Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Did you know that the word Halloween is a contraction of “All Hallow’s Evening”?  Halloween is tomorrow and that means something different to everyone.  Some of you may be looking forward to dressing up and trick-or-treating, by with friends and younger siblings.  You might be planning on handing out candy at home.  Others still might be turning out the lights, pretending they’re not home, and watching a scary movie or reading a scary book.  I myself may be doing the last thing on this list, finishing up the last book in the horrific Monstrumologist series, The Final Descent, by Rick Yancey.

What are your plans for All Hallow’s Eve?  If you’re looking for a good horror read to scare your pants off on Halloween night, check out these books!

Happy reading!

Amy, CLP-Lawrenceville

More creepy halloween fun is happening @ your library this week

To follow up on Marian’s excellent roundup of spooky activities around the city’s libraries from last week, here’s what’s happening this week.

At Allegheny today we have Halloween Minute to Win It:

Do you have what it takes, or are you too scared? Test yourself during our spooky Halloween rendition of “Minute to Win It.”

Monday, October 28, 2013

4:00 PM

Location:

1230 Federal Street Pittsburgh, PA 15212

this could be you today. photo via Escondido Public Library’s flickr

Tuesday you can attend the ZOMB-FEST  at the Hill District:

Zomb-Fest 2013 kicks off with brain corn hole, snacks and learning the Thriller dance. Then we’ll have a professional make-up artist teach you how to Zombie-fy yourself with real theatrical makeup. Then you can hit the Photo Booth and capture the gruesome moment! Eat yummy, freaky Halloween snacks!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013
October 29, 2013

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Location:

2177 Centre Avenue at Kirkpatrick Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

photo of the author as a zombie

or view a scary movie at East Liberty‘s Teen Time!

There will be a selection of movies to choose from – classics and new releases, and some popcorn and apples to snack on.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Location:

130 S. Whitfield Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15206

not the actual selection of movies. photo via nomadic lass on flickr

There’s also face painting at Allegheny on Tuesday:

Join local artist Lauren Toohey as she teaches you the basics of face painting. She will also talk about making a living as an artist. Have your face painted, then put your skills to use at our Halloween Carnival by painting a friend’s face!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Location:

1230 Federal Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

You can see photos of Lauren’s face painting work at her site!

And a pre-Halloween party at Brookline:

Halloween is creeping around the corner! Put on a costume and do your part to get in the spooky spirit by partying up with us pre-Halloween.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Location:

708-710 Brookline Blvd.

Pittsburgh, PA 15226

mutant cyborg costume by don pezzano on flickr

Then on Wednesday you can get candy at Brookline.. if you win a game:

Happy Halloween! On your way out the door to mega-candy acquisitioning, stop by the library for Teen Lounge. We’ll be distributing candy in the manner of Deal or No Deal. Will you hit it big, or will you end up with a toothbrush?

Thursday, October 31, 2013

3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Location:

708-710 Brookline Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15226

a toothbrush. by dave lanovaz

And on Thursday, Knoxville is having a Spooky Teen Time:

COME OUT AND ENJOY OUR FUN ACTIVITIES AND MORE! DON’T FORGET TO BRING A FRIEND AND/OR FAMILY MEMBER ALONG!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Location:

400 Brownsville Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15210

this could be what it’s like at Knoxville’s Teen Time. You’ll never know if you don’t show up! photo by minxlj on flickr

Remember, all of this is IN ADDITION to Carrick’s Haunted Library, Labs events, regular Teen Time activities, Art Clubs, AND MORE. Check the local teen evens near you on our teen event feed!

ENTER ONLY IF YOU DARE!

Maggie is right.  ‘Tis the season for all things scary and spooky.  In Western Pennsylvania, a favorite and long-standing Halloween tradition has been the haunted house.  (And of course, the haunted library!)

The teens at the Ream Recreation Center in Mt. Washington are planning and creating their own haunted house.

Haunted House at Ream Recreation

Lots of preparation has gone into the design of the haunted house.  The teens have started to craft coffins and cemetery stones for the display.  They have painted masks and other spooky decorations.

Making “gross-out” jars for the haunted house refrigerator was the sloppiest and most fun of the decorating projects.  Fake blood and eyeballs.  Spiders and bugs and rats.   Big hairy spiders.

 Yucky and as gross as can be.

 

Gross-out jars are easy to make.  Start with a quart sized canning jar.  Actually any empty jar or container will do.  Sort through the recycle bin to find some suitable jars.  Next, you need some stuff to put in your jars.

• spiders and spider webs, eyeballs and skulls (find them at the dollar stores and craft stores)
• doll heads
• food coloring and gelatin mixes
• food items such as grapes, olives, macaroni and spaghetti (cooked), salsa (the chunkier the better) and jelly
• craft glue mixed with paint
• shredded plastic bags and paper
• items from nature such as rocks, buckeyes, leaves and sticks

Add your selected items to your jar, layering things as you go,  If you add water with food coloring, some items will float for a truly spooky look.

If you use food items, use a jar with a lid.  When using food items–make your jars just a few days before you need them.  We don’t want our Gross-out jars to be really gross and stinky!

