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.

TAB Meeting!

Just a reminder that there will be a Teen Advisory Board meeting this Sunday, November 20, at 2pm in the McLaughlin Branch Children's Department. New and returning members are welcome to attend!

Write Across Ontario

From November 1 to February 1, 2012 you can participate in a creative writing contest for high school students in Ontario! Three young adult authors have provided story-starters. Using one of these story-starters, you can continue the tale however you see fit. One story from each grade (9-12) will be chosen as the winner, with first prize participants getting their work published online in the Open Book Magazine, as well as $500!

For full contest details, visit http://www.litontour.com/get-involved/write-across-ontario, and feel free to check out the story-starters below!

#1 Written by: Miriam Toews
My parents split up three months ago, in the fall, but they said the three of us would still go to this Mexican resort for Christmas because we already had the tickets and all that. By the time Christmas rolled around my mom said no way, she’d changed her mind and my dad said okay, it’ll just be me and him going to Mexico. Then, on the day we were supposed to leave, my dad wasn’t at his place and I couldn’t reach him on his phone and I said to myself thanks guys, you’ve really pulled out all the stops this year, and I went anyway. I mean I went into my dad’s spare room and took his “rainy day” money and my ticket and all the hotel information and I called a cab to take me to the airport.

#2 Written by: Ian Rankin
He was out there again. Except maybe ‘he’ was a ‘she’ – it was hard to tell in the dark. Three nights in row, I’d looked down on to the street from my bedroom window and watched the shape standing there, almost hidden behind the tree that refused to die. I got the feeling whoever they were, they were only a year or two older than me… The first night I’d just stared for a while and then got bored. The second, I’d opened the window to shout something, but there’d been nothing there to shout at. Tonight, I was going to scramble downstairs and throw open the door. Really I was. Really.

#3 Written by Johanna Skibsrud
I don’t know which one of us saw it first. Suddenly—just—there it was. Glinting a little in the sunlight, half-hidden in the tall grass. A key. The old-fashioned kind. Parts of it rusted so badly it looked as though, if we picked it up, it might crumble away in our hands. How long had it sat out there, like that, I wondered. Rusting in the overgrown grasses at the edge of Mrs. Ellis’s front-yard. Ten years? A hundred? How many times had we just walked on by? More to the point, though—what was different about this time? Why had we both, all of a sudden, paused—our eyes drawn to the same, almost invisible fleck of light, just barely glinting on the lawn? At first, when Ben knelt to pick it up, I wanted to put out my hand to stop him. But then I didn’t. And he picked it up. And held it. It looked surprisingly heavy in his hands. He turned it in slow circles, so we could get a look at it from all sides, and when he did so all but the most rusted bits—even in the diminishing sunlight—seemed to glow. I am not sure how, but in that moment I knew: nothing, after that, was going to be the same.

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Dash and Lily’s book of dares was an excellent book. It is about a girl, Lily, who leaves a book of dares in a bookstore and Dash finds it. They pass it back and forth and leaves new dares for each other to do. They get to know each other better along the way and become friends. I think it was a good book because it had an unusual and unique storyline. Each chapter was told from either Dash of Lily’s perspective so it was easy to understand both characters and their viewpoints. I would definitely recommend this to a friend as it was an awesome book.
Kristen H.

So You Want to Write Songs?

Are you an aspiring songwriter?
Why not check out this program on November 2 @ 6:30pm in the McLaughlin Branch Auditorium? Ron Beer's group will be performing live and presenting valuable information on their concerts, courses and meetings. A sneakpeak into the local music industry that should not be missed. For teens and adults, with free registration at any branch.

White Pine 2012 Nominees!

Here are the 2012 White Pine Fiction nominees...

Fiction

Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

Lucy lives in a world where the elements and a pandemic have destroyed 99% of the population. When a stranger helps her out, Lucy decides to join his community. But her safety is soon threatened when strange people come after her for mysterious reasons.

Beat the Band by Don Calame

Cooper is determined to get the girl of his dreams by winning the Battle of the Bands along with his two best friends. The only problem is that they are completely untalented.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

When Saba's brother is kidnapped, she sets out on a dangerous journey through a post-apocalyptic world to try and get him back, and faces kidnappers, cage fighters, and hellwurms along the way.

Chance to Dance for You by Gail Sobat

Ian, an openly gay student in a suburb where nothing ever changes, is just biding his time until he can leave town. Until he falls in love with the school quarterback.

Death Benefits by Sarah Harvey

Royce is forced to look after his 95-year grandfather, Arthur, after he has a stroke. At first Royce resents the job, but as he gets to know his grandfather - once a celebrated cellist - he realizes that his grandfather's life still has meaning. Even if Arthur wants it to end.

