8.25.2014

Staff Pick: The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
From goodreads.com:
When Cameron Post's parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief they'll never know that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl.

But that relief doesn't last, and Cam is soon forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and leaving well enough alone (as her grandmother might say), and Cam becomes an expert at both.

Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful, pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. She and Cam forge an unexpected and intense friendship--one that seems to leave room for something more to emerge. But just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to "fix" her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self--even if she's not exactly sure who that is.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.

Pick it: for a beautiful look at growing up, figuring out who you are, and working past tough feelings. The book is split into two parts, and I honestly wish there was a part three.

Skip it: if you can't stand a book that leaves you wanting more. The ending provided closure on one important point, but there was a lot of story left to be told. I need to know what happened to Cam!

Pair with: Rapture Practice: A True Story by Aaron Hartzler, a memoir about a gay teen growing up in a fundamentalist family. 

8.18.2014

Staff Pick: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol I: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol I: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson
From goodreads.com:
It sounds like a fairy tale. He is a boy dressed in silks and white wigs and given the finest of classical educations. Raised by a group of rational philosophers known only by numbers, the boy and his mother -- a princess in exile from a faraway land -- are the only persons in their household assigned names. As the boy's regal mother, Cassiopeia, entertains the house scholars with her beauty and wit, young Octavian begins to question the purpose behind his guardians' fanatical studies. Only after he dares to open a forbidden door does he learn the hideous nature of their experiments -- and his own chilling role in them. Set against the disquiet of Revolutionary Boston, M. T. Anderson's extraordinary novel takes place at a time when American Patriots rioted and battled to win liberty while African slaves were entreated to risk their lives for a freedom they would never claim. The first of two parts, this deeply provocative novel reimagines the past as an eerie place that has startling resonance for readers today.

Pick it: for a fascinating alternate reality look at Revolutionary War-era America. I was captivated by the world-building and the mix of fact and fiction.

Skip it: if you like to keep your history and your fiction solidly separate.

Pair with: The Forgotten Fifth: African Americans in the Age of Revolution by Gary B. Nash for a non-fiction look at the experiences of African American men and women at this point in history.

Reviewed by: Deena

8.15.2014

YALSA's Teen Book Finder for Android & iOS



The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has launched a cool new app for iOS and Android. YALSA's Teen Book Finder gives you easy access to the past three years of YALSA's award winners and lists like their picks for best nonfiction books, audiobooks (Odyssey Awards), debut teen novels (Morris), and more. You can also save your favorites onto an individual booklist for later browsing, and share your picks on Twitter and Facebook. 

Scan the QR code below or check out the YALSA page for links to the app on the App Store and Google Play.


8.13.2014

Prose and Cons

"Writing." Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Find your muse and get inspired! Beat that writer's block into submission and join us for "Prose and Cons." We'll have writing games and creative story starters to get your ideas flowing.

Wednesday, August 20, 6:30 - 8:30PM
Children's Story & Craft Room, Upper Level
Open to grades 7 - 12.


Paying for College Without Breaking the Bank

"College". Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Let's face it...college is expensive. Are you aware that each year millions of dollars towards scholarships are unused because students aren't applying for them? Come learn not only how to get accepted into the school of your choice but also how to make sure it doesn't break the bank. Presented by Kaplan.

Wednesday, August 20, 6 - 8PM
Half Conference Center, Lower Level
Open to grades 9 - 12.



8.11.2014

Staff Pick: The Borden Tragedy: A Memoir of the Infamous Double Murder at Fall River, Mass., 1892 by Rick Geary

 From goodreads.com:
"Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one!" In this third volume of Geary's Treasury, the famous Lizzie Borden double murder is explored with as much attention to well -researched detail as in his Jack the Ripper. This is another celebrated murder of last century, the one that lead to the infamous school rhyme.
The parallel between this old case and OJ Simpson's is striking: both defendants had unblemished reputations; the double murders were gruesome; there were no witnesses and no weapons found; the cases took the media by storm. Both wealthy defendants hired expensive lawyers who convinced the jury of reasonable doubt. Both remain under a cloud of suspicion...
Pick it: if you like YA that combines true crime, history, murder, and scandalous women in a graphic novel format (and then come talk to me!). 
Skip it: if you like more romance and less bloodshed in your Victorian era reading.
Pair with: any of Rick Geary's other Treasury of Victorian Murder books, like The Mystery of Mary Rogers - that story inspired Edgar Allan Poe. 
Reviewed by: Deena

Accepted: Getting into Your First-Choice School

"IMG_3305." Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

This workshop will show parents and students what college admissions officers expect from applicants' high school experiences. Topics covered include a variety of admissions policies and the key factors used by admissions officers when deciding who to accept. Presented by Kaplan.

Monday, August 18, 7 - 8PM
Half Conference Center, Lower Level
Open to grades 9 - 12.

8.05.2014

Back In Time Dance


Come dressed in a retro or historical outfit and rock out to music from times gone by. We will also open last year's CHPL Time Capsule.

Open to grades 9-12.
 
Tuesday, August 12
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
 
Lower Level, Conference Center
No Registration Required

On Display: It's a Mystery


Come check out* our YA mystery display! From detective stories to thrillers to capers, we've got a range of books to hone your sleuthing skills.


*Get it? Check out?...I'll see myself out.

8.04.2014

Staff Pick: Hello, Cruel World: 101 Alternatives to Suicide for Teens, Freaks, and Other Outlaws by Kate Bornstein

Hello, Cruel World by Kate Bornstein
From goodreads.com

Celebrated transsexual trailblazer Kate Bornstein has, with more humor and spunk than any other, ushered us into a world of limitless possibility through a daring re-envisionment of the gender system as we know it.

Here, Bornstein bravely and wittily shares personal and unorthodox methods of survival in an often cruel world. A one-of-a-kind guide to staying alive outside the box, Hello, Cruel World is a much-needed unconventional approach to life for those who want to stay on the edge, but alive.

Hello, Cruel World features a catalog of 101 alternatives to suicide that range from the playful (moisturize!), to the irreverent (shatter some family values), to the highly controversial. Designed to encourage readers to give themselves permission to unleash their hearts' harmless desires, the book has only one directive: "Don't be mean." It is this guiding principle that brings its reader on a self-validating journey, which forges wholly new paths toward a resounding decision to choose life.

Tenderly intimate and unapologetically edgy, Kate Bornstein is the radical role model, the affectionate best friend, and the guiding mentor all in one.

Pick it: if you are going through a tough time and need some support. Be aware that some of her suggestions are controversial, but there is a lot of good advice on how to embrace your outsider individuality. For more resources and immediate assistance, visit the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-TALK) or Hopeline (1-800-442-HOPE).

Pair with: Stuck in the Middle: 17 Comics from an Unpleasant Age, edited by Ariel Schrag. Seventeen different graphic novelists illustrate awkward, honest stories from their middle school years.

Reviewed by: Deena