Check out our Flickr photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hcplclibraryteens/

and our slideshow

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hcplclibraryteens/show/

Free Anime!

Straight from the folks at Funimation:

FUNimation is premiering Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Episodes 27 – 39 (DUB) on iTunes before you can see it anywhere else, AND we’re giving you episodes 1 and 27 for FREE! That way you don’t have to wait for the DVD/BD release on December 28th to check it out. Head over to iTunes.com/FUNimation to download them now!

The freebies don’t stop there either. You can also get the first episodes of Trigun and Soul Eater for FREE on iTunes.

So if you're jonesing for some anime to watch on the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or computer this holiday break, this looks like a good stop. 

And don't forget to drop by your local library to stock up on anime dvds and manga over the break!

New Teen Events @ Jan Platt Regional Library (South Tampa)

Hi!
I’m John and I’m a Teen Librarian just starting at the Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library in South Tampa. I’m very excited about some new events and clubs that will be starting in January:




We are starting a Teen Advisory Board (aka TAB)!!! Our first TAB meeting is on Saturday January 22nd at 3pm. Have ideas for teen events and clubs at the library, bring them to share. Click here for more info about what TABs do for the library and what TAB can do for you!



Directly after the first meeting of our new TAB group, we will have the first meeting of our Teen Book Club (pick up your copy today @ Jan Platt Library !) We will be hanging out and discussing the book Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

"Tally Youngblood lives in a futuristic society that acculturates its citizens to believe that they are ugly until age 16 when they'll undergo an operation that will change them into pleasure-seeking "pretties." Anticipating this happy transformation, Tally meets Shay, another female ugly, who shares her enjoyment of hoverboarding and risky pranks. But Shay also disdains the false values and programmed conformity of the society and urges Tally to defect with her to the Smoke, a distant settlement of simple-living conscientious objectors." -- School Library Journal

Sound Good ! See You There !





We will continue our GameZone on Tuesdays from 4:00 – 5:15pm. Come hangout and play Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2 at the library on our large projection screens. Some of our video games titles are: Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Guitar Hero Series and Rock Band. See you after school for some gaming fun!










On Wednesdays, January 5th and 19th from 4:30—5:30 pm we will have our Teen Anime/Manga Club will be meeting and screening Anime titles and talking about all things Anime/Manga.






On Alternate Wednesdays, January 12th & 26th from 4:30 - 5:30 pm we will have the first meetings on our Teen "Go" Board Game Club. Come learn and play one of the oldest games in the world: the ancient East Asian board game “Go.” A popular Anime/Manga series called “Hikaru No Go” has made many very curious about how to play the game. Now you can learn and play with your friends. The rules are simple, the strategy complex. Learn in minutes, play for a lifetime.

Links:

What Is the Game of Go? - from the American Go Association

The Interactive Way To Go

goproblems.com - Interactive go problem database and community

A cool FREE app for Marvel Comic fans with iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch

From Wendy Stephens at YALSA:

"The app offers a selection of free comics, access to saved titles, and top 25 lists sorted by series, author, and genre. There is also an option to browse by series title, creator, genre, rating, storylines, and release date. [...] The range of titles available on the interface dates to the 1950s. Readers will need an email address to set up a Marvel.com account."

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Yes, everyone! The Chronicles of Narnia are back for their third movie installment. This Friday, December the 10th, the Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be opening in theatres near you!

In honor of this upcoming third movie, we will be having a Family Film Festival based on the Chronicles of Narnia this coming Saturday the 11th at 1PM at the 78th Street Community Library. Free snacks will be provided.

Official Narnia Movie Website
Narnia Web
Narnia Fans
The Lion's Call
Aslan's Country

The NEW! HCPLC Teen Website

You may have noticed that the library's teen website has received a bit of a facelift. We've added a lot of great stuff. Take a few minutes to explore the new site!

Along with a dedicated Homework Help section, great links, and a College Prep 101 site, we now have a YouTube channel, a Goodreads shelf, and the new STUDIO 813 -- a place for you to show off your creative genius. Want to add your art, poetry, videos or writing to Studio 813? Attend an upcoming Teen Advisory Board meeting at your local library for more information. TABs generate a lot of the best stuff on our site, and you can even earn service hours for TAB participation.

