Top 10 Announced!

Each year, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) asks teens across the country to vote on their favorite recently-released books. Voting takes place between mid-August and the end of Teen Read Week in October. This year, 28 books were nominated and more than 32,000 votes cast.
 

The official 2013 Teens' Top 10 are:

1. Code Name Verity, by Elizabeth Wein

2. The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen

3. Insurgent, by Veronica Roth

4. Pushing the Limits, by Katie McGarry

5. Poison Princess, by Kresley Cole

6. The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater

7. Crewel, by Gennifer Albin

8. Every Day, by David Levithan

9. Kill Me Softly, by Sarah Cross

10. Butter, by Erin Jade Lange

 

Oxford Public Library owns all these awesome books. If you haven't read them yet, we recommend you do! --AJB 

Halloween Movie: Alien v. Predator

Don't feel like Trick or Treating but still up for a scare or two? Stop by the Teen Area on Halloween night for a special screening of the extraterrestrial thriller Alien v. Predator: A team of archaeologists begins an Antarctic excavation of an underground pyramid and, in the process, wakes an Alien queen. Predators are there too, and they're using the Aliens in as part of an ancient initiation ritual. Much chaos follows...

 

The movie starts @ 6:30 p.m.

 

There will be a random drawing for a cool prize following the movie.

Unraveling Isobel

It's bad enough Isobel's widowed mother remarries so soon after her father's death. But now Isobel has to leave her friends and her entire life behind and move into her new stepfather's creepy island mansion. Oh yeah, and did we mention her new stepbrother is a jerk? All those problems seem small when Isobel begins to be haunted the ghost of a young girl shortly after arriving at her new home. Gossip on the streets hints that the recent drownings of her stepfather's first wife and young daughter may not have been accidental. Curious, Isobel probes deeper into these mysteries--and uncovers evidence linking these deaths to her stepfather! Is Isobel onto the truth or is she really as crazy as her stepfather would have everyone believe? (after all, her father was crazy...and everyone knows mental illness can be hereditary) Worse, is she the next victim?

Unraveling Isobel is a nicely creepy story and an entertaining mystery. There's even a touch of romance. A great choice for Halloween Reading. --AJB

The Girls of YA

When it comes to strong female characters in YA books, names like Hermione Granger and Katniss Everdeen probably come to mind. But what about Meg Murry, Scout Finch, or Anne Shirley? "Who are they?" you ask. Check out this Flavorwire article to find out about them...and about other heroines of classic YA Literature. 

Places to Read

So you've finally got your hands on that book you've been waiting forever to read. Whether it's the concluding volume to a trilogy you've loved so far, a stand-alone you've heard a lot about, a book that's about to be made into a movie, or an old favorite, the fact remains the same: You finally have THAT BOOK! 

But just as important as having a great book is finding that perfect place to read it. Check out this flavorwire article featuring some of the most unique, most book-friendly chairs we've ever seen. 

p.s #12 is our favorite!

Super Graphic

Do you like Superheroes? How about charts? Tim Leong's Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book Universe combines the best of both worlds for a fun and informative guide to all things superhero (and super villain). From the book's nearly 20 different types of brightly-colored graphs and charts, you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about superheroes and their evil villain counterparts. And some of the knowledge is pretty obscure:

For example: Why is Donatello (of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fame) always getting teased by his shelled companions? What is the difference between Cosplay and Crossplay? How did DC Comics determine the fate of Robin in 1988? And which Marvel Comic superhero (or super villain) is the strongest, smartest, and fastest. 

See... Aren't you glad you checked this book out?

Percy Jackson Read Alike

The empty shelf is evidence: Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" books have been experiencing a renewal in popularity lately. This is thanks in part to the "Sea of Monsters" movie and the recent release of "The House of Hades," the newest addition to the "Heroes of Olympus" series. As librarians, we love when books are so heavily circulated (means we're doing something right) except for one thing: Sometimes, there aren't enough of a certain book to satisfy demand. Of course we can always place a hold on our copy the coveted book or procure a copy from another library... But what if the patron wants something "now"?

Bummer, right?

Not really. Fortunately, there's a pretty good solution to this dilemma: The Read-Alike. 

