Spooky Tales for Halloween!

Happy Halloween! We hope you enjoyed our teen halloween party last night. Are you looking for some spooky books to get you in the haunting mood? Try reading a few of these recommended books for teens (all available at our library):

Jade Green: A Ghost Story by Phyllis Reynolds (YA section)

Passion and Poison: Tales of Shape-Shifters, Ghosts, and Spirited Women by Janice Del Negro (J 398.4 D)

Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales by Deborah Noyes (YA section)

The Restless Dead: Ten Original Stories of the Supernatural by Deborah Noyes (YA section)

Being Dead: Stories by Vivian Vande Velde (YA section)

Ghosts of Kerfol - Featured Title

Ghosts of Kerfol by Deborah Noyes - This classic ghost story has been turned into a few short stories which intertwine. The story begins with a young Frenchwoman who has been convicted of murdering her husband. Despite the accusations, this woman claims that he was brutally killed by a pack of savage dogs, even though no live dogs have ever lived at Kerfol. The story continues towards modern day by telling the tales of others who have visited or lived at Kerfol - an artist, a rich party girl, a young American couple, and a deaf gardener. This book is not necessarily scary, but is a uniquely spooky tale that is just right for Halloween. Recommended for grades 6 and up.

Seedfolks - Featured Title

Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman - In inner-city Cleveland, life can be tough. Neighbors don't speak and many people are afraid to leave their houses at night. Despite the dangers, a young Vietnamese girl is determined to find some special way to remember her father who died before she was born. And through this hope, a community garden is born.

The story is told in short and inspiring vignettes by multiple characters of various cultures and backgrounds. Because of it's length (69 pages), Fleischman's novel is a great read for reluctant readers. The honesty and emotion portrayed by each character gives great depth into the complexities of inner-city life. Recommended for grades 4 and up.

Harry Potter fans: Win a trip to Scotland!!

Attention Harry Potter fans! Tales of Beedle the Bard, a companion title to the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, will be released in the U.S. on December 4, 2008. To celebrate the event, Scholastic is sponsoring an ESSAY CONTEST, open to kids ages 8-17. Entrants must submit an essay, 200 words or less, about how they've helped others. Five winners will be chosen to receive a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, for a special event at the National Library of Scotland!

But hurry! -- the contest ends soon -- all entries must be received by October 30, 2008! Read more about the contest and the new book on the Harry Potter Website at Scholastic.com.

Dye Your Hair for a Cause! Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month? To raise awareness for this cause, Pink Hair for Hope encourages going to a salon and adding pink streaks to your hair as a way to show your support for the fight against breast cancer.

This might be the one and only time you can convince your parents to let you dye your hair crazy colors, so don't pass it up! And *maybe* you might even be able to convince your mom to join you in this fashionable cause and get some pink highlights herself :)

TAB @ 6, Teen Video Games at 6:30pm

Tonight at 6pm, join us at our monthly Teen Advisory Board meeting. This is your chance to plan events, suggest books to purchase, and sign up to write an article for the TAB Newsletter! Then at 6:30pm, come play video games, hang out with friends, and meet new ones. Try your hand at our brand new Wii, play Rock Band, and more! Event runs from 6:30-8:30pm; registration is requested.

Evil Genius - Featured Title

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks - Have you ever wondered how the bad guys from superhero comics get to be so ruthless? If so, this may be the book for you. Cadel Piggott is an extraordinary young boy who began hacking into FBI security firewalls at the age of seven. His parents decide to enroll Cadel into therapy sessions with a psychologist, Thaddeus Roth, in order to get their son proper support. But instead of guiding Cadel down the right path, Dr. Roth prepares Cadel for a life of forgery and deception.

Though the book is long (500+ pages), the twisting plot and conniving characters will have you already ready for the book's sequel, Genius Squad. Fans of Anthony Horowitz, or Stewart's Mysterious Benedict Society will be clamoring for this book. And the most miraculous part is that Cadel seems so naive and emotionally-stunted that most readers will find themselves empathisizing with him even as he ruins the lives of his schoolmates. A great suspenseful read that is recommended for grades 7 and up.

