Teendom, Tweendom: A Teacher's Guide to BCL

Practice SAT at the Beaverton City Library / Test & School Skills Seminar

2012-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

Kaplan will be proctoring a FREE practice run of the SAT for students here at the Beaverton City Library on Saturday, March 3rd, 11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in Meeting Room B. Anyone wishing to take the test should register online at Kaplan's Web site -
http://www.kaptest.com/enroll/SAT/97005/events.
Note that space is limited to 25 test takers.

Then, on Monday, March 12th, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., local author Chris Tobias (101 Secrets to Passing Any Test) will be at the BCL to present a free test & school skills seminar for students in grades 6-12 and their parents!

Please promote these events to any interested students / parents.

Dickensian London App

2012-02-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

Did you celebrate Charles Dickens' 200th Birthday yesterday?? Whether you celebrated or missed it and want to catch up, this new App offers a great interactive way to get inside his world.

Streetmuseum: Dickens' Dark London was created by the Museum of London in conjunction with a major Dickens exhibit. The App, which is getting good reviews, takes the user through the slums of 19th century London with painstaking attention to detail. It's a great visual way to get into the past! Cost is $1.99 and it works on Mac products, you can get it here.

Portland ESL Wiki

2012-02-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

A new wiki for Portland-area ESL families, students, and educators:

"The Portland ESL Network is a reliable up-to-date network sharing information and locations of ESL programs and resources in the Portland area.

The Portland ESL Network offers several resources:
· A comprehensive map with locations of available ESL classes and tutoring (updated quarterly).
· Links to cultural resources and articles.
· A community cultural calendar.
· Online resources for students and teachers.

The best part is that the Portland ESL Network is a wiki, which means that it can be maintained and edited by the community. If you have ESL resources to share, you can easily create a free account, and add or update information for all to see."

http://portlandesl.pbworks.com/w/page/17833046/FrontPage

Teen Summer Reading Art Contest Promotional Video

2012-02-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

The Teen Library Council at the Cedar Mill Community Library have put together a nice promotional video for WCCLS' 2012 Teen Summer Reading Art Contest! Watch it here. Contest entries are due by February 29. The winning entry takes a $150 Powell's gift card. We're looking forward to seeing all the creativity this year!

Book connections to the Oscars

2012-01-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

The blog EarlyWord has a great post about this year's Oscar nominees, noting that 6 of the 9 Best Picture nominees were adapted from books! And two of those were juvenile books: Hugo and War Horse (Harry Potter's in there too for Art Direction, Makup and Visual Effects). Read more about literary links to this year's Oscars in "Booked for the Oscars."

Figment - An Online Writing Community for Teens

2012-01-28T10:58:00.000-08:00

My favorite 'Web discovery' this week has been Figment, an online writing community where the content is created largely by teens for teens. There's an interesting library of short teen fiction (some of which is really good), as well as excerpts and information about some of the newest commercially-published teen fiction and regular writing contests. Also highly recommended are the extremely active forums filled with thousands of posts about life, writing, pop culture, and more!

The results are in! ALA Youth Media Awards

2012-01-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

For a full listing of award and honor books in all categories, check out the ala press release.

Here are the highlights:
Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:“Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley, is the 2012 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.“Why We Broke Up,” written by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group; “The Returning,” written by Christine Hinwood and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group Young Readers Group USA; “Jasper Jones,” written by Craig Silvey and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; and “The Scorpio Races,” written by Maggie Stiefvater and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:
“Dead End in Norvelt,” written by Jack Gantos, is the 2012 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Farrar Straus Giroux.
Two Newbery Honor Books also were named: "Inside Out & Back Again," written by Thanhha Lai and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers; and "Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
“A Ball for Daisy," illustrated and written by Chris Raschka, is the 2012 Caldecott Medal winner. The book is published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Three Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco, and published by Disney · Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group; "Grandpa Green" illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership; and “Me . . . Jane,” illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell, and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Book Recommendation: The Fault In Our Stars

2012-01-21T14:03:00.000-08:00

I'm currently reading John Green's new novel, The Fault In Our Stars, which tells the story of two teens battling terminal cancer diagnoses. As always, it's very well-written and more existential than your average teen novel; I can tell that it will be a tearjerker even though I'm only about 100 pages deep. What separates this work from the multitude of other teen novels that involve illness & dying is John Green's ability to analyze the human condition using teenage characters that mix teen slang and worldview with mature, philosophical outlooks that belie their years. I know this may bother some (particularly adult) readers who would argue that the characters are overly-intellectual for their ages, but therein lies the appeal - Green refuses to dumb-down his characters, but balances the philosophizing with youthful concerns and occasional crude jokes without overdoing it. I'm loving the way that he can take a teen fiction trope like terminal illness and use it to build a unique, profound story that can be read by teens and adults alike. Pair with Francisco X. Stork's wonderful novel The Last Summer of the Death Warriors for booktalks dealing with the unfairness of the universe, dying young, and the necessity of hope.

Newbery and Printz awards announcements in T-4 days!!

2012-01-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

Which youth books will win this year's highest honors?? Will A Monster Calls win the Printz Award like it did in our Mock Printz workshop? Will Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai get the Newbery like it did in our Mock Newbery workshop? There are so many great contenders, we are on the edge of our seats here at the library. In case you are too, here's how to get the inside scoop as it unfolds. You can tune in live to the webcast on Monday, Jan 23rd starting at 5:45am PST. Here's the link to the webcast.

Nominate favorite 2010 Titles for the 2013 ORCA!

2012-01-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

A message from Rebecca Cohen, Chairperson for the ORCA committee:

"Now is the time to get the 2010 books you loved on the 2013 list for consideration. You can submit the nominations directly to the spreadsheet (for teacher and librarians only, please) at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asy1FgG2NVHBdEJBUTdlMnZWdzgwb3dDX0JTYkVOa2c&hl=en_US#gid=0.

For your students and young readers, please let them know they can submit nominations through the ORCA blog, http://oregonreaderschoiceaward.wordpress.com/nominate/."

Holocaust survivor Alter Wiener at the Beaverton City Library

2012-01-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent educational opportunity for teachers and students alike:

Local Author and Holocaust survivor to share his life story at the Beaverton City Library.
Please join us on Sunday, January 29, 2012 from 2-4 pm in Meeting Rooms A & B for this fascinating talk. Alter Wiener, author of 64735 - From a Name to a Number, is one of the very few Holocaust survivors still living in the Portland area. He has shared his life story in the states of Oregon and Washington with over 700 audiences in universities, colleges, schools, churches, synagogues, prisons, companies and book clubs. He was interviewed by radio, TV stations and newspapers. Mr. Wiener received an Honorary Bachelor Degree from Warner pacific College and an Honorary Law Degree from Lewis & Clark Law School. This talk is free and open to the public. Please be advised that the talk may be videotaped for use in a future documentary about Alter.

Anti-Bullying Program for grades 3-7

2012-01-12T17:17:00.000-08:00

Please pass the word on to your 3rd-7th graders, we're going to host another Anti-Bullying program at the library on January 23rd. Here are the details.

Anti-bullying Program Monday, January 23, 2012, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Kids, want to learn how to tackle the problem of bullying? Celebrate No Name Calling Week by learning solutions with activities, tips, and resources. handouts for parents will also be available, but this program is just for kids. Grades 3-7.

And while we are on the topic of bullying and creating empathy for people who are targeted by bullies, I have read two fantastic fiction books recently where bullying is a prominent theme - I highly reccomend both:

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

Overburdened by his parents' bickering and a bully's attacks, fifteen-year-old Lucky Linderman begins dreaming of being with his grandfather, who went missing during the Vietnam War, but during a visit to Arizona, his aunt and uncle and their beautiful neighbor, Ginny, help him find a new perspective. (recommended for grades 9 +)

A Monster Calls by Patrick NessThirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill--an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss. (recommended for grades 7+)

NPR's Top Five Teen Novels

2012-01-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

NPR has published a list of their top five teen novels of 2011:

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/19/143589123/the-teens-are-all-right-2011s-top-5-ya-novels

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Divergent by Veronica Roth
So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Ashfall by Mike Mullin

They also remind us of why teen fiction is going so strong (as if we needed a reminder!):

"But no matter how varied the young adult genre becomes, today's best teen reads have one thing in common: their emotional depth, believable characters and suspense-filled storylines will keep readers of any age tearing through the pages."