In this case, I'd like to recommend Michael Scott's "Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel" series (Yes, this is the same Nicolas Flamel mentioned in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone). Beginning with "The Alchemyst," this exciting six-book series boasts just as much magic, mythology, and excitement as Percy Jackson. The series follow the adventures of mortal twins Sophie and Josh Newman as they travel through time and space, assisting Nicolas Flamel in trying to retrieve a magical book stolen by the diabolical Dr. John Dee. If they don't retrieve it in time, the world (and everything and everyone in it) will be destroyed. Once you start this series, you won't be able to put it down! --AJB

Library Closed: Mark Your Calendar

Just a reminder that Oxford Public Library will be closed on Monday October 14 in observance of Columbus Day. We will re-open our doors Tuesday October 15. Enjoy your weekend :)

Book to Movie

Good news for fans of John Green's "The Fault in Our Stars": The movie adaption of this wildly popular book has been given an official release date of June 6, 2014. It stars Shailene Woodley, Willem Defoe, and Ansel Elgort. 

For those of you who haven't yet read the book, the story is about Hazel, a young woman with terminal cancer. At a meeting of support group (which she hates), she meets Agustus, another cancer patient. As the two bond over a very unusual book, they make it their mission to meet the author and ask him why he ended the book as he did. Meanwhile, their friendship grows into love. For those who haven't yet read the book... What are you waiting for? 

Be sure to bring the tissues, though.  

Great Book, Ugly Cover!

Great Books. Bad Covers.

You've heard the old adage, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." Although it's likely this saying originally didn't refer to literal books, in this case it does!

In honor of Halloween and all things frightening, the Teen Department will feature a month-long display of books whose covers are so hideous they're scary (*insert horror movie scream here*). But despite the atrocious cover art, the stories between the covers are really quite awesome and definitely worth reading! Check one out today...if you dare! --AJB

Re-Issues of Old Favorites

When I was a teen, the Big Three writers in teen fiction were Christopher Pike, Caroline B. Cooney, and L.J. Smith. Sound familiar? No, you're not stuck in a time warp. Recently, to cash in on the popularity of the paranormal genre, these authors have re-released many of their older books (many of which were published in the 1980s and 1990s). Sometimes these stories have been "updated" to include things like cell phones and email. Other times they're re-released in their original form. Either way, they're awesome!

Long before Bella met Edward, there was L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries. The four-book series is about Elana and the two vampire brothers who are at war over her. Originally published in the late 1990s and re-released for a new audience, the series now boasts several spinoff books and even a TV series. Another Smith re-release? The Nightworld saga (1996-1998), repackaged for you, the teens of today.

The first book in Christopher Pike's Remember Me trilogy was originally published in 1989. In it, ghosts Shari and Peter team up to solve Shari's murder... and fall in love in the process. Although the book works best as a stand-alone, Pike chose to continue Shari and Peter's story over two more books (1994, 1999). The trilogy was re-released in 2010 as an all-in-one volume. Also by Pike is the Thirst series. Originally published as the six-book The Last Vampire series (1994-1996), the series has been re-released and expanded upon. All the better to be enjoyed by new audiences.

And speaking of vampires, lets look at Caroline B. Cooney's Vampire's Promise trilogy. (early 1990s). Although best known for The Face on the Milk Carton, Cooney was no stranger to the even darker side of YA books, exploring evil boarding schools and, yes, vampires. But not romantic, crushworthy vampires who glitter in the sun and pamper their mortal girlfriends. No...these vampires were every bit as dangerous and scary as any other nightmarish monster. In the Vampire's Promise trilogy (re-released 2011), three unfortunate teens encounter a vampire in a creepy old house. He offers to grant them their heart's desire...for a terrible price.

Stop by the Teen area and check out one of these new old-school books. --AJB

We Cause Scenes: Rescheduled

We Cause Scenes, the popular teen-run improv group, will NOT meet this Saturday (Oct. 12) as specified in the newsletter. 

Rather, the program has been rescheduled for the following Saturday (Oct. 19) @ 1-3 p.m. Please mark your calendars.

What the Vampire Say?

Ever notice how sometimes a picture cries out to be captioned? We do...and we're not just talking about the cute and sometimes scarp stuff featured on LOL Cat. That's why we've put empty speech balloons on some of our monstrously seasonal coloring pages. All month long, you'll be able to write what YOU think the vampires, zombies, and other creepy creatures in these coloring sheets might be saying or thinking. It could be something funny or creepy or mundane. Fill in the blanks and turn your creation in at the Teen Desk. Your creation will be entered into a random drawing for a prize at the end of the month (please remember to include your name & contact info on the back).

These creations will be on display in the Teen Area, so please keep your captions clean.

Family Movie: Frankenweenie

Stop by the library this Sunday @ 2 p.m. and catch Frankenweenie, our October Family Movie.

