Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh System-Wide Video Game Tournament : featuring Rock Band (Wii)

Rock Band (wii)

Think you and your friends have what it takes to win Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Battle of the Bands?  Prove it!

Starting this Friday, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is hosting its first ever Teen System-Wide Video Game Tournament!  Sign up for one of our Semi-Finals for your chance to compete in the Finals and win great prizes.  The tournament starts this Friday at CLP – Main, Teen, so sign up now!

Form a band of three (guitar, drums and vocals), score the highest point total in Rock Band for the Nintendo Wii and rock your way to the championship round!

Semi-Finals (winners at each location will receive three $10 Target gift cards.)

Friday, July 10 @ 1PM
CLP – Main, Teen ∙ 4400 Forbes Avenue (Oakland), 412-622-3121 (sign-up)

Saturday, July 11 @ 1PM
CLP – Homewood ∙ 7101 Hamilton Avenue, 412-731-3080 (sign-up)

Friday, July 17 @ 1PM
CLP – Sheraden∙ 720 Sherwood Avenue, 412-331-1135 (sign-up)

Saturday, July 18 @ 1PM
CLP – Southside ∙ 2205 East Carson Street, 412-431-0505 (sign-up)

Final Showdown: The band with the highest total score at the end of the championship round willreceive three $50 GameStop gift cards and the title of regional Rock Band Champion!

Friday, July 24 @ 1PM
CLP – Main, Teen ∙ 4400 Forbes Avenue (Oakland)

If you don’t have a full band feel free to sign up!  We’ll try to match you with other gamers on the day of the tournament! 

Remember to come up with a killer band name!

CLP – Main, Teen
corey w.

Road Trip Tales

Nothing says summer like a road trip. Even if you can’t manage to take a trip of your own this summer, get a taste of adventure with these books:

In Search of Mockingbird by Loretta Ellsworth

Who? Erin, is a sixteen-year-old writer whose mother died when she was a baby. The only connection she has to her mother is her much-loved copy of To Kill a Mockingbird and the diary she kept when she as sixteen.

Where? From Minnesota to  Monroeville, Alabama, the hometown of author Harper Lee.

Why? Erin’s mother wrote to Harper Lee when she was sixteen, asking how to know if you have what it takes to be a great writer. Harper Lee never replied, and Erin intends to find out why.

 

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Who? Colin, a washed-up former child prodigy who was just dumped by his latest girlfriend (named Katherine, just like all the others), and his best friend Hassan.

Where? They don’t really have a plan, but they end up in the small town of Gutshot, Tennessee.

Why? To get Colin out of his post-breakup funk. In the meantime, Colin is working on his magnum opus—a mathematical theorem of love.

 

Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen

Who? Sam, who struggles with Tourette’s Syndrome and was recently kicked out of his home by his stepfather, and Naomi, the girl who is messing with his heart.

Where? From rural Wisconsin to California.

Why? Sam wants to escape from the mess at home by going out west, but instead the journey is helping him to discover who he is and maybe even help him to find some answers about his dead father.

 

Two* Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Who? Jordan and Courtney, totally in love, got in to the same college so they could be together. The problem is, Jordan just inexplicable broke up with Courtney, but it is too late to call the trip off.

Where? They are going cross-country.

Why? At the end of their trip lies college orientation, but before they get there Jordan may reveal some of the secrets that are haunting him—why they broke up, why they can’t get back together, and why they are destined for each other.

 

Zigzag by Ellen Wittlinger

Who? Seventeen-year-old Robin, her aunt, and two younger (and troubled) cousins.

Where? From Iowa to California

Why? Robin’s “perfect” boyfriend Chris just left for summer school in Rome, her mother has started dating again, and her aunt has been recently widowed and needs company. Why not go on a road trip? How hard could it be?

 

The After Life: A Novel by Daniel Ehrenhaft

Who? Nineteen-year-old Will Shepherd, who met his father exactly once, and that was the day before he died.

Where? From Florida to New York.

Why? A clause in his father’s will states that he must drive his two half-siblings, Liz and Kyle, back to New York after the funeral. Never mind that Will didn’t even know they existed until…now.

