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Popular Names

by Miss Holly

How do you feel about your name? Is there a story behind why your parents chose it? How many of your friends have the same name as you, perhaps with a different spelling? In 1997, the most popular names for girls were Emily, Jessica, Ashley, Sarah and Hannah. The most popular names for boys (same year) were Michael, Jacob, Matthew, Christopher, and Joshua. I’ll bet you have friends with these names.

Names tend to be popular for a period of time and then go out of fashion. Think about your parents friends. Do they have names in common? My parents chose “Holly” in part because I was born around Christmas time. Also, “Holly” was the brunette Barker’s Beauty on the Price is Right, a television game show that was extremely popular when I was little. When I was in 5th grade, I had a best friend whose name was also “Holly”. I’m not sure why her parents chose the name, but she had dark hair like mine, so maybe they were fans of “The Price is Right” themselves. Hardly anyone names their child “Holly” anymore.

Have you ever wondered why authors choose certain names for their characters? Would you name a child (or a pet) Cassia or Katniss? Those are the names of popular YA characters right now, but will your children or grandchildren like those names? Or will they fade away like the “Bertha’s and Beulah’s” of years past? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

The Michael L. Printz Award

Cover: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

by Miss Hillary

As a younger person, you probably read picture books with a Caldecott award on the front and Newbery award chapter books. You might not know that there is a new award given to young adult literature! The Michael L. Printz award is given to young adult literature with exceptional writing. It was named for a high school teacher from Kansas who was active in the Young Adult Library Services Association. He had a unique vision for the future of young adult literature.

The award began in 2000, and has honored a great many books ever since! The great thing about the Printz award is that they honor young adult literature regardless of genre or format. Graphic novels, books of poetry, and non-fiction books have been honored along with novels. In our teen zone, you can find a great many Printz award and honor books, even the winner for 2012! Check out the full list of winners and honor books here!

2012 Winner: Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
2012 Honor Books:
Why We Broke Up, by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman
The Returning, by Christine Hinwood
Jasper Jones, by Craig Silvey
The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater

Writing

by Miss Alicia

Have you ever felt excited, disappointed, jealous, proud, nervous, angry, or hopeful? These are all emotions that everyone has experienced, especially during their teen years. A great way to express these feelings is through writing. For me, writing about my experiences helps me release any bad emotions associated with that experience and writing about good memories is important because those are the ones you won’t ever want to forget. I know that as I have gotten older, I have forgotten many of the recollections I had growing up, and wish I would have written more about the important events in my life. The first step in writing about your life is to find a writing journal. Journals are a great and inexpensive way to keep all of your thoughts together and in order. Once you have your journal, you can find a secret place to keep it and a cozy place to do the writing. Let the writing begin!

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose." ~From the television show The Wonder Years.

Safety

by Barbara

Be careful who you spend time with. Choose your friends wisely, and if you find yourself in the company of someone doing the wrong things, have a backup plan or an escape route. Make sure to plan ahead for bad situations. Set up a code word with your parents or a relative you can count on to help out, You can have a secret word or number to use, to let them know you need them to come pick you up, if you're not driving. If your parents are using text, you can send your code and the address or location. Just remember that hanging out with the wrong crowd can be dangerous, because you can get caught up in their trouble.

Learn to Draw

by Miss Hillary

You like to draw, don’t you? Do you like to draw comic strips? Manga? Cartoons? Maybe you’re more of a traditionalist and you like to draw landscapes and portraits!

What’s that? You CAN’T draw? Nonsense. With a little practice, anyone can draw. We have tons of awesome drawing books here at the library. Not only do we have books on how to draw specific things, but also on how to use different materials like charcoal and pastels.

What kind of specific things can you learn how to draw? Well, we have books on drawing pirates, superheroes, cars, robots, monsters, dragons, vampires, horses, Disney villains and princesses, Poke’mon, Avatar: The Last Airbender, insects, aliens, knights, cats, giants, and many more!

