Next Week: All the Things!

Get your calendars out because next week is going to be hopping at the library!

First off, we are showing the movie Mean Girls! Now only are we showing the movie, we are going to encourage you to dress up like the characters, or at least wear pink, and shout and talk during the movie. We'll hand out scripts to help you along, but don't worry, you can add your own flair to the movie! It will be so fetch! The movie is on October 4th, and starts at 6 PM. (Heads up, the movie is rated PG-13)

Secondly, we have LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON coming to the library one week from today! October 5th at 6:30 PM she is going to be presenting in the library Teen Space on her new book Ashes, the final book in the Seeds of America series! This event is in partnership with Boswell Books, and they will be selling books you can have signed after the presentation!

Keep your calendars open for October 13th and 21st as well for Haunted Gingerbread Houses and Friday Fun!

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie

Book Review: Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally

Taylor had everything, great grades, the right activities, hot boyfriend and captain of her soccer team. Senior year should be her last stop on the way to Yale, and then following in her father's footsteps into a career in investment or politics. Then it happens. She is caught with a backpack full of drugs. In the moment she panics, and takes the blame, even though it's not her backpack.

Suspended from her fancy boarding school, she is off to Hundred Oaks High, with less AP classes, no activities, and a pretty bad soccer team. She ditched the boyfriend, and the truth and hopes that even with letting her parents down, she can still rally and get into Yale. Of course, there is the small matter of her father's campaign to be re-elected as state Senator, and she is now a black mark against him.

Can she earn back her father's trust? Will she still get into Yale, even with the suspension? What about about her brother's friend Ezra who is on a break from Cornell, working construction?

It's no secret that I love books by Miranda Kenneally. I think they are fun reads, and full of high school (and college) drama. While you might not be the rich daughter of a state Senator, you might know what it feels like to disappoint your parents, or even hide to truth to protect a friend. Defending Taylor is a fun read that would be a good break from studying, class activities and even soccer.

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie

Bookish Distractions: It's Fall!

Happy Fall!

Looking for monster books for this spooky Halloween season? Then Book Riot has you covered with 100 Must-Read Books about Monsters. It's a good mix of YA and Adult titles, and I'm happy to say my pick for creepiest monster book ever, The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey makes the list.

Ever wonder what your Patronus was? Head over to Pottermore and find out! Buzzfeed gives us a heads up on what to expect and lets us see what Miss J.K. Rowling has as her Patronus!

Also on Buzzfeed, 23 YA Book to be aware of this fall! With new books from A.S. King, Jay Asher and David Levithan and Rachel Cohen, my TBR list is growing faster than I can keep up!

Book Awards time! Are you ready for the long list of the National Book Award for Young People's literature (Scroll down. It's the last list.)? Well, it's out! On October 13th, we'll find out the finalists, and on November 16th the winner! (Here's a link from the Washington Post of just the "Young People's Literature".) Past winners include titles like Challenger Deep (Shusterman) and The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian (Alexie).

I hope that keeps you busy this weekend! Don't forget author Laurie Halse Anderson will be here at West Allis to talk about her new book Ashes on October 5th!

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie

Friday Fun: September 23rd

This Friday is our first Friday fun of the school  year! Come on down to the Library's Constitution Room from 3:30-5:30 and we will be there with games, snacks and maybe some coloring sheets! This is time to hang out and be a teen!

Like all Teen Events, this event is open to those students in grades 6-12 or ages 12-18.

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie

Author Visit: Laurie Halse Anderson!

It's no secret, but in three weeks from today, LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON is coming to the West Allis Public Library! This is a BIG deal!

What do you need to know?

1. This is a free event open to library patrons of all ages.
2. She is promoting her new book Ashes, which is the third book in the Seeds of America Trilogy.
3. She will be speaking in the Teen Space/ library proper.
4. Boswell books will be there selling books you can have signed.
5. The event starts at 6:30 on October 5th, 2016, make sure you get here early to get a good seat!

I'm hoping to re-read some of her greatest hits (Speak, Wintergirls, Chains) before the big event to blog, but you should definitely read her books, and come to the event!

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie

Bookish Distractions:

Here's some fun stuff I found on the internet!

