FRIDAY: Game Night @YMCA

Sure you could go to the Twilight movie and spend your hard earned cash.... OR you could come to the YMCA and play for FREE. Join us @ 8 for an evening of rockin' fun! (And see Twilight on Saturday afternoon during matinee pricing!)

November Teen Happenings

And the winner is...

Anthony Prince. Hope you enjoy the iPod shuffle you won just for visiting the Teen Zone during Teen Read Week.

Meet the Author--Ben Mikaelsen

September Teen Events

September is National Library Card Sign-up Month. Stop in to replace your missing card for FREE!

And the winner is...

Morgan Wood. She won the $200 gift certificate to Eastridge Mall. Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Teen Summer Reading Program. The 556 teens who signed up read over 12,900 hours this summer.

Lori's Review: Blackwater by Jeremy Scahill

Blackwater is a complicated (challenging) read and the author is very opinionated. The book covers the use of mercinaries in Iraq, privitization of the Army, and the risks of Blackwater. It also covers the history of Blackwater and its founder, the modern threats in the war in Iraq, and why people need to be aware of the Blackwater organization. This novel exposes people and organizations inside the government who are corrupted and holding back the nation.
Rating: 4Q, 2P

Lori's review: Questions You Can't Ask Your Mama About Sex by Craig Gross and Mike Foster

This is an informative book for teens and pre-teens about sex and the dirty facts tabloids don't expose. This short read is intense, yet funny and factual. It's straight-forward, honest, and probably not for younger readers. Not because of inappropriate content, but rather for the blunt tone of the book. This novel was written for young teens so that they have informed answers to sex questions they feel they cannot ask their parents. As the book was written by a church (Christian) organization, it cites sections of the Bible to help enforce the idea of sexual purity. In a world so unwilling to educate teens to the real consequences of sex, I found this book to be a breath of fresh air.
Rating: 4Q, 2P

Rachel's Review: Wolf's Rain vol 1 & 2 by Keiko Nobumato Bones

Four boys, Kiba, Hige, Toboe, and Tsume are all heading out of their city to find one thing; Paradise. Tsume is a gang leader, has no friends and is very prideful. Toboe, the youngest, is a boy looking of a home and friends. Hige, a boy who is always hungry, has no home, and an incredible sense of smell. Kiba never lets his guard down and always follows his instinct, which keeps him out of trouble. Normal sound boys, right? Wrong. They change into wolves and they're being chased for it. Can they find paradise before they get killed?
Rating: 4Q, 4P

Carrie's Review: After Dark by Haruki Murakami

After Dark is a chilling and mysterious novel that takes place in the streets of Tokyo between midnight and sunrise. During the course of these seemingly dead hours, readers find the city at its peak. Murakami intertwines several unsuspecting character plots together as strangers meet and help one another. The book also plunges into a spooky supernatural world where it is not impossible to unexpectedly fall into the other side of the TV. This novel was a fast yet intriguing read. It is certainly one that will have to be read more than once in order to understand the important lessons that make up After Dark. Murakami's novel is filled with symbolism and realistic human characters and make for an enjoyable and thoughtful read.
Rating: 5Q, 3.5P

Mary's Review: Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers

This is the kind of book that a person could finish in two hour, if they really set their minds to it. Its more a novella than novel, which is both its greatest strength and greatest weakness. On the one hand its not a book about the ISSUES, its a book with an issue, and that makes it feel much less heavy handed than a lot of YA fiction. Johnny is a goth who accidentally overdoses at a club, and is sent to rehab where he decides he wants to go somewhere else with his life. This is the first time he hears the titular singer Debbie Harry. His single mom, still grieving the death of Johnny's father, sends him across the country to live with his uncle following the rehab. It's there that Johnny starts piecing life back together, finding a father figure in his uncle and a girl he loves.He also begins to realize that his love for Debbie Harry extends to wanting to be her. Or at least to wanting to dress up like her. Johnny's journey is covered nicely for the novel's short length, making it solely his journey in a way many books don't. The story is an emotional rollercoaster condensed, and the reader really feels for the protagonist. On the downside, the protagonist is more or less the only one the readers feel for. Barring Johnny's girlfriend Maria the cast is mainly peripheral. We see them when they affect Johnny's life, but not beyond that. We may like or dislike them, but we are never really allowed to care. We know that Johnny's mother suffered a crippling depression, for example, and that his uncle went through an ugly divorce, but we never see the details nor feel those characters' pain. It's Johnny's story from start to finish. Even considering that, the plot is interesting enough to warrant a read, though some readers might be turned away by the cross dressing subject matter.
Final Verdict: 3Q, 3P