Very soon, you’ll be on your way to becoming the next big artist! You’ll be churning out unique creations in no time!

100 Best-Ever Teen Novels

by Miss Hollyl

Are you looking for something new to read? Try the 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels List compiled by the people at NPR. They received over 75000 votes during their poll, from teens and adults who enjoy reading YA fiction. From John Green to Judy Blume, there is surely an author that you will enjoy! Many of the titles listed are available for checkout in the YP Department.

Heritage Trail and Rails-To-Trails Conservancy

by Mrs. Clark

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I enjoy the change from the sometimes oppressive heat of summer. Fall offers beautiful colors that we do not see in spring. During this month if you find a day with nice fall weather and some free time consider giving the Heritage Trail a try.

On the Heritage Trail one can walk, run, bike, roller blade, skate, scooter, push a stroller or propel a wheelchair. The trail is paved and uses land that was formerly the Pennsylvania Railroad corridor. Approximately 7 miles long, the trail begins at the west end of Indiana State University winds through downtown and ends near Hwy 40 and Wabash Avenue.

Terre Haute’s Trail is a part of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, whose mission it is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors. One wonderful outgrowth of Rails-to-Trails is the building of healthier places for healthier people. This nationwide movement began in 1986. More than 20,000 mile of trails are now available for exploration across the country.

If you’d like more information about the trails or how you can become active in creating more trails checkout these books!

Your Great American Novel

by Miss Hillary

Are you a writer? Of course you are. You are a teenager, and being a teenager means that you always have a thought, an emotion, or a story banging around in your head that desperately needs to get out. Maybe you write short stories or journal entries. Maybe you write song lyrics or poetry. Maybe you are the person who is writing the next Great American Novel! Whatever you’re into, you can always get better.

As a teen, I filled up notebooks and notebooks with my writing, and looking back at it, I realize that most of it stunk worse than skunk road-kill. Let me tell you, for every one sentence I wrote that I still like, there are at least a dozen that sound ridiculously terrible. Let me tell you something else. That is perfectly all right.

Writing is a skill, and it’s a skill that takes a long, long, long time to improve. The only way to make it better is to write every day. No, that is not an option. Write EVERY DAY. Write about how you felt when you were rejected by your crush or when you got that A+. Write about what you think your dog does while you’re at school all day. Write about what you think would happen if everyone in the world was unable to talk for a whole week. Then write some more.

Don’t worry about writing the next Great American Novel. It’s not going to happen all at once. Write a story and share it with your friends. Read their stories and give them constructive feedback. Go back and read your stories and realize how much they need to improve. I’m still working on it, so you should too!

For more tips on teen writing, check out this article: 10 Things Teenage Writers Should Know About Writing by John Scalzi

eBooks for Teens

Mrs. Clark

Have you checked out Vigo County Public Library’s downloadable eBooks and audiobook collection? This is a free resource offered to you just like borrowing a book from the library there is no cost to you. You can browse the collection from your own home or anywhere you might have internet access. Books check out for a specified period of time just like in the physical library. Books which you would like to read but are unavailable can be placed on hold for you when you have signed in to your account using your Vigo County Library Card. It is great fun to receive an unexpected email notice saying a book is available for download. The book will wait for you for 3 days giving you time to get the book downloaded. Just remember like physical holds at the library your hold will expire and then you will have to request the title all over again.

A feature I noticed last month has been added to the Indiana Digital Media website offers patrons the option of BUY NOW. I was, of course, intrigued so I clicked on the link not knowing yet if I really wanted to pay for the book that was unavailable. The link gives you several book sellers to choose from if you actually want to buy the book. If the item you’re wanting is something you just cannot wait for maybe clicking and paying will be right for you. Vigo County Public Library will benefit from your commerce as a portion of the sale price is returned to your library.

Check out Overdrive and explore your options in downloadable eBooks and audiobooks today.

