Sometimes it's letting go...

Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong -- sometimes it's letting go.
--Sylvia Robinson

The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares...
--Henri Nouwen

Perhaps I know best why it is man alone who laughs; he alone suffers so deeply that he had to invent laughter...
--Nietzsche

The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next.
--Mignon McLaughlin

Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything.  Love still stands when all else has fallen.
--Author unknown

Wicked Girls : A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill

Mercy Lewis. Mary Walcott. Ann Putnam Jr. Betty Parris. Abigail Williams. Elizabeth Hubbard. Susannah Sheldon.

Those are the real names of young girls (the oldest was 18, the youngest was only 8) who accused others of witchcraft in Massachusetts during the late 1600s. These accusations resulted in at least 23 deaths, and more than 144 people had legal action brought against them (according to the author's concluding notes). With poetic and creative license, this book tells a story of those responsible for the Salem Witch Trials.

What sets this novel apart from others based on the history of Salem, Massachusetts is the existence of a palpable atmosphere of innocence mixed with jealousy, terror, and infatuation. While the characters might not be wholly sympathetic, it is easy to follow the line of thinking that leads them through their actions, both in the situations where they are found socializing just within their small social circle, as well as those where they are standing up to men of a courthouse and entire communities of adults.

This novel in verse is recommended to all those with an interest in the historical and psychological stories of past and present-day witchcraft and/or teenage cliques, as well as the Salem Witch Trials.
Call number: YA HEMPHILL (Teen Room)

Reviewed by kate the librarian.

Announcing Teen Summer Reading winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the 2010 Teen Summer Reading Program Grand Prize Winners! Fifty-eight Franklin Lakes teens signed up to be part of the Teen Summer Reading Program this year for a chance to complete checklists, attend programs, make crafts, participate in contest, and submit their name for chance to win one of three fabulous grand prizes: a Sony Reader Touch Edition, an iPod touch, or a Flip UltraHD Camcorder! Over 60 checklists were completed and contest entries submitted, and over 1360 books were logged! Thank you to all participating families who made this summer both successful and fun!

Congratulations are in order to all participants, especially the following:

Caroline won a Flip UltraHD Camcorder ~
Neha won an iPod touch ~
Katherine won a Sony Reader Touch Edition ~

A very special prize is awarded to Alon for submitting the greatest number of checklists this summer! Twenty-six in all!

Margaux is the winner of the Make Waves Creative Writing Contest for teens ~
Grant is the winner of the Book Cover Re-Design Contest ~
Matthew and Michael each received special runners-up prizes for their superb Book Cover Designs ~

Margaux's writing can be found in the previous post, and you can check out the Book Cover Re-Designs in the Teen Room!

Congrats to our Summer Reading Creative Writing Contest winner!

The Make Waves Creative Writing Contest challenge was to submit an original piece of writing that somehow, someway tied into the overall theme of water or the Teen Summer Reading Program slogan "Make Waves." Margaux was chosen as the library's winner. Congrats Margaux!


As I sit on the Hilton Head Island beach in South Carolina, I stare out into the ocean and look as far as I can see. It goes on for miles and miles, but all I see are waves crashing onto the smooth sand.

The rough waves break onto the surface. But once the impact is over, the ocean releases the salty water and it gently glides across the shore. The sea quickly pulls the water back in as if nothing happened. I continue to gaze at the shoreline and this action continues to happen. Each wave rocks back and forth from the massive waters to the soggy grounds.

The waves sound like airplanes flying by on a clear day. It also sounds like leaves rustling against one another in a heavy wind. The noise makes for a soothing crash that can put me to sleep instantly.

before i fall by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver's before i fall tells of the incredible journey of Samantha Kingston as she experiences her last day alive (literally), over and over. Sam learns a little more about herself, her friends, her family, and others around her each day, and she also learns to appreciate the little details that most people miss on the course of their own lives -- things that go unnoticed because no one ever knows when it will all fall away.

Sam and her three best friends, Lindsay, Ally, and Elody, are the most popular girls at school. They date the cutest boys, they get away with everything, and everyone knows who they are. Their biggest worry on Cupid Day is how many roses they'll receive during school, and hopefully it's more than last year's count. But when Lindsay is driving too fast after leaving a party and swerves off the road the night of February 12, all is lost and Sam plunges into darkness. Until she wakes up the next morning to her alarm clock and to her little sister, Izzy, who is relaying Mom's message to hurry up and get ready for school . . . and the display on her phone says "February 12." Cupid Day. Again.

The incredible journey of finding yourself, experiencing love, and giving compassion is all for the sake of that bright light that can shine onto darkness, grief, and shame. Samantha finds peace, and in turn offers a second chance to those who deserve one. This excellently written story is recommended to all readers, and will especially appeal to those who are hurting with secrets, shame, or loneliness. It's never too late to feel the joy hidden among the smallest things.
Call number: YA OLIVER (Teen Room)

Reviewed by kate the librarian.