will grayson, will grayson by John Green & David Levithan

will grayson, will grayson is not for the faint of heart. If you like your teen lit clean and unchallenging, please do not choose this book for your Saturday afternoon.

Will Grayson is kind of your average high school boy, though maybe on the dorkier-side of average, except that he has a BIGGER-than-average best friend. Will's best friend, Tiny Cooper, is larger than large and gayer than gay. And he is aiming to write, produce, and star in his own high school musical, Tiny Dancer: The Tiny Cooper Story, (and co-starring Phil Wrayson). Will Grayson has two interests in life: good underground music and Jane (maybe); and two rules in life: Shut up. and Don't Care.

will grayson has never heard of Will Grayson or Tiny Cooper. when he's not online with Isaac, will spends most of his time trying to make sure that his best friend Maura knows that he's not interested in her that way without hurting her feelings -- more because he has no other friends than because he cares overly about Maura's feelings. will grayson likes almost nothing, least of all himself.

When lives collide, new worlds open for everyone involved. Filled with heartbreak, heart-to-hearts, and breakthroughs, this story is mostly about love, but not like you've ever seen it before. Recommended to all older high school readers -- gay or straight, big or small, boy or girl. John Green and David Levithan are a dream team.
Call number: YA GREEN

Reviewed by kate the librarian.

NLW Teen Poetry Contest -- First Place!

Thank you to 25 young writers for submitting entries to the Third Annual National Library Week Teen Poetry Contest at Franklin Lakes Library! And the winners are . . .

History

It's been a long time
Since the old man lifted his eyes
His gaze has been shifted to the city's demise.
His name has been stripped of value and lore.
Despite the lives they have cost once before,
His words have been muted by the frenzy of war.
His face is a parchment of creases of time
His palms have a vision, patterned by line.
It is not he who is blind, reader, it's you,
Unable to tell the false from the true.
The man can predict the motion of skies,
You are defenseless in History's eyes.

written by Sasha, age 15, Indian Hills High School

NLW Teen Poetry Contest -- Second Place!

Full

The emptiness that surrounds,

It fills me up

with nothing

where something once was.

What do you do

when you are plunged into darkness?

Watching the last sliver of light

escape beyond our grasp?

The emptiness takes over.

How can I bear it

until the door opens

and the light returns?

I cannot.

I will not!

The waiting... the anticipation

battles with the raging emptiness

It is the emptiness that surrounds,

that fills me up

with nothing

where something once was.

written by Ariana, age 13, Franklin Avenue Middle School

NLW Teen Poetry Contest -- Third Place!

Winter Tree

The bare trees hold themselves up straight

But occasionally shiver in the cold.

They sway back and forth

As the breeze tickles their exposed arms.

They shake like a dog that is soaking wet

That just escaped from falling in the pool.

They stand in one place reaching for the sun,

Anticipating grabbing some warmth.

The wind sounds like a flat music note

Swiveling and scurrying between each branch

The powerful whisper vibrates along the trees

Sending them in utter shock to move.

The branches are so fragile and flimsy

That they could easily break off with one snap.

With branches as delicate as a baby birds' wings,

They want to be secure and steady.

The trunk is the heart and soul of the tree

That spreads life into each branch.

Each branch attributes a quality to support the tree

Through every season during the year.

A single tree cannot survive on its' own,

For it needs every other tree in order to live.

With a single breath, and a single sway,

It can keep a whole forest alive.

written by Margaux, age 15, Saddle River Day School

Book Club - APR -- Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Check out some great discussion questions from the Multnomah County Library about Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Neil Gaiman is the 2010 Honorary Chair of National Library Week and we'll be hosting a special book/movie discussion on Wednesday, April 14, 3:00 p.m. Check out a copy of the book in regular print or graphic novel, and then join us for a relaxing afternoon at the library!

Coraline's parents are too busy to play with her. She's on her own, and when she goes exploring in her new apartment she unlocks a door that leads to a different world. At first it looks familiar, even intriguing, but Coraline quickly learns that evil lurks there. Soon, Coraline is caught in a life or death challenge - to save herself, her family, and three lost children. It is an experience that will forever change her. [http://www.multcolib.org/talk/guides-coraline.html]

Teen Poetry Contest!

The deadline for the 2010 National Library Week Teen Poetry Contest is this Monday, April 5!
Print an entry form & submit yours to kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com!

Charles and Emma : The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman

Much is known about the work Charles Darwin has done to research natural selection and evolution, most notably through the publication of his The Origin of Species. And although an autobiography was released after his death, less is known about his life at home. When Charles Darwin was first considering marriage, his father advised him not to tell his prospective wife of his scientific beliefs, which often directly challenged the belief in God. Darwin was a scientific adventurer; everywhere he went and everything he did revolved around a quest for more information and led to the gathering of more observations and theories. Most of these theories centered on refuting a key notion that many people accepted as fact in the mid-1800’s: “that God had created all species of birds, bees, and beetles at once and that there were no new ones since the first creation” (p. 11). Darwin did not take his father’s advice on marriage, and in fact shared most everything with his wife, Emma, and she became his constant companion and supporter in both life and his work. Deeply-religious Emma clung to the faith that only those who believed in God could spend Eternity in Heaven, and though she couldn't be sure that she would meet Charles there, she never gave up on him. This story – first and foremost – presents an account of Charles and Emma’s deep mutual love, commitment, and respect.

Written in a style that is smooth and quick-paced, this story tells of a lifetime of love, faith, and science. Recommended to readers of all ages.
Call number: YA 506.82 HEI

Reviewed by kate the librarian