Rose-Hulman Homework Help Hotline

by Mrs. Clark

Are you finding math or science to be a challenge this school year?

If you are you might want to look to the Homework Hotline offered as a free community service by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. This Hotline receives financial support from a Lilly Endowment and is staffed by Rose-Hulman students who have been selected by professors and trained to answer your questions. You can call (toll free 1-877-ASK-ROSE) the Hotline between the hours of 7 and 10 pm Sunday through Thursday. This year the Hotline will begin taking questions on Sunday September 2. Students can also ask questions online when the Hotline is unavailable. A tutor will receive your question and respond to you during Hotline hours. Tutors have access to the textbooks used in Indiana Schools and can refer to your textbook as needed.

You can access the Homework Hotline from the Vigo County Public Library Website by clicking on the Young People’s tab then selecting Homework Helps. When you choose either Math or Science Help there is a link to the Homework Hotline.

Bluford High

Cover: Lost and Found by Anne E. Schraff

by Miss Holly

Have you heard of the Bluford Series? The books follow the lives of several inner-city teens through unexpected challenges, including drug use, bullying, teen pregnancy, and abusive relationships. Each book is a separate story, but many of the characters are reintroduced throughout the series. They are fairly short, averaging about 130 pages, and there are Reading Counts quizzes available for many of the titles. You can find the series by searching "Bluford High" in our catalog, or by browsing the Y rack in the Young People's Department. For more information, see Bluford High on LibraryThing.

Back to School

by Cindy

Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho, it’s off to school we go... Where has the summer gone! Many of you enjoyed our summer programs and met your reading club goals. You’ve experienced the worst drought/heat in over 50 years. Some of you attended summer school or had jobs. Hopefully you got to have some fun and managed to stay cool along the way.

I always enjoyed the start of a new school year. Getting new clothes was great, but agonizing over what to wear the first day was the pits. It’s like getting a whole new start and you have impressions to make! In my case, I really DID get to make a whole new start my senior year because that summer we moved from Indy’s south side (Southport) to the east side (Warren Central). I had met only a couple kids from my new school, so I was literally starting over. I was a "joiner," so it didn’t take me long to make new friends. Here are my Top Ten Tips for making this year the best ever:

10. Keep an open mind when meeting new people.
9. Introduce yourself to someone new.
8. Don’t hide; talk to people!
7. Join clubs.
6. Sign up to work on the crew for a play.
5. Try to get a good night’s sleep every night.
4. Keep up with your homework.
3. Go to sporting events and cheer for your team.
2. Cultivate your writing skills.

and the Top Tip is:

1. Come to the library for homework help and to get something to read for fun.

See you in September!

Cool, Man!

by Cindy

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy... So what have you been doing to stay cool this summer? Most summers when I was a teenager, I got paid to iron for my family and our minister’s family. We ironed EVERYthing in those days. NOT COOL!

The ways we stayed cool in "the olden days" were pretty much the same as they are now. Even though I grew up without air conditioning, we had a big ceiling fan that was supposed to draw the hot air up and out the attic. You couldn’t really FEEL it, but it did help. (I also spent a lot of time sitting directly in front of a regular fan.) No one had swimming pools in their yards back then, unless you count old wash tubs or tiny inflatable pools, so we played in the sprinkler a lot and had “hose” fights. But the best way to keep our cool was good old swimming. We practically lived at the Olympia Club in Beech Grove, Indiana (southside of Indianapolis). The main pool was Olympic-size and never felt crowded. I loved it when my dad would take us for evening swims.

Ahh, those were the days.

Bullying

by Miss Hillary

I was always the first present on the first day of school. I would have my book bag freshly packed with my pencils and notebooks, color coordinated with my folders for each class. I was always excited to see who would be in my classes and in my lunch period. Would I get to have math with my best friend? Would I get to have lunch with my latest crush? After that, my worries would turn to the biggest bully in the class.

