Teen Books I'm Dying to Read

What books are you dying to read? I got my hands on Guts by Raina Telgemeier and it was great! I have never read Drama or Sisters, so that will be on my next "to do" list.

Here's a couple of titles that have grabbed my interest...
Elizabeth Eulberg's " Just Another Girl," tells a tale of how we often hear the story of the "it" girl and want to pull our hair out. How do we mirror ourselves to be like her and/or avoid her at the same time? What is her life really like? This realistic fiction title seems like the perfect high school read:

Interference by Honeycomb

This book has all the fall feels as it discusses the popularity of football in a Texan town and a daughter of a politician who is trying to fit in even though her best asset is to not fit in... I started the audio book and it sounds promising. Enjoy!

#fallfeels
#realisticrfictionforteens

Scary Stories for Tweens

How scary is too scary? I suppose it depends on the reader. Here are a couple of my favorites for tweens and teens, grade level will vary.
I also love the following authors for added suspense and spooks:
Mary Downing Hahn
Phyllis Naylor
Vivian Vande Velde
R.L Stine

Comment below if you have any questions!

Shake It Off by Suzanne Nelson

I absolutely love the "Wish" books from Scholastic. They feature fun stories about young teens who are in love with cute boys, food, or are striving for better friendships. They cover so many topics and have started to add diverse characters to the mix. I just completed "Shake it Off" by Suzanne Nelson.
Review:
Bria is not excited when her parents send her off to work at her aunt's dairy farm in Iowa. When she arrives, she tries to win everyone over with her fashion sense and her knowledge of creative milkshakes but no one is impressed. She learns to cope with farm life, reunites with her cousin, and learns a lesson or two about being selfish. This was a fun easy read that young teens will enjoy and includes delicious milkshake recipes to boot! If your a "foodie" this is a must read!

What Every Middle School Student Needs

It's back to school time. One of the busiest time of the year for parents and kids alike. As some of you know, I worked as a middle school library clerk for many many years. Some things have changed since the early 2000s but some things still stay the same. Here are a list of supplies and just common sense tips on how to get your child through the first couple of days:

What every child should have in grades 6-8

1. A quality calculator

2. A USB drive and the knowledge of how to attach a document with a safe email address that you have access to.

3. Extra pens, paper and pencils of course!

4. Bookcovers ( yes, they are still needed)

5. A library card

6. A pocket dictionary and thesaurus



Tips!
1. Keep asking "How was your day?" and "What was the best thing that happened today?"
- I can't remember a time when any of my middle school students, whether in the school library or public library wanted to chat and share their day. You never know how things went for them, and even though they might not tell you... be sure to keep asking and watch for their tone.

2. Encourage them to stand up for themselves. Many children at this age struggle with self identity. Help them realize it is okay to stand up for themselves and that it is okay to make mistakes; whether it be socially or academically. Everything is dramatized at this age, let them know its okay and share stories from your childhood if you feel comfortable.

3. Limit social media and internet access.

Here's a few fun titles for girls this age as well. Enjoy!

What am I reading now?

It's the dog days of summer. August is here with its heat, air conditioning ( Thank God!) and many, many books to read before school begins.
Currently, I'm working on Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book? which is Ah-mazing! Its a contemplation of teen authors giving their best writing advice with Ally Carter leading the discussion.

Girl Online, by Zoe Sugg
Full of British characters and humor; this book tackles anxiety and teen friendships.

My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella (Audiobook, for my hour long commute from OC to East Los Angeles) and its a good one!

Tell me what you or your teen is reading in the comments below:

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg 

Teens Who Like to Write

There are many teens and tweens who are self-proclaimed authors. We should encourage these creative individuals to hone in on their craft and continue writing stories.
Here's a fun book that is full of ideas for novice teen writers or for those adults who are interested in writing for young adult, written by the infamous Ally Carter, author of the The Gallagher Girl Series and many more. Enjoy!

Books by Ally Carter 

Get Smart on Art for Tweens

Hello all,
Here's a new idea for a fun art program for tweens. It can be scaled up for high school students or scaled down for the young ones as well.
Host a Get Smart on Art Program featuring the abstract art of Wassily Kandinsky and have student create their own impression of Squares with Concentric Circles 1913.

Art for Children and Tweens

Supplies needed:
1. A simple biography book on the artist
2. Large colored construction paper
3. Construction paper circles cut out in advance.
4. Crayons, paint, and/ or colored pencils.

Describe the artist and talk about the elements of art, which include:
1. Line
2. Form
3. Shape
4. Texture
5. Color
6. Value
7. Space

Draw out a sample of how these elements are used in art and print out pictures of work by Kandinsky to demonstrate how he may have used these elements in his work. Then, allow tweens to create their own masterpiece! Voila!

Summer Teen Volunteers

Good morning everyone! Happy 3rd of July ( hence all libraries are closed on the 4th) I want to share with you some fun tips to deal with summer volunteers, the benefits of having your teen volunteer, and what volunteering entails:
1. Volunteering at a library enhances the teens social skills for the workplace. They learn how to gain confidence, public speaking skills, and also how to deal with random questions from the public.

2. Why not volunteer someone cool with central air during the summer heat?

3. They learn to give back to their community.

4. They learn to be role models for children and teens their age.

5. Scheduling your teen volunteers and having a consequence for " no shows" is a must.

6. Teach your teens about the library and how things are organized to help them improve skills needed for school and college.

Here is a 4th of July craft our teens helped us prepare at the library:

Summer State of Mind by Jen Calonita

My new favorite teen author wrote a lovely book about rich girls, summer camp, and staying true to who you are. As our main "it girl,"  Harper gets in trouble for double maxing out her American Express, she is sent off to Sleepaway Camp at Whispering Pines. It is here that she needs to get used to being the odd girl out where her "girly" traditions of scented candles and makeup just won't cut it with all the other campers, or "lifers," as she calls them.
She soon finds a way for the entire camp to win a special prize that they all long for, but then makes a bad decision that puts the campers against her and ruins their chances in a once in a lifetime contest.
Can she still gain back their friendship and remain who she is? Will the campers and her love interest forgive her?

Jen Calonita 

A lovely book about friendships, summer camp and a little romance too! Teens of all ages will enjoy this fun book!

It's Showtime at Your Library

 Summer is in full swing. Our wonderful and talented part time staff at East Los Angeles created this fun decor to match the theme. I hope all of you have registered for your local summer reading program at your library. Teens, kids, and adults get free books for reading and completing activities. Some libraries even offer raffles! Get to it!

Summer reading 

Rules of Summer by Joana Philbin

There are definitely two sides to every summer with this perfect summer book set on the prestigious East Coast. It  features two wonderful teen characters Rory and Isabel. When the two of them meet it is not friendship at first sight, as Rory is working as an assistant for Isabel's family during the summer. Also, Isabel is a girl who plays by her own rules and sneaks into the house through Rory's bedroom.

The turn of events featuring both of the girls' love lives are a something you don't want to miss and the author does a perfect job of showing us the perspective of both worlds. I can wait to read the next one in this series.