Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Read by: Anna/Copley Teen Room

 I picked up this book only because the cover of the third book in the series really drew me in. I loved the character’s white hair, and the fairies flying around her head. It turns out, Bertie loves to dye her hair in different outrageous colors. In the first book it’s blue, with the wild name of Cobalt Flame. Bertie was left at a magical theater when she was just a little child and doesn’t remember her mother. The theater, is home to every character ever written into a play, from Hamlet to the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid. These characters are bound to the theater, unable to leave its confines through the use of magic. But what happens when one of those characters, figures out a way to free himself? Bertie, must find a way to stop him from destroying the entire theater, all while proving her usefulness by directing a new production of Hamlet in less than a week.

 This book was a great lighthearted read. My favorite parts had the four fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream making trouble and causing laughs. It was an enjoyable surprise to find out who Bertie’s mother actually was, and I also liked the fact that all the characters stayed in character even when they were not acting in a play. Nate, from The Little Mermaid was constantly dressed, acting, and talking like a pirate, for example, even when he was talking to Ophelia who constantly wanted to drown herself on the Little Mermaid set. The interactions between the characters were the best part of this book for me, and I’m wondering what will happen in the next book when Bertie leaves the theater to continue her adventures.

 WATER is the best thing you can drink. We all know this. But do you know some of the specifics as to why it’s better than soda, or even Gatorade? Here are a few details that might help make it all make sense:

Water is a great stress reducer! It will ease tension, give you more energy, slow your breathing, and reduce strain on your heart. When you’re dehydrated, the effects of stress are greatly increased. Drink water throughout the day and you won’t feel fuzzy in the brain, your headache and tense muscles will both ease up as well.

Yes, drinking water helps to reduce weight.   When you’re dehydrated, your body is not working at maxim efficiency. But when you’re not dehydrated, your body is enhancing digestion and muscle function while you excercise, both of which help you loose more weight in a safe, natural way.

Water can help you stay healthy! Your mucous membranes help to keep germs and other nastiness out of your body. Keeping yourself hydrated keeps those membranes working like a well-oiled machine, and thus, keeping the nasties out of your body, such as a cold or flu. If you should get sick, drinking water will reduce the severity of your illness, getting you back on your feet a lot sooner than without.

Remember what I just said about keeping your mucous membranes in top working order? When you’re on an airplane you’re in close proximity to a lot of people and a lot of germs, along with dry air, making you more likely to get sick. But again, drinking water keeps those bugs at bay, even on an airplane.

Body temperature out of whack? Drink water! Drinking water on a cool day will bring your temperature up and drinking it on a warm day will cool you off. The hypothalamus in the brain is what helps your body to determine whether you should be sweating to get cool or shivering to stay warm, but it won’t work as well as it should if you’re dehydrated. Many people drink less water in the winter because they don’t think they need it. The truth is, you do. And it doesn’t matter what your age is, where you live, what the weather is, what you ate for breakfast, or whether or not you did your homework last night, dehydration affects everyone. So drink your water and keep your body at the perfect temperature it should be year round.

Are you thinking of giving blood any time soon? Drink two glasses of water right before you do and you’ll lower the chance of fainting afterward. The Red Cross wants you to have a good experience giving blood so that you’ll return again and again. But when people faint, they’re likely to call it a day and never return. So drink your water and  visit the Red Cross the next time you get a chance.

Don’t you think those are more than enough reasons to drink water on a regular basis? Here are a few water drinking tips to help you keep it up:

When you’re flying, bring an empty bottle with you and refill it once you get past airport security. Make yourself the goal of finishing it before you land at your destination, and don’t hesitate to ask the flight attendant for refills while you’re in the air.

 Start swapping out one soda, cup of coffee, or high-calorie hot chocolate a day with an equal amount of water. Carry a bottle of water with you wherever you go so you don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated. Of course, drink more when you’re physically active, whether in water, snow, or any weather condition.

Dehydration can occur at night while you’re sound asleep. Sure, you can’t do anything about it while it’s happening, but you can drink a glass of water when you get up every morning. By doing so, you’ll also give yourself a bit of an energy boost, and who doesn’t need that in the morning? If you are the type to wake up in the night, keep a bottle of water by your bedside or a cup next to the bathroom sink.

NOTE: If you do put a bottle of water by your bed every night, or carry one around with you during the day, invest in a reusable stainless steel water bottle. Why? Because it takes up to 1,000 YEARS for disposable plastic water bottles to decompose. Also, 38 billion water bottles end up in landfills every year; enough if laid end-to-end to circle the globe 150 times… EVERY YEAR!

