Thursday, December 30, 2010

The Scorch Trials

This summer, Mara reviewed The Maze Runner by James Dashner. The thrilling dystopian tale ended on a cliffhanger, so the librarians here at Pearl were very excited when the next book, The Scorch Trials, came out in October.

Thomas and his friends have escaped the Maze, but it seems like their tests are only beginning. The action starts right away in this book, throwing the Gladers into what is myteriously being called "Phase Two": The Scorch Trials. The boys are given very vague instructions: head north and survive the Flare (a mysterious disease). If not, death is imminent.

The boys head towards their destination, even picking up some new friends. But as they progress further and further, more questions come up than are answered: Where is Tom's friend Teresa? Where did this boy, Aris, come from? Is the shadowy organization WICKED who seems to be behind all of this for good or for evil?

The book is extremely fast-paced and exciting, and the interactions between the characters alternates between hilarious and extremely strained. This book also ends on a cliffhanger, which will be resolved in the final installment, The Death Cure, due out next fall. I can't wait! Click here to request The Scorch Trials from your library. But be sure to read The Maze Runner first--available here.

Check out more about James Dashner at his blog.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Matched by Ally Condie

Matched by Ally Condie is the story of Cassia, a girl who lives in a world that is governed by the Society. The Society decides where you will live, what and when you will eat, where you will work, who you will marry, and when you will die. The Society's decisions are perceived as perfect, and are for the good of all the people. All teenage girls look forward to their Matching ceremony, where they discover the identity of their future mate. Cassia is elated when she is matched with her best friend, Xander. But she's shocked when a computer screen shows her the face of someone else as her match: the quiet and elusive Ky. She is told by the Officials that it was just a computer error, but Cassia is not so sure, and this event sets her off onto a journey of questions and discovery: are the Society's decisions really perfect? And should she continue to follow them blindly? If you enjoyed other dystopian books such as The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner, Matched might be perfect for your next read! Matched is the first book in a planned trilogy; be sure to look for the next book, Crossed, when it comes out late next year.

Read more about Matched at author Ally Condie's website. Request this book by clicking here.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Book Review

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman is the story of high school student Elizabeth who takes what she thinks is a normal after-school job as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository. When she arrives, she realizes that many of the things housed in this particular library are definitely not normal or ordinary--especially the items in the Grimm Collection, which houses items from fairy tales. As she begins to understand the significance and power of these items, she and her fellow pages are drawn into a series of adventures involving magic, myth, and fantasy. Check out Shulman's website and read the first chapter here:
http://pollyshulman.com/grimm.html

If you like a little magic and suspense in your reading or if you've ever been a fan of fairy tales, this book is for you! Click here to request this book.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Teen Scene at Pearl

Ever wondered what you could do with those old floppy disks or scratched cds? Come to the Pearl Public Library on Monday, November 29th, at 5:00 to find out! We will be making diskette notebooks and cd magnets. We will even be serving refreshments and giving away a door prize! Also, Teen Scene is moving. Starting in December, Teen Scene will take place on the first Saturday of the month at 1:00. Join us Saturday, December 4th, for "Year in Rewind Trivia". Do you think you know everything that happened in 2011? Well, come show us and win a prize!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Book Series Spotlight












If you are a fan of The Gossip Girl series, you have to try this new series by Anna Godbersen...
Set in a world of luxury and deception, the Luxe series will take you on a thrilling trip to the age of innocence that's anything but innocent. Don't miss your chance to dance in the gilded ballrooms of nineteenth century Manhattan, and slip away with the city's most charming bachelors. Your carriage ride to 1899 awaits within the pages of Anna Godbersen's Luxe series. The New York Times bestselling series includes The Luxe, Rumors, Envy, and the thrilling conclusion, Splendor. --http://www.bytseries.com/the-luxe/

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Mystery Dinner Night @ the Pearl Public Library

Love the game Clue? Have you ever wanted to play live Clue? Well, now you have your chance at the Pearl Public Library. Join us on Monday, October 25, at 5:00 pm for our Mystery Dinner Night. You will help solve the crime in the library! Wear a costume and you may get a treat. Refreshments will be served.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Monday, September 20, 2010

