Going Green with Geography: Give Kids the Power of Global Knowledge

Check out the April, 2010 newsletter from My Wonderful World.org, a National Geographic Campaign http://newsletters.nationalgeographic.com/PS!HNk2yTS2hMgFBgIAAAAGCgFICgg3MDQ5Mjg2NgoKMjAwNzA3Mjk2NgkAQal/Cgk1MjExODIxNTUF

Here are some of the books chosen as the top 10 best books for young adult by the American Library Association for 2010

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The Demon’s Lexicon by Brennan

The Orange Houses by Griffin

The Great Wide Sea by Herlong

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Jinks

Alligator Bayou by Napoli

Marcelo in the Real World by Stork

Lips Touch: Three Times by Taylor

Young Adult Knitting Program

Looking for something to do this summer?  Would you like to learn to knit, or have a professional help you improve your knitting?  Come join us at the Westwood Library on Tuesday Aug. 3, 10 and 17 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm for a young adult knitting program.  Everyone in grades 6 – 12 is welcome.  Registration is required, and enrollment is limited to 10, so register early!  All material will be provided.  Sign up at the Reference Desk or call 781-320-1045.

New Science Fiction Titles

Fang, A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson

If you are a fan of the Maximum Ride series, you have probably been waiting for this book to come out. 

“Fang will be the first to die.”  Maximum Ride is used to living desperately on the run from evil forces sabotaging her quest to save the world –but nothing has ever come as close to destroying her as this horrifying prophetic message.  Fang is Max’s best friend, her soul mate, her partner in the leadership of her flock of winged children.  A life without Fang is a life unimaginable. “But there will be another…” When a newly created winged boy, the magnificent Dylan, is introduced into the flock, their world is upended yet again.  Raised in a lab like the others, Dylan exists for only one reason: he was designed to be Max’s perfect other half. “To replace Fang.” Thus unfolds a battle of perfection versus passion that terrifies, twists, and turns…and meanwhile, the apocalypse is coming.  --from the book jacket

Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve

Fever Crumb has been adopted and raised by Dr. Crumb, a member of the Order of Engineers, where she serves as an apprentice.  At a time when women are not seen as reasonable creatures, Fever is an anomaly, the only girl to serve in the Order.  Soon, though, she must say good-bye to Dr. Crumb to assist archaeologist Kit Solent with a top secret project.  The assignment involves a mysterious room that once belonged to Auric Godshawk, the last of the Scriven overlords, and Fever must help unlock it.  The Scriven, not human, ruled the city some years ago but were hunted down and killed in a victorious uprising by the people.  As Fever’s work begins, she is plagued by memories that are not her own, and Kit seems to have a particular interest in finding out what they are.  All Fever knows is what she’s been told: She is an orphan.  But whose memories does she hold?  And why are there people chasing her, intent on eliminating her?  Is Fever the key to unlocking the terrible secret of the past? –from the book jacket

Poetry Writing Workshops with Tom Daley

Tom Daley returns to the Westwood Library!  On April 29, Tom will host 2 poetry writing workshops as part of the library’s Positively Poetry series. Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 will meet from 2:45 – 4:00, and students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will meet from 4:15 – 5:30. Registration is required. To register, email us at westwoodpoetry@yahoo.com, or call 781-320-1042.  The poems produced at the workshops will be included in the library’s 2010 Poetry Anthology.

Tom Daley teaches poetry writing at the Boston Center for Adult Education, and poetry and memoir writing at Lexington Community Education. In addition, he is a member of the faculty of the Online School of Poetry, serves on the tutorial faculty of the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, and has been a guest instructor at Brown University, Stonehill College and SUNY Cobleskill. He has also been served as visiting poets at several schools.

Tom Daley’s own work has been published in numerous journals, including Harvard Review, Prairie Schooner, Barrow Street, Vox, Diagram, and Hacks: The Grub Street Anthology.

Positively Poetry at the Westwood Public Library

Positively Poetry at the Westwood Public Library is a celebration of poetry that includes the publication of an anthology of original poetry by students in grades 3 - 12, a public reading from the anthology, and sometimes a writing workshop or two!

Send us your poems for The Westwood Library's 2010 Poetry Anthology. All students in grades 3 - 12 are invited to send one original poem for inclusion in our 2010 anthology. Poems should be no longer than 30 lines, and must have family friendly language and content. Deadline for submissions is April 16. Email us at westwoodpoetry@yahoo.com and include your full name, grade, name of your school, phone number and email address. Check out our poetry blog at westwoodpoetry.blogspot.com, where some of the poems will be published.

Review of Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

This is a book about a young woman questioning her faith --and she has good reason to question it.  Her father is the pastor in a small town with one post office, one hardware store, only one restaurant that’s open on Sundays, but seven churches.  Even though everyone knows pretty much everything about everyone else, something no one seems to know is that Sam’s mother is a drunk.  Then Sam’s mom is in rehab, court-ordered after a drunken-driving accident, and Sam is left alone with her father, who seems to have infinite time for his parishioners’ problems, but no time for his own daughter or to visit his wife in rehab. The author describes Sam’s disillusionment perfectly when giving Sam’s reaction to a poster in the youth group room that shows a bunch of happy, multicultural-looking teens and the slogan: Community Happens! “I stared at that poster and pictured myself in it, smiling, knee-to-knee with the other youth group kids, who would be my best friends…Because, as we’re reminded all the time at church, community happens through sharing…I believed in  the theory, and expected that once I hit high school my life would be filled with all this understanding and friendship and spiritual bonding, and my faith would come alive, just like the poster promised.  It hasn’t really happened that way.”  Then, as if things couldn’t get any worse, a 13-year-old member of the youth group, Jody, disappears.  Sam’s lack of faith intensifies, and it’s clear that part of the problem is her lack of faith in her own father. As he’s getting ready to leave to visit the family of the missing girl, this is how Sam sees him: “He was strangely calm-looking, his tan face smooth, his hair in place, jaw set. It dawned on me that in a way he’s been prepping for a tragedy like this all his life; he’s like an actor getting his ultimate role.  For someone whose career is believing in God and convincing other people to, this is exactly the kind of thing that would give him a chance to really prove that everything he’s been saying is true.”  I absolutely love this book.  It’s a perfect combination of characters, setting and plot.  Review by Stacy Church