I am back from my trek to Africa. What an amazing amazing place to visit! I highly suggest every one of you put Africa on your to visit list. The people of Botswana are so incredibly friendly, the animals beautiful and the landscape awe inspiring. Everyone that is a follower of this blog should know I wholeheartedly advocate traveling and learning about other cultures. This trip was life changing for me. I witnessed a leopard in labor and got to see the baby cubs hours after they were born. OMG!!!!!!!

Check out some of the pictures.

Photo by Avolore

"Back to school. Back to school,
to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool.
I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight,
I hope I don't get in a fight.
Ohhhh, back to school. Back to school.
Back to school. Well, here goes nothing."
- Adam Sandler in Billy Madison

This time of year, I always get the song that Adam Sandler sung in Billy Madison stuck in my head. That movie came out my freshman year of high school and it's still one of my favorite silly movies of all time.

I've always loved fall and going back to school. I still get excited when school supplies start showing up in stores and all the fall clothes come out. I think one of the coolest things about fall is the promise of new and the ability to reinvent yourself. New clothes, new teachers, new supplies, maybe even new schools and new friends. Fall and going back to school brings so much possibility!

Ugh, I know! Who wants to think about SCHOOL when there's still so many days of vacation left? Well, right now your summer vacation days are numbered, my friends. School starts next week for most of you.

We wanna know:
 What are you most looking forward to as you head back to school this fall?

Tomorrow your teen librarian Ann P. is heading out to parts unknown. For all the regular blog readers out there, you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE to travel and this time I will be flying to Botswana. Where??!! Yep, it is lions and tigers oh my. My flight leaves tomorrow morning but I don't get to Africa until Wednesday evening and even better I won't get to my first camp till afternoon on Thursday. (flying is the only thing I hate about traveling)

Here is a little background information for you. Botswana is north of South Africa, west of Namibia and east of  Zimbabwe. Total population equals @2 million. Median age 22. It is late winter in Botswana right now so the weather is perfect, mid to high 80s during the day and low 50s at night.  PERRFECT!

I end my stay in Africa at Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya--the Smoke that Thunders). I plan on white water rafting down the Zambezi River.  Pictures will be posted when I get back.

    photo by Smithsonian Institution

I will be gone for two weeks and I while I am gone, y'all will be starting back to school. WOW where has the summer gone. It seems like yesterday that the summer reading program was starting. I hope everyone enjoys your first week back to school. I look forward to seeing everyone again.

Anyone going to the Ohio State Fair this year? Once again I will be abstaining from the pleasure of fried Snickers,  the 1200lb hog (though I have seen pictures from Sarah Cofer's husband) the heat and the rides. I honestly don't know why I am so not interested in going to the fair but I am. 

Here is a bit o trivia for you to research. Which state boasts hosting the largest state fair? and Which state has the oldest?

  Photo by Delano, Jack,, 1914-, photographer

Last night, I was flipping through the channels wondering what to watch when I saw Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney performing on PBS. What really grabbed my attention was that it was at the White House and I could see Obama in the audience! I decided to keep it on for a while to see what was going on. Turns out it was a show called Paul McCartney: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House. I tuned in towards the end, so I missed a lot of the performance, but I did get to see Obama speak about the music of Paul McCartney (who was a member of the Beatles) and Paul McCartney speak about what an honor it was to perform at the White House.

Photo by Robert Couse-Baker

Before the part that I saw, there were a lot of musicians that covered Paul McCartney songs, including the Jonas Brothers, Faith Hill, Dave Grohl, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello and Jack White. The coolest part of the whole show was getting to see Obama and his family rocking out to the Beatles songs Michelle, Eleanor Rigby, and Let it Be. At the end, all of the musical guests and the Obama family got up on stage and sang & rocked out to Hey Jude, which just happens to be my very favorite Beatles song. It was a neat show.

Do you like the Beatles? What kind of music are you listening to lately?

BTW, there are only 3 DAYS left to the Summer Reading Program.

 I just finished reading ttyl by Lauren Myracle:                                         

It's about Maddie, Zoe and Angela, best friends since forever, who are in the 10th grade and sort of growing apart. The entire book is written in IMs between the three friends. I've never read anything by Ms. Myracle before. I really enjoyed it and thought that the IM format was clever.

I already blogged about the plot of Numbers (you can read the post here), and my reserve finally came in the other day. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and I can't wait to find out what happens to the main characters. It's really suspenseful!

On my to-read list is Countdown,  a novel set in the 60's that has bits and pieces of history and historical documents sprinkled throughout the story :

I also want to read The Outsiders, just because I never have and I think I should.

What are you reading?

    Photo by Worthington Libraries

Today is the retirement reception for a wonderful woman that I've had the honor and pleasure to work with for the past 9 years.  Meribah Mansfield, director of the Worthington Libraries, is retiring after 19 years and we will miss her. She has been an excellent boss, mentor and a great supporter of teens. Here is an article about her service to the Worthington Libraries in the Columbus Dispatch.

Congratulations, Good Luck and We Will Miss You!

Photo by Worthington Libraries               

There are rumors about a Hunger Games movie in development!  So, my question for you is... who do you think should play the following characters:

Katniss
Peeta
Gale
Prim
Haymitch

Got any great ideas to throw out there?

"Check which famous writer you write like with this statistical analysis tool, which analyzes your word choice and writing style and compares them with those of the famous writers. "

You need to put in at least two or three paragraphs of your own writing for the analysis tool to really "work". The first time I put in some of my writing  from my personal blog it came up with David Foster Wallace. The second time I did it, with a different blog entry, Stephen King. Hmmm. It is kind of fun to see what the answers are.

The website also includes quotes from writers about writing. You can even follow I Write Like on Facebook or Twitter.

That said I Write Like is not a serious site but just something to kill time. HAVE FUN!!

Have you heard of Colton Harris-Moore? AKA the "Barefoot Bandit?"

I hadn't until I watched a news special on him about a month or so ago. He's a nineteen year old who's been on the run from authorities since he escaped from a halfway house in the state of Washington in 2008. Apparently he's broken into homes in Washington, Idaho and Canada, stolen cars, boats and at least five airplanes. He also doesn't like to wear shoes, which is how he got the nickname "Barefoot Bandit."  I read an article that said he had no formal flight training, yet he flew a stolen plane from Indiana to the Bahamas. That's insane!  It amazes me in this day and age how it's possible to outrun the police, but this guy's done it for almost two years. Until he got busted in the Bahamas on Sunday during a high speed boat chase. He was barefoot and wearing a bullet proof vest at the time.

He pleaded guilty to stealing a plane and illegally landing in the Bahamas at his first court appearance in Nassau today and he faces burglarly and theft charges in several U.S. states.

I guess there are a lot of people who think Colton's a hero. They've written songs about him, made t-shirts proclaiming his innocence and he even has a facebook fan page with over 60,000 followers. People seem to think he's awesome because he's committed "victimless" crimes.

Should stealing property make you a hero? I certainly don't think so. It's not victimless, that's for sure. Think of the people whose boats, cars and planes got stolen, and whose homes and businesses got broken into. Just because he didn't murder or injure anyone doesn't mean that the crimes are victimless. Someone's always a victim when a crime is committed.  

What do you think?

I am a big fan of So You Think You Can Dance?!, and have been rooting for Alex ever since the season started.  I even kinda fell in love with him a little bit after that AWESOME hip-hop routine!  So I was SO SAD last night when they sent him home.  :-( 

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b189569_you_think_you_can_dances_alex_pop_goes.html

Do any of you watch the show?  If so, tell us what you think... were you also a fan of Alex, or were you rooting for someone different?  OR... do you prefer Dancing with the Stars?  If so, you must share why you like it better, cuz I just can't get into it.

So I'm not a HUGE sports fan, but there are a few teams that I follow. The Cleveland Cavaliers just so happen to be one of those teams. I'm from a small town near Cleveland and I actually lived there for a few years after graduating college, so I've always rooted for the Cavs. Then Lebron came along and EVERYONE liked the Cavs. Suddenly it's not so bad to admit that I lived in Cleveland. Suddenly Cleveland had a sports team worth rooting for. Cleveland finally has a spot on the map! But maybe not for long...

I'm nervous. LeBron's contract is up and he is now a free agent. Will he stay in Cleveland? Will he play for the Knicks? Miami Heat? He'll make his announcement tonight at 9pm on al hour long special on ESPN titled The Decision. Apparently all proceeds are going to Boys & Girls Club of America, which is pretty cool.

But I can't help but wonder. I don't think LeBron is that great of a guy, dragging out his decision. He has the chance to stick with Cleveland, a city who has rallied around him and essentially allowed him to become the sensation that he is now.  Or he can follow the money. It'll be interesting to see how it all pans out. Internet rumors are flying about LeBron renting beach houses in Miami for this weekend. I hope that it's not true. I hope that King James sticks with the Cavs and rewards Cleveland for their loyalty. Guess I'll find out tonight.

What do you think of LeBron? Media genius? Ego maniac? Diva?

 It's July 4th weekend and what are YOU doing to celebrate Independence Day?

Anyone headed out to Red, White and Boom tonight?  I am hanging out with my partner in crime Sarah C this weekend, maybe we will be close enough to see the Red, White and Boom fireworks.

Here are some July 4 fun facts and pictures from the U.S. Census Bureau website 

Okay... I'm going to jump on the movie bandwagon here, and also get on my soapbox.  What's up with all the remakes lately?  Karate Kid, Clash of the Titans, Friday the 13th...  The original movies weren't even made that long ago!  I'll have to admit, I was really excited about, and had very high hopes for, Clash of the Titans.  Did you see the original, released in 1981?  The special effects, by today's standards, were pretty silly and not very believable.  All in all, they were pretty bad.  That said, after seeing the new one in theatres, the original is still 100 times better!  The special effects in the new one (with two of my favorite actors, Liam Neeson and Ray Fiennes, by the way) were phenomenal. Outsanding.  Amazing.  But the plot absolutely STUNK!  This movie was not "clash of the Titans"... it was more like "Perseus battles a bunch of creepy weirdos."  So... if you haven't seen the original, you've GOT to check it out!  Keep in mind that the special effects are pretty bad.  But the story line is awesome!

http://catalog.worthingtonlibraries.org/?q=clash+of+the+titans

So... help me out here.  Tell us about your favorite movie remake, and why it's as good as (or better) than the original.

