Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Librarian Favorites: A Booklist

Need a good book or two to get through these last few weeks of summer reading? Try one of your librarian's recent favorite titles. Links take you to our catalog, where you can reserve the book from home.









Recovery Road by Blake Nelson: While she is in a rehabilitation facility for drug and alcohol abuse, seventeen-year-old Maddie meets Stewart, who is also in treatment, and they begin a relationship, which they try to maintain after they both get out.















Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly: When Drea and her mother move in with her grandmother in Bellingham, Washington, the sixteen-year-old finds that she can have real friends, in spite of her Asperger's, and that even when you love someone it doesn't make life perfect.
















Scrawl by Mark Shulman: When eighth-grade school bully Tod and his friends get caught committing a crime on school property, his penalty--staying after school and writing in a journal under the eye of the school guidance counsellor--reveals aspects of himself that he prefers to keep hidden.














The Iron King by Julie Kagawa: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny--one she could never have imagined...Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth--that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy hear.

Monday, July 18, 2011

This week for Teens @ Aram Public Library: Death by Chocolate


This week, come out on Thursday from 3 - 4:30 for our Death by Chocolate party. We've got a ton of fun chocolate contests for you to participate in and we'll give all kinds of prizes -- chocolate, of course!

Be prepared to get a little messy and come hungry!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Teen Book Reviews

Ready for more book recommendations from fellow teens? Check out these titles! Remember, you have your book reviews posted here, too, by either filling out a book review form in the teen area and turning it in or by emailing us at aramteens [[[@]]] aramlibrary.org. Just remove the brackets.



Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder

It was an awesome book. I loved how it was suspensful and was something that could happen to anyone. Recommended to anyone who likes suspense.-Brianna




Break By Hannah Moskowitz


This book was scary/sad. I kind of disliked this book because of what went on in it. I thought it was scary because this guy tried hurting himself to cover up the pain of his family. 3 stars-Kylie



Before I Fall By Lauren Oliver


This book about a girl who thinks she has it all...boy was she wrong! She has to live the same day over and over again till she gets it right, but will it cost her life? I love this book and recommend it.-Carlie

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

HARRY POTTER!

Here are some fabulous ideas to throw your own party for the premier of the final Harry Potter movie.




Recipes







Makes about 3 dozen miniature pasties.2 eggs, slightly beaten3/4 cup sugar1 1 lb. can pumpkin(or 2 cups fresh, roasted in the oven then pressedthrough a strainer to save your Pumpkin Juice to drink!)1/2 tsp. salt1 tsp. cinnamon1/2 tsp. ginger1/4 tsp. cloves1 2/3 cups evap. milk (1 can)1/2 tsp. allspice9 oz pie crust pastry (enough for two single standard pie crusts)




Bake the pie filling only (no crust) in a large casserole dish in hot oven (425 degrees) for 15 minutes. Keep oven door closed and reduce temp to moderate (350 degrees F/180 degress Celsuis) and continue baking for 45 minutes or until table knife inserted in center of dish comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.Make or purchase pie crust pastry. Roll thin and cut into circles approx 4" in diameter. Put a spoonful of the cool pumpkin mixture towards one side of the center of the circle. Fold over the crust into a half-circle and firmly crimp the edges closed. Slice three small slits in the top for venting, place on a greased cookie sheet, and bake only until crust is a light golden-brown. Great served at room-temperature, then you don't have to worry about your guests possibly burning their mouths from the steaming hot pumpkin inside! :)




Treacle Fudge





Ingredients:1/2 cup light cream or evaporated milk3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar1/4 teaspoon salt4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate2 tablespoons unsalted butter1/3 cup molasses






Directions:In a large bowl, mix cream, brown sugar and salt together, set aside. In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together. Remove from heat and add molasses. Add the chocolate mixtures and cream mixtures together. Pour mixture into a pan and let cool. Cut into squares after cooled and serve.











The perfect dessert for the sweet-toothed is a Treacle Tart. A treacle tart recipe involves first making some pastry but if you are short of time ready rolled but make sure it is sweet pastry.Treacle Tart is full of delicious, sweet golden syrup and black treacle. If you can't find golden syrup then use corn syrup. And, likewise, can't find black treacle dark molasses will do.




Prep Time: 20 minutesCook Time: 25 minutesIngredients:* PASTRY* 225g /8oz plain flour* Pinch salt* 25g /1 oz fine sugar* 115g /4oz very cold unsalted butter* Cold water to mix* FILLING* 300g /10oz golden syrup* 1 heaped tbsp black treacle* Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon* 4 medium free range eggs* 25g /1oz fresh bread crumbs




Preparation:* Heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4* Place the flour, salt, sugar and butter in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the processor running add the water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together. Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour.* Roll out the pastry and line a loose bottomed tart tin the place in the fridge for 30 mins.* Meanwhile, mix together the golden syrup and treacle with the lemon juice. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add to the treacle mixture. Finally stir in the bread crumbs.* Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared tart case.* Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the crust and filling are golden brown and firm to the touch.* Serve warm with crème fraiche which balances really well with the sweetness of the tart or a good vanilla ice cream.

