Book of the Day: Club Meds by Katherine Hall Page

When Chuck, Busby Memorial High's school bully forces Jack to turn over his Ritalin, Jack and the other members of Club Meds--those who visit the nurse's office daily for medications--band together to thwart Chuck's future schemes.

Book of the Day: --Or not by Brian Mandabach

Fourteen-year-old Cassie Sullivan refuses to go along with some of the things the majority embraces at her school and is surprised to find how much is made of her actions.

Book of the Day: The Book of Story Beginnings

by Kristin Kladstrup

Oscar Martin was fourteen when he mysteriously disappeared from his Iowa farmhouse home in June 1914. His sister claimed Oscar had rowed out to sea - but how was that possible? There is no ocean in Iowa. When, nearly a century later, Lucy Martin and her parents move from their city apartment to that same farmhouse in Iowa, it is not long before Lucy discovers the strange and dangerous BOOK OF STORY BEGININGS. And it's not long before Oscar reappears in a bizarre turn of events that sends the two distant relatives on a perilous journey to save Lucy's father. This remarkable debut fantasy novel is a thrilling page turner as well as a tribute to the writer's craft.

Book of the Day: Something remains

By Inge Barth-Grozinger

When the Nazi Party takes over the German government, 12-year-old Erich Levi notices that his once vibrant household has turned somber. "His mother hadn't laughed as often as usual, and his father's mischievous face suddenly looked gaunt." Things also change at school. Daily, Erich faces humiliations by cruel teachers and classmates, and Jews are excluded from extracurricular activities, including sports. The most painful development is that people who once spoke openly to his family now look the other way and refuse to do business with them. Erich's best friend, Kurt, joins the Jungvolk (the junior section of Hitler Youth) and no longer acknowledges Erich for fear of the consequences. Erich struggles to understand why Hitler hates Jews ("We're Germans ourselves!" the boy points out). Life continues year after year in the tranquil village of Ellwangen, but just below the surface brews a mixture of anger and hatred, making life for the few Jewish residents intolerable and dangerous. First-time author Bart-Grozinger wrote Erich's story after doing a research project with her students on the Jewish community in Ellwangen during the Nazi regime

Book of the Day: The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney

by Lauren Barnholdt

"Mom says karma always comes around to get you, and I guess it's true. Because last summer I was a total liar, and now, right in the middle of Mr. Pritchard's third-period math class, my whole world is about to come crashing down. "

That's because while Devon was living with her grandmother for the summer, she told her "summer friend," Lexi, that she was really popular back home and dating Jared Bentley, only the most popular guy at school. Harmless lies, right? Wrong. Not when Lexi is standing at the front of Devon's class, having just moved to Devon's town. Uh-oh. Devon knows there's only one way to handle this -- she'll just have to become popular! But how is Devon supposed to accomplish that when she's never even talked to Jared, much less dated him?! And it seems the more Devon tries to keep up her "image," the more things go wrong. Her family thinks she's nuts, her best friend won't speak to her, and, as if it's not all complicated enough, Jared starts crushing on Lexi and Devon starts crushing on Jared's best friend, Luke. It all has Devon wondering -- who is the real Devon Delaney?

Book of the Day: After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend’s lives, the world opens up for them. D comes from a world vastly different from their safe Queens neighborhood, and through her, the girls see another side of life that includes loss, foster families and an amount of freedom that makes the girls envious. Although all of them are crazy about Tupac Shakur’s rap music, D is the one who truly understands the place where he’s coming from, and through knowing D, Tupac’s lyrics become more personal for all of them.

The girls are thirteen when D’s mom swoops in to reclaim D—and as magically as she appeared, she now disappears from their lives. Tupac is gone, too, after another shooting; this time fatal. As the narrator looks back, she sees lives suspended in time, and realizes that even all-too-brief connections can touch deeply.

