Fletcher Teens

Money and Fame Galore!

2012-01-04T11:17:00.004-05:00

Hey trusty Blog peruse-ers!

I have a cool opportunity for teens ages 13-18 to be a part of! How many of you have taken part in the Summer Reading Program? Welllllll, the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP for short) is hosting a competition for young people to make videos for the Summer Reading Program.

How fun would it be to enter the contest by making a video?? You could make one with your friends, by yourself, or you could join the Teen Advisory Board and we all could make one as a group! Maybe you could be the winning video from Vermont!

The video has to be awesome! Use the theme, "Own the Night." Be educational/promoting reading and using the library!

Think about doing it! I dare you to!

Here's the link for the contest:
http://libraries.vermont.gov/libraries/srp/childrenteen/teenvideocontest#Video_Criteria

Happenings!

2011-12-22T13:00:00.003-05:00

Now that the holiday break is coming up and you don't have anything to do because school is out, COME TO THE LIBRARY!

Here's some fun things that are happening during break......

Wednesday, Dec 28- come to the Middle School Book Group! Maybe we'll read aloud some picture book stories.

Thursday, Dec 29- Build LEGO CREATIONS! 10:30-11:30am, use Legos to build extravagant buildings or help younger kids create creative creations!
- Visit the library to play computer games online! 3:30-4:45pm! You know you're gonna wanna come and talk about all your Christmas and Hannukah presents!

Don't forget that the library is closed Dec 25-26 and January 1-2! So check out all your books, dvds, cds, graphic novels, and etc before then! I'm sure you'll want to keep plenty busy over break!

The Fletcher Free Library now has a TWITTER! Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/FletcherFree

BOOK REVIEW!

2011-12-12T17:25:00.002-05:00

The newest book craze to hit the shelves of every library and bookstore in the US is the series by Suzanne collins, "The Hunger Games." With the sequel, "Catching Fire," and the one after that, "Mockingjay."

Here's a really basic synopsis:
Katniss Everdeen is the main character. She lives in a world where the government runs and owns everything. There are 13 districts in the country, Panem. Most of these districts are in poverty, except the Capitol. Each family is required to get food from the government in hard times. In return, the family has to put in a name of a person who is entered into The Hunger Games. The people whose names are selected are known as tributes. They basically have to fight to the death to become the victor and survive. Katniss' sister, Prim is chosen as a tribute, but Katniss volunteers to go in Prim's stead. It's her story of surviving and starting a revolution in the country.

I thought the books were exciting! I had heard a number of good things about them, and they didn't disappoint! I would say that the hype surrounding the books made me more critical, so I judged them more. I was pleased with the action and the romance surrounding a couple of the characters. Some people have said the books are too violent, but Suzanne Collins didn't go overboard in my opinion. The books are meant for Young Adult readers, but adults like myself would find them entertaining and engaging. I would definitely give them 4 out of 5 stars. The second book in the series was my favorite because it detailed what happened after The Hunger Games, and the 3rd book had many twists and turns!

Pick up a copy of the books at the library! Tell me what you think!

December isn't just for Santa...

2011-11-30T13:24:00.003-05:00

December is for getting involved at the library!

It's not an official month, but I think it should be. In December the library has some NEW programs starting for the year:

Computer Gamezzzzzz
Thursdays in December (the 8, 15, 22, 29)
In the Pickering room (upstairs across from the Teen Room)
3:30-5pm
Come play your favorite Flash games or hop online!

Teen Advisory Board (TAB)
Tuesday the 6th and Tuesday the 20th
3:30-4:30pm in the Teen Room
Come be a part of the process and help decide which direction the library will go in!

BOOOOK Club
Wednesdays in December (7, 14, 21, 28)
3:30-4:30pm
We're gonna read some awesome books! Come with suggestions.

Hunt Middle School Book Cluuub!
Every Friday in December (2, 9, 16)
3:15-4:15 in the Hunt Middle School library
Meet us at Hunt and we'll talk about books book books!

Is there anything else you think the library should do or have? Please come put suggestions in the suggestion box on my desk (in the Teen Room)! Or you can call the Youth Desk! Or you can make a paper airplane and send it my way!

Now here's a picture of tons of Christmas gifts for you to look at:

Question: How do you and your family celebrate the Holiday season?

books Books BOOKS!

2011-11-08T16:18:00.008-05:00

As promised in the last blog entry, here is a list of books that the library has that I think you should check out!

Green Mountain Book Award Winner for 2011
Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Green Mountain Book List
Skim by Mariko Tamaki
Refresh Refresh by Danica Novgorodoff

Print Award Winners
Monster by Walter D Myers
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Tales of the Madmad Underground by John Barnes

Fiction
Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Non-Fiction
Poetry Speaks Who I am by Elise Paschen and Dominique Raccah
Queer: The Ultimate LGBT Guide for Teens by Kathy Belge
Ask Elizabeth by Elizabeth Berkley

Graffic Novels
The Zabime Sisters by Aristophane
Waltz With Bashir by Ari Folman and Ron Ben-Yishai

Those are some suggestions of books! Let me know if you like them or books that you would recommend!

Until next time,
Tess

Next blog post: A Big Fat Questionnaire

Teen Advisory Board, That's What's Up!

2011-11-07T13:09:00.002-05:00

Hello all!

Have you ever heard of TAB? No, I don't mean the soft drink: the Teen Advisory Board for the Fletcher Free Library! What is it you ask?

The Teen Advisory Board, TAB for short, is a way for the library to get feedback on what types of programs and things that the library offers. Basically, it's to see what you want to get out of the library. The library wants to cater to your needs and see if you have any ideas on how to make it fun for you to come.

I need some volunteers. I'm looking for a team of creative teenagers with the dedication to making the library a more progressive place. If you can dedicate an hour a week and meet at the library to discuss changes, come join us! If you decide to join, I hope that you can commit to meeting every week. I'm going to be looking for some teens to serve on the "Board" of TAB. Meaning as the President and Vice President. If you think you would be a good fit, come see me at the Teen Desk up in the Teen Room.

Tentatively the meetings will be scheduled for Monday at 3:45pm - 4:45pm. More details on that to come.

The next blog will be: A collection of cool books in the Teen Room.

Hey You! Yeah, You!

2011-11-02T16:13:00.003-04:00

Hey There!

I'm Tess; the new Americorps member here at the library! I am the new Teen Literacy Coordinator here at Fletcher Free. That means, I love to get teens reading and motivated to learn. I know, that's pretty cool.

I need your help with a few things! You ready?

I'm starting some book groups and I would love to know:

what days would work best for you teens and your friends?

If you're interested, what time would be best to meet for you?
What types of books do you want to read?
Would you be interested in computer gaming days?

Come find me at the Teen desk up in the Teen Room at Fletcher Free! Or talk to the Youth Librarian, Rebecca, about some of your ideas! We'd LOVE to know. And you never know, you may get some free candy in the process.... ;D

Looking forward to meeting you!

For the next blog post: Want to be part of the Teen Advisory Board at the library?

Are you interested in a comic writing workshop?

2010-12-07T10:57:00.001-05:00

Please email Will Sedlack at wsedlack@ci.burlington.vt.us to help him gauge interest in a comic/manga workshop.

January Programs

2010-12-07T10:53:00.002-05:00

Please not: the library will be closed on Monday, January 17th in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

For more information on any of these programs contact our Teen Librarian, Will, at wsedlack@ci.burlington.vt.us

Teen Advisory Board
Monday January 3rd, 10th, and 24th
4-5 pm
Open to all Middle and High School Students.
Come be a part of the process! Help decide what goes into the Teen Collection, and what activities the library will have for teens. This could count toward your community service graduation requirement and it looks great on a resume. Bring friends!

Open Computer Time/Board Games
All Tuesdays and Thursday in January
3-4:30 pm
Play your favorite flash games on the library's laptops, or just check in online under the supervision of the Teen Librarian. We will also be playing Settlers of Catan and other board games.

Middle School Book Group
All Wednesdays in January
4-5 pm
Join other middle schoolers in discussing good books.

High School Book Group
All Wednesdays in January
5-6 pm
Join other high schoolers in discussing plays, graphic novels, novels, and short stories.

Richard Sala's Delphine

2010-11-29T12:02:00.002-05:00

If you are a graphic novel fan, or just a fan of good kind of spooky books. Check out Richard Sala's Delphine series. Come stop by the Young Adult Graphic Novel section and pick up a copy today.

Recommended for: 8th grade and up

December and January

2010-11-29T11:54:00.002-05:00

Our book groups are continuing and gaining speed.

If you are a high schooler, please stop by Wednesdays at 5pm. We are finishing Stranger in the Kingdom by Howard Frank Mosher and will be starting Junot Diaz's drown soon.

As for the middle schoolers, we have read some great books! Our next book will be the Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron and we meet every Wednesday at 4 pm.

Stay tuned for more information about lunch time book groups at Edmunds and Hunt Middle School. The tentative plan is to do a full length discussion of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Game Series.