Teen Scene at Pearl Public Library


Teen Scene is next Monday, September 27, at 5:00 pm at the Pearl Public Library. We are doing Scrappin' Fashion. We will have materials such as trash bags, duct tape, sequins, and material scraps. Your mission will be to create a fashion masterpiece out of these items. Show us your creativity and come to Teen Scene at the Pearl Public Library!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Book Review


Check out Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater at your library! Look for the sequel Linger also!
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human... until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever. --http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/shiver.php

Monday, August 30, 2010

Teen Scene at the Pearl Public Library

Need a break from homework? Come to the Pearl Public Library this Monday (August 30th) at 5:00 pm for Teen Scene. This month we are featuring games from the hit TV show Minute to Win It! We will have snacks and prizes. This program runs monthly on the last Monday of the month. Check us out next month for our Scrappin' Fashion program. Put together a cool outfit with only scraps, duck tape, and other odd materials!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Book Review

All Unquiet Things centers around the murder of teen heiress Carly Ribelli, who was found shot to death a mile from her house in a wealthy Northern California suburb. Carly’s uncle, a dissolute alcoholic, was convicted of the crime, but a year later his daughter still doesn’t believe her father is guilty. Determined to prove his innocence, Audrey Ribelli contacts Carly’s ex-boyfriend, Neily Monroe, the boy who found Carly’s body. She is convinced that he knows more than he thinks about the events that led up to Carly’s death. Despite Neily’s initial reluctance, he and Audrey begin their investigation at the posh private school they attend, identifying prime suspects from among their spoiled classmates and digging up secrets about Carly’s past to get to the truth behind her murder--http://www.annajarzab.com/aut/

This book is awesome! If you like mystery and crime then this is the book for you. It reads like a basic "whodunit" novel but the characters are well-developed. Readers will relate to the feelings Neily has for losing his one true love. Each page reveals new information about the crime, and readers get to see the relationship between Neily and Audrey develop. This is the first novel by this author, and it is spectacular!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Readalikes for "Mockingjay"

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA) on August 12, released a list of titles that may interest those waiting for the last of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Mockingjay is due to be released on August 24 and many are patiently waiting! These readalikes were chosen for their similarity to the popular trilogy and may help teens find new authors for their leisure reading.

These can be found in CMRLS libraries. If they aren't on your libraries' shelves, log onto Rosie's Web, the online catalog, with your barcoded library card and make your request.  Need help? Just ask library staff to make the request. Look for:
  • Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1 - by Hiromu Arakawa
  • Jennifer Government - by Max Barry
  • The Compound - by S. A. Bodeen
  • Fortunes of Indigo Skye - by Deb Caletti
  • The White Mountains (The Tripods #1) - by John Christopher
  • The Maze Runner - by James Dashner
  • The Diamond of Darkhold - by Jeanne Duprau
  • Gone - by Michael Grant
  • Epic - by Conor Kostick
  • Tomorrow, When the War Began - by John Marsden
  • Airborn - by Kenneth Oppel
  • How I Live Now - by Meg Rosoff
  • Bones of Faerie - by Janni Simner
  • Leviathan - by Scott Westerfield

Monday, August 16, 2010

Join P-YAC!


Pearl Youth Advisory Committee
Want to be a part of group that serves the community of Pearl? Join the Pearl Youth Advisory Committee (P-YAC). The Pearl Public Library is looking for teens between the ages of 13 and 18 who are responsible, goal-oriented, and full of ideas. P-YAC members will meet monthly to discuss teen programming ideas, volunteering activities, and will help in selecting materials for the Young Adult area of the library. Being a part of a committee such as P-YAC looks great on a college application or even a resume! By joing P-YAC, you will make new friends and help the Pearl Public Library serve its teens. The next meeting is Tuesday, September 9th @ 4:30 pm. Bring yourself and bring a friend!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Read It Before You See It!

Check out these YA books that have recently been made into movies!

