Meet the Teen Advisory Board! {Part I}

It has been the brilliant inspiration of a humble nameless person (*cough* yours truly *cough*) to start a series in which I will introduce you to the core members of our Teen Advisory Board.

And.... who better to start with than our president?

Meet Brandon Ray, the newly elected President of the Teen Advisory Board.  Brandon is the third person to hold this position since the creation of the board, and he is very excited to hold this position now, because the teen board is playing an exciting role along the journey to library expansion.  When asked what he is most excited about for the future of TAB, Brandon says that "we are about to expand so that is pretty exciting. As of the future of TAB we are in the works of doing a promotional program. I think that is all I can tell you, the rest is confidential. Super secret stuff is going on.."
Brandon is also excited to build more interest in TAB, as well as the other teen events for the library.

Brandon has been volunteering at the library for two years now, and he became interested in the library because of his interest in reading.  He says that his favorite part of working at the library is the staff and the other volunteers because everyone makes you feel so welcome.

Brandon is a lot like me... when I asked him what his favorite book was he said that he couldn't exactly commit to an answer.  He loves the Beyonders series by Brandon Mull (he has the same first name as the author... of course he loves it... :), and his favorite book right now would probably have to be Chasing the Prophecy, the third book in that series.  But he added that he is reading new books all the time, so that is likely to change ;)

Brandon also enjoys cooking, video games, dressing up like a banana, and learning about the the Middle Ages.

Tune in next week to meet the Vice President of TAB, Rebekah Lawler!  

Beneath the Surface - Official Schedule!

Annnnd..... here you have it, at long last, the official schedule for our awesome line-up of teen summer reading activities!

Tuesday, May 21st - the end of summer
Sign up!
Sign up, get your book log, and start reading! 

Tuesday, June 4 & 18 @ 2:00 p.m.
Knitting Club
Take up a new hobby! Learn from our knitters! Knitting club meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. Many of our teens attend! Please join us!

Saturday, June 8
Teen Writing Club @ 10:30 a.m.
Come to our writing club especially for teens! Each session will cover a different aspect of creative writing with local author Debbie DeShields.

Saturday, June 8
Young Adult Book Club @ 11:30 a.m.
It's a book club just for teens! This month we'll discuss "Beneath the Veil" by Debbie DeShields!

Tuesday, June 11 @ 10:30 a.m.
Papier mache!
Get your craft on! Lynda Goldsborough and friends will teach us how to make cool papier mache creations! Space is limited - please sign up at the membership desk!

Tuesday, June 18 @ 10:30 a.m.
Cake Decorating
Decorate cakes with Katy Van Note from Kate's Cakes! Space is limited - be sure to sign up at the membership desk!

Tuesday, June 25 @ 10:30 a.m.
Book Talk!
Back by popular demand - Jennifer Payne and her marvelous book talks! The genre will remain a secret until the 25th!

Tuesday, July 2 @ noon
Beneath the Surface lunch!
Submarine sandwiches and a surprise for dessert! Come have lunch with the teens!

Friday, July 5 - Wednesday, July 10
Scholastic Book Fair
We've requested an even greater selection of books for teens and adults this time - come check it out!

Saturday, July 13 @ 10:30 a.m.
Teen Writing Club

Saturday, July 13 @ 11:30 a.m.
Young Adult Book Club
We'll discuss "The Last Thing I Remember" by Andrew Klavan!

Tuesday, July 16 @ 10:30 a.m.
Teen DIY Craft Day!
Just bring your creative energy! We'll bring the supplies!

Tuesday, July 23 @ 10:30 a.m.
Beneath the Surface Career Q and A day!
What does a geologist do, anyway? Don't miss this Skype session!

Thursday, July 25 @ 4:30 p.m.
Hobbit Party!
Watch the movie, enjoy Hobbit snacks, and discuss the book! Want to dress like your favorite character? Do it!

Tuesday, July 30 @ 10:30 a.m.
Skype session - learn about incredible savants!
Let's dig a little bit into the wonders of the brain! Skype with Dr. Darold Treffert, internationally known expert on the brain and savant syndrome! "Meet" some incredible people with remarkable talents!

Saturday, August 3 @ 5:00 p.m.
Teen Lock-in!
Play board games, eat great food, get to know each other, discuss what you've read -maybe even watch a movie! Get certificates and prizes for turning in your reading logs! Lock-in ends at 9:00 p.m.

Can't wait to see you at the library :)

Sneak Peek into Summer Reading!

We've got lot's in store for our teen summer reading program...and it's finally time to unveil the theme!  (drumroll, please!)

And the theme is....

And with a theme like this...we just couldn't resist a hosting Hobbit Themed Day!  

credit: totalfilm.com

I know!  With Middle Earth being pretty much the most epic place that there is beneath the surface, what better way could there be to celebrate summer at the library?  We're still working on final details (such as date and time), but the event will include Hobbit themed snacks, a Hobbit costume contest, and the best part... we will get to enjoy watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!