If you have any questions, email me at wsedlack@ci.burlington.vt.us

Hope to see you at the Library!
-Will

Write a Novel

2010-10-06T12:08:00.003-04:00

That's right! You read correctly. Come join Will and a group of intrepid writers at the Fletcher Free Library as we celebrate NaNoWriMo (National Write a Novel Month) by...writing a novel!

We will meet every Monday in November from 5-6 and workshop, support each other, and share what we have created.

The first meeting is November 1st at 5pm.

For more information about NaNoWriMo, stop by their website at http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Will is taking the Fletcher Free Library on the road

2010-10-06T12:05:00.003-04:00

The Fletcher Free Library (by way of Will, our new Teen Coordinator) is taking reading on the road.

Starting this month you can find the Fletcher Free Library at:

EDMUNDS MIDDLE SCHOOL:
-Will and Rebecca will be at BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT. So stop on by and talk books and programs October 7th.

BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL
-Come stop by during the Wednesday open period and talk books with Will. Location is still being decided on by Burlington High School. This program starts once testing ends.

-Library card sign up. Don't have a library card? Why not? That can change quickly on Oct. 26th, 27th, and 28th during lunch at BHS. Look for Will dressed up as: Tigger, a yet to be decided character from Harry Potter, and a mystery character. There will be prizes!

HUNT MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY:
-Come talk books and graphic novels with Will Sedlack of the Fletcher Free Library. Every Friday, Will will come to Hunt Middle School to talk about your favorite comics, books, short stories, movies, and graphic novels. This is a great way to find out about new books to read. Fridays from 3-4. Oct. 29th-December 17th.

If you haven't met Will yet, stop by these events or stop by the Fletcher Free Library's Paul Post Teen Room from 10am-5pm and talk books, movies, music and more.

This month (for Teens) at the Fletcher Free Library

2010-10-06T11:53:00.002-04:00

TEEN ADVISORY BOARD?
-Are you a Teenager in Burlington? Do you want to see better programs, books, and movies at the Fletcher Free Library? Do you need that extra line on your resume? Become a member of the Fletcher Free Library's Teen Advisory Board and make decisions. Our next meeting is Oct. 18th from 4-5. Please e-mail TAB advisory Will Sedlack at wsedlack@ci.burlington.vt.us for information. Candy is provided.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOK GROUP:
-Are you in Middle School? Do you like to read? Good, so do we. Come every Wednesday from 4-5 at the Fletcher Free Library and talk books with Teen Coordinator Will Sedlack. Our first books to discuss are Gary Soto's Baseball in April and Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Candy is provided.

HIGH SCHOOL BOOK GROUP:
-Come join a group of smart, well-read High Schoolers as we read and discuss great books. Past books have included: American Born Chinese by Gene Yang, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, I-Robot, The Iliad, Much Ado about Nothing, Things Fall Apart and many more. Upcoming books include short stories by Junot Diaz and a story about the Northeast Kingdom by Howard Frank Mosher. Candy is provided.

If you have an idea for a program, please join the Teen Advisory Board or contact Teen Coordinator Will Sedlack at wsedlack@ci.burlington.vt.us

TAB (Teen Advisory Board)

2010-09-18T16:13:00.002-04:00

Mondays, October 18 & 25, 4:00-5:00 p.m. High Schoolers: be a part of the process! Help decide what goes into the Young Adult (Teen) collection, and what activities we will have for teens. this could count toward your community service graduation requirement. For more information, call the Youth desk: 865-7216

September Teen Programs!

2010-08-26T17:06:00.003-04:00

TEEN BOOK GROUP: Wednesdays at 5:30 in the Fletcher Room. Join us for fun book discussions and great new reads.

TEEN ADVISORY BOARD: Monday September 27th 4-5pm. Be a leader in your library. Earn community service, share your thoughts and plan programs with the Teen Advisory Board.

TEEN COMPUTER CENTER AND GAMING: Thursdays 3-4:30 in the Fletcher Room and Tuesday September 7th and 28th 3-4:30 in the Fletcher Room. Join us afterschool for laptop gaming. Don't miss this chance for teens to have their own computer space in the library.

The Lost Conspiracy

2010-07-21T13:18:00.002-04:00

The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge

The setting is a tropical island (very much like Hawaii) with beaches, rocky shores, sleeping volcanoes and straight-laced colonists who impose their alien values onto the native inhabitants.

There are several different tribes of native people on this island, among them the Lace people, so-called because of the labyrinthine coastal cliffs full of caves and crevasses where they live. The colonists and the other native tribes all distrust the Lace, they smile and smile, and no one knows what they are thinking.

In this world, however, there is the phenomenon of the Lost, certain individuals born whose spirits have only a tenuous connection with their bodies. They are able to travel the winds, far and wide, remembering and reporting later all that they have seen and heard.

The Lost Council sends out Lost inspectors to find these children and bring them to the Council for training. They then become valuable messengers and information gatherers for the whole island.

What happens when a Lost child is found among the Lace? And when an Inspector sent to test her is murdered?

Read this enthralling book and find out!

Review by Christine Demarais, Youth Services

Creative Tuesdays

2010-06-13T15:07:00.004-04:00

Join artist-in-residence Frank Gonzalez and "sorcerer's apprentice"
Liz Crawford and use your imagination to be creative with recycled materials. Every Tuesday in June, July and August, 3:00-5:00 p.m. Free. All ages, under 10 with an adult. No preregistration needed.

Make a SPLASH, WRITE!

2010-06-13T15:03:00.002-04:00

Wednesdays, July 7, 14, 21 & 28 and August 4. 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Do you love to write or want to give it a try? Explore the world of writing poetry and short story fiction in a six-week informal atmosphere. Free. Ages 10 & up. Teens welcome! Please preregister: 865-7216.

Summer Reading is not just for little kids!

2010-06-04T16:48:00.003-04:00

Hey Teens, our Summer Reading Program,"Make a Splash, READ!" needs High School age volunteers to help sign kids up and stamp their reading logs. Get your Community Service hours in early! Contact the Youth Desk: 865-7216 if you're interested. Also, check out our Summer Reading Program brochure, for some fun programs that are open to teens!

The Classics

2010-05-20T21:11:00.002-04:00

Lately Ive been reading a translation by a man named Robert Fagles. I know when it comes to books focused on greek and Roman mythology many teens are stumped, but not all translations are stale and awkward. If the stories interest you and youre not sure who to read I would recommend Fagles. Previous to reading him my translator of choice was Fitzgerald but Fagles really captures a spark in his translations! To name a few he has translated The Odyssey, The Illiad, and The Aenead. So if you wish your imagination was swept up in the writing of the past but it just never seemed quite right, maybe check him out, the library has plenty of his translations.

for history lovers w/ a sense of humor

2010-04-28T19:21:00.003-04:00

For anyone who enjoys history but finds the text book accounts too dry, I would recommend Sarah Vowel. Some of her books are: Assasination Vacation (its about the assasinations of U.S. presidents through history, very good, very funny), and The Wordy Shipmates (about the people who settled in America). I have read both of them and they share her sharp wit and keen eye for our past. She presents an interesting view of history while giving us a piece of herself with it. I would reccomend her to anyone curious!

May 2010 Teen Programs

2010-04-24T10:30:00.003-04:00

TAB (Teen Advisory Board) Meetings, Mondays, May 3rd & 17th, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Calling all High School Students! Do you like kids and Books? Are you interested in volunteering a few hours a week at the Library over the summer? We'd love your help as reading mentors to K-8th grade Summer Reading Program participants. It's a fun and easy way to earn community service credit for the following school year! Please attend one of the May TAB meetings to sign up to help, OR call and leave a message for Kaelyn: 865-7216 or send her an email: kmurray@ci.burlington.vt.us.

Teens Read! wednesdays, May 5th, 12th & 19th, 5:00-5:45 p.m. Participate in a book group for Middle & High School students and get started reading! Free. Students in 6th grade & up welcome. Please call the Youth desk for more information or to preregister: 865-7216.

After School Video Gaming for Middle Schoolers. Tuesdays and Thursdays May 4th through 27th, 3:30-5:00 p.m. Join other teens after school and play a variety of Wii and PS2 games. Free. Middle School students welcome. No preregistration needed.

Teen Movie Night! Saturday, May 22nd, 2:00-5:00 p.m. Join us for movies and snacks! Movie options are: The Cat Returns, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away. Free. Middle & High School Students welcome! No preregistration needed.

April Teen Programs

2010-03-26T14:17:00.002-04:00

Teens Read! Wednesdays, April 7th, 14th 21st & 28th, 5:00-5:45 p.m. Participate in a book group for Middle Schoolers and get started reading. Free. 6th to 8th grade students welcome. Please call the Library's Youth Desk for more information or to preegister: 865-7216.

TAB (Teen Advisory Board). Mondays, April 5th & 19th, 4:00-5:00 p.m. High Schoolers: be a part of the process! Help decide what goes into the Young Adult (Teen) collection, and what activities we will have for teens. This could count toward your community service graduation requirement. No preregistration needed. For more info: call the Youth Desk: 865-7216.