Teen Library Council hosting a Food and Supplies Drive

2012-01-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome back from the holiday break!

Here at the library, our Teen Library Council is proud to be hosting a January food and supplies drive to benefit the Sunshine Pantry. Many people remember to give during the holiday season, but food pantries still have need for food, toiletries and warm clothing throughout the winter, so the Teen Library Council is doing something about it! Their goal is to collect 200 items by January 31st.

Please pass the word on to your students, that they can help the effort by donating food, household items and even new or gently used warm clothing to the bin in the Teen Room at the Beaverton City Library anytime before January 31st!

Thank you for your support!

Social Media, Technology, and Sex Ed

2011-12-31T14:31:00.001-08:00

There's an interesting article on the front page of today's New York Times that gives an overview of the new frontier for sex education - text messages and interactive social media, including Facebook and Twitter:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/31/us/sex-education-for-teenagers-online-and-in-texts.html

Teens seek information using the media they're most comfortable with, and, as the article points out, this cuts down on the awkwardness of asking parents or health instructors. Text and chat library reference from services like L-Net (soon to be known as "Answerland") is also growing among teens. Don't forget WCCLs' own Teen Health and Wellness database, accessible from home and school via a library card!

Teen Winter Reading/ Holiday Closures

2011-12-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

The library will be closed Saturday, December 24 and Sunday, December 25 - happy holidays!

We'll be accepting reviews for the Teen Winter Reading Program through January 3rd, and will do the prize drawing and judge the best genre reviews after that. Reviews should be 2-3 sentences long. See you next year!

City of Beaverton Creative Expression Contest

2011-12-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Elina Gouw (8th Grade, Stoller Middle School) - the winner of the City of Beaverton's 2011 Human Rights Creative Expression Contest! The entry is entitled "Shine a Light for Human Rights." 2012 contest entries are being accepted at Beaverton City Hall January 15 - February 24, 2012. Please see the Web site for an informational flyer and an entry form. Don't forget that all of the years entries can be viewed in the library's teen room!

WCCLS Teen Summer Reading Art Contest 2012

2011-12-14T13:48:00.001-08:00

The 2012 Teen Summer Reading Art Contest materials are now available for download on the WCCLS Web page:

http://news.wccls.org/2011/12/teen-summer-reading-artwork-contest.html

Once again, teens aged 12-18 across the county are encouraged to submit artwork encapsulating the Teen Summer Reading theme for the year. This year's slogan is "Own the Night!" This year, the slogan itself does not necessarily need to be used, so long as the artwork represents the "night time" theme in some way. We hope that this leaves room for a lot more creative interpretation!
The first prize winner will receive a Powell's Books giftcard valued at $150 and have their art used on summer reading materials all over the county! Runners-up will receive $50 and $25 gift certificates at Art Media. Entries will be accepted at Washington County libraries between Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 and Wednesday, February 19, 2012.

The full rules and an entry form can be directly downloaded here: http://www.wccls.org/_pdf/2012-Teen-Art-Contest-Rules-and-Entry.pdf.

We can't wait to see the creative entries this year!

History of Western Typefaces Info-Graphic by Mashable

2011-12-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Century Gothic font uses 30% less ink than Arial when printed? Did you know that the font Papyrus was developed from hand-written lettering? If these tidbits interest you, you are going to love this info-graphic by mashable.com. Check it out at: http://mashable.com/2011/12/08/typeface-font-history-infographic/

2011 Summer Reading in Oregon's Libraries

2011-12-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

The Oregon State Library has just published the 2011 Oregon Summer Reading Brief, which gives an overall statistical picture of summer reading in Oregon libraries. This past summer, 161, 860 children and teens participated in programs across the state! To view the full report along with research information on the benefits of summer reading, visit http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/LD/youthsvcs/srp.certificates/OSLsrpBrief2011.pdf.

Thank you for helping to promote the library and our summer reading program to your students!

YA Nonfiction Award Finalists announced by YALSA

2011-12-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Young Adult wing of the American Library Association announced the finalists for the 2012 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults today. The award honors the best nonfiction books written for young adults between Nov. 1, 2010 and Oct. 31, 2011. The finalists are:

Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science written by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition written by Karen Blumenthal

Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) written by Sue Macy.

Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein written by Susan Goldman Rubin.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, & Treachery written by Steve Sheinkin.

For more info on each title, check out the YALSA website.

Cool PBS map: The United States of Documentaries

2011-12-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

PBS bloggers recently created a map highlighting the 'best' documentary produced by each state. For Oregon, they selected If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (Marshall Curry, 2011). To find out more about the criteria and which documentaries earned the honor in other states, go to: http://www.pbs.org/pov/blog/2011/11/united-states-of-documentaries.php

2012 Teen Summer Reading Video Contest

2011-12-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

The 2012 Oregon Teen Video Challenge contest entry form and guidelines have been released! Teens aged 13-18 are encouraged to create 30-90 second videos to promote the idea of using public libraries and reading, including their own interpretations of the 2012 Teen Reading Slogan "Own the Night." There's a $275 grand prize for each state's winning entry in the video contest. Entries must be completed and submitted by Saturday, March 3. For full information and guidelines, please use this downloadable PDF form:

http://www.beavertonlibrary.org/teens/docs/events2012/2012_CSLP_Video_Contest.pdf

eReaders - learn more about it!

2011-11-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

Interested in taking the plunge into reading digital-style, but not sure how/what/when? We have a library workshop for you on December 8th all about eReading and the library. Check out the event calendar for details.

And while we're on the subject of reading digitally, check out this review by our guest blogger Jennifer Furuyama, library school student and avid reader of ebooks. Here, she compares Amazon Kindle to the Barnes & Noble Nook:

The basic Nook will run you ninety nine dollars while the basic Kindle comes in at seventy nine. Both product websites boast that their E-Reader is the best on the market. So what sets these two products apart?
Both allow you to download books from your public library. Both are wireless, both are light, both have high resolution and both claim competitive pricing on the purchase of books. The differences are minor but depending on your intended use for the reader the following distinctions may impact your choice.

The Nook’s battery life significantly exceeds that of the Kindle but the Kindle can store four hundred more books than the Nook. On the Nook users can lend books to one another free of charge. Kindle users can borrow books from Amazon’s lending library but to do so they have to purchase an Amazon Prime membership.

If you are purchasing an e-reader for recreational reading alone these two options are comparable. However, if you are purchasing an e-reader for student use there is a clear reason to opt for the Nook over Kindle. Kindle books monitor reader progress via percentage complete. As a result there are no page numbers. Without a page number students cannot correctly cite an excerpt from a novel, a requirement in most middle and high school course work.
--Jennifer Furuyama

Neil Gaiman on Teen Lit trends

2011-11-26T13:21:00.000-08:00

Alas, the Teen Art Show has ended, but it was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who encouraged students to submit their work! Our next big push will be the Teen Winter Reading Program, which will be Saturday, December 17 - Tuesday, January 3. Teens are encouraged to review books that they read during Winter Break and enter them in drawings for random giftcards. There will also be prizes for the best reviews in each genre. Watch this space (or our Web site) for the release of the review slips! Reviews may be submitted at the library using the slips, or via our Web site.

Neil Gaiman was recently on The Simpsons in an episode where Home attempts to write a teen novel ala Twilight. Here's an interesting interview with him to mark the occasion:

http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2011/11/19/neil-gaiman-on-his-simpsons-appearance-teen-lit-and-trolls/

He discusses teen lit trends and the explosion of lit for the age group:

'I also know having grown up as a devoted reader that, as a kid, your first exposure to anything, whether it’s a good book or a bad book, whether it’s written with care and love or just tossed off by somebody who really doesn’t care, the truth is that when kids encounter books they bring themselves to them, and the place you find the magic can be anywhere,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be in a great book, it can be in a terrible book.'

It's well worth a read for youth fiction aficionados and fans of Gaiman!

Truth Versus Twilight

2011-11-18T17:26:00.000-08:00

The Quileute people of the Olympic Peninsula have recently launched a Web site to counter what they see as miconceptions introduced about them in the popular Twilight books and movies:

http://www.burkemuseum.org/truth_vs_twilight/

This is a nice Web site to encourage critical thinking about potential real-life impacts that fictional stories may have. It is not anti-Twilight fan, but an alternate perspective from a culture portrayed in the series. Recommended!