 

My Road Trip to the Pretty Girl Capital of the World by Brian Yansky

Who? Simon, an angry and misunderstood high school student.

Where? From a small Iowa town to Texas, and back again.

Why? Simon is hoping to find his birthparents, who his adoptive parents refuse to talk about. The down-on-their luck drifters, the pretty girl named  Charley, and the Elvis impersonator that he picks up on the way are just bonuses.

 

Suckerpunch by David Hernandez

Who? Danger-loving Marcus, his brother, and his brother’s girlfriend.

Where? To San Francisco.

Why? Marcus and his brother want to confront their estranged father, who abused them terribly. Their mother is thinking of letting him back into their lives, but Marcus is NOT going to let that happen.

 

Crash Into Me by Albert Borris (available 7/09)

Who? Four teens who met on the internet after they all attempted suicide and failed.

Where? They want to visit famous sites of celebrity suicides.

Why? At the end of the trip, they plan on taking their own lives…unless the journey makes them want to stay.

 

 

 

 

~Eva, CLP-Knoxville

Video Games Live @ The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra!

When it comes to your favorite video games, you might never think to listen to them. You might think to keep your ears open for sound effects, but in most cases you probably aren’t paying any attention to the great music that has gone into video games for over two decades.

Recently, I found out that the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh is putting on a special concert called Video Games Live!, a multimedia recreation of the best video game music throughout history. They’re showcasing themes from Zelda to Halo with exclusive video footage, synchronized lighting, live action and unique audience-interactive segments to create something very cool for any video game music lover. They’re even having a pre-show festival featuring game demos, costume contests, and more surprises!

The concert is at Heinz Hall on July 11th & 12th. To show their appreciation for library teens (as well as your friends & family), they’ve offered us an exclusive $5 discount code on tickets. Use code 13364 to receive your $5/ticket discount. You can order today at the Heinz Hall Box Office (Downtown on corner of 6th & Penn), by calling 412-392-4900, or by visiting www.pittsburghsymphony.org .

One of the things I like especially about video game music is that, like film scores, it affects you without you ever paying attention. Have you ever been playing a game and felt your blood pumping but weren’t sure why? It’s probably because the soundtrack to the game you were playing was really driving and energetic. Video game music, for the same reason it’s cool, is also really adaptable to exciting live performances.

How to Get Out of a Reading Slump

I’ve been in a liteary ennui.  It was a linguistic pit of despair, really. 

From time to time, I get can’t find any books that I find worth reading the whole way through.  When I find myself in a reading slump, I don’t panic so much.   I take a break and then try to read something new – a book about a place I don’t know much about, a genre I haven’t spent time with in a while.  I bounce around, read a few pages in this book, 50 pages in that book, until I find something that sticks.

 

Here are some hot  summer books that have helped/will help me turn the slump upside down.

 Vacations from Hell by Libba Bray

Vacations with the family can be irriating, but when various curses and witches show up, it gets even worse.  This collection of short stories from YA authors like Libba Bray and Maureen Johnson has something for every mood, from deep and dark to light and airy.

 

 

The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd (This is one of the greatest titles ever, IMHO.)

 Dale’s spending his last summer before college with a boyfriend who’s so far in the closet that he has his own girlfriend, and parents who hate each other.  There was no way he can coast through the summer anyway, and his chances get even worse when Alex Kincaid shows up.

 

Dull Boy by Sarah Cross

Dull Boy has powers he can’t control.  Which is a problem when it is very important to hide your powers.  Avery, with the help of friends with similar issues, tries to figure out Cherchette, who seems to have it the most under control.  Funny and action packed, this is a good book for comic fans.

 

 Litte Brother by Cory Doctorow

I am finally reading this book because I finally saw it on the shelf!  It’s been checked out of the library non-stop for a year.  It was worth the wait.  Imagine a not-too-future society where your every single move, online or in real life, is tracked by the government.  Now imagine you are smart enough to go off radar.

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Amy’s best friend Julia is dead.  She just got out of rehab.  Everyone at school hates her.   Her parent’s are pretending to know she exists.  She won’t let herself drink, because drinking was the last thing she did before Julia died.

