It has been a long wait, but The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movie is finally being released next weekend. The Hobbit has always been one of my favorite books and I loved the LOTR movies by Peter Jackson. I already checked out our copy of the book to read next week before I see the movie. If you are looking for things to do before the movie is released, the Carnegie Library has a TON of options for you!
You don’t need to be made of solid muscle to play our version of the MTV show, Silent Library, and we promise not to try to make you vomit. We will try to make you laugh, though!
When your friends are being humiliated with zany challenges, do you have the strength to just stand and watch? For example…have you ever seen someone make a sandwich using only their feet? Just like the popular MTV show, if you can stay silent while your friends are going berserk, we will give you prizes!
By now, we hope you know that we don’t usually give you the (shh) finger…but come on by for Silent Library, and we’ll make exceptions to that rule.
Want to play, but would rather see someone else humiliated than do it yourself? Check out one of these books!
Schadenfreude, Baby! : a delicious look at the misfortunes of others (and the pleasures it brings us), by Laura Lee.
Why does it feel so good to see others feel so bad? Take a moment away from your own troubles to dig into the troubles of others. Right or wrong, you just might feel better.
Dennis was captain of the Debate Team. Beth Cooper was the head cheerleader. And until Dennis gave a totally unique graduation speech that went something like, “I love you, Beth Cooper!” neither she, nor her beefy Army boyfriend knew or cared who Dennis was.
If you’ve ever read one of your own diaries from years gone by only to be filled with the sudden urge to light a match, buy a paper shredder, or move far far away, consider reading someone else’s loot, instead. If you’re extra nosy, there’s more like it here and here.
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I grew up in a tiny town in the corn belt where the first kid to ride his tractor to school was not the last. We swam in ponds as often as in pools. The super-spacious Midwestern sprawl and lack of public transport meant that, once I learned to drive, I usually got where I was going with the windows down at…um…a totally legal and safe speed.
That car now is scrap metal, and as summeractivities go, Pittsburgh beats the flatlands with no contest! But gorgeous summer afternoons, grilling with friends, cinema in the park and someof the most ridiculous jams from the 90′s have the power to send me back to my neighborhood with force. These books do the same, and it’s kinda nice!
The Oxford Project by Peter Feldstein and Stephen G. Bloom
In 1984, the author set out to photograph everyone in his hometown of Oxford, Iowa, instructing them to “come as you are.” Twenty years later, Feldstein hunted down the same people who had stood in front of his lens the first go-around and published the photographs side-by-side. Each set of photos comes with a brief interview of the participant, and they range from downright wacky to mundane. I’ve never thought of small town life as stunning, but this series of portraits absolutely changed my mind.
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Rotters by Daniel Kraus
Joey was 16 when his mother tragically died and he was shipped from Chicago to rural Iowa to live with a father he barely knew. Living with a near-stranger is hard, but finding out the stink in your shack comes from the graves your dad is robbing? Arguably worse. This takes the small (and big) town mantra “nothing ever HAPPENS around here!” and runs it through the wringer. This book is not for the weak of stomach, but if you enjoy a thoughtfully dark read, you will get what you came for with Rotters.
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Need to get out of the city – if only for a little while? Check out some of these other awesome reads with rural settings.
I love to read and discuss books- that’s why I became a librarian! Strangely though, I’ve always been reluctant to join a book club. I find that the hardest part about committing to one is being required to read a specific book- the same one as everyone else! Maybe I have a problem with authority, but I just don’t like being told what to read and I bet you don’t either. That’s why I’ve started a different kind of book club. The days of having to read the same title as everyone else in order to participate are over, my friends! CLP Main- Teen is modeling a new kind of book club for teens. Here’s how it works:
Every month the discussion will focus on a different theme.
Try to bring a book you’ve read and enjoyed that relates to the theme.
Meet other teens who love reading and learn about their favorite books.
So, now you have no excuses. Participation is as simple as showing up. In fact, come by even if you don’t have a book in mind to talk about. Share a little about a great movie you saw or an article you read on the subject. And by the time you leave, you’ll have a whole list of new titles you’ll want to check out.
Fourth Tuesday of Every Month 4:oo pm to 5 pm CLP Main- Teen 4400 Forbes Ave. For more information or to register, contact teensmain@carnegielibrary.org or 412.622.5526
Themes for upcoming book clubs include: February 28: African American Voices
March 27: Sports, Games, and Gaming
April 24: Poetry and Novels in Verse
Do you think you could remain silent while someone plucked a hair from inside your nose? Could you prevent yourself from laughing at the sight of a good friend being fed baby food while dressed in a diaper and bib? Would you be able to refrain from squealing in horror after seeing yourself made up by a person wearing a blindfold? If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you could win big on Tuesday, February 7th! Just like the popular MTV game show, we’ll be holding our own version of Silent Library (minus the vomit) in the Main Teen Center. We dare you to remain silent while you and your teammates humiliate yourselves whilst attempting outrageous and embarrassing stunts for prizes. Registration for this event is required. Reserve your spot today!
Want to participate, but you think you’d die of embarrassment? Check out these books instead:
Many of you are already aware of the Main Teen Room‘s AWESOME Art Club which meets every Wednesday from 3 pm to 5 pm. But did you know that beginning this month, on the second Wednesday of every month we’ll be offering a different food related craft at Art Club? Instead of getting creative with yarn, glitter, and tissue paper; teens will be making their masterpieces from spaghetti, sprinkles and other edible materials. Teens- we heard you loud and clear. You don’t have to say it with your mouths, because we probably wouldn’t be able to hear it over the roaring of your tummies anyway.
