Otaku Central: December 4 @ 4:30 p.m.

Otaku Central Anime & Manga Club

Tuesday December 4 @ 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Do you love Anime & Manga? Stop by the library Tuesday December 4 @ 4:30 p.m. for Otaku Central, OPL's Anime & Manga club. Watch anime, cosplay, discuss your favorite series, and meet other fans of the genre.

At this upcoming meeting, we will be showing Summer Wars, a FUNimation film. This movie centers around Kenji, a teenage gamer whose only excitement comes from hanging out in his favorite online community. That all changes when he recruited by a mysterious and beautiful girl to play the role of fake fiance and attend her family reunion. Cryptic emails, rogue AI, and lots of danger and excitement soon follow. Kenji is in for the ride of his life!

Otaku Central is held the First Tuesday of every month (except for elections and holidays). For more information, check out our newsletter or stop by the Teen Desk.

Amber House

Sometimes the past stays buried. And sometimes it comes back to haunt you--quite literally! Although Sarah had heard about Amber House, the sprawling gothic mansion where her mother grew up, she never visited until after her grandmother's death. She is soon drawn into a generations-long mystery involving ghosts, terrifying visions, and a hidden treasure. Can Sarah get to the bottom of the mystery of Amber House before it's too late?

This shivery mystery/ghost story (complete with a touch of romance) is a definite page turner! The first in a planned trilogy, this is perfect reading for when you want to stay in on the upcoming cold winter nights! --AJB

One Ring...

What happened before Frodo and the Fellowship were assigned the task of taking the Ring of Power to Mount Doom? There's a whole complex story to how the Ring even came to the Shire in the first place. And it all begins with Bilbo Baggins and an incredible journey.

The Hobbit movie is scheduled to be released December 14, 2012. And stories of Epic Adventure are sure to become popular over the weeks leading up to the movie. This also means The Hobbit and accompanying Lord of the Rings series might be hard to find on our shelves. But we do have a display featuring similar books. So if you're looking for something to satisfy your taste for epic adventure, stop by the Teen Area and check out our "If You Liked Lord of the Rings, Try..." display. You'll find what you're looking for!

Want some recommendations right now? Try: 
The Naming, by Alison Croggon
Girl of Fire and Thorns, by Rae Carson
The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman
The Alchemist, by Michael Scott

--AJB

Otaku Central Anime Club: This Tuesday!

Otaku Central Anime & Manga Club

Tuesday Nov. 20 @ 4:30-6:30

Do you love Anime and Manga? Stop by the Teen Area this Tuesday (November 20) and check out Otaku Central, OPL's teen-run Anime Club! Watch Anime, Cosplay, discuss your favorite Anime & Manga series, and more! Meet other fans and discover new series. 

Club meets 4:30-6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month (November's date is different due to the election on the first Tuesday). Attendence is FREE! No registration necessary. Questions? Email Alissa @ abach@oxford.lib.mi.us.  

Remember the 80s?

True that many of you who frequent the Teen Area hadn't even been born when hair bands and hairspray had their heyday, but that doesn't mean you won't enjoy Rock of Ages, the musical comedy/drama/love story set in the mid-1980s and staring some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

Small town girl Sherrie comes to Hollywood with a suitcase full of record albums (not on an iPod. Not even CDs) and a head full of dreams. But fame and fortune aren't as easy to come by as she hoped. The closest she gets is waiting tables at one of the hottest rock clubs on the strip. Here, she meets rock star hopeful, Drew, but can their love survive the fame monster, misunderstandings, and the early emergence of boy bands? Featuring music by Journey, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, and other bands who were big in the 80s. If you love Glee, you'll enjoy Rock of Ages! --AJB

Teen Advisory Board This Saturday

Teen Advisory Board!

Attention teens: Do you have a suggestion for a book, movie, or program for the Teen Area? Are you looking for a fun and easy way to earn community service hours? Join OPL's Teen Advisory Board and see how! We meet Saturdays once every other month noon-1 p.m. The next meeting will be this Saturday, November 17.

For more info, stop by the Teen Area or contact Alissa Bach at 248-628-3034.

Take control of your future!

