Happy Thanksgiving!

For the Thanksgiving holiday, the Anderson Public Library will be closed Thursday, November 23rd. We will re-open Friday, November 24th at 9:00AM. Have a good holiday!!

Booktalks at East Side!

Huge thanks to Mr. Miller at East Side Middle School for inviting me to meet and talk with his sixth graders. (And thanks again for lunch!) Here's a list of the books I spoke about:

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements

The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier

Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper

Rash by Pete Hautman

Born to Rock by Gordon Korman

Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

And a special note to Zack: I did not find anything definitive about the number of dogs on a sled team, but it is not unusual to have an odd number.

Thanks again for the invite--I look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Teen Top Ten Announced!

Teen readers across the country voted “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” by J.K. Rowling as their favorite book to take the #1 spot on the annual Teens’ Top Ten. The vote took place during Teen Read Week, October 15-21, 2006, and gave teens an opportunity to voice their choice of the best new young adult books.

The rest of the story (ranked in order):

2. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

3. Eldest by Christopher Paolini

4. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

5. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

6. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

7. Poison by Chris Wooding

8. Captain Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth by J.V. Hart

9. If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My Prince? by Melissa Kantor

10. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Interested in being a part of the Teens' Top Ten? Final nominations for the 2007 Teens’ Top Ten vote will be posted in April at www.ala.org/teenstopten. Voting will take place during Teen Read Week October 14-20, 2007. Get reading!

Don't Forget!

Thursday, November 2nd, we will be showing the animated film, Monster House! This movie runs 91 minutes and is rated PG. Make sure you join us for an evening of frightening fun!

The Beast from the East...

...Side Middle School, that is. Big thanks go out to Mrs. Kennedy for inviting me to chat with her eighth graders who were entertaining as well as spirited. Props go to the fourth period class for knowing the absolute MOST about the Holocaust--you guys are gonna rock next semester! Here's a list of the books I brought:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

Rash by Pete Hautman

Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg

Born to Rock by Gordon Korman

And some books I talked about but didn't bring:

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Thanks again for the visit! Hope to see you all soon!

Calling All Sisters!

For all of you who devoured Ann Brashares' The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, good news is on the way! A fourth title to the series is coming soon...but you could win an advance copy before the rest of the world! Register at Sisterhood Central by November 19th and you could win a copy of Forever in Blue, the last book in this touching series. Good luck...and if you don't win, check back at our library in January 2007.

Pop Quiz!

Would you rather read a novel than watch some re-run on TV? Would you rather eat dirt than be forced to read more than a magazine? Take this quiz and let us know what you think! SmartGirl and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) are dying to hear from you. While you're at it, check out the YALSA website and vote for the 2007 Teen Read Week Theme.

Wanna take a trip?

The American Library Association is offering a fabulous trip to Washington, D.C. for one lucky finalist in the National Library Legislative Day 2007 Student Contest! You could win round-trip airfare and two nights of accomodations in Washington, D.C. if your design is chosen. Check out the link for more information. But hurry--the contest ends October 29th!

Home Sweet Home

Do you find yourself constantly redecorating your room at home? Do you enjoy sketching your very own dream room or house? Then this website is for you! Architect Studio 3D gives young adults a chance to design their own house with Frank Lloyd Wright. Want to find out more? Check out our huge collection on designing fabulous living spaces!

Books for booktalks

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper

Tangerine by Edward Bloor

The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier

Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser

Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

More booktalks!!

Here's a list of some of the titles I've covered in the past few days...enjoy!


Code Orange by Caroline Cooney

The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier

Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Mr. Was by Pete Hautman--don't forget, he'll be here Thursday, October 12th for the 2006 Teen READ 'N' FEED!

Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konigsburg

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

Happy Reading!! Hope to see many of you at the Teen Advisory Board meeting Tuesday, September 26th at 3:30 in the Carnegie Room (third floor)!

Attention all "American Idol" fans!!

Mark your calendars and dust off your song sheets! It's time, once again, for Teen Open Mic Night at the Anderson Public Library. This is our own special version of American Idol! The show starts at 6:30PM tomorrow, September 12th in the Delaware Room. Come early to mix and mingle with other teen talents. Questions? Call 641.2456 for more information. See you then!

Thank you, Mrs. Freeman!

Just wanted to thank all of Mrs. Freeman's sixth graders. You all asked some great questions and had interesting stories...I hope to see a lot of you at all the upcoming Library programs. And thanks again to Mrs. Freeman for inviting me! The books I talked about today include:

Tangerine by Edward Bloor

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements

Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Mr. Was by Pete Hautman

Thanks so much for being a great audience--I'll see some of you next Wednesday!

Just a quick reminder!

The Anderson Public Library will be closed on Monday, September 4th, for Labor Day. We will re-open Tuesday, September 5th at 9:00AM (as usual.) Don't worry--you can still browse the catalog and virtually explore the library online!

Who's Popular?

Meg Cabot, that's who! This amazing author who brought you The Princess Diaries is at it again with her new title, How to Be Popular. And you could win a free signed copy!! Click here to find out how! But hurry--the contest ends September 12th!

Get "Sharp" for School!

I don't know about you, but I adore Sharpie markers...now, there's even more of a reason to love them! Sharpie Markers is giving away ten $10,000 scholarships!! Check it out and leave your mark!

Top 10 Mistakes Freshmen Make

For all of you getting packed and ready for college, here are the Top 10 Mistakes that Freshmen Make (according to The Indianapolis Star):

1. Assuming college is an extension of high school
2. Being overly ambitious
3. Saving $$ by not buying the books
4. Ignoring e-mails
5. Working too much
6. Looking for help in all the wrong places
7. Thinking the professor is a god
8. Over-socializing
9. Under-socializing
10. Choosing the wrong career path

For more information, call us at 641.2456 for college prep materials! Good Luck!

You're Invited!

You've spent all summer reading until you thought your sweaty eyes would bug out. You've tracked your time and marked it dilligently on your All-Access Pass. You've attended programs and recruited your friends to the Program. Now it's time to celebrate! Join us Friday, August 4th at 6:00PM as we open the doors of the Anderson Public Library for TEENS ONLY! The Library will be closed to the public--but not for you! You must be wearing your third level prize tee shirt to gain entry to this after-hours bash--NO EXCEPTIONS. This means that you, and only you, can be your guest to our party--no bff's, no moms, no dads, no younger siblings--just you! We will be having a movie, games, prizes (just for coming!!) and more! Please call 641.2456 to register...don't forget, you could actually go home with this!

150 years of fun!

It's almost time for the 150th Great Indiana State Fair! Not only are there giant pumpkins, farm animals, elephant ears and lemon shake-ups, but this year, Rascal Flatts, Kanye West and Kid Rock are planning to perform! Check out the website for more details. The Fair runs from August 9th to the 20th...have fun!

Get Crafty!

Still don't have much to do with what remains of your summer? Let the D.I.Y. (Do-It-Yourself) Network help. Here, you'll find all kinds of creative ideas for crafts and boredom busting activities. Not quite your speed? Then check out Alternacrafts by Jessica Vitkus--this original craft book empasizes recycling and originality. This is not your grandma's craft book!