Summer Readers' Fair: TODAY, 10:30am-12:30pm

Summer Readers' Fair!! - All children who participate in the Summer Reading Program are invited to attend this outside event. Games, activities, train rides, and a moonwalk bouncer will be available. Wear socks if you want to bounce. Sponsored by the Friends of the Royal Oak Public Library.

Movie Night - Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah @ 6:30pm

This week we will be showing an absolutely classic movie. Surely you all know of Godzilla, but have you ever seen the original Godzilla in a movie? Probably not. In this movie, the Holy Beasts of Yamato, King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Baragon, take on Godzilla in this collision of tradition and technology. Get all the background from library movie-ologist, Chris Girard, and then sit back and find out who wins.

NOTICE: Because of the film length, this movie night starts at 6:30pm. Take a moment to register if you'd like to attend.

The Clique - Featured Title

The Clique by Lisi Harrison - Claire Lyons is in for a surprise when she moves with her family from Florida to Westchester, NY. In this exclusive all girl's private middle school, high-class fashion is a necessity, and the pretty girls rule the school. Unfortunately for Claire, she and her family happen to move in with one of the prettiest and meanest girls of the school, Massie, until they can find a home of their own.

Massie can't stand Claire, or her outdated Keds and overalls. Fearing that her classmates may think that she and Claire are friends, Massie and her friends is extremely cruel and hurtful towards her. Quick-witted and with more than enough spunk, Claire manages to take Massie's friends and beat Massie at her own game. This book is the first in a series of Clique novels, and is a quick read. Recommended for grades 5 & up.

The Dark Knight - Movie Review

The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale - The sequel to Batman Begins is the newest blockbuster in the series of comic book heroes, and it definitely does not disappoint. With the help of the police force, Batman sets out to rid Gotham City of crime for good. Batman sets his sight on a group of mobsters who have ties to money laundering and other illegal activities. But before Batman can rid the city of these bad guys, he must face the most evil criminal of all: the Joker.

The late Heath Ledger does a fantastic job as the Joker, which is truly one of the most creepy characters I've seen in a loooooong time. (Hint: This would make a good Halloween costume!). The special effects are guaranteed to keep you hooked throughout the movie, even though it is pretty long.

In fact, there's been quite a bit of talk around Hollywood that this film might garner Ledger an Oscar for his performance. What do you think? If you've seen the movie, do you agree?

Prom Night - Movie Review

Prom Night, starring Brittany Snow - If you’re looking for a slasher film that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, then this is the film for you. Although some scenes are not particularly noteworthy, the remake of a 1980 film has enough scary moments to make up for the less than stellar dialogue. Brittany Snow stars as a young woman named Donna who returns to high school for her senior year, after her entire family has been massacred by a formerly obsessed teacher. Now as prom approaches, so do the nightmares of that tragic night her family was murdered.

To add to the suspense, the detective handling her case learns that the teacher obsessed with Donna has escaped from the mental hospital on the night of her prom. As the crisis goes into lockdown-mode, the teacher gets closer and closer to reuniting with Donna and wreaking havoc on her life.

Although many critics gave this film a bad review, I feel differently. Scary movies can’t be taken seriously, so as long as they have the power to scare, they rank high in my book! Rated PG-13.

Teen Focus Group @ 5pm, Exotic Pets @ 7pm

The library has a bonanza of events happening today! First up will be an ultra-short TAB meeting @ 5pm (register here). Immediately following will be a teen focus group. The Library is planning for the not-too-distant future and wants to take your interests into serious consideration. What would you like to see the Library do for you, your school, or for your family and friends? What is missing? What do you like best about the Library now? Pizza and pop will be provided. Event takes place in the Youth Activity Room - Lower Level, please register.

Once you've had a chance to speak with the Library Board and voice your ideas, join us for 'Exotic Pets: Up Close and Personal' at 7pm. Dan Briere of the Little Creatures Company brings some of his animal friends for you to see and touch. Dan can give you the inside story on what kind of care these unusual pets need. Contemplating a new pet? Like animals? Come to this program!

Video Games TONIGHT @ 7pm

Come and play video games tonight and hang out with friends and meet new ones. Try your hand at our newest editions of Guitar Hero III and Rock Band, or just enjoy old favorites. Snacks & drinks are provided by the library, and the event is hosted in the Youth Activity Room downstairs. As always, take a second to register! Event runs from 7-8:30pm.

Check us out on YouTube!!

Were you able to attend our water rockets event on July 3rd?

If not, you missed a great time. The Royal Oak Public Library hosted two events (presented by Marc Center) for youth and teens. The event was so great that the Daily Tribune even videotaped it! You can watch the action for yourself at YouTube.

ALA's Top Teen Picks -- VOTE!!