As you might expect of a future teacher and librarian, I was a pretty big (self-professed) nerd. I loved schoolwork and extracurriculars like band, theater, and chorus, but I was far from the popular crowd. I was quite round, with freckles and pimples galore. My waist-length red hair stuck out in all directions, and my braces made me speak with a bit of a lisp. I was in the marching band, but I was far from what you would call athletic. I was chum in the waters of the bully pool.

But I had allies. I had a core group of similarly nerdy friends, who all excelled in school and in the arts, and we banded together. Sure, the lot of us were pockmarked, scrawny or rotund, severely lacking in the art of being cool, but we were friends. They showed me that it was okay to be more interested in musicals than in softball. Armed with humor, strength, and just a bit of self-esteem, the bullies couldn’t touch me.

For some of you, bullying may be something you experience every day. Know that you can always talk to an adult about it, whether it is a teacher, a parent, or a counselor. They can teach you some great strategies for disarming and ignoring people who are putting you down. Your first day of school should be a great one, and don’t worry. You will have math with your best friend, you’ll have lunch with your crush, and you won’t even bother with the biggest bully in your class.

31 Years of MTV

by Holly

Have you ever heard the song "Video Killed the Radio Star"? It was a very popular song back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. In fact, it was the first music video played on MTV! The all music video channel began broadcasting on August 1, 1981. When we were in middle school, my friends and I loved to watch music videos and sing and dance along with the stars. Of course, that was back when MTV actually played music!

When I was younger, music stores sold cassette tapes. The joy of this antique technology was that you could create a true "mix tape" for your best friend or your special crush! You put a blank tape in one side of a dual cassette recorder and then put the cassette from your favorite artist in the other side. By pushing both "play" and "record" on the blank tape and "play" on the favorite tape, you could transfer the songs. Sometimes, cassette players would try to "eat" the tape, and pull all of the ribbon out from the bottom, rendering it useless. If that happened, you needed to hunt down a ball point pen and insert it into the cassette tape hole so that you could rewind the tape! What a lot of trouble!

Thirty one years later, you can enjoy "Video killed the Radio Star" online via YouTube. Technology is always evolving. Some day, you may have to explain iPods to your own children!

Minty, The Bulter Cat

by Cindy

"Hello, Mr. Minty!" I say as I open my van door when I arrive home after a long day at work. Minty, my black and white "tuxedo" cat, is my personal butler. He greets me at my van, stands up on his back legs so I can pet the top of head, then leads me to my front door, "pawsing" along the way to turn and check to be sure I am following. He has other talents also. For instance, he plays the piano and watches out for the house and the other kitties in the family. Minty was a stray kitten when he was adopted by the tech crew of the play Cheaper by the Dozen that was presented at North Vigo High School about ten years ago. His name is short for "catmint," the color of green that they painted the set for the show. The first time I saw him I thought he was a new stuffed toy my daughter had brought home. Now he’s our Top Cat!

Meet Hillary!

by Cindy

Hillary Rains is the newest addition to the staff in the Young People’s Department. She’s had to jump in with both feet, since she arrived just ahead of the busiest time of our year! She will be doing a bit of everything (don’t we all!), but most of her work experience is with teens…so she will be joining us for teen events and Teen Advisory Board meetings. Hillary is a self-professed "book nerd," so look to her for some great suggestions when you are book hunting. She’s also a trivia nut. Here’s an interesting tidbit: She has taken the online test to be a contestant on Jeopardy. Perhaps one day we’ll see her on the tube winning thousands of dollars!

Meanwhile, she is working on her Master’s in Library Science from the University of Illinois. Stop by and meet her soon.

P.S. I’ll bet she loves Apples to Apples!

How Is Your Summer Going?

by Mrs. Clark

Sometimes summer is an exciting time to share with friends and family, but sometimes summer can mean separation from friends and routines we enjoy. This is when the famous phrase, “I‘m bored”, is uttered.