After School Video gaming for Middle Schoolers. Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 1st through 22nd, 3:30-5:00 p.m. Join other teens and play a variety of PS2 games. Free. Middle School students welcome. No preregistration needed.

Weekend video Games for Teens. Sunday, April 18th, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Join other teens and play Guitar Hero, Wii, Rock Band and a variety of PS2 games. free. Middle & High School students welcome. No preregistration needed.

TAB Book Review by Maya

2010-03-20T10:25:00.003-04:00

Title: American Born Chinese
Author: Gene Lueng Yang

Quick Plot Summary: This graphic novel is a collection of three separate but interwoven stories, each related to Chinese culture in various ways.

The first is the legend of the Monkey King, ruler of Flower-Fruit Mountain and master of kung-fu. Denied entrance to a dinner party, he's no longer satisfied with being a monkey and desperately wants to become a god. So he studies more of the major disciplines of kung-fu, embarks on a life-changing pilgrimage, and meets Tze-Yo-Tzu, or He Who Is, the god who created him from a rock.

The next tale is about an American-born Chinese boy named Jin. He moves from San Francisco and goes to a new school where he has a difficult time because he's the only Chinese-American student. Wei-Chen, a Taiwanese boy, comes to his school, and though Jin wanted to beat him up at first, they become friends. Later, Jin begins to have a crush on an all-American girl and wants to transform himself into an all-American boy.

The third story, "Everybody Ruvs Chin-Kee," is about a popular boy named Danny whose Chinese cousin comes to visit. Chin-Kee's annoying behavior causes Danny terrrible embarrassment and ruins everything.

Favorite Character: Chin-Kee. He made me laugh so hard with his super-stereotypical Chinese ways.

Favorite Part: The end. All three stories come together in a very surprising way.

Favorite Quote: Early in the book, and old Chinese woman asks Jin what he wants to be when he grows up, and he answers, "A transformer." She replies, "It's easy to be anything you wish, so long as you're willing to forfeit your soul." I think that being true to yourself is what this book is all about.

Out of five stars, I would give this book all five. I couldn't stop reading and finished it before I knew what was happening!

The "Bloody Jack" Audio Books by L.A. Meyer

2010-02-26T14:11:00.003-05:00

Lately I've really been enjoying listening to the CDs of the "Bloody Jack" series by L.A. Meyer.

"Jacky" is an adventurous and enterprising young woman (during most of the stories, she is from 13 to 16 years old) who, in the first book, disguises herself to become a "ship's boy" on a British warship during the Napoleonic Wars. She has many hair-raising adventures and narrow escapes, and she is catapulted from one dangerous situation to another...and another...and another...staying alive through sheer luck, pluck and cleverness.

The audio book actor (I hesitate to call her merely a "reader"), Katherine Kellgren, is right on target in her emotional expression, and she seems to be able to do any accent with ease: "Posh" British, Cockney, New England, Southern American, French, Spanish, West Indian, etc. I have lost count of all the voices she does!

The stories themselves take Jacky and the listener/reader onto the high seas and all over the globe, placing her in many unusual and even outrageous situations. These books are at once fascinating trips into the world of the early Nineteenth century, and "ripping" good yarns!

By Christine Demarais, Youth Services

Teen Video Gaming!

2010-02-25T15:44:00.002-05:00

After School Video Gaming for Middle Schoolers. Tuesdays and Thursdays, March 4th through 30th, 3:30-5:00 p.m. Join other teens after school and play a variety of Wii and PS2 games. Free. Middle School students welcome. No preregistration needed.

Weekend Video Games for Teens. Sundays, March 14th & 21st, 1:00-4:00 p.m. Join other teens and play Guitar Hero, Wii, Rock Band and a variety of PS2 games. Free. Middle & High School students welcome. No preregistration needed.

2010-02-25T15:39:00.002-05:00

Teens read! Wednesdays, March 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th & 31st. 5:00-5:45 p.m. Participate in a book group for Middle & High School students and get started reading. Free. 6th grade & up welcome. Please call the Youth Desk for more information or to preregister: 865-7216

March Teen Events

2010-02-25T15:36:00.001-05:00

TAB ( Teen Advisory Board), Mondays, March 15th & 29th, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
High Schoolers: Be a part of the process! Help decide what goes into the Young Adult (Teen) collection, and what activities we will have for teens. This couls count toward your community services graduation requirement. No preregistration needed. For more information, call the Youth Desk: 865-7216.

After School Video Gaming for Middle Schoolers

2010-01-30T14:09:00.001-05:00

Tuesdays& Thursdays, February 2nd through 18th, 3:00-5:00 p.m., and February 23rd & 25th, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Join other teens after school and play a variety of Wii and PS2 games. Free. Middle School students welcome. No preregistration needed.

Vermont Reads! "When the Emperor Was Divine"

2010-01-30T14:05:00.002-05:00

Book Discussion for Teens and Adults! Wednesday, February 10th, 7:30 p.m. The Fletcher Free Library Book Discussion Group meets to discuss the Vermont Humanities Council Vermont Reads! Selection,
When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka. The discussion will be led by Champlain College Librarian Sarah Cohen. Free. No preregistration needed.

Weekend Video Games for Teens

2010-01-30T14:02:00.000-05:00

Sundays, February 14th & 21st, 1:00-4:00 p.m. Join other teens
and play Guitar Hero, Wii, Rock Band and a variety of PS2 games.
Free. Middle & High School students welcome. No need to preregister!

TAB (Teen Advisory Board)

2010-01-30T13:58:00.001-05:00

Mondays, February 8th & 22nd, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
High Schoolers: Be a part of the process! Help decide what goes into the
Young Adult (Teen) collection, and what activities we will have for teens.
This could count toward your community service graduation requirement.
No preregistration needed. For more info, call the Youth desk: 865-7216.

January 2010 Teen Programs

2010-01-15T17:01:00.003-05:00

Teens Read!
Wednesdays, January 20th & 27th, 5:00-5:45 p.m.
Participate in a book group for middle schoolers. Free. 6th to 8th graders welcome. Call the Libary Youth Desk for info and to preregister: 865-7216.

After School Video Gaming for Middle Schoolers.
Tuesdays & Thursdays, January 4th through 28th 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Join other teens and play a variety of Wii and PS2 games. Free. Middle School students welcome. No preregistration needed.

Weekend Video Games for Teens.
Sundays, January 10th & 24th, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Join other teens and and play Guitar Hero, Wii, Rock Band and a variety of PS2 games. Free. Middle & High School Students welcome. No preregistration needed.

2009-12-10T15:30:00.003-05:00

New Program!!!
After School Video Gaming for Middle Schoolers!

Come and join us after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and play Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers, Madden and more! Look for us upstairs in the Fletcher or Pickering rooms from 3:30-5:00 December 10th, 15th, 21st and 22nd! Contact Kaelyn with any questions or concerns: kaelyn.murray@ci.burlington.vt.us

Teen Video Gaming on Sunday, December 2oth!

Meet in the Community Room (basement) 1:00-4:00 p.m. for Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Mario Kart and more! We will also be gaming on Sunday, January 10th and Sunday, January 24th. Contact Kaelyn with any questions or concerns: kaelyn.murray@ci.burlington.vt.us

2009-11-21T14:56:00.002-05:00

The 19th Annual Books for Children Gift Campaign
November 16 to December 13, 2009

The Fletcher Free Library invites you to share the joy of reading with Burlington preschoolers this Holiday Season!

Gifts of new picture books can be purchased at a 20% discount at Crow Bookshop on upper Church Street and Hopkins Bookshop in St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral on Cherry Street.

The library staff will distribute the books through local community centers.

For more information please call the library Youth Desk: 865-7216.

2009-11-21T14:16:00.002-05:00

"Shiver" by Maggie Stiefvater

Vampires are all the rage, right now, and don't get me wrong, they're very cool, but I have always had a fascination with werewolves. Not the horror-movie wolf-human hybrid monsters, but real humans who transform into real wolves.

The idea of running furred on four feet through the beautiful wild woods, exploring a richly scented world with a highly sensitive nose, and surrounded by a loving family of pack-mates strongly appeals to me. And the idea of having a choice between this and a humdrum human life is exciting, so I couldn't wait to crack open "Shiver" by Maggie Stiefvater.

Wow! I got all the above and so much more!

Her writing is magical and poetic with being precious, and her descriptions of wolf life are very realistic. Her plotting is suspenseful and keeps you guessing until the very end.

And the romance, ohhh, the Romance (with a capital 'R')!
This is the most unabashedly romantic book I have read in a long, long time. I wept several times for Grace and Sam, for their joy in each other and their tragedy.

This is a very entertaining and satisfying book. Read it!

Review by Christine Demarais, Youth Services Assistant

November Teen Programs

2009-11-08T13:36:00.003-05:00

TAB (Teen Advisory Board) Meeting, Mondays, November 2, 16 & 30, 4:00 p.m. High schoolers: be a part of the process! Help decide what goes into the Young Adult (Teen) collection, and what activities we will have for teens. This could count toward your community service graduation requirement. Please call Rebecca Goldberg for more information or to sign up: 865-7216.