Summer is my absolute favorite time to go see movies!  What better way to escape the heat than to relax in a cool, dark theater with a gigantic bucket of buttery popcorn and an ice cold sugary soda? Above are posters for a few of the movies I'm excited to go see in the theater this summer.

What will you go and see in the theater this summer?

I have a confession to make. I love the movie Remember the Titans! I love it so much that every time it comes on tv, I drop everything and become glued. I don't know why this happens but it does. Last night I noticed it was on about halfway through the movie and instead of going to sleep when I had planned, I stayed up and watched the remainder of the movie (when I realized it was playing again I stayed up even later to watch the first part of the movie) 

Why do I love Remember the Titans so much? Well, the football, the adversity, the friendships,  the humor, Denzel Washington and the football all rolled into a wonderful package makes me a happy happy camper. I seriously cry everytime I watch the movie. EVERY TIME!   I love football movies, my all time favorite is Friday Night Lights with Remember the Titans a close second. 

What is your all time go-to movie? I have several depending on my mood and the time of year.

Okay, so I know that it's officially summer vacation, and the last thing you want to think about is lunch, but I just read about a teacher from the Midwest somewhere, Mrs. Q, who eats a cafeteria school lunch each day (during the school year, of course!) and blogs about it. Her blog is called Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project and it is really quite something to read about what she eats each day and how it makes her feel. Here's an example of a typical school lunch from her blog:

There's been a lot of controversy surrounding the school lunch lately, and a lot of people are trying to draw attention to what schools are and aren't serving. Did any of you watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution when it aired on ABC back in March and April? Jamie Oliver, a world famous chef from England, went to the town of Huntington, WV (supposedly the fattest town in the US) and showed them ways to eat better. He focused a lot on schools and improving school lunches. It was really interesting to see just where school food comes from and just how hard he had to work to get schools to change what they serve. You can find out more info about Jamie's Food Revolution and his school lunch campaign here:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/school-food

There are some other really interesting school lunch blogs out there:

EAT HOBOKEN - A School Lunch Blog was actually inspired by Mrs. Q's Fed Up With Lunch blog and it posts what's on the menu each day at a school in New Jersey and includes the actual photo of the meal, which sometimes differs from what's written. The above picture is an example of a typical Monday's lunch.

What's for School Lunch shows lunches that students pack and lunches that students purchase from not only the United States but all around the world. Thie picture above is a typical school lunch from Brazil.

When I was in high school, I ate a bag of chips, a cookie, and a pop everyday for lunch. So. Not. Healthy. But that's what was available to me, and at that time in my life, that's what I chose to eat. I didn't want to stand in line and wait for whatever gross hot food they were serving that day, and so I didn't.

What do you eat for lunch at school? Do you bring your own lunch? Do you buy the lunch the school provides? Does your school have lots of lunch options?

Now if you'll excuse me, all this talk of food has me hungry and I'm going to go and eat my lunch (which is a turkey sandwich and watermelon and cantalope cubes, not chips, a cookie and soda, in case you were wondering).

Anyone been following the story about Abby Sunderland? I think it is fascinating, disturbing, scary and exciting all at the same time. If you don't know the story here are the highlights

• In early 2010, 16 year old Abby Sunderland started her journey to become the youngest person ever to sail solo across the world
• Abby's brother, Zac Sunderland, broke the record in 2009 at the age of 17
• Her boat is named Wild Eyes
• She started her trip in California (January), sailed around the tip Cape Horn(March), off the coast of South Africa (May) and was in the Indian Ocean (June)
• Abby was hit with some huge waves in the Indian Ocean that cut her quest for a world record short.
• Check out the story from ABC.COM or her website http://www.abbysunderland.com/ or her blog http://soloround.blogspot.com/

She has many critics and her parents have even more. The question most asked and argued... How can a parent agree to let their teenage daughter sail ALONE around the world for months on end?

So what do you think? Would you try it? Was she too young? Too inexperienced? Was it the wrong time to go?

Check this article out:

A group of teens called Save11 have teamed up with Allstate Insurance to try to get a bill passed that would toughen teen-driver laws.  If passed, teens could not get learner permits until age 16, passenger-restriction laws would apply until 18, and drivers would be prohibited from using cell phones or other mobile devices until 18.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/06/04/teens-join-effort-to-toughen-laws-for-young-drivers.html?sid=101

So... tell us what you  think.  Would you be willing to give up your cell phone to drive?

Who saw the MTV Music Awards last night, and what was your favorite part?  Robert's surprise kiss on Kristen was pretty awesome, but I was all about the Harry Potter trailer!  GAH!!! I can't wait!

I have never been an American Idol fan and if I do watch, it is only for the top 3 or 4 contestants. This season I didn't even watch the last few episodes but I do know one name, Crystal Bowersox and the only reason I even know her name is because she is from O-H-I-O. Sarah C and I watch GLEE on Tuesday nights and after GLEE, the news always had a segment on Crystal Bowersox, it made me somewhat interested. She is pretty good and her look is sooo not your typical Idol look, which I like.I woke up this morning to find that Crystal did not win last night but some guy did from Illinois. I don't know anything about Lee DeWyze except what I have read online. I have to admit I love that a quiet, shy guy won. 

Since I will never claim to be an authority on anything American Idol, what did you think of the finale and did the right person win?

While getting ready for the prom or your other weekend plans, how about you do something for your community?!

Stamp Out Hunger 2010--- The Nation's Largest Single-Day Food Drive.

1. Place non-perishable* food products in a bag
2. Leave at your mailbox on Saturday, May 8th
3. Your letter carrier will pick up and deliver to local food banks or pantries

*Donate items like canned meats, fish, soup, juice and vegetables, and pasta, cereal and rice. Please do not include items that have expired or are in glass containers.

Sarah and I will be taking part in this nationwide food drive, how about you?

So I was reading the news, and had to share this story.

It turns out that a twelve year old girl saved her friends life by giving her the Heimlich maneuver, which she said she learned from the television show Spongebob Squarepants! I thought this was really funny. The article even refers to the maneuver as the "Slimelick" maneuver. Haha!

I'm so glad the girl is ok. I have to admit that I've been stuck in  situations where I started laughing uncontrollably and couldn't stop, too. In fact, USUALLY those "situations" happened only when I wasn't supposed to be laughing-- (i.e. at school, at church, in the library, etc.)

Anyone else get the uncontrollable giggles at inappropriate times and places? My brothers and sister are PARTICULARLY good at getting me started on those laughing kicks.

Check out the story here!

While the volcano continues to stall air travel in Europe and beyond, the entertainment industry is feeling the effects.  One of the most anticipated movies of the year, Iron-Man 2,  had to move the world premier from London to Los Angeles, Miley Cyrus had to cancel a trip to Europe for her movie premier of The Last Song in London.

Question of the day,

What would you do if you were stuck at the airport for days on end?

I finally see what the GLEE phenomenon is all about! I spent the weekend trying to catch up on the GLEEK mania and I get it, I truely get it. 

The music is great (though I did get a little annoyed that the highly produced 'spontaneous' songs). My favorite is when Puck sang Sweet Caroline. I think he rocks! I even went online to check out his album Smoke Signals. Pretty good for a guy with a mohawk

The second season starts tomorrow and I will be one of millions sitting in front of my television ready to see Mr. Schuester find out if Ms. Pillsbury is his true love, hopefully Finn will finally get the girl he deserves he is such a great guy. 

BONJOUR la France!

Yes, I am headed off to the wonderful world of Paris (France not Texas ) on Thursday. I can't wait to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and even the Mona Lisa. I will admit my French is horrendous and it will be raining the entire time but.... IT'S PARIS!!!

                               Though I will be out of the country for a week, life in the Worthington area still goes on. That said I would like to remind EVERYONE that the 8th annual Poetry and Short Story Competition has begun. We will take entries until the 8th of April. Our judges are set and are anxiously awaiting your literary creativity!

For more information see the March 3rd blog post.

In fact, Ohio ranked #31 on the U.S. News and World Report's list of "Best States for Teen Drivers."

"In an effort to raise awareness for teen driver safety, U.S. News Media Group today published its first ranking of the Best States for Teen Drivers, available online at www.usnews.com/teendrivers and also featured in the April issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine."

Here is a snapshot of Ohio's Teen Driving Safety Statistics

What is most sad, is that Ohio failed in 3 categorties from the Overall Driving Safety Conditions:

Motorcycle helmet laws:	Failing
Safety belt use laws:	Inadequate
DUI/DWI laws:	Failing
Distracted driving/texting while driving laws:	Failing
Red light and speeding camera laws:	Satisfactory
Percent of roads in state rated good/very good:	62.0%
Vehicle miles traveled per capita in state (5-year average):	9649.56

According to a recent Allstate Foundation study:

• 82% of driving teens claim to use cell phones while driving
• 61% of teens worry about getting into a car crash
• 65% of teens think of themselves as a good driver who pays attention

So I'm listening to the radio (WNCI) the other day when I hear the song Blah Blah Blah by Kesha and I was shocked by the lyrics. I shouted at the radio "Seriously, young girls listen to that song! Be a role model."  And then I saw Lady Gaga's new video for Telephone and my reaction was very smiliar. I know I am old(er than you :) ), but I like to believe I can still appreciate good music when I hear it. 

My reaction got me thinking about how when well meaning adults complain about teen literature being too edgy or mature, I almost always think they are being a teensy bit over protective. In my opininon, its better to learn about something like drug use from a book rather than to actually partake in it. I know dozens of girls who've read Ellen Hopkins' books which are bursting with edgier topics like drug abuse, alcholism, suicide, pregnancy and much much worse. I am 100% certain none of the girls I know who've read these book are doing those things. Just because you read about it, doesn't mean you go out and do it. So I am begining to think my reaction to these songs/videos was a bit overkill, a knee jerk reaction if you will....since I am hoping that the same holds true for music. Just because you hear a song such as Blah Blah Blah, doesn't mean you are gonna go out and do those things....right? right??? I would LOVE to know what you think of Ms. Kesha and her songs. I would love to know what you think of today's popular music in general.