Are you a high school junior or senior?  Are you planning on going to college?  We have a great selection of college planning material.  You can find SAT and ACT Prep guides, resources to help you with that pesky college application essay, and advice on what to do once you step foot on campus.  Not sure if you can afford to go to college?  We also have information on financial aid, scholarships and student loans.  Come to our College Seminar on Thursday, December 6 at 6:30 to hear expert Sheryl Krasnow discuss financial aid and how to apply for grants and scholarships.  Bring your parent - they want to know too!  Register for this program at the teen desk or online.  -KR

Confiding In Strangers

Astrid Jones' life has spiraled out of control: Her mom's agoraphobia is getting worse, her father would rather smoke pot than go to work, her younger sister is making it her life's mission to fit in, and her best friends are forcing her to keep secrets about what they really do on Saturday nights. On top of this, Astrid thinks she might be gay (she's attracted to a female coworker), but she isn't quite sure on that one yet. Naturally she can't talk about any of this to anyone in her narrow-minded, gossip-hungry small town. So she confides in the passengers of planes flying high overhead--and she sends love out to these random strangers. Maybe it'll do someone some good. And maybe, in a round-about way, Astrid will get some of those good vibes back.

Ask the Passengers explores the topics of life, the universe, and everything through the eyes of an unusual, but likable heroine. Part coming-of-age story, part philosophical journey, and part lesson in self-acceptance, this delightful yet deep book will appeal to anyone unsure of who they are or where they're going. Does Astrid ever find answers to the greatest universal questions? No. Not really. But by the end of the story she does have a better idea of who she is and where she's headed. A very memorable read! --AJB

Kiss Me!

Half-human, half-mermaid Princess Waterlily has only a few months to choose a mate. Otherwise she'll lose the throne and her inheritance to her evil cousin.  She's got big plans, though: She'll kiss her longtime crush, Brody, and bond with him for life. Then they'll travel under the sea where they'll live happily ever after. Never mind Brody is fully human and has no idea about Lily's true mermaid identity. Never mind they've barely spoken in the three years they've gone to school together. It'll work out. It has to. But a case of mistaken identity at the school dance bonds Lily with her annoying neighbor, Quince, instead. Oops! The two journey to Lily's undersea kingdom to undo the bonding magic. Along the way, Lily discovers maybe she kissed the right boy after all.

Forgive My Fins may not be terribly deep or introspective. But this light and bubbly romance is definitely fun to read! Perfect for the beach--or curling up on a chilly night with a cup of hot cocoa. And stay tuned afterward for some fun extras, including a recipe for Mermaid Cupcakes, a short story about Quince and Lily's first meeting, and a sneak peek at the sequel!--AJB

Teen Improv Group meets Saturday!

We Cause Scenes

Teen Improv Group

This Saturday @ 1-3 p.m.

Whose Line is it Anyway? Yours! Check out We Cause Scenes, OPL's teen-run improv group. Try your hand at acting, play fun interactive games, and be prepared for the unexpected!

Meets Saturday, November 10, @ 1-3 p.m. in the Community Room. This is a drop-in program, so registration is not required.

Letters to their teen selves

Dear Teen Readers,

Ok, so maybe right now something completely traumatic just happend and your life is, like, totally over. Maybe you discovered your crush (that girl or guy you thought was The One) likes someone else. Maybe you're in danger of failing gym class. Maybe there's stuff going on at home you'd rather not talk about (or even think about). Maybe you're having trouble with a bully (or are a bully). Maybe you're having an identity crisis. Or maybe you did something totally dumb and embarassing and now the news is all over school and all over facebook and now the whole world knows about it and you just want to crawl into a dark corner and die because, of course, you can't face anyone.

Think you're alone in your misery?

Think again. You're not. We've all been there. Many times. Trust me.

Your favorite authors were once teenagers too. And they faced many of the same issues you face on a daily basis. In Dear Teen Me, authors like Ellen Hopkins, Lauren Oliver, Sara Zarr and more pen letters to their teenage selves. These letters cover a variety of topics that are sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartfelt, and sometimes heartbreaking, each one bringing a new, more mature perspective to whatever issue is at hand. Too bad their teenage selves couldn't really read them.

So if you ever wished you could flash forward to adulthood and put the trauma of your teenage life behind you (and, really, who hasn't), this book is for you! 

Best of Luck

OPLTeenReader

Written in the Stars

Set in the late 1500s. When Jepp, a dwarf, is sent to become a member of the Spanish Infanta's royal court, he couldn't have anticipated the daily humiliations that would become his life: Donning silly costumes, leaping out of pies, and performing ridiculous stunts--all for the amusement of her Highness. He also couldn't have expected to fall in love with Lia, another dwarf and fellow performer. When something terrible happens to Lia, Jepp agrees to help her escape--with disastrous results. As punishment for this insubordination, Jepp is sent far away to a very unusual new master. Here, he expects to suffer the same humiliating lifestyle he did in while residing in the castle of the Infanta. But sometimes fate can twist in unexpected ways...

This truly unique book explores the age-old argument of fate vs. free will. Are our lives mapped out for us even before we are born? Do we have the power to shape our own destiny? A mix of both? No matter what you believe, Jepp Who Defied the Stars is not one to be missed. --AJB