Gross-out jars are the perfect thing for a haunted house that has a Mad Scientist room.  Display them on a window sill or bookcase.

Another great idea for using canning jars is to make Halloween lumaniries.  Decorate the jar with tissue paper and craft glue or paint the outside of the jar.  Use LED tea lights instead of candles for safety reasons.

And one really fabulous pretty jar~

For more great ideas, see Mason Jar Love and Pinterest Mason Jar Halloween,  Ask your librarian for more recommendations regarding books and web sites for Hallloween decorations.

~Marian

‘Tis the season…

The season of FEAR is upon us. If you’re in search of thrills and chills, you’re in luck– creative teens around the city are hosting library hauntings to inspire horror in the hearts of fear-seekers.

This Saturday, October 26, check out the first ever Haunted House at CLP- East Liberty, brought to you by the East Liberty Teen Advisory Council. This fear-fest will feature horrific tales, ghoulish delights, and even…robotics? Gotta see it to believe it. You can drop in between 10 AM and 5 PM on Saturday at 130 S. Whitfield Street to catch some of the frightful (& FREE!) fun.

Meanwhile, the ghosts of Halloweens past are gathering in Carrick, waiting to invade the library for another year of fear. From the gruesome minds that brought you CHAIRPOCALYPSE! and the story of Alice and her haunted well, it’s THE RETURN OF THE HAUNTED LIBRARY.

Take a spine-tinging stroll through three mini-rooms of terror as you delve into a tale of madness and obsession. Can you keep your cool as the restless spirits surround you? Don’t let your mind wander too far…they say there’s something lurking in the woods.

Check out how the teens of CLP- Carrick have transformed an ordinary room into a chamber of fear– don’t miss the Haunted Library at 1811 Brownsville Road.

Wednesday, October 30, 5-7:30 PM
Thursday, October 31, 5-7:30 PM
Saturday, November 2, 2-4:30 PM

Need some inspiration for taking on the terror? Look no further:

 

Mustaches are having a moment

Mustaches are really having a moment.  Mustaches now adorn shirts, pillows, shoes, duct tape, puppies- everywhere I turn there are mustaches.  But you see, mustaches were not always looked upon so favorably.  In 1965, the American Mustache Institute formed to combat discrimination against people sporting ‘staches and other fine expressions of facial hair, becoming ” the world’s leading facial hair advocacy organization.”  According to their website, the American Mustache Institute “continues to battle negative stereotyping that has accompanied the mustache since those glory years of the 1970s – the peak of mustache acceptance – fighting to create a climate of acceptance, understanding, flavor saving, and upper lip warmth for all mustached Americans alike.”

Please do not take offense, but unlike most trends, it actually seems like Pittsburgh has been a real leader in the recent mustache renaissance.  In fact, in 2011 Pittsburgh actually placed third on the list of Most Mustache Friendly Cities in America by the American Mustache Institute.  Further cementing our vanguard in the mustache world, the American Mustache Institute actually relocated to our fine city this past July.  And right now, the American Mustache Institute is soliciting votes to determine the winner of this year’s Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year!  The winner will be announced on Saturday, October 26 at an event they are hosting here in town.

Purely by coincidence, CLP Main- Teen is also hosting a Teen Halloween Mustache Bash for teens in middle and high school on Saturday, October 26 from 2 pm to 4 pm.  Instead of the usual scary/zombie/ghostly themed Halloween fare, we decided to capitalize on our culture’s current mustache obsession and celebrate ALL THE MUSTACHES!  We “mustache” you to join us for mustache themed games, treats, crafts, and a best mustache contest!

In the meantime, be sure to check out this book in preparation:

Michael Myers

It’s no secret that I love Halloween. And while I love costumes, candy and parties – I scare very easily. Horror movies and haunted houses are usually off limits.

I do make one BIG exception, Michael Myers in Halloween! My favorite version of Halloween is the low-budget original from 1978 with Jamie Lee Curtis. If you have never seen Halloween, it’s playing locally on big screen for a limited time!

Halloween has been made into countless sequels and adaptaitons. Some are better than others. Below is a list of my personal favorites!

Don’t forget the Rob Zombie Remakes too!

Need a break from movies and trick-or-treating? If haunted houses are your thing, Pittsburgh has some of the best in the county. Check out Scare House, Terror Town and Hundred Acres Manor.

-Michael (CLP Hazelwood)

Alice waits…

The weighted, doom-laden clouds lingering atop 1811 Brownsville Road can only mean one of two things:  CLP Carrick is the epicenter of the Apocalypse, or the Haunted Library is BACK!  (I’m about 99.638% sure it’s the latter ‘cos it’s not even December yet.)

After a year’s absence, the terror-driven tradition is returning with a brand-spanking-new story, set, and crew.  This year’s Haunted Library was entirely planned – and will be constructed and staffed – by members of Teen Think, Carrick’s teen advisory group.

3 Days! October 25th, 27th, and 30th

Unrequited love, unspeakable savagery, vengeance – all spread across three rooms of unmitigated, family-friendly terror… and it’s FREE!  You have no excuse.