Please discuss!!!

I was so excited to see the first full moon of 2010 but the Ohio weather did not cooperate (at least in my neck of the woods)

What was so special about the first full moon? Well it is supposed to be the brightest and biggest due to being closer to the earth than normal.

"The 2010 wolf moon will appear 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than any other full moon this year, because our cosmic neighbor will actually be closer to Earth than usual." National Geographic Online.

I have a love/hate relationship with full moons. I LOVE how they look and light up the sky on a clear night but I "hate" the idea that a full moon makes people do odd things (or at least it seems like it).

"Many people think full moons cause strange behavior among animals and even humans. In fact several studies over the years have tried to tie lunar phases to births, heart attacks, deaths, suicides, violence, psychiatric hospital admissions and epileptic seizures, and more. Connections have been inclusive or nonexistent." Fox News Online

Did anyone get to see the Wolf Moon??

Did you know there was a day devoted to pies?!!!!! I didn't until this week.

 Saturday, January 23 is National Pie Day!

Some interesting facts for you on this wonderful pie day

• Before pie was America's favorite dessert, fruit pies were commonly eaten as part of breakfast in the 19th century.
• The term "as American as apple pie" traces back to 14th century England. The Pilgrims brought their pie-making skills, along with the apple seeds to America. As the popularity of apple pie spread throughout the nation, the phrase grew to symbolize American prosperity. (http://www.crisco.com/Articles_Tips/Central/Pie_Central/fun_pie_facts.aspx )

There is even an American Pie Council. So get with it and bake a pie, eat a slice of pie, have a pie tasting party,knit a slice of pie 

The pie world is endless!

On January 7, music artist Kenna, actors Jessica Biel and Emile Hirsch along with many others began their long hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania to raise awareness for the global clean water crisis. I heard about this group in the fall and now it is happening. Summit on the Summit website is one of the coolest websites I have ever been on. Gives you a chance to donate to the cause, find more information, climb the mountain with an individual climber, tweet the team, read blogs, and watch videos of the ascent to the top. I will be following the Summit on the Summit group and I will keep you informed on the progress. As of 8:20pm EST the team is camped at 11, 841 ft. Mt. Kilimanjaro is 19, 340ft!

Good luck SOTS team!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I hope you all have a safe and happy beginning to 2010. What book's do you plan to read in 2010? I for one am most excited for the next Hunger Games book!  Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn is on my to read list as well. Check the book trailor out below. It looks so fun!

Have you thought of any good New Year's Resolutions? Here's mine:

1.) I will remember everyone's birthday this year and recognize them with either an email, phone call or card.

2.) I will read at least 1 book per week

3.) I will cut out the sugar. Seriously, no one needs to ingest the crazy amount of sugar I eat each day.

4.) I will post on this blog more!!!

Today Sarah and I will be landing in the beautiful city of Dublin (Ireland for those wondering). Your teen librarians will be in and around Dublin for 5 days, enjoying the sites, sounds and smells of the old country.  Dublin,  home of James Joyce, Bram Stoker, Jonathan Swift, George Bernard Shaw, Colin Farrell and most importantly U2!!!!!

What are we going to do while in Ireland you ask? Well let's see. In Dublin, we are going to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College, Kilmainham Gaol,  St. Stephens Green, Dublin Castle, just to name a few. Outside of Dublin, hopefully we will get to see Newgrange, Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains. All of this is dependent on how the weather holds up. England and Ireland have had HISTORIC flooding in the past month.

While in Ireland, I will be celebrating my birthday! As all of our faithful readers know I highly recommend new experiences and traveling to places you have never been. Dublin has always been one of my top 10 places to travel before I die. Every year I add more places to my ever growing list of "must see". After watching the Ken Burn's documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, I have added Yellowstone and Yosemite, though it will be hard to measure up to Denali National Park and Mt. McKinley, it is BREATHTAKING!!

I saw this great news piece last weekend about a man in Texas trying to make the environment better. In Huntsville, Texas, Dan Phillips started building low income housing out of trash about twelve years ago. He uses anything and everything other people throw away. Bottle caps, picture frames, license plates and so on. His houses are so cheap to build that he can sell or rent the property for a lot lower than an average home and most importantly, up to building code.  The New York Times also had an article about Mr. Phillips.

Check out Mr. Phillips' website for his company Phoenix Commotion. He hires unskilled labor so they can learn a new craft, the houses are small to cut down on the carbon footprints, and other cities are coming to him for advice on how to better use the trash in their local areas. I think this man is WONDERFUL!

So I was glancing through things to write about today- and I'm NOT going to write about New Moon....I'll wait to see what Sarah C. has to say about that, since she is the expert on all things Twilight!

So I thought I would write about two articles I read recently that caught my eye. The first one is about Teen Health. Surprisingly, they're finding that the rise in teen obesity is NOT due to a change or decrease in the amount of physical activity. At least, the amount of physical activity that teens do hasn't changed, while the teen population itself is getting bigger. One third of US teens are obese, and they're saying that overall teens don't exercise any LESS than they did prior to these numbers increasing. Hmmmm... I don't get it- I wonder what the problem is then?? It's an interesting article, check it out!

And the Weird News that I found:  there is this bizarre little bug that uses his own excrement to repel predators! GROSS! I don't know what it is with me and posts about insects, but I found this news to be quite alarming and had to share it. Yuck!

I hope everyone has a great weekend and GO BUCKS!

Anyone know what comes out November 20? Yes, you guessed it, NEW MOON. The second in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. The lives/unlives of Bella, Edward, Jacob, the Cullens are in the spotlight again (though they haven't left since the first movie).

I still love the books better and I have only seen Twilight once (the day it came out). Will I go to see New Moon, heck yes though man oh man the special effects and acting better be spot on b/c I honestly could not stand Bella in book two. I just kept yelling at the book, "get a backbone girl boys don't define who you are, stand up for yourself!" 

While we are talking vampires, I went to see the Cirque du Freak: Vampire's Assistant movie last Friday. I admit not the best movie I have seen but darn it was funny and it was nice not have "perfect" vampires roaming around.

For the record I am on Team Switzerland.

Check out these scenes, interviews and more from MTV

120 pounds and fired for being to too fat????!!!! The news has been buzzing about the Ralph Lauren ad that was photoshopped so poorly, the model looked like she weighed about 80 pounds.  The model in this picture, Filippa Hamilton, has claimed she was fired by Ralph Lauren for being "too large" Too large? She is actually  5'10' 120 pounds and a size 4!

What is this saying to young women, teens and other fashion designers? Shish.

Body image books have always been published, but more and more are coming out with (THANKFULLY!) a better message such as be true to yourself, love it or hate it you only have one body!

• The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Looks by Madeline George
• Pretty Face by Mary Hogan
• Models Don't Eat Chocolae Cookies by Erin Dionne
• Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?
• Artichoke's Heart by Susan Supplee
• Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught

Hmm....what do you think about this news article from The Morning Call:

Palmerton High School students protested their school's new dress code by showing up to class wearing shirts that read "Property of PHS" and their student identification numbers. Students were told to remove them or face in-school suspensions. One student said he was suspended for refusing to change his shirt.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the school district was wrong to reprimand students who wore T-shirts protesting a new dress code.  According to The Morning Call, the American Civil Liberties Union sees that as a violation of the students' right to free speech and is willing to take the case to federal court.

What do you think? Were the students just exercising their right to free speech or was the school just trying to "maintain order?"

Awwwww, I just read such a feel good article about a cat and his owner.

Clyde, a Himalayan cat has been reunited with his owner, Ashleigh after 3 years on the road. How you ask? The vet traced Clyde's owner by the identification microchip embedded in the cute kittie. Read the article here by the Associated Press. 

        Clyde took an epic journey of over 2,000 miles in the Australian Outback before being rescued by a nurse.

Once again, AWWWWWW  

While researching activities to do for a library program, I came across this article on the Cardboard Tube Fighting League and thought this looked like SO much FUN!! We probabaly won't be having a library program about this, but don't let that stop you and your friends from collecting your own paper tubes and having a fight of your own. What a way to releive stress during exam week! I think I might have to get some friends together one evening and have a paper tube fight of my own.

American Idol's new judge is.....

ELLEN DEGENERES, yep you read right?  Shocker but I am very open to seeing how she handles Simon. Many people have already chimed in on what they think about the new Fourth Judge. Los Angeles TImes, MTV.com, Reuters and many more.

I am so excited, college football starts officially tomorrow!!!!  I don't know who plays but I do know that my team plays this weekend along with over twenty other teams (Ohio State included).

Oklahoma Sooners play their very first game of the season in the BRAND NEW Dallas Cowboy stadium. How awesome is that, an Oklahoma team plays in the stadium before any Texas college team.

In other football news, Thomas Worthington High won their first game last Friday against Jonathan Alder High School 35-28

This week marks THE big day for y'all, BACK TO SCHOOL!  Yep,your summer is officially over but great things await.

If you are headed into 7th or 9th grade, you will be making new friends, meeting teens from other schools and finding your way around the halls. The rest of you should be excited to see your friends (I keep seeing my Facebook friends talking about their schedules so I know some of you are excited for the adventure)

Why are you torturing us Ann? Well because I loved school when I was a teen. I loved getting new notebooks, new clothes and meeting new people. Where I grew up we had one junior high so going into high school was no biggie. First day jitters will always be there even for the Seniors.

Horror stories of first day are just that stories. Make your own memories and remember middle school and high school are just a teeny tiny part of your life, enjoy!!!!!

For those newbies to Thomas Worthington, keep a look out for information about the monthly morning book discussion group, Book and Bagels and for the 7th graders at Kilbourne Middle stop by the media center to ask about the Book and Bag discussion group.