Interesting App - Silent Film Director

2011-11-17T09:08:00.000-08:00

We're feeling artistic here at the library since the Teen Art Show kicks off today and includes student produced films for the first time. So, when I saw this App featured on the American Library Association's Young Adult Services blog, I thought I'd share it with you.

Silent Film Director allows you to create digital video that looks and feels like film from past decades. Want a sepia 1920s look? Can do. Interested in making a grainy Mad Men-looking 1960s film? Silent Film can also help you do that. It is compatible with Mac products and costs .99. You can find out more about it and purchase it here http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/silent-film-director/id335148458?mt=8.

Enjoy, and I hope you come check out student films at the Teen Art Show. Opening at 3:00 today, running through Nov. 23rd.
Cheers!
Dawn

Teen Art Show Kick-Off

2011-11-12T14:22:00.000-08:00

We will begin accepting submissions of artwork for our 9th Annual Teen Art show this Monday, November 14, and will be taking them all the way through Wednesday, November 16 at the teen desk during normal library hours. The show officially opens with a reception featuring small refreshments on Thursday, November 17 at 3:00 p.m. Don't worry if you don't have a chance to make that - the exhibit will be open during normal library hours all the way up through the following Wednesday (Nov. 23rd). We can't wait to see what creative pieces get submitted this year!
For guidelines and an entry form, please visit http://beavertonlibrary.org/teens/events.aspx.

Zombies Say It In 6 Writing Contest Results Are In

2011-11-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

The Teen Library Council and Teen Librarians really enjoyed reading the over 200 entries! There were many funny and clever stories. Winning entrants have been contacted and their stories are now posted on the library website. You can view them here:
http://beavertonlibrary.org/teens/events.aspx

Click on the second event tab at the bottom.

Thanks to the Foundation for sponsoring another contest! And thanks to the teachers and school librarians who promoted the contest, worked with students to brainstorm writing ideas, and even coordinated story submissions. We greatly appreciate all you do!

"Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood" by Sherman Alexie

2011-11-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

This article is from June of this year, but still well worth a read. Sherman Alexie writes a powerful defense of 'controversial' youth literature:

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/09/why-the-best-kids-books-are-written-in-blood/

Graphic novel recommendation: Anya's Ghost

2011-11-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

Anya's Ghost by Portlander Vera Brosgol is one of my favorite graphic novels for teens in recent memory. It does an excellent job at combining the awkwardness of the teen experience with the supernatural. Anya is a first-generation Russian immigrant in high school whose only friend isn't really much of a friend. On top of that, she's dealing with body issues and struggling to appear as American as possible at school. Her life seems to improve when she stumbles down a hold in the park and finds a skeleton that just so happens to have a ghost attached to it. At first, having the ghost follow her around seems like a boon; it helps her bring up her grades because it can look at classmates' tests and feed her the answers, and it aids her self esteem and pushes her to talk to boys. Unbeknownst to Anya, her relationship with the ghost is about to take a turn for the worse...

This graphic novel tackles high school issues and immigrant identity in a funny, relatable way with attractive cartoon art that fits the story well. I highly recommended it to anyone who liked Ghost World or Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese.

News Notes - Zombies Say It In 6 / 9th Annual Teen Art Show

2011-10-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

The entries for our 'Zombies Say It In 6' Creative Writing Contest are due here at the library by 9:00 p.m. this Monday (October 31st). We're really looking forward to reading them all. If your students still need guidelines and entry forms, they can be found at http://beavertonlibrary.org/teens/docs/events2011/2011Zombies.pdf.

The 9th Annual Teen Art Show will be open for viewing here in the library meeting rooms November 17-23! We will be accepting art submissions at the teen desk November 14-16. Guidelines and an entry form are available at http://beavertonlibrary.org/teens/docs/events2011/2011ArtShow.pdf!

During November, we'll also be gearing up for our Teen Winter Reading Program, which takes place during Winter Break. More details on that soon!

Jan 2012 Mock Printz Workshop Open to Teens

2011-10-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

You have probably heard of the Printz award, the American Library Association's top honor for young adult books, but did you know that local librarians and teens host a Mock Printz workshop in Portland each year? This year it is being held at the Multnohmah County Central Library on Saturday, January 7th from 1-5 p.m. There are still spots available for teens. All they have to do is read the 10 nominated books and come prepared to discuss them. If you have any students who are interested, please have them email me, I can answer questions and help them register if they decide to participate.

Teen Health & Wellness Database

2011-10-22T09:31:00.001-07:00

This year, we're doing an extra push for the Teen Health and Wellness Database, accessible from home or school with your Washington County Library card. The database didn't get a whole lot of use, last year, which is a shame, as it offers an excellent one-stop shop for teens, instructors, and parents on mental and physical health topics. It offers articles on just about any related topic you can think of and is an excellent place for teens to go when they're seeking answers to tough questions they may not feel comfortable going straight to a human source for. Issues are broken down in easy to comprehend articles, and is also provides links to local (Washington County) and national support organizations. The links to further reading are also highly recommended to teens who are researching topics.
Use of this database was unfortunately low last year, so please promote this to your students. It would make a great resource for health class reports, too!

National Book Award's changing list of finalists

2011-10-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

Wow! Has anyone been following the National Book Award Foundation's activity this week? After announcing 5 finalists for young people's literature, the foundation added a 6th book, Chime by Franny Billingsley. Then they asked Lauren Myracle, initially announced as a finalist, to withdraw her book Shine from the list saying that it was a mistake. Too bad! Both are very good books. Read more about it in this LA Times article from today.

Teen Read Week: October 16-22, 2011!

2011-10-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

Teen Read Week 2011 begins this Sunday, October 16!

The Beaverton City Library has some exciting events planned for the week:

Zombies Say It In 6 Creative Writing Contest - During the month of October, the challenge is to write a zombie story using only 6 lines of dialog! Submission forms are available in the Teen Room, or online!

Jay Asher @ Powell's Cedar Hills - Sunday, October 16, 2:00 p.m. - Meet the author of Thirteen Reasons Why and hear him read from his new book The Future of Us, which arrives this November. All ages are welcome! This is a particularly big deal because Jay is the American Library Association's 2011 Teen Read Week spokesperson!

Audience Participation Book -> Movie Night with The Princess Bride - Tuesday, October 18, 6:00-8:30 p.m. - Teens are encouraged to read the book and then join us in the library auditorium for an interactive showing of the cult classic film The Princess Bride! There will also be door prizes and pizza! Learn more.

Local Teen Author Chat - Thursday, October 20, 4:00-5:30 p.m. - We will be hosting a booktalk with local teen authors Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Angela Carlie, Lisa Nowak, and Rebecca Knight! Ask them about writing teen lit, getting published, and their new books! The event will be held in our meeting rooms. Learn more.

National Book Award Finalists Announced!

2011-10-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

The National Book Award Finalists were announced yesterday right here in Portland!
These are the finalists for young people's literature:

Franny Billingsley, Chime
Debby Dahl Edwardson, My Name Is Not Easy
Thanhha Lai, Inside Out and Back Again
Albert Marrin, Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy
Lauren Myracle, Shine
Gary D. Schmidt, Okay for Now

For more details and cover art, check out: http://www.nationalbook.org/

Anime Club Teens fundraise for the American Red Cross!

2011-10-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a quick moment to congratulate local teens who participate in the Anime Club! They were able to raise a total of $536.25 for disaster relief in Japan during their fundraiser in September. The crew gave up their weekend and braved the chill for the cause to sit outside the library all day on a Saturday and Sunday to sell crafts and donated items to library visitors. Impressively, everything was organized by the clubbers themselves! Go Otaku!
If you have any Anime-obsessed students, you can send them to our Anime Club meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month. Attendees watch Anime and enjoy Japanese snacks, not to mention socializing with fellow fans! The current month's schedule can always be found on our events page - http://beavertonlibrary.org/teens/events.aspx.

Announcing the 9th Annual Beaverton City Library Teen Art Show

2011-10-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce the 9th Annual Teen Art Show at the Beaverton City Library. Submissions from artists in grades 6-12 will be accepted Nov. 14-16 in the library's teen room. The show will be open to the public Nov.17-23. More information, the flyer and submission form are available at our website. If you have any questions or would like Ian or Dawn to visit your class to talk about the show, please contact us! iduncanson at beavertonoregon.gov or dborgardt at beavertonoregon.gov

Letters About Literature has Begun!