Which Twilight Character Are You?

Take the quiz and find out which female Twilight character best fits you.

It turns out that I'm a Bella.... I'm not sure how I feel about that, considering how passive she is in the books. Oh, well. You can also take the quiz to find out which male character you are; apparently if I were male I'd be Edward. Pretty ironic to be the two leading characters!


Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

National Book Awards Finalists

The National Book Awards finalists have been announced. If you click the link, scroll down to the bottom to see the books for 'Young People's Literature'. Or, you can view the list of titles below:

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart
The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

Which is your favorite? So far I've only read The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks, but the rest sound pretty great too!

The Dreadful Revenge of Ernest Gallen - Featured Title

The Dreadful Revenge of Ernest Gallen by James Lincoln Collier - Something strange is happening in the town of Magnolia. People are hearing voices which tell them to walk off buildings into mid-air, drive into trees, and kill those close to them. And as Eugene comes to find out, the voice telling others to do these things is after revenge, from some mysterious tragedy that happened long ago.

This book is set back during the time of the Depression, and the character's speech are probably the most telling of the setting. This book is a great spooky tale, and is written well enough to tie in important lessons that readers learn when the mystery is uncovered. I really enjoyed this book, and it's perfect timing since Halloween is less than a month away! Recommended for grades 6 and up.

Teen Cooking Class TONIGHT @ 6:30pm

Join us for a cooking class to celebrate the Teen Read Week theme, ‘Books with Bite’. We will be learning how to cook quick and easy recipes such as smoothies, mini pizzas, and more! Come hungry, as we will be eating our creations. Please register so we have enough food for everyone!

FYI: This will also be the last day to fill out a form telling which books you read.... and if everyone collectively reaches 125 books, ROPL's Eric Hayes will shave his head! So get those forms in ASAP!

The Professor's Daughter - Featured Title

The Professor's Daughter by Joann Sfar and Emmanuel Guibert - Many of our teens at the Royal Oak Public Library are crazy about anime and manga. But at some point, don't you get tired of the same types of images, stories, and having to read the book from back to front? An easy choice for something similar and yet different would be to read other types of graphic novels. These books are more reminescent of comic books, only with more in-depth story lines.

The Professor's Daughter is an example of an intriguing graphic novel that will capture the interest of teenagers. Although many libraries, including ours, has it shelved in the adult collection, the theme has a lot of teens checking out the book as well.

In this story, readers follow a living mummy, Imhotep IV, who embarks on a catastrophic romance with a professor's daughter, Lillian. The humorous situations they find themselves in override the logistical questions of just how a mummy can walk and talk among the living. During Imhotep's life (before being a mummy), he was an acient Egyptian pharaoh.

All is well between the mummy and Lillian until her father, the professor, intervenes and tries to end the romance. The couple decides to run away together but plans are also made more complicated when the mummy's dasterdly father also intervenes. And in an attempt to escape from their parents, Lillian accidently poisons two police officers and is imprisoned. Without giving away the rest of the story, I will just mention that the adventures of Imhotep and Lillian are full of surprises. Also, the drawings in this graphic novel are stunning and well worth the read. Recommended for grades 6 and up.

The Election: Stay Informed

Are you following the 2008 presidential election? Even if you're not old enough to vote, you can still keep informed about the presidential candidates and the issues they stand for. The Royal Oak Public Library has some great books on the candidates that you should read!

John McCain has several biographies, and his most recent is Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir. Barack Obama also has written a few books, and my personal favorite is Dreams from my Father.

Not wanting to sift through a long book just to get the information? For a quick and dirty guide to getting to know the candidates, check out FactCheck, a non-partisan website that monitors and reports on the accuracy of statements by major U.S. political players.You can also visit McCain and Obama's official sites to get information on issues, and even find out ways to volunteer. Also, the final presidential debate will be on TV tomorrow night (Wednesday, October 15) at 9pm.