Starting August 24, teen bands across the country are invited to compete in the first-ever SchoolJam USA. This one-of-a-kind, national teen battle-of-the-bands competition is accepting applications from middle and high school students, aiming to showcase their talent and bolster support for school music programs.

Who can enter? Anyone in a band, whose members are between the ages of 13 and 18, aren’t—and have never been—signed to a music label, and are currently registered at a high school in the United States. (All band members must be able to travel outside the country to qualify for the trip to Germany)

What kind of music? Any style of music, as long as it’s original (no cover bands) or the music falls under public domain. Lyrics must be approved.

What are the prizes? Each of the 10 finalists will receive prize money to purchase new gear—and so will their school music programs! In addition, the winning band will travel to Europe next March to perform at the 2010 SchoolJam Germany finals in Frankfurt

Check out the SchoolJam website for more info and application!

GOOD LUCK! Let us know if your band enters and we will go online and vote for you!

I love checking out Yahoo storylines for the odd, amazing, top place to visit or live. Today is no exception, Yahoo Travel had a listing of the  World's Weirdest Hotels. Budget Travel website is the creator of the list and some of these are truly weird!

An escape pod?! An airplane that looks like it crash landed in Costa Rican jungle?! And a hotel Cape Town, South Africa, that has "penthouse" Airstream trailers on the rooftop. And this was the 2nd list want to know what hotels were on the first list? Check out Budget Travel website

A Capsule Hotel pod, stationed in France

Photo: Denis Oudendijk

Good For You Girls is launching a line of 100% natural skin care that addresses the unique skin care needs of tweens age 9 to 15. According to the mom creaters, the products contain only the purest, natural and organic ingredients that are effective and safe for young skin, all our products are free from parabens, petrochemicals, sulfates, phthalates, dyes and irritants. Plus, they are vegan-approved and cruelty free. 

From my experience, it is really hard to find products without parabens. I have been using the Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety website to locate safe products for myself and my family. I really hope more productsbecome "all natural" in the future!

This  past weekend the record for the LARGEST cupcake was broken! 1, 224 pounds of cake and icing created by a company called GourmetGiftBaskets.com broke the former world record on August 15, 2009 in Royal Oak, Michigan. A representative from Guinness Book World Records measured the cupcake to make the record official. The vanilla with pink icing cupcake included 800 eggs and 200 pounds each of sugar and flour and was 8 times larger than the previous record holder.

Donations to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer organization were accepted in exchange for a slice of the record breaking cupcake.

Argumentation, preponderant, propitiatory, what do these all have in common?

Rice! The UN World Food Programme has some great, fun, educational ways to learn about hunger around the world.  FREE RICE is a great website that lets people test their knowledge, up their vocabulary skills and feed the hungry. 

For every answer you get correct the UN World Food Programme with the support of sponsers will donate 10 grains of rice to help feed those most in need. How does this happen? See below.

If FreeRice has the rice to give, why not give it all away right now?

FreeRice is not sitting on a pile of rice.you are earning it 10 grains at a time. Here is how it works. When you play the game, sponsor banners appear on the bottom of your screen. The money generated by these banners is then used to buy the rice. So by playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry people.  (FAQ section of Free Rice website)

OVER 66 BILLION GRAINS OF RICE HAVE BEEN DONATED SINCE 2007. LETS KEEP IT GOING!

How many of you went to the Ohio State Fair this year? Did you have fun? A friend of mine took his daughter to see Kelly Clarkson (love her btw) in concert.  I went last year and I have to admit is was interesting. I hail from Oklahoma so I have been to my share of hoedowns but the Ohio State Fair is huge. Many of my coworkers went this year and had fun (a lot of them keep talking about the deep fried buckeyes).

Games, rides, livestock, and deep fried Buckeyes, what more can a person ask for

       (picture courtesy of the Columbus Dispatch

We are very excited to welcome the new addition to the Worthington Libraries family. Teen librarian Mandy, Worthington Park, had her little baby boy yesterday. YAY

Baby Simon is doing great and so is mama. We will miss Mandy while she is gone but can't wait to see the new little boy!

Ever wonder why mummies always look like they are screaming? Did the person die in agony or pain or is it just a process of nature? I stumbled upon an article about the possible reasons for the screaming mummy look and found out that it is most likely due to the jaw bone "relaxing" in a the scream/open mouth position.

Check out this awesome web article from Archaeology.org. FASCINATING yet CREEPY !!!!!

I thought this was pretty cool- a rare Pink Katydid was found in Ohio, by a couple hiking in Wyandot County.

Katydids are typically green- and you'd probably recognize one due to their size and just (to me) general creepy look they have to them. But apparently rare forms of Blue, Pink and even Yellow Katydids can occur naturally. The pink color can help it hide in colorful flowers, and deters prey from eating them because they look like they may be poisonous.

Pretty cool! Check out the full news story by clicking here!

Photo credit: The Columbus Dispatch

**UPDATE**

I wrote this blog post earlier in the week, when they first found the pink bug (named Pinky!). However, I have sad news to report: The Pink Katydid was killed. <--------WARNING The pictures at this website are gross- bug guts!  After an autopsy, "Pinky" the katydid was killed by the larvae of a tachinid fly that was in her belly.

ALL I CAN SAY IS YUCK!!!!!! But her passing is a little bit sad, and it was an interesting story coming out of Ohio.

Rest in Peace, Pinky!

I just came across this interesting article about the consumption of alcohol in the new Harry Potter movie.

The article states:  "As Harry Potter fans crowd movie theaters to catch the latest installment in the blockbuster series, parents may be surprised by the starring role given to alcohol. In scene after scene, the young wizards and their adult professors are seen sipping, gulping and pouring various forms of alcohol to calm their nerves, fortify their courage or comfort their sorrows."

For those of you who've seen the movie, what do you think? Did you even notice the alcohol consumption? What about your parents? Did they notice?

This past weekend I went to see my first NASCAR race! Yup, your teen librarian camped out at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the weekend and was witness to the running of the cars, ie Brickyard 400. It was my first camping experience and my first live race. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway track is celebrating 100 years of racing and it was great race. My favorite driver, Tony Stewart, sadly came in 3rd (but still in the top overall spot).

The camping part of the weekend was definitely an experience! The first night we had to sleep in the car due to the 40-50mile an hour wind! Just picture me trying to hold up a wall of the tent so it wouldnt blow away   The next day the campground was mud but the fans were out in force!!! @250, 000 fans stong celebrating the sport of racing. It was a blast.

I know many of you are thinking, what is the appeal of racing?! It is a left and a left and a left etc. for hundreds of miles. All I can say to that is, driving @180miles or faster/hour on a 2 mile oval track with 40 other cars trying to pass you takes SKILL!!!!  I get stressed going 70 in between two semi-trucks.

Check out the history of NASCAR!

So the City of Columbus recently passed a law that all people riding bikes under the age of 18 are required to wear bicycle helmets.

Obviously, if you fall off your bike and hit your head, you're less likely to have serious damage if you're wearing a helmet. "Bicycle helmets can lower the risk of brain injury by up to 88%" (from The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital)

The law went into effect on July 1st, and now police officers may issue warnings or fines of $25 to anyone under the age of 18 who is riding a bike in Columbus and not wearing a helmet. "The law also requires all Columbus youth under the age of 18 using non-powered scooters, inline skates, roller-skates and skateboards to wear a helmet" (from Columbus Parent) 

So far they haven't issued a law like this in the city of Worthington. What do you think? Do you wear a helmet when you're riding your bike?

Even I have a hard time peeling myself away from my phone while I'm trying to send a text message. I know it has to be annoying for people who are around me...and I'm text messaging while attempting to walk down the street or checking out at the grocery store. It's rude! It's wrong!

I should just wait and text once I have a moment to sit down or at least step aside, right? I try to always NOT be on the phone or texting when I'm checking out or buying something at the store from a cashier. But it happens though...

Maybe it's something we should think about, because in New York City a teenage fell into an open manhole because she wasn't looking where she was going and was text messaging on her phone while walking. Granted, apparently there weren't any cones in the way- blocking her from falling in, but I know that sometimes I see people texting while walking across a parking lot or a cross-walk in the street and I worry! I mean, you could get hit by a car...or worse...fall in a manhole! The girl in the story is lucky she didn't get badly injured, but it also sound SUPER GROSS that she fell into a NYC sewer...disgusting!

Today (July 16th) is the 40th anniversary of the lift-off of Apollo 11.  Most of us weren't born yet, but it was during this mission, in 1969,  that we first stepped on the moon (that anniversary comes Monday). You can read more about it on NPR's article 40 Years Ago Today, Were You Watching Apollo 11?

For a very interactive way of seeing how the Apollo 11 mission unfolded, go to We Choose the Moon, a website from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. It's tracking "the launch" right now as if it were actually happening. You can watch video footage and peruse photographs for whatever stage of the launch is happening "now." As I write this they are in stage six, about half way to the moon. They are also tweeting the mission, as if it were happening today. This is very cool and you should definitely check it out!

There's an app for everything with Iphone. I just read on one of my listservs about a new application for the Iphone and Ipod Touch. It is digital manga. I did not know that was even an app (yes I own an Iphone but I have the basics).

GO! COMI AND ZEITGEIST GAMES ANNOUNCE “JAPAN AI – THE IPHONE APP”  This would be a great way to read Japan Ai – A Tall Girl’s Adventure in Japan by Amiee Major Steinberger, since we do not own the book. I am going to download it today and see what it is all about. Books on CD and electronic versions of books are not my cup of tea but I will give it a go for the sake of keeping you informed.

Anime News Network also lists a few more that are available on Ipod Touch and Iphone.

Enjoy !

If your like me you never really think about who the top M.D. in the county would be right? I just take it for granted that the President chooses the most qualified medical professional to lead the nation in health education. Until the President Obama's  nomination of Dr. Regina Benjamin was officially announced yesterday I did not even realize the nation has had an acting U.S. Surgeon General for almost two years.