 

 

 

The Good News, the Bad News, and what YOU can do to save the Library

The Good News:

- The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) has 2 million visitors annually. That is a record breaking 6,000 visitors every day!

The Bad News:

- The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) does not have the money to keep up with its growing number of programs and patrons.

The Point is: Your CLP Library needs your help!!!

 

What YOU can do:

• Know the facts:

- Andrew Carnegie DID NOT endow the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

This means: The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is not guaranteed a certain amount of money each year . Instead, the library depends on sales tax (71.8%), state funding (20.5%), income (4.3%), fundraising (3.2%) and the City of Pittsburgh (0.2%).

The problem is: More people than ever are using library resources (which is great!), but the library’s sources of funding are all expected to decrease or remain constant.

- For more information visit the Libraries for Life website and , of course, your local library.

• Tell people about what the library means to you:

Contact your local, state, or national representative: Politicians take your opinions very seriously (despite what you may think). A letter from one teen represents the views of many of their friends and future voters. So get a pen and paper and just do it!

Talk to your friends, family, neighbors, and anyone else that you know : A lot of people who use and care about the CLP libraries don’t even know that the libraries are struggling, but now that you do you can tell them that their library needs their help now more than ever.

Start a library advocacy campaign: One person can make a difference! Ask your local librarian about starting a letter writing campaign, postering, making a movie, or any other idea that you may have about advocating for the library. Don’t be shy. Librarians love the library too, and they would love to help.

• Come to the Town Hall Meetings:

Town Hall meetings are: opportunities for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to ask YOU (the public) for your recommendations and continued support for the library. Make a list or think about how the library could improve its services or how you could help the library out.

Teens are welcome: Please don’t think that the meetings are only for “old” people. Teenagers are smart and innovative (often more so than adults), and your opinions MATTER: It is important that they are taken into consideration when decision are made. Please come, and bring your friends!

What you need to know:

- Times/Locations:

• Thursday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m. -> CLP – Main; Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Avenue
• Saturday, July 18, at 10 a.m.  -> Carrick High School; Auditorium, 125 Parkfield Street
• Tuesday, July 21 at 7:00 p.m. ->CCAC-Allegheny Campus; SSC Auditorium, 808 Ridge Avenue

- Each meeting is 90 minutes long and will include a brief presentation and opportunities for you to speak up!

- Your recommendations will be submitted to the Board of Trustees and will be considered for the 2010 Budget.

See you there!

Thank you!

Summer Introspection

All those hot days by the pool or the beach make summer a great time for pondering who you are, what you do, and why you do it. What mistakes did you make during the year that you don’t want to repeat? What did you do that turned out better than you ever dreamed it could?

You know, a journal can be as simple as something you write with a pen and a notebook, or it can stand alone as a work of art. Many famous artists, writers, and inventors kept journals that inspired and informed their master works. Someday people all over the world might want to read your journal, so it can’t hurt to make it look great! Check out these books for some art journaling tips and techniques:

 

Sara Dora CLP-Hazelwood

Stories that Never Get Old: Children’s Books for All Ages

Did I ever tell you how much I love my job? Well, I love my job! Every morning, I get to settle down into my comfy office chair and read the book reviews that you wonderful people have posted for Teen Summer Reading (Quick digression: If you haven’t signed up for TSR yet, you should. I mean, right NOW. You’re already online so just go to carnegielibrary.org/summer and do it!)

The other day as I was clicking through the reviews, I saw that Sema had read the Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery, and I was so excited. I love that book! I would give you a little spiel about its greatness, but she did it so well that I am just going to let her do the honors.

Here is what Sema (13) had to say:

“I first picked up this book because a friend told me how good it was. Flipping through the first pages of The Little Prince, however were quite discouraging. For it seemed that this book was only a children’s book. But to my extreme pleasure the book provided to be an excellent read! Full of mystery, adventure and above all; lessons for life. I ended the short 100-some page book with a tear in my eye, only a few hours after I started it. It’s an amazing book, definitely not JUST for kids, and I highly recommend it. “

Thank you Sema and everyone else who has been reading and writing reviews! Keep them coming: You people are AWESOME!

