Blog Archives

Coding and More

1/30/2015

I have been thinking a lot about technology and computers as I work on Teen Tech Week programming. I got to try my hand at coding as I attended a Webnar this morning. I found it to be very fun and not nearly as daunting as I thought it would be. So, today I want to highlight a few books that help to take the mystery out of technology.

The first book has you literally taking things apart. It is Unscrewed by Ed Sobey. I really like the way this book is written because it not only tells you how to take electronics apart, it tells you what parts are usable for new projects. So if you have an old mouse with a roller ball, the salvageable parts include micro switches and notched counter wheels that could be used to turn on lights and power small motors. This book gives instructions to disassemble all sorts of electronic equipment.

Now, if you're are into creating programs and telling computers what to do, the next book is for you. It is, Learn to Program with Scratch by Majed Marji. Scratch uses an online environment for you to discover how easy it is to create games, art, science, and math. The book is very visual and easy to follow. It demystifies programming and makes computer language easy to understand.

The final book that I want to mention is not directly involving computers and technology, but its topic evolves to computer use. This book is Go: A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design by Chip Kidd. When I think of graphic design, I think of creating artwork on a computer to be used for advertisement or commercial purposes. This book takes you through all of the elements of good graphic design. A fun addition is the projects that it gives you as a reader and the opportunity for you to share your creations on the author's website that is a companion to the book.

I am looking forward to a fun Teen Tech Week in March and I hope that we can provide some exciting and creative technology programming.

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Round Robin Books

1/23/2015

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Have you ever read a book that you wanted to talk about, but you didn't have anyone around to tell? Well, we have a special collection of books that you are encouraged to talk about. They are our Round Robin Books. These books are special because you are supposed to write your comments as you read and leave them for the next person to add their reactions to. We have quite a variety of books in this collection. Some of them have controversial topics, while others are just for fun. It's really fun to read others' reactions and comments.

The first book that I want to mention is Wither by Lauren DeStefano. This is the first book in The Chemical Garden Trilogy. This book is set in a time when scientific experimentation has caused men to die at age 25 and women to die at age 20. As you can guess, this has caused a shortage of young women and girls are often kidnapped to become wives for the sons of wealthy individuals. This book is filled with things to comment on as social issues are addressed.

Another book that presents lots of opportunity for discussion is The Compound by S.A. Bodeen. The Compound presents the scenario of a family that has escaped a nuclear war by going underground. They have lived underground for several years and provisions are starting to grow scarce. This book will shock you more than once as secrets are revealed.

The third book that I want to mention shows the diversity of what is in the Round Robin collection. This book is The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. If you are a fan of mysteries and Sherlock Holmes, you might want to pick up this classic. Enjoy a good book and share your thoughts on 'who done it' in the margins for the next reader.

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2015-2016 Iowa Choice Awards

1/16/2015

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Each year Iowa chooses some of the top books in youth literature to be highlighted as Iowa Choice Awards. This years list was announced right after the new year and we have a display of the Teen Choice and High School Choice Awards featured on the shelves. Today, I will talk about just a few of those books.

The first is Divided We Fall by Trent Reedy. I had the opportunity a couple of years ago to meet and visit with Mr. Reedy. I appreciated his passion for what he was writing about and the care that he put into writing literature that was appropriate for his audience. Divided We Fall is a picture of America in uprising. The government has placed regulations on the states that have caused some of the states to take justice into their own hands. It illustrates the conflict that our soldiers would be faced with if they had to choose loyalty to the state or the federal government. Books like this make the reader think about the 'what if this really happened' scenario.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne is another book that presents a 'what if this really happened' scenario. A natural disaster has caused a nuclear spill and a group of kids are stranded in a store waiting for help to arrive. They are cut off from everything and they're scared. Is it safe to go outside? What caused the giant hailstorm? Are their families okay? This is the first in a series of books.

The next two books are on my to read list. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is by Matthew Quick. This book is the struggle of a young man making the choice between life and death. The author writes, "So the key is doing something that sets you apart forever in the minds of regular people. Something that matters."

Counting by 7s is written by Holly Goldberg Sloan. This book caught my interest as I read the inside cover. It lists 7 reasons to read this novel. The first is friendship. The fourth is laughing and crying. The sixth is family. The list gives me the thought that I am going to be left with a really good feeling after reading this book. I hope that I am right.

There are close to thirty books included on the 2015 - 2016 list of award books. I hope you can find one that you will enjoy.

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Tough Topics

1/9/2015

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One of the things that I like about Young Adult literature is that it addresses the tough topics in a creative way. Many of the issues that we find in Young Adult books are the same issues that teens are dealing with daily. So, today I want to mention a few books that address the tough topics.

Eating disorders can show themselves in more than one form. Sometimes it takes the form of starvation. Sometimes it is eating in excess that leads to obesity. Two books that talk about eating disorders are Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler and Butter by Erin Jade Lange. Hunger has our protagonist wasting away as her fear of food grows. Kessler has created a fantasy world where hunger and famine offer a form of control. On the other hand, Butter is about a young man who has chosen to stand up to the bullying by creating a website where he is going to publicly eat himself to death. The count down has begun, and it brings big changes for everyone involved.

Sexual activity presents itself in a very casual way in Young Adult literature. The young reader needs to be discerning and realize that casual sex can have life changing consequences. One book that addresses those life changing consequences is Planet Pregnancy by Linda Oatman High. This book is written in verse and follows the choices of a young teenage girl as she faces pregnancy.

Another topic that isn't very often addressed in association with teens is mental illness. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven covers more than one tough topic as we see mental illness, depression, and suicide all in the same book. This book is wonderfully written. It shows how mental illness can be written off as a personality quirk. It also shows what torment a young person can be experiencing as they want to be normal, but are incapable of what the crowd calls normal.

The final book I'll mention today is Shards by Allison Moore. Shards is the true story of a young police officer that gets caught up in the drug world. The author does not hold back as she describes how drugs and the irresistible cravings can destroy a life and steal a dream. Read this book with a word of caution that there is some adult graphic content.

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Coding and More

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2015-2016 Iowa Choice Awards

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