HELLO…ARE THERE ANY TEENAGERS OUT THERE THAT LIKE CHRISTMAS MUSIC?

Looking for gifts for my two teenage children and I thought Christmas CDs would be a great gift for my daughter to play at her college. As soon as Thanksgiving Day officially ends I am playing Christmas music. There is also a radio station 95.5 FM FISH of the same mindset. They continually play holiday music 24/7 and beyond Christmas. Even Sirius stations are totally devoted to playing several genres of holiday music.
I know I am not the only one out there that loves continuous Christmas music, but my daughter tells me getting a Christmas CD for a teenager is not great gift idea. Here is a list of upcoming popular music she made me to prove what teenagers are listening to and would like as a present either as a download or a CD rather than a holiday songs.
List by my daughter:

1. Taylor Swift’s album “Speak Now”
2. Rihanna’s album “Loud”
3. Kanye West’s album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”
4. Katy Perry’s album “Teenage Dream”
5. Nicki Minaj album “Pink Friday”
6. Mumford and Sons “Sigh No More”
7. Kings of Leon “Come Around Sundown”
8. Bruno Mars “Doo-Wops & Hooligans
9. Kesha’s album “Cannibal”
10. Ne-Yo’s album “Libra Scale”

Now I noticed that our “Glee: the Christmas Album” has 22 holds for 3 copies. With the popularity of Glee, I am going to assume that there are teenagers that would like to have this album. So I checked this out and played it for my daughter. She loved it! Surprising since many of the songs are old-fashioned, before-my-time music. The kids modernized the songs a little, but still retain the original score, bringing back girlhood memories. The album is mostly perky and fun, however there are two songs that will tug at your heart and bring a tear to your eye: Rudolphs’ Misfit Toys “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year” and “O Holy Night.”
It was fun to spend time with her and listen to an album, sharing some of my favorite Christmas music. So I guess this is one Christmas album teenagers would like. Check out Glee’s nonfiction book: Filled with glee: the unauthorized Glee companion
What is great about libraries is you can check these albums out and see if you really like them before you or Mom and Dad purchase them. Review our catalog and request one of these popular CDs and place a hold.
Checking Out,
Mrs. V

The tragedy of loss and learning to move on

Growing apart is probably one of the hardest parts to growing up. But having your best friend die when you’re both only 13 is one of those great tragedies most of us luckily don’t have to face. In Dear Anjali, by Melissa Glenn Haber, Meredith cannot believe that her best friend Anjali could possibly be dead, so she decides to write her letters every day. Through these letters we get glimpses of depression, anger, and confusion. The letters are written on a typewriter, and also by hand, so there are different fonts in the book to give it a realistic journal-like feel. As Meredith struggles through the months after her friend’s death, she starts talking to and hanging out with the boy she’s had a crush on for years. Through this new friendship it is revealed that Anjali was keeping secrets from Meredith. The secrets aren’t nearly as dramatic as I hoped as a reader, but they were realistic and nonetheless shattering for Meredith. Yet, through these realizations, Meredith is finally able to move on with her life. Dear Anjali was a touching read, and was helped along by its unique format—who doesn’t like a book written entirely in letters. For all you scholars out there, when a book is written in this way, it’s called an epistle style novel. If you want a dramatic story about friendship and moving on, I would give Dear Anjali a try.

