Book Review by a MCPLD Teen!

The Overlook
by Michael Connelly

There was a dead body found on the overlook above Mulholland dam in Los Angeles. The name of the guy was Stanley Kent. He was shot twice at around 8 p.m. Nobody in the houses near the overlook heard the shots because there was a homemade silencer on the .22 caliber gun.

The FBI and Homeland Security were involved in the investigation of this horrible crime. They believed that terrorists were involved because Stanley Kent worked with radioactive materials that in the wrong hands could be used to make an improved explosive device (a bomb).

The killers wanted celsium. Celsium is a mixture of uranium and plutonium and it's used in hospitals to kill cancer cells (it gives off gamma rays).

The killers e-mailed Stanley Kent from Kent's computer at their house. The e-mail said that if he didn't get them all of the celsium, then they were going to hurt his wife. Mr. Kent received the e-mail on his Blackberry phone and, of course, rushed to get the celsium. In the hospital, there's a form that people taking the stuff have to fill out. On the form, he put that he took 1 tube of celsium, but he really took all 32 tubes.

He gave them the celsium, but they still ended up killing him.

In the end, you find out the truth of who really was involved in it and that it had nothing to do with terrorism, it was just made to look that way.

Review by Angelica O. (age 17)

Thank you Angelica for writing and submitting this review! It is great to see teens reading adult fiction.
Shanna
~Teen Librarian

Skype service at library to give access to author | GJSentinel.com

Check this out...
Skype service at library to give access to author | GJSentinel.com

Thank you Jo Knowles and the Mesa County Teens who attended this Skype session. I feel this program was a great success. Teens were able to connect with the author in a conversation format for about an hour, and every teen who attended asked at least one question (very awesome). At the end of the interview, attendees were treated to a piece of flourless chocolate cake, which is the author's favorite recipe. I hope to have more sessions like this in the future. If you would like to nominate an author for a future Skype session, post a comment!

Possible authors are located on this page...http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/

Shanna
~Teen Librarian

Just a Reminder!!!

This Wednesday, July 21st at 3pm is the Skype interview with Jo Knowles, author of Lessons from a Dead Girl and Jumping Off Swings (both of these books are AMAZING). Come chat with Jo and discuss her books via Skype. Don't be afraid to attend if you haven't read her books yet because I will have them available for checkout after the session.
You will definitely want to attend this program. Not only will you have an opportunity to speak with an author, but I also have prizes (see previous blog) to give away and a special treat!

Additionally, this Friday, July 23rd is teen gaming in the programming room. We have two new games to play, Trauma Team and Rockband: Green Day. Take advantage of this time to practice your Rockband skills for the Tournament on August 13th.
Checkout a trailer for the Trauma Team game below...



Shanna
~Teen Librarian

Book Reviews...

The Beautiful Between
by Alyssa Sheinmel
I absolutely loved this book. I sort of expected something romantic and fluffy, but instead it surprised me by being really sweet and heartfelt (not that I dislike the fluffy stuff). The main character, Connelly, is quiet and keeps to herself for the most part. Until one day, Jeremy, the most popular boy at school approaches her. They strike up an unlikely friendship for reasons unknown to Connelly. Be forwarned, this is not a retelling of She's All That (girl transformation story), it is about two teens coming to terms with similar tragedies in their lives. Sorry if I am being cryptic, but I don't want to give too much away. Just check this book out!

Pretty Little Liars
by Sara Shepard

I thought it might be an opportune moment to review Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard, since the latest in this series, Wanted, hit the shelf last month and a new show based on the series started this summer. This book series reminds me a little of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, except meaner and with murder. The story focuses on five childhood friends: Emily, Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Ali. They have not spoken to each other for a whole year, and their lives have all gone in different directions. On the one year anniversary of Ali's disappearance and the death of their friendships, the teens start receiving text messages from Ali. The messages are not nice and slightly cryptic. The girls all begin to question what happened the year that Ali left, and will Ali keep all of their secrets safe? You must read this series to find out what happened to Ali and what sorts of secrets young teen girls would possess. A word of caution...the first episode of the tv show depicted the entire first book, so don't watch if you are wanting to read the book series first. Check out the trailer for the tv series below...



Shanna
~Teen Librarian

Hello Everyone...I have returned!

From where? Well, I was lucky enough to attend the American Library Association Conference last week in our capital city. While some of the library details might bore you, I wanted to share that I was fortunate enough to get a few teen books signed. These books will be raffled off at the Skype author visit with Jo Knowles, which is takes place on Wednesday, July 21st at 3pm in the Central Library.

The books are:
Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles (it's a pre-published copy!)
Still Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley
Grace by Elizabeth Scott (author of Living Dead Girl, and it's pre-pub)
Scars by C.A. Rainfield






And just because I think it is totally awesome, below is a picture of me and John Grisham. He just released his first tween/teen novel called Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer.















Shanna
~Teen Librarian