Crossing over: What was your First YA Fave?

Yes, that is Patrick Swayze (R.I.P) and the kid from the Karate Kid. And, yes, this movie is awesomely 80's.

You probably don't remember your first picture book and I'd be impressed if you could remember the first chapter book you read (I know I can't) but I bet you remember the first YA book you really loved.

There is definitely some crossover between our junior fiction and our YA fiction (Harry Potter, I'm looking at you), so maybe your first favorite for teen book falls in between the two categories. Or maybe it involved a sparkly vampire.

For me, it was The Outsiders. I fell for Ponyboy, Sodapop and all the rest of the greasers. It's the classic story of a boy from the wrong side of the tracks trying to prove he is better than his address. I got sucked in by the plot and by the fact that S.E. Hinton wrote it when she was only sixteen! Also who can resist a book where the main character's name is Ponyboy Curtis?

Asking around, other first favorites of our staff include:

-Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower -

Another novel about being on the outside looking in. In Charlie's letters are his struggles to get over the suicide of his best friend and deal with family issues. Will he be able to move past these and find a circle of friends who he can be comfortable with?

You may also recognize this title from our top ten list of banned books.

-Sarah Dessen's Someone like You
Halley has always been close with her mother. But this year she is determined to do her own thing. Even if that means breaking up with the boy her mom approves of and dating reckless Macon, who her mom wants Halley to have nothing to do with. Halley's best friend and partner-in-crime, Scarlett has big plans for the two of them, until Scarlett finds out she is two months pregnant. Halley needs to figure out who she is and also how she can be the best friend to Scarlett.

- Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat
Weetzie Bat is just about the coolest teenager in YA lit. Riding around the City of Angels in a classic car with her best friend Dirk and her dog slinkster-dog and eating sushi and oki-dogs. The book follows Weetzie and Dirk as they go to punk shows, search for boyfriends, make movies and gather together the coolest adopted family around. It's a novel about love, friendship and whimsy.

If you like Weetzie Bat be sure to check out the rest of the books about her in Block's Dangerous Angels series.


So, what was yours? That first book where you were stretching outside of chapter books and into Young Adult territory?

High School TAB (Teen Advisory Board) on Tuesday Night!

Just in case the time-change is throwing anyone else off, here's a little reminder:
High School TAB meets tonight, Tuesday, November 2, at 5:00 pm @ Central Library!

Be there and ready to chat and eat pizza (but not at the same time).

Picture from laffy4k

Nervous about the ACT or SAT? We can help!

It's that time of the year when questions may be filling your head. Questions about testing. Questions like :

• What is the difference between the SAT and the ACT?
• How are these test scored and what strategies work best for test takers?
• How can I determine which test is right for me?
• How can I prepare for these tests?

Find out the answers to these questions and more at The SAT and the ACT: What you need to know, one of the library's "College Information Talks" for you and your parents. It will held at the Central library on Saturday, November 7 from 2-3pm in the second floor meeting room. It's being presented by Bill McNaught, Ph.D., Educational Consultant and Director of Huntington Learning Center, Arlington.

No registration necessary. For more information or to arrange special accommodations, please call the College/Career Librarian 703-228-5999 or afox@arlingtonva.us

photo by xb3

This Halloween, Read Scary, Not Sweet.

If your Halloween cravings run more towards shivers than candy corn, you might want to check out some of our collections of short stories that give you more bang for your buck. These collections are often written by a number of authors who are the best in their field--- the field of freaking you out that is!

Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales --
These stories celebrate the classic Horror style like HP Lovecraft and Mary Shelley and are written by current spooky greats like M.T. Anderson, Neil Gaimon and Garth Nix.

The Restless Dead
If those who are not quite settled in their grave are up your alley, The Restless Dead is the book for you. A nightwalker, a few zombies and maybe a vampire or two are waiting...

666: The Number of the Beast
These short stories feature creatures who have never been normal, always a little strange. These beasts are not ones nature intended. Melissa De La Cruz, Christopher Pike and others contribute their tales of supernatural creatures...




