Beloit College Mindset List

This year the list begins,

"For these students, Benny Hill, Sam Kinison, Sam Walton, Bert Parks and Tony Perkins have always been dead.

1. Few in the class know how to write in cursive.

2. Email is just too slow, and they seldom if ever use snail mail."

New in Reference

Three books for RA for teens arrived this week.

Radical Reads 2, by Joni Richards Bodart is dense and seems to be designed to help a librarian or teacher book talk a book, or even lead book club on it, without reading it. But then there's about two pages aimed at students, "Tips for Writing Effective Book Reports." Odd.
Call number = YA REF 028.535 BODART 2010

Genre Talks for Teens, by Lucy Schall covers some of the same ground as Radical Reads, but is a little more useful for making quick display choices or read-alike decisions. Short summaries of some summer reading list books, including Black Duck and The Book Thief.
Call number = REF 028.55 SCHALL

The Ultimate Teen Book Guide, Hahn, Flynn, Reuben, eds. is browseable and has lots of lists which will help with displays. Let's try keeping this at the Info Desk to supplement the Teen Readers' Advisory note book.

Redistricting Maps

Kudos to Lisa and Susie for getting the word out about the school redistricting!

If someone wants to know where to get the map or wants one printed, they are available on the School's Website. The link is near the bottom and directs you to this page: http://www.henrico.k12.va.us/boundaries/redistricting.html

Funny Book Prize

Dahl prize, from the UK.

Young Virginia Reader's Choice List

If anyone asks you about this list, here's the link to the lists for all age groups.

http://www.vsra.org/VRCindex.html

Youth Work Permits

A patron came in this morning and was looking for a work permit for her son. After a lot of searching, I found out that the forms needed are not available in PDF form online but are kept by the high school guidance counselors.

From the Virginia Employment Commission's Website: http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/faq.cfm

Work Permits For Youth

Work permits are required for individuals 14 and 15 years of age. The student should contact their junior or high school's guidance counselor. The guidance counselors have all the information and permission forms that need to be signed by a parent or guardian. For further information concerning this matter, please go to the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s website at: http://www.doli.virginia.gov/

Adult Books for Teens

Court recently wished she had a list for a family of books in the adult section to suggest to teens.

Of course, each one of these readers' advisory conversations is an adventure of its own as you try to figure out if the question is "what can my brilliant 12 year-old read that won't have a whisper of sex?" OR "what will appeal to my jaded 15-year-old?" OR "what's kinda-clean for my high schooler?" Here are some jumping-off points:

Multnomah County Library list.

Overbooked.org has a long list that begins with genre; give the URL to the kid so s/he can explore.

YALSA's Outstanding Books for the College Bound helps readers prepare for college (or suggest to anyone who missed college or missed reading those Everyone Has Read-type books). From my knowledge of some of those titles, don't use this as a tool for someone who needs completely clean titles. NP owns a print version of the list: REF 011.625 MORE. An older edition circulates.

YALSA's Alex Award books are titles marketed to adults that teens may like. Again, not 100% G-rated.

Your best bet for G and PG-rated lists are CHPL's RA bookmarks. For adults, try "Gentle Reads"; for teens there's one called "Books that Don't Make You Blush."

"Teen Spirit in the Library"

Notes from the webcast I listened to a couple of weeks ago. It's posted, here.

Special teen spaces:

• make teens welcome
• increase YA circ
• support healthy youth development (40 Assets): lib as safe "third space" (note that most grown up spaces legally or financially prohibit teens: bars, coffee shops)
• Great teen spaces allow for flexibility: can sit on the floor, sit on own, in groups; modular furniture moves

"Teen 2.0"

• 93% teens online, where they share and create, primarily
  
• multitakers, content on demand
• don't care about Good Design (MySpace is ugly). One library's My Own Cafe site is an example
• Web 2.0 is about experimenting
• Teen book trailers!
• One librarian suggests teen space - physical and online - have a consistent name
• Keep whatever teen site you have FRESH - content should change every couple of day with new books, events, etc. (A simple site that did this doubled visit stats. It needs content, not fancy design.)
• Library teen pages should allow comments, include video and surveys

Gaming and Libraries

• game = a form of play with goals and structure
• games = Monopoly, DDR
• Gaming = an experience (of play, with . . . whatever)
• gaming involves people playing, talking, and/or watching (Guitar Hero draws spectators; Monopoly, not so much)
• attract under-served users
• increase lib's hipness quotient; keep us relevant, etc.
• Outcomes: rep of lib improves; kids come for games, pick up something else; gamers improve social skills
  

Bookmarks

Hot off the press -- and hot out of the minds of the YA committee! -- allow me to introduce new Readers' Advisory bookmarks. Use them when you show kids that "book of your own choice" is on nearly everyone's summer reading list. The new themes are:

• Mysteries
• Vampires
  
• Fairies
• Shivers (horror)
• Asian Indian Americans [lots of input from TW TAB members]
  

Homework: Myth in 150 pages...

Barbara mentioned an assignment to read a myth -- or a novel with mythology-type themes -- that's 150 pages or more. The students are IB program middle schoolers.

The Lightening Thief and its sequels are good choices.
Newly arrived Ever should fit the bill, too.

Subject searches for the following give some more choices:
Mythology Greek -- fiction and
Mythology Norse -- fiction

YA Summer Reading Club

In general, all you need to say to hook people entering grades 6 - 12 in the fall is

"read books this summer, keep an online list, and you are entered into weekly drawings for great prizes like movie passes and even an MP3 player!"

For those who want to know more, here's the list; it's also posted at the Info Desk on the back of the Read & Relax sign.

Monday, July 7 Inexpensive prize to be determined.
Monday, July 14 Dairy Queen Coupon
Monday, July 21 Little Caesar's Pizza Coupon
Monday, July 28 BlockBuster Video - Free Rental Coupon
Monday, August 4 2 Regal Cinema Tickets
Monday, August 11 Amazon Gift Card
Monday, August 18 Target Gift Card
Monday, August 25 GameStop Gift Card

Grand Prize Drawing: Tuesday, September 2 Prize: MP3 Player

Free Comic Book Day!

Puppeteers

Signs are up to recruit YAs who want to put on our puppet shows in August!

I have not set rehearsal days -- we'll work with their schedules.The shows will be August 21 and 23, in the afternoon. We're looking for people about 11-18 and/or entering grades 6 - 12 in the fall.

SF, Fantasy for 8th Grade

Remember we have a CHPL Readers' Advisory bookmark for teens on just this topic in the YA area, as well as lists in the notebook at the ref desk. Be alert for parents who are tentative about witchcraft - wizardry. . . . That's why there are quick blurbs on as many of those lists as possible!