What are you waiting for? Here you go. Go. Click. Do it!

Homework Help on the Run?

The popular Tutor.com homework help resource has just announced that customers and students may begin accessing the Tutor.com SkillsCenter Resource Library containing links to thousands of tutorials and study guides using the new Tutor.com To Go App for iPhone and iPod Touch.  Download it now for those homework emergencies! 

And don't forget you can get Live Homework Help from Tutor.com's real live tutors any day from 2pm to midnight... for free when you access it from our teen webpage with your library card.

NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) !

Are you participating?

Are any of your friends participating?

Are you thinking about participating next year?

Check out the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program . . . The "Dare Machine" is really fun (I can’t stop clicking "Dare Me")

National Gaming Day Tournaments!

Saturday, November 13th is National Gaming Day! Libraries all around Hillsborough County are holding gaming tournaments featuring Super Smash Brothers Brawl and other great Wii and PS2 games. Click here to check the calendar and find a tournament near you. You may even have the chance to play against teens at other libraries over the Wii network!

Image via freakinerd @ deviantart, used under Creative Commons.

ShadoCon

If you thought anime convention season was over...guess again!

Yeppers, Tampa has a brand new autumn con! It's ShadoCon's first year. If you like cosplay, anime music videos, anime panels, voice actor guests, contests, or just plain meeting other fellow otakus, ShadoCon is the place for you! There will even be a Final Fantasy Ball, a Talent Search competition, and a Breakdance Breakdown.

ShadoCon will take place on November 5-7 at the Crowne Plaza in Tampa.

ShadoCon

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Candor is set in the model community of Candor, Florida, where every teen wants to be like Oscar Banks, the son of the town's founder. Oscar earns straight As, is student-body president, and is in demand for every club and cause.

But Oscar has a secret. He knows that parents bring their teens to Candor to make them respectful, compliant, and perfect through subliminal Messages that carefully correct and control their behavior. Oscar's built a business sabotaging his father's scheme with Messages of his own, getting his clients out before the change happens. After all, who would ever suspect the perfect Oscar Banks?

Then Oscar meets Nia, the girl he can't stand to see changed. Saving Nia means losing her forever, but by keeping her in Candor, Oscar risks exposure . . . and more.

The first few chapters passed by quite slowly and the story never really picked up until about halfway through. Then it got really good. The ending is my favorite part, because it was completely unexpected. I'm not sure what I was expecting to happen, but it certainly wasn't what actually happened. It left me with my mouth hanging open.

Candor is a good book if you enjoy books set in a world similar to ours but also different.

Louis

(Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library TAB Member)

Manga? On my computer? Sign me up!

TOKYOPOP, one of the major anime & manga publishers in the US, recently posted this on their Facebook page:

Read TOKYOPOP online- legitimately and for free! OverDrive, a distributor of eBooks, provides TOKYOPOP eBooks to some libraries. Use the search function to see if your library uses OverDrive. Yeah for libraries!

Well, conveniently enough, we ARE one of the libraries that uses OverDrive to provide eBooks & audiobooks to our patrons...

So manga fans, head over to our OverDrive site and search for "Tokyopop" to see the manga YOU can check out and read from the comfort of your computer or eReader without even setting foot in the library.

Yule Ball @ SouthShore Regional Library

Celebrate the SouthShore Regional Library's Teen Advisory Board's 3rd Anniversary at the Yule Ball. This is a Harry Potter themed event. Win prizes in the Costume Contest (Barnes and Noble Gift Card Prizes) and enjoy teen deejayed music, dancing, food and refreshments. Free tickets are available now at the Information Desk at SouthShore Regional Library. Registration is limited and required prior to the Ball.

This anniversary event is sponsored by the Friends of the SouthShore Regional Library. For more information about teen programming and other FREE programs @ your library®, call (813) 273-3652 or visit hcplc.org.

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Can you figure it out?