Sema’s review got me thinking about all the great books that teens choose not to read because they are so called “Children’s Books.” It’s a shame really. I hope that you will not let a book’s label keep you from reading some of the funniest and most touching stories ever. The following is a list of some of my favorite Children’s (but really for everyone) Books.

Enjoy!

• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

In the future, the Earth is under attack by an alien race known as the “buggers.” Andrew “Ender” Wiggin is sent to Battle School to train for the inevitable war – His commanders think that he is “the one”- the one who will save mankind-but what does Ender think?

 

• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl, boy genius, doesn’t want to save the world. He just wants gold and lots of it, but he will have to outsmart LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaisance) officer and fairy, Holly Short, to get it.

 

 

• The Dark is Rising (Book 2 in The Dark is Rising Series) by Susan Cooper

Will Stanton is the last of the Old Ones, warriors of the Light who are sworn to fight back the forces of the Dark. In order to stop the rise of the Dark, Will must find the six medallions before the black-cloaked Rider finds him.

 

 

• Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

Author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, Roald Dahl tells the story of his own childhood in England.

 

 

 

• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

It is hard growing up, and Ponyboy has enough to figure out without a murder on his hands.

 

 

 

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Meg and Charles Wallaces’ father was working on a secret government project when he disappeared. Now it is up to Meg, Charles, and their friend Calvin to travel through the tesseracts, or wrinkles in time, and rescue their father.

 

 

• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Ella is cursed with the gift of obedience, but she manages to defy her step-mother, finishing school, and even ogres on her way to happily ever after. The most charming retelling of Cinderella to date.

 

 

• The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (Book 2 in The Chronicles of Narnia) by C.S. Lewis

The four Pevensie children find their way through an old wardrobe to the magical land of Narnia. There they must help the lion, Aslan, to defeat the White Witch who has condemned Narnia to eternal winter.

 

• The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Aerin, the daughter of a northern witch woman, feels like an outsider in her father’s court. However, when she discovers the secret to killing dragons, she can no longer hide from her destiny.

 

 

• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

In her small Puritan community, Kit sticks out like a topical bird trapped in a flock of sparrows, and after she befriends Hannah, the old woman who lives by Blackbird Pond, her neighbors begin to wonder, is Kit a witch as well?

 

• The Little Prince by Antoine de St. Exupery

Stranded in the Sahara Desert after experiencing engine failure, a French aviator comes across an odd yellow-haired boy, the Little Prince, who tells him the strange but beautiful story of how he has travelled across the universe looking for a friend.

What Does Your Face Say to the World?

Back in March, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – East Liberty sponsored a creative writing contest to encourage teens to express what their face says to the world.  The prize was lunch with Sharon Flake, Pittsburgh resident and author of The Skin I’m In, Money Hungry, Begging for Change, Bang! and other great books for children and teens.

The winner was announced and the prize was awarded in May. This photo was taken at Tana’s Ethiopian Cuisine, where Gerard Doswell-Hardrick, author of the winning poem, shared a lunch with Ms. Flake; Gwen Moulton, Teen Specialist at CLP – East Liberty; his sister Josie, and their father.  Gerard’s poem is below.

-Karen

_____________________________________________________________

What Does My Face Say to the World?

That look,
That special, happy, funny look I always have on my face.
I’m a very silly person.
People think.

Do they know who I am?

Do they know what is inside?

They must not, but it’s ok.
I know, I know what’s inside.

The truth…
only the deepest, most painful truth there is.
The only thing people say to get away from trouble.
When they think they’ve escaped it…
they just only make it worse.

Do you know now what my face says to the world?

Well, don’t judge a book by its cover.

My face is a lie.

Gerard Doswell-Hardrick
8^th grade
Pittsburgh Montessori

Lookin’ for something to do? Grab a blanket, some snacks, and watch a movie under the stars!

Pittsburgh Parks and Recreation are, once again, showing movies in city parks this summer. Schenley Park in Oakland, Arsenal Park in Lawrenceville, Brookline Memorial Park, East Liberty, Mt. Washington’s Grandview Park, Observatory Hill’s Riverview Park, and the Elliot Overlook in West End are all sites for this great free program. Just a few of the featured titles are Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Slumdog Millionaire, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and The Dark Knight. Call 412.937.3039 or go to their site for more information.  After seeing the movie, you may be inspired to make your own film; check out Digital Filmmaking for Teens to get started!

