Sara Grajek Campbell, our former From the Trenches columnist, got married while writing for SLJTeen. She gave up working on the column in order to pursue another project. Here’s a glimpse of what that “project” looks like.
The Debut: SLJ Talks to Katja Millay About ‘The Sea of Tranquility’
By on June 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
Angela Carstensen, Adult Books for Teens blogger, had a hard time putting The Sea of Tranquility down, even after reading it all the way through. Debut author Katja Millay put the book together by gathering scribbles, random lines, and characters in her head, calling her attempt to create an outline “laughable.”
Youth Ethical Fashion Show | Teen Programming
By on June 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
On June 22, The Alameda Shore Center will be hosting The Alameda Youth Ethical Fashion Show. As a way to advocate recycling and sustainability, the fashion show challenges area teen designers to create high-fashion wearables using only clothing purchased at second-market outlets, such as used clothing stores and thrift shops.
National HIV Testing Day | Resources for You and Your Teens
By on June 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) is June 27th . First established in 2005 by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, NHTD seeks to bring attention to the importance of HIV testing, and through its website, make resources readily available to those who are looking for testing locations, disease facts, and more.
LEAP Grants for Libraries – Last Days to Vote
By on June 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
Only a few nonprofit organizations will get up to $7,500 in funding from Better World Books, and the public can decide which one will get the prize. In 2012, approximately 3.5 million dollars worth of grant requests and more than 50 applications were reviewed by the Better World Books Literacy and Library Council, and three very worthy projects were selected. Now the clock is ticking for 2013—voting closes in just a few days!
The Struggles of Summer: Volunteers and Guests | Fresh Paint
By on June 17, 2013 Leave a Comment
You’re in a room with 65 teen volunteers waiting to be trained on the Summer Reading Program. You thought of the perfect icebreaker for the group: “What is your favorite memory of the summer reading program?” Crickets… And then it hits you. They don’t have any favorite memories of a summer reading program. They don’t even know what a summer reading program is, save the fact that it’s a volunteer opportunity. Why? Because they’ve never participated in a Summer Reading Program (SRP).
Win a Christine Brodien-Jones Fantasy Novel Pack
By on June 5, 2013 Leave a Comment
Ancient winged beasts, giant scorpions, and mysterious silver owls are just a few of the creatures that populate Christine Brodien-Jones’s compelling fantasy books for children. Five lucky winners can receive a Christine Brodien-Jones Fantasy pack—one copy each of her middle grade novels: The Owl Keeper, The Scorpions of Zahir, and The Glass Puzzle.
Masters of Real-World Horror | SLJ Day of Dialog 2013
By on June 5, 2013 Leave a Comment
A panel of YA authors shared with nearly 250 children’s librarians what inspired them to write about “tough stuff” at SLJ’s annual pre-BEA Day of Dialog event. Moderated by Karyn Silverman—SLJ blogger and librarian and educational technology department chair of the Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School—the panel’s discussion flowed from dark to light, touching on topics such as school shootings and Nazi Germany.
Audio Artist: Up Close with Katherine Kellgren
By on June 5, 2013 Leave a Comment
“Audio is a great doorway to a love of literature,” says Katherine Kellgren, award-winning young adult audiobook narrator, lifelong audiobook listener, and supporter of a SYNC, the free YA audiobooks program. SLJ caught up with Kellgren for a candid chat about her start in the field, the joys—and challenges—of narrating YA literature, the importance of audio in boosting kids’ literacy, and her upcoming projects. Kellgren even stopped by our offices to record a few video segments.
Good News for Custodians Everywhere: Gum is Losing Its Popularity with Teens
By on June 5, 2013 Leave a Comment
Tired of scraping the sticky stuff off desks, shoes, and water fountains? According to a report in Crain’s Chicago Business, gum no longer has a hold on teen tastes, despite experiments with wild flavor combinations and smaller, less expensive packages. Apparently, with the cost of a pack of chewing gum hovering close to $2.00, teens are choosing other snacks to get them through the day.
