Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke


If you are looking for a great book with lots of action and adventure I recommend that you read The Assassin's Curse by Houston author, Cassandra Rose Clarke.  

Ananna of Tanaru the daughter of a pirate ship captain runs from her family when she is to be married off to another pirate clan.  The clan that she has refused to marry into sends an assassin after her. When the assassin attempts to attack her she fends him off with magic that she isn't sure how to use.  They soon discover that they have been bound together and the only way to break the spell is to complete three impossible tasks.  Together the pair set off to undo the spell.  

The Assassin's Curse can be found in the teen area at Helen Hall Library.  The sequel The Pirate's Wish is on order and should be in soon.  The third book in the series is expected in May of 2014.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Banned Books Week

Helen Hall Library will observe Banned Books Week with a Tweet Book Quote Contest.  We will post quotes from banned books that are 140 characters or less. The teen who identifies the most quotes will win a prize.  Stop by anytime staring Sunday, September 22 through Saturday, September 28 to enter.


Monday, September 16, 2013

Teen Advisory Board


Teen Advisory Board meets this Wednesday, September 18 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm.  We will elect new officers and make decorations for Teen Read Week.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Teen Advisory Board Officers

Teens who were active members of Teen Advisory Board last school year are welcome to apply to be officers for this school year.  If you would like to apply please e-mail Miss Lindsay (lindsay.henson@leaguecity.com) for an application.  Applications must be submitted by September 17th.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Teen Advisory Board

Teen Advisory Board will have their first meeting of the new school year this Wednesday, September 4 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm.  The Teen Advisory Board assists with a variety of projects at the library.  Participation counts towards service or leadership hours.  Returning members can run for office, applications will be handed out at the meeting. 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Texas Book Festival Fiction Contest

The Texas Book Festival is accepting entries for it's annual fiction writing contest for middle and high school students. There is no entry fee and prizes will be awarded in multiple categories. Stories can be submitted online at http://www.texasbookfestival.org/Fiction_Contest.php

Contest Rules
Entries must be an original piece of fiction, no more than 2,000 words in length and adhering to the theme.
Submitted entries are considered in three divisions: grades 7-8; grades 9-10; and grades 11-12. There is no entry fee. The submissions will be judged by educators, authors, and community leaders. Judges will look for excellence in use of dialogue, character development, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution.
Theme
From the Back of the Truck
Deadline
Entries must be submitted online no later than July 27, 2013.
Prize
Winners in each division will receive a cash prize: $250 for first place, $100 for second, and $50 for third. In addition, winners will be awarded a plaque, have their stories published on the TBF website, and be invited to participate on a panel during the Texas Book Festival weekend Oct. 26-27. The Book Festival will provide accommodations for the first-place winners and their family for one night.

Monday, June 10, 2013

The Teen Summer Reading Club starts today.  Stop by the library to pick up a log or print one from Helen Hall Library's website.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Summer Reading Program

The teen summer reading program starts next Monday, June 10, 2013.  Here is a short video about what we have going on this summer.  For more information visit www.leaguecitylibrary.org.



Monday, March 18, 2013

Read It Before You See It

The recent success of big screen adaptations of popular young adult novels seems to have spurred a number of upcoming movies based on teen books. Here is a list of what you can expect to see in theaters and on TV over the next year. There are many more adaptations of young adult novels that are in development, but are not yet in production.  





Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Tentative Movie Release Date: August 16, 2013
Logan Lerman is back as Percy Jackson for the second installment in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. 
Book Summary: Demi-god Percy Jackson and his friends must journey into the Sea of Monsters to save their camp. But first Percy will discover a secret that makes him wonder whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or a cruel joke.




The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Tentative Movie Release Date: August 23, 2013
Many fans of City of Bones have been talking about the movie. According to Cassandra Clare the trailer will be released later this month.
Book Summary: Suddenly able to see demons and the Darkhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.






Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Tentative Movie Release Date: November 1, 2013
Harrison Ford stars in this adaptation that co-star Abigail Breslin says won’t disappoint fans of the novel.
Book Summary: An outstanding tale of the child-hero Ender Wiggin, who must fight a desperate battle against a deadly alien race if mankind is to survive. 







