Be ready to lose your brain...errr...

Tired of sparkly vampires?

Fearing the impending zombie apocalyse?

Worry every time you see the full moon that those you love might transform into hairier creatures?

Come out this Friday at 2 pm to our Bloodsuckers Book Discussion. We'll be joined via Skype by teen author Carrie Harris, of the forthcoming zombie book Bad Taste in Boys, and you'll get to hear about all of the awesome paranormal books available now and coming out soon. We'll have plenty of books to give away, and Carrie promises to be a hoot.

It's totally free, and you don't have to sign up. Join us!

*For those grades 6 and up.

All-You-Can-Read Buffet Upcoming Books

At last night's book discussion, it seemed everyone's really excited about our next book, Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King. If you want to join in the discussion, we're meeting at the library from 3:30 - 5 p.m. on April 21. There are extra copies of the obok available, so just ask at one of the desks at the library and we'll get you set up.

Here's the description -- When her best friend, whom she secretly loves, betrays her and then dies under mysterious circumstances, high school senior Vera Dietz struggles with secrets that could help clear his name.

If you want to plan ahead for our next meetings in May, June, and July, have no fear! We've got dates and (tentative) titles for each one. Join us:

May 5 @ Starbucks to discuss Susan Bartoletti's The Boy Who Dared. Here's the description -- In October, 1942, seventeen-year-old Helmuth Hübener, imprisoned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, recalls his past life and how he came to dedicate himself to bring the truth about Hitler and the war to the German people.

May 19 @ McDonald's to discuss Kiersten White's Paranormalcy. Here's the description -- When a dark prophecy begins to come true, sixteen-year-old Evie of the International Paranormal Containment Agency must not only try to stop it, she must also uncover its connection to herself and the alluring shapeshifter, Lend.

Here's the tentative list of next reads, as well, though we don't have locations set. Have a suggestion for where you'd like to meet, let us know.

June 2: Break by Hannah Moskowitz. Here's the description -- To relieve the pressures of caring for a brother with life-threatening food allergies, another who is a fussy baby, and parents who are at odds with one other, seventeen-year-old Jonah sets out to break every bone in his body in hopes of becoming stronger.

June 16: Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian. Siobhan will be at the Aram Public Library June 22 to give a writing workshop, as well. Here's the description of this book -- Feeling left out since her long-time best friend started a serious relationship, sixteen-year-old Emily looks forward to a summer program at the Philadelphia College of Art but is not sure she is up to the challenges to be faced there, including finding herself and learning to balance life and art.

June 30 @ Aram Public Library: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride. Here's the description -- Sam LaCroix, a Seattle fast-food worker and college dropout, discovers that he is a necromancer, part of a world of harbingers, werewolves, satyrs, and one particular necromancer who sees Sam as a threat to his lucrative business of raising the dead.

We're nothing if not diverse readers! Pick up a book, drop in, and join us for discussion and lots of fun (we pull out the Legos and Playdoh, too).

Royal Reads

Are you excited about the royal wedding? Like to see fairy tales happen in real life? If you're looking to do a little reading about life as a princess (and future queen!), here are a few books you might want to check out. All the links go to our catalog, where you can request the book.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot: Fourteen-year-old Mia, who is trying to lead a normal life as a teenage girl in New York City, is shocked to learn that her father is the Prince of Genovia, a small European principality, and that she is a princess and the heir to the throne.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale: On her way to marry a prince she's never met, Princess Anidori is betrayed by her guards and her lady-in-waiting and must become a goose girl to survive until she can reveal her true identity and reclaim the crown that is rightfully hers.

Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguie: In a dynamic retelling of "The Princess and the Pea," 17-year-old Violet falls in love at first sight with the dashing Prince Richard, who has arrived at her impoverished family farm in the middle of a storm and whose parents insist that he marry a princess of high nobility.