I am fasinated by Dr. Benjamin's background of service and her determination to provide health care to a population in dire need. "In 1990, Benjamin founded the Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic. She had to rebuild it three times after it was destroyed by Hurricane George in 1998, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in a later fire." (WebMD.com)

     She is determined to get health care to ALL. Good for her!!! Congratulations on the nomination Dr. Benjamin.

For more info check out these sites:

USNews and World Report.com

Office of the Surgeon General

I’ve always wanted to have a garden, but I live in a tiny apartment with a tiny yard, so there’s never a good “spot” to garden. So I thought this Vertical Garden idea from Instructables was neat—using those over-the-door shoe holders as a place to create a garden!

Need some new blogs to read? How about blogs dealing with Reading?   I discovered a few new blogs about teen books that are really pretty interesting and at least one has been created by three teens. Last book I read was Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

What are you up to this Fourth of July Holiday?

The libraries are closed today (due to the holiday)- and will reopen on Monday July 6th.

I'm hoping to head out to one of our State Parks here in Ohio- maybe have a picnic and go hiking?

Since our Summer Reading Program is Get Your Green On, the two day (Saturday and Sunday) holiday is a good excuse to get out to some of our parks and throw around that frisbee you've won in the Teen Summer Reading Program, right? To check out all the different State Parks, you can click here: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/outdoorfun/tabid/74/Default.aspx

If you're more interested in staying in the Columbus area, you can check out some of our city's parks here: http://recparks.columbus.gov/Parks/index.asp

I have been doing some research for a program I would like to do in the fall and came across a website called Scratch. Check it out!

 I am a low tech gal which means I have never really done a ton of programming sooo this is the site for me! Scratch has been around for awhile but I can't wait to try it out.

WOW!! Thank you for all you've done to help save Ohio's public libraries.  Many legislators reported receiving more than 10,000 e-messages and telephone calls from library supporters in just one 24-hour period. The Governor's e-mail and phone lines were shut down at many points throughout the week due to the volume of incoming messages. 

Know that your voice has been heard - loud and proud. And we know this because legislators are supporting public libraries. Many members of the General Assembly have issued statements in support of public libraries.

Thanks again for your support!!

I went to Zoombezi Bay a week ago for the very first time. Needless to say I am not really a water lover nor am I a sun worshipper but...... I had FUN!!! We spent 7 hours riding rides, relaxing in the Roaring Rapids (one of my favorites) and getting pounded by the waves in the wave pool. My favorite ride you ask? Well it would have to be the Cyclone! I loved the drop! It was a LOOONG wait for what seemed like a 5 second ride but well worth the wait. Kind of like the Dragster at Cedar Point.

Your teen librarian is all for the stomach dropping adventure rides, but I am more rollarcoaster/skydiving gal than body slide water up my nose gal.

I have only been to two parks in Ohio,  Cedar Point and Zoombezi Bay, what do you all recommend as the best park that I should try next?

Your favorite Zoombezi Bay ride?

Your favorite rollarcoaster in Ohio?

Which one should I take Sarah C. on?!!!

I came across this neat website called SMITHTeens- have you heard of it?

It's all about six-word memoirs. Basically you write your six words and post it to the page. The page itself is colorful and cool and it's interesting to read others' six-word memoirs, which come across more like secrets to me.

You can comment on others' six word memoirs, or just page through and read the ones that are posted. They compiled a book of these Six Word Memoirs called: Not Quite What I was Planning
from Smith magazine. It's an adult book, but if you're interested in reading more of those short memoirs- you can reserve that book by clicking here.

Congrats to all graduating seniors out there!!  I know you are all relieved that you are finished with high school and on to bigger and better things but remember to give your family a big THANK YOU for all they have done to get you through. Now that you are finished, what are your plans for the future? For the summer? For tomorrow?

We will miss you but "oh the places you will go!"

While looking over the new books, I came across Shadi Ghadirian: Iranian Photographer edited by Rose Issa. Shadi Ghadirian is a photographer who lives and work in Iran and  according to her it is"quite by accident" that subjects of her first two series were "women."  The photographs in this book are quite powerful.

You can take a look here! What statement do you think Shadi Ghadirian is making with her photographs?

Get Your Green On! The 2009 Worthington Libraries Teen Summer Reading Program starts June 6th.  The "go green" theme will hopefully inspire you to make little changes in your day to day lives that will ultimately have an impact on our planet. If you think you can't make a difference, take a look at Teens Turning Green!

Teens Turning Green is a national coalition of teens educating peers and community members about making safe, healthy, and green lifestyle choices. They focus on the daily chemical exposures in our schools and communities that harm our health.

One of their campaigns is Teens for Safe Cosmetics. They hope to help teens make greener choices in cosmetics and personal care products since many ingredients have links to cancer, birth defects, and reproductive harm. They created this handy list of Greener Alternatives that list companies that offer healthier, safer and greener alternatives in beauty and personal care products.

 Teens Turning Green began organizing and grew in sheer numbers! They have become a powerful force for change. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

So everyone from time to time (I think) needs a hug.  It can cheer you up, give you a lift, etc. AND when you haven't seen a friend in what seems like forever, it's nice to greet your friend with a great big hug hello, right????

Not according to some schools and some principals across the country-- some schools have banned hugging entirely- even though most of the time hugging appears to be a harmless greeting among friends. Some schools equate hugging to "PDA" or Public Displays of Affection, and ban the act of hugging all together.

So what do you think? What would you do if your school banned hugging?? Or does your school already have a policy on hugging? Would you care?

We all use Wikipedia from time to time, yes even librarians! Journalists cite quotes from the free online encyclopedia and comic book lovers check to see what is new. Is it reliable? Not always.

Case in point, a 22 year old college student from Dublin, Ireland, Shane Fitzgerald, posted a quote by Maurice Jarre (French composer who passed away in late March whose credits include, Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago) on Wikipedia minutes after the news of Jarre's death was announced.

“One could say my life itself has been one long soundtrack. Music was my life, music brought me to life, and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz playing in my head, that only I can hear,” Jarre was quoted as saying.

The problem for many journalists was the quote was FAKE!!!!! 

"The quote had no referenced sources and was therefore taken down by moderators of Wikipedia within minutes. However, Fitzgerald put it back a few more times until it was finally left up on the site for more than 24 hours." (Irishtimes.com, May 6, 2009)

24 hours for the hoax to run was enough time for quite a few newspapers picked up the quote. Newspapers around the globe ran the Fitzgerald quote in Jarre's obituary.

Why am I telling you this, I just want to remind y'all to, CHECK YOUR SOURCES and when writing a paper don't rely too heavily on Wikipedia as your main source. 

• The Washington Post
• The New Zealand Herald

Mother's Day is this Sunday (May 10th, don't forget!)

If you find yourself short on cash, dosomething.org lists 11 ways to make your mother happy on Mother's Day without spending a dime! Making cards is a great place to start but dosomething.org lists a few more creative tips that will definitely get Mom smiling on Sunday.

Happy Earth Day everyone!

What are you doing to celebrate? planting a tree? cleaning up a local lake? riding your bike or walking instead of driving the car? or maybe you just plan to save the earth and some money one library book at a time. If you think about it, library books are the ultimate way to recycle! Think about how many people read each library book. Its amazing.  The library is planning to "go green" this summer as our summer reading program will have a "green" theme! More to come, but in the meantime, if you need some tips on how to go green, try the ideas listed on the planetgreen website.

I absolutely loved Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It was one of my favorite books of 2008. If you loved it as much as I did, you will be excited to know that Scholastic is hosting a Hunger Games writing contest! The winner will recieve a private lunch with Ms. Collins! Think of all the questions you could ask her!

Meg Cabot (Princess Diaries) and Michelle Jaffe (Bad Kitty) have teamed up to answer all your questions! Want to get that boy to notice you? Have some problems with friends deserting you? Meg and Michelle have got the solutions for you! This is to hilarious!

3 MILLION COPIES  

The number above is how many Twilight DVDs were sold on the first day alone!!!!!!

The Twilight phenomenon is not going away and with the next movie already in production the Edward vs Jacob rivalry will continue for years to come. With that said I have some questions for all the die hard Twilight fans.

1. Edward or Jacob?
2. Have you bought the movie?
3. Who owns the the entire book series and has purchased all the companion books?
4. How many times have you watched the movie?
5. Buffy or Edward?
6. Is it the romance or the vampires that draw you into the story?
7. Ever seen the classic teen vampire movie, The Lost Boys?

Okay that's all the questions for now.

I am going to be a downer here; I only saw the movie once (opening night), will not buy the movie and would rather read something besides vampire stories for awhile.

Trivia:  The word TWIHARD has been added to the Urban Dictionary.

One of my ALL TIME favorite picture books is The Very Hungry Caterpillar but did you know it turned 40 this week?!! WOW. I remember reading it as a child, then reading it to my nieces and nephews. The lovable caterpillar has wiggled and munched it's way into many young lives with the promise of hope and I truly hope the tradition continues. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CATERPILLAR!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar written by Eric Carle was recognized by Google and all the big newspapers around the nation. There is even a new pop-up book to celebrate. Check out the Eric Carle website

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I am back from maternity leave. I am sad to leave my baby, but really excited to be back and see all of you! So when you are in the library, please stop by and say hi. I've really missed all of you. Plus I am really behind on my reading so I need some book recommendations. The shorter the better.

See you soon!

I am so excited it is March. Why? hmm let me see...

• St. Patrick's Day is on March 17th, love to wear green and love Ireland
• Teen Tech Week, March 8 to March 14, libraries celebrate teens and technology for a whole week
• 7th Annual Teen Poetry and Short Story Competition begins March 16
• Spring is almost here and..... most importantly, MARCH MADNESS BEGINS!!!!

College basketball overload. My team(Oklahoma Sooners) is number 4 in the nation! SWEET  and the girls team is number 2.

Anything special happening for y'all in March? Let us know.

So yesterday's Anti-Valentine's Party at Worthington Park was fun! I think I still have a sugar buzz from all the icing and cookie decorating. Thanks to all who came, and for those of you who didn't make it- be sure to go to the Northwest Library's Anti-Valentine's Day party next weekend, Saturday February 14th, at 2pm in the Teen Area!