2011-10-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

This post comes courtesy of Katie Anderson at the state library. Letters About Literature is a unique opportunity for students to think about books that have affected them and interact with their favorite writers, living or deceased! The previous winners are touching and well worth reading

"The 2012 Letters About Literature reading and writing contest has begun!
All entries must be postmarked January 6, 2012

Letters About Literature is a national reading and writing contest. Students write letters to an author explaining how that author's book changed their way of thinking about the world or themselves. There are three competition levels: Level I for 4th-6th graders, Level II for 7th-8th graders, and Level III for 9th-12th graders. Oregon's three winners (one from each competition level) will go on to compete nationally. Entry forms and guidelines are now available online:

* If you are submitting several letters for the students you work with, please use the class set entry form and guidelines. http://www.lettersaboutliterature.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Guidelines_School_Library_2012_pdf.213142425.pdf
* If you are distributing entry forms and guidelines to students directly, please distribute the individual entry form and guidelines. http://lettersaboutliterature.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Guidelines_Individual_2012_pdf.249113001.pdf

Librarians and teachers can download and print posters, bookmarks, and stickers to distribute to your students and patrons. Lesson plans and an outline connecting Letters About Literature to national language arts and reading standards are available online: http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/LD/youthsvcs/aboutlit.shtml.

In 2011 over 900 students in Oregon entered the contest, and 1 in 11 of them received cash prizes or gift certificates to a bookstore. These prizes are made possible through support from the Oregon Reading Association, Oregon Association of School Libraries, and the Oregon Library Association's Children Services Division and Young Adult network.

At the national level 6 winners and 12 honorable mentions will be selected. National winners receive a $500 Target gift certificate and a $10,000 grant to donate to the public or school library of the winner's choice. Honorable mentions receive a $100 Target gift certificate and a $1,000 grant to donate to the public or school library of their choice.

Please visit the website (http://www.oregon.gov/OSL/LD/youthsvcs/aboutlit.shtml) for more information or contact Katie Anderson, coordinator of the Letters About Literature activities in Oregon."

Banned Books Week Closes

2011-09-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

As we wrap up Banned Books Week, I ran across an excellent slideshow / article on challenged books from the San Francisco Chronicle:

http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2011/09/29/childrens-book-at-top-of-2010-banned-book-list/?tsp=1

Wonderstruck

2011-09-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

This week, I had found a treat on my holds shelf - Brian Selznick's new book Wonderstruck! Admittedly, I loved The Invention of Hugo Cabret (his previous novel and winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal). So I expected to love this one and it has not disappointed. It is similar to its predecessor in so many ways - historic setting, a mysterious, sentimental adventure, boy and girl main characters and of course, beautiful illustrations. It manages to deliver a similar cinematic reading experience without feeling like a copycat.

I can't wait to recommend this to tween readers, especially those who track their reading success in page numbers. At just under 630 pages, it's an accomplishment! Plus the prolific illustrations have great appeal for the visually inclined reader and/or artist. Okay, I'll stop gushing. You can find the book in our catalog. Enjoy!

SATs at the Beaverton City Library

2011-09-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

Kaplan has a free practice SAT up at their Web site:

http://www.kaptest.com/enroll/SAT/97005/events

Kaplan will be at the Beaverton City Library this Sunday, October 2, 1:00-5:00 p.m. to proctor a FREE SAT for collegebound teens! Anyone interested can register by calling 1-800-KAPTEST, or visiting http://www.kaptest.com/college and searching for a Beaverton zip code under "Find a Free Event."

Banned Books Week: Children's Authors Who Broke the Rules!

2011-09-27T13:15:00.001-07:00

Here's a great New York Times article - in prefect timing for Banned Books Week!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/books/review/the-childrens-authors-who-broke-the-rules.html?pagewanted=all

"Seuss, Sendak and Silverstein ignored these rules. They brought a shock of subversion to the genre — defying the notion that children’s books shouldn’t be scary, silly or sophisticated. Rather than reprimand the wayward listener, their books encouraged bad (or perhaps just human) behavior. Not surprisingly, Silverstein and Sendak shared the same longtime editor, Ursula Nordstrom of Harper & Row, a woman who once declared it her mission to publish 'good books for bad children.'"

Banned Books Week - September 24 - October 1, 2011

2011-09-24T17:07:00.001-07:00

Banned Books Week begins today! For information on the event and a list of challenged books in Oregon, please see http://aclu-or.org/bannedbooks and http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm.
Celebrate our freedom to read and speak!

Portland National College Fair 2011

2011-09-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Portland National College Fair will be held this year on Sunday, November 6, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m., and Monday, November 7, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Center! Admission is free! Donations of non-perishable items for the Oregon Food Bank will be collected. More than 250 colleges nationwide will be represented, as will the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, the College Board, and the ACT!

For further information and to register, visit the official site:

http://www.nacacnet.org/EVENTSTRAINING/COLLEGEFAIRS/NCF/FALL/Pages/11FPor.aspx

Zombies: Say it in 6

2011-09-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hello,

By now, Beaverton teachers should have recieved advanced copies of entry forms for the BCL Teen writing contest starting in October, which we are calling "Zombies: Say it in 6." If you did not recieve them, please email me or Ian and we will send you hard copies and/or a PDF. The entry form will also be available on our website starting October 1st. We are really excited about this contest - it asks teens (grades 6-12) to write a complete zombie story using only 6 lines of dialog.

We have had a couple of clarification questions so far about how much non-dialogue can be included in the story, so I thought others might be wondering as well. The real challenge of the contest is to move a story forward using dialog rather than description, so when the judges review entries, that is what they'll be considering. That said, it is perfectly acceptable to use some non-dialogue text like "said the zombie" or similar. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or need entry forms.

Thanks and have a great day!
Dawn

Oregon SATs in the News!

2011-09-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here's some positive news!
Oregon's SAT performance ranks among the highest in the United States! Read the full article at the Statesman Journal here: http://community.statesmanjournal.com/blogs/editorialblog/2011/09/14/oregon-dept-of-ed-corrects-its-press-release-about-sat-scores

Oregon is also about the national average for writing, critical reading, and math! The state also set a record for the amount of minority students taking the exam.

The Beaverton City Library is once again partnering with Kaplan to provide a free SAT practice test on Sunday, October 2nd, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Students can register by calling 1-800-KAPTEST, or at http://www.kaptest.com/college under "attend a free event" (search by zipcode).

What to read next...

2011-09-14T17:23:00.001-07:00

It's a question we LOVE to answer, but since everyone can't always come to the library to ask it when they want to ask it, we have BCL booklists! And this summer we've been hard at work updating them. Check them out, we have genre lists (horror, realistic fiction, romance, etc.) and popular read-alikes (If you like Twilight, If you like The Hunger Games, etc.). All can be downloaded from our website: www.beavertonlibrary.org/teens/booklists.aspx Please feel free to check them out and pass them along!

Google App: Create a Facebook Profile for a historical figure

2011-09-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

A fellow librarian just clued me in to this great Google app -
http://docs.google.com/previewtemplate?id=1-nCxDCLcEAuge4wac5I5F_83GH9QNZpXpKCGMRl2utk&mode=public

The app allows the user to create a Facebook profile for a historical figure, includng schools, marital status, and even Facebook friends.
It could be a fun, innovative assignment to go along with a history report, or just for classroom presentation!

Remembering 9/11 in the classroom

2011-09-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

How is your class marking the 10th anniversary of 9/11? The August issue of School Library Journal has a great article about teaching and remembering 9/11 ten years later. It also offers an excellent list of primary resources that can help you share the immediacy of this now historic event with your students.

And, you can access full-text articles from SLJ using the database Information Science and Technology Collection, which is available for free with your Washington County Cooperative Library card!

Here's how.
The article is called "Not Fade Away: Ten Years After 9/11, How Do You Teach Kids About a Tragedy They Can't Remember?" (SLJ, August 2011). Click here to get to the full-text: http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA263251257&v=2.1&u=wccls_main&it=r&p=SPJ.SP04&sw=w

You can also click to the article by starting at: http://www.wccls.org/online_resources/libraries, selecting Information Science and Technology Collection and searching by journal or title from there. Depending on your connection, you may need to have your WCCLS library card number and password handy.

2011-09-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

It’s a new school year at the Beaverton City Library! Welcome back to all teachers and students! We just finished our biggest Teen Summer Reading contest yet, with a total of 1,811 participants. Thank you for promoting the library and summer reading to your students!