Popularity means hanging out with people who make you happy

I think most kids want to be popular, but I don’t think it means that they want accolades or attention. I think they want to be popular because it is an affirmation that they fit in…that they have friends. Let’s face it eating lunch by yourself in the cafeteria is not a great experience.
Amy Ignatow’s debut novel, filled with humorous back-and-forth notes and sketches of her characters’ plans and desires to become popular, is in a similar style of author Marissa Moss’ “Amelia” books and author Rachel Renee Russell’s “Dork Diaries.” The book really hits the mark on the daily life of two fifth grade girls who are best friends. They partner up and research the successful characteristics of the popular girls at school. The project is called “The Popularity Papers, Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang” Their approach is smart, study their subject and emulate them…a sure shot, they think, to the path of popularity. They discover it isn’t so easy and when they do achieve part of their goals, the popularity circle is not what it is cracked up to be and they almost lose their wonderful, quirky friendship in the process.
Reading the “Popularity Papers” brought back many memories of my desire to fit in and how hard it was to break down those social barriers my peers built against me. Basically I wanted to have friends. I moved into a new school district when I was in second grade and already there were strong clichés. I was not a shy child and I was bound and determined to make friends. I figured if I targeted the most popular girls at school and got in the group I would be free and clear…accepted. It wasn’t easy and for most of the year I ate by myself at lunchtime.
One day during recess, there were a group of popular girls playing jump rope…Thwack, Thwack, Thwack…the rope repeatedly hit the asphalt pavement. I watched carefully to see how they performed their jump rope routine and asked them if I could join in. The lead girl of the group told me NO, so out of spite I would just stand and watch. Every school day I asked and every time I was denied and I stayed and watched them. I guess you could say I was also stubborn. But eventually I gave up, but not the desire that I could be just like them…pretty, gregarious and always dressed with trendy clothes. I was neither of these things. I didn’t know who I was or happy with myself.
As I struggled to conform to these girls’ image, my parents were committed to keep me away from conformity. In 6th grade, I wanted to color my blonde hair black because I thought it would make my blue eyes stand out and my peers would suddenly see how beautiful I was. My mother absolutely denied me this opportunity. So as an alternative, I cut my hair. That was a real disaster. I tried to cut it like the Farrah Fawcett 70s hairstyle; instead it ended up being uneven shag. That brought me down lower in the social ladder. It wasn’t till high school, that I finally came into my own and embraced my strengths and found others who were likeminded. I eventually found my own brand of popularity and was very happy.
I would have loved growing up to have had best friends like Ignatow’s characters that were funny, smart, tenacious and best of all loyal to each other. If I had friends like these, I would have really appreciated those qualities that made me unique. Ignatow’s message is to be true to yourself and soon you will attract friends who will share and appreciate your unique traits and make you happy. To quote one of the girls’ oldest sisters, “Your friends should be the coolest people you know.”
By the way, decades later, the popular girl that did not let me play jump rope with them…apologized to me. Seems like all those years of snubbing me, wore at her conscience for many years. It is proof I think that there is a life after school and people do eventually grow up.
Though those were tough times for me growing up, however, I do not regret it. I grew up to become more sensitive to other’s feelings and was more determined to achieve my goals despite the obstacles. I grew up to become a strong woman who respects herself and others. It was worth the long journey, I think, toward “Social Improvement” and “General Betterment.”
Read Ignatow’s book, I will guarantee you will feel better about yourself.
Checking out,
Mrs. V.

Trend Alert!!!!

A 80s-early 90s trend I am seeing making a comeback has reached MPL...Converse neon shoelaces. They come in all kinds of bright colors and I am told you can get them at our local malls and shoe stores. Now I have seen kids wearing these patterned or neon-colored shoelaces before, sometimes with neon streaks in their hair to match. But what caught my attention is that each sneaker had a different neon color shoelace (pictured above). Is this a fairly recent trend? Don’t know, but thought it was worthy of my Trend Alert tidbit for the week.
Checking out Mrs. V.