Approximately 25% of bottled water is actually municipal water (ie tap water) that has been treated and packaged in disposable plastic bottles. Think about it, what makes that different than your own, much cheaper water, right out of the kitchen sink? Save money and the planet by using a reusable water bottle.

Stainless Steel is tough stuff. Unlike aluminum bottles, it resists denting to a higher level and thus, lasts that much longer. It’s also dishwasher safe, so you can be as lazy as you want if you don’t like to hand wash your dishes. Stainless steel is impermeable, which means it does not retain any odors or flavors from anything that is put in it. These are great for hot or cold drinks as they do not change shape due to change in temperature, and stainless steel is great for holding food items too.

Why is stainless steel better for your health? Let’s compare it to plastic and aluminum, the common materials used in water bottles. Many popular, inexpensive plastic water bottles contain BPA (Bisphenol-A), and studies have shown that this substance has cancer causing tendencies. Raw or uncoated aluminum food service products have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease so virtually all aluminum bottle vendors line their bottles to minimize this risk. But liners have a habit of flaking or cracking off, leaving you with the plain aluminum underneath. Those linings are also “Flavor Savors” which hold strong flavors that can’t be washed out. Meanwhile, the steel used for making stainless steel bottles is safe and does not emit any toxic substances as bottles made out of plastic and aluminum do. It does not need to be lined with anything either. It’s perfectly safe, perfectly durable, and they aren’t that expensive. Why choose anything else?

  
The information posted here originated from this Yahoo! article: http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/photos/5-best-reasons-drink-water#0

And these other websites:

http://www.purastainless.com/about/yourbottle.php

http://www.thegreenlivingexpert.com/stainless-steel-water-bottles.html

Benefits of Stainless Steel Water Bottle By Priya R Nair

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Read by: Anna / Copley Teen Room

Are you looking for an enchanting read? Night Circus is the story of a young man and a young woman pitted against each other in a strange, twisted magical challenge that could very well last for years, maybe even until they die. There are no set parameters for the challenge that they know of. Both of their instructors are vague on the details, but what each of them does know, is that the strange circus, unlike any circus you’ve ever been to, is their playground, the place where they can experiment with real magic, and challenge each other. These are not parlor tricks they play. They do not pull rabbits out of hats or slot rings together. They do not ride on the backs of elephants or send large cats through hoops of fire. Instead, they make wishing trees, and caves of ice, places where the circus patrons can venture through and explore, things they can create for each other. Even as love blossoms between them, they rarely ever meet in person.

 This is no ordinary circus. The gates don’t open until dark, and they don’t close until dawn. The circus arrives one day with nothing to announce it’s coming. And it leaves just the same. It is simply there one day, and gone the next. The cast of characters that inhabit the circus are just as interesting as the two main characters, for it is they, who make up the circus: The fortune teller, who’s in love with one of the challengers, the illusionist, the contortionist, the two twins with shocking red hair, one born just before the first ever opening of the circus, and the other born just after.

 This is a riveting read you won’t be able to put down until the very end. Trust me on this. Pick up your copy today, and give it a read. You will be glad you did. And maybe someday, somewhere around the world you’ll see those famous black and white striped tents, and the magical clock striking midnight in your backyard…

Employers love to see potential employees who arrive prepared to get the job. Having a good resume is one way to accomplish that. To impress your future employer,  learn to write a great resume from the folks at the Mayor’s Youth Council, and get yourself ready for that summer job.

This workshop is only a few weeks before our Job/Internship Fair happening on February 11th from 12pm-3pm!

So if you’re looking to go to the Fair, then you should definitely check out the resume workshop to get your resume up to par and ready to hand out! Also, if you attend the resume workshop, don’t forget to attend the Fair so you have a place ready to accept your resumes!!!

Hope to see you there!

Living Dead Girl By Elizabeth Scott

Read by: Kate Procyshyn / Floater Librarian

 When “Alice” was 10, Ray kidnapped her from the aquarium, where she was visiting with her class.Alicehad been separated from her friends because of a fight she had about sharing her lip gloss. Ray pretends to be a concerned Aquarium worker, but stealthily takes her back to his car.

What follows areAlice’s recollections of the past 5 years living as Alice, Ray’s child slave. AsAlicenears 15 she begins to feel that Ray will want to replace her with another child.Alicebegins to hope that she will be able to return to her life, her family onDaisy Lane, but knows that Ray will go one with his horrible ways with another child after her; just as she knows that she was not the first child to suffer Ray’s ways.