This year, we are aiming to increase our outreach and activity to the schools through classroom visits – these can include anything from book talks, where we highlight some of the newest and hottest reads, to simply talking for 10 or so minutes about what the library can offer to your students to supplement classroom instruction. Teachers are also encouraged to bring their students in for class visits, which can include database instruction, library tours, class research, and library cards for each student. Please let us know how we can help by calling (503) 350-4001 (feel free to leave voicemail), or e-mailing Dawn (dborgardt@beavertonoregon.gov) or Ian (iduncanson@beavertonoregon.gov).

Here are some big upcoming events at the library that may be of interest to your students:

• Book Jeopardy - Tuesday, September 20 – Teens are invited to come test their knowledge of Twilight, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and more in a Jeopardy-style quiz game. We will have snacks and prizes!

• 9th Annual Teen Art Show – November 17th – 23rd – Teens in grades 6-12 are invited to submit up to 3 works of art each! Submissions will be accepted in the teen room November 14th – November 16th, and the show will be open to the public during library hours from the 17th until the 23rd. There will be an opening reception with refreshments at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 17th! As in previous years, the art show is a wonderful opportunity for teen artists to have their works viewed by the larger community. We will be releasing entry forms and complete details shortly.

• ‘Zombies Say It In 6’ Creative Writing Contest – During the month of October, we’re holding another creative writing contest! This year, the challenge is for teens to write a zombie story using only 6 lines of dialogue! The foundation is generously sponsoring cash prizes for the top 3 winners in each division – grades 6-8 and grades 9-12. The deadline for entries will be Monday, October 31st; entry forms and full details will be sent to teachers the final week of September!
For a complete listing of our events September – November, download the Teen Scene newsletter at http://beavertonlibrary.org/teens/docs/events2011/2011FallEvents.pdf.

Summer Hiatus / Teen Fiction Controversy

2011-06-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Greetings, and happy last day of school!
The blog will once again be hitting summer hiatus until next school year. In the meantime, we'll be busy with all of our fantastic summer reading contest and programming!
I leave you with a bit of food for thought that has left the teen fiction community abuzz - a recent editorial in the Wall Street Journal argues that fiction written for teens has simply grown too dark. Obviously, there are good arguments to be made on both sides of the issue. NPR has a good, even-handed discussion via transcript here, and many of the big names in teen lit (Sherman Alexie, Jay Asher, etc.) have weighed in. Run "Wall Street Journal Teen Fiction" through a Google news search to find many of the online discussions and editorials.
Have a great summer! See you next school year!

Teen Summer Reading Begins Today!

2011-06-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder that Teen Summer Reading 2011 starts today! Thank you for inviting Dawn and I to visit your libraries and classes! Teens going into grade 6 through just graduated high school can register online at http://www.beavertonlibrary.org/teens/SummerReading11Registration.aspx. For a full rundown of the prizes available, please see
http://www.beavertonlibrary.org/teens/SummerReadingPrizes.aspx! Remember, teens have until July 31 to register, and until August 10 to redeem their 15-hour reading logs for prizes! Happy summer reading!

YARN - Young Adult Review Network

2011-05-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

If you know some aspiring teen writers, you may want to send them to this Web site:

http://www.yareview.net/

YARN is a Web publisher for original short fiction, poetry and essays by teen writers. They also feature pieces by already popular authors! They recently received the 2011 Innovations in Reading Prize from the National Book Foundation. It's the coolest site I've discovered all month!

Clerihew Winners!

2011-05-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

The Clerihew winners have been chosen by our illustrious Teen Library Council!! Thank you again to the Library Foundation for sponsoring the contest!
Without further adieu, here are the winning entries!

High School Division:

1st Place - "The Final Frontier" by Marina D., Grade 10
2nd Place - "America" by Curtis S., Grade 10
3rd Place - "Marie Curie" by Mark V., Grade 10
Honorable Mention - "The Sad Life Of An English Student" by Margaret F., Grade 10

Middle School Division:

1st Place - "Jack Sparrow" by Savannah J., Grade 8
2nd Place - "Bruno" by Emma H., Grade 6
3rd Place - "Bob and His Candy Beard" by Krista J., Grade 7
Honorable Mention - "Taco Bell is Whack" by Derrick D., Grade ?

Beaverton City Library's Teen Summer Reading Program 2011

2011-04-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Happy spring / summer!

The Beaverton City Library’s Teen Summer Reading Program will be open for sign-ups starting on June 1st, 2011 again this year! The program is open to all teens entering grade 6 through just graduated from high school; entrants are encouraged to complete a total of fifteen hours of reading from June until August. Once the reading is finished, they bring their reading logs back to the library starting July 1st for a free book and a stack of coupons to area businesses. Teens can also review the books that they have read and enter their reviews in weekly drawings to win gift cards ranging from $5 - $15 in value! All reviews are also entered in our final grand prize drawing for $100!

Dawn (dborgardt@beavertonoregon.gov) and Ian (iduncanson@beavertonoregon.gov) would love to visit your schools and classes to quickly cover the details and incentives of the program and distribute information sheets. Please let us know, and we can schedule a class or library visit to address your students! We are very flexible on time. You can also contact us by phone at (503) 350-3610 (Ian), or 503-350-3651 (Dawn).

Thank you for helping us to promote literacy among teens in Beaverton!

Beaverton City Library's 2011 National Poetry Month Writing Contest

2011-03-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

On the way to your mailboxes this week are entry forms for our 2011 National Poetry Month Contest, taking place from Friday, April 1st until Saturday, April 30th! This year, we’re challenging students to write a Clerihew, which is a whimsical 4-line biographical poem with an AABB rhyme scheme! As in previous years, the Library Foundation is generously sponsoring the contest. The prizes are:

First Place - $100
Second Place - $50
Third Place - $25

There will be three prizes each for grades 6-8 and grades 9-12. Entries are due at the library by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 30th. For full guidelines and entry forms, please see the PDF file below! As always, please let us know if you have any questions about the contest, or need further copies. Thank you for helping us to inspire creativity and literacy!

Download the guidelines and entry form

Teen Summer Reading Art Contest 2011 - Winner Announced!

2011-03-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

The winner of the 2011 Teen Summer Reading Program Art Contest has been announced! Congratulations to Grace Chu for her fantastic design, which incorporates the "You Are Here" theme using a map of Washington County and license plates displaying popular teen reads! You can see the runners-up on the WCCLS web site!

New Anti-Bullying Program @ the library

2011-03-10T13:39:00.001-08:00

Who: Tweens in grades 3-7
When: Saturday, March 19, 1:00-2:30pm
Where: Beaverton City Library (Central)
Sign-up at the library or by calling (503) 350-3600
Cost: Free!

We are offering a new program this spring designed to give tweens practical strategies and resources to tackle the problem of bullying. This program is chock full of fun, interactive activities for participants. Resources and handouts will be available for parents at the end of the program as well. More information can be found at: Beaverton City Library Special Programs

Please encourage any 3rd-7th graders who might benefit from this great program to call today and sign up!

ORCA Voting Begins March 1st!

2011-02-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

Voting for the Orca Awards begins Tuesday, March 1st and runs until Tuesday, March 15th!
Readers can register votes for their favorites online at http://www.olaweb.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=109508. The only requirement is that at least two books from each list have been read. Titles include The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos! Visit the Web site for a complete list divided by grade levels.

Honing Search Strategies

2011-02-23T15:59:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun, informative site for those of us who have

wondered about more advanced, efficient Web search strategies:

http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml

Presented by the University of South Carolina, the 'Bare Bones 101' is a series of quick lessons on refining your Internet searches, and it may even clue you in to some search engines that you never knew existed! Of particular interest to Internet historians is the "Graveyard of Dead Search Engines," featuring the Web searchers that didn't make the cut.

The first lesson would be excellent to run through with a class when you're teaching research strategies!

Library Foundation Bookmark Art Contest!

2011-02-19T16:01:00.001-08:00

The deadline for the bookmark art contest, sponsored by the Library Foundation, is fast approaching! Entries are due Monday, February 28. That's just one week from this Monday! The Foundation is looking for flashy bookmark design to promote the foundation using the theme Reading & Literacy! Each winner will receive $100, and have their bookmarks produced to market the Foundation and the library!

Download the entry form.

