Teens Blog
Have you been to the library lately? If not, summer is a good time to reacquaint yourself with all the activities available to teens…all for F R E E.
First, there’s the summer reading game, designed to keep kids reading during the summer months by enticing them with prizes and opportunities to win raffle drawings for big ticket items like a digital camera or an iPod Touch. If you haven’t signed up yet, come to any branch and let us know you want to play along. It’s painless, it doesn’t require a library card, and all you have to do is keep track of how many pages you read throughout the summer. We even provide you with a gameboard.
Second, there are all kinds of special programs planned for teens this summer. Whether you like crafts, movies, or gaming, there’s bound to be something you’ll enjoy. There’s even a Japanese Swordplay demonstration. Check our calendar for all the options. Some require advance registration…others you can just show up if the spirit moves you. We’d love to see you!
Lastly, there are three recurring groups that meet on a monthly basis throughout the year: Teen Advisory Board (T. A. B), Galley Review Group, and J-Pop Club. Each of these groups always welcomes new members, so bring a friend and come join us!
Summer at the library – it’s not just for little kids any more.
Calling all comics fans: Teen Services invites you to join us as we welcome back author and illustrator Mark Crilley! Mark will be talking about all of his books for tweens and teens, including the acclaimed Akikographic novels for tweens and the manga series Miki Falls for teens, which was recently chosen by Brad Pitt's film company to be made into a major feature film. The Comics Buyers Guide also called Miki Falls “a brilliant new series by one of comicdom’s best storytellers.” The series was awarded a spot on the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens list in 2007, and Akiko has been nominated for the Will Eisner Award over a dozen times since 1995! Come listen to Mark as he tells behind-the-scenes stories from his experiences as a writer and illustrator, provides tips for aspiring writers and artists in the audience, and shares information about writing and storytelling.
Date, Location
For more information about Mark and a look at his work, check out his website or his page at DeviantArt.
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Mark Crilley
markCrilley
http://www.kpl.gov/teens/events/mark-crilley.aspx
Come celebrate Earth Day (a little bit late) at Central tomorrow evening! At 6:30 in the Van Deusen auditorium, Michigan filmmaker Matt Dunstone will host a free screening of his zany documentary about the industrial pollution and ongoing cleanup of the Kalamazoo River. Matt grew up in Kalamazoo and graduated from Loy Norrix High School, and after college worked on feature films like Office Space and The Rookie before returning to Michigan to produce his documentary.
Kalamazoo, River: US combines music, comedy, and facts into an entertaining and informative mix that the Kalamazoo Gazette calls "a must-see movie for all who reside near the river's shores." The film is open to all ages, and Matt will be hosting a Q&A session afterwards.
For the past four decades, every year on April 22nd people around the world have celebrated Earth Day in honor of our big blue marble. The Earth is the home of millions of different species, including humans, and (currently) the only place in the universe where life is known to exist. So let's celebrate our fragile home with some great programs!
Next Wednesday, April 28th at 6:30 PM, filmmaker Matt Dunstone will host a free screening of his zany documentary about the industrial pollution and ongoing cleanup of the Kalamazoo River. Matt grew up in Kalamazoo and graduated from Loy Norrix High School, and after college worked on feature films like Office Space and The Rookie. Matt returned to Michigan to create his documentary about the Kalamazoo River, one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Kalamazoo, River: US combines music, comedy, and facts into an entertaining and informative mix that the Kalamazoo Gazette calls "a must-see movie for all who reside near the river's shores." This showing is free and open to all ages!
Then, come down for more ReCraft fun at the Eastwood branch on Thursday the 29th from 4-5 PM! Turn cereal boxes into bookmarks, journals, postcards and more! You supply the creativity, and we'll supply the materials.
How are you celebrating Earth Day today?
Hey, it's prom season once again! Chances are, you're looking for a prom dress. You could pay hundreds of dollars for a dress you'll only wear once, maybe twice, but why?
Our annual Prom Prep event offers everything you need to prepare for your prom—all for free! Browse our racks of fabulous dresses, shoes, bags, and accessories. If you see something you like, try it on. If it fits, take it home! With hundreds of colors, sizes and styles to choose from, there's bound to be a dream outfit for you. Come down to Central on Saturday, April 10 from 1-3 PM and find yours!