Want to have a say in nominating your favorite book for an award? Then take a look at the ALA's Top 25 Books for teens, which will be nominated by teens like YOU to win the award. Only 10 books will win, so start reading and choose carefully! Once you've narrowed your selections, you can go online and vote from October 12-18 (which is Teen Reads Week!).

Think October is too far away?? Then feel free to leave us a comment on which book from the list you want to vote for!

Newsweek Article: Apocalyptic Lit for Kids

Do you like apocalyptic books that lead you into a fantasy as though the life on this planet were to end? According to Newsweek, these books are picking up popularity, thanks to Harry Potter and Wall-E. In fact, one noteworthy book, Life as We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer is mentioned as a must-read in this article. In Pfeffer's story, an asteroid hits the moon which causes a multitude of natural disasters (a complete review from me soon to follow).

What do you think -- are apocalyptic books too scary for kids and teens? Or, as Newsweek states, do they offer important messages about man's direct connection to the care of our planet? Read the book, and make the decision for yourself.

Go Buggy With The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

Join us tonight as the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum makes a special presentation on bugs! Test your skills to see if you could "make it" as a bug. See and touch some pretty amazing insects. This workshop is guaranteed to be awesome for both the bug fanatic and the squeamish. The program starts at 7pm, and registration is requested.

Movie Night - Spiderman II @ 6:30pm

Join us for a movie night TONIGHT and watch Spiderman II! Spidey's brooding on many personal problems, but he has to take time out from dealing with his issues when Doctor Octopus starts terrorizing the city.

Please note that we are starting this movie earlier than usual, at 6:30pm, because it is longer than usual. The movie will end around 8:15pm. Take a moment to register, and we'll see you soon!

The Golden Compass - Featured Title

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman - Lyra Belacqua, a plucky child orphan, is raised by her uncle, Lord Asriel, with Jordan College as her personal playground. Her world is quite different than ours, because each person has a visible daemon (an animal which represents their soul) at their side at all times. While the shape of an adult's daemon will always remain the same, a child's daemon can, and often does, change into different animals depending on the mood of a child.

Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon enjoy the lazy lifestyle that their surroundings allow, until a series of events leads Lyra on a quest to save her uncle and keep out of harm's way. Along the way, Lyra hopes to discover the meaning of "dust" and learn why the shapes of childrens' daemons change while adults cannot. The descriptions and features within this novel are quite original in itself, though this story may be best appreciated by an older audience. The Golden Compass is the first book in a trilogy called His Dark Materials. Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Hoot - Featured Title

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen - It's not easy being Roy Eberhart. Moving multiple times in one year is a hard adjustment, and getting in trouble with the school bully doesn't make his life any easier. Just when Roy thinks his life might always be something unremarkable, Roy discovers a barefoot boy his own age running past his school bus. Intrigued by this boy, Roy presses his luck with an extremely athletic soccer girl in his quest for answers.

Roy's discovery of the running boy creates a bond between a group of unlikely students, and leads them to try to stop the building of Mama's Pancake House, which would mean the destruction of the homes of many burrowing owls.

This mischevious story is filled with humorous, unique, and seemingly bizarre occurrences. It is Hiaasen's first book written for younger readers, and a recipient of the Newberry Honor award. Recommended for grades 6 & up.

Gossip Girl - Featured Title

Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar- A few weeks ago, I started watching the television series Gossip Girl. The show intrigued me and watching it made me want to read the book that inspired the tv show. So I decided to check out the original Gossip Girl novel by Cecily von Ziegesar. I've been having trouble reading lately and I felt that Gossip Girl was the perfect book to get me interested in reading again. And boy was I right! I read this book in 5 days, which is pretty quick for me.

Gossip Girl tells the story of a group of teenagers that attend private schools on the Upper East Side of New York City. Blair Waldorf is the "Queen Bee" until her former best friend, Serena van der Woodsen, returns from boarding school for their senior year of high school. No one is sure why Serena got kicked out of boarding school, but gossip abounds and rumors fly.

If you're looking for an easy and entertaining read on these hot summer days, I recommend that you check out Gossip Girl. I can't wait to dive into the other 10 Gossip Girl novels!

Teen Volunteer Opportunity: Summer Reader's Fair

Looking for a chance to volunteer? We are looking for teens who are interested in volunteering to run a game booth at this outdoor event. The Summer Readers' Fair has games, activities, train rides, and a moonwalk bouncer! Sponsored by the Friends of the Royal Oak Public Library.

NOTE: Registration for this event is required. Call (248) 246-3724 to sign up for a shift (runs from 10:15am-12:30pm). If you sign up, we're counting on you! :)

My Space - Not the Computer Kind!

Looking for ways to update your room with a new look? Join two design students from the International Academy of Art and Design, Ashley Ziemianski and Renee Pelligrini, as they show you how to update your space with affordable and fun ideas. Includes an on-the-spot project to take home. Make sure to register!