Teens Read! Wednesdays, November 4, 18 & 25, 5:00-5:45 p.m. Participate in a book group for middle schoolers and get started reading. Free. 6th-8th grade students welcome. Please call the Youth Desk to find out what book is currently being discussed and to preregister: 865-7216.

Celebrate National Gaming Day @ Your Library. Saturday, November 14th, 1:00-4:00 p.m. Join yeens from around the U.S. as you try your hand at Guitar Hero, Wii, Rock Band and a variety of PS2 games. Free. Middle and high school students welcome! No preregistration needed.

Part Guilty Pleasure, Part Girl Power: A Review of E. Lockhart's Latest

2009-08-19T20:16:00.000-04:00

The heroine of E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (2008) is returning to prep school for her sophomore year, and it’s fair to say that she’s blossomed (more physically than emotionally) over the summer. Older boys who barely noticed her when she was just “Zada’s little sister” suddenly pay attention. Frankie’s longtime crush, senior Matthew Livingston, returns her affections at last, and she is thrilled to be included in his social circle.

But after Frankie discovers that Matthew is a high-ranking member of an exclusive all-male secret society (a fact he refuses to discuss with her), she comes up with a plan to prove her worth to this old boys' club: infiltrate the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, and captain their series of pranks on the campus of Alabaster Preparatory Academy.

Fans of Cecily von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl and spin-off The It Girl book series will enjoy The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, but E. Lockhart's skilled examination of her characters' struggles will also satisfy readers who are looking for a more substantial story. Frankie's clever manipulation of the boys' pranks is entertaining to follow, and her research into so called "interventionist art" is particularly interesting. Readers who imagined themselves as Kay Thompson's Eloise years ago might picture themselves in Frankie's shoes today.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks is recommended for readers in Grade 7 and up.

Megan Estey
Youth Services
Fletcher Free Library

Video Game Tournaments

2009-07-11T15:49:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Nick...our 2nd time tournament champion. Nick left for home with a coupon for a free pizza, courtesy of Leonardo's! Our next video game tournament will be held on Saturday, August 1st, from 11 AM - 3PM! We'll look forward to seeing you there!
-Trish

The Next Book Club Meeting

2009-06-26T14:51:00.002-04:00

The next meeting of the teen book club is July 6th from 3PM-4PM in the Pickering Room! See you there with free snacks, soda, and fun!

Video Game Tournament

2009-06-26T14:48:00.001-04:00

Just a reminder to everyone that the video game tournament which was scheduled for Saturday, June 27th (tomorrow) from 11AM-3PM has been rescheduled to Saturday, July 11th from 11AM-3PM. Thanks guys!

New Teen Literacy Coordinator!

2009-06-12T12:10:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! I' hope that you're all as excited as I am about this summer! The new person behind our teen events is Will Sedlack. He will be running the Video Game Tournaments and the Teen Book Club this summer. All other teen programming will be on hold until the start of the school year.

The next video game tournament will be on Saturday, July 11th from 11 AM-3 PM in the Community Room at the library.

The teen book club meetings will occur on Mondays from 3-4 PM on the following dates: June 22nd, July 6th, and July 20th.

We are reading Stoneheart by Charlie Fletcher. Here is a description:

On a school trip to the Natural History Museum in London, a 12-year-old loner named George is banished for something he didn't do. Angry, he lashes out and breaks off a dragon's head carved onto the wall of the museum. Next thing he knows, a pterodactyl carving comes to life and begins to chase him. From Gunner, a walking, talking statue, George learns that he has entered another layer of reality, and that his arrival has started a new war between good spits (statues that are imbued with a soullike essence by their inspired makers) and evil taints (soulless carvings). With the advice of various spits, and the companionship of a girl named Edie, George seeks answers from two Sphinx statues, whose enigmatic clues lead the pair into a terrifying adventure. Creatively building on the plentiful gargoyles and other creepy stonework of its urban setting, this lengthy novel, the first in a planned trilogy, will draw capable readers for its suspenseful chase scenes, scary creatures, and highly original premise.

Teen Video Game Tournaments

2009-04-06T12:37:00.002-04:00

Hey guys! I have had so much fun gaming with you all on these past few Saturdays! As another reminder...the Video Game Tournaments are being postponed until our new Teen Literacy Coordinator starts in June. Keep checking for more news and a date for the next tournament!

Teen Writing Club

2009-04-01T13:13:00.002-04:00

Do you want a chance to say what you want to say and write whatever you want? Then writing club is for you! This is open to anyone in Middle School to High School. The next meeting will be on April 6th from 3-4 PM in the Pickering Room. All materials will be provided and there will be free snacks and drinks. Contact Trisha at trisha.irving@yahoo.com or call the Youth Desk at 802-865-7216.

Board Game Day!

2009-04-01T13:09:00.003-04:00

For those of you who want to try your hand at Apples to Apples, Monopoly, Scrabble, Catch Phrase, or Cranium...this is the teen event for you! On Monday, April 20th from 3-4 PM in the Pickering Room, come play some board games with your friends for an hour! The event is free and includes free snacks and drinks. If you'd like to bring your own games to play, that's okay too! (But we do have some games here at the library) No preregistration required! Contact Trish at trisha.irving@yahoo.com or call the Youth Desk at 802-865-7216 for more information!

Teen Book Club!

2009-04-01T12:57:00.002-04:00

Love to read? Want to talk about what you read? Join our Middle School Teen Book Club! Our meetings for the month of April are on Mondays, April 13th & 27th from 3-4 PM in the Pickering Room at the Fletcher Free Library. There will always be free snacks and soda, so stop by! We are currently reading the 'Fablehaven' series and we are on the newly released addition, Book 4! You can read these books in any order so it's never too late to join! Contact Trish at trisha.irving@yahoo.com for more information!

Video Game Tournament

2009-04-01T12:51:00.004-04:00

Our last Video Game Tournament here at the Library was so successful that we are holding another! It's taking place on Saturday, April 4th, from 2-5 PM. As usual, everything is free and preregistration is not required. Just show up and use the games for a few hours! There will be free food and a $10 gift certificate to FYE to the player with the most points at the end. Anyone in grades 6-12 may participate!

Teen Advisory Board: TAB

2009-04-01T12:42:00.003-04:00

Calling all teens! Are you in highschool and in dire need of community service hours? Come to Fletcher Free Library and earn your hours in a fun and relaxing way! TAB is a group of highschool students who meet to discuss changes in the library while doing crafts and making posters to promote teen events! It's easy and painless and we meet every other Wednesday for an hour! Contact Trish at trisha.irving@yahoo.com for more information or call the Youth Desk at FFL at 802-865-7216.

PS: We're also looking for 'shelvers' and Summer Reading help for the summer! If this is "more down your alley," contact Trish.

Teen Writing Club Interest Meeting

2009-03-02T14:46:00.002-05:00

Would you like an opportunity to say what you want to say? Write with your friends and create your own stories, songs, plays, poems, etc! Write about whatever you'd like and share only if you want to! (Your works could even get published!) We will be meeting in the Pickering Room on Friday, March 27th, from 3-4 PM. Contact Trish for more information!

"Bracelets, Beads, and Braids"

2009-03-02T14:43:00.002-05:00

Come relax and celebrate Young Art Month by making some art of your own! On Monday, March 23rd from 3-4:30 PM in the Pickering Room join Trish as we learn fun ways to make bracelets or necklaces out of hemp and string using different patterns and beads. All materials will be provided. Grades 4-12. Contact Trish for more information!

Video Game Tournament and Free-Play

2009-03-02T14:40:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, March 21st from 2-6 PM in the Community Room, come enjoy an afternoon of free video gaming in both tournament and free-play set-up! Enjoy the Wii, Rockband, Guitar Hero, DDR, Supersmash Brothers, etc..Free pizza and snacks will be provided. No pre-registration required. Grades 4-12. For more information, contact Trish at trisha.irving@yahoo.com

Middle School Book Club

2009-03-02T14:36:00.003-05:00

Join us as we read Fablehaven Book 1 this month! New and old members are welcome to attend our next meeting on Monday, March 16th from 3:00-4:00 PM in the Pickering Room! Snacks and soda will be provided.

Teen Advisory Board

2009-02-13T12:47:00.002-05:00

The Teen Advisory Board is active again, starting with our first official meeting on Wednesday, February 18th, from 7-8 PM in the Teen Area of the library. New and old members are welcome! Come to discuss how we can improve the teen section of the library, learn about teen programing, and earn community service hours! Free snacks will be provided.

Teen Book Club

2009-02-13T12:42:00.003-05:00

We had our first meeting of the Fletcher Free Teen Book Club on Monday, February 9th! We have decided to read the Fablehaven series and therefore our book for this month is Fablehaven, Book One. For a brief synopsis of the book, check out this site:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44652.Fablehaven

We are still looking for new members and would love to have you join us! Don't worry about not having the book, I have extra copies! Simply come to our next meeting which will be Monday, February 23rd, from 3-4 PM in the Pickering Room. Free snacks will be provided.