How Nicky Flynn gets a life and a dog

The picture on the cover of this new book “How I, Nicky Flynn, finally get a life (and a dog) “grabbed my attention. . .a picture of a German Shepard’s face and nose is designed prominently on the cover as if the dog is about to give you a giant sloppy doggy kiss. I am glad I picked it out as one of my book reviews. The author, Art Corrivea, successfully conveys the thoughts and feelings of an angry 11-year-old boy struggling with changes in his life. The tone of voice Corrivea gives the character Nicky is “spot on” and believable. Forced to move from a plush suburban home and well-off lifestyle to inner-city Boston with his mother after his parents’ divorce, Nicky becomes an angry boy who treats his mother with disdain and internalizes his fears of attending a new school and a emotionally distant father. Corrivea’s premise to join Nicky with another abandoned and unwanted animal , a former guide dog named Reggie, his mother adopts reveals the vulnerability and strength underneath Nicky’s sarcastic bravado. Solving the mystery of why the former guide dog was placed in a dog pound becomes Nicky’s obsession. Nicky’s journey to cope with the changes in his life, the relationship with his mother and father, and the partnership and growing bond with his dog, make for a great read. However, I was not satisfied with the conclusion given regarding Reggie’s past life as a guide dog and the reasoning behind the decision to place him in a dog pound. Maybe you will feel differently. Anyway, it was really nice to get to know Nicky and learn more about the responsibilities of a guide dog.
Checking out,
Mrs. V.

Tweens get soaked at MPL

Hello Tweens,

Had a great time at the WaterWorld Games held July 16 at the Read House. Some of you were VERY persistent in getting me soaked with the water balloons and water guns. Next year I am going to make this event bigger and better. About 400 water balloons were depleted within 15 minutes. It was great fun! Below is an article I wrote about the day with pictures that I sent out to various newspapers. Hope it gets published. Some of the pictures will soon be placed on the library Facebook page. Stay cool like Mrs. V.

Tweens soak up the sun at library

MENTOR-Taking a defensive position while standing back to back upon the lawn strewn with balloon fragments, sisters Kristen and Kerri Halick were ready to soak the nearest boy in their vicinity. After depleting their supply of water balloons, each sister was equipped with a fully loaded water gun and they knew how to use them. Someone was going to get wet.
More than 30 tweens attended the Mentor Public Library WaterWorld Games July 16 held at the neighboring Read House. Hundreds of water balloons and water guns were used in an hour-long skirmish.
“It was really fun getting soaked in the hot sun,” Venkat Suru said.
Craig Vandemark also agreed the above 80-degree day made for perfect conditions to soak his opponents.
“It was really fun and I liked the water balloons,” he said.Suru and Vandemark had to constantly look over the backs for one sneaky challenger, Raghav Malik.
“I came here to soak everyone,” Malik said. “The water balloons were the best. They worked really well because water guns only do a little damage.”
By the end of the program, the Halick sisters were able to achieve their common goal.
“We came here to get very wet,” said Kristen.

Trend Alert!!!!

Hello Tweens,
Some of you already know this….but the Silly Bandz craze has hit Lake County. For the past three weeks I have seen a huge increase of kids coming into the Children’s Department with multiple rubber bands in different colors strung out along their forearms. Then to my surprise they take these rubber bands off and they immediately revert back into a shape.
According to my Google research efforts Silly Bandz is a brand of silicone rubber bands formed to make shapes of animals, objects and letters. They are worn as “tight, tight” bracelets by elementary, middle school and high school students. These “bracelets” come in different shapes, colors and themes and can be found in most drugstores.
Several kids that have come to visit me have worn their whole collection of Silly Bandz along their arms like sleeves. Apparently they are becoming collectible and many kids are trading with other kids for Silly Bandz they don’t have.
I had a conversation with MPL patrons and sisters Anna and Patricia Hadzinski about why they are riding this trend.
“I like them because there are different shapes and sizes and they are really COOL,” said Anna.
Patricia likes to trade some of her Silly Bandz to get “better ones.” One she will not give up is her elephant-shaped Silly Bandz. Anna’s favorites are her cowboy and horse Silly Bandz.
Silly Bandz was first sold online in November 2009 then gained in popularity in Alabama. They moved east that same year. As of April 2010, Silly Bandz sold the bracelets to 8,000 U.S. stores and now they are here gaining popularity.
Well, I see why you like them…let me know if you can find any Silly Bandz that are in the shape of a hamster. Fuzzy might like it.

Checking Out,
Mrs. V