Project Idea: Flipcam Booktalk Videos

2011-01-29T16:11:00.000-08:00

I recently did a series of Booktalk videos with my Teen Library Council, and they turned out great! The kids used used a simple, relatively inexpensive one-button flipcam to film each other talking up a favorite book that they had recently read. The videos were then passed on to a fellow librarian for some quick editing work using Macintosh platform software These would be great as an in-house class project! Click the links below to view the videos in .wmv format.

The Hunger Games

Band of Brothers

Bad Kitty

Dragon Sword

Lamb

Teen services are now on WCCLS Bookletters!

2011-01-25T18:27:00.000-08:00

The Washington County Cooperative Library Services are now offering teen-related booklists via Bookletters! The lists are assembled by teen services librarians countywide, and will be updated on a monthly basis. Visit this page to sign up for the mailing list and RSS feed, or just bookmark it and check it periodically for great lists of recommended reads. The current featured list is "Get Behind the Wheel of a Character Driven Book." Assembled by Shannon Romtvedt at Forest Grove Library, it's geared toward teen readers who want to fall in love with a strongly-developed character.

2011 Human Rights Creative Expression Contest

2011-01-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

The City of Beaverton's 2011 Human Rights Creative Expression Contest has just opened! As in previous years, students are encouraged to work individually or on teams to create a work of art (poem, poster, painting, music, collage, etc.) expressing the importance of human rights. The deadline for the contest is Friday, February 25th.
For complete information regarding prizes and entry forms, please visit the official Web site.

Science Fair Season is Coming!

2011-01-19T14:21:00.001-08:00

State librarian Jennifer Maurer has assembled an excellent collection of Science Fair resource recommendations. Keep these in mind as Science Fair Season draws nearer!

If you are prompted to log in when you click on Gale bookmarks below, use your district-wide Gale user name and password. If the login page only provides one text box, enter the password instead of the user name.

Kids InfoBits (elementary)
I did a search for “experiments” (no quotes) and found over 400 hits under the subject “science experiments (education)” (no quotes). There’s an experiment about testing lung capacity (related to singing), an article detailing how a teen designed an experiment to test which appeals more to butterflies when seeking food: scent or color, a quiz to help students decide which science subject might be most interesting to investigate further, and much more. There were also good resources under the subject “scientific method” (no quotes).
Search results: http://tinygaleurl.com/?fmiqjmx

Student Resources in Context (middle & high school; possibly upper elementary)
Besides being able to search for many science topics and subjects, users can limit their search to the contents of the book, Experiment Central, which contains ideas for science experiments and related background information. For a quick way to access all available experiments, try this:
Go to the Secondary Student Find Information page on OSLIS (http://secondary.oslis.org/find-information).
Click on the icon for Student Resources in Context. (Log in if prompted to do so.)
Click on Advanced Search found just under the search box in the top right corner.
Scroll to the box called Document Type, click on Experiment Activity, click on Add, and click on Search.
Click on Reference (97) under the heading Everything in the left column for a list of 97 hits. (Each result details 2 related experiments.)

Search results: http://tinygaleurl.com/?cnmb5zm

Gale Virtual Reference Library (target audience varies)
Several of the eBooks are about science or specifically about science experiments. This is a sampling of titles with the target audience indicated:
Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics (middle & high school)
Environmental Science Experiments (middle & high school)
Forensic Science Experiments (middle & high school)
Grzimek's Student Animal Life Resource (upper elementary)
U*X*L Encyclopedia of Biomes (middle & high school; possibly upper elementary)
U*X*L Encyclopedia of Weather and Natural Disasters (middle & high school; possibly upper elementary)

Opposing Viewpoints in Context (middle and high school)
This is a good source for background information related to controversies or debates in science. A search for “scientific method” (no quotes) yielded such results as an article about misleading nutrition labels, arguments in defense of forensic science, and a website link leading to the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), “an organization dedicated to evaluating ‘fringe-science’ claims using science-based methodology and critical inquiry.” Of course, you can look up specific topics, too.

Search results: http://tinygaleurl.com/?0m1hoi8

"Access the databases I highlighted above from the relevant skin, or version, of the Find Information page on OSLIS. The elementary skins do not feature Student Resources in Context, Gale Virtual Reference Library, or Opposing Viewpoints. However, recall that users can access a menu of all Gale databases available through our statewide contract by clicking on PowerSearch, which is featured on all Find Information pages."

2011 Printz Awards!

2011-01-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

The 2011 Printz Award verdicts are in!

The award goes to....

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi!

Also honored were these four titles:

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

Nothing by Janne Teller

Launching Into College Planning Night

2011-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

College-bound students and parents preparing to kick off a college / financial aid searches are invited to Launching Into College Planning on Tuesday, January 18th, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.! Professional college planning coach Devon O'Brien will help set parents and students on the path to college success!

William Stafford Celebration

2011-01-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

The Beaverton City Library is excited to be hosting two very special guests at our William Stafford birthday celebration! Authors Molly Gloss (The Hearts of Horses, Wild Life, Outside the Gates) and Ursula LeGuin (The Wizard of Earthsea, The Dispossessed, Powers series) will perform readings and be available for brief Q&A sessions! Audience members are also invited to share their favorite Stafford poems. This is an excellent experience to catch two famous Oregon writers in one place, and celebrate our literary heritage!

The celebration is this Sunday, January 9th at 2:00 p.m. in the library's downstairs auditorium. Due to the popularity of the authors, it may be wise to show up slightly early to ensure a seat!

Two Art Contests

2011-01-05T15:04:00.000-08:00

We have a couple of announcements for teachers of artistically-inclined students!

Our annual Teen Art Show for 2011 will be held in November this year. Mark your calendars!

Two art contests with generous prizes are starting now - continue reading for more information!

The Bookmark Contest sponsored by the Beaverton Library Foundation encourages teens to create bookmark designs using the theme "Reading and Literacy." Winning entries will each receive $100, and the bookmarks will be used to promote the Beaverton Library Foundation! The deadline for entries is Monday, February 28th. Download a PDF of the full guidelines and entry form here!

Returning this year is the Teen Summer Reading Artwork Contest, sponsored by Washington County Library Services! Teens can once again create an artwork design that will be used to promote summer reading throughout the county. This year's summer reading theme is "You Are Here;" designs must be based around it, but there is still plenty of creative leeway! The submission deadline also falls on Monday, February 28th. Full information and an entry form can be found on the WCCLS Web site!

55 Fiction Winners

2010-12-15T16:40:00.001-08:00

The winners of our 55 Fiction contest have been announced! To read the winning entries, visit http://www.beavertonlibrary.org/teens/events.aspx and click on the "55 Fiction Contest" tab at the bottom. Thanks to everyone for encouraging their students to submit! We had a total of 541 entries, so picking the winners was extremely tough. This was our most successful writing contest yet! Our next contest will be Clerihew poems to celebrate April being National Poetry Month!

Teen Winter Reading Program!

2010-12-10T17:05:00.001-08:00

As you may have already heard, our Teen Winter Reading Program officially kicks off next week, on Friday, December 17. Teens and tweens are invited to stave off that cabin fever that sets in during the long winter break with some great books! Using these entry forms, they can write reviews of the books they've been reading and submit them at the library or online. All entries are due in the teen room by 9:00 on Monday, January 3rd, 2011. Following the contest, we'll have a bunch of drawings for giftcards to places like Powell's, Starbucks, Century 16 Movie Theater, Burgerville, and iTunes! There will also be prizes for the best reviews in each category.

Washington County Human Rights Poster Contest Winner Announced

2010-12-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

A seventh grader from Oregon Islamic Academy has won this year's Human Rights poster contest! Read the full article here.

You Fix the Budget

2010-11-17T16:31:00.000-08:00

The New York Times has constructed an online, Flash-based challenge - balance the budget! With all of the mentions of budgets and deficits in the news, this is a great way to quickly illustrate the complexities of the United States budget. It's also available in a handy PDF format if you don't have Flash on your browser!

When Reading Meets Social Networking

2010-11-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

Will this combination of reading and social networking catch on? A new Ypulse article discusses a new iPad app that adds social networking functions to reading. Sites like Shelfari and Goodreads have already taken off, and I suppose that this is the next logical step. The article does raise some good points in the negative; I feel old saying this, but I bury my nose in a book partially because it's a way to escape interaction through a computer screen! Still, I can see this being immensely useful in literature classes. I'm wondering if there's a way to restrict text notes from other users, and only make the "discussion" part of it public.
Here's the original New York Times blog piece.

Powell's Books In-Store by Susan Collins!