Remember, the only thing scarier than losing your library card is the Haunted Library!

‘Tis the season:

         

Jon : Carrick

Countdown to Halloween Continues

Have you selected or made your costume yet?
Zombies are popular? this year.  “Being” a zombie is mostly about the make-up and the attitude.  Tattered clothing will do for the costume part of the zombie look.  I was a zombie a few years ago.  I found this great flesh/scar make-up at the costume store that helped me create the look I wanted.  Otherwise, I just used regular make-up to zombify myself.

Other easy costume ideas:

• Knight
• Pirate
• Princess
• Super Hero
• Vampire

Looking for some terrifying treats to make for Halloween?  Many of the cooking and women’s magazines have great idea for Halloween sweets.

I found Gruesome Green Toes in A Taste of Home Magazine.  Super easy and very creepy.

There are so many Halloween related events going on at the libraries this month!  Check out this great list of teen events.

Creepy Cupcakes @ CLP–Mt. Washington

Scary Story Filmmaking Challenge @ CLP– The Labs:  Allegheny, Southside, Main and East Liberty

Special Effects Makeup @ CLP–Brookline

Check out the Teen Events page on the library website for even more fun things to do this month.

~Marian

CLP–Mt. Washington

Creepy Reads: The Diviners

Looking for a spooky read to celebrate the season of the supernatural? Look no further than Libba Bray’s newest book The Diviners. The story is set in the 1920’s and centers on young Evie O’Neill, who gets booted from her boring hometown and sent to live in New York City with her uncle Will (who just happens to be the curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult). Evie wastes no time diving in to the bustling allure of her new home, but then the city is stunned by a string of chilling murders all riddled with creepy occult symbolism. The police call on Uncle Will for his expertise in dark symbology, and before she knows it, Evie is embroiled in the hunt for a serial killer. As the cast of characters grows and the body count rises, the line between the worlds of the living and the dead starts to blur. Even Evie harbors the secret of a strange and haunting gift, which could be the key to cracking the case.

The Diviners delves into an era when many people dabbled in Spiritualism– the belief that the living can communicate with their dearly departed. For a while, séances were all the rage. Groups of intrepid paranormal probers would gather under the guidance of a professional spirit medium to try to establish contact with the dead. Mediums might fall into a trance to channel one of the spirits in question or employ the use of a Ouija board in interviews with the other side. Some people swore by the messages they received through such sessions, while many others decried the whole practice as a series of elaborate hoaxes.

Whatever you believe, the Halloween season is the perfect time for tales that blur the lines between the living and the dead. Grab a copy of The Diviners today, and head to the library for more info on supernatural investigations throughout history.

The Sexy Kitten Shakedown: Happy Halloween

Halloween was originally a Celtic (Druid) holiday, called Samhain (pronounced Sow-in), celebrated more than 2,000 years ago. It was a festival to celebrate the death of the earth, taking place at the end of summer, and its eventual rebirth, in spring. The Celts celebrated by creating huge bonfires, which were said to discourage the sun from disappearing, as well as burning crops and performing animal sacrifices. The Druids also believed that the veil between the worlds was at its thinnest on this day, leading to more accurate divinations, and to more ghosts and spirits roaming the countryside.  For the latter reason, the Druids dressed in costume to prevent being possessed by any of these meandering spirits. By dressing as ghosts, witches, goblins, as well as sporting animal skins and heads, they were said to fool the spirits into believing they were already one of them.

This celebration has persevered through the millennia. In the 19^th century, Halloween was a day for skullduggery, mischief-making, and general scariness. Eventually, in the early to mid-20^th century, Halloween evolved into a community oriented event (ala trick-or-treating). The country started seeing more block parties and community events associated with this holiday. It became a day for children, teens,  and adults to celebrate youthfulness and fun (Halloween party at the library, anyone?).

Which brings me to my next point, or not…really, but I still need to ask– where did the sexy kitten come from?  Today’s Halloween has this uncanny knack for turning things that aren’t typically attractive into something suggestive. For example, pirates. What is sexy about a group of people who lived on a ship, didn’t bathe regularly, surely didn’t brush their teeth (if they had any) and habitually came down with bouts of scurvy?—not much.  Then why does nearly every costume for women, and even men now, turn into sexy witch, sexy devil, sexy gangster, sexy nun (wait, nun? NUN?!?).

One of the best things about Halloween is the chance to use your creativity to its max! So put away the ears, tail, and eyeliner whiskers, because there are tons of really groovy costumes out there that just require some time and TLC.  Here are a few of my personal favs (click on then for DIY instructions).

                    

Of course this post wouldn’t be complete without me telling you how awesome and gratifying it is, to me as a librarian, when people go dressed as their favorite literary character. If you’re finally sick of dressing like Edward Cullen or Hermione Granger, check out this awesome article (thanks Joseph!) which tells you how to channel your inner Clay (from 13 Reasons Why) or Katniss Everdeen: Girl on Fire. If none of these grab your attention, try one of the books below that can be found at or ordered to your local Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh!

                        

Happy Hauntings– Julie, CLP Beechview