I was looking through the news today and saw that several news reporting agencies have written about the ever popular 25 Random Things about Me phenomenon that's happening these days on Facebook.  I think it's a little strange that the news is posting something about it, at all. However, I've also read in various online discussions that people are getting irritated by all of the Myspace-like surveys (such as the 25 Random Things list) on Facebook. Some people say that they like Facebook more than Myspace specifically BECAUSE it has less surveys.

Not me. I love surveys. I love answering questions, which is probably why I decided to be a librarian. But I wondered, how many of you filled out the 25 Random Things survey on Facebook? Do surveys on Facebook bother you?

Also I found this neat website that can show you the headlines of newspapers all over the country. Cool, right?

Snakes are not my favorite and growing up near rivers and lakes made my small phobia even worse, Copperheads!! Well it seems the snake to end all snakes was discovered in Columbia. Yes I know it was just a fossil that was discovered but....

The king of all snakes roamed over 60 million years ago, 2,500lbs, 43 feet long and 4 feet wide. WOW. If you haven't heard about the giant snake check out the link from the Washington Times.

I was sadden to read today that one of my favorite webcam sites will be going off line December 31st. Panda Cam, has made me smile and laugh throughout the year. Earlier this year  would click on the site and watch Xi-Lan's olfer sister, Mei Lan,  climb robes, fall asleep, play and fall again. With the new cub  I have been watching the baby learn to walk. WE LOVE PANDAS!!!

I went on today (the live feed is from 8am to 5pm EST) and found out that they will be cutting off my entertainment soon. I also found out on December 8th the new cub had it's 100 day birthday and was officially named, Xi-Lan  (which means Atlanta's Joy) is the second giant panda cub to be born in the Atlanta Zoo.

About the 100 Day Naming Tradition
A time-honored custom in many parts of China, the 100 Day Naming Celebration has its roots in practicality. Until relatively recently in history, infant mortality was common in China, and many parents postponed naming their offspring during the fragile early months. An infant’s 100th day was thus considered an extremely significant milestone, and the custom survives today as an occasion of great festivity. In Chinese tradition, family and friends typically honor the child with gifts and red envelopes containing warm wishes for health, long life and prosperity.

I recommend checking out the Panda cam before it goes offline.

One more cute panda is on youtube. just type in baby panda sneeze, and make sure you have the sound on.

Would you ever collect barf bags for a hobby? How about coins? Pez? Gum wrappers? One of my coworkers, who shall remain nameless (for this entry we will call this person, CWSRN) collects PEZ. That's right, PEZ

CWSRN does not collect the candy but CWSRN collects the Pez dispensers. She has Mr. Ugly, Spiderman, and so many others I can't count. The important Pez dispensers are actually put in a shadow box and displayed proudly. CWSRN is the first person I have met who collects PEZ dispensers (her coolection is over 700) but after a road trip and a stop in an antique store it seems there are more PEZ collectors than I would have ever imagined and they are in agreement with CWSRN, PEZ ROCKS!

My grandmother was a collector. She collected coins, stamps, tins and letters. She had letters from when she was a teenager! It is incredibly interesting to see how things have changed over the decades but how many things have stayed the same. Teens are still teens. I am not a collector. I do have tons of Disney ornaments for my tree but that is because who can resist an entire tree decorated with all your favorite Disney characters, Tramp, Beast, and my all time favorite, Donald Duck!

Have a glane at Forbes.com "oddest collections"  and the next time you come across a Pez think of your local librarian, CWSRN.

What was Worthington Libraries’ best:

Teen Event/Program?

Author Visit?

New Book that came out this year?

Renovated area of the library? (DUH!)

For those in the know or at least have seen Sarah C. lately, she had her baby today. Did any of you give her suggestions on names? Her son Isaac did and a few of the good ones were ---- Dirt and  Shoe  

• Born -- Friday, December 12 at 11:22 am
• Weight-- 8 lbs, 8 oz
• Length-- 18 inches
• Most importantly his name: OWEN

WELCOME BABY  to the WORLD of TEEN LIBRARIANS and the WONDERFUL TEENS we work alongside.

What do you think about this? What would you do if  your school banned hooded sweatshirts?

This is from an online School Library Journal article called Hold the Hoodies:

School officials banned students at North Garland High School in Texas from wearing hooded sweatshirts, alleging that kids could use them to hide their faces from security cameras or to conceal that they're sleeping or using an MP3 player. Officials from North Arlington High School in New Jersey recently took the issue to their school board, where it was noted that a district wide ban could prevent students from using hoodie pockets to conceal banned objects, such as weapons or cell phones.

And it’s fine for students at North High School in Akron, Ohio, to wear hoodies to and from school, but not in class or in the school hallways. In early October, two day suspensions were issued to 29 students who violated the hoodie ban.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My Thanksgiving is always very relaxed, I live too far away to see my sister and her family so for the past 5 -6 years my day includes; getting up late, making coffee, reading, putting a turkey breast in the oven, reading, making sweet potato casserole, reading and then sitting down for my Thanksgiving feast and watching football. One of the big games for the Big 12 was played last night, Texas vs. Texas A&M. Sadly Texas beat A&M which doesn't bode well for my team getting into the Big 12 championship. Oklahoma plays Oklahoma State on Saturday night, GO SOONERS. If we win big there is a good chance we will go to the Big 12 championship game if not then I guess GO Texas.

I read the new Julius Lester book, The Guardian. All I can say is WOW it packs a punch in such a small book. Julius Lester is wonderful at reminding readers about periods in our history that we have forgotten or should not forget. 1940s south, racism, lynchings, murder. WOW, it was hard to read some of the passages in this book.

So have you seen Twilight yet? What did you think? I saw it on Friday night and have LOTS of comments and opinions. I would love to know what you thought. I will add my opinions to the comments section so I won't spoil the movie for anyone who has not seen it yet.

Do you ever pick up a book in the library or bookstore and ask yourself, "why did they put THAT on the cover?" If you haven't then good for you but I tend to ask myself that question constantly. I know I need to enjoy a book or not enjoy a book by what is inside the covers but sadly the cover is what peaks my interest. One of my favorite blogs in cyberspace is called, JACKET WHYS. The blogger posts pics, talks about the trends in teen book covers and also gives a little synopsis of some of the titles she posts about. Recently she discussed the trend of covers showing hands in pockets. I love reading about trends out in the publishing world that I never even noticed. Next time you are in the library or bookstore take time to notice what is being published and if you see a trend.

Remember the saying, "DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER", an author typically doesn't have a say in the cover and in the end it is the content on the inside that matters most.

Teenreads.com (one of my favorite sites to find out about new teen books) is having this awesome contest: Teen Holiday Basket of Cheer Contest. From November 14th through December 10th, you can enter to win a "Basket of Holiday Reading and Fun."

According to the teenreads.com website:

Five winners each will receive a basket that includes 8 books --- AIRHEAD by Meg Cabot, KENDRA by Coe Booth, LOVE IS HELL by Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin and Laurie Faria Stolarz, THE LUXE by Anna Godbersen, MELTING STONES by Tamora Pierce, ONE MILLION THINGS: A Visual Encyclopedia by DK Publishing, THE POSSIBILITES OF SAINTHOOD by Donna Freitas and RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE by Shannon and Dean Hale.

Along with the books, winners will find their basket stocked with the hottest holiday goodies --- a kit to make a mini gingerbread village, Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate mix, red and white fur-trimmed tall socks, a snowman mug, a snow globe that lights up and plays 11 songs, candy cane taffy, snowman tissues, cute red gloves, photo-frame gift cards and a cinnamon holly-scented Illuminations candle.

To enter to win, go to the teenreads.com website today!

So most people are on some sort of social networking website...such as myspace or facebook, friendster or what-have-you. It's an easy way to get a message out to all of your friends- through blogging or bulletins or posting notes, links and photos.

But it seems like just as I begin to master one of them, a new "cooler" looking one comes out and I have to resist the urge to set up a new account on the newest coolest thing.

For example, I was trolling around on some blogs I regularly read and I found this link: http://www.smallworlds.com

It's a new social networking website but it looks similar to The Sims game, where you build a person/house, etc. I can see myself getting totally wrapped up in something like this and not leaving the computer for hours.  So I'm resisting the urge for now- but the 3D images look pretty neat...we'll see if I cave and open yet ANOTHER account with one of these networks.

• Do you have more than one account (like Facebook or Myspace)?
• Do you hear of new social networking websites like Small World?

In other news, Worthington Park had it's first TGIF Game Night on September 26th. We played Wii Sports and Smash Brothers, and Dance Dance Revolution. It was my first chance to try DDR and I have to say, I will definitely have to practice before the next event! I'll be posting pictures on here soon from the event.

Snacks + video games + hanging out at the library after-hours = a great time had by all at Worthington Park!

The next TGIF event will be held at Northwest Library

on October 24th, and the theme is Hats Off to Broadway!

And another thing-- does anyone know what they're going to be for Halloween this year? I'm running out of ideas...I need a cheap/creative/funny costume idea that won't take too much time to plan, or cost a whole lot of money. I'll take your recommendations...

I seriously can't believe the summer is almost over.  The summer reading program went by super fast, the Breaking Dawn Party (I promise to get the pics up soon!) came and went as well as the Volunteen Thank You Party. WOW! It was a huge and extremely successful summer...thanks to all of you! So I am sending out a huge cheers to all of you!!

Thanks to the 225 volunteens that staffed the summer reading registatration and signed up 6,434 children, 1,222 teens and 1,394 adults for all three Worthington Libraries!

Thanks to the teens who posted 100's of comments on the teen blog this summer. PLEASE keep your comments coming! We blog all year long, not just in the summer.

Thanks to all the teens who came to our teen events this summer. I loved the Breaking Dawn Party, but I also really loved learning how to Belly Dance.