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

When second-graders Bryce and Juli first meet, Juli knows it’s love. But Bryce isn’t so sure. Girl-phobic and easily embarrassed, young Bryce does everything he can to keep his outspoken wannabe girlfriend at arm’s length… for the next six years, which isn’t easy since they go to the same school and live across the street from each other. But if Juli finally looks away, will it be Bryce’s turn to be dazzled? Flipped takes Bryce and Juli from grade school to junior high, through triumph and disaster, family drama and first love, as they make the discoveries that will define who they are --- and who they are to each other.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Based on the comic by Bryan Lee O'Malley)

Meet charming and jobless Scott Pilgrim. A bass guitarist for the garage band Sex Bob-omb, the 22-year-old has just met the girl of his dreams…literally. The only catch to winning Ramona Flowers? Her seven evil exes are coming to kill him. Genre-smashing filmmaker Edgar Wright tells the amazing story of one romantic slacker’s quest to power up with love in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Monday, August 2, 2010

The Hunger Games: A Mockingjay Release Party


The librarians here at the Pearl Public Library are anxiously awaiting the release of the third book in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, and we know many of you are too. So, we have decided to celebrate the release of Mockingjay with a party! Join us for a release party for Mockingjay on Tuesday, August 24th at 5:00 pm. We will have games, refreshments, and prizes. You could be the winner of a brand new copy of Mockingjay!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Break the Binding Teen Book Club

NEW @ THE PEARL PUBLIC LIBRARY

We are starting a teen book club at the Pearl Public Library called Break the Binding Teen Book Club. We will meet monthly on the 2nd Thursday of each month from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Our first meeting will be on August 12. For our first meeting, we will brainstorm books that you want to read. Each month after August, there will be a designated book to read. This is a great opportunity for teens to socialize outside of school and enjoy a book that is not assigned as homework. There will be no tests or quizzes associated with this club only fun discussions and time to hang out with friends!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Along for the Ride


Do you believe in second chances (or third)? Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride might turn you into a believer. Auden West, recent graduate, ivy leave college bound insomiac, decides to spend the last summer with her dad, new wife and baby. Because of her strict regime of studying, she realizes that she's missed out on friends and high school life experiences. Does she decide to take control and try new things like making new friends, having a boyfriend, or even riding a bike? Click on this link to request this delightful read.

Volunteering @ the Pearl Public Library

We had some wonderful help this summer for our Summer Reading Program! We had 10 volunteers who helped us do just about everything. They helped with programs and manned our regsitration table among many other tasks. They even helped us decorate our new Teen Area. Our teen volunteers logged over 387 hours this summer! We had so much fun this summer, and it would not have been the same without them.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Monday, July 12, 2010

Make a Splash Library Birthday Bash


Can you believe the 2010 Summer Reading Program is ending? Could you be the winner of our grand prize, a Sony Mp3 Player? Turn in your last minute book reviews for a chance to win our fabulous prizes. We are giving away a Sony Mp3 player and two $25 Walmart gift cards! Come to the Pearl Public Library this Thursday, July 15, @ 6:00 PM. We will be announcing the winners of our prizes as well as celebrating our library's 5th birthday. The Mississippi Swing Band will be here and we will have delicious birthday cake!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

An A"MAZE"-ing Book!!!


So I have recently become a fan of dystopian science fiction. If you've read the Hunger Games and Catching Fire, you will not be disappointed with James Dashner's Maze Runner! The beginning of the book just screams at you to keep reading. Picture waking up and the only thing you can remember is your name which is exactly what happens to 16 year-old Thomas. He finds himself trapped in a community of teenage boys. The community is surrounded by an impossible maze and there is no way to get out (at least that's what they think). Each teen has a designated area to work in to make their community survive, but Thomas knows instinctively that he needs to be a maze runner. Does Thomas become a maze runner? Do they solve the maze and make it out alive? Check it out or request it from your library! Click on this link. The sequel, The Scorch Trials will be released October 12,2010!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Teen Craft Night

Join the Pearl Public Library Monday night, July 12, at 6:00 for Teen Craft Night. Teens who are 12 and up are invited to make a variety of crafts including "Message in a bottle" and "Sand Mosaics". Refreshments will also be provided, and we will be giving out great door prizes. This will be our last teen program for Summer Reading Program 2010 so do not miss it!

Monday, June 28, 2010

What is Less-Dead?