Woo…No more high school!!!!! umm…What do I do now?”

Hello! I don’t believe we’ve met. My name is Lily, and it is a pleasure to meet you. I’m new to the CLPTeensburgh blog (this is my very first post, YAY!) so please allow me to introduce myself. I am student at Stanford University, and this summer I am an intern at the Carnegie Library in Oakland. Hopefully, you will be hearing from me at least once a week, and I look forward to hearing from you too. So without further ado…

To all the recent high school graduates out there… Congratulations! I know (and you know) how hard you have worked to get to this moment. Now, you are going out into the world: to college, to take a year off, to work, to wherever your dreams take you, and I am sure that you are ready. However, just in case you have a little extra room in your suitcase, here are some of my thoughts about the summer after high school.

1. On Life after High School

Please humor me for a minute while I reminisce. At this time last year, I was at home, laying out in the sun on the back porch, talking to my friends, and enjoying the feeling of being free from homework, finals, college apps., not to mentions the SATs and the APs and the PSSAs and all the other acronyms that had made high school a little less pleasant. I could not believe that I was done with all of that. FOREVER!!! (hysterical laughter ensues). However, those test and procedures had given structure to my life, and with no more practice tests to eat up my day, I was just a little bit lost as to what to do with my life.

In case you find yourself in a similar rut, here are some ideas of what to do during the summer months:

• Apply for scholarships: College is pricey, and even if you have great financial aid, a little extra money won’t hurt you (in fact, sometimes the essay/artwork/movie is really fun!). In the search for scholarships, here are some helpful guides: Scholarships 101 (book) , The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2009, The Scholarship & Financial Aid Solution (book) , Fast Web (website), and your high school/college financial aid offices. Often, all you need to do is keep your eyes open, and if you see a scholarship/contest that catches your fancy, APPLY (only good can come out of it (plus with some of the more obscure scholarships/contests your changes are good, really good)). Finally, please remember that your local librarians would be happy to help you out!
• Volunteer/Get a Job I am more than a little in love with the library, so whenever I have looked for a volunteer position or job, I have always looked at the library first. Even if you are not quite so enamored with the whole library thing, your job search can start here too. The new CLP website has a wonderful page on volunteer/job opportunities in the area. Your family, friends, and neighbors are also great resources so don’t be shy about asking around. Try to find something that you enjoy. Even if you know that chasing after 10 yr. olds or making friends with a copy machine is not your life’s calling, something about the work should make you smile.
• Plan Ahead If you are all set for the summer with a job, nights out on the town, pool side naps, etc., this might not be a bad time to start thinking about a job or volunteer position during your first year at college. This is by no means necessary: Plenty of people find jobs once they get to school or choose to focus on academics their freshman year. If you are interested or just bored, your college will probably have a career center of sorts so go ahead and take a look at your college’s website.
• Just have fun I know that sometimes there is a lot of pressure to do something that will look good on an application, but there is nothing wrong with doing something that is just for you. Afterall, what is the point of a jam packed resume if you are not happy and having fun? So…hang out with your friends, climb a tree, go shopping, go swimmming, bake something, what ever you want!

2. On Summer Reading (for school)

It might be long, it might not be your cup of tea, it might be completely and totally incomprehensible, but then again it might not be. Give it a shot. Even if you don’t like it, at least, it will give you something to talk about with your other friends who also have summer reading to do.

Side note: I personally believe that schools want their students to enjoy their summer reading so chances are that your summer reading won’t be bad at all.

3. On Summer Reading (for fun-includes #2)

Just do it. READ!!! It’s fun. It’s easy. And at the library, it’s free. If you are looking for a good read, here are some of my favorites: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (I know it’s a children’s book, but I still read it at least once a year. It’s that good.) , In the Woods by Tina French (hidden identities, mistaken identities, a all around great mystery and more), and A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold (advertised as a comedy of biology and manners – it’s really funny. I promise.)

CLP also has a new teen website with many many book lists for you to pursue at your leisure. There are also links to fun activities, job/volunteer opportunities, and more. Check it out!

Happy Summer!