This book won't be out until January 10, 2008 but it is going to be good! Jacqueline Woodson can't write a book without winning an award and anything involving Tupac has to be awesome!

Book of the Day: The Chicken Dance by Jacques Couvillon

When eleven-year-old Don Schmidt wins a chicken-judging contest in his small town of Horse Island, Louisiana and goes from outcast to instant celebrity, even his neglectful mother occasionally takes notice of him and eventually he discovers some shocking family secrets.

Book of the Day: What They Found: love on 145th Street

Fifteen interrelated stories explore different aspects of love, such as a dying father's determination to help start a family business--a beauty salon--and the relationship of two teens who plan to remain celibate until they marry.

The Pod Cast has arrived!

Well, not the actual podcast itself, but the icon. It is over there--> Just click on it and hear the first episode!
Uh but not yet, because it isn't there yet...but it will be today!

Book of the Day: The Daring Book for Girls by by Miriam Peskowitz

Go ahead-- we dare you!

Book of the Day: The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden

Looking for something dangerous to do?

Book of the Day: Amelia's Book of Notes and Note Passing : a note noteboook by Marissa Moss

Now in sixth grade, Amelia records in her diary all of the problems that arise when a new girl at school seems to be passing nasty notes to Amelia and trying to steal her best friend.


Book of the Day: Cover Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl by John Feinstein

Fledgling fourteen-year-old sports reporters Susan Carol and Stevie investigate suspicious activities at the Super Bowl after Stevie gets fired from his co-anchor job on a ground-breaking teen sports show.

Book of the Day: Before I Die by Jenny Downham

A terminally ill teenaged girl makes and carries out a list of things to do before she dies.

THE PODCAST IS COMING!

Yes! This week! Bethel Park Library Teens Podcast!
Subscribe via iTunes, or the pod page (link not up yet-- but this week, as promised!)

Book and movie reviews!
Ramblings!
Interviews!
Do YOU want to be on podcast?
If so, email Ing @ kalchthaleri@einetwork.net and put PODCAST ME! in the subject line!

Book of the Day: 1,000 reasons never to kiss a boy / Martha Freeman.

After her first boyfriend cheats on her, sixteen-year-old Jane vows to never kiss another boy.

The boyfriend list : (15 guys, 11 shrink appointments, 4 ceramic frogs and me, Ruby Oliver) by E. Lockhart.

A Seattle fifteen-year-old explains some of the reasons for her recent panic attacks, including breaking up with her boyfriend, losing all her girlfriends, tensions between her performance-artist mother and her father, and more.

Book of the Day: What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

Sophie describes her relationships with a series of boys as she searches for Mr. Right.
Follow this up with the sequel, What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know.

Book of the Day: What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

Fourteen-year-old Robin Murphy is so unpopular at high school that his name is slang for "loser," and so when he begins dating the beautiful and popular Sophie her reputation plummets, but he finds acceptance as a student in a drawing class at Harvard. The sequel to What My Mother Doesn't Know.

CONTEST! WIN THIS BOOK OF THE DAY! The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron

A young boy who has no identity nor memory of his past washes ashore on the coast of Wales and finds his true name after a series of fantastic adventures.
We have SEVEN copies of this book! New copies! If you want to have your own of The Lost Years of Merlin simply email Ing at kalchthaleri@einetwork.net and put GIVE ME MY BOOK PLEASE in the subject heading. The first SEVEN folks to do so get their own copy of the book!
Happy Holidays folks!

Book of the Day: Willie the Scrub by James McEwan

Willy and his friends have just started 5th grade and they want to be part of the 'in' crowd, the jocks. The fall football season leaves Willy a benchwarmer, or scrub, but he goes out for wrestling in the winter and things begin to change.

The Podcast

We're starting a podcast! Hooray!

Listen each week a new episode!

Right now we have NOTHING!

But check out the site anyway!

Remember, there's NOTHING to listen to-- yet!

Looking for Holiday Reads?