When young Victor's beloved dog, Sparky, is hit by a car, he is heartbroken... until his science teacher shows his class how electricity can be used to reanimate a dead frog. There's a science fair coming up, and the competition will be fierce. But Victor has more in mind than winning the grand prize for the best experiment. One dark and stormy night, Victor heads over the the local pet cemetery, shovel in hand. A flash of lightning later and Sparky is alive. Alive! Victor tries to keep his electrically-enhanced pet a secret, but soon the cat (or dog) is out of the bag and the whole town is in an uproar. When a gang of monstrous re-animated pets terrorizes the town, it'll be up to Sparky to save the day.

Frankenweenie (animated), directed by Tim Burton, is rated PG. This means all ages are welcome. However, there are some sad and scary parts that might disturb very young children. Stop by. It's an awesome movie. --AJB

Song of the Quarkbeast

With the infamous Dragonslayer incident (mostly) behind her, Jennifer Strange, foundling and acting manager of Kazam Mystical Arts Management finds herself with a new problem in The Song of the Quarkbeast, the sequel to The Last Dragonslayer. 

By order of King Snodd, the Kazam team is pitted against their biggest rival, iMagic (cause everything is more hip with a lower case "i" in front of it) in the biggest wizarding dual in centuries. The winner will win the rights to control all the Ununited Kingdom's magic, which has been growing since the dragon incident. But it's hard for it to be a fair contest when the king's personal wizard The Amazing Blix (who just happens to be the head of iMagic) has several of Kazam's wizards arrested on questionable charges. And that's not including the ones who have been turned to stone by an ancient spell gone wrong. 

Jennifer has only a couple days to find a way to reverse the stoning spell, get her wizards out of jail, and find the Great Zambini. Otherwise the future of magic is doomed. There are those who will stop at nothing to prevent her from succeeding. But the answers are found in the most surprising of places. And not even the Remarkable Kevin Zipp, Kazam's resident psychic, could have predicted how things would turn out. 

Author Jasper Fforde packs just as much awesomeness into The Song of the Quarkbeast as he did with The Last Dragonslayer. Both books combine the humor of Terry Pratchett with the creativity of J.K. Rowling, and are must read!  --AJB 

Monstrous Mystery

Fantastical creatures, a deadly curse, a mysterious haunting, a forbidden romance...all are part of Elizabeth Fama's fantasy thriller, Monstrous Beauty. 

Unlike other girls her age, Hester Goodwin is forbidden to fall in love. Because love (specifically, having a child) has always resulted in death for the women in her family. Fearing the same fate, Hester keeps her distance from all boys...until the stormy night she meets Ezra on the beach. Despite the strange circumstances surrounding their meeting, Hester finds she can's stay away from this odd, yet intriguing boy. Soon, Hester finds herself drawn deep into a mystery that's plagued her coastal town for nearly two centuries. A mystery involving mermaids, hauntings, and revenge from beyond the grave. If Hester unravels this mystery, she just might get to the root of the curse that's plagued the women in her family. 

Despite the popularity of John Green and writers like him, the Paranormal Romance genre is still huge. That is, storied about love between a human and a vampire/werewolf/zombie/ghost/whatever. On the surface Monstrous Beauty sounds like it would fall in with the rest of those books, but it really doesn't so much. True that there is romance and there are mythical creatures, those elements really take a backseat to the mystery of Hester's family curse. But everything works together to create a unique and awesome story. --AJB

Scary Stories

Its October, and that means creepy creatures like Zombies, Vampires, and Werewolves (oh my!) and other things that go boo and bump in the night will be even more the rage than usual. And we at the OPL Teen Department aim to please! All month long, we'll have special displays up featuring books about hauntings, murders, mysteries, suspense, and other things that will keep you awake long into the night, listening to and analyzing every little sound. 

Don't see the sort of book you want? Ask a librarian. We're here to help you find the perfect book for any occasion :)

Simon's Cat and Beyond

Simon's Cat. By now, you've probably all seen the hilarious YouTube cartoons of that cat who is always demanding food of his harried, hapless owner. And if you haven't, you need to check it out right now!

Well, now this internet phenomenon has two new books, both of which you'll find on the graphic novel section of our "New Books" shelf. These are: Simon's Cat Kitten Chaos and Simon's Cat vs. The World. In these hilarious volumes the famous feline has all sorts of adventures, from taunting the local wildlife to tormenting the new kitten. And always, always demanding more food. And don't forget the original Simon's Cat book, which is located on our Graphic Novel shelf. 

Although thick, these books are all text-free and make for quick reads. The simple, yet expressive, artwork is packed with humorous observations about feline life--sometimes realistic, sometimes fantastical. All are sure to have you laughing, whether you're a cat owner, cat appreciator, or just a fan of humor.