Read Beyond Reality for Teen Read Week!

Next week is Teen Read Week and to celebrate Morton Grove Public Library is having a drawing for YOU! All you have to do is fill out a short entry about a science fiction or fantasy book you've read and turn it in to the raffle bucket at the Reference Desk. Then you'll be entered to win a Visa gift card or one of three books! And as long as you turn in at least one entry form, you'll get a candy bar after the drawing!

You can get the form in the Teen Zone or download it here, but remember to turn it in at the Reference Desk. Fill out several forms for different books you've read, and you'll have MORE chances to win! Write about a book you loved, thought was ok, or even hated. When the drawing is over, reviews will be posted here on the blog so we'll all know if we should race to the Library to pick up an awesome book or stay clear of one.

The time to submit entries starts Monday (the 19th) at 9 AM and ends Sunday (the 25th) when the Library closes at 5. Stop by the Library to fill out your entry (or entries!) and check out a book while you're here!

Good luck & happy Teen Read Week!

Gettin' Saucy Cooking Class (10/8)

Last Wednesday we had an awesome turnout for October's Gettin' Saucy Cooking Class! We made pizza to eat, pizza dough to take home, and delicious banana-strawberry smoothies. Here are some pictures of the fun:

If you missed this one, don't worry. The next cooking class is Wednesday, November 18 from 6-7. Go register today!

Banned Books Week

Two weeks ago you probably saw books on display at the library for Banned Books Week. Young Adult books are usually some of the most questioned books across the United States. Common reasons for challenging a book are "offensive language", "unsuited to age group", and "violence." Just because a book may be challenged somewhere, doesn't mean it's bad. Sometimes the challenges raise awareness about a book or subject and teens can discuss it and what they think about it. Other times a book may be questioned by someone who hasn't even read it but thinks it contains material that's not suited for teens - you. Here are some of the most frequently challenged books in the last few years.

• What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
• TTYL by Lauren Myracle
• Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
• The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
• Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
• The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
• Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

It's never too late to celebrate, highlight, and discuss books that are questioned. What do you think? Have you read any of these? What would you say if someone told you that you (and everyone else) shouldn't be allowed to read something?

New Books!

Looking for something new to read? A few books that have already gotten a lot of buzz come out TODAY!

Fire by Kristin Cashore

She is the last of her kind... It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to

unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

This fantasy novel is a considered a prequel to Graceling, but you don't have to have read it to pick up Fire.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

You may have read Scott Westerfeld's other books - Uglies, Pretties, Peeps, etc. - but this is a brand-new sci-fi trilogy. The first book, Leviathan, takes place in an alternate 1914 Europe. Fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.

While these two are processing to get out on the shelves asap, be sure to get your hold on them today. And in the meantime, here's a few other new books out recently that you may have missed...

Pop by Gordon Korman

Lonely after a midsummer move to a new town, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan becomes friends with a retired professional linebacker who is great at training him, but whose childish behavior keeps Marcus in hot water.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Libba Bray was well-known for her Victorian-gothic Gemma Doyle trilogy. Her newest novel, Going Bovine, is nothing like her other books. Cameron Smith, a disaffected sixteen year-old who, after being diagnosed with Creutzfeld Jakob's (aka mad cow) disease, sets off on a road trip with a death-obsessed video gaming dwarf he meets in the hospital in an attempt to find a cure.

These (and A LOT more!) are available at the Teen Zone in the library. Stop by and pick them up today! Have you already read any of these? Let me know what you think!

What did you read this summer?

With sooooo many books to choose from--what did you read this summer? Let us know!
Here's what some YA authors read:

Stephenie Meyers: Dreamhunter and Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Neil Gaiman: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas, and Flight by Sherman Alexie

Upcoming Fall Programs

Here is an early look at the Library's fall programs/events for teens. Register now!

To register:
Online: Go to http://calendar.webrary.org
By phone: Call 847-929-5101
In person: Stop by the Reference or YS Desk

Teen Library Council (TLC)
Tues., Sept. 8, 6 pm
Tues., Oct. 20, 6 pm
Meet new friends, get involved in fun activities,
tell us what you want to see at the library, and earn
volunteer service hours in the process!

Twilight Series Trivia
Sat., Oct. 24, 2 pm
How much do you know about Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series?
Hang out with your friends and play this trivia game at MGPL!
Registration is required.

Gettin’ Saucy Teen Cooking Class
Thurs., Sept. 10, 6 pm
Thurs., Oct. 8, 6 pm
Learn to make and prepare delicious food!
We only have room for 8 chefs, reserve your spot today!
Registration is required.

Dangles and Bangles
Sat., Sept. 19, 1 pm
Sat., Oct. 10, 3 pm
Bring your friends to the Library to make
chainmaille and beaded jewelry! Instructions
and supplies are provided. For grades 7-12.
Registration is required.

PSP Games and Nintendo DS @ MGPL

MGPL has PSP and Nintendo DS games available for checkout!

All PSP games are in the Teen Zone and Nintendo DS games are located in the Youth Services Department.

Don't see the game you want? Go to the Circulation Desk and make a request!