The Fifth Rule by Don Aker

Thanks to his mentor Frank, Reef has totally turned his life around. When he recieves word that Frank has died, Reef returns home to pay his respects. But the trip brings up painful memories, and leads to a reunion with a girl Reef wronged years ago.

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

Maya leads a sheltered life in her small, medical research town in BC. But after her best friend mysteriously drowns, and a badboy shows up in town who's very interested in Maya's paw print birthmark, she begins to question what's really going on.

Motorcycles and Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor

13 year-old Virgil wants his mother's new boyfriend, John, out of her life. So, along with his reclusive uncle, he plots to do just that - but finds driving John away to be tougher than expected.

Something Wicked by Lesley Anne Cowan

16 year-old Melissa is still reeling from her brother's death four years ago when her 28 year-old boyfriend leaves her with no explanation and sends her life into a tailspin.

The Way It Is by Donalda Reid

Set in a small town in the British Columbia interior in the 1960s, the story follows Ellen Manery, an academically gifted and self-isolated fifteen year-old who meets Tony Paul, an eighteen year-old who lives on the reserve, and their friendship that might blossom into love.

And don't forget to check out the non-fiction titles too!

Non-Fiction

The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha

Call Me Russell by Russell Peters

Canada's Wars: An Illustrated History by Jonathan Webb & J.L. Granatstein

Hockey Now! by Mike Leonetti

I.D.: Stuff That Happens to Define Us by Kate Scowen & Peter Mitchell

Kick the Fossil Fuel Habit by Tom Rand & Dave Clark

Nice Recovery by Susan Juby

Stick to Your Vision by Wes "Maestro" Williams

Two Generals by Scott Chantler

Will to Live by Les Stroud

Oshawa Youth Council

Looking for a way to get more involved? Check out what some ambitious teens have been up to HERE.

Teen Advisory Board Upcoming Meetings!

Here are some Teen Advisory Board Upcoming Meetings:

Sunday, October 16 @ 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Friday, October 28 @ 3:00 Pm - 4:45 PM
Saturday, October 29 @ 9:00 Am - 5:00 PM (Haunted House All Day)
Sunday, October 30: If we didn't clean up the day before, this is a clean-up day.

The Winner Is In!

Congratulations to Chloe who submitted the winning entry in the 2011 OPL Teen YouTube Contest! Check out Chloe’s Library Rap:

Journey to the Center of the Earth

3/5 Stars
Journey to the Center of the Earth is about three people and their names are Trevor Anderson, his nephew Sean and the guide person is Hannah. All three of them were looking for a passage to go to the center. All of them had an adventures but once they made it and they were exploring they realized that it was getting very hot so they built a raft to go across the water. When they were in the middle of the ocean they saw small fish with big sharp teeth and all of them were biting the fish but at the same time the wind was starting to pick up. They saw a huge fish eating a small fish and then a gust of wind blew the sail and the rope got untied and Sean got the rope but the wind was strong and it took Sean away.
Daniel M.

Stick It

4.5/5 Stars
Movie is amazing; at first starts off slow and you don’t expect anything like it. Some language used in the movie is not for young kids, but the story line is great. It shows that not everything is as it seems. The actors in the movie made their start here and then went on to other, more recent, more world known movies and/or TV series. The actress who plays Haley is now a main character in Rookie Blue and one her best friends in the movie is now playing Emmett Cullen from the Twilight series. Overall, a great laugh and amazing movie, no matter the language.
Alexandrya S.

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

3/5 Stars
Hayden O’Malley is an aspiring snowboarder. After ending a relationship with Nick, she claims they are “just friends”. After winning a local boarding competition, Nick is not impressed. So, the two challenge each other to their own competition. Quickly the girls are on Hayden’s side and the boys are on Nick’s. The two end up sparking old flames.
Catherine D.

Thirst by Christopher Pike

4/5 Stars
Thirst is an addictive story of an unwilling vampire, changed against her will. She is thirsty for blood, but not blood-thirsty. Sita survives by feeding, but not killing, with many fake identities. She remains undiscovered. That is, until her creator starts looking for her. He can only rest in peace if he destroys all vampires. Read the book to find out how it ends!
Heidi Y.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV by Jack Canfield

5/5 Stars
Sarah Stickler talks about a guy named Brandon who she has a crush on. Little by little they started talking then became friends, but Sarah wants to be more than friends. They ended up being what people called the “perfect couple”. 3 months turned into a year, then turned into a year and a half, but in the end Sarah realizes that it doesn’t work out and that she regrets letting him go and that he will “never be forgotten”.
Selena M.