If you're looking for a relatively quick read that is thought-provoking, try the less-dead by April Lurie.

Noah Nordstrom is the son of the Bible Answer Guy who hosts a popular Christian radio show. And that is Noah's biggest problem, so he thinks. Noah does not think like his father and when a serial killer begins targeting gay teens, Noah's anti-religious feelings intensify. The killer chooses his victims among foster children--victims whose deaths will not be too important to society. Thus they are called the less-dead. After a new acquaintance becomes the third victim, Noah decides to investigate and prove that someone does care.

Be warned -- the author's purpose in this novel is 'to persuade.' To persuade you to rethink what you believe about homosexuality and whether it's sinful or not.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Monday, June 21, 2010

WaTeRpAlOoZa


We're having a water extravaganza at the Pearl Public Library next Monday, June 28 @ 6:00 pm. Join us for an old-fashioned water balloon fight and many more cool water games! This program is free and open to teens 12 and older. We will also be handing out cool door prizes!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Beachside Dance-off

It's hot outside! So, come cool off at our Beach side Dance-off this Monday @ 6:00 at the Pearl Public Library. Teens ages 12 and up are welcome to this program. The program is free and pizza will be served. Show us your dance moves and work up an appetite. The teen or teens who can dance non-stop for the whole hour will win a prize!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Dear Reader and Author Buzz

Have you checked out the CMRLS online book clubs? There's one for TeeNS! Sign up by clicking on the Online Book Club link near the bottom right on the CMRLS homepage  or CLiCK HeRe! You will receive a chapter a day in your email of that week's book and then you can decide whether you want to continue reading it. If you do want to read it, just go to your library. It's that simple! You may find new authors or genres that you like and you can join the Online Book Club Forum to discuss the books you read with others!

You may also visit Author Buzz or KiDS BuZZ to read about the authors featured on the Online Book Club and find out if they are having a contest on their website or through their publisher. Often the authors are giving away autographed copies of their books or mugs, hats, etc., in a drawing. To enter, just click on their link or send them an email!

See your library staff if you need help signing up for the Online Book Club!

Have a great summer ReaDiNG!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Wii Play Wednesdays



Need a mid-week break this summer? Come join the Pearl Public Library for Wii Play Wednesdays every Wednesday @ 3:00 until July 14. We will be featuring water-themed games as well as Wii classics. Children and teens are welcome to attend!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

The Water Experiment

Join us for the first teen program of the summer at the Pearl Public Library. We are doing water experiments inlcluding alka seltzer rockets, a mentos geyser, a vinegar volcano, and many more cool experiments! The program starts at 6:00 on Monday, June 7. Teens 12 and older are invited to attend. We will also be handing out door prizes!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Guessing Jars at the Summer Reading Program

Find a sweet treat at the Pearl Public Library this summer! We will have a guessing jar contest each week of the Summer Reading Program beginning the week of June 7 and ending the week of July 15. You will have a total of 6 times to win a prize. Kids, teens, and adults can enter this contest. All you have to do is guess how much candy is in the jar. The closest guess wins a prize. Participants are only eligible to win one guessing jar contest. So, come down to the Pearl Public Library this summer and register for the Summer Reading Program starting May 24 and enter out guessing jar contest while you are here!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Summer Reading Program Registration


Summer Reading Program 2010
Come Make Waves this summer with your public library. The Summer Reading Program provides teens with an incentive to read during the summer. Read books for prizes including a Sony MP3 Player! Also, come join us every Monday night at 6:00 for free programs (programs start June 7th and end July 12th). We will end the Summer Reading Program with a Make a Splash Library Birthday Bash on July 15th. Contact the library for more details. We hope to see you this summer!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Volunteer Opportunity


Make Waves This Summer by Volunteering @ the Pearl Public Library!
How? Come to the Pearl Public Library and fill out an application.
When? Deadline for application is Friday, May 14th.
Who? Any student entering the 7th grade or higher next fall.
What do I have to do? Help library staff decorate, prepare/put on programs for children and teens, register participants, and be available to answer questions from patrons about the Summer Reading Program.
Why? This is an excellent opportunity to help out your community and it's fun! Volunteer experience also looks great on a college application!
For more information come to the Pearl Public Library!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The Touch Series

Deadly Little Secrets is Book One in The Touch Series by Laurie Stolarz.