Teen Programs are Starting Again!!

2009-01-30T13:21:00.002-05:00

We have a new Teen Literacy Coordinator named Trish who is an intern from UVM! She is in the process of getting the Teen Book Club, the Teen Advisory Board, as well as the gaming tournaments started up again. If you have any interest in joining the Teen Book Club, there will be a meeting on Monday, February 9th from 3-4PM in the Pickering Room at the Library. Old and new members are welcome! There will be snacks, soda, etc.

Keep checking back for information on the first Teen Advisory Board meeting and when the gaming tournaments will begin!

Teen Programs Suspended

2008-12-15T09:26:00.002-05:00

For a short while, teen programs and events will be suspended as of 12/31/08. Stay tuned for more information... and check our website for upcoming programs!

Vampire Book Club: It's all about the ginger cookies, root beer, chips, salsa... oh yeah, and FREE BOOKS!

2008-12-04T13:44:00.009-05:00

Yesterday the Vampire Book Club received their very own fresh new copies of The Edge Chronicles: Beyond the Deepwoods, which is the first book in this beautifully-illustrated fantasy series by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell! Above is an, er, interestingly-aligned photo that Lyle took of Rachel and Sequoia! (Taking photos on a diagonal is a new trend in digital photography, so I hear).

From the back of the book: "Far, far away, jutting out into the emptiness beyond, lies the Edge. Filled with strange peoples and terrifying creatures, this is a world unlike any other, where action - and danger - wait at every turn... When thirteen-year-old Twig discovers that he was abandoned at birth by an unknown outsider, he leaves his woodtroll family behind and sets off on a journey through and beyond the dangerous Deepwoods. As he makes his way through a nightmarish world of goblins and trogs, blood-thirsty beasts and flesh-eating trees, only two things keep Twig going: the mystery of his identity and the promise of a heroic destiny..."

Sound awesome? Yeah, we think so too. Join us for our next book club on December 17 from 3pm - 4pm. We'll have snacks, we'll hang out, talk (sometimes, we talk in Textmessagese like OMG and TTYL - hope that's ok with you), and maybe even play a game. Copies of the second book have already been ordered, but if you'd like your very own FREE copy of the next book in the series (made possible by glorious, glorious grant $) then let Rachel know ASAP! E-mail her at rdingfelder@gmail.com or call 865.7228.

Check out The Edge Chronicles on the internetz... here.

One more thing: you might be wondering why our book club is called the VAMPIRE Book Club. It's funny, 'cause we don't read books about vampires and none of us ARE vampires (at least I hope not), but at one time the book club read quite a few books about vampires, hence the name. The name stuck.. 'cause vampires are pretty rad (although I have to admit, they suck sometimes). Hardy har har.

Amazing Book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie!

2008-11-26T12:04:00.009-05:00

I want to suggest an awesome book to you guys - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney (illustrator). Previous Americorps*VISTA Cara gave it to me before she left, and I read almost all of it last night after work! I just learned that this book really is "absolutely true," and based on poet/short-story writer/and first-time young adult writer Shermen Alexie's life - read his bio here.

Alexie writes as Junior, a witty, Native American budding cartoonist who lives on the Spokane Indian reservation and gets bullied for being a "retard." Junior was born with too much spinal fluid in his brain which caused him to suffer all sorts of physical problems, but he's incredibly smart, hopeful, and knows he needs to go beyond his poor reservation if he wants to live up to his potential. Junior transfers to an all-white school miles away from his reservation, and has to deal with racism, resentment from the Native American community, and allllllllll that other crazy stuff you have to deal with in high school. I absolutely love this book so far - it's beautiful throughout, sad at times, and there are laugh-out-loud cartoons (like, seriously, I LOL'd in the middle of a coffee shop last night) every few pages which makes me feel like I'm getting a peek at the extra-secret thoughts of this incredible character. Here is a great book review from The New York Times. We have copies at the library! Check it out.

Meet Rachel: The New Teen Services Coordinator!

2008-11-21T13:20:00.005-05:00

Cara Lovell, this past year's amazing Teen Services Coordinator with Americorops*VISTA has handed over the baton to someone new - Rachel Dingfelder! Cara Lovell did an awesome job expanding teen programs and making the Teen Area a much more welcoming place. We'll miss Cara, but her hard work is everywhere.

Now, I'm going to not-so-sneakily switch into the first person and tell you a little bit about me, Rachel!

The three most important things you should know about me: I'm very new to Burlington, I LOVE peanut butter, and I'm a firm believer that all the worlds' problems can be solved if we simply listen, laugh, and act really goofy together. I mean, it would be nice - right?!

I'm from a very different place - Pittsburgh, PA - and it's been so much fun exploring Burlington, riding my bike down roads I've never been on before, hiking up Camel's Hump - you guys are lucky! This city is beautiful and I'm happy to be here for the next year. It's possible that I'll bombard you with questions about Burlington, 'cause you guys know it well.

So, without sounding too much like a Facebook profile, let me just list off some things I like. Maybe we have something in common.. or not. :-)
Alright, here it goes: dancing FOREVER! (I can't stop sometimes), bicycling, learning how to knit, cooking delicious food with lots and lots of vegetables and spices with friends (no silly, the friends don't go IN the food), drinking tea, giggling, whales and other cool creatures who live in the ocean, hand-made things, lazy mornings, primates, reading the news and political gossip, going on bicycle adventures, slowly learning more about bicycle mechanics, and my friends.

Some things I don't like: olives, rude people, reading - HAH! Gotcha. Ever heard of a librarian who doesn't like to read? When you do, tell me.

I love reading. Right now, I'm all about The Death and Life of Great American Cities, by Jane Jacobs, which is a critique on modern urban planning. A few friends recommended it to me and although it's a slow read, it's really, really awesome. I just read two of Marjane Satrapi's graphic novels, Embroideries and Chicken with Plums (you might have heard of her - she wrote Persepolis, which was made into a totally rad movie), which were both very good and beautifully illustrated. One of the books that I would like to get around to reading is the classic Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I have an incredible edition which is illustrated by Dame Darcy, who is this gothy Neo-Victorian illustrator, singer, author, and awesome lady. Check out Dame Darcy's illustrated Jane Eyre here.

That's all for now. I'm super-excited to meet you guys. I love e-mail, so e-mail me anytime if you have suggestions or questions! Here's my address: rdingfelder@gmail.com. You can call me at 865.7228.
And here's a picture of me so you know who I am! I'm sitting inside what I'm pretty sure is part of an old blast furnace. Pretty cool, huh?

Author Doug Wilhelm visits EMS 8th graders and parents

2008-11-13T09:27:00.012-05:00

Every year the 8th graders at Edmunds, parents and teachers have a book bunch early one morning to discuss good books that talk about the transition to high school. This year they all read Falling and invited the author, Doug Wilhelm, to speak.

Here Doug read from a section where Matt and Katie take a walk and the point of view switches back and forth so that the reader can get inside both of their heads (and see how nervous they both are)!

Doug talked about how the book was written with the help of local middle school students, who fleshed out the characters like Matt, Katie, Tamra, Sam, and KJ during class and writing workshops. Students came up with the baking cookies idea and even the title of the book!

Doug answered questions about whether the parents were realistic and also about whether the characters (especially Katie) were too mature. He described reading students religion papers to get in the heads of his 9th-grade characters!

He also talked about getting information on drug use from local police, detectives, and rehabilitation counselors.

Many students got their copies of Falling signed, which they get to keep for their personal libraries. Bagels and treats capped off the event.

Both Doug and the students said they really enjoyed meeting each other and connecting over some important issues. Falling started through conversations with young people, and the book bunch continued those conversations! They are definitely not over yet... keep talking!

There is a request for reactions and comments on the Falling blog, located at http://crenca.edublogs.org.

Game Design at the Art Hop

2008-11-03T11:38:00.014-05:00

Fletcher Free Library sent an envoy of young game testers to this year's Art Hop in early September.

Champlain College's Emergent Media Center and Burlington Telecom teamed up to create an exhibit showcasing the games students have been working on.

Champlain students were on hand to explain to the young gamers how the games were made and what they were supposed to teach.

The games focused on media literacy. In one, the player acted as a detective searching for clues in a 3-D science laboratory. In another, the player sailed to various islands and undertook different challenges to earn light and eventually build a lighthouse.
Champlain College also exhibited their work on America's Army and Google Maps.

The exhibit was hosted by SoundToys, which set up visualizations of sound mixing as part of the exhibit!

Great games to test, great gamers to test them: a great partnership!

Local authors visit schools!

2008-10-31T14:14:00.006-04:00

Some lucky students and teachers have welcomed local authors into their classrooms, thanks to a grant from Vermont Community Foundation's Successful Communities Grant Round. Students first read and discussed a book by the author, and got to keep their copies of the book.