Fantasy and Sci-Fiction books seem to have it made, with all the love triangles and saving the world-ness. But every now and then, they still have to learn! Here is a list from Tor.com of ways those characters in those favorite Fantasy and Science Fiction books get their education!

We all know learning doesn't just happen in the classroom, and here are 12 books from Off the Shelf  that take learning out into the real world. I've had a few of these books on my "to be read" list for a while, and maybe it's time for me to pick up Bird by Bird or The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

If you need a laugh, check out this list of things book lovers have to deal with over at Buzzfeed. I'm not too mad if people dog ear my books or never give them back, but inturrupt me when I'm reading? Please don't.

Are you ready for football season? I've got my green and gold ready to go, and have a display of non-fiction books up in the library. Want some teen fiction options? Book Riot has you covered! I highly recommend all three of these titles!

It wouldn't be a Bookish Distractions post without something from Epic Reads, so check out this quiz to decide whether your life is a comedy or tragedy. I got tragedy (with ghosts) and hopefully you get something more uplifting.

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie

September is Library Card Month!

Did you know September is library card sign up month?  And you should get a library card, or make sure your library card is up to date! Here are a few reasons why:

1. It's free. That's right, the initial sign up for your library card is free! To get your library card in West Allis, you just need to live in Milwaukee County and depending on how old you are you might need to bring your adult with you. Click to see exactly what you need to get a card

2. There is SO much more than books to check out! From audio books to magazines to DVDs and CDs and even digital media, you can get so much stuff...for free!

3. Computers, Wi-Fi and printers: If you need to be online all the time, the library is the place to be! With your library card you can access computers for Internet and word processing, as well as use our printers. Wi-Fi is free for everyone in the building!

4. Programs: from movies to Friday Fun to author visits, the library is the place to go to learn things, do things and meet awesome people.

5. Books! From that author you aren't sure of to that best seller you have to read the library has it all! And if we don't have it, we'll try to get it! You can read about everything under the sun, and you don't have to spend a dime, unless you are late getting those books back!

So what are you waiting for? Stop by the library and get a card today!

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie

What to Read Next (and why you should love the library!)

Happy first official week of September! First off, I'll be contacting the winners from Teen Summer Reading tonight via phone or e-mail! 15 lucky winners for 15 gift cards!

Secondly, if you are looking for good books to read, check out Next Reads! Next Reads is a service the library subscribes to so you can get awesome book recommendations. Here is the place where you fill out what kind of lists you want, and a couple times a month you'll get an awesome list! Curious about this month's teen recommendations? Check out the list here!

Also, check out Maggie Stiefvater's answer to someone asking about how checking out library books is good for authors. It's no secret that I love Maggie as an author, but I'm starting to think in general she is an A+ person.

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie

Library Closed September 3-5

It's Labor Day Weekend! Just a reminder that the library will be closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday, September 3rd, 4th and 5th.

Winners for Teen Summer Reading Grand Prize gift cards will be contacted next week!

I'll see you @ the library!
Katie

Fall Teen Events

Happy September everyone! Summer Reading is over, winners of our 15 grand prize gift cards will be contacted soon, and we have an awesome line of events for  you this fall, so with out further ado, I present a...

FALL TEEN EVENT PREVIEW!

First, we have an AWESOME author coming in October. LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON IS COMING HERE. That's right the legendary capital-A-Author will be here at the modest West Allis Public Library in October. Mark October 5th on your calendar, and get ready for her to share from her book Ashes, the last book in the Seeds of America Series. She will also be selling/ signing books at this event! This event is partnered with Boswell Book Company. This is an all ages event and will take place in and around the teen space on October 5th.

As promised, we are continuing the fun on Friday with Friday Fun! September 3rd and October 21st from 3:30-5:30 we will open the library constitution room to all students in grades 6 to 12 for snacks, games and hang out time.

October 13th we are going to get ready to make spooky gingerbread houses, and watch a certain movie with Halloween and Christmas themes. This event will be for teens and tweens, and is open to students in grades 3-12.

Finally, we are showing monthly movies at the library! Check the City calendar for all the movies and days, but in October we are showing Mean Girls. It won't be on a Wednesday (see event the first), but we will wear pink. It's also not on October 3rd...and if you got those jokes, you should be at the library October 4th for Interactive Mean Girls!

Mark your calendars, and  I'll see you @ the library!
Katie