Liar is a gripping fantasy novel that takes you on an insanely confusing, while enjoyable, ride. Meet Micah, an intelligent girl who will tell you straight up that she is a compulsive liar. Walk with her as she tells you the story of her life, taking you on a wild and bumpy road complete with plenty of twists. As each new piece of information is introduced, contradicting the last, you won't be able to resist the urge to sort lie from truth in Micah's words.

Determination sets the tone of this novel as Micah struggles to tell us the truth and figure out who, what, and why she is in life. In this fun and fascinating story, you can't help but think deeper and examine the different aspects of Micah's alleged life, as well as your own. Everybody lies. This is often said, and you will most definitely hear it in Liar.  In reading this novel, Micah may have you questioning yourself. Do you always tell the truth?

All in all, this is a very interesting read that is highly entertaining. Liar will have you tearing through the pages. Two thumbs up to Justine Larbalestier.

Briana

(Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library TAB Member)

Seffner-Mango Library After-Hours Teen “Get in Character!” Ball !!!

Werewolves! Vampires! Zombies! Pirates! Superheroes! And more!
Get in Character! Come to the library in costume as a character from a favorite book (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Graphic Novel, Manga, Mythology, Folk Tale, and many more genres are out there to choose from).

On October 29th the Seffner-Mango Branch Library will be hosting a special after-hours Teen “Get in Character!” Ball from 7pm to 10pm (just for you!). Enjoy dancing, food, games, and crafts! There will also be a costume contest with awesome prizes!

Happy Teen Read Week!

Happy Teen Read Week! Celebrate at the library, where we have all kinds of great events, as well as all the new books you're craving. Don't forget to vote for next year's Teen Read Week theme, and check out the winners of this year's Teens Top Ten -- the top ten books chosen by teens, for teens.

Teenz Ink Short Story Contest

Calling all writers! It's time to get inspired.

The library's annual Teen Read Week short story contest, Teenz Ink, starts next Monday, October 18th. The contest is for anyone in grades 6-12. You could win a $100 gift card! Get all of the details and the online entry form right here!

Library info... via text message.

Want a fast, convenient way to find out about library teen programs? Sign up for text notifications! Click here, find your library's keyword, and text it to 313131 to sign up.

The Last Book In The Universe

The Last Book in the Universe
By Rodman Philbrick

The second I stared to read ‘The Last Book in the Universe’ by Rodman Philbrick, it put pressure on my brain by forcing me to remember the different terms the author uses for daily things. I really enjoyed the action and adventure that keep you going on through the book until the end. If I were to rate this novel then I would give it four stars because it is interesting, but the author could have shown a little more effort by bringing out the action parts of the novel. The best part about this book is that you always have something to keep you interested, to keep you turning the pages; the small, not entirely fascinating quests that Spaz Boy faces as he tries to find a cure for the bone disease his sister has. Spaz and Ryter go through three treacherous latches, Billy Bizmo’s, the Vandal Queen’s, and the Monkey Boy’s, to just find Spaz’s sister, Bean. Latches are like little cities that a person and his or her gang, such as Billy Bizmo, rules. After they find Bean (his sister), they had to try to sneak into Eden, a ‘perfect’ place, and try to get a Proov, a ‘perfect’ person, into helping them find a cure. When you are in the one chapter when Spaz and Ryter are traveling through the Pipe you have to just keep on reading to see all of the new conflicts that jump out at you. As the book begins to end, Spaz still has one unanswered question, but the thing that is irritating him the most is that everyone seems to have figured out the answer except for him. Why has Billy Bizmo and Lotti Getts, the Vandal Queen, been treating Spaz so specially? What is so particular about a Spaz? Read this page-turner to find out!

Priya

(New Tampa Regional Library TAB Member)

Win a book shopping spree from James Patterson!

Hey high school seniors: want to win up to $5000 for new books?

Author James Patterson is giving away gift certificates to college-bound high school seniors -- eight $5000 awards, eight $2500 awards, and 40 $250 awards. Click here to get the details and online entry form. Deadline is December 31, 2010.

Need help with homework? Try TUTOR.COM!