Erik Esckilsen talked about his book Offsides and its parallels to his experience playing soccer in South Burlington. The students also discussed the controversy over Native American mascots present in the book, and Erik brought along the beaver mascot costume from Champlain College!

Over at BHS, Tanya Lee Stone visited an English class to talk about writing in verse and her book A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl. Click here to read her article "Now and Forever: The Power of Sex in Young Adult Literature"

Win Points for a $100 Gift Card!

2008-10-27T11:30:00.006-04:00

Game Tournaments continue, with a $100 prize for the first gamer to score 50 points! The prize will be a gift card to either Game Stop, Best Buy, Toys R Us or Circuit City, depending on the vote. Points are awarded to all participants in the tournaments: 10 to the winner, 8 for 2nd place, 6 for 3rd place, and 4 to all other entrants.

This month's tournament game was Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Here Sabin and Kevin battle it out in the semifinals.

Guitar Hero Tournament

2008-10-03T16:17:00.006-04:00

The opening round of the tournament!

Some RockBand on the side...

The women show their skills at Cliffs of Dover

And the epic battle determines the winner of $25 at Best Buy (Thank you, Best Buy!)

Then, time for Leonardo's pizza (Thank you, Leonardo's!)

Drawing Videogame Characters Class

2008-10-03T16:09:00.005-04:00

Mario, Sega, Pokemon, and Star Wars characters sprang to life last Saturday in the library.

Volunteer Emilie Rodgers, an art and animation student at Champlain College, taught some drawing basics, and students swapped videogame knowledge.

Twilight Saga Madness!

2008-09-11T10:53:00.008-04:00

Have you finished Breaking Dawn? Need to share? Come to Vampire Book Club every other Monday from 4-5pm. Get free copies of the books!

The big story recently in the Twilight world was that Stephenie Meyer stopped writing a 5th book, Midnight Sun, after a very rough draft was illegally posted on the internet and many fans had read it. See Meyer's reaction here. The book was from Edward's perspective.

The other buzz is the movie, coming out in November. See the preview here. There's also some behind-the-scenes footage of how they did the ending fight scene, and the flight through the woods.

Did you know Stephenie Meyer comes up with playlists to accompany her books? Check out the Breaking Dawn songs here.

A Long Way Gone

2008-08-21T12:14:00.003-04:00

The High School Book club read A Long Way Gone over the past month. It's an epic story of survival in war and the loss of childhood. Participants said the story was intense and depressing, but that they were glad they read it anyway.
The book left me wondering what Ishmael Beah did once he got to the U.S. He is still involved in international panels regarding armed children in conflict, including the UN, Religions for Peace Youth Assembly, Human Rights Watch, Council on Foreign Relations, and the Center for Emerging Threats and Opportunities.

He started writing in a class at Oberlin college and his teachers encouraged him to continue.
To see Ishmael Beah explain his own work, watch the videos at http://www.alongwaygone.com/media.html

If the story deepened your interest in the conflict in Sierra Leone and child soldiers around the world, there is lots more to explore.
UNICEF has a great resource about child soliders:
http://www.unicef.org/protection/files/Armed_Groups.pdf

The movie Blood Diamond takes place partly in Sierra Leone and explores the parts of the war that A Long Way Gone does not. It is about conflict diamonds and also about child soldiers in the rebel forces, contrasting the importance of a child with the importance of a jewel.
http://www.blooddiamondaction.org/

There was also some debate about the extent to which the account could have been fictionalized, and those views are best summarized in the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Long_Way_Gone#Credibility_dispute

The Library Becomes a Galaxy Far Far Away

2008-08-01T15:49:00.011-04:00

On Thursday afternoon the Community Room became a haven for Star Wars and Soul Caliber enthusiasts.

Imperial stormtroopers of the 501st Legion's New England Garrison paid a visit to the Fletcher Free's monthly video game tournament.

This trooper plays his own game, with others of his kind running around on the screen of Battlefront II.

Non-troopers got in on the action, too.

The tournament was in Soul Caliber IV, just released on Tuesday. Characters included Yoda and Darth Vader's Secret Apprentice.
Duncan was the winner after several rounds of battle. He won a fancy Star Wars illustrated guide.

One trooper strums his stuff on Guitar Hero Aerosmith.

Thank you to the members of the New England Garrison for coming, and to Leonardo's for donating pizza!

Scratch is Amazing!

2008-07-28T10:06:00.004-04:00

Several students were introduced last week to the wonders of Scratch, an open-source (free!) software to make programming and animation easy and fun! We edited pong games to make them harder and made our own animations and stories. On Wednesday, July 30, we'll have drop-in on the laptops from 3-5pm where you can get a tutorial or work on a project. Check our program listing for future classes on animation and programming. Scratch is also easy to download at home and learn. Try it out! http://scratch.mit.edu

Book Review: My Heartbeat

2008-07-21T15:38:00.004-04:00

It's hard to make a narrator funny, insightful and realistic all at the same time. Garret Freymann-Weyr does that with most of his characters in My Heartbeat. Both the story and the characters are believable: Ellen, 14, loves her older brother math-whiz Link, and has always loved his best friend and cinema critic James. After wondering aloud if they are more than just friends, Ellen pulls out questions of identity in all three of them.

The author creates characters that are just normal enough to relate to (watching movies and running together) but not normal enough to be boring (going to hospital dining halls to write and sketch about the strangers). Ellen also talks about her summer reading of Age of Innocence, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights for some fun tie-ins to those plots.

For an absorbing and meaningful read, I highly recommend My Heartbeat!

For more (older) books this one shares a list with, check out http://www.asu.edu/clas/english/englished/yalit/engedya02honorlist.htm

~Cara

Blender Basics Class

2008-07-02T09:35:00.006-04:00

Students tried their hand at some 3-D modeling under the direction of Brendan Owens of Middlebury College. The recent library computer class taught design and animation of 3-D objects that could be placed in gaming worlds.

The young game designers were using Blender, an advanced open-source design tool.

The next game design course at the library will be on Friday, July 25. Students will learn to use Scratch, a simple animation and programming tool that is very rewarding.

Pre-registration is required: call Cara at 865-7228 or email her at clovell@ci.burlington.vt.us

Game Tournaments in the Community Room

2008-06-27T12:47:00.006-04:00

We rocked out in the library's basement again last Friday...

And are planning either a Videogame Triathalon or a championship series to earn points in tournaments towards a grand prize. Thoughts? Ideas?

Summer Reading Program Volunteers are Stylin'

2008-06-18T10:50:00.005-04:00

The shirts volunteers get for free sport this year's Catch the Reading Bug artwork by local cartoonist Harry Bliss.

We decided to let volunteers individualize their shirts a bit this year...

Have some old t-shirts to cut up? Get inspiration from some great books in our catalog:
99 Ways To Cut, Sew, trim & tie your T-shirt into something special
http://search.fletcherfree.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi/r4gsJymKS8/0/102520109/9 and
Generation T : 108 ways to transform a T-shirt
http://search.fletcherfree.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi/gp2rSMlX93/0/102520109/9

Poetry Slam

2008-06-09T12:09:00.010-04:00

Young poets jammed and slammed last Friday with Vermont's slam champion, Geof Hewitt. Geof explained the general dynamic and rules to the many newbies present, and all came away with a feel for the possibilites of performance poetry.

Kate shared two poems, reading with rhythm and grace.

Bailey took home a prize pen with two poems read at the speed of light....

Ryan read some new poems and was given Geof's book "Only What's Imagined"

And Wesley took home the best prize of all, a nose flute...

Book Drive Success!

2008-05-27T16:03:00.007-04:00

The book drive for Books for Africa as part of Global Youth Service Day yielded hundreds of books. Students from Hunt Middle School brought in many, and the BHS library donated a ton!

We had raised $50 from our two bake sales, which paid for the shipping of many books! However, there are still more that could be shipped, if we can raise the money!

Blaise feels badly for Gloomy Gus...

RockBand Tournament

2008-05-19T11:33:00.025-04:00

And the winners are.....

PRANK

(Ben, James & Solomon)

For rocking the stage

They won $25 each at Best Buy

Their high levels of difficulty and concurrent overdrives also helped their score

They played In Bloom by Nirvana and Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash.

The Super Awesome Red Power Rangers (Wes, Matt & Alex) took second, with special kudos for drum skills

The Three Fires (Tony, Will, & Skylar) took third, with a special commendation for Missippi Queen.

Will sang the incredibly difficult song, but the photographer was too impressed to remember to document the moment.

The illustrious judges rate bands with volunteer Dave Carlson's scorecards

Super Smash Bros Brawl

MarioKart Double Dash

And Dance Dance Revolution always provides a workout!

Thanks to Best Buy for donating the prizes, and thanks to Leonardo's for donating the pizza!

Vacation Gaming on the last Saturday!

2008-04-28T10:44:00.012-04:00

RockBand made its debut at Fletcher Free Library!