RoadRunner Press’s YA Summer Giveaway
By on June 5, 2013 Leave a Comment
Few things go together better than a summer-shade tree and an award-winning read. That’s why The RoadRunner Press is offering 10 teen readers a free autographed copy of M. Scott Carter’s The Immortal Von B., recipient of both the Oklahoma Book Award and the 2013 IPPY gold medal for young adult fiction.
Teens Review ‘Charm & Strange’, ‘Since You Asked’, ‘The Beginning of Everything’ | Books
By on June 4, 2013 Leave a Comment
Bookmarked, SLJ’s teen review group, comes up with three terrific titles to recommend, each completely different from each other, but all compelling stories. Get Stephanie Kuehn’s Charm & Strange, Maurene Goo’s Since You Asked, and Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything on your library shelves-your teens will thank you for it.
JLG’s On the Radar Teen: New YA Fiction
By on June 4, 2013 Leave a Comment
Teens appreciate variety in their choice of fiction. They may want to root for the underdog or climb through a magic mirror. Maybe heroes who fight evil creatures are their cup of tea. Perhaps they want to read about someone else who struggles with peer pressure or bad choices. Offering new realistic and fantasy fiction for teens provides an opportunity for your students to have choices about seeing their own issues in another world―whether it’s magical or not. The following new novels may be just what they are seeking.
Spring Graphic Novels: From Science to Superheroes
By on June 3, 2013 Leave a Comment
Nothing is quite as it seems in this spring’s graphic novels, from the bad science in Darryl Cunningham’s How to Fake a Moon Landing to the reality-show superheroes in Tiger & Bunny. But there are some familiar faces as well, with a new Star Trek story, a graphic-novel version of Stephenie Meyer’s New Moon, and the return of the classic Disney game manga Kingdom Hearts. There’s plenty here to keep readers sprawled in their hammocks all summer long.
Teens Review ‘Paramore’, ‘The Next Day’, ‘Save Rock and Roll’, ‘Luigi’s Mansion’ | Music and Games
By on June 3, 2013 Leave a Comment
From rock icon David Bowie to relative newcomers, Paramore, music lovers can look forward to good summer listening and lots of choice in styles of music. Longtime fans of Luigi, Mario’s oft-maligned brother, will be happy to see that he finally gets to demonstrate his mojo in Nintendo’s new addition to the franchise, Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon.
Project:Connect | Summer Youth Programming Competition Now Open
By on May 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Project:Connect Summer Youth Programming Competition is now accepting proposals for its fifth Digital Media and Learning (DML5) event. DML supports single or multiday participatory and hands-on learning experiences, such as labs, hackathons, and pop-up events which will be held at U.S.-based organizations from July-September, 2013. Proposals must be submitted by June 10, and selected programs are eligible for awards of up to $10,000.
Teens Review ‘Kindness for Weakness’, ‘Solstice’, ‘Prep School Confidential’ | Book Reviews
By on May 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
There’s something for everybody in this roundup of reviews from the teen book group, Bookmarked. Shawn Goodman’s Kindness for Weakness is a contemporary coming-of-age story, much of which takes place in a juvenile detention center. Global warming meets mythological monsters and gods in Solstice, by P. J. Hoover. Kara Taylor’s whodunit, Prep School Confidential, explores the obstacles a teen encounters as she tries to track down her roommate’s murderer. Put these on your summer reading list!
SYNC Offers Free YA Audiobooks All Summer
By on May 14, 2013 Leave a Comment
SYNC is back in session again this year, offering two free complete YA audiobook downloads every week from May 30 to August 21. This is the third year for the program, in which a contemporary young adult audiobook is paired thematically with a classic audiobook title.
The Debut: Evan Roskos’s ‘Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets’
By on May 14, 2013 Leave a Comment
Author Evan Roskos digs deep into real-life adolescent issues in Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets , including high school expulsion, self-abuse, stalking, and cliques. SLJTeen talked to Roskos about his emotionally moving and ultimately redemptive debut YA novel.
National Book Foundation Announces 2013 Innovations in Reading Winners
By on May 14, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Innovations in Reading program recognizes institutions and individuals who strive to nurture and promote love of books and reading. Sponsored by the National Book Foundation, prize winners are awarded up to $2500 each to help fund their initiatives and serve even more readers. This year’s winners span the globe, delivering truly unique programs to readers of all ages.