Synopsis: Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at an art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes far from ordinary. Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead she's inexplicably drawn to Ben...and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help – but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something...but he's not the only one with a secret. (http://www.lauriestolarz.com/novels/deadly_little_secret.html)

My Review: I found this series while searching through the YA Fiction collection at my library. I ended up reading it and could not put it down. Camelia's character endures everyday pressures of being a teen including love, school, and peer pressure. However, she also is caught up in a scary situation with a possible stalker and her feelings for Ben. This book has romance, suspense, and humor; there a little for every type of reader. This is a great series! Book Two in the series, Deadly Little Lies, explores the powers of psychometry further as Camelia is wrapped up in a love triangle with many secrets. Book Three, Deadly Little Games, comes out this fall. So, check out the first two books

Monday, April 19, 2010

Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins


Even though the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was published just a few years ago, I just found this series not too long ago. This book is an intense and way awesome read. Panem, the fictitious setting, is divided into 12 districts. The book centers around Katniss and Peeta, the representatives from District 12, who participate in the televised and popular Hunger Games. Each district sends 2 representatives to these games. The winner is the last person standing! Can you believe it!?!? Teens are fighting to the death on national television!!!
The book teems with themes such as love, survival, loyalty, perseverance, suffering, freedom, fear, and betrayal. I couldn't put it down!!! Even better there is a sequel...Catching Fire. A third installment, Mockingjay, is due August 2010. There's even talks of Lionsgate (movie producers of Twilight Saga Series) producing a movie about it! This series does not disappoint; it's filled with action that will keep your fingers turning! This series is definitely not for the light-hearted or weak stomach.

Teen Scene

Teen Scene @ the Pearl Public Library

Need something fun to do on a Saturday? Come join us this Saturday, April 24th from 1:00 to 3:00. We are demonstrating the art of origami paper folding. Learn to make simple works of origami art. Make a crane or a dragon or just use your imagination to make your own creation. Stick around for refreshments!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Celebrate National Library Week!

Check out the CMRLS Online Calendar for programs during National Library Week or any time @ your library! You'll find what you expect at your library today; such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and computers. And homework help! You'll also find Wii tournaments, computer classes, craft nights, game nights, pizza parties, book clubs, anime, graphic novels, video games and the newest DVDs to check out...and that's just the beginning! Staff have so many ways to help you find JUST what you want to read, also. Celebrate @ your Library!

Stop by your Library to see what's NEW and FUN!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

When You Reach Me is newest Newbery Medal winner


Judging anything is most often very subjective. Everyone has their own personal tastes when it comes to animals, cars, music...and yes, books. I personally do not always 'get' why a book wins an award. That's because the book did not appeal to me on a deep level. The newest Newbery Medal winner did, however, 'reach me.'

Twelve-year old Miranda lives in New York City with her mom. She loves to read...the same book over and over again. Much is going on in her life. Her mother's boyfriend is getting serious; her best friend, Sal, suddenly wants nothing to do with her; her mother is about to be a contestant on a game show; and someone is sending her mysterious notes.

The first note she receives begins-

'M,

This is hard. Harder than I expected, even with your help. But I have been practicing, and my preparations go well. I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own...'

As cryptic clues in the notes begin to come true, Miranda tries to discover the identity of the writer and what they want her to do.

I finished the book at 6:00 this morning and it was wonderful. My prediction is that if you read this book, you will immediately look for the book Miranda read over and over again, which coincidentally was also a Newbery Medal winner. I know I did.
I will look forward to the next book by Rebecca Stead.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Wii!!!

Wii have fun @ our library!

Come celebrate Teen Tech Week at the Brandon Library!

March 8th - March 12th

Stop by the Children's Department and challenge a friend to a game on our Nintendo Wii!

Available anytime a Youth Services Librarian is available!

Stop by and show the Library your skill!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Teen Health & Wellness

Rosen Publishing, a proud three-time sponsor of Teen Tech Week (March 7-13), is pleased to offer access to its award-winning, critically acclaimed Teen Health & Wellness database until April 15 (National Library Week).