We had some great events this summer and I want to make sure you all know what's coming up this Fall:

• September 1: We'll kick off our first Book Chat online book discussion. We will be discussing Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, what else? In October we will discuss Airman by Eoin Colfer.
• September 8th: A Night of Awesome with John Green. Nerdfighters unite! John Green, award winning author of Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines, is coming to Northwest Library on September 8th! Join us for a night of awesome as John Green talks about his books, nerdfighting and more. 7pm Northwest Library
• September 13: Savvy Travelors: The Bristish Isles. It is time to head to the lands of Prince William, kilts, Riverdance, Big Ben and haggis. 4pm Old Worthington Library
• September 20: Anime Teen Screen. Watch and rate newly-released and upcoming anime titles in the new Teen area of the Northwest Library.  Other Anime Teen Screen events will be held on Oct 11 & Nov 22. 3-6pm Northwest Library
• September 26: TGIF: Game Night. Go head to head with your friends and challenge the librarians to some DDR, Wii, or Guitar Hero! The library will be closed, but the teens can stay 'til nine to show off your gaming skillz! 6-9pm Worthington Park Library
• October 12-October 18: Teen Read Week. Celebrate Teen Read Week with Books with Bite! Activities and fun for teens happening Monday through Thursday each night! There will be lots more about Teen Read Week posted on this blog in the very near future! Events will be held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays at all three libraries!
• October 24: TGIF: Hats Off to Broadway. If you are a fan of broadway musicals, this program is for you! It's your turn to be the star. During this after hours event for teens, we will have a Broadway Musical trivia challenge, Name that Broadway show tune, acting games and more! The ability to act and sing is not required, just the love of Broadway. 6-9pm Northwest Library
• November 7: TGIF:Smash Brothers Tournament. Whether you are old school Super Smash Brothers Melee or new school Super Smash Brothers Brawl we got them both. Two tournaments two winners but you can only enter one so your fate is in your hands. 6-9pm Old Worthington Library

There are also Drop In nights at all three libraries. DIY Drop In, Gaming Drop In and  Teen Tech Fun Nights too!

Hi all!

We have American Teen movie passes (each is good for 2 people) available at all three Worthington Libraries locations: Northwest Library, Old Worthington Library, and Worthington Park Library.

If you are interested in a movie pass, ask a librarian at your branch library before they run out! The movie is PG-13. If you're interested in seeing a preview, you can check it out here.

There is a free showing of the movie.

• Wednesday August 6, 2008 at 7:30pm at the AMC Easton (275 Easton Town Center, I-270 and Morse Rd. in the Easton Town Center, Columbus, OH 43219)

July is National Ice Cream Month!

According to the International Dairy Foods Association, July is the time to celebrate ice cream. Specifically, the third Sunday of each July is National Ice Cream Day. That makes this Sunday July 20th 2008 the day to especially celebrate Ice Cream. Yum!

I love ice cream. (Who doesnt!?) Getting ice cream is always tough for methough, because I can't ever decide on the right flavor. There are too many to choose from. Almost always I decide on one delicious kind, and then ten minutes into the treat I'm wishing I would've gotten another.

The last time I got ice cream was at this great little shop just outside my hometown in Northeastern Ohio called Handel's Ice Cream (I just checked, and it looks like there are two locations in Columbus, too. I had no idea!). I had a scoop of chocolate peanut butter and a scoop of praline cashew. De-Lic-ious. I grew up BEGGING my mom and dad to stop at Handel's whenever we would pass it on the road, so I'm glad to find out I can still get some here in Columbus, too!

So in honor of National Ice Cream month, I thought I'd share some links that I found recently on the scrumptious subject...and I may have to hit the Dairy Queen Drive thru on my way home from work tonight after posting this...or maybe walk to Graeters???

• Ever think about trying Lobster Ice Cream? Umm...I don't know if I'd be willing to try that one.
• How about trying to Make Ice Cream at Home? We did this at a Teen Event at Northwest Library last year and it was a lot of fun! Sarah C. has these cool balls that you fill with ingredients and then just toss the ball around to make ice cream. I wonder if she's gotten those out for any programs yet this summer????
• And check out Jeni's Ice Cream if you haven't already-- it's SO good, and the flavors are all really different.
• What's the best ice cream you've had? Or your favorite to get on a hot day?

And out of all those different crazy flavors-- which ones sound the nastiest? I'm still thinking Lobster Ice Cream sounds the grossest.... but that's just me!

I just found another great website with more info on ice cream and had to add it! Check it out.

Ridiculous Balloon Hats?

Well, better late than never, right?

Ann P. and I got back from the American Library Association Annual Conference in Anaheim California on July 2nd. Boy, it was a crazy-busy (and fun experience). Librarians go to these conferences to find out what other libraries are doing-- see if they have any great ideas for programs, classes, activities, etc. Basically librarians go to these conferences so we can keep having fun stuff for you all to do in the library.

Check out the balloon hats that an entertainer made for Ann P. and me at a pizza place we went to for dinner one night. Incredibly dorky, but hilarious! Hahaha!

Another great part about conferences:
When you're not in sessions (which are a little like classes) librarians can walk through these huge exhibits of TONS and TONS of vendors. Vendors like publishers, people who make funky furniture and shelving for libraries, and this year they even had an entire portion of the exhibit hall for gaming. You could step in line to play a Wii, or try out some other cool video game consoles. Best part about the exhibit hall? BOOKS. FREE BOOKS. Free posters, bookmarks and often authors are even there SIGNING free books. All kinds of free stuff~ more than a person can carry really.

When librarians arrive at the ALA conference, they're each handed a big huge bag- in which to haul all of their free stuff. After the first day of trudging all over the place with two bags full of books, I finally figured out that the secret was to go to the exhibit halls and get stuff at the END of the day so I wouldn't have to haul all of them around all day long. Books are HEAVY! I got a few that I plan on giving out as prizes for upcoming programs at Worthington Park Library!

At any rate, I didn't get to make it to Disneyland (booooooo!) but I did manage to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time ever (woo hoooo!). The water was FREEZING! I saw lots of surfers though. Since the librarians were all staying in the Disney area, I was pretty Disney-ed out anyways. Next time I'll get there perhaps.

And if you're interested, Worthington Park Library is having a TGIF: Speed Board Game Tournament on Friday July 11th from 6pm to 9pm. Just make sure you sign up at 6 to get on the game board!
The winner gets a $25. Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!!

A teen in Du Bois, PA invented magnetic locker wallpaper! It is pretty cool and I wish someone had invented this when I was in school. Sarah Buckel came up with the idea for magnetic locker wallpaper and now has a patent and $1 million in sales to go with it!

According to this article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, at the end of Sarah's last year in middle school, she watched as a friend of hers had to stay after school on the last day, forced to scrape away the sticky residue of the contact paper from her locker before she could leave for the year. Her father is the chief executive officer of a company called MagnaCard, which makes business card magnets, magnetic tape and more. Sarah asked her father if he could make some magnetic wallpaper for her. Now Target, Staples, Rite Aid and other major chain stores have all placed orders -- more than $1 million worth! Can you believe it!?!?!

The other day someone responded to Mandy's question about what new music to try and said they were listening to New Kids on the Block. I thought it was either a joke or maybe they had gotten into their parents old music stash... until today when I was watching the VH1 Top 20 video countdown and NKOTB's Summertime was the #1 video...WHAT! I couldn't believe my eyes or ears. I have been thinking about this all day! NKOTB was THE boy band when I was in middle school and I never dreamed in a million years that they would get back together when I am in my, ahem, older decades. This is sooooooo wierd. Just think about being old(er) and you are done with school, done with college, started a career, maybe have kids and then N'Sync make a comeback 16 years later. WOW! I am not sure what to say. I mean I LOVED NKOTB with a passion....when I was in middle school....I am not sure I will have the same reaction to them as an adult. Did you know that NKOTB was a huge boy band sensation in the 80's and 90's? What do you think of them now? You can watch their old videos on VH1. They crack me up.

NKOTB Then

NKOTB Now

If the New Kids can make a comeback, then surely almost anyone can! If N'Sync makes a comeback in 16 years, that would make Justin Timberlake in his forties! I wonder if he will look the same. The New Kids don't really look like they have aged 16 years.

1. Eating pizza with John Green and meeting tons of teen authors. I will be posting pictures this weekend so stay tuned.
2. Getting a henna tattoo while I am there since I will miss the TGIF: Tune In on the 27th Northwest Library (if you haven't heard about it, read the June 24th entry from Sarah C.)
3. Getting more free books!

Hello all!

So at Worthington Park Library on Saturday, we had Renuka Bhatt (the same lady who will be at Northwest this Friday) do Henna Tatoos for the teens here. I got one and I love it! It's faded a bit, but you can still see it. It was really neat to see how fast she could swirl the ink around and make really cool designs. To the left is a picture of my henna tattoo.

But I have to admit, I'm glad that eventually it will fade. Real tattoos are SO permanent!

So Sarah C.'s upcoming music program had me thinking:

It's summertime: outdoor-concert season. I love listening to summertime music when the sun's shining—it seems like there are certain songs that just fit with the seasons. So far this summer I've seen Iron and Wine, which was a really mellow concert, but it was great.

But regardless of the weather, I'm always interested in hearing about new music. I don't really listen to the radio that much, so I mainly look for good new bands by browsing websites (like npr.org), looking on band's MySpace pages, listening to "previews" of songs on iTunes, and word-of-mouth. It never fails: my sister ALWAYS recommends great bands! Then once I hear about a good band, I reserve their cd through our online catalog so I can check them out before I buy the cd or download the whole album on iTunes.

There are some great music websites that allow you to listen to music on your computer, and I particularly like this one: http://www.musicovery.com. It lets you pick your mood and then automatically plays music that matches your mood.

So—are you going to any concerts this summer? What's your favorite summer song or album to listen to? (Right now, I love listening to Vampire Weekend—a really cool indie rock band.)

And how do you find new music? The radio? Online? Through friends?

I'm anxious to get some good recommendations!

I was sent an article today from a coworker about a little known fact on the history of the web that I found fascinating.