James rocks out on the drums, arguably the most bodacious instrument

RockBand can have both bass and guitar playing together

CJ is all about the vocals

Volunteer David scrambles to keep up with two-mat DDR

Volunteer Emilie finds that RockBand vocals might be her calling

Guitar Hero I-III is always an option

Joe decided playing some Smash wasn't a bad way to celebrate his birthday!

Friends join him and battle it out on the big screen

Getting comfy in the Community Room

Enjoying the pizza generously donated by Big Daddy's

Peer Reviews

2008-04-22T17:16:00.009-04:00

Here's what some high schoolers have found in the library recently....

Throwing Like A Girl shows what it takes to be part of a team: courage, confidence and accepting your losses while learning from your mistakes.
It has a strong sense of moving to a new school and starting afresh.
Also, Weezie shows how relationships make a difference in our lives!... It's powerful!
~Olivia

I recommend Case Closed for awesome sleuthing and detective action.

I recommend The Odyssey for fascinating mythological action

~Ben

If you like Sarah Dessen, read books by Deb Caletti. Very real emotions are displayed by the characters in her books. She creates girls you can relate to and guys you'll want to meet. Great realistic fiction for teenage girls.

If you enjoyed reading His Dark Materials, get the book on tape. It's a full cast recording. The voics capture the characters well and it's a great way to listen to the book.
~Natalie

Be on Vermont Public Radio!

2008-04-21T12:38:00.004-04:00

Ever wanted to record a story in a radio studio? Here's a chance for your minute of glory. Write 200-words (a paragraph!) about you & Vermont, and call up VPR to record it in Colchester. The radio especially wants to hear from young people. They say, "We want to hear what issues students are concerned about, whether they plan to stay in Vermont, and what their dreams are for the future." Need some motivation? Come to Fletcher Free and ask Cara or a youth librarian to help you organize your thoughts! Find more information here: http://www.vpr.net/episode/43325/

Fletcher Free's Teen Room Celebrates its Grand Opening!

2008-04-14T09:34:00.021-04:00

Over 40 people were on hand to officially inaugurate the new and improved Teen Room at Fletcher Free Library. Several years after local teens were surveyed about what they wanted from the library and the first Teen Advisory Board was formed by Holly Klump, the library has followed through on many of their recommendations! This was a chance to thank everyone who has supported and contributed to the teen space, collection, and programming at Fletcher Free Library.

Youth Librarian Beth Wright briefly explained the evolution of the Fletcher Free Library Teen Room. It started as the nearby area outside the Pickering Room that now houses the ESL collection, but the YA collection was soon overflowing those bounds. The Teen Area leapt into this larger space and was spiffed up with new carpet, furniture, a display case, a beautiful mural, a bulletin board, new shelves, a catalog computer, and an expanded collection! Beth gave heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported the library's Teen Services over the years.

Co-director Robert Resnik emcees the door prizes.

Lekisha wins the Borders gift card!

Local author Tanya Stone talked with Amelia and Blaise. Stone is the author of A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl and Up Close: Ella Fitzgerald.

Chris Tebbetts, author of M or F? with Lisa Papademetriou, also spoke with the teens present, and his book was checked out the next day. Tebbetts is also the author of The Viking fantasy series. He is running a workshop this Saturday in Shelburne about Writing a Young Adult Novel. For more info, see the Flying Pig Bookstore.

Chamber music and refreshments welcomed attendees into the Teen Room.

Ben and Wesley check out the blog

Fletcher Free Library staff members say, Thanks for Coming!

Super Smashdown in Brawl

2008-03-31T09:15:00.013-04:00

On Sunday, March 30, almost 30 gamers came out to try their hand against new opponents.

Getting ready for tournament play, players practice their moves on Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Luckily we had some loaned Wiis and games so most of Brawl was already unlocked

In the Brawl tournament, players had two-minute limit matches in Battlefield. Each player kept one character for all matches, and Kirby and Meta were popular choices. Many thanks to Ben from Champlain College for running the tournament, and to Emilie for filming it!

Here are the finals of the 12-player tournament!

The winners were James, playing Ike, who won a $25 GameStop gift card and Ben, playing Lucario, who took second place. Both characters were new with Brawl!

Wii sports were also popular-- tennis, golf, boxing and baseball!

Gamers also practiced their moves at Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero II

Sam from Quarterstaff Games played Magic with fans and added another layer to the event...

Teen Advisory Board at Work

2008-03-28T10:37:00.003-04:00

The Teen Advisory Board, now up to 10 members, has been busy! We've been helping to plan game tournaments, coming up with a service project for Global Youth Service Day, and painting the Teen Area!

What is there to do at computer drop-in?

2008-03-21T15:25:00.007-04:00

Take on your friends in games like Age of Empires! Create music, sound, video, and animation!
We've started up a computer bank at the library specifically for grades 6-8. The laptops are out on Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:00 to 5:00 pm, in the Community Room (basement) or sometimes in the Pickering Room (top floor). Come check it out!
What we have:
The Sims 2
Age of Empires III
Scratch
Audacity
SpliceMusic
Monopoly
Risk
Scrabble
Apples to Apples
FreeCol

with more on the way-- what would you recommend?

And, check out what you can do with these amazing applications:
SpliceMusic and Audacity:

and Scratch:

"Heroes and Revolutions" Teen Tech Week Gaming

2008-03-11T11:08:00.009-04:00

The Community Room was transformed into a rockin party last Friday after school. DDR and Wii stations were open-play for new players for the afternoon.

The Guitar Hero tournament showed off some impressive skills. Thanks for all your energy and commitment to fairness! We were able to put together a 16-player bracket , with $25 at GameStop at stake. Brian's reputation preceded him, and it did win out in the end after contests with Derrick and then Owen in the finals. Congrats, dude.

The tournament was filmed by Blaise and Shepherd and we plan to show some footage on Channel 17. We'll let you know when!Shepherd won the "Dig Beyond Google" contest, with 13 correct answers from tricky sites on the internet. Both he and Aaron found that there are 4 Looneyvilles in the US, and used GoogleEarth to check the geography of Boston Common.

And we enjoyed birthday cake in honor of Will F., thanks to a generous donation from Pricechopper. Other snacks were courtesy of City Market!

See you next time-- Sunday, March 30-- more details coming soon! It will depend on your recommendations: what do you think? Super Smash Bros? Rock band? More stations, even if they are smaller TVs? Can anyone ever defeat Brian? ..... comment.....

Celebrating Teen Tech Week!

2008-03-06T17:21:00.006-05:00

Tune In @ your library for Teen Tech Week, celebrated in libraries across the country!

At Fletcher Free you can stop in and think of a soundtrack of songs to go to your favorite book.

Or find a book with some playlists in the plot!

Wednesday was the inaugural Drop-In Computer Bank with new games and applications, and volunteers helped install the software.

And the FREE guitar classes will be continuing, every other Thursday, thanks to volunteer instructor Tim Niemiec. We also have new instruction books (with CDs) for checkout.

And of course, the grand finale: The Teen Tech Week "Heroes and Revolutions" Game Tournament is coming tomorrow! The tournament for the prize will be in Guitar Hero, with the winner taking home a $25 gift card to GameStop. There will be open play on Wii and DDR, and refreshments. Come by after school, 3-5:30 in the Community Room! For middle and high school.

Win Earbuds by Searching the Internet

2008-02-29T13:08:00.005-05:00

The Fletcher Free Library and ALA's Teen Tech Week are sponsoring a "Dig Beyond Google" Internet Searching Contest.

Get the most answers right out of the 20 questions and win the Skullcandy earbuds. (8 answers is the most I've heard so far...) Beware the accuracy of your sources! Questions are designed to be found on the internet, but also to be a bit tricky...

You can download entry forms for grades 7-12 here:

http://www.fletcherfree.org/Dig%20Beyond%20Google%20Internet%20Searching%20Contest.htm.

Turn them in at the library youth desk or at the Teen Tech Week Game Tournament March 7. Good luck!!

First Game Tournament Results

2008-02-25T09:21:00.007-05:00

Games were played, pizza was eaten, and the music prize for DDR was awarded... to Peter Carlisle.

Next up: Friday, March 7, 3-5:30pm. We'll have another big screen projector, and a larger flatscreen TV.

More changes are being considered at our next Teen Advisory Board meeting, this Wednesday the 27th from 7-8:30pm.

Tournaments will be regular-- and soon, points will be awarded towards a championship season.

Aaron and John Honing Guitar Hero skills...
4-player Naruto on Wii
The impressive dance -off for the prize: Peter vs Mimi

...a group gathers for Guitar Hero. This station will be a projector next time!Onlookers sign up for Wii sports.. this TV will also be bigger next time

First Gaming Event this Saturday!!

2008-02-21T10:23:00.009-05:00

1:00-5:00pm

Saturday, Feb. 23

first Saturday of break!

Community Room (downstairs)

Check out our new equipment and enjoy free pizza thanks to American Flatbread and snacks thanks to Healthy Living Natural Food Store!

We'll be projecting DDR on the big screen using hard-core metal pads and after some open play will hold a tournament for a prize of $15 at Pure Pop! We'll also have ongoing open play of Guitar Hero and Wii Sports.