Last year I posted a holiday-themed book for every day in Decemember up through the 25th.

Scroll down to Blog Archives, pick December (36) from the drop-down menu and there ya go!

Enjoy!

And be sure to look over there --------------------------------->>>>>>>>>
at the Winter/Spring program line-up!

Book of the Day: Who Will Tell My Brother by Marlene Carvell

During his lonely crusade to remove offensive mascots from his high school, a Native American teenager learns more about his heritage, his ancestors, and his place in the world.

Book of the Day: Absolutely, Positively Not...by David LaRochelle

In this hilarioius book, sixteen-year-old Steven tries very hard to fit in at his Minnesota high school by becoming a macho, girl-loving, "Playboy" pinup-displaying heterosexual.

Book of the Day: Donorboy by Brendan Halpin

When Rosalind's two moms are killed in a tragic run-in with a Turducken, she moves in with her donor father, Sean, who has no clue how to raise a teenage daugther.

Book of the Day: To Afghanistan and Back: A Graphic Travelogue

An editorial cartoonist who travel to Afghanistan during the recent American bombing campaign to document its effects on ordinary people shares what he experienced in this graphic journal.

Book of the Day: What's in a Name by Ellen Wittlinger

Each of ten teenagers living in Scrub Harbor, Massachusetts, explores his or her identity at the same time that the local residents consider changing the name of their town.

Book of the Day: The Big Nothing by Adrian Fogelin

A middle-schooler struggles to cope with major family problems, including a brother who might be heading for the Persian Gulf, but finds an escape in piano lessons and the dream of a romance with a popular girl.

Book of the Day: Blood on the river : James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone

Traveling to the New World in 1606 as the page to Captain John Smith, twelve-year-old orphan Samuel Collier settles in the new colony of James Town, where he must quickly learn to distinguish between friend and foe.

Book of the Day: Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught

Jamie is a senior in high school and, like so many kids her age, doing too much --- including trying to change the world --- and fighting for her rights as an overweight girl. And not quietly: she's writing a column every week in the paper with her thoughts, fears and gripes. As her column raises all kinds of questions, she must find her own private way in her world, with love popping up in an unexpected place and satisfaction in her size losing ground to real frustration.

Book of the Day: Breathe My Name by R. A. Nelson

Frances Robinson is in high school now. She lives a quiet, suburban life, far from her horrifying past. When she was a child, her birthmother smothered her three sisters. Through pure luck, Frances survived. Now her mother has just been released from prison and would like to see her.

Book of the Day: A Bridge to the Stars by Henning Mankell

Twelve-year-old Joel lives with his father in the cold northern part of Sweden. At night he often sneaks out of the house to look for a lonely dog he has seen from his window. On the bridge across the icy river he starts a secret society and has adventures. But one night he discovers that his father’s bed is also empty, and so he will have to come to terms with his father’s newfound love.

Book of the Day: The Ever-After Bird by Ann Rinaldi

Now that her father is no longer living, CeCe McGill is left to wonder why he risked his life for the ragged slaves who came to their door in the dead of night. When her uncle, an ornithologist, insists she accompany him to Georgia on an expedition in search of the rare scarlet ibis, CeCe is surprised to learn that there is a second reason for their journey: Along the way, Uncle Alex secretly points slaves north in the direction of the Underground Railroad.

Book of the Day: Finding Daddy by Louise Plummer

Mira Kent is nearing her 16th birthday and wants to know more about her father, whom she doesn't remember. Her mother tells her she has all of his good qualities, but isn't specific. With nothing but a photo of her father, Mira wants more. She writes him imaginary notes:
Daddy, darling, where are you? I need you in my life. Aren't you curious about me? About school? I have a boyfriend named Dylan. Mom says you both made the decision during the divorce that you wouldn't be part of my life. It was easier, she says. It hasn't been easier for me. Look for me, dearest Daddy, and I'll look for you. I'll look until I find you.