New Graphic Novels

 

Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood, A Graphic Novel by Tony Lee, Sam Hart and Artur Fujita

The year is 1192.  Prince Johns is getting fat and wealthy on blood money, while the king fights in Jerusalem.  When Robin of Loxley returns home from the Crusade, he soon discovers that things are not as they should be.  The sheriff now governs Nottingham with an iron fist.  In the haunted heart of Sherwood Forest, Robin devises a heroic plan.  He will disguise himself and become an outlaw.  With the help of his men and the beautiful Maid Marian, he will see that justice is done for the people.  But there are traitors in his camp, and it is not long before a hefty price is levied on Robin Hood’s head.

 

World of Warcraft, Book One by Walter Simonson, Ludo Lullabi and Sandra Hope

A human warrior washes up on the shores of Duratar, with no recollection as to who he is, or how he arrived there.  The man is thrust into the thick of battle immediately, and his prize for evading certain death at the teeth of a hungry crocodile is conscription into the gladiator force of orc shaman Rehgar Earthfury.  His first quest is not so simple: with no memory, he must rely on his fighting instincts to stay alive, as he searches for his true identity!  He’s aided in his quest by unlikely allies: Broll Bearmantle –a shape-shifting night elf bound to Rehgar’s service –and Baleera Sanguinar –a blood elf whose childlike form conceals a cunning mind and lust for recognition.  This unlikely trio will try to uncover the secrets of Lo’Gosh’s past, but they must first rely on his instinctive prowess in combat if they are to survive their first challenge: the arena at Dire Maul!

The YA Dept. has Playaways!

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The Young Adult Dept. now has audiobooks in an easy-to-use MP3 format called “Playaways.” The pre-recorded titles come in a credit-card-sized plastic case and come with the AAA battery needed. They're easy to use, and you can pause and then resume listening anytime! You just need your own headphones.

 

Available titles include:

Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voigt

Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt

The library is open on Sundays!

Oops!  Forget about that assignment due on Monday?  Internet down so you can’t do your usual online research?  The library is open on Sundays from 2 – 5 during the school year, so come in and use our computers, encyclopedias, or check out some books. 

Vacations from Hell, a new short story collection

Ever taken what turned out to be a really bad vacation? You think yours was bad, check out these short stories to read about some really bad vacations! The book includes short stories by Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Claudia Gray, Maureen Johnson and Sarah Mlynowski. All of the stories involve the supernatural –witches, vampires, and various other hauntings –and may lead you to rethink that backpacking through Europe idea.

Magazines: Why We Love Them!!

According to Reading Is Fundamental, you’re not wasting your time at all when you’re leafing through your favorite magazines at the library. 

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Why do teens like magazines so much?

• Magazine features are short. Young readers have the satisfaction of finishing an article or story in one sitting.  They don't have to read from cover to cover!
• Magazines grab your attention. Their colorful covers make youngsters want to look inside.
• They're entertaining. The writing style is light and brisk on topics that attract kids.
• They're generally easy to read. Most consumer magazines, for example, are written at or below the reading level of average high school students. Kids' magazines, of course, use vocabulary geared to the younger age groups that subscribe to them.
• They're lightweight and portable. You can roll 'em up, bend 'em, and stuff 'em into a backpack, bike basket, purse, or back pocket.
• They're inexpensive—less costly than most paperbacks. In fact, a full year's subscription to a teen or children's magazine (10 or 12 issues) usually costs less than one hardcover book.
• They offer variety. A single issue usually includes an array of articles, stories, activities, pictures, and styles of writing.
• They often focus on their readers' special interests. Magazines also help readers develop new interests.

Relax in the YA Room after school with a good magazine –improve your reading!

Banned Books Week September 26 – October 3

“A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. As such, they are a threat to freedom of speech and choice. The ALA promotes the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who which to read them” ALA (American Library Association)

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Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2008 and Reasons for Challenges:

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
   Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group
2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
   Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence
3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
   Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
4. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
   Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence
5. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
   Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
   Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group
7. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
   Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
8. Uncle Bobby's Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
   Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group
9. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
   Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
10. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
    Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group

Interested in where in the US books were challenged in the last 2 years?  Check out: Mapping Book Censorship: Banned Books 2007 –2009   http://bannedbooksweek.org/Mapofbookcensorship.html

Relax in the YA Room after School

Looking for something relaxing to do after school (before you start your homework, that is)?  Stop by the YA room and play a board game or two.  Read some magazines.  Pick out a movie to watch on the weekend.

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