Another school year, another year of homework. I can hear you sighing already, but never fear -- the library has you covered.

Chat online with a live tutor using Tutor.com. Live homework help is available from 2PM to midnight, seven days a week. The tutors can help you with any subject, any level -- for example, you can get math help with algebra, calculus, or any subject in between. Need an editor for your English paper? They can do that too!

Connect to this fantastic FREE service from home using your library card number. You'll never fall into the pit of homework despair again!

Vote NOW for the Teens' Top Ten!!!

Have you read any of the the YALSA 2010 Teens’ Top Ten nominations?

• Watersmeet by Ellen Jensen Abbott
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Hate List by Jennifer Brown
• Heist Society by Ally Carter
• Fire by Kristin Cashore
• City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
• The Roar by Emma Clayton
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
• Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
• hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
• If I Stay by Gayle Forman
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
• Dragonfly by Julia Golding
• The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks
• I Am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb
• Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
• Witch and Wizard by James Patterson
• By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters
• Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce
• Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa
• Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
• City of Fire by Laurence Yep

Vote NOW for your favorites!

Voting is open now through September 17. The winners will be announced during Teen Read Week, Oct. 17-23.

The Teens’ Top Ten is a reading list chosen entirely by and for teens. Last year, more than 11,000 teens voted for the Teens’ Top Ten, choosing Paper Towns by John Green as their favorite title.

I loved this book the moment I started to read it!

The Face on the Milk Carton
By Caroline B. Cooney

‘The Face on the Milk Carton’ is the first book in a suspenseful mystery novel series. I loved this book the moment I started to read it! I really enjoyed the emotion and the romantic scenes. The best thing about this novel is that it’s so interesting that it makes you keep going until the climax. “Why are Janie’s parents always so anxious? Why are they not letting her see her birth certificate? Was Janie kidnapped?” After all that you just cannot put the book down! You keep turning the pages and moving to the edge of your seat, as Janie goes on the adventure of her life to find her true identity. The clues don’t go together and get more complicated as new puzzle pieces come into play; I felt as if I was a part of the story and had to finish the act. When everything finally goes right I thought that the book had finished, however, it was only half done. There was still a missing piece to what I thought was the complete puzzle. Yet, as the book begins to end, all of your questions will not be answered. I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the squeal, “Whatever Happened to Janie?” and hope that this book will be just as mysterious and full of complexity.

Priya

(New Tampa Regional Library TAB member)

SMILE by Raina Telgemeier

Braces. Appliances. Rubber bands. Retainers. Anyone who's had dental drama knows that it isn't fun, but Raina's experience is especially intense. After an accident knocks out her two front teeth, Raina spends years undergoing surgeries, braces, and other forms of orthodontic torture to get her smile back to normal. But who feels like smiling anyway when you're dealing with the dramas of middle and high school?

If you're looking for a great graphic novel with a funny, relatable story, pick this one up at your local library.

Click here to place a hold on SMILE.

THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST

From the author of THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ALFRED KROPP...



Want a creepy read? Place a hold today.

Geektastic!

GEEKTASTIC: STORIES FROM THE NERD HERD

Short on time? Check out a short story collection for great reads, in bite-sized increments. A great example is GEEKTASTIC, edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci.

Are you a band geek or a Dungeon Master? Is World of Warcraft a way of life? Can you talk for hours on the finer points of Star Trek or Star Wars? Can you name every star in the Whedonverse? Are your video game skills beyond compare? Answer "yes" to any of these questions, and there's a good chance you will enjoy GEEKTASTIC. See what happens when worlds collide and a Jedi falls in love with a Klingon, find out the darker side of meeting your MMORPG crush, and see if a team of specialized geeks can try to help the head cheerleader talk nerdy to her boyfriend. All this and comics drawn by Scott Pilgrim's Bryan Lee O'Malley.

Check it out at your local library.

Metrocon 2010

Guess what everybody! Metrocon will be here again this weekend! Yeppers, this Friday through Sunday the 23rd-25th of July, Metrocon will be taking place at the Tampa Bay Convention Center.