Some board games wil also be available for play throughout.

We'll be continuing to make improvements for next time, Friday March 7 from 3-5:30! If you want to help, join the Teen Advisory Board. Next meeting: Wednesday the 27th, 7-8:30pm.

New Shelves!

2008-02-02T12:21:00.000-05:00

The new shelves have finally arrived and been installed, helping to delineate the Teen Area and make it more official. The top of the new shelves add a lot of display space, especially for magazines and graphic novels!Come see for yourself, and pick up a March calendar while you're at it!

Beginning Guitar Offered at Library

2008-01-18T12:25:00.001-05:00

Always wanted to learn guitar? Here's your chance to do it for free, and have a guitar provided to you during classes! Sign up early to reserve your spot!
Timothy Niemiec will teach beginner acoustic guitar classes. Learn basic chords and techniques in multiple styles. Every other Thursday, 4-6pm: January 31, February 14, & February 28.
To register, call Cara at 865-7228 or email clovell@ci.burlington.vt.us

Kite Runner viewing a success!

2008-01-18T12:15:00.000-05:00

10 teens headed to the movies on Wednesday to see The Kite Runner on the big screen, thanks to the library and Merrill's Roxy Cinema. Our reviews were favorable, and we would recommend the film! Some said they were quite moved by it, and were glad the ending provided some hope and resolution. The kite flying makes you want to learn how to do it! We shared thoughts over tasty pizza provided by Stone Soup. Thanks!

Do you want to see the movie? Or, if you have seen it, what did you think?

More January teen books

2008-01-14T15:30:00.000-05:00

White Magic by Kelly Easten -- "Spells to Hold You"... Three high school girls form a coven to fill a hole in their lives. This novel was originally a play.

Freak by Marcella Pixley -- Twelve-year-old Miriam Kroupa, poetic, smart, and quirky, is considered a freak by the popular girls at her middle school, and she eventually explodes in response to their bullying, revealing an inner strength she did not know she had.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher-- Given the medical diagnosis of one year to live, high school senior Ben Wolf decides to fulfill his greatest fantasies, ponders his life's purpose and legacy, and converses through dreams with a spiritual guide known as "Hey-Soos."

Heaven Looks a lot like a Mall by Wendy Mass -- When high school junior Tessa Reynolds falls into a coma after getting hit in the head during gym class, she experiences heaven as the mall where her parents work, and she revisits key events from her life, causing her to reevaluate herself and how she wants to live.

Sight by Adrienne Vrettos -- Sixteen-year-old Dylan uses her psychic abilities to help police solve crimes against children, but keeps her extracurricular activities secret from her friends at school.

New Books for January

2008-01-10T16:59:00.000-05:00

New titles are in! You can place holds online, or come browse through them on the new books shelf in the teen area on the top floor.

Head Case by Sarah Aronson -- a physical therapist from NH writes fiction about a quadrapelegic
Baby by Joseph Monninger -- a sled-dog driver and fishing guide from NH writes fiction about dogsledding
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell -- a new version of the legend of Elaine, the Lady of Shalott
Beige by Cecil Castellucci -- a "nice girl" is plunked in the middle of the L.A. punk scene
Taken by Edward Bloor -- a kidnapping... and that's all I can tell you
Mistik Lake by Martha Brooks -- family secrets, fly fishing, and love
Gym Candy by Carl Deukit -- a young football player struggles for success. By the author of High Heat
The Last Knight by Hilari Bell -- A knight errant rescues a damsel in distress that turns out to be the distressor
Sure Fire by Jack Higgins -- 15-year-old twins are drawn into the world of their father, a spy.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Between the Sea and the Stars by Beverly Gherman -- a biography of the wife of Charles Lindbergh and her flying and writing adventures
Jinx by Meg Cabot -- a girl moving to NYC is jinxed... or cursed....
The Way by Joseph Bruchac -- martial arts and control within anger
I'm Being Stalked by a Moonshadow by Doug Macleod -- a comic look at courtship
Cassandra's Sister: Growing up Jane Austen by Veronica Bennett -- a fictionalized biography of Jane Austen when she was writing Pride and Prejudice at age 19.
The God Box by Alex Sanchez -- fiction tackling the experience of balancing homosexuality and identity as a Christian

Teen Events Schedule for January and February

2007-12-21T11:34:00.000-05:00

The schedules are up on the web at:

www.fletcherfree.org/programming.html

(You can download a calendar for the fridge, too.)

Want to read for fun this winter and gather with friends and food to talk about good books?
Join a book club!

Gamers: Save the Date: The first Saturday of February break will be the Open-Play Tournament.

Help plan, create publicity, paint the space, make bulletin boards, write reviews...
Join the Teen Advisory Board! Open to grades 7-12. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays.

Games? In the Library?

2007-12-18T13:54:00.001-05:00

Fletcher Free Library would like to host monthly open-play gaming tournaments! We're looking for volunteers to lend their console or game for a few hours, to help set up the event, and to spread the word! Give Cara a ring if you'd like to help make this happen: 865-7228. The tournaments will take probably place on a weekend late afternoon, once a month. They will be free and hopefully include food and prizes. Once we get a few going, it will be easier and easier to make game nights a regular event.... Click "comment" to give feedback!
To read about popular gaming programs at other libraries, check out: http://libgaming.blogspot.com/

The Golden Compass is in theatres! See it for cheap with other fans!

2007-12-07T11:17:00.001-05:00

If you can wait 'till Wednesday, Dec. 12 to see it, the library is leading a group to see the film at the Roxy Cinema. We'll meet at the library at 3:30, head across the street and watch the movie and eat popcorn, all for $4 due to the generosity of Merrill's Roxy Cinema! Then we'll head back to the library by 6pm. Call me or email with your name and number to sign up by Monday, Dec. 10. (Contact info at left)
Enjoy this cinematic event with other Golden Compass fans!

Get psyched by going to the official website, www.goldencompassmovie.com, where you can choose daemons and read the alethiometer. Or, turn to any news site to read about the controversy surrounding the book and its symbolic representation of the Catholic church.
What do you think about that controversy? Do you have high or low expectations about the movie in general? What do you think would be most difficult to adapt from the book? Comment!

What's Coming In...

2007-12-04T15:51:00.001-05:00

Place your holds: these books are hot stuff!

Either newly released or on bestseller lists, these books or on order or in demand at Fletcher Free:

Extras by Scott Westerfield

-- new in a series, lots of holds!

Slam by Nick Hornby

-- a hit, on order

Rhett Butler's People,

a sequel to Gone With the Wind -- on order

The The Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick -- so popular!

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman --

the movie's out this friday,

so everyone wants to read it first!

The Nixie's Song

(Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles #1)

by Holly Black -- on order

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Halloween's long gone, but vampire fandom

definitely isn't...

Books to Escape In...

2007-11-28T11:58:00.000-05:00

When the winter dreariness sets in, sometimes there’s nothing better than curling up with a book so absorbing that you read it in one sitting and don’t even notice that your foot is in pins and needles. Here are some of our favorites to escape the gray chill…

Which reads keep you comatose on the couch? Click "comment" to share your own picks so others can enjoy them!

East by Edith Pattou

If you like fantasy and folklore, this retelling of East of the Sun and West of the Moon will satisfy and entertain! --Christine

Joy School by Elizabeth Berg

Katie is so loveable because she notices all the right details. It's a quick read about her first true love. (Sequel to Durable Goods because the author loved the character so much) --Cara

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

Mystery, humor, romance, and a big stinky dog. --Beth

The Ramsay Scallop by Frances Temple
An adventure, a romance, and a fascinating slice of 13th-century medieval European life! --Christine

The Beduin's Gazelle by Frances Temple
Medieval Arabia in all its glory! Plus a romance and thrilling adventure! (Companion to The Ramsay Scallop) --Christine

Someone to Run With by David Grossman

Another big dog, pulling Israeli narrator Assaf along a mysterious path through the back streets of Jerusalum. Imagination meets difficult realities of life for young street performers, but hope prevails! --Cara

New Position just for the Teen Area

2007-11-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

Hi, I'm Cara, the new Americorps*VISTA at Burlington's library. I studied English at Middlebury College, and in the two years since I left Vermont I have been teaching environmental education in gorgeous places across the Western hemisphere.
And now I’m here to enable your every wish! Well, not quite fairy-godmother style, but I’ll do my best…
My job will be to see what ideas you have for Young Adult materials and programming, and then to raise money and other resources to make it happen.
I'm psyched about lots of possibilities, including gaming nights, internet searching contests, book groups, decorating the teen space, printing a magazine, and programs to learn computer applications. (And that's just the beginning...)

Come check out the new space, post a quick review on the bulletin board, or make a request for a book, audio book or DVD you don't see in our catalog.

You can get involved now! Sign up at the library or email me to join the Teen Advisory Board and get control over what happens with teen services! (clovell@ci.Burlington.vt.us)
Or, put your name on a list to volunteer (and get community service credit) shelving books in the youth section.
Hope to see you soon...