In addition to our Hobbit Day,  we will be featuring a different genre ever week in the library as well as on the blog.  Be sure to follow the themes for some great books from your favorite genres.  Who knows...maybe you'll even fall in love with a new genre!

PS...don't forget to keep checking back here for more sneak peeks leading up to summer reading!

Chef Kathy is Coming to the Library!

Time to dust off those old fondue pots and get some sternos lit! Join chef Kathy and learn how to make 3 different types of these tasty treats. We're going to tweak some of the traditional French classics by making the following: Spinach-Artichoke Fondue Chocolate Peppermint Patty Fondue and Chili Cheese Fondue Make sure to bring your appetite as there will be plenty to sample. Recipes will be provided.

Does this sound exciting or what? Chef Kathy will be joining the teens at the library at 1:00 pm on Saturday, February 9th. See you there!

A New Year...And a New Book Club!

Where has the time gone?  I still can't believe that I woke up this morning to the first day of 2013!  So many exciting things have been happening at the library lately...and one of the biggest changes that we are welcoming this year is our first 'official' Young Adult Book Club! The core group of teens at the library have put together the following list of what we will be reading.

Young Adult Book Club

This group will meet every second Saturday at 11:30am.  Pizza will be served J

January 12^th, 2013

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

February 9^th, 2013

 Lily’s Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff

March 9^th, 2013

 Cinder by Marissa Meyer

April 13^th, 2013

The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh

May 11^th, 2013

 A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

June 8^th, 2013

Beneath the Veil by Deborah DeShields

July 13^th, 2013

The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavin

August 10^th, 2013

Divergent by Veronica Roth

September 14^th, 2013

Sand Dollar Summer by Kimberly Jones

October 12^th, 2013

The Year We Were Famous by Carole Dagg

November 9^th, 2013

Artemis Fowl (book one) by Eion Colfer

December 14^th, 2013

Change of Heart by Shari Maurer

You can find copies of all of these books at the library.  Select titles are available for your e-reader on Arkansas Library2Go.

We have such a great group of both kids, and books for this awesome book club (not to mention the pizza...:).  If you have any questions, you can contact me at bvplteens@gmail.com.  Can't wait to see you there! 

So much going on!

We had a great time on Saturday meeting with Debbie DeShields for out writers' workshop, and then our TAB and teen book club meetings.  We will be starting a traditional YA book club that will meet once a month beginning in January.  We have been previously been meeting to discuss whatever we are reading, but now we will have an 'official' list, so that everyone will read the same book, and we will meet to discuss this.
We are still working on compiling out list of the books that we will be reading, but it watch for it to be posted  on the blog very soon!

Next month, on December 8th, we will have another full day for the teens at the library.  First, we the Young Adult Writers' Workshop will meet from 10:30 - 11:30.  We have such a great group of kids meeting for this workshop!  Be sure to come join us to learn so much about the writing and publishing process.

After the workshop, we will have a short meeting to work some more on compiling our list for the Young Adult Book Club.  Bring your suggestions, and we will provide the pizza!(:

Lastly, on Saturday, we will have a fun activity called 'Cozy Up with a Good Book'.  From 1-2pm we will have a group of kids from Cooper Elementary School come to the library to enjoy some hot chocolate and good books.  The teens will be able to choose wintry children's books to read to the kids.  If you are interested in helping us read to the kids, contact library director Joni Stine at 855-1753.  This will be followed by a short meeting of the Teen Advisory Board, so if you are interested in joining TAB, feel free to stay and join us for that.

If you have any questions about the activities on this busy day, be sure to contact me at bvplteens@gmail.com.  Can't wait to see you at the library!

Young Adult Book Club and Writing Class Opportunity

We've got some awesome new things in the works for teens at the library!  First, we have a great opportunity to learn from author Debbie DeShields as she teaches a monthly writing class.  If you have ever wanted to write a novel, this is the class for you!  As authors in the making, you are encouraged to bring some of your own work to share with the rest of the class. Don't worry, you aren't required to read your work to others if you aren't comfortable, but Ms. DeShields, as well as the other young writers always provide positive and helpful feedback.  This workshop meets at 10:30 every second Saturday.  Our next meeting, on November 10th will be a special two hour meeting from 10:30 to 12:30.  The following class, meeting on December 8th, will resume our usual time from 10:30 to 11:30.

  In addition to our writers workshop, we have been making plans at the library to start up our first Young Adult Book Club!  This book club, designed for young adults ages 11 to 18, will start meeting in January.  Meanwhile, we will have a planning meeting for the book club on November 10th at 12:30(following the writers workshop).  Bring your book suggestions, and we will compile the list of books we will use for the book club.  Pizza will be provided:).

If you would like to learn more about author Debbie DeShields, you can visit her website here 
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me(see About Me:) at bvplteens@gmail.com