Day - November 15th

Bring your friends and family to the Renton Downtown Library on Saturday, November 15th and enjoy National Gaming Day with board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, Boggle, Chess, Clue & the brand new Pictureka!

National Gaming Day is a new initiative sponsored by the American Library Association in an effort to promote games in the library. Gaming of all types encourages positive interaction among friends, family and community members, while contributing to the development of new skills and strategies for gaming and learning in a relaxed and fun environment.

November 10th Twilight Autograph Signing

If you love Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series as much as the next person, you're not going to want to miss this chance to meet some of the stars of the upcoming movie.

When: November 10th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Where: Westfield Southcenter Hot Topic

Who: "Jacob", "Laurent" and "Victoria" from the new Twilight movie

Teens' Top 10 Books of 2008!

The vote is in! More than 8,000 teens voted on this year's winners, and here they are!

The 2008 Teens' Top Ten is:

1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
5. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
7. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
8. Extras by Scott Westerfeld
9. Before I Die by Jenny Downham
10. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

About the Teens' Top Ten
Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens across the country nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominations are posted in April during National Library Week, and teens across the country vote on their favorite titles each year during Teen Read Week.

Join the Teen Advisory Board

Hey, Teens! Do you love the library? Do you want to contribute to your community in a meaningful way? Renton Public Library is committed to being a teen-friendly environment. Join our new Teen Advisory Board and exercise your creativity and develop leadership skills. We are currently looking for new members for the Fall 2008 school year. Meetings are the 2nd Thursday of the month.

What a Teen Advisory Board Does:
Help develop teen activities at the library
Help plan special events and programs such as the Teen Summer Reading Program and Teen Read Week
Help select library materials (books, movies, music) for teens
Write book, movie, and music reviews
Help promote the library to other teens
Eat snacks, socialize, and have fun!

Upcoming Meeting Dates:
Thursday, November 13th, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 11th, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.

If you're interested, fill out a TAB application today!

Letters about Literature Contest

Do you enjoy reading? Has a particularly good book ever changed the way you view the world or your place in it? Then you might consider writing a letter to the author of that great book, and submitting it for consideration in the Letters about Literature contest.

Competing at the national level can win you a $500 Target gift card and $10,000 for your community or school library. This is the fourth year Washington State Library has sponsored the competition as part of Washington Reads. For guidelines and to download an application, go to http://www.secstate.wa.gov/library/lal/Default.aspx

Twilight Series - Edward's Story

Can't wait for the next installment of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series Midnight Sun (Edward's version)? Well apparently neither could others, and the draft of the book was leaked on the Internet. Rather than fighting the problem, the author decided to post her "official" draft on her own blog. Take a look at
http://stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html

Happy Reading!

Featured Fun on the Web

Since I'm kind of a fan of supernatural stories, I couldn't resist picking up the new book Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley featuring a teen girl who wants desperately to be popular, and more importantly, to be noticed by a particular boy. While attempting to hang out with the popular girls, she accidentally chokes on a gummy bear, dies, and becomes a ghost. Of course, this presents an even bigger challenge for getting noticed. The book was based on a popular Website by the author. Take a look at http://www.ghostgirl.com/ and then consider reading Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley.

Get a Library Card Today....It's FREE!!!!!

September is Library Card Sign-up Month. A library card is one of the most important cards you will ever own. With it, you have access to a wealth of books, audiobooks, magazines, music, movies, and information. And the greatest part is you don't have to spend any money.

If you don’t have a Renton Library card yet, stop by the Main branch or Highlands branch, and sign up for one today! It’s fast, it’s free, and it might even change your life! If you need to replace your lost library card, a replacement card only costs $1.00.

"Fall" into the Library

Just because the summer is over, doesn't mean the fun has to end. We'll be having monthly Game Days for teens as well as other exciting new activities and events that the new Teen Advisory Board will be thinking up. Be sure to check back regularly for updates on teen activities as well as great new book recommendations and other info!

Metamorphosis Summer Reading Wrap-Up

Congratulations Teen Summer Reading Program participants and finishers! Teens had an exciting summer at the Main and Highlands Branches. In addition to reading terrific books, teens enjoyed many fun events including a Chocolate Festival, Game Days, and an Anime Festival.

Congratulations to the Teen Summer Reading Grand Prize Winners!

• Julie Nalay, Grade 6 - I-pod Shuffle (Grand Prize)
• Abbey Stellingwerff, Grade 6 - $10 Target gift card
• Lucia Gomez-Elegido, Grade 7 - $10 Target gift card