Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Book Review: Every Day


Ever wake up and feel like you’re someone else? You roll out of bed, feel off your game, and you don’t recognize that person in the mirror with severe bedhead.

But for 16-year-old “A,” in David Levithan’s Every Day, that literally happens every morning: he (we assume A’s a he; but A has been both male and female) wakes up in another 16-year-old body. Gay and straight, rich and poor, black, white, Asian and Hispanic--A has been them all. Because A leaves his host when he goes to bed that night, he tries not to interact much with those around him. Until he wakes up in the body of Justin, and falls in love with Justin’s self-conscious but kind girlfriend Rhiannon. Now all of A’s rules about not getting attached go out the window, and he does whatever it takes to be with her, every day, no matter what body he’s in, no matter how far he has to travel. It requires his hosts doing and saying things they don’t normally do—and a slip-up one evening risks exposing who and what he is in a very big way.
Every Day is one of the more unique stories I have read in a while, and it provides food for thought: Can you still love a person for what he/she really is on the inside, even when what's on the outside is always changing? A and Rhiannon's struggle to make it work tugs at your heartstrings and makes you root for the impossible to become, somehow, someday, some way, possible.
Deb B.
CC Library

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Spooky Reads

 

In between pumpkin carving and costume parties, we hope you’re making some time for some very spooooky reads. We think these short story collections let you decide the right amount of spooky, scary, and creepy that you can handle.

If you’re into the classics, you could take out any of our books by Edgar Allen Poe, the master of the horror short story.  For a more modern flair, we have The Restless Dead, edited by Deborah Noyes; Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror, edited by R.L. Stine; and Darkness Creeping: Twenty Twisted Tales by Neal Shusterman.

So maybe you'll just read a story or two; maybe you'll devour the whole book (Ha! Get it?). Just don't blame us if you can't sleep afterwards, Fraidy Cat.  ;)

Deb B.
CC Library

Monday, October 01, 2012

Fun Fall Food Crafts at CC Library!




FUN FALL FOOD CRAFTS
Chester County Library - Struble Room
October 19, 2012
4:30-6:00 pm

Just in time for Halloween....Come to Chester County Library to learn how to make fun food crafts to eat and take home!  You can take the recipes home, too.

This FREE event is for students in 6th grade and older (no younger siblings, please). Registration is required, and you must register by October 17th.  To register, please email tlc@ccls.org, or sign up in person at the Youth Services Desk at Chester County Library.

Hope to see you there!

Lisa U.
CC Library



Friday, September 07, 2012

Book to Movie: The Perks of Being a Wallflower


ATTENTION: All Stephen Chbosky fans!  The Perks of Being a Wallflower (published in 1999) has been made into a movie, and the release date is September 21st.  Stars include Logan Lerman (of Percy Jackson fame) as Charlie, a likeable, introverted high school freshman who's trying to fit in; Emma Watson as Sam, Charlie's first love; and Ezra Miller as Patrick, a senior who becomes Charlie's best friend.

Here is a short summary:

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school in 1991-92. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

If you go to see this movie, I'd love to hear what you think.  Did the movie follow the book?  Was the cast believable?  Looking forward to this one!

Lisa U.
CC Library

 

Thursday, August 09, 2012

NPR's 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels

Ah, lists.....you love them, you hate them....and EVERYONE seems to have at least one to share.  National Public Radio (NPR) asked for favorite young adult novels, and more than 75,000 people responded.  They compiled a Top 100 List, along with a list of the 235 finalists. 

Do you agree with this list?  Would you add or remove any titles?  I'd love to hear what you think!

Lisa U.
CC Library