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!