The next time you are bored…think of a skill that you need to learn. I am thinking of tasks people do routinely. These are not necessarily difficult tasks unless one does not know how to do them. Think about when you were small and you had to zip your coat. At first this can be a very frustrating task, but with practice it is a skill most people master. You probably can zip a jacket now without even looking at what you are doing. Tasks like ironing, cleaning the bathroom, mowing the lawn, and checking the oil in the car help us in everyday life.

What skill have you seen your parent or grandparent do that you could learn? Last week I was surprised to come home and find my teen had run a load of wash for me! She is learning a skill that will be important in life and I had one less load of laundry to do! This is definitely what I call a win-win situation. Maybe you’d like to learn how to work on a car or cook a meal. Don’t be bored this summer! Learn something new today!

Fireworks Safety

by Miss Alicia

Fireworks are super fun to shoot off, but they can also be very dangerous. Here are some very important safety tips to remember before and after using fireworks. Have fun and be safe!

Anyone under 18 should have adult supervision when using fireworks!
Fireworks should only be used outdoors.
Always have water ready if you are shooting fireworks.
Know your fireworks. You and your parents should always read the caution label before igniting.
Wear safety glasses whenever using fireworks.
Never relight a "dud" firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in water.
Soak spent fireworks with water before placing them in an outdoor garbage can.
Avoid using homemade fireworks or illegal explosives; they can kill you!
Do not allow young children to handle fireworks.
Always remain standing still while using sparklers; do not wave them, throw them or run with them.
Never light more than one sparkler at a time.
Sparklers remain hot after using them; drop into bucket of water after use.

Summer Fun @ The Library

by Cindy

"Nighttime is a particularly appealing time for teens, for it represents the often-longed for world of adults; of the unknown; of danger, romance, dreams, ghosts, and other night creatures; and the mysteries of the universe, loneliness, crime, evil, and death…to 'Own the Night' implies a level of mastery over these elements...many opportunities to explore, experience, and enjoy aspects of night. It might mean learning self-defense and safety measures when you are out at night...or learning how to write a ghost story...."*

Teens learned self-defense techniques at our first teen summer program on June 14. The next week we had fun doing "glow in the dark art." This week (June 28) we will have a Gory Food Contest (check out 20 Gory Foods for some ideas of food to enter) and a "Book Pass." We’ll share books with dark themes and suggest titles for a bookmark for YP while we sample and vote for our favorite "gory" dishes. Next week (July 5) we’ll learn how to write and tell ghost stories, and on July 12 you can dress up like a monster and enter the "America’s Next Top Monster" competition! Our programs are on Thursdays from 2:00-3:30 p.m., except for our last one, which will be a lock-in on Friday night, July 20, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The activity for the evening will be an "Own the Night Monopoly" tournament. TAB members are in the process of creating this one-of-a-kind monopoly game. Call the Young People’s Department @ 232–1113, ext. 2294, to register for programs or for more information.

* Copyrighted material reprinted with permission from CSLP from the 2012 CSLP Teen Summer Library Program Manual.

Good Bye High School, Hello College!

by Cindy

Teen volunteers are near and dear to my heart. I have been working with them for over 20 years now, and it’s hard parting with them…especially our Teen Advisory Board (TAB) members. We work closely together and get to be sort of like family, and every year we have to face “losing” a few members due to high school graduation. This year we had only one senior, but a very special one who has been a super-dedicated teen volunteer and TAB member since 8th grade. She worked an average of 86 hours a year while maintaining honor student status throughout her high school years. Simply incredible! Now she is moving upward and onward to Indiana University where she will study religion and anthropology on scholarship. My parting advice to her is a quote from Garrison Keillor: "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

Health and Safety for Athletes!

