TAB Loves National Poetry Month!

So, at our last TAB meeting, I had the members write some poems to share with you for National Poetry Month.  Here is the first one!

Books are the key!

Lands long lost are

suddenly found, mysteries

of the Earth are slowly 

unwound, imagination in pages

all around, with places in

which I can be me, the cage

I am in requires a key

So it looks to be books 

that set me free

                                                                             -- Anonymous TAB member

Book Review: Odin's Ravens

Book number 2! Norse Mythology is my favorite mythology!

Odin's Ravens

K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr

Summary from Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16060302-odin-s-ravens?ac=1):

Seven kids, Thor's hammer, and a whole lot of Valkyries are the only things standing against the end of the world. 

When thirteen-year-old Matt Thorsen, a modern day descendant of the Norse god Thor, was chosen to represent Thor in an epic battle to prevent the apocalypse he thought he knew how things would play out. Gather the descendants standing in for gods like Loki and Odin, defeat a giant serpent, and save the world. No problem, right?

But the descendants' journey grinds to a halt when their friend and descendant Baldwin is poisoned and killed and Matt, Fen, and Laurie must travel to the Underworld in the hopes of saving him. But that's only their first stop on their journey to reunite the challengers, find Thor's hammer, and stop the apocalypse--a journey filled with enough tooth-and-nail battles and larger-than-life monsters to make Matt a legend in his own right.

Norse folklore is probably my favorite. Even more than Greek mythology (though THAT is really freaking incredible!)  This book continues the story of Matt Thorsen (Thor representative) and his friends going through the Underworld to save their friend that died in the first book.  This book delves deeper into Norse mythology and I learned a lot about it that I didn't know before--which only included Thor, Odin, and Loki.  This story explains SO much more!

There is action, there is love, there is truth and betrayal and you will absolutely love this story! If you liked Percy Jackson or the Kane Chronicles, this is in the same vein, but in my opinion, better, because it has THOR!

Star Wars Jedi Cloaks

You know it....

I apologize to the non-Star Wars nerds...I grew up on Star Wars...It is my favorite movie, so you will be getting many more posts about Star Wars!

Book Review: Alliance

I listened to the second Paladin Prophecy on CD, and while it's not quite the same, I enjoyed the book!

Alliance (Paladin Prophecy #2)

Mark Frost

I'm going to take the summary from Goodreads again, because they do such a wonderful job!

Alliance summary

After exposing the sinister underground society of students known as the Knights of Charlemagne, Will West stays at the Center over the summer to explore his newly developing physical and mental abilities. Meanwhile, his roommates investigate the Knights' shadowy purpose and discover unsettling information about their own backgrounds. Will and his friends must quickly figure out what's going on and separate friend from foe as they prepare for the coming fight.

This book was even better than the first, which usually sequels tend to lack something the first book has all over.  The plot thickens in this story and we learn a TON more of the history of the Knights and the other worldly creatures.  

The characters are more developed, and while there are SOME character flaws and plot holes, I feel that Frost has a solid story throughout.  I think you definitely need to start with the first book, The Paladin Prophecy and keep going with this series! 

What Libraries Mean To Me

I'm a nerd. I always have been. I've been the smart kid that reads a ton, and does exactly what she should...well for the most part ;)  But, I'm not really bothered by it.  It's done well for me in my adult life.  And I know I can thank books and libraries for making that happen.  Scroll down to see the inner workings of this Teen Librarian and her past with libraries!



Why Libraries are a Necessity in My Life

1.  The stories took me other places where I could avoid realizing I life in a small town where everyone knows my business, there is horse poop around every corner, and annoying people all over the place.

2.  When my parents divorced, I went to the library to do my homework, read, hang out--anything to avoid being at home where depression ran rampant.

3.  I learned a TON of stuff for adulthood, even great vocabulary that helped me rock the SATs and get into a great college--for FREE.

4. My library card was free. This was the only thing that was free in my life...unlike gas, my car, going out with friends, cell phone, etc.

5. Not quite related, but I got asked out on my first date at the library! Bahahaha

6. The library gave me a GREAT job as a page in 2008. 4 years later, they gave me a full time position as a library assistant, and in 2014, I was officially named the Teen Librarian after I'd finished my Masters in Library Science.  This is by far the most important.  I LOVE my job.  I love programming for teens, buying and cataloging books...this is what I want to do with the rest of my life.  I never would have gotten here without libraries!

Book Review: The Fat Girl

I read another realistic fiction...I didn't quite expect this, but I liked it!

The Fat Girl

Marilyn Sachs

Jeff is fit. He's hot. He's got a new girlfriend, and now he's trying out ceramics at school.  Only one problem--the fat girl.  Her name is Ellen. She's clumsy, overweight, loud, and terrible at ceramics.  When Ellen overhears horrible words about her said by Jeff, she contemplates suicide.  Jeff knows he screwed up and heads to Ellen's house to make sure she's okay.  What follows that conversation is a friendship, but is it one with the right motivations and emotions?  Jeff gives Ellen tips on what to wear, how to do her hair and makeup, eat right, and exercise.  Jeff even starts dating Ellen.  But does Jeff truly love Ellen? Or does he love his "project"?  When Ellen starts to gain her independence and confidence, the two must decide what love is and what is important in life.

In general, this book is a typical, boy bullies fat kid, feels bad, make the fat kid hot and popular.  HowEVER, there are a lot of emotional themes and issues throughout this story.  I found myself yelling at Jeff to grow the freak up and leave Ellen alone, or at least confess that he's only in the relationship to lord over her and her weight loss.  

Ellen, like most of these stories, finds out she's a way cooler person than she's given herself credit for.  And the best part--she tells Jeff that.  She tells him to get lost, that she is better than she was and she doesn't need a man in her life to make her feel wanted.

There are a lot of general, recycled themes in this book, but it's really okay.  You know why? Because these themes have continued to fall on deaf ears for decades.   There are STILL the fat kids getting bullied and popular people trying to project their idea of popularity on their new guinea pig.  Had this issue already been solved in society, this book would be redundant and obsolete.  But it's not.  And we need more of these voices until people grow up and figure out that it only matters what YOU think of yourself, not what you think of others or what others think of you.  Thank you, Marilyn Sachs!

National Poetry Month!

I love April! Mostly because it means the snow is gone AND it's my birthday APRIL 20! (eh hem, just FYI)  But! It's National Poetry Month! I know, I know. Everyone hates poetry.  It's lame. It's girly.  Whatever...it is only that if you let it be.  It can also be a way to say what you want to say with incomplete sentences, emotions through words, playing with words and phrases.

I put up a TON of poetry stuff that you teens can play with at the library! I also put out our poetry books, and any fiction books written in verse.  Here are some of the things I have set up for you!

I will have white paper on the round table that you can jot thoughts and poems down--Poems can be as few words as you want! Check out my poem:

Armor,

Knights rush off to destruction.

BAM! I wrote a poem! That's all it has to be! Have fun with it!

Black out poetry is by the window.  Take a RIPPED OUT page from a book! :-O and black out all the words you DON'T want, and leave some great words to form a poem.  Then tape it to the window for everyone to see! (You can remain anonymous)

  Push-Pin Poetry! check the bulletin Board to move words                                                                                    around and create your own poem!