2010-11-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

Author Susan Collins of Hunger Games (yes!) and Gregor the Overlander fame will be doing an in-store at the Powell's Books in downtown Portland (1005 W. Burnside St.) from noon until 1:30 p.m.!
Read the blog for full info! No tickets necessary!

55 Fiction Contest Starts Today!

2010-11-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Our 55 Fiction creative writing contest, sponsored by the library board, starts today! We're looking for great 55-word stories by students in grades 6-12. Download the entry form and guidelines page for full details!

The prizes are:

1st Place:
$100

2nd Place:
$50

3rd Place:
$25

Stories will once again be judged in two categories: grades 6-8, and grades 9-12. All entries must be turned in at the teen desk at the main library by Tuesday, November 30th.

My Life is Average...is yours?

2010-10-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

O.K., most people aren't out saving the world (unless you're a librarian, of course), and instead lead lives that are pretty average on the surface. Because not everyone has exciting stuff to blog about every day, there's a handy Web site called MyLifeisAverage. Each day, users are invited to share little moments from their lives - the more mundane, the better!

Here's a quick recap of some events from today:

"Today, I had a string contest with my cat. He winked at me. I winked back. This continued for about three minutes. I think my cat is trying to tell me something."

"Today my neighbor called me kilometer. My name is Miles."

"Today in English, we were reading the play Antigone. Our teacher asked for volunteers to read each part. One of the volunteers started reading in a British accent to 'get into character.' It's a Greek play."

Yes, these are so much fun to read! What's more, this Web site can be used in writing classes to show how much mundane events and comments can add to a work's entertainment value.
55 Fiction Contest writers should take note of how the shortest stories can sometimes be the most compelling...

November is National Novel Writing Month!

2010-10-21T12:22:00.001-07:00

I was clued into this by a student on my Teen Library Council! November is National Novel Writing Month, where budding writers are encouraged to construct a 50,000-word story by midnight on November 30th! The Web site also has a lot of great networking opportunities, tips, programs, and pep talks for young writers. If you have any particularly precocious writers, point them here for a special challenge!
In other writing news, we're sponsoring a 55 Fiction contest from November 1st - 30th! This one only requires 55 little words, and the prizes are great! Watch for the entry forms in the mail!

National Book Award finalists

2010-10-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

The finalists for the 2010 National Book Awards have been announced. In the Young People's Literature category, the following titles are up for the final award:

Ship Breaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi
Mockingbird, by Katherine Erskine
Dark Water, by Laura McNeal
Lockdown, by Walter Dean Myers
One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia

We have copies of all of these titles at the Beaverton City Library, so check one out! For more information on the National Book Award, visit their website.

Speaking OUT Against Bullying

2010-10-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

With saddening news about bullied students in the media, I wanted to quickly share this recent list of resources compiled by the American Library's Association's LGBT Round Table:

Speaking OUT Against Bullying

The list is an excellent quick stop for LGBT youth support resources.

The Washington County Libraries Cooperative offers the Teen Health and Wellness database, which includes informative articles and links to resources about bullying / cyberbullying, sexual and gender identity, and much more.

The President Answers Questions From Youth

2010-10-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

President Obama will be holding a televised Q&A "Youth Town Hall" with 250 American youth next Thursday, October 14th on MTV. He will take questions from the audience, as well as from Teens across the country via Twitter. Read more here!

Rick Riordan visits Beaverton

2010-10-04T10:32:00.000-07:00

There are a few select series that elicit passionate readership from teen boys and girls alike... and the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is one of them! That's why we're thrilled to hear that author Rick Riordan is following up the 5-book series with a new Heroes of Olympus series set at Camp Halfblood, complete with the goofy humor, ancient mythology, and teen demigod heroes saving the world that we've come to love. The first book, The Lost Hero, will hit shelves on Tuesday, October 12th.

Mr. Riordan will be in Beaverton at the Powell's at Cedar Hills Crossing on Tuesday, October 19th, at 6:00 p.m. to sign books new and old! This book signing does not include a presentation, but it is a chance for his enthusiastic fans to meet the author himself and get a signature in their favorite Camp Halfblood book. Folks can stop by as early as 2:00 p.m. to pick up a ticket for the book signing line. For more details, contact Powell's directly.

What a great opportunity to keep students excited about reading!

Sneak preview...

2010-09-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

If you've been teaching in the Beaverton area for a while, you probably know that we hold two writing contests each year. There is a short story contest every fall and a poetry contest every spring. The question is... what should you expect for this fall's contest?

Throughout the month of November, we'll be holding a 55 Fiction contest. Middle and high school students are invited to submit up to 4 stories between Nov. 1-30 that are exactly 55 words in length. These stories must include elements of setting, character(s), conflict, and resolution. There will be first, second, and third place prizes awarded in each age category: grades 6-8 and grades 9-12.

We'll be sending the submission forms to local schools, as well as posting a PDF copy to our library website, when the contest begins. Start thinking now about how your class(es) or student(s) can incorporate the exercise into their November curriculum!

Banned Books Week

2010-09-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Banned Books Week 2010! (September 25 - October 2)

It is once again time to celebrate the First Amendment by highlighting book challenges past and present. You can read about the several challenges in Oregon on the handy Map of Book Censorship.

According to the American Library Association, the Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books for 2009 were:

1. ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, g8r [Series] by Lauren Myracle / Reasons: Drugs, Nudity, Sexually Explicit, unsuited to Age Group.

2. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Robinson / Reasons: Homosexuality

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky / Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee / Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

5. Twilight [Series] by Stephenie Meyer / Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

6. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger / Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

7. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult / Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence

8. The Earth, My Butt, And Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler / Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

9. The Color Purple by Alice Walker / Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

10. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier / Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

The Harry Potter series topped the list of most frequently challenged books of the decade.

College Planning Workshop

2010-09-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season for college planning! And we are lucky enough to hear about many local events, so expect to keep seeing posts about many of the great (FREE!) opportunities in our area.

The Financial Planning Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington will be hosting a free seminar called "College Planning Workshop -- Launch into College Planning... Are You Ready?" This event is intended to assist folks in discovering the college funding and academic planning strategies available to them. High school students, their guardians, and high school faculty are invited to take advantage of this free seminar.

The seminar will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 2nd, 2010 in Meeting Rooms A & B at the Beaverton City Library. It is hosted by the Financial Planning Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington; please contact them for more information. Happy National Financial Planning Week!

College Night in Oregon

2010-09-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

2010's College Night in Oregon, sponsored by the Educational Credit Management Corporation and the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, will be held from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. simultaneously at several locations across the state on Monday, November 8th! The Web site does not appear to have been updated yet with this year's locations, but it's worth keeping the the date and times on the radar. High school students are invited to get answers to those burning college admissions questions, financial aid, scholarships, and more. There's also free pizza and soda to sweeten the deal!

Artemis Rocks! with Eoin Colfer

2010-09-14T15:39:00.001-07:00

What middle schoolers don't love the idea of a young teenage criminal mastermind? The answer: very few! Those books have fun, over-the-top silliness and all of the James Bond-style gadgets that you could dream of, contained in a 'tween-friendly plot. They are fun, fast-paced, and utterly escapist.

That's why series like Artemis Fowl have such a strong following. And here's the great news: author Eoin Colfer will be at the Bagdad Theater in Portland this Saturday, Sept. 18, giving a show called Artemis Rocks! Catch Mr. Colfer's monologue, enjoy a first time EVER interview with Artemis Fowl himself, and get your copy of the newest book signed. Doors open at 1:45pm and the show starts at 2pm.

This event is free of charge and seating is open on a first-come, first-served basis. Courtesy of Powell's Books. Check out their website for more details!

Homework Help Hours

2010-09-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

Do you have students seeking help with algebra, chemistry or geometry? We have two Homework Help slots available so far, with more on the way!

Homework Helpers are available for students in grades 6-12 in the teen room on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Homework help is free, and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. No prior registration is necessary! Homework helpers have or are working on college degrees, and are specialized in math / science. More times and days of the week will be filled in the coming weeks. Watch this space for updates, or check our Web site for the most current schedule!

Opposing Viewpoints (online)

2010-09-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

Are you assigning a persuasive essay to your students this year? Persuasive essays are a fantastic exercise in critical thinking and synthesizing different information, but they can be tricky to research. Luckily we have a fantastic online resource to help students out.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context breaks down popular controversial issues with pro-con comparisons. There are full-text articles from reputable sources to support both sides, as well as images and videos related to the issue. There is even a handy "NEWS" area that might inspire those who just can't think of anything interesting to write about. (Not that students ever have trouble choosing a topic, of course.)