Cover: Strength Training for Teen Athletes by Karen Latchana Kenney

by Miss Holly

Are you involved in sports activities during the summer? Maybe you play for a middle school or a high school team and your practices start before school is officially in session. Perhaps you participate in a recreational league through your church, city or community. In order to reach your maximum athletic potential, you might want to do some research on strength training and endurance. The YP department has several materials that can help you learn what exercises are most beneficial for teenage athletes. The 613 section in our Nonfiction collection addresses the topics of Personal Health and Safety. There you can find a couple of new titles including, Strength Training for Teen Athletes and Sports Nutrition for Teen Athletes.

Hungry?

by Mrs. Clark

Have you ever tried cold soup? The cold soup I am familiar with is called Gazpacho. It is made using many tasty vegetables. If you choose to mince all the vegetables you can share it with friends and see if they can guess what ingredients make up the soup. Although mincing all the ingredients does change the texture of the soup.

Gazpacho Soup (serves 10)

4 cups tomato juice
1 onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
1 cucumber, chopped
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon white sugar
salt and pepper to taste

In a blender or food processor, combine tomato juice, onion, bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, tarragon, basil, parsley, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend until well-combined but still slightly chunky. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

When you have gathered the ingredients, maybe even some vegetables from your own garden try this delicious cold soup on a nice warm day.

The Greatest Spectacle In Racing

by Cindy

Growing up in Indianapolis meant I went to the Indy 500 every year, right? Wrong!!!!! Of course, I listened to it on my portable radio every year. In fact, while I was listening to it on May 30, 1958, my little sister was born! It was also the day Pat O’Connor, a young father, was killed in a crash. My cousin went the year Eddy Sachs got killed; that was pretty bad. When I was 16, I drove over on the night before the race to see the traffic with my girlfriends (how goofy!), and the next year I went to time trials one day, also with a group of friends. If memory serves me right, we spent more time walking AROUND the track getting a tan, than WATCHING it. It was “cool” to walk around the big oval. Finally, at age 19, I went to “THE RACE.” It was a yucky gray day and we parked in the infield. (We were poor college students.) We had to walk way up to the fence to seen anything. My fiancé was sick at his stomach all day, so he was a barrel of laughs. NOT! I spent a great part of the day reading Rosemary’s Baby, and, wouldn’t you know it, listening to the race on the radio!

Remember my sister who was born on Race Day 1958? SHE got a job with the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and got to sit in an AIR CONDITIONED BOX several years in a row and eat Kentucky Fried Chicken all day!

Looking Ahead, Getting Ahead

by Mrs. Clark

Teens what do you plan to do with your summer? Fun with friends and time in the sun are most likely at the top of your list. Have you thought about how you will have money to spend for the fun your wanting?

Is a summer job in your near future?

If so now is the time to plan. If you wait until school is out to begin looking for a job you may be missing out on a job. Check out some of the resources at the library. Employment books are found in the non-fiction section in the 650’s. Sign in at the computer lab and search available jobs from a reputable local source.

Even before you have a lead you need to think about collecting the information that will be needed to complete a job application. It may look easy at first but the application asks you to supply a lot of information and most applications are now completed on-line so there’s no going home and looking for the answers or asking Mom or Dad to answer for you. Plan ahead and have all the information you will need written down neatly and bring it with you. While you’re thinking ahead begin to think about what adults you have had experience with over the years that might be willing to write a letter of recommendation for you. Be sure the person you’re asking has a positive perception of you and/or your work. Contact these adults now and let them know you would like to use their name as a reference on job applications for this summer. It is up to you to ask and remember that adult can say no. Don’t fret just move on.

One last thought do you want to work outside or inside? Outside sounds wonderful on nice weather days but can be terrible on hot humid summer days. Does a climate controlled store sound more your style? Think about all the locations people go for goods and services. What type of work appeals to you? Do you have the clothes you will need or will they be supplied to you?

By looking ahead now you will be getting ahead this summer and have the money to fund your summer fun.