Readergirlz Presents Night Bites for Teen Read Week

To celebrate Teen Read Week, Readergirlz will host dozens of authors to chat with readers! This week-long special event, called Night Bites, will be held in celebration of YALSA's (Young Adult Library Services Association) Teen Reed Week from October 13th-17th, 2008. Chats will start at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST each weeknight.

Here's the complete author chat lineup:

- Monday, Oct. 13: Multicultural Bites with authors Coe Booth (TYRELL), An Na (THE FOLD), and rgz diva Mitali Perkins (SECRET KEEPER)
- Tuesday, Oct. 14: Verse Bites with rgz diva Lorie Ann Grover (ON POINTE), Stephanie Hemphill (YOUR OWN SYLVIA), and Lisa Ann Sandell (SONG OF THE SPARROW)
- Wednesday, Oct. 15: Contemporary Bites with Ally Carter (CROSS MY HEART AND HOPE TO SPY), rgz diva Justina Chen Headley (NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL), and Maureen Johnson (SUITE SCARLETT)
- Thursday, Oct. 16: Fantasy Bites with Holly Black and Ted Naifeh (THE GOOD NEIGHBORS), rgz diva Dia Calhoun (AVIELLE OF RHIA), and Tamora Pierce (MELTING STONES)
- Friday, Oct. 17: Gothic Bites with Holly Cupala (A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT), Christopher Golden (SOULLESS), Annette Curtis Klause (BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE), and Mari Mancusi (BOYS THAT BITE).

Vote for Your Favorite Book!

What was your favorite YA book this past year? The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) wants to know. Visit YALSA's website and view the nominees for the top ten best books, where you can vote for your favorite during Teen Read Week (Oct. 12-18). Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year! Nominators are members of teen book groups in fifteen school and public libraries around the country. The nominees are listed below:

Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Betrayed by Kristin and P.C. Cast
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
Glass by Ellen Hopkins
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale by Holly Black
Jinx by Meg Cabot
Luxe by Anna Godberson
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
Tamar by Mal Peet
Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Genesis Alpha by Runes Michaels
Penelope by Marilyn Kaye
Saving Zoe by Alyson Zoe

It's Teen Read Week!

From now until October 16, celebrate Teen Read Week at the Royal Oak Public Library! On Monday, October 13 from 4-5pm, we will be having a Manga Drawing Workshop. Come learn how to draw the basics of your favorite manga characters, and learn how to create your own! You can register here.

Also, don't forget that the Teen Reading Challenge ends on Thursday October 16! Fill out a form telling about each book that you've read since September 24, and if all the teens collectively read 125 books by Oct 16, ROPL employee Eric Hayes will shave his head, just like Britney Spears. :)

Our Teen Reads Week finale also happens on October 16. At 6:30pm, join us for an intro cooking class, where we'll be making smoothies, bagel pizzas, and more! You can register for this fabulous event here.

Give a Boy a Gun - Featured Title

Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser - It seems as though every time you pick up the paper or turn on the news, you hear about another school shooting that happened in this country. This book is a fictional attempt to show the dark underbelly of school violence, using the voices and viewpoints of teachers, parents, friends, students, and the shooters.

High school sophomores Brendan Lawler and Gary Searle have been picked on since the first day of high school. The popular crowd, especially the football players, seem to get enjoyment out of emotionally and physically hurting these boys. The harrassment they receive breaks the boys, and on the night of a school dance Brendan and Gary storm into the school gym, armed with guns and explosives. Reading this story will have you thinking: was there something that could have been done to stop them? How can Americans prevent this type of tragedy from happening again?

At times, this book was extremely hard to read and difficult to finish. Strasser doesn't try to water down the violence and menace in this story, and readers should be aware of this before picking up this book. Even so, this book is an important read for parents and teachers who want to know more about bullying and school violence. Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Teen Video Games, TONIGHT @ 6:30pm

Come play video games, hang out with friends, and meet new ones. Try your hand at our brand new Wii, play Rock Band, and more! Event runs from 6:30-8:30pm; registration is requested.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Featured Title

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson - I tried to read a book that wasn't about death or dying, and what do I find? That although this book is different than the ones I've been reading lately, the sci-fi theme of death still applies in this thriller.

