Mockingjay Day!

by Maddie

Today, August 24, 2010, is the day Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy, is released into the wild. Did you get a copy or are you one of the 80 holds here at ICPL?  In honor of this glorious day, and also for those of you who are hold numbers 70 and up, here are a few Hunger Games readalikes, some of which we have on display in the teen area, and are also located in the reading lists binder in the teen area.  Enjoy!

The Diary of Pelly D by L.J. Adlington
When Toni V, a construction worker on a futuristic colony, finds the diary of a teenage girl whose life has been turned upside-down by holocaust-like events, he begins to question his own beliefs.

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Set in the near future. After being interrogated for days by the Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco, California, seventeen-year-old Marcus, released into what is now a police state, decides to use his expertise in computer hacking to set things right.

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.

Gone by Michael Grant

In a small town on the coast of California, everyone over the age of fourteen suddenly disappears, setting up a battle between the remaining town residents and the students from a local private school, as well as those who have “The Power” and are able to perform supernatural feats and those who do not.

Timelock by David Klass

Jack discovers that the only way to protect the Earth from ecological disaster at the hands of the Dark Army is to lock time, and he must choose between staying in the present or returning to the future world from which he came.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Just before their sixteenth birthdays, when they will will be transformed into beauties whose only job is to have a great time, Tally’s best friend runs away and Tally must find her and turn her in, or never become pretty at all.

Breaking News! Teen Tech Zone now on Saturdays!

by Maddie

Starting today, Teen Tech Zone will be every Saturday from 1:00-4:00pm in the second floor computer lab, so come on down to the library to beat me up in Naruto, upload some pictures to your Facebook, watch three hours of YouTube videos, or head wherever the tech zone takes you. Teen Tech Zone hours on Thursdays are still 3:00-5:00pm, so you can stop by on  early out Thursdays as well.

How To Make Felted Soap

by Kim

Hey guys,

Maddie, Ellen, Elizabeth, and I made felted soap on Monday night.

So here are some pictures, and the directions!

So gather all your supplies first. This includes wool, a bar of soap, hot and cold water, a sleeve of pantyhose, and bubble wrap.

It’s best to use a sink.
Wrap your soap up in the wool and cover it with pantyhose.

Alternate between cold and hot water for several minutes.
Then take it out, squeeze out the excess water, and rub it against the bubble wrap. This friction causes the wool fibers to shrink around the soap.
Be sure to rub all six sides against the bubble wrap.
You’ll know that you’re done when the wool fibers start to show through the pantyhose.

Our Finished Bars

When you’re done, pull off the pantyhose and smooth the fibers down on the soap.
Let it dry, and then you’re done! :)

YA Fantasy Showdown

by Maddie

I just stumbled upon a kind of crazy website pitting young adult fantasy characters against each other in a showdown, and this week is Hermione from Harry Potter and Katsa from Graceling by Kristin Cashore.  Each battle has a story the site’s authors wrote, and readers are asked to chose the winner by voting via a poll at the end of each story.  Katsa vs. Hermione is part of Round 2, but it looks like you can still vote for or against Percy Jackson, Sabriel, Jace, and others, so head over to YA Fantasy Showdown to cast your vote.  Most of my favs are already out of the running, but maybe your favorite character will take it all!

All Ages Show Tomorrow @ Blue Moose!

by Maddie

Lipstick Homicide at ICPL/UAY Show July 2008

Tomorrow, August 12th, Blue Moose Tap House is hosting an all ages show with doors opening at 5:00 p.m.  I can’t guarantee this will be be a good way to escape the heat, but you will get a whole lot of talent for a small price….$6 in advance and $7 at the door.  Blue Moose is located at 211 Iowa Ave., right up the street from UAY.

Here are the bands, click on the links to head to MySpace and take a listen.

Local Favorites:

And More:

Stream Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack

by Maddie

I love soundtracks.  Sometimes I love them even more than the movie they accompany.  See:   Whip It! and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  So, I am happy to report that the film version of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, which comes out this week, has a soundtrack available for streaming free online and it appears to be awesome. I am headphoneless in Teen Tech Zone, so I can’t really verify this…but if I had to guess a percentage of awesome, I am 96% sure that it will be great.  Find it here, and enjoy!

What is This? (A Silly Bandz Tribute)

by Kim

Silly Bandz…They’re everywhere…
So who wears them? (I do…Haha.)
I just learned, from trusty Wikipedia.com that they’ve been around since 2008!!
Anyway, the reason why I’m writing about these is because Maddie and I are wondering what this is:

Is it a sumo wrestler in midkick??
Let us know in the comments! :)

Try It! Decorate Recycled Jars

by Maddie

Kim and I decided it was time to a crafty post and here it is!  We looked through The Homemade Home by Sania Pell and found recycled jar decorating on page 106-107.  This book used the jars as small candle holders, but we thought they’d make great pencil holders too.

You will need:

  • Jar(s) (we used salsa)
  • Glue
  • Old magazines or scraps of fabric
  • Something to put in your jar
  • Optional:  Buttons, hot glue, wire

Step 1: Gather your jar.  I had a bunch of old salsa jars in my recycling bin, but any glass jar will do just fine.

Step 2: Cut out pictures or shapes from your magazines and fabric scraps.  The discard shelf at ICPL is a great place to find old magazines and books to use for projects.

Kim kept it classy with her magazine cut-outs, while I attempted a magazine/fabric hybrid.

Step 3: Glue time!  Go ahead and glue your cut-outs to the jar.  We used Mod Podge and a brush, but Elmer’s or a gluestick will work just fine. Try to use a thin layer as it can get slightly bubbly with too much glue.

Step 4: Add a small candle, change, pencils, candy, or anything you want to your new, improved jars!  You can also hot glue buttons to the jar as well, or make your jar a button-y necklace with wire.

There are tons of great craft books at ICPL, so if you are looking for a cure for the back-to-school blues, stop by the library and get craftin’!

New Rec Center Opens Monday

by Maddie

The University of Iowa’s Recreational and Wellness Center opens on Monday and will be free for anyone for a two week period (til August 16th), so head down there to do a any of the following:

  • Climb a 52 ft. climbing wall
  • Swim in the lazy river
  • Take an exercise class
  • Play regular style OR water(!?) basketball/volleyball

The hours until August 22nd are 6:00am-10:30pm Monday-Friday and 8:00am-10:30pm Saturday/Sunday, and it is located  at the southwest corner of Burlington and Madison streets, near the University of Iowa Main Library.

Zombies vs. Unicorns!

by Maddie

Yesssss!  An anthology combining one of my favorite creatures with one of my least favorite creatures.  This soon to be released book of crazy features short stories from Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Scott Westerfeld, Garth Nix and MORE!  I guess half the stories are Team Unicorn and half are Team Zombie.  On the publisher’s website, it looks like unicorns are slightly ahead in the polls, but what I really want to know is:

  1. Would you read this?
  2. Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?
  3. What influenced your decision? :)

My answers after the jump!

UPDATE: Zombies vs. Unicorns is ready for your holds!

Read more…

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