ButterbeerChilled Butterbeer Ingredients:8 ounces cream soda3 teaspoons of butterscotch syrupWhipped cream
Directions:Stir soda and syrup gently in tall glass. Serve over ice. Add whipped cream for a frothy top.


Decorations Ideas





  • Get poster board and draw on the Harry Potter house symbols



  • Cauldrons



  • Fake owls, ravens, bats, and spiders



  • Apothecary jars



  • Brooms



  • Witch hats



  • A plastic creature from a toy store, in colored water.






Games




  • Ancient Runes: Create word jumbles using Harry Potter words and characters, such as “muggle,” “wizard,” and “Hagrid.”



  • History of Magic: Test kids on their trivia knowledge of Harry Potter or use the game Scene It?, Harry Potter edition.



  • Divination: Get a friend to dress up as a fortune teller and tell the kids their future with crystal ball, tea leaves, or tarot cards.



  • Herbology: Have the children decorate pots and then plant seeds or sprouts to take home with them as party favors.




Hogwarts Sorting Hat
Before playing any group games, you will need to sort the players into two different teams. Make a list of who will go on which team before the party. During the party, seat a cone-shaped pointed wizard hat on a stool or chair. (Wizard hats can be purchased at a party supply store or made of construction paper.) As you call out each guest's name, have him take a turn at sitting on the stool or chair and having the wizard hat placed on his head. As in the Harry Potter stories, whisper in each guest's ear which team she has been chosen to be on.
As at Hogwarts, award "house points" to teams when playing games


Monday, July 11, 2011

This Week for Teens @ Aram Public Library

It's time for the All-You-Can-Read Buffet! Come out on Thursday from 3-4:30 to talk about Holly Black's White Cat. Here's the description:

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Need a copy of the book to read? We've got some upstairs you can check out with your card. We'll also pass out copies of our last summer book club pick, Imaginary Girls, this week.

Friday, July 8, 2011

What YOU'RE saying...

On the back of the reading logs are a bunch of fun (and non-required) questions about what you like to read, where you read, and more. I love reading this stuff and thought I'd share some of the fun responses from the sheets that have come up so far this summer!

Name some books you've read this summer

Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser
Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder
I Am Number Four by Pitticus Lore
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by AS King
Break by Hannah Moskowitz
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (every volume, in fact!)
Why I Fight by J Adams Oakes
Split by Swati Avasthi
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Willow by Julia Hoben

What book should be made into a movie

Split by Swati Avasthi
The Cold, Cold Shoulder
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder

What are some of your favorite books

Twilight saga (by more than one person!)
Warriors saga
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margie Stohl
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Thristy by MT Anderson
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
Blood Thirsty by Flynn Meaney
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Willow by Julia Hoben
Dragon Ball Z

When and where do you like to read

I read in my room or outside and I read when I don't have anything to do.
Any time, any where!
Outside
Home
At night in my bed

What's your favorite tv show

"Two and a Half Men"
"Criminal Minds"
"Raising Hope"
"The Middle"
"Modern Family"
"Ghost Whispers"
"Extreme Couponing"
"Say Yes to the Dress"
"What Not to Wear"
"George Avila"
"Dragon Ball Z"
"My Wife and Kids"

Keep reading throughout the rest of summer (and after!) to see some of the other fun books and shows your friends are enjoying.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Teen Book Reviews!

It's time again to share some of the great reviews we've gotten at the library written by other teens. We're always happy to share a review, whether you loved or didn't love a book, so feel free to turn one in. Forms are in the teen area, or you can always email at aramkids [[[@]]] gmail.com (remove the brackets).

Dragon Ball Z, Volume 1 by Akira Toriyama

It's about one hero of name Son Goku. Son Goku is married, and he has a child,Son Gohan. They got a visit from outer space bearing terrible news for Goku. But Goku has a brother and his name is Raditz. Goku must fight his incredibly strong brother to save his family, especially his son Gohan. And this story keeps going in other volumes. -- Cristal.






Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen


Interesting. Definitely an original story and I love all the unique naming! Overall, a 4.5 star book. It reminded me of the show "Secret Life of the American Teenager" and I'd recommend it for anyone who has a very best friend in the world and would never let them go. -- Grace






Briar Rose by Jane Yolen



I really liked how the book mixed historical with a fantastical tale. I liked that it was told through the grandchild's eyes about the grandmother. 4 Stars -- Katie






Nightshade by Andrea Cremer


I think what I didn't like about this book was that it seemed ridiculous. The magic/witch thing seemed promising and the world pack working for witches was interesting, but there wasn't enough of it to keep me interested in finishing -- the protagonist seemed to get more desperate and girly as the story went on and that pretty much stopped me in my reading tracks. Halfway through I realized that the plot was almost exactly the same when you stripped it down to the bones as another book I had just read (Firelight by Sophie Jordan) and that annoyed me. In both, the books deal with magical creatures who are going to be exploited by their clans and they fall in love with an outsider and then run away. 2-3 Stars -- Linnea