If you find yourself looking for further freakiness, check out the horror picks of famous horror authors in this article. These will definitely have you sleeping with the night light on, and don't say we didn't warn you.

What does NANOWRIMO mean to you?

Are you a middle or high school student who enjoys writing? Have you dreamed about writing a novel? Then November is the month for you!

Every November, thousands of people across the country attempt to write an entire novel in one month! During NANWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month), people are challenged to attempt to write 175 pages or 50,000 words by the end of the month. You can find out more information by checking out their website: Nanowrimo.org. Even if you don't make it to 175 pages by December you'll still challenge your brain and creativity by giving it a shot!

We're celebrating the kick-off of NANWRIMO with a Writer's Café. It will be held on November 2, 2009 from 3-5pm in the Central Library's Youth Services Programming Room.

Come to our Writer's Café to share ideas, get inspiration, do a writing exercise, drink hot chocolate and coffee, and maybe even begin your novel!

Love weepies? You're not alone.

Are you someone who likes movies that can be rated by the number of tissues you should bring with you? Have you read more than one Lurlene McDaniel Book? Is your copy of The Notebook starting to wear out? If you answered yes to any of these questions than you just might be a fan of weepies.

Yes weepies, those movies, books or television shows that make us tear up or loudly sniffle even though others can hear us. If this sounds like you then take heart, there are others like you.... many others. In fact, the NY times even had an article about why we love to make ourselves so sad.

If you're a fan of media that makes you cry, here are some titles to check out the next time you're feeling in need of a good cry. And don't worry, we won't tell what you're up to...


20 Boy Summer- by Sarah Ockler
"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
This promise seems so easy for Anna to make to Matt, the boy next door, the boy that she's always been in love with and whom she recently found out has always been in love with her as well. Why shouldn't Matt be the one to tell Anna's best friend Frankie about their relationship? After all, he is Frankie's older brother. It's the simplest promise in the world. But everything can change in the time it takes to finish an ice cream cone. Suddenly Matt is gone and Anna is left silent on her heartbreak, unable to break the vow. But if she doesn't tell Frankie, how will she be able to avoid Frankie's get-happy plan, a plan that includes the kissing of one boy every day for the ten days they are at the beach? Would it be worse if she broke a promise to a dead boy or cheated on him?

A Map of the Known World- by Lisa Ann Sandell
Cora thinks there is no one in the world who has been by the death of her brother like she has. But she hadn't counted Nate's best friend Damien, who had been in the car when Nate crashed, in her equation. In fact, she was pretty sure that she hated Damien, after all, shouldn't he have done something to stop Nate from crashing? But, through him, she discovers that Nate had secretly shared her love of art, and she realizes that Damien might be the key to the parts of her brother that she never got to know. If Damien has these surprises, does he have others? And, does Cora really want to know what they might be?

Enjoy these but be sure to have your Kleenex ready...

Celebrate Teen Read Week with Pizza and a Top 10 List

This week is YALSA (the branch of the American Library Association that is devoted to Young Adults) Teen Read Week.

What does this mean for you?

Pizza!
Come on by Central Library today, Wednesday October 21 from 5:30-6:30 and join us for a pizza party to celebrate our teen readers.
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But, wait, there's more... During Teen Reads Week YALSA held a survey where teenagers had the chance to vote for their favorite books of the year. The list for this year was revealed yesterday and here is the top 10, as chosen by teens:

• Paper Towns by John Green
  
• Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
  
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  
• City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
  
• Identical by Ellen Hopkins
  
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  
• Wake by Lisa McMann
  
• Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
  

What do you think of the list? We think John Green's fans, the "Nerd Fighters," are becoming a force to be reckoned with! We love Paper Towns too, but even he can't believe he was chosen over "hot vampires" this year. Check out his response to this big honor:

Congrats John, we knew you when!
All the titles are (of course) available to check out at the library.
Have a great rest of your Teen Read Week!