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George: In the midst of maneuverings to create political alliances through marriage, sixteen-year-old Poppy, one of the infamous twelve dancing princesses, becomes the target of a vengeful witch while Prince Christian tries to save her.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George: A retelling of the tale of twelve princesses who wear out their shoes dancing every night, and of Galen, a former soldier now working in the king's gardens, who follows them in hopes of breaking the curse.

The Princess Trap by Kirsten Boie: Palace rules, boarding school, and paparazzi have Jenna, princess of the newly unified kingdom of Scandia, longing for her former anonymity, but when she runs away she finds herself in grave danger--and in a position to prevent the outbreak of civil war. This is a sequel to The Princess Plot.

Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner: Although she is a dutiful daughter, Nefertiti's dancing abilities, remarkable beauty, and intelligence garner attention near and far, so much so that her family is summoned to the Egyptian royal court, where Nefertiti becomes a pawn in the power play of her scheming aunt, Queen Tiye.

9th grade book talks

Hear about a bunch of books lately at school? Can't remember the title or want to look through the list of books for ideas of what to read? Look no further -- here's the presentation from the 9th grade book talks at Delavan Darien High School. These books are appropriate for high school readers and older. And yes, you can play around with the presentation all you want to. It's no ordinary power point. If you're interested in seeing the videos shared, you can go here.

March Booktalks @ DDHS 9th grade on Prezi

Upcoming Book Discussions

Want to come hang out with the All-You-Can-Read Cafe? Here's our schedule for the rest of the school year. We'll continue through the summer, so if there is book you're dying to read, let us know and we'll add it to the calendar.

Remember: you can get a copy of the book by asking at the library. We'll make sure a copy is sent your way.

All meetings are from 3:30 - 5 p.m. If you have to come late or leave early, that is totally fine.

March 24 @ Starbucks: Gentlemen by Michael Northrop. He'll be joining us in a chat that day!

April 7 @ Starbucks: Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick. This book is a little hard to get into, so give this one at least 100 pages before you quit. The wait is WORTH IT.

April 21 @ the library: Please Ignore Vera Dietz by AS King.

May 5 @ Starbucks: The Boy Who Dared by Susan Bartoletti.

May 19 @ McDonald's: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.

Hope to see you soon!

Teen book reviews

Here's another round of teen book reviews for you to enjoy. All of these books are available at the library and all of these reviews come from Marissa.

Smile by Raina Telegmeier: I liked this book. It is about a girl who falls during Girl Scouts and breaks her tooth. Then she has to get all of these things done to her teeth. She has to wear a big mouth guard when she is sleeping too. I give this book 5/5 stars.

Glass by Ellen Hopkins: This book is about Kristina having to live her life with a new baby to handle. She is also a drug addict. I give this book 5/5 stars.

A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer: I feel really sad that a mother would do this. I wonder how it feels like to be Dave Pelzer? I wonder why his mom treated him like that and not her other kids. I give this 5/5 stars.

Win an iPod Touch!

Ever been on a high-tech treasure hunt?

Want to win an iPod touch?

Come to the Aram Public Library between March 7 and 19 to take part in a hands-on QR code hunt, where the grand prize winner will walk away with an iPod touch to keep.

QR codes – also known as quick response codes – are small barcodes that can be attached to books, fliers, or advertisements. When scanned by a smart phone or an iPod touch with a camera, these codes lead to videos or websites online. They’re a fun and easy way to take notes, remember the name of a book, or connect to more information without having to write anything down, and they’re showing up more and more every day.

Come into the library with your smart phone with a QR reader or borrow our iPod touch to try your hand at our treasure hunt. You’ll be led through a series of steps taking you from books on the shelf to videos made by authors and other teens. But in addition to simply scanning QR codes, you’ll work to complete word puzzles, discover helpful ways to find good books to read, and much, much more.

When you reach your last clue, you’ll be entered into our drawing to win an iPod touch for yourself.

No registration is necessary, and we will have one iPod touch available to check out. To borrow it, bring your library card OR your school ID. The rules are simple and will be explained in the first step of the treasure hunt. Hope to see you soon!

Open to grades 6-12 only.