Teen Video Game Night @ 7pm

Come and play video games and hang out with friends and meet new ones. Try your hand at our newest editions of Guitar Hero III and Rock Band, or just enjoy old favorites. Snacks & drinks are provided by the library, and the event is hosted in the Youth Activity Room downstairs. As always, take a second to register!

Here Be Monsters! - Featured Title

Here Be Monsters!, by Alan Snow - This book is reminiscent of the fantasy found in many of Roald Dahl's stories (think of James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

A boy named Arthur lives underground in a burrough with his grandfather and other underlings. There are fantastic characters such as the cabbageheads (who worship cabbage and attach it to their heads) and boxtrolls (who are extremely shy and wear boxes). Above ground, a mysterious group known as the Cheese Guild has caused nothing but trouble for the creatures underground. The great amount of silliness will draw readers in and make the story one to remember. Recommended for grades 4 and up. If you enjoy these types of stories, make sure to check out The Mysterious Benedict Society (a review can be found here).

'New Moon' & 'Eclipse' - Featured Titles

New Moon and Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer - Bella Swan knows that her normal human life will never be normal now that she is dating Edward Cullen, a vampire. But she is prepared to take the risks associating with vampires, even willing to become one, if that means she can be with Edward for eternality. But something happens that tears Bella and Edward apart, and suddenly Bella finds herself living her worst nightmare: a world without Edward. Anyone who has ever gone through a breakup or even lost a close friend will relate to Bella’s despair. It is this despair and loss that gives Stephanie Meyer’s New Moon, the follow up to Twilight, a dark feel to it. Things brighten up a bit and take an interesting turn when Bella turns to her friend Jacob Black for comfort. Will Edward ever come back? Does it matter? And do Edward and Jacob have another reason to despise each other, other than their rivalry for Bella’s heart?

The tension and love triangle continue in Eclipse, the third book in the series. In this volume, Bella faces a dilemma: Does she follow her heart’s desire and become a vampire, living forever in the company of Edward Cullen? Or does she choose the relatively safer human life with Jacob Black? But who can think of such drama when Bella’s very life is threatened from a deadly menace that has two unlikely allies fighting side by side. Both New Moon and Eclipse will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to know what will happen next and what will become of Bella’s fate and the fate of all those she loves. Will everything tie up in the end?

Already read Eclipse and craving more? Read Stephanie Meyer’s Breaking Dawn coming out August 2nd!

By Jessica Remington, Library Aide, Youth Services

Water Rockets - TONIGHT @ 7pm!

Happy Early Fourth of July! Looking for a way to celebrate? Join us tonight at 7pm as we make our very own water rockets! Transform a two liter plastic bottle into a water-powered rocket and then launch it from the Library lawn. Marc Center and his capable assistants will do all they can to keep your rocket from landing on the Library roof. As always, registration is requested. See you there!

P.S. Please remember to bring an empty two liter plastic bottle.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - Featured Title

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart - Only one phrase can truly describe the feeling of this novel, and that is 'girl power!'. Frankie, the main character, is enrolled at a competitve boarding school and changes from a unoticable geeky student into a gorgeous girl who catches the attention of Matthew Livingston, the school's most popular senior guy.

What Frankie soon realizes however, is that Matthew is a member of the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds, the school's all-male secret society. And worst of all, he refuses to share any secrets with her about the society! Instead of pouting or throwing a fit, Frankie decides to take matters into her own hands. Will the pranks and schemes that Frankie develops for the Basset Hounds allow the boys to see her in a new light? Or will she still be seen by all who know her as "Bunny Rabbit"?

This book is full of humor with a strong female character who hates to be underestimated. A great read with a prose, making you feel like one of Frankie's roommates. Recommended for grades 6 & up.

Movie Night: Men in Black II

Tonight at 7pm we will be showing 'Men in Black II'. Snacks and drinks are provided, but please take a moment to register so we can expect you! The movie is the second alien movie played by Will Smith. The aliens are still threatening chaos and destruction, so Agent J, played by Will Smith, is still out there saving the world from alien invasions.

Red Glass - Featured Title

Red Glass by Laura Resau - The story focuses on Pedro, a 6 year-old boy from Mexico found illegally crossing the border into Mexico. He is rescued and cared for by Sophie, a lonely teenager, her parents, and her Aunt Dika, a refugee of the war in Bosnia. As Sophie and her family grow closer to Pedro, fondly called her Principito, a difficult decision must be made: will Pedro decide to return home to Mexico, or live with his new family in the United States? A perilous journey back to Pedro's Mexican hometown helps Sophie realize that the collective confidence and comfort she sees among the travelers is what she is so sorely missing in her own life.

Recommended for those who enjoy a thoughtful, multicultural story with loveable and seemingly flawed characters.