YA Librarian

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Overlode – book review

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Overlode Diary of a Wimpy Kid #17 By Jeff Kinney Humorous Illustrated Fiction Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Greg Heffley narrates the saga of his older brother’s trials and tribulations as he and his band Loded Diper attempt to rocket themselves into stardom. Trying to follow in the footsteps of their idols, Metallichihuahua, they’re supposed to perform in a battle of the bands competition, but before … Read more

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor – Read It and Rate It

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Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor Winterborne Home, bk #1 by Ally Carter Adventure Mystery Supernatural Suspense Thriller Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) Through numerous foster homes, and most o fthem terrible, April is waiting for one thing: the return of her mother. She was dropped off on the front doorstep of the fire station with a note stating her name, and a promise from her mother (who said she was returning). … Read more

Venom Dark and Sweet – book review

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A Venom Dark and Sweet sequel to A Magic Steeped in Poison Judy I. Lin Fantasy * * * Stars (Pretty good) In the previous installment, the Emperor had just passed and his daughter was poised to take the throne and select a new shennong-shi (brewer of teas infused with magic). Ning was in the running for that position. Then everything fell apart when the Emperor’s brother (the General) staged a coup to retake the … Read more

One True Way – book review

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One True Way Shannon Hitchcock Historical Fiction (1977) LGBTQ Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) When Allie Drake and her mom move from New Jersey to North Carolina, Allie makes a friend – Sam – at her new middle school almost immediately. Sam introduces her to all the other kids, facilitates her getting onto the newspaper staff (Allie Drake, Staff Reporter!), and promises to teach her how to ride her horse. They quickly … Read more

Knitting Basics (March 2023) Gallery

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Teens learned to knit this month in a series of 3 classes covering some knitting basics: yarn and needle selection, casting on, knit stitch, adding rows, binding off. We didn’t *quite* meet our goal of completing a scarf, but participants made some good progress on their projects! Our knitting instructors included library staff and a volunteer from The Fray (the library’s adult stitchery club). Photos from one of our classes below:

K-Pop Dance Party (March 2023) Gallery

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Teens (and some brave adults) learned some choreography to BTS’s “Dynamite,” this March (2023) from Melanie Andersen, dance instructor (Turning Pointe Academy of Dance in Elgin). Everyone picked it up really quickly and challenged themselves at the end of class to speed things up – double time – with some hilarious results. Check out some photos from the event below!

Other Family Doctor – book review

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The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, and Mortality by Karen Fine, DVM Biography Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Karen Fine’s grandfather was her inspiration for becoming a veterinarian. His patients were human, but Karen admired the commitment and care he offered them (he practiced in South Africa and made house calls). She writes about her experiences in vet school, which is arguably at least … Read more

Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Read It and Rate It

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A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder book #1 by Holly Jackson Mystery Suspense Thriller Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Pip is a student who is working on her capstone project. For her topic she chooses to investigate a murder case that happened in her home town. Her goal is to cast doubt on the original investigation, but as she continues, new evidence comes to light and soon Pip realizes that someone … Read more

Earth Unaware – book review

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Earth Unaware The First Formic War bk#1 by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston Science Fiction * * * (Pretty good) Free miners are the first to encounter the Formics as the aliens head toward Earth with unknown intent. This follows the stories of a couple of the miner families and a corporate entity who must put aside their differences to warn the Earth of the aliens’ impending arrival. The encounters they have indicate that … Read more