The High Strung Concert

The Golden Compass--pick up your book today @ TZ desk!!

Movies Transform @ your library

Game On!

Game On! --this Wednesday from 2-3:30. There are a few surprises in store to transform our normal DDR/GH2 regime. Don't miss your chance to become a Legend and Rock out in our band.

Krav Maga

For those of you who attended the awesome Krav Maga workshop this afternoon (or for those unable to attend), here is the link to Casper Martial Arts website http://www.caspermartialarts.com/

You can find more information about Krav Maga and a schedule of the classes. They teach beginning Krav Maga on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12-1pm and 730-830pm. Contact them for more information.

Thanks again to Sharon, Mark & Joey for such an outstanding workout. We now know a few basic self defense moves to protect ourselves.

May Events for Teens

Social Networking & Online Safety part 2

The Today Show ran another story today about the dangers of MySpace and YouTube and the thrill teens seem to be getting from posting stunt videos.

Below is a list of websites that are great resources with common sense tips to keep yourself safe and preserve your rights to access the Internet. Always remember to check the policies of the sites like MySpace and YouTube. They include safety tips and places to report inappropriate behavior/postings.

Click here for a guide to social networking from YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Assocation).

Wired Safety has great information about keeping yourself and others safe on the Internet.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children runs a site called Netsmartz, which is intended to educated kids, teens, parents, and teachers about various pieces of Internet safety.

Finally, here is a list of books we have available at NCPL regarding online safety.

006.702 Buckley
The Rough Guide to MySpace & Online Communities by Peter Buckley. 2006

006.702 Courtney
Logged On and Tuned Out: a nontechie’s guide to parenting a tech-savvy generation by Vicki Courtney. 2007

006.702 Goodstein
Totally Wired: what teens and tweens are REALLY doing online by Anastasia Goodstein. 2007

006.702 Kelsey
Generation MySpace: helping your teen survive online adolescence by Candice M. Kelsey. 2007

006.702 Magid
MySpace Unraveled: a parent’s guide to teen social networking by Larry Magid and Anne Collier. 2007

006.702 Melton
What in the World are Your Kids Doing Online? by Barbara Melton & Susan Shankle. 2007

006.702 Neal
MySpace for Moms & Dads: a guide to understanding the risks and the rewards by Connie Neal. 2007

006.702 Willard
Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens: helping young people learn to use the internet safely and responsibility by Nancy E. Willard. 2007

Today in the News: MySpace, bullying, & revenge

Headline: Teens videotape beating as revenge for online posts

According to a report on this morning's Today Show, 8 teenagers in Florida have been arrested for beating another 16-year-old girl. They videotaped the 30 minutes beating and were going to post it online as retribution because she had bullied them on MySpace. Click here for the story and video.

What can you do to keep yourself safe online and in the "Real World"?

• Report bullying and inappropriate behavior (online or otherwise) to the proper authorities (ex. parents, school officials, MySpace, police).
• If you fail to report an incident like the one that took place in Florida, you could be charged as an accessory.
• Remember, MySpace and the Internet are public places. Anything you post online is there forever. So be careful.
• Think before you post!
  

April Events for Teens

And the winners are...

The winners of our Teen Tech Week drawing were announced at Friday night's Dinner & a Movie.

