Sunday, July 12, 2009

Strange Mad Libs

Sitting at home on a Sunday afternoon, you'd think I'd have better things to do than play on the Internet. Well, actually I do, but since I'm reading the new Emily the Strange novel, The Lost Days, I got it in my head to check out her Website (http://www.emilystrange.com/) and wandered onto her strange Badlibs. Here's what I came up with:

"A LAB EXPERIMENT GONE HORRIBLY WRONG" A badlib by Jessica Marie.
"HORNK! GASPLUSH! BAKLOOIE! Terrible sounds poured from the Oddisee as Emily frantically pushed buttons and pulled levers, trying to find out what had gone so horribly wrong. She was in the final stages of a very important experiment to create a brand-new type of stalking cat. But unfortunately, it looked like she had created a hellish mutant sweet tortoise, instead! “I don’t get it,” Emily said out loud, while her faithful lab assistant and cat friend Mystery listened. “All I did was take some DNA from my big toe, add a little hairball and a cup of berry juice (you know, the stuff Johnny Depp drinks?) and mix it all in a beaker. My data shows that this should work! Mystery, where did I go wrong?” Mystery scooted loudly, then meowed into the microphone of the Oddisee. Her thoughts were translated on the screen: “bleedin' bimbo!! I mean, normally you’re pretty smart for a human, but today you acted like a big idiot. What made you think you should get DNA from your big toe? It should have come from your butt cheek! Also, I really think you should have used candy instead of hairballs - it ALWAYS makes my experiments much more interesting! And finally – I recommend blood instead of berry juice. I don’t care if Johnny Depp drinks a gallon of that stuff a day, it just doesn’t make a good stalking cat!” Emily slapped her earlobe and sighed. “You’re right, Mystery. You’re always right.” Then, turning some dials and fiddling with some ipods, she tried to end the experiment. But – fudgerola!-- it was TOO LATE! The hellish mutant sweet tortoise had escaped, and was running around the lab, breaking beakers everywhere. The last thing Emily saw was its huge, piehole mouth opening wide – and then, the total darkness of the inside of its eyeball. “HELP! MYSTERY! GET ME OUT OF HERE!” she yelled as loudly as she could. But all she could hear, from her prison inside the monster, was the sound of one cat laughing...


Monday, June 8, 2009

Even More Book Recommendations!

After another busy week of visiting schools, here are a few more books we showed off in classes...just some of the fun titles you can grab to start your summer reading. Don't forget that you can put these on hold from home by visiting the library catalog or in person at either library branch.



Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Bayse

Milton is a good kid...honest!! So why is he doomed to this place where even the boogeyperson doesn't think he belongs for all eternity...or until he turns 18...whichever happens first?













Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

Alcatraz just turned 13 and his present was...a bag of sand. Some inheritance! But then suddenly everyone is after it...and it may be more valuable than he thought. He's off on a dangerous mission...to the public library? But watch out for dinosaurs. And sharks. And lots of other stuff those evil librarians have been hiding.







Hip Hop: A Short History by Rosa Waters
How far back to you think hip hop goes? A little history, and a few favorite stars in this quick read.







Teen Zone: Astrology by Jackie Barrow

Draw your own personal chart based on the time and place you were born and get an absolutely personal horoscope!






Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost

Warning: There is a big dragon in this book who will eat all of your candy if he is not stopped! Read the exciting story, and learn to draw one of your own in this all-cartooning adventure.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Renton Librarian Recommendations

Kris and Jessica have been busily visiting schools to talk about summer reading, and along the way we've been sharing some fun and interesting books with everyone. In case you were enticed but can't remember the titles, here's a list of some of the books we've been sharing . You can place holds on them by visiting the Renton Library Catalog, and be sure to have your library card handy.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
In Tally's world, everybody gets to be supermodel pretty once they turn 16. But is that really as great as it sounds?







Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems by John Grandits








Technically, It's Not My Fault: Concrete Poems by John Grandits








Guinness World Records to the Extreme
Observe some of the worst jobs in the world as well as some other pretty amazing (or disgusting) things.






An Artists America by Michael Albert
Check out the amazing artwork that can be made with everyday objects like cereal boxes and Campbell soup labels.






Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Travel to Elsewhere where everyone goes after they die and then ages backwards until they are reborn and sent back to earth to live a new life.








The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Travel into a distant future where hunger and starvation are just around the corner. 16-year-old Katniss volunteers to participate in the Hunger Games, a televised survival contest in which the winner is the last person left alive.




Acceleration by Graham McNamee
Can Duncan and his 2 sidekicks stop a potential serial killer before he becomes an ACTUAL one?







Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde
14-year-old Giannine is stuck in a virtual reality adventure game in which the only way out is to win the game or die for real.





Tuesday, May 5, 2009

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's...a Librarian?


It's springtime here in...um...rainy Renton. For us in library land, this means we are getting ready to head to schools to talk about summer reading and all the great stuff we've got going on at the Main and Highlands Renton Libraries after school gets out. You may just catch a glimpse of a librarian in your school sometime in May or June, but if you miss us stop by and ask about summer reading. You aren't going to want to miss your chance to make stuff, watch stuff, play stuff, read, and, oh yeah, win free prizes. Happy spring!


This "wild woman librarian" image is courtesy of library_mistress and used with permission through Flickr's Creative Commons http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Renton Teens Expressed Themselves!

We have the winners of the 2009 Express Yourself Teen Art Contest!

Charlie Jones, Grade 8 - 1st Place in the category of "Painting or Drawing"

Sydney Towne, Grade 11 - 1st Place in the category of "Sculpture"
Sarah Campbell, Grade 7 - 2nd Place in the category of "Painting or Drawing"


Winners received gift cards to Barnes and Noble.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Teen Book Review

Book: Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques
Reviewed by Sarah Campbell, Grade 7

Ben is a galley boy on [a ship called] the Flying Dutchman. Ned, the black labrador, is his best friend. Ben and Ned can magically communicate with one another. After the ship was cursed to sail forever, Ben and ned are swept overboard and meet a kindly old shephard. When they were swept overboard an angel told them they would roam the earth doing good and helping others. One night the shephard dies, and Ben and Ned move on. But that was 200 years ago. Now the pair are in a little town called Chapelvale where they have to find the town's deed before the town is destroyed. This is a race against time to save the town with the help of Jon, Amy, Alex, and Mrs. Wihn.


I give this book 5 Stars....It was Great!

Teen Book Review

Book: Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher
Reviewed by Mary Powell, Grade 12

This book was about a girl named Hannah Baker who explains 13 reasons for killing herself, and a boy named Clay Jensen who is trying to figure out why he's on the tapes she left behind. Although he wants nothing to do with them, he listens to the tapes anyway. I recommend this book to anyone especially to those who like mysterious stories. I loved it and would read it again anytime.

Friday, April 17, 2009

The YRCA Winners Are Announced!

You voted, and here are the winners of the Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Awards!

Junior Division (4th-6th Grade)
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Dicamillo







Intermediate Division (7th-9th Grade)
The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas by John Boyne









Senior Division (10th to 12th Grade)
New Moon by Stephene Meyer








You can place holds on any or all of these in the Renton Library Catalog

If you didn't get a chance to vote on your favorite book for 2009, maybe you'd like to get a head start by reading the nominees for 2010. They are available on the Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Awards Webpage.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

New Teen Book Group at Renton Main Branch!

A book club is an awesome way to get together with friends, to meet new friends, and explore amazing books together. If you're interested in joining the Teen Book Group at Renton Main Branch, contact the Young Adult Librarian or come to our next Teen Advisory Board meeting on Thursday, April 9th from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. when we'll be selecting the first book.

Friday, March 20, 2009

"Express Yourself" Through Art at Renton Public Library

The Renton Public Library's Teen Advisory Board invites you to submit original artwork for our first ever Teen Art Contest.

Art Categories:
Collage
Computer Graphics
Sculpture
Comic or manga
Painting or Drawing

Submissions Guidelines:

  • Entrant must be in 6th to 12th grade
  • Entrant must be a Renton Library cardholder
  • All art submissions must be original works
  • Entries must include name, grade, entry category, and phone number with submission.
  • Submissions are due to the Renton Main library by April 1, 2009.
Submit entries in person, or mail to:
Renton Public Library
"Express Yourself" Teen Art Contest
Attn: Children's & Young Adult Librarian
100 Mill Ave. S.
Renton, WA 98057

Or E-mail submissions in .pdf or .doc format to the Librarian.

Submissions will be judged by Teen Advisory Board Members and Renton Library Staff. Winners will receive great prizes such as free books and gift cards. Artwork will be displayed in the Renton Main Library. The Grand Prize Winner's submission may be used to promote the summer's "Express Yourself" Teen Summer Reading program.