You say you can’t make it to Art Club? Please, stop crying and check out these books filled with yummy recipes and edible crafts instead. Just try not to drool all over the library’s copy.
Learn how to build a chess board from chocolate kisses, a pirate ship from krispy rice treats, a race car from licorice and more delicious construction projects using just about anything with candy and other goodies.
Easy instructions for making the most adorable snacks. The most difficult thing about the recipes in this book is mustering the strength to eat your cute creations.
Any die hard manga and anime fan knows what a bento box is. But do they know how to make the delicious treats that go inside? Check out this step-by-step guide and interviews with charabenenthusiasts.
The first time I tried origami was in March at our Teen Summer Reading training at the spacious Penn Hills Library. I only made a peace crane, but it was still challenging. Origami requires some seriously tricky creativity, all in the name of beauty. I respect things that are complicated and ultimately impractical, so I was psyched to hear from a colleague that a local high school student and member of the Origami Club of Pittsburgh, Scott Stern, had recently published a book of his own mind-blowing folds, entitled Outside the Box Origami.
If you take a look at the cover, you’ll see that the design in question is actually a box with two arms reaching out of it. Made of one sheet of paper! It’s the most challenging design in the book, requiring at least 100 folds.
You can check out a video of Scott doing his origami thing in this Post-Gazette article, and please note that Scott began his illustrious career at the Origami Club meetings held at the Squirrel Hill Library! You see, it pays to pay attention to our library events.
Check out some of the fun, amazing stuff you can make from Scott’s book by clicking on the link below (my favorite is the little skull):
I don’t know if I qualify as a bona fide Gleek because I haven’t watched every episode and I slept through the finale this week (Please, please don’t tell me whathappened.) Still I thought it would be fun to make some library suggestions to the characters, based on their interests and attitudes:
Rachel
Two books by E. Lockhart:
Sadye’s friendship with Demi is strained by their different fates during acting camp in Dramarama. Rachel will love Sadye’s struggle and angst and will root for Demi’s success.
But she’ll relate more to Frankie, a girl who feels underestimated, only to become the secret leader of an all-male society at a boarding school inThe Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.
Streisand: The Concerts DVD. Rachel can sing Funny Girl with the best of them but what else might inspire her if she watches all three discs of Barbra’s concerts?
Kurt
Fashion 101: A crash Course in Clothing by Erika Stalder. Kurt is such a fashionista that he’ll love learning about the history of clothing and how to rock everything from kilts to skinny jeans.
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. In Paul’s Utopian community being gay is completely accepted. So is having an out-sized personality. The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen is also the school’s quarterback: everyone is free to be who they really are. So when Paul falls in love with Noah, it’s his ex, Kyle who’s the problem. Even in this book not everyone is so open-minded; you just wish they were. Kurt would especially like to recommend this book to Finn.
Artie
In After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick, Jeffrey and his friend Tad support each other while dealing with the aftereffects of chemotherapy. Both have a wicked sense of humor and Artie will appreciate that Tad is determined to make a difference. Jeffrey was the younger brother of the main character in Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie who was learning to cope with having a younger brother with leukemia.
So what books, DVDs or CDs would you suggest to the teens on Glee and why? It would be cool to see what ideas you have. Surely, I’m not the only Gleek out here.
Think you got what it takes to win in Madden NFL 10 for the Xbox 360? Join up to sixteen teens as they compete for prizes and prestige.
Registration is required. Sign up by January 31st for your chance to win, or just come enjoy some free food before the Super Bowl. Register for your chance to win here or by calling 412-622-3121.
The rules:
Participants/players: 16 teens grades 8-12
Prizes: $50 gift card winner
$25 gift card semi-finalist
We will update the rosters before the tournament.
Players will be seeded by playing each other randomly in 1 minute quarters on All-Pro. Point differentials will determine seeding (i.e., a player who wins by 14 will be seeded higher than a player who wins by 10; conversely, a player who loses by 10 will be seeded higher than a player who loses by 14).
The first two games will be 3:00 minute quarters on All-Pro difficulty; semi-finals and finals will be 4:00 minute quarters on All-Madden difficulty.
Each player will have one minute before the game to set their audibles and depth charts.
The home team will be determined by seeding.
Rewinds will be turned OFF.
Negative trash talk will get a player a warning. After the first warning, the player will be disqualified. Players are welcome to get excited about their own plays, but not at the expense of others. Players’ friends will be removed after their first warning.
Three sites that can help you improve your game are MaddenTips.com, TheMaddenLab.com, and AskMadden.com. Or, you can come to our featured gaming program on January 31st, where we’ll have Madden set up and available for teens city-wide to come practice.
The Carrick Library’s Fourth Annual Halloween Haunted House was a screaming success! Teens decorated the meeting room of the library and scared approximately 117 children and adults. Everyone had a ton of fun as always and as the library’s biggest event of the year I want to thank my fantastic Teen Advisory Group for working so hard!
Kids have fun playing with slime at the Haunted House!
Amanda helps out kids make slime.
Molly and Steve prepare to scare!
Creepy Molly is a prisoner in our dungeon.
Mike gets ready to bite Stacie’s neck. She looks really happy about it too!
The wonderful Teens who help make the Haunted House great!
nesday, January 11 @ 3pm: Marshmallow Mania