It's time once again to dust off your cameras, find your props and costumes, and call "Action!" on the Teen Filmmaker Festival, presented by Kalamazoo Public Library, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and Public Media Network! Want to be the next Tarantino, Scorsese, or Kubrick? Now's your chance to show off your filmmaking skills.
You'll need to submit films and entry forms to the Teen Services Desk at Central by 9 PM on Monday, January 25th, 2010, so there's no time to waste. You can read up on all of the official rules and download an entry form on the official Film Fest page, and don't forget to check out clips of last years' winners at the KPL YouTube channel!
Updated: Due to the library closing on Thursday because of hazardous weather conditions, Mark's visit had to be canceled and will be rescheduled for the spring. Please check back on this page for further information!
Calling all comics fans: Teen Services invites you to join us as we welcome back author and illustrator Mark Crilley! Mark will be talking about all of his books for tweens and teens, including the acclaimed Akikographic novels for tweens and the manga series Miki Falls for teens, which was recently chosen by Brad Pitt's film company to be made into a major feature film. The Comics Buyers Guide also called Miki Falls "a brilliant new series by one of comicdom's best storytellers." The series was awarded a spot on the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens list in 2007, and Akiko has been nominated for the Will Eisner Award over a dozen times since 1995! Come listen to Mark as he tells behind-the-scenes stories from his experiences as a writer and illustrator, provides tips for aspiring writers and artists in the audience, and shares information about writing and storytelling.
For more information about Mark and a look at his work, check out his website or his page at DeviantArt.
Book
Mark Crilley
markCrilley
http://www.kpl.gov/teens/events/mark-crilley.aspxHere in the Teen Services department, we are constantly striving to provide the kinds of programs that Kalamazoo's teenagers want. We know that gaming, crafts, and Japanese pop culture are popular. And Galley Group attracts new enthusiastic teen readers almost every month. Besides those, however, are there other programs we could offer that would bring you and your friends to the library? If so, we want to hear from you! Among the ideas that we have recently scheduled that either had to be cancelled due to lack of registrants or had few, if any, attendees include reader's theatre and workshops in the library's computer lab.
If you are a teenager and you have some good ideas about how the library can better serve its teen patrons, please leave your comments below. Better yet, consider joining the Teen Advisory Board (T.A.B.), which meets once a month. The next meeting is Wednesday, December 2, from 3:30 to 5 in the Van Deusen Room. We look forward to your feedback!
Karen posted earlier about the upcoming visits by great authors during 2009-2010, and we're about to kick things off with a visit by this year's visiting Youth Literature Seminar authors Lisa McMann and James A. Owen. Lisa's suspense-filled Wake is one of this year's Teen Top Ten award winners, and James' Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series is sure to appeal to fantasy lovers. Hear Lisa and James talk about their work and read selected passages from their books (including possible sneak previews!) There will be time for Q&A and book signing as well, so if you're a fan of Lisa and/or James, or if you're just curious about the writing process, be sure to come to Central at 6:30 PM on Thursday for the Meet the Author event!
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Lisa McMann
lisa-mcmann-photo-160
http://www.kpl.gov/teens/meet-the-author.aspx
While I consider myself to be a fairly good writer, I often wish I had been a little more willing to step outside of my comfort zone and try new ways of expressing myself on paper, for instance through poetry or fiction or other forms of creative writing. Perhaps I would have ended up going down a slightly different path and become a professional writer. Nonetheless, one of my favorite things about being a librarian is having the opportunity to hear authors speak about their development as writers. When did they know they wanted to do nothing else but write? How long did it take to get their first book published? What inspires them to write the things they write about?
If these kinds of questions interest you, you will be glad to know that the Teen Services department at KPL often brings well-known young adult authors to Kalamazoo so that you can ask them these questions (and more!) yourself. For instance, in the last several years, we've had Sharon Draper, Chris Crutcher, Laurie Halse Anderson, Jacqueline Woodson, John Green, Angela Johnson and M.T. Anderson, just to name a few. And this year is no different. We are busy getting ready for fall visits from authors Lisa McMann (Wake and Fade) and James A. Owen (The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series), as well as some other favorite authors who will be coming later in the 2009-2010 year. You'll definitely want to keep checking back here for the latest news on upcoming author visits.
In the meantime, if you have read any of Lisa McMann's or James A. Owen's books, what did you think about them? We'd love to know!
Wake
9781416953579
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