Staff Pick: How to Save a Life

Summary (from Amazon):

Jill MacSweeney just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.
Mandy Kalinowski understands what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It's harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?
As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy--or as difficult--as it seems.

I picked this book out after a fellow librarian hyped it up as her pick for the best book of 2011, and I definitely understand why she did. How to Save a Life is a stirring read that is heart-wrenching at times but ultimately hopeful.

Read this book if: you’re in the mood for something introspective that might make you cry, depending on your state of mind that day. You heart will ache for the suffering and anguish that Jill (who recently lost her father) and Mandy (who's been abandoned all her life) are going through.

Skip it if: you’re looking for a light-hearted love story. Though there are some swoon-worthy romantic moments, this book is really about grief, relationships, and family.

Reviewed by: Melissa

For your convenience

Hey NOISE readers! Just a quick note to let you know that we've added some brand new book recommendation lists to our "Book Lists" sidebar!

Check them out:

Clean Reads

Boarding School Books

Sports Reads

And if you're looking for something new to read but you're not sure how to find it, come visit us at CHPL!

YA Series Gifts for your Bookish Buddies (or your bookish self)

We scoured the internets to bring you the Actual Stuff from some of our favorite YA book series. We here at CHPL would be thrilled to receive any of this swag in our stockings this year!

Tessa's Clockwork Angel  (via Etsy seller hebelmet)

Curse Workers Protection Amulets (via Etsy seller hebelcurseworkers)

The famous Marauder's Map! (via Hot Topic)

Bella Swan's wedding necklace (via Hot Topic)

St. Vladimir School Crest Hoodie (via Arcane Vault)

Katniss' Mockingjay Pin (via Amazon)

Staff Pick: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

From Amazon:

Teen beauty queens. A Lost-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to emall. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.

**
Many have compared this book to Lord of the Flies, and while the premise is pretty similar, I saw Beauty Queens as YA's answer to Mean Girls. Never has a book so accurately portrayed the strange land known as "Girl World." Bray offers a riotous commentary on consumerism, pageant culture, and gender norms.

Pick it: For Taylor Renee Crystal Hawkins (aka Miss Texas), the self-appointed leader of the plane-wrecked girls; for Ladybird Hope (a stand-in for a certain former governer and hockey mom from Alaska, maybe?); and for all the rest of the wonderfully diverse, quirky girls you meet in this book. 

Skip it:  Don't skip it! This is my pick for best book of 2012, so I think everyone should at least give it a try!

Pair with: Cinderella Ate My Daughter, in which famous sociologist Peggy Orenstein gets to the bottom of the new (and potentially problematic) definition of "girly."

Reviewed by: Melissa

Attention all artists, writers, poets, and creative thinkers!

Remember that time you wrote that thing in English class and you thought, ‘Hey, this is actually pretty good, I should show it to someone’? Submit it to Bridges!

Remember that time in math class, when you were supposed to be learning quadratic functions, but instead you drew a hilarious caricature of your math teacher? Submit it to Bridges!

Remember that time you submitted a short story, poem or piece of artwork to Bridges? No? Then you should! Right now!

Are you between the ages of 13 and 18? Do you know how to put words or lines together to form nice artwork, coherent poems or decent stories?

Submit these coherent words or pretty lines to Bridges, the Cherry Hill Library’s new teen art and literary zine, today!

***

That's right, CHPL is starting up a literary 'zine for teens. We want your stories, essays, comics, artwork/photography (must be black-and-white), and poetry! Our first issue will debut in Winter 2011, so start sending your stuff in now!

Submission forms are at the Cherry Hill Public Library Youth Desk, but you can also e-mail your submissions to bridgeszine [at] gmail [dot] com. Check out the Bridges website for submission guidelines and more information!

Staff Picks: New Releases

Looking for a good read? CHPL has got! You! Covered! We've hand-picked our favorite new fall releases, check them out! (...literally...)

 A girl wakes up in skeleton face paint slumped over a subway seat, with absolutely no memory of how she got there. Sure, before she went to rehab this would have been just another Sunday morning. But when she sees the words "HELP ME" drawn into her chest, she knows there's something strange going on. Miss Melissa says, "Like The Hangover, but not funny."

What would you do if you had the house to yourself for six months -- no parents, no rules, unlimited funds? Hot tub parties? Junk food for breakfast? Adopt that kitten you've always wanted? If you answered "all of the above!" you may want to read this book -- you'll find a lot to love in the plucky narrator.

 We here at CHPL absolutely loved Julie Halpern's Into the Wild Nerd Yonder and have been waiting for this one! Miss Melissa says: "Any book that starts out in a mental institution sounds good to me!"

 We don't even know what this book is about, we just had to include it because it is the most awesome book cover EVER. (Just kidding, it's about a college student who loses his way after the death of his father -- until a foursome of adorable angels arrives, who will stop at nothing to help him achieve his DESTINY.)

 Goodreads reviewer #1 says: "This book was beautifully written. The ending will STUN you." Goodreads reviewer #2 says: "I hated everything about this book except the cover." This sophomore novel from Nova Ren Suma has been stirring up controversy since its release...which side will YOU take?

Fall Fun at CHPL

This fall we're all about books, geekery, and a bit of Serious Business. Check out what's on our event calendar this September!

The Danger Diabolique Comic Book Club: Addicted to graphic novels or manga? Come hang out, snag cool freebies, enjoy some snacks, and find out what's coming up in the world of comics! Thursday 9/8 AND Thursday 9/22. 6:00-7:00 PM in the Craft Room.

Writer's Block: Calling all aspiring novelists and poets! Writer's Block is a place to find new inspiration, talk to fellow writers, and get feedback on your writing. Writer's Block members are also the editors and designers of our literary 'zine! Wednesday 9/14 AND Wednesday 9/28. 6:00-7:30 PM in the Craft Room.

Acting Up: Join us for some fun improv and acting! Play games, perform skits and act a fool! (P.S. No experience needed! :P) Wednesday, 9/21. 6:00-8:00 PM in the Craft Room.

Anime Nite: Anime and candy sushi: could there be a better combination to de-stress in the middle of your busy week? We think not. Tuesday, 9/27. 6:00-8:00PM in the Multicultural Room.

Dungeons and Dragons: Transport back to the time of myth and explore a fantasy realm in this classic tabletop game. Local Dungeonmaster Matt Brinn leads an epic 3-hour afternoon session of battling, puzzle-solving, and monster-slaying. Newcomers and veterans welcome! Saturday 9/17. 1:30-4:30 PM in the Craft Room

College Prep Series: College App season is upon us! We’ve teamed up with KAPLAN to bring you these workshops and practice tests:
Financial Aid 101 - a one-hour workshop about the basics of applying for financial aid. Thursday, 8/29. 7:00-8:00 PM.
ACT & SAT Practice Tests - full-length, proctored exams that will show you what to expect in a test environment. ACT: Saturday, 10/8. 11:00AM-3:00PM SAT: Saturday, 10/15. 12:00-4:30PM.
ACT vs SAT- a one-hour workshop outlining the similarities and differences of these two college entrance exams. Thursday, 10/27. 7:00-8:00 PM.

Register for all of these events today! Just click here.