Go to http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com/ and use the USERNAME: teentech and the PASSWORD: teentech

Take advantage of this great FREE resource!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

March Teen Programs

Teen Anime Club meets Mar. 9 and 23, 6:00 p.m. at Flowood Library.

Mar. 1, 5:00 p.m., Florence Library is Glitz and Glamour - a Prom extravaganza, featuring makeup artist, models, formal wear professionals, and more to make this the best Prom season.

More FUN with "DUCK TAPE" - at Richland Library on Mar. 4, 6:00 p.m.

Mar. 23, 3:30 p.m., Raleigh Library - YA FUN and Games!

Celebrate Youth Art Month, Pearl Library, Mar. 9, 5:30 p.m., Join us for a reception celebrating Youth Art Month for Pearl Public Schools. Art is provided by the students in K-12 grades, and will be on display for the entire month of March.

National Library Week Bookmark Contest, Mar. 1-12, Pearl Library. Pick up your entry form from the Pearl Library and submit it by Mar. 12. Winning bookmark will be featured during National Library Week, Apr. 11-17 and winner will receive $25 Wal-Mart gift card!

Mar. 11, 4:00 p.m., Morton Library, Techno Buddies @ your Library! Celebrate Teen Tech Week by sharing your technological expertise with an adult who needs your help! Activities will include helping set up email and Facebook accounts, demonstrating how to download photographs, explaining MP3 players and how to load music, demonstrating cell phone capabilities, etc. Call to volunteer your time for this worthy activity!

Check out the Online Calendar for other programming!
Leave us a comment if you have an idea for a program at on of the libraries.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Have you ever lost someone you loved? Has this person ever committed something so terrible that you've just felt torn? Was he or she the hero or the bad guy? Jennifer Brown's Hate List hits the mark on young adult fiction. Sixteen year old Valerie didn't fit in or at least she felt that she didn't fit in...until she met her boyfriend, Nick. They just clicked especially when it came to how they felt about the classmates who bullied them. So, Valerie and Nick compile a "hate list". They placed the names of people who wronged them. Little did she know that this would be the list that Nick used to kill their classmates.

After not seeing Nick for awhile, Valerie is worried that they were breaking up. So one day in May, Nick shows up with a purpose Valerie has no knowledge. They enter the cafeteria together and Nick begins his terror. Valerie is in shock and sees that Nick is targeting one of the most popular girls in school. She throws herself in front of her classmate--Valerie is wounded in the leg. At the end of his terror, Nick takes his life.

This book is a series of flashbacks and present events through Valerie's eyes. For anyone who has experienced a school shooting or bullying--Jennifer Brown has carefully woven a fiction work that will end in life lessons that are refreshing and hopeful. Try it out. Let me know what you think.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Young Scholars Program for 7th graders

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program is a once-in-a-lifetime scholarship for the Nation's best students. The Young Scholars Program supports hundreds of exceptionally promising, high-achieving students with financial need across the U.S.  Applicants are sought who stand out in their schools and communities for their academic excelence, determination, leadership, and public service. Each year, the Foundation selects from among more than 1,000 seventh grade applicants approximately 75 Young Scholars for an educational experience that students have called "one of the best things that ever happened to me."

The foundation's mission is to help exceptionally promising students reach their full potential through education. Young Scholars come from all racial and ethnic backgrounds and from rural, suburban, and urban communities throughout the U.S. Applicants are chosen based on:
  • High academic ability and achievement.
  • Financial need.
  • Motivation and the will to succeed.
  • Leadership and public service.
  • Accomplishments in music, the arts, literature, or other extracurricular activites.
Young Scholars receive:
  • Advice and financial assistance for summer and out-of-school academic enrichment programs
  • Access to computers, software, or other learning technology
  • Music, art, or other talent lessons
  • Mentoring or leadership programs
  • College admission advising and more
How do I apply? Visit www.jkcf.org/scholarships/young-scholars-program. Applications are due the last Monday in April (April 26, 2010). If you have questions or wish to receive an application by mail, contact: Duke University Talent Identification Program by phone, 919-668-9100; or email jkcf@tip.duke.edu.