Kaleb Gallegos won a $15 iTunes card
Stephanie Berg won a $15 iTunes card
Carrie Pardee won a pair of Sony earbuds
Josh Harvey won a pair of Sony earbuds
Bridget Crofut won a cooler/portable mp3 docking station.

It pays to visit the TZ... stay tuned for our next drawing.

What can you do to celebrate Teen Tech Week?

Join us for these events:
Today, Tuesday, March 4: Anime Club from 4:00-5:30
Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5: Open House in the TZ from 4-5 (food & fun to celebrate the new TZ website)
Friday, March 7: Dinner & a Movie featuring "School of Rock" 5-7:30pm
Monday, March 10: Game On! from 2-4pm
Tuesday, March 18: In the Zone: "What's on your iPod?" from 4-5

25 Things you can do for Teen Tech Week (courtesy of YALSA)

1. Download an eBook or audiobook onto your mp3 player.
2. Visit your local library's webpage.
3. Blog about a library book or program.
4. Try out a book focused site like LibraryThing or Shelfari.
5. Create a soundtrack for your favorite book.
6. Ask your librarian to recommend a non-fiction book on an area of technology that interests you.
7. Add something to an article on Wikipedia.
8. Set up a podcast for a group or club you belong to.
9. Many young adult authors welcome email from their readers, and some even have their own MySpace profiles. Why not send them a message in honor of Teen Tech Week?
10. Check out some video games, DVDs or music CDs from your library.
11. Create an avatar on Yahoo! Avatars.
12. Start a Teen Tech Club at your school or public library.
13. Read and contribute to a blog about technology.
14. Practice your HTML skills on your MySpace.
15. Watch some anime or startup an anime club at your library.
16. Create a YouTube video about your library or a favorite book.
17. Download a newspaper article from the day you were born from an electronic database.
18. Volunteer to help clean the computers and media at your library.
19. Volunteer to tutor library customers who are new to using computers.
20. Learn how to DeeJay music or record music with a computer.
21. Search in a biography database for an article about your favorite musical artist.
22. Learn how to use some new software.
23. Take a class on graphic design or digital photography.
24. Create a database of something you want to organize.
25. Start a del.icio.us, Twitter or Flickr account.

"Tune In @ Your Library" Teen Tech Week

March Events for Teens

New Teen Zone Webpage

We have a new and improved Teen Zone webpage. Check it out!! http://www.natronacountylibrary.org/TZ/home.html

February is for book lovers

Week 3: Contest Winner

Last week's winner for our Live Homework Help contest was Adrielle Houser. She won $20 in Casper Cash. Even though the contest is over, make sure to log on to Live Homework Help (http://www.natronacountylibrary.org) for all your homework needs. It's free and all you need is Internet and a library card to get help in math, science, social studies, & English.

February Events for Teens

Game On!, Harry Potter, and Free $$

Game On! (DDR & GH2) is today @ 3:30. Remember, today is also the last day to enter the homework help drawing.

For those still in love with HP , don't forget our Harry Potter Book Chat/party is Tuesday, Jan. 29th @ 4, in the Teen Zone!

Have a great weekend!

Week 2: Contest Winner

Last week's winner for our Live Homework Help contest was Cheyanne Hobb. She won $20 in Casper Cash. If you want to win this week, make sure to log on to Live Homework Help (http://www.natronacountylibrary.org) and then stop by the library and enter. It's free, you can get homework help, and win $20 that you can spend virtually anywhere in Casper. REMEMBER, the last day to enter is Friday, Jan 25!! So hurry up already :D !

Week 1: Contest Winner

Last week's winner for our Live Homework Help contest was Anthony Prince. He won $20 in Casper Cash. If you want to win this week, make sure to log on to Live Homework Help (http://www.natronacountylibrary.org) and then stop by the library and enter. It's free, you can get homework help, and win $20 that you can spend virtually anywhere in Casper. Sweet!