The subject matter is profoundly disturbing, butAlice’s character unfolds with such haunting imagery that the reader is held captive wondering if she will return to life beforeAlice, or suffer the consequences of fate held at Ray’s hands. A most disturbing young adult book that deals with suffering, loss of self, and pedophilia.

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

 Read by: Kate Procyshyn/Floater Librarian

Mikey’s sister, Karyn, claims to have been sexually assaulted by Tom Parker. Mikey gets it into his head to get his friends together and beat Tom Parker up. Through rumor Mikey learns that the Parker’s are having an “out on bail” party for Tom. Mikey and his friends quietly crash the party to learn as much information about Tom as possible, to later hunt him down and also to help prove Karyn’s innocence. While at the party Mikey meets Ellie, Tom’s sister.

Ellie feels trapped between coming forward with the truth about the night Karyn was assaulted and standing by her brother. When Mikey and Ellie meet two worlds collide and the true story slowly begins to unfold. Both Ellie and Mikey initially have ulterior motives for hanging out with each other that slowly turn to something more. Ellie must decide whether to come forward with her first-hand account of the night Karyn was assaulted and therefore ruining her family or staying silent.

This is a fantastic book that covers some hard topics in YA literature. Downham is able to talk about rape, loss, isolation, and family loyalty effortlessly. This book will keep any reader on their toes, always questioning who is lying or telling the truth, to the very end. Obviously there is sexual content so I would recommend this book to those able to deal with such emotion.

Are you having trouble finishing your college essay? Do you need another pair of eyes to edit what you’ve written? We will be holding two workshops at the Mattapan branch.

Please bring either a print out of your essay or upload your essay on to GoogleDocs. You will need a Gmail account in order to use GoogleDocs; it is recommended that you create an account before coming to the workshops as we will be using GoogleDocs to write the essays.

What’s GoogleDocs? It’s a word processor but unlike the ones you use at home or school the information you enter is kept in what is called “the cloud” so you can retrieve your essay from any computer without having to save it on to a flash drive or on to the computer.  Still confused? Just ask the Teen Librarian for help.

The workshops will be offered on:

January 19, 2012 5:oo – 8:00PM

January 26, 2012 5:00 – 8:00PM

 “What we’re trying to do is reach out to the hip-hop community because they have power — power with their voice, power with that mic in their hand and power with the lyrics that they sing. I have a lot of friends in that industry and so what we’re trying to do is rally them to get behind the cause, deliver the message to these young people that HIV and AIDS is big and it’s not going anywhere. They can make a difference right away by speaking out, because they have a big fan base.

So we’re finding out that a lot of them want to be involved; they’re just looking for a group like ours to latch onto and be a part of it. We haven’t really had any push-back from the hip-hop community.”

There will be a press conference later this year when Johnson plans to reveal who all will be joining him in this venture.

Seriously, guys, how cool is that? I’d say that’s very cool. Let’s hope he can get a LOT of star power to back him up.

To read the article as posted on GLAAD’s website, here’s the link: http://www.glaad.org/blog/magic-johnson-teams-rappers-address-homophobia-hip-hop

Come to the Central Library Teen Room on February 22nd at 3:30pm for a Super Awesome Game of Bingo!!!

We have a lot of wicked cool PRIZES!!! Which include: A USB drive/flash drive, ear buds, sketch book, a stainless steal water bottle, and more! Our Ultra cool grand prize will be announced at the start of the game. But if you’re a lover of music, you DO NOT want to miss out!!!

Also, regardless of whether or not you win, all players will get something before they leave, so keep that in mind. And no, I’m not going to tell you what it is. Why ruin the surprise?

So, February 22nd, that’s a Wednesday, at 3:30pm in the Central Library Teen Room. Be there. You won’t regret it. I promise.

Who knew you could learn some History while reading comics. In Kate Beaton’s Hark! A Vagrant, that’s exactly what you experience.  Sure, you’re thinking, learning while reading comics? I think I’ll skip this one.  But trust me when I tell you that this book will have you laughing out loud.  Beaton leaves no moment of History untouched with her witty comic strips; which range from history to literature to just plain random and hilarious observations. For example did you ever wonder how to spot a wise owl? Well obviously it’s the one with a beard.

I’ll admit though, there were moments were I had no idea who she was referring to in certain comics, but a quick browse through Wikipedia and I knew exactly who that person was and look at that, I learned something new. Sneaky Beaton! The author also adds some commentary to explain why she created certain comics, and at times a little brief description of the historical person she is referring to in her comic.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading comics, but also those who enjoy their history with a side of humor.

To get a taste of what’s in the book, you can visit Beaton’s website where she posts comics frequently.

Hark! A Vagrant