For more information, check out the Metrocon website at:

http://www.metroconventions.com/

Books to Movies: BEASTLY

BEASTLY - Alex Flinn's modern twist on "Beauty and the Beast" - hits the big screen next March. The film features Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical fame, and Mary-Kate Olsen.

Plot:

Kyle is handsome, rich, and popular... but also spoiled, arrogant, and cruel. He thinks nothing of playing a humiliating trick on a student named Kendra. Little does he know that Kendra has her own powers -- and she turns him into a hideously ugly creature for revenge. Now his only hope of becoming human again is finding true love. Kyle is used to Daddy's money getting him out of sticky situations, but that won't help him this time. How can you find true love when you look positively BEASTLY?

Pick up the book at your local library.

Zombies travel north! RRahhhhhhRRRrrrrrww

Zombies. They're everywhere. Okay, maybe not everywhere-everywhere (although have you checked under your bed lately?) but they're definitely at your local library this summer! Live it up the undead way by attending a GOT BRAINS? zombie program at the library. Learn practical tactics to survive the zombie apocalypse, play zombie games, eat brains, and more. Make sure to arrive in your best zombie camouflage, in order to enhance your chances of survival. After all, you're going to need that brain of yours once school starts next fall. It would be a shame if something ate it. Nom nom nom.

Seffner-Mango Branch Library - Monday, July 19 @ 3:00 PM
New Tampa Regional Library - Thursday, July 29 @ 2:00 PM

Scott Westerfeld :: Uglies Movie Update (4 realz)

Visit Scott Westerfeld's blog for info.

LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld

Looking for a great steampunk read? Try LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfeld.

More by UGLIES author Scott Westerfeld.

What is Steampunk, anyway?

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

About the book:

If you could relive your last day, what would you do differently? This is what Samantha asks herself when, after a fatal accident driving home from a party, she wakes in her bed to find she must repeat the entire day again. And again. As Samantha lives through multiple Fridays, desperate to prevent her death, she is struck by how even the most insignificant acts, like running late for school instead of being on time, can change everything. Suddenly she is noticing uncomfortable things about her friends and about herself she has never noticed before. By changing the past, can Sam change her fate?

Pick up this book at your library.

Visit the author's website.

Zombies vs. Unicorns

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? A short story anthology due out in September called Zombies Vs. Unicorns hopes to settle the matter.

Some of your favorite YA authors are ready to take sides: Team Zombie includes Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Scott Westerfeld while Team Unicorn supporters include Meg Cabot, Margo Lanagan, Garth Nix, and Holly Black.

Where do YOUR allegiances lie? Take the poll on the Z vs. U website. As of this post, Team Unicorn is winning! BOOOOOO!

- a Team Zombie librarian

For The Win by Cory Doctorow

About For The Win:

In the virtual future, you must organize to survive

At any hour of the day or night, millions of people around the globe are engrossed in multiplayer online games, questing and battling to win virtual “gold,” jewels, and precious artifacts. Meanwhile, others seek to exploit this vast shadow economy, running electronic sweatshops in the world’s poorest countries, where countless “gold farmers,” bound to their work by abusive contracts and physical threats, harvest virtual treasure for their employers to sell to First World gamers who are willing to spend real money to skip straight to higher-level gameplay.

Mala is a brilliant 15-year-old from rural India whose leadership skills in virtual combat have earned her the title of “General Robotwalla.” In Shenzen, heart of China’s industrial boom, Matthew is defying his former bosses to build his own successful gold-farming team. Leonard, who calls himself Wei-Dong, lives in Southern California, but spends his nights fighting virtual battles alongside his buddies in Asia, a world away. All of these young people, and more, will become entangled with the mysterious young woman called Big Sister Nor, who will use her experience, her knowledge of history, and her connections with real-world organizers to build them into a movement that can challenge the status quo.

The ruthless forces arrayed against them are willing to use any means to protect their power—including blackmail, extortion, infiltration, violence, and even murder. To survive, Big Sister’s people must out-think the system. This will lead them to devise a plan to crash the economy of every virtual world at once—a Ponzi scheme combined with a brilliant hack that ends up being the biggest, funnest game of all.