The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 
Tentative Movie Release Date: November 22, 2013
This is the second of four movies planned for the Hunger Games novels. Mockingjay (the third book in the series) is planned to be split into two movies. Book Summary: By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion. 



The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug by J.R.R. Tolkien 
Tentative Movie Release Date: December 13, 2013
This is the second installment of the Hobbit that follows the successful first movie released in December of 2012. 
Book Summary: Chronicles the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, who embarks on a quest to reclaim stolen treasure from the dragon Smaug, along with his dwarve companions and the wizard Gandalf, and unwittingly returns to the Shire with a Ring of Power. 





Book Thief by Marcus Zusak 
Tentative Movie Release Date: January 14, 2014 
Book Summary: Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.   







The Maze Runner by James Dashner 
Tentative Movie Release Date: February 14, 2014 
There hasn't been a lot of news about The Maze Runner, but they have started casting.  Thomas Brodie-Sangster will play Newt.  
Book Summary: Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape. 







Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters by Richelle Mead
Tentative Movie Release Date: February 14, 2014 
Vampire Academy will be directed by Mark Waters who also directed Mean Girls.
Book Summary: Two years after a horrible incident made them run away, vampire princess Lissa and her guardian-in-training Rose are found and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy, where one focuses on mastering magic, the other on physical training, while both try to avoid the perils of gossip, cliques, gruesome pranks, and sinister plots.





Divergent by Veronica Roth
Tentative Movie Release Date: March 21, 2014 
Casting has started for Divergent.  Shailene Woodley (Mary Jane in The Amazing Spider Man 2) has been cast as Beatrice.  Kate Winslet has been cast as Jeanine Matthews.
Book Summary: In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all. 




The Selection by Kiera Cass 
A second pilot has been ordered for the CW after a rewrite of the original pilot. Book Summary: Sixteen-year-old America Singer is living in the caste-divided nation of Illea, which formed after the war that destroyed the United States. America is chosen to compete in the Selection--a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illea's prince--but all she really wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her. 






Delirium by Lauren Oliver 
Delirium was originally planned to be a movie, however Fox has decided that it will work better as a TV show. A pilot has been ordered. Emma Roberts has been cast as Lena.
Book Summary: Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.


Monday, March 11, 2013

Greater Houston Teen Book Convention

The Greater Houston Teen Book Convention features a number of popular teen authors.  Authors will speak on various panels about their work.  The key note speaker this year is Chris Crutcher.  There will be an opportunity for teens to purchase books and have them autographed.  This event is FREE! 

When:  Saturday, April 20, 2013 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Where:  Alief Taylor High School


For more details visit http://www.teenbookcon.org/Home.php.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Miss Lindsay's Top Picks for Spring Break


If you are looking for something to read during spring break, here are a few of Miss Lindsay's suggestions. All of these suggestions are available at Helen Hall Library as of Friday, March 8th.

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs



Seventeen-year-old Lily, half-mermaid and half-human, has been living on land and attending high school, where she develops a crush on a boy but is afraid to tell him of her true destiny as the ruler of the undersea kingdom of Thalassinia.


Graceling by Kristin Cashore


In a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace of killing and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a corrupt king.


The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.


All American Girl by Meg Cabot



Sophomore Samantha Madison stops a presidential assassination attempt, is appointed teen ambassador to the United Nations, and catches the eye of the very cute First Son.


The Maze Runner by James Dashner


Sixteen-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a maze and realizes he must work with the community in which he finds himself if he is to escape.


Ranger's Apprentice:  Rules of Gorlan by John Flanagan



When fifteen-year-old Will is rejected by battleschool, he becomes the reluctant apprentice to the mysterious Ranger Halt, and winds up protecting the kingdom from danger.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Teen Tech Week:  Light Painting

This past Saturday, Helen Hall Library celebrated Teen Tech Week with a "Light Painting" program.  The images the teens created are below: