So imagine my utter delight this morning, when going through email, that I found the Ministry of Magic’s website?
Check out Magic is Might – and if you’ve never been, also head over to the Leaky Cauldron. This fan-based site has been up and running for years, and used to be my only source of information, back when J.K. Rowling’s website was just a list of her publishers. (I kid you not).
Also, speaking of Harry Potter, we’ll be showing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 on May 26th. Be there.
Baseball season started last week … and I know some of you love sports fiction. Here’s a selection of sports fiction just for teens.
Beanball by Gene Fehler- It’s the last inning of a high school baseball game between arch-rivals Oak Grove and Compton. Center fielder Luke “Wizard” Wallace steps up to the plate – and is hit by a beanball, a wild pitch that shatters his skull, destroys the vision in his left eye, and changes his life forever.
Change-up: Mystery at the World Series by John Feinstein – While covering baseball’s World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Boston Red Sox, teenage sports reporters Stevie and Susan Carol investigate a rookie pitcher whose evasive answers during an interview reveal more than a few contradictions in his life story.
Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach – Just before his sixteenth birthday, Felton Reinstein has a sudden growth spurt that turns him from a small, jumpy, picked-on boy with the nickname of “Squirrel Nut” to a powerful athlete, leading to new friends, his first love, and the courage to confront his family’s past and current problems.
Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock – Caveat: I do not understand football. I could take it or leave it. I LOVED THIS BOOK. D.J. is a smart, funny heroine who proves you don’t have to be a boy if you want to play football. If you’re hungry for more stories starring D.J., check out The Off Seasonand Front and Center.
Derby Girl by Shauna Cross- this book was faster than a derby bout. Loved Whip It? This is the book it’s based on. Want more information on derby? Check out the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association.
Kick by Walter Dean Myers and Ross Workman – Told in their separate voices, thirteen-year-old soccer star Kevin and police sergeant Brown, who knew his father, try to keep Kevin out of juvenile hall after he is arrested on very serious charges.
Leverage by Joshua Cohen – High school sophomore Danny excels at gymnastics but is bullied, like the rest of the gymnasts, by members of the football team, until an emotionally and physically scarred new student joins the football team and forms an unlikely friendship with Danny.
No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman– Wallace Wallace cannot tell a lie … and his very honest review of “Old Shep, My Pal” has gotten him off the football team and helping with the school musical. Help.
Shutout by Brendan Halpin– Ever felt like you no longer knew who your best friend was anymore? Shutout is about two best friends – who suddenly become enemies after Lena makes Varsity Soccer and Amanda does not. This was given five stars from Sara (grade 9) and Jane (grade 8).
Vanishing Act by John Feinstein- Love mysteries and sports? Eighth grader Brendan gives this title five stars – mainly for the mystery, the unpredictable ending, and loads of comedy and action.
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher – Intellectually and athletically gifted, T.J., a multiracial, adopted teenager, shuns organized sports and the gung-ho athletes at his high school until he agrees to form a swimming team and recruits some of the school’s less popular students.
April showers bring May flowers …. and books. Yeah, doesn’t flow off the tongue as easily, but these books should keep you busy. Also, keep those book reviews coming in. They absolutely rock.
Also, check out the ever-changing display of YA titles on the Lower Level. Today? Sports-themed books. Next week, who knows?
Have you ever used a Playaway before? It’s essentially an audiobook, but you don’t have to worry about CDs. We just received the following Playaways for the Young Adult collection.
Teen Tech Week is Teen Tech Month at the Cold Spring Harbor Library, but YALSA is already chomping at the bit for 2012! If you’re a teen (ages 12-18), you can vote for next year’s theme.
Read any of these books? Loved? Hated? Want to share your thoughts? Fill out one of the Teen Book Reviews (forms can be found on the Lower Level, at the Youth Services desk, or online here. Please be kind and print neatly!
Do you love putting together 3D puzzles? Or just want to try your hand?
Do you need volunteer hours?
Call the Youth Services desk at 631.692.6820 or email cshrya@suffolk.lib.ny.us and ask about volunteering with the puzzles. We have several puzzles that need to be finished and on-display by mid-June for the Children’s Summer Reading Club.
March is Teen Tech Month at the Cold Spring Harbor Library. How are we celebrating in Teen Services?
We want you to play around with our ebooks
– You can download ebooks, audiobooks, even some videos and music using OverDrive. The Teen Collection is here. Don’t see a title you want? You can always send in a request.
We’re hosting programs
– Our low-tech program is Learn to Knit on March 10th. Justification? Knitting is essentially binary code. Instead of 1 and 0, we have K(nit) and P(url).
– Our movie? The Social Network. Did you know Jesse Eisenberg never had a Facebook account until he landed his role as Zuckerberg? You can listen to what he did when he landed the role here.
After I saw the trailer for Beastly earlier last week, I started wondering about other Young Adult novels that are coming to the big screen this year. Here’s a selection of books (that we own! YAY!) and pertinent information.
Remember: reading and reviewing ANY of these books can lead to four hours of community service.
Beastly by Alex Flinn. A modern-day take on the “Beauty and the Beast” fairy tale where a New York teen, Kyle Kingsbury, is transformed into a hideous monster in order to find true love. Movie release date? March 4th, rated PG-13.
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe. A young centurion ventures among the hostile tribes beyond the Roman Wall to recover the eagle standard of the Ninth, a legion which mysteriously disappeared under his father’s command. Movie Release date: February 11, rated PG-13
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 by J.K. Rowling. The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort’s final horcruxes… Movie Release Date: July 15, rating unknown.
I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore. John Smith – one of nine aliens from the planet Lorien – struggles to outrun his past, discover his future and live a normal life in Paradise, Ohio, as one by one his fellow Loriens are being killed by evil beings. Movie Release date: February 18, rated PG-13.
Jane Eyre by CharlotteBrontë. A Victorian governess’s love for her mysterious employer is threatened by the tragic secret of his mansion. Movie Release Date: March 11, rated PG-13.
Soul Surfer: a true story of faith, family, and fighting to get back on the board by Bethany Hamilton.Bethany Hamilton, a teenage surfer, lost her arm in a shark attack off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii. Not even the loss of her arm keeps her from returning to surfing, the sport she loves. Movie Release Date: April 8, rated PG.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. The book will be released as two movies, Part 1 will concern itself with the Quileute and the Volturi closing in on expectant parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven. Movie Release Date: November 18, rating unknown.
X-Men: First Class by Jeff Parker. The early days of mutant fun returns! Movie Release Date: June 3, rating unknown.
In case you haven’t heard, The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins’ wildly popular dystopian novel set in Panem will be released as a movie on March 23, 2012.
Gabriel Liotta has been cast as Peeta, but Katniss, Gale and Prim? No news yet as to who will portray them on screen.
Special thanks to BookPage for cluing me in to the release date!