Best of all, this resource is free to anyone with a library card in Washington County. Just type in that barcode and you are on your way! It can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week -- even when the library isn't open. What a great resource for procrastinators and planners alike!

Welcome back!

2010-08-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

It's the week before school starts again, which means that teachers are preparing classrooms and parents are eagerly anticipating the return of academic routine. At the library, the Teen Summer Reading Program 2010 was a record-breaking success... we can hardly believe it's finished already!

As you look ahead at the next few weeks, keep the upcoming celebrations in mind. The main Beaverton City Library building is turning 10 years old, which means we have all sorts of shenanigans in place. Some that your teens may love are...

TEEN READ-IN: Saturday, Sept. 11, 12-4 p.m. Students in grades 6-12 are invited to drop in for this reading marathon in the YA Room. Read whatever you like, chat with friends, sprawl in bean bag chairs, and possibly win giftcard prizes for participating!

TOWN HALL WITH ABRAHAM LINCOLN: Saturday, Sept. 11, 2 p.m. Portland actor Steve Holgate will portray landmark president Abraham Lincoln in this town hall event. Ask any questions you like about his life, presidency, and thoughts... Honest Abe has an answer for them all!

THEATER GAMES: Sunday, Sept. 12, 2 p.m. Students can brush off those dramatic skills in this participatory improv workshop with the Beaverton Civic Theater!

TEEN SCREENZ MATINEE: Thursday, Sept. 16, 4 p.m. Students can kick back after school with a teen-friendly movie in the auditorium. Hint: Cheer on this classic group of friends from Astoria in their hunt for pirate treasure!

To see a full list of events, visit the Beaverton City Library's birthday Web page.

Finnikin of the Rock

2010-06-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

It's obvious that we got swept away by the chaos of launching the annual Teen Summer Reading Program! We already have over 500 students signed up, which will triple before the end of July. We hope that things are wrapping up well at your school; we will see you next fall, when we return to posting the exciting activities and news of the teen division on this blog!

Until then, we offer you our usual Interesting Summer Pick for young adult fiction: Finnikin of the Rock, by Melina Marchetta.

When the king and queen of Lumatere are assassinated (and the fate of the royal children are unknown), a curse descends on the land that leaves thousands of Lumaterans in exile. Ten years later, 19-year-old Finnikin travels the land with the king's First Man, trying to find a new home for the suffering exiles. But when a dream-like message send them to a cloister at the end of the world, they discover a young woman who claims that the lost prince is alive. They must find him and return to Lumatere.

This is Printz winner Melina Marchetta's first fantasy novel, and she doesn't attempt to rehash the familiar fantasy tropes in this story (like dragons, elves, etc.). The story explores issues of exile, homeland, identity, gender roles, and self-determination in a well-developed world. The characters express themselves uniquely and with passion, regardless of their social standing. Common problems around the purpose of truth and faith are surprisingly complex. It is these issues and the characters that propel the reader eagerly foward, rather than a gimmicky use of magic and curses!

Recommended for the high school age.

Procrastination success

2010-05-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

There is a point at which we must be brutally honest: teens are often procrastinators. (Who can blame them? There's so much to do!) But procrastination doesn't mean that students can't conduct quality research for their papers or projects.

We have youth library databases available online 24-hours per day. Even better: many of them specialize in providing reputable materials, primary sources, a variety of media (pictures, movies, etc.), and more! One such database is Opposing Viewpoints, a new addition to our arsenal. This database is perfect for finding info for debates, persuasive essays, and current events. Check it out!

Limerick Contest Winners!

2010-05-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

The Limerick contest winners are now online for your reading pleasure! Thank you for encouraging your students to enter. Courtney and I were literally laughing out loud as we read some of them!

Middle School Division (Grades 6-8)

First Place - "Paradise" by Hailey M. - Grade 6, Catlin Gabel
Second Place - "The Breeze" by Kierstyn C. - Grade 7, Mountain View MS
Third Place - "Cheese" by Jack M. - Grade 8, Valley Catholic MS
Honorable Mention - "Logan III" by Brodey S. - Grade 6, St. Cecilia

High School Division (Grades 9-12)

First Place - "The Roman Toga" by Elizabeth S. - Grade 10, Valley Catholic HS
Second Place - "To Curl Or Not to Curl" by Tessa T. - Grade 11, Valley Catholic HS
Third Place - "The Yellow Sweater" by Irene M. - Grade 12, Catlin Gabel
Honorable Mention - "The House Pet" by Elizabeth S. - Grade 10, Valley Catholic HS

Teen Health and Wellness Database Translated!

2010-04-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

The Teen Health and Wellness Database just received a major update that allows it to be translated into 50 different languages, including Spanish, Swahili and Japanese! Simply pull up an article in the database, and use the Google Translation widget on the upper-right to translate it instantly into the language of your choosing! There's also a brand new "share" link that enables easy transmission over social networking sites.
If you're not familiar with it, Teen Health and Wellness is an excellent resource that provides information to teens on topics such as drugs and alcohol, sexuality and sexual health, eating disorders, and many more. In other words, it covers the things they may be sheepish asking an adult face-to-face about! Access is free at the library, or from home using a Washington County library card.

Teen Summer Reading visits

2010-04-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

I know, I know: it's only April and you can't believe that we're talking about the Teen Summer Reading Program [TSRP] already! The truth is that we've been hard at work on it for the last few months, and it's finally time to let the excitement leak out. After all, we only have one more month until it begins on June 1st!

This means that it is time to schedule TSRP visits. Our young adult librarians (Ian & Courtney) would love to visit your classroom or school to share the sheer awesomeness of summer reading! This is a chance to get students hooked into a self-directed program that encourages them to read for pleasure during school break (and they can get prizes too!). Last year our program served almost 1500 students. Help us connect with at least as many 6th-12th grade students this year!

To schedule a visit to your classroom or to bring your class to visit us at the library, give us a call at the Young Adult Desk for information: 503-350-4001. We look forward to hearing from you!

National Poetry Month (revisited)

2010-04-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that this is the last week of National Poetry Month! The library's Limerick Contest (for middle schoolers and high schoolers) will wrap up at 5pm on Friday, April 30th, so please make sure that your classes' entries are in our hands by then. If you can't stop by the library, feel free to drop us a line and we will work out another way to hand off those fantastic poems.

It is also time for our annual Teen Poetry Coffeehouse! Students in grades 6-12 (and their teachers) are invited to join us on Wednesday, April 28, 6:00-7:00 p.m.. We will provide coffee, tea, scrumptious pastries, and the chance to engage with the spoken word. We hope that students will brave the microphone to read their favorite poem, whether it be ones they wrote themselves or the brilliant work of other poets! No registration necessary.

YRCA winners announced

2010-04-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

The winning titles for the 2010 Young Reader's Choice Awards [YRCA] have been announced! Gordon Korman's Schooled won for the 7th-9th grade division. Cassandra Clare's City of Bones won for the 10th-12th grade division. Big thanks go to all of the librarians, teachers, and parents who encouraged their students to participate!

Don't forget that Oregon students will be participating in the Oregon Reader's Choice Awards [ORCA] during the next school year. The list of nominees is available here. Stock up now, because these titles are insanely popular... they will be flying off the shelf as soon as you can shelve them!

A Page from History

2010-04-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

Today I had a student who needed a newspaper article from the 1930s about Amelia Earhart's disappearance. The problems were:

It has to be from a newspaper, not a book.
The library databases (generally speaking) only cover articles back to 1980.
The library does not have copies of national newspapers from the 1930s on microfilm.

What should this student do? How do you find the source you need?

Digital History is an online project created by the University of Houston, in conjunction with some other fantastic historical and public institutions. The resources include such marvels as primary sources, historical music, timelines, virtual exhibitions, and "Ethnic Voices," which chronicles the history of prominent ethnic groups in American history. There is even an entire section for teachers that includes classroom handouts, lesson plans, and resource guides! Best of all, this project is backed by fantastic historical scholarship, and the website does not allow advertising of any sort.

Through the Digital History project, we were able to find a free copy of the front page of the New York Times on July 2nd, 1938, which described the disappearance of Ms. Earhart and the search-and-rescue efforts. School project saved, brand-new resource discovered!