Jenna Fox is a teen who wakes up from a coma and remembers nothing. Something doesn't feel right. Jenna doesn't recognize her parents and has no memories of her past life prior to the coma. And as Jenna's memories start to return, something in the back of her mind urges her to be careful. Are these people really her parents? And why did they move her from Boston to a small town in California where she doesn't know anyone? Although Jenna can remember the details of the French Revolution, she can't remember if she has a best friend.

This creepy sci-fi thriller will have the hairs on your neck standing up. It was hard for me to get a sense of the setting, but certain details (such as the nomination of the second female president) gives the reader a sense that this book takes place in the future. Jenna Fox's character is believable but sometimes a bit too compliant with her parents. Overall, a great read that is recommended for grades 6 and up.

Generation Dead - Featured Title

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters - Yep, like I said, I'm still in a ghost/zombie kind of mood, and so the books I've been reviewing have reflected that. This book has been flying off our shelves and into the hands of eager Metro-Detroit teens. It's fair to say that most things goth or dealing with death will be a hit with teens, but this book is also worthwhile because the plot is well-written, and the ending was only obvious within the last 10 pages or so.

Phoebe is a Goth girl at school, and has been one since before dead teens starting come out of their graves. The mysterious phenomenon only occurs in the United States, and some officials wonder whether a diet high in fast food is to blame. The sight of teen "zombies" frightens so many people that there becomes a backlash against those known in politically correct term as "differently biotic".

Though most of the DB teens are slow to master basic skills and even to formulate sentences, one teen named Tommy is different than the rest. He operates at an almost normal rate of living teens (known as "trads"), and even goes out for the football team in an attempt to be accepted. Tommy's struggle against the biases of others intrigues Phoebe, who starts to fall for him. Phoebe's interest in a living zombie causes ripples of panic among other teens, including meathead Pete and her best friend Adam, who has a monstrous crush on her unbenowest to her.

I really liked this book because the implicit lesson in this story is about accepting others and embracing differences. Though that's not to say the entertainment value was any less important. Though the cover of a dead cheerleader looks like it might cater to only teenage girls, the author does a great job of covering sports and the viewpoints of its male characters to keep teenage boys interested as well. Recommended for grades 7 and up.

A Certain Slant of Light - Featured Title

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb - I don't know what it is, but lately I've been on a zombie/ghost kick like none other. This book features two ghosts and was right up my alley. In this story, Helen is a ghost who has clung to different hosts for the past 130 years. No one can see her and though her hosts are unaware of her presence, Helen is content with spending her days observing others and reading. Her current host, Mr. Brown, is a high-school English teacher. One day while in Mr. Brown's, a boy notices her. The lives of Helen and James (known in physical form as "Billy") chronicle the intensity of first love, and they must face the consequences of inhabiting the bodies of others.

This book is decidedly grown-up, and the author makes no apologies for the appearance of adult themes within a book marketed for teens. That being said, the book really resonated with me and I found it hard to stop listening to the audiobook version. This is also a good haunting book to read to get in the mood for Halloween! Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Banned Books Week

Celebrate Banned Books week by reading a few of the top ten challenged books of 2007. You can also watch author John Green talk about his views on banned books:

Teen Movie Night: "Prom Night" at 6:30pm

TONIGHT at 6:30pm!
It's October, and Halloween is on the horizon. Get in the haunting mood with Prom Night, a suspenseful thriller starring Brittany Snow. Having survived a horrible tragedy Donna hoped that her senior prom would be the best night of her life. Surrounded by her best friends, she should be safe from the horrors of her past but when the night turns from magic to murder there is only one man who could be responsible. Donna and her friends must find a way to escape the rampage of an obsessed killer.

Please register on our website, or in person -- see you there!

So You Wanna...

What would you like to learn how to do? Make french toast? Learn how to be a CIA agent? Study Tae Kwon Do? Ace a job interview? Become a member of the paparazzi? Whether it be any of these things or something completely different, the 'So You Wanna' duck can help you out. This website gives you the steps needed to find the cheapest airfare or how to find video game cheats.