"In 1934, Otlet sketched out plans for a global network of computers (or “electric telescopes,” as he called them) that would allow people to search and browse through millions of interlinked documents, images, audio and video files. He described how people would use the devices to send messages to one another, share files and even congregate in online social networks. He called the whole thing a “réseau,” which might be translated as “network” — or arguably, “web.”" (New York Times, June 17 2008)

• How do you plan on choosing a college?
  I was never great enough at any sport to select a university based on where I would go to play...I chose Ohio State mainly because I'd been there a few times, but also because my great-grandfather, grandma & grandpa, mom and dad, aunts and uncles, they were ALL Ohio State graduates. I wanted to carry on the tradition.
• And do you think that college athletes have a responsibility to be good role models on the playing field as well as off the field? In my opinion, athletes need to be upstanding citizens and community members in addition to just being great players.

• Then Tress said to Troy : the Best Ohio State Football Stories Ever Told by Jeff Snook
• Buckeye madness : the Glorious, Tumultuous, Behind-the-Scenes Story of Ohio State Football by Joe Menzer
• Game Day Ohio State Football : the Greatest Games, Players, Coaches and Teams in the Glorious Tradition of Buckeye Football by Eddie George 
• What it Means to be a Buckeye: Jim Tressel and Ohio State's Greatest Players by Jeff Snook
  
  
  

I know most of you don't follow the exciting sport of golf (I don't play golf but I get very competitive with minature golf). Yesterday Tiger Woods played one of his best rounds of golf I have ever witnessed at the 2008 US Open. He was limping and in pain (this was his first tournament back after knee surgery) but he made some of the most amazing shots.

• 66-foot eagle from the back of the 13th green
• 17th put that even made Tiger laugh in amazement

What will happen today the final round of the 2008 US Open, who knows, but yesterday rocked and once again solidified TIger Woods as the greatest in golf history.

So at a high school in California, some teenagers are really angry that local law enforcement came into the school and announced that several of their classmates died in drunk-driving related accidents. The students were horrified, stunned and of course incredibly sad. Later on in the day, it was revealed that the announcements were part of a program to inform students about the dangers of drinking and driving. Their friends weren't dead, it was just part of the campaign. Understandably, the students were relieved to find out that their friends weren't dead, but also upset because they were "lied to".

What do you think about this kind of scare tactic/learning experience? What if you went to school and a police officer came into the classroom and informed the class that your best friend was dead—and then later you found out it wasn't true? Do you think this would work and that it successfully frightened the students into NOT drinking and driving?

I understand where they are coming from: I mean, drunk driving is definitely incredibly stupid, irresponsible and fatally dangerous. But I think I would be upset and angry if they lied to me about my friends, too. You can read more about the story here.

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Found this Bitstrips Web site today where you can make your own comic strips. Very easy and fun to use! How do you like my comic? Too cheesy?

One of the blogs I read talked about this article from Advertising Age that says "Older DVR Owners Are More Likely to Skip All Ads."  If you read further into the article they have statistics that claim 12-17 year olds are more likely to watch commercials when viewing shows recorded via TiVo or DVR. I skip every commerical...but there was this one commercial that I would always stop the DVR to watch and actually rewind to watch again and again. It was a McDonald's commerical where the boy was carrying a boombox and eating his apple dippers to Cha Cha Slide. HILARIOUS!!

So do you agree with this article? Do you watch the ads or do you skip them? Are there commercials you love watching over and over?

Last week a middle school student made the national news, why? Text Message! Two people broke into her house while she was home sick. The girl hid in the bed and texted her mother. OMG, They're in the house. I think we're being robbed.Her mother got the text, called the cops and raced home.

Here is the burning question.....  What would you have done if the situation was in your hands?

If you're proud to be a bookworm, show it by making your very own pair of Book Earrings!!

This is so cool! You could make some for yourself and some for a present.... Mother's Day is coming up! Imagine making a pair devoted to Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, that's what I would do. I love wikiHow! There are so many awesome ideas out there.

I couldn't believe it when I read that Paranoid Park by Blake Nelson has been made into a movie.

I read the book awhile ago because it was about skateboarding. Since my husband skateboards, I like to read all the teen books about skateboarding to see how good (or cheesy) they are. Paranoid Park was actually a pretty good book, though dark and edgy. It's about a Alex, sixteen-year-old Portland, Oregon skateboarder, whose parents are going through a difficult divorce. He goes skating one night and accidentally kills a security guard in the train yard. From then on, he is consumed with guilt and fear of getting caught. Although Paranoid Park is a fictional, it is based on Burnside Skate Park, a real skate park in Portland, Oregon.

This book is a bit mature and the film is rated R. However, it has gotten some great reviews and I am interested in seeing it (but only on DVD). You can see a trailer and more on the official Paranoid Park film page.

My coworker and your teen librarian from Northwest Library, Sarah Cofer, is presenting at a National Public Library Association Conference in Minneapolis. She is discussing one of our favorite things, blogging—Facebook and such. I hope she has fun and knows that all her teens and coworkers are cheering for her.

If you want to send her best wishes just make a comment on the blog.

This Saturday March 1st,  thousands of juniors, sophomores and even a few freshmen will be getting up early, sharpening their #2 pencils and heading to the SAT testing locations around the United States.

Are you ready or have you taken the test before?

In my home state of Oklahoma, we were not required to take the SAT and might I add, WHEW!!! I do not excel at standardized tests, give me an essay any day.

I thought in honor of the SAT this weekend I would give you a few words that you might see on the test. GOOD LUCK!

"Although some nineteenth century critics viewed Dickens’s writing as mawkish, contemporary readers have found great emotional depth in his works."

"My day was boring, but the nadir came when I accidentally spilled a bowl of spaghetti on my head."

"Wishing his book to be pellucid to the common man, Albert Camus avoided using complicated grammar when composing The Stranger."

(note: all sentences came from the website/PDF for Sparknotes)

I am reading Edutopia right now and came across pictures of school lunches from around the world. The United Sates lunch has Turkey Dogs and Tater Tots! YUCK!!! I think I would rather have the Japanese lunch of Miso Soup, cabbage and rice. This makes me curious about what you all eat for lunch everyday. Care to share? Hopefully you have better options than hot dogs and tater tots!!

vs.

A huge THANKS to all the Phoenix and Perry students I talked to today. You gave me such a warm welcome! I appreciate all your interesting questions. I hope you use Homework Now and Online Tutoring soon. Say Hi the next time you are in the library!

This week China’s State Council put a nationwide ban on free plastic bags. The cabinet has demanded all stores (from major supermarkets to small shops) go plastic bag-free after June 1.

According to thedailygreen.com, China’s uses 37 million barrels of crude oil on plastic bag production every year.

According to CNN.com, San Francisco, California, became the first U.S. city to outlaw plastic checkout bags at supermarkets.

What do you think about this? Do you think the U.S. should ban plastic bags too? I went to the grocery store the other day and took every tote bag I had in the house. The clerk seemed puzzled when I handed him my tote bags. I did end up bringing home about 5 plastic bags, but that's nothing compared to the 20 that I usually need. My family alone must use hundreds of these bags every year. I am really going to try to stop using so many plastic bags and help save the environment.

I was on YouTube the other day and came across a video that seriously made me laugh and ask myself, how did they do this?  

GAME OVER is one of the art projects developed by the Swiss artist Guillaume REYMOND (NOTsoNOISY creative agency). It consists of a series of collaborative animation movies which revive some of the very first video games. The pixels are replaced by a group of real human-beings that are moving from seat to seat in a theatre during about 4 to 6 hours. Each "pixel" has its own rules and decides what s/he wants to do for each picture. Once all these pictures are turned into a short animation movie, a giant human-scale video game unfolds "live". (taken from the website)

ENJOY!!!

A study just came out regarding library usage and a few people were shocked, though Sarah and I always knew y'all were using the library.  Books are so not dead even in the electronic age.

Check out this USA Today article and tell us what you think.

Keep using the library!

Have you ever been so excited about something that you do a little dance or your Happy Dance? John Green the author of Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines has a video blog he has been posting on with his younger brother Hank for the past year and they have compiled a 9 minute happy dance video from nerdfighters around the globe. Check out the link below and see if you can find your local nerdfighters? We did a Happy Dance when we won national Library of the Year.

http://www.brotherhood2.com  or from YouTube site @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxYNUu_2egM

If you are asking yourself, "well what is a nerdfighter and how can I become one?", go to the archives of Brotherhood 2.0 around February 1st to see if you fit the description.

This just in, Robert Pattinson has been cast to play Edward Cullen in the movie Twilight, based on the bestselling book by Stephenie Meyer. Who is Robert Pattinson you ask, well he is none other than Cedric Diggory from the Harry Potter movies. Hmm good choice though I never would have thought of him as Edward until seeing his picture again.

As for Bella, none other than Kristen Stewart from Speak, Zathura, Into the Wild and other movies will be portraying the girl next door who falls for a guy who hasn't aged since 1918.

It will be interesting to see who is cast for the rest of the Cullen family.

For more information about the Twilight movie which begins production is spring of 08 check out Stephenie Meyer's website

Check this out! Snowglobe Boy is trying to set a world record and spread some holiday cheer. He has been in an inflatable snowglobe for over 53 hours! This is so funny! He's even got a recliner in there.

The movie The Golden Compass, based on the book by Philip Pullman, came out this Friday. Are any of you planning to see it? Have any of you read the book? I have been intrigued by the controversial publicity in the news.

If you've read the book or seen the movie, what do you think of the news articles?

Want to know more about the books? Go to the His Dark Materials Books site.

Wishing you all a fun and filling Thanksgiving!

The other day, I caught the finals for MTV's Rock Band show! 

Rock Band is a new video game, sort of like Guitar Hero. Rock Band allows gamers to form a virtual band and perform music from the tons of popular rock artists. You can play with up to four players: drummer, bass guitar, lead guitar and singer. Fun!

Teams competed all over the country to win a spot on this MTV show.  The teams were playing live music via a video game.  It looked like so much fun. Each band had a drummer, 2 guitar players and a singer. It was awesome! I want to do this at the library. Has anyone played this yet? Looks like the XBox 360 and Playstation 3 versions are scheduled to be released TODAY!! Does anyone plan to get it and want to lend it out for a library event?