Imbued with the same lively, subversive spirit and thrilling storytelling that made LITTLE BROTHER an international sensation, FOR THE WIN is a prophetic and inspiring call-to-arms for a new generation

READ:

Find Little Brother in our catalog

Download a free copy of Little Brother from the author

Find For The Win in our catalog

Download a free copy of For The Win from the author

YA author John Green at ALA :: Book Nerd PARADISE

(so ... no advance copies of Mockingjay ... hopefully this means no spoilers! Is everyone counting down to August 24?)

Young Adult author John Green hanging out the annual American Library Association conference in Washington DC.

John Green is the author of Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines and most recently Will Grayson, Will Grayson (a colaboration with Young Adult author David Levithan).

READ:

Find John Green books in our catalog

Find David Levithan books in our catalog

Dreaming of an Ivy League college?

Got Ivy League dreams but need a way to pay for it?  Did you hear this news? 

Harvard University announced recently that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families will pay no tuition. In making the announcement, Harvard's president Lawrence H. Summers said, "When only ten percent of the students in elite higher education come from families in the lower half of the income distribution, we are not doing enough. We are not doing enough in bringing elite higher education to the lower half of the income distribution."



If you know of a family earning less than $60,000 a year with an honor student graduating from high school soon, Harvard University wants to pay the tuition. The prestigious university recently announced that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families can go to Harvard for free... no tuition and no student loans!


To find out more about Harvard offering free tuition for families making less than $60,000 a year, visit Harvard's financial aid website at: http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu/ or call the school's financial aid office at (617) 495-1581.

Want to know more about this college or others?  Check out CollegeSource Online to answer lots of the important questions, like...

• what will it cost?
• what are the application requirements?
• what majors do they offer?

Transworld Skateboarding Magazine @ the Library

Transworld Skateboarding Magazine at some Hillsborough County libraries. Check it out!

Go Skateboarding!

June 21st is Go Skateboarding Day! In honor of this event, some parks are offering free skate sessions, including the skate park at the New Tampa Community Park. The session starts tonight at 8 p.m. Helmets and waivers are required. For more info, call the Tampa Parks and Recreation Department New Tampa Community Recreation Center at 975-2794.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games trilogy final installment)

Mockingjay, the final installment in the Hunger Games trilogy, will be released on August 24.

Place a hold Today for Mockingjay!

Catch up with the series and check-out:

Book 1: The Hunger Games
Book 2: Catching Fire

In "The Hunger Games":

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are
forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve
and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight
to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Summer Time Travel

Wanna go back in time? Play old-school games, whip up some tie dyed shirts or shrinky dinks, or maybe even take home a pet rock? Get in touch with the past at our Catch A Wave programs, happening at your library this summer.

Choose your destination, McFly:

1960s
Lutz Branch Library - Tuesday, July 13 @ 3:00 PM

1970s
Bloomingdale Regional Library - Saturday, June 12 @ 2:00 PM
New Tampa Regional Library - Thursday, June 24 @ 2:00 PM
78th Street Branch Library - Wednesday, July 14 @ 3:00 PM
Lutz Branch Library - Tuesday, August 10 @ 3:00 PM

1980s
Lutz Branch Library - Tuesday, June 15 @ 3:00 PM
New Tampa Regional Library - Thursday, July 15 @ 2:00 PM
78th Street Branch Library - Wednesday, August 4 @ 3:00 PM

Mmm, braaaaaains...

Zombies. They're everywhere. Okay, maybe not everywhere-everywhere (although have you checked under your bed lately?) but they're definitely at your local library this summer! Live it up the undead way by attending a GOT BRAINS? zombie program at the library. Learn practical tactics to survive the zombie apocalypse, play zombie games, eat brains, and more. Make sure to arrive in your best zombie camouflage, in order to enhance your chances of survival. After all, you're going to need that brain of yours once school starts next fall. It would be a shame if something ate it. Nom nom nom.

Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library - Thursday, June 24 @ 6:00 PM

Bloomingdale Regional Library - Saturday, July 10 @ 2:00 PM

Seffner-Mango Branch Library - Monday, July 19 @ 3:00 PM

New Tampa Regional Library - Thursday, July 29 @ 2:00 PM

Teen Poetry Café @ the Jimmie B. Keel Library

The Poetry Café on April 29 at Jimmie B. Keel was a huge success. The group of fifteen who came out was just the right size for everyone who wanted to read their poems to feel comfortable and run for the mic. People read works from their favorite poets, and there were loads of original poems—some old and some written specifically for the night. The highlight of the evening was when everyone started writing original poems during the actual event! There were poems about the art exhibit in the Community Room, where the event was held; about Jimmie B. Keel’s own TAB group, and many others on a variety of subjects.

We had some awesome music, chosen by Abby S., who played emcee for the night, and Louis B. treated the crowd to his guitar playing. Of course it wouldn’t be a TAB event if it didn’t include some dancing! We even got together and sang Happy Birthday to TAB member Justin J., whose birthday had passed the previous weekend. Everyone had a really great time, but the food and atmosphere really pushed it over the top. All in all, the Poetry Café was a wonderful event. When’s the next one???

Post by Briana S., TAB volunteer

Need a ride?

Looking for a way to get to the library to pick up all the books and movies you want and all those great summer programs we're having?

HART's got you covered again this year... their Summer Blast Pass allows kids 17 and under to have unlimited rides on all HART local routes from May 17 to August 31 for just $30.

 

Visit http://www.gohart.org/ for more information.

 

 

Summer fitness for teens

Noteworthy news from TBO.com:

Teens hoping to get fit during summer break can now register for a free health club membership at any Lifestyle Family Fitness. Online registration opens this week for teens ages 12 to 17.

It appears many bay area parents are supportive of their teens and aware of the dangers of childhood obesity. Last summer, parents enrolled approximately 6,000 bay area teens in this program.

Nationwide, the program runs May 15 through August 15. To register a teen, parents may visit www.lff.com/teen. Teen memberships provide all-day access to the health clubs on weekends and access until 4:00p.m. on weekdays. For more information, parents can call 866-362-9286 during business hours.

And don't forget that the library's got tons of books and videos to help with your summer fitness routine! (Not to mention all those fun summer programs when you're ready for some relaxation!)

Wicked Lovely Masquerade!

Wicked Lovely Masquerade... We had fun!

The New Tampa Regional Library hosted its first, after hours, teen event!

It was fun! There was music, the librarians learned a lot of new songs (Thanks for the song suggestions!). We played Rock Band and DJ Hero! We ate and watched a movie. You should have been there. As for the music, we really cranked it up! The summer promises to be great! We are planning many more Teen Programs!

Nominate some Great Graphic Novels for Teens!

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) is looking for nominations for its annual list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens. 

Got a favorite that you'd like to nominate?  It has to have been published no earlier than September 31, 2009 AND can't be on last year's list.  It's also got to be suitable for readers ages 12-18.

Enter your picks here!

Teen Poetry Slam @ Bloomingdale Library

Thursday and Friday, April 22nd and 23rd, Bloomingdale celebrated National Poetry Month by hosting a poetry workshop for Teens and Poetry Slam. Teens were invited to participate in a Spoken Word Poetry Workshop with nationally renowned Spoken Word Poet, Adrienne Nadeau. Then, on the second day of the workshop the teens stood up to test their poetry skillz against each other in a Poetry Slam. Each teen performed two poems and then were judged on their performance for each. After all the poets competed, the poet with the highest score was Bailey McCoy, who received a copy of Adrienne Nadeau’s poetry CD and an opportunity for the poem to be published on our Teen Blog. Second place went to Rohan Snyder.

