Express Yourself Contest Results

On Sunday, June 24 the library held an awards gala for the 2012 Express Yourself Teen Art and Writing Contest. Here are the winners:

Writing Grades 7-9
First Place: Chrys B., Against My Will
Second Place: Lauren Y., Things That Go Bump in the Night
Third Place: Brianna L., A Puppet to his Whim

Writing Grades 10-12
First Place: Carly M., Tales of a Handmade Heart
Second Place: Marie O., Mastema
Third Place: Emily H., Forever Pain

Art Grades 7-9
First Place: Taylor D.
Second Place: Essica R., My Flower Stained Glass Window Design
Third Place: Dorina V., Warmth

Art Grades 10-12
First Place: Alexandra B., Enchantment

Congratulations to the winners, and to all those who submitted their work. All the submissions were fantastic this year, and we’re looking forward to seeing what great work Oshawa teens will come up with for next year’s contest!

Love the Hunger Games?

The library is having a Hunger Games party!

In anticipation of the release of the movie on March 22, come and play trivia games, Bingo with a twist, and other fun activities, all for the chance to win great prizes! Ages 12-18. Free registration at any branch.

The program will take place in the McLaughlin Branch Auditorium on Saturday, March 10 at 2:00pm.

When the Sun Goes Down by Selena Gomez and the Scene

4/5 Stars

Loved Songs: Love You Like a Love Song, Bang Bang Bang, and My Delemia. I would like to check it out again. I think it’s cool that one of the songs is in Spanish. Also I, think that the song “Who Says” meaning is great.
Olivia B.

Want to go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

5/5 Stars

"Want to go Private?” is the story of Abigail Johnston who is just starting high school. She is scared of changes and when her best friend seems to drift away she looks to confide in a stranger, “Luke,” who she happened upon in a teen chat room website. She becomes more and more involved with this guy who she has never met, and all the while her straight As slip and she becomes more distant from those who care for her. Abby notices “Luke” becoming possessive but she thinks it’s because he really loves her. An argument over grades between her and her parents leads to Luke convincing Abby to run away with him for a bit, “just to teach them a lesson”.

This book really opened my eyes to the risks and dangers of online chatroom. Though it is obvious that we shouldn’t talk to strangers or give them any information about ourselves, this book really brings to light what can happen even if we think we know what we’re doing. The book talks of how Abby was smart but because she was feeling a little insecure that made her the perfect target for an online predator. “Luke” had “groomed” her, a term used in the book talking of how he earned her trust and abused it for a period of two months. The book itself is split up into 3 parts. The fist part talked of how Luke really became a part of her life and emotions of both terror and disgust were raging as I read how Abby was being sucked in by this sexual predator online. The content was a bit too graphic in some parts, but I think this was to really make a point of the kind of sick people that are in these “innocent” teen chatrooms.

I finished this book within a day, just because it was so hard to put down. The story line flows well, even as the point of view switches from Abby, to her sister, to her best friend, and to another friends constantly in the last two parts. I would personally recommend this book, but would warn that it contains graphic, mature content.

Morgan D.

Size 12 is not Fat by Meg Cabot

4/5 Stars

Heather works at a residence hall where she is assistant director. Two deaths occur and she tries to uncover the mystery. She puts herself in danger trying to find the killer. The cops believe that the two girls were elevator surfing but Heather does not believe it and eventually finds the real killer.

Melissa M.

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

4.5/5 Stars

This is a book for gamers. In this book it talks about kids and people in poor countries playing video games to win prizes for a person that sells them to people in the rich countries. Some people don’t like it so they try to stop them. Read this book to find out more.
John N.

A Brief History of Montmary by Michelle Cooper

4/5 Stars
A Brief History of Montmarary is a historical fiction novel. It is about an island in 1936 which is affected by the start of World War 2. The Germans came to visit and it all goes wrong. The book is written in the form of a diary, so it has a first person viewpoint. It teaches you about both sides in the war and how the war changed peoples’ lives. All in all it was a very informative book and had exciting moments as well. I would recommend it to a friend.
Kristen H.