SCPL Teen Blog!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Tara's Book Review: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley

So, I won’t lie—I didn’t really have any interest in reading this book until I saw the movie trailer, but I’m so glad I did! Graphic novels aren’t a format I spend a lot of time reading, so it was refreshing to read one that was so clever and engaging. Scott Pilgrim starts dating a stunning, mysterious girl named Ramona Flowers, but she comes with a catch—her 7 evil exes will all insist that he fight them. In this first volume, the reader is introduced to all the crazy characters in Scott’s life, and we see the beginning of Scott & Ramona’s romance. Of course, things aren’t as simple as they seem—Scott is already dating a high school girl named Knives Chau, and his band, Sex Bob-omb is struggling to make it in the local music scene.

I love the format of this book—it goes beyond the average superhero graphic novel, with self-referential asides to the reader, tongue-in-cheek character bios, and even a sing-along during Sex Bob-omb’s practice session. The dialogue is fast-paced and witty without seeming unrealistic, and the illustration style is simple while still adding layers of meaning to the text. If you’re new to graphic novels, or just looking for a fun read, this is a great series to pick up.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Go Green @ Your Library

Earth Day was yesterday, but at the Spartanburg County Public Libraries we're celebrating for the entire month of April! Come to the Headquarters Library tomorrow, Saturday, April 24th to find out different ways to go green! Here are some of the great events we'll have going on tomorrow:

Farmer's Market in the parking lot from 9am-1pm
Book Swap in the atrium from 9am-1pm
Local Green Groups in the atrium from 9am-1pm
Kill-a-Watt Program in the Barrett Room from 10am-11am

You can also enter ways you go green here throughout the month of April to be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate to the Spartanburg Farmer's Market!

Want to learn about more ways to go green? Check out some of our nonfiction titles for teens!

250 Things You Can Do to Green the World
by CosmoGirl

Recycle This Book:
100 Top Children's Authors Tell You How to Go Green
edited by Dan Gutman

Generation Green:
The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life
by Linda and Tosh Sivertsen

50 Ways to Save the Earth
by Anne Jankeliowitch

Thursday, April 15, 2010

New Stephenie Meyer Book!

As you probably already know, a new Stephenie Meyer novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, has been announced for release on June 5^th. It will tell the story of Bree Tanner, a newborn vampire introduced in Eclipse, and will be written from her perspective. But did you know that you’ll also be able to read it for free online? Meyer has announced that between June 7^th and July 5^th, you will be able to read the novella in its entirety at www.breetanner.com. Don’t worry, we’ll get plenty of copies here at the library, but check it out online—you might enjoy reading in a new format!

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

April is National Poetry Month!

National Poetry Month was created by the Academy of American Poets to celebrate poetry and its place in American culture throughout the month of April. Try out some of these suggestions for celebrating this month:

--Post a Poem in your teen area! Share your favorite poetry verse--from a song, a poem, or something you've written--by putting it on a post-it note and adding it to the poetry board.
--Check out the Academy of American Poets' list of 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month.
--Sign up for the Poets.org Poem-A-Day email.