Praise Poem
I was told to write a praise poem,
to tell about who I am by what I have done.
But, where to start?
The scar on my knee from when I fell off a scooter?
or the one on my elbow from my bike?
(miraculously I didn’t cry either time, however, I did cry when I hit my thumb with a hammer)
The anxiety which has prevented me from so many friendships?
or my ADD which ended so many others?
Maybe I should tell about the time I got sick and missed the bucket
(I couldn’t stop apologizing to my mom for that)
Should I tell about my religion?
(or lack of it)
The people who bullied me as a child?
I should definitely include my fast pace in walking and talking
and the lack of rhyming and structure in my poems
I am a 14-year-old girl who has not done much (besides school)
But even the little that I have done has managed to shape me into the
beautiful person I am today

- Bailey Lynne McCoy

Congratulations to Bailey and all of our poets for their creativity and for their courage in standing up in a room full of strangers and allowing their poetry to be judged by others.

Michelle Frasier @ BDL

Wicked Lovely Masquerade

The New Tampa Regional library invites you to a Teen ONLY, After Hours Event! Come for a unfilled night inspired by the Wicked Lovely novels of Melissa Marr. Enjoy Music, Games, Movies, and Food!
This FREE event is sponsored by the New Tampa Regional Friends of the Library.
(Dress anyway you like!) Find out what we mean by OVERDRIVE!
Friday, May 7, 2010 from 7 to 10 PM

Comic to Movie: Scott Pilgrim

Scott Pilgrim's got it going on. He's in a band. He's dating a cute girl. He's basically made of awesome. Then his world is turned upside down when the amazing Ramona Flowers steps out of his dreams -- literally -- and into his life. Now all he wants is to be with Ramona.

Unfortunately, he has to defeat her seven evil exes first.

And by "evil" I don't mean "gives you nasty looks at the mall" evil. These exes are big, bad, boss-battle style evil, with skills ranging from ninja sword expertise to vegan-induced telekinesis! Scott's no slouch... but a ninja? Can he handle that?

Catch up with Scott Pilgrim's story before the movie adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs. The World comes out August 13th. You won't be disappointed. Volumes 1-5 are available at the library. The final installment, Volume 6, comes out this summer. Don't miss out on this epic tale of epic epicness!

Got GLEE?

Can't get enough of Glee? Let your inner "gleek" run wild at the library. We have Glee DVDs, CDs, and books for you to check out. Click below to place a hold.

Glee Volume 1: The Road To Sectionals (DVDs)
Relive all the musical moments of the first season or catch up, if you're new to the series.

Glee: The Music (CDs)
Click for Volume One
Click for Volume Two
... because you know you want to try and hit that high note in "Defying Gravity."

Glee totally unofficial: the ultimate guide to the smash-hit high school musical.
Learn behind-the-scenes details about the show and the actors.

Free Comic Book Day is May 1

Do you already have your route to the nearest comic shop mapped out? Do you know what free comic you're planning to read first, and which one you're saving for last? Better get ready, because Free Comic Book Day 10 (FCBD10), is only a month away!

With the biggest comic book event of the year being celebrated in just a few short weeks, Freecomicbookday.com is your source for all the information you want on this year's free comics.

• Download previews for all the free comics!

• Find a shop near you!

• Check out what Creator Signings & special events are happening where!



And if you can't wait until then, you can drop by your local library branch to grab a few comics or graphic novels like these!

Hey, Anime Fans! Want to learn Japanese?

Ever wondered what a particular Japanese word or phrase you see or hear all the time means? Wonder no longer! Popular manga publisher TokyoPop has a crash course in some basic Japanese, starting with some Japanese greetings...

Learn to Say "Hello" in Japanese!

And don't forget to take use your new skills when checking out some new anime & manga at your library!

More Poetry Fun

Looking for new ways to express yourself? The Internet Public Library's Teen Poetry Wiki is a great place to start. Post your poems in the online open mic section, help create an exquisite corpse, discover work by the poet of the week, or stretch your writing skills in the wordplay section.

Poetry in Motion

April is National Poetry Month, and the library has lots of cool stuff in store. Show off your own skills at a slam, listen to nationally recognized poets share their work, learn to use technology to create poetry, or all of the above! Click here to find out about all the great poetry programs going on this month.

Attention all Twihards...

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Stephenie Meyer's new Eclipse novella, comes out on June 5, 2010. Your friendly neighborhood library is already taking requests for this book. Get on the list!