HERE!  CLICK HERE!!

Always,

Missy

Have you ever read a Fantasy Romantic Comedy and thought:  who puts a clumsy Cyclops in a relationship with the Princess Udashika of Helaisissia, the most beautiful and civilized planet in the Kythera Star System?   If you think you can weave a better yarn, here’s your chance to precipitately plunge parrying people’s prodigious potential to prevail. In other words, your submission could be the best!

Collaborate with other writers to create a 4000 word Fantasy Romantic Comedy short story over an eight week period beginning September 1st and ending on October 31, 2009.  You may submit a new segment every week to continue the story. The completed story will be posted online and printed & distributed free throughout the Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center system.

Follow the linky bits for the complete submission guidelines, the story so far, and some useful definitions of fantasy romance and romantic comedy.

Credit for the cool lead-in goes to program’s main instigator Larry Gavin.

Come play!  

Missy 

…because Danny never has his on when I see him.  He has been known to wear hats, though:

Danny Hirajeta (aka Iron Clown Studios) is a regular guest at the North Regional Branch teen writing club, Write Here, Right Now, and he graciously created artwork for this year’s Librari-Con. 

He was recently interviewed for The Fayetteville Feed (read it here), and if you’d like to meet him and check out his artwork first hand, make sure to stop by Artist’s Alley on September 5th. 

It’s always nice to be able to promote someone who shares their time and talent with the library and the teens that we serve.  Thank you, Danny! 

Always,
Missy

Prior to the elections in November 2008, my library facilitated a talk by guest speaker Leonard Pitts, Jr., a syndicated news columnist, entitled: Owning What You Know: The Decline of Reason in Politics and Public Discourse. 

I think it was especially prescient, considering the manner in which serious issues are being discussed these days — issues that affect all of us (regardless of one’s age, race, creed, gender, civic affiliation, sexual orientation, income tax bracket, or political party).

Open a newspaper, read a magazine, turn on the tv or go online to the news outlet of your choice and you can see for yourself how some vocal and demonstrative portions of the American public choose to have “discourse”:  town hall meetings being disrupted, protestors holding signs that compare political leaders to nazis and saying with great certainty that current policies being debated are akin to socialism (though if pressed, I wonder how many could define the term and clearly express why they believe it to be a negative thing – bonus points if they don’t invoke Hitler, Mussolini, or Mao), YouTube is flooded with clips of outrage, anger, sadness, and fear (some real, some fabricated), and statistics, facts, and figures are being reported, distorted, or spun, depending on the motivation of the source. 

This is a library blog for teens, not a stump for any particular point of view, however, I feel compelled to offer some advice and resources for making sense of the chaotic “24-hour news cycle.”

Get your information from multiple sources - you wouldn’t write a paper for school with only one book as a reference, so don’t settle for a single source when it comes to being an informed citizen.  Even if you aren’t old enough to vote, you should be aware of the decisions being made today that will affect your future. 

Know who is responsible for the information you read or hear.  In other words, consider the source, their qualifications, and their motives.    

When you hear someone repeat a quote or give a reference to a speech, study, or poll…LOOK IT UP!  There are a lot of online fact-checking resources for just this type of thing or you can go right to the source: federal government (executive, legislative, and judicial branches); medical information; studies and reports on issues in the news , etc.  At the very least, “Google” the name of the organization that is being referenced.

Make use of resources provided by the public library including databases of magazine and newspaper articles and websites such as CQ Researcher (available through NC LIVE; contact your nearest branch for assistance logging in or contact a library in the county or state where you reside) which provides information and documentation on more than one side of any given issue.

In order to have a reasonable conversation, the participants in that conversation need to know what they’re talking about. 

Be informed.  Be aware of what is going on in your town, state, country and world.  Be part of the “public discourse,” and own what you know.

Peace,

Missy

…and just so it’s clear, opinions expressed in this post – or anywhere in this blog, for that matter - belong to the person expressing them (in this case, me) and are not authorized by or intended to represent the Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center. 

Calling all anime, manga, and graphic novel enthusiasts!

Once again we’re hosting a free anime mini-convention at Headquarters Library featuring fun activities, great local artists, and some very special, one might even say Imperial, guests. 

Please check out the Librari-Con 2009 website and photos from last year’s fun and frivolity.

Come one, come all!

Always,

Missy

The Declaration

by Gemma Malley

In England in the year 2030, a drug called Longevity has been created which all but stops the aging process. In 2080, the government enacts a law called “The Declaration” which makes it illegal for people taking Longevity to have children.  Now in the year 2140, it is illegal to be young and children are all but extinct.  It is here where we meet Anna who’s a Surplus (or a child who was illegally born to people taking Longevity).  She lives in Grange Hall where she hopes to “make up for the sins of her parents” by learning how to clean and perform other menial tasks in hopes of being someone’s housekeeper.  Everything is going along quite well for Anna.  That is until Peter, a boy of Anna’s age, is brought to Grange Hall.  Peter tries to convince Anna that he knows her parents and that they love her and want her back and that Peter has a plan to get the two of them out.

This book will definitely make you think.  What freedoms would you be willing to give up or sacrifice if someone told you that you could live forever?  The book also has themes similar to Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Shadow Children series.  This story starts out rather slowly, but becomes a page turner as soon as Peter shows up. It also has a heavier emphasis on description and less on dialogue. If you’re interested in what happens after the end of the story, look out for the sequel, The Resistance coming soon to your local library!

Jennifer is a youth services librarian at the North Regional Branch Library.

Thanks for posting, Jenn.  I really liked this book, too.  I’m reminded of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.  Ender is a illegal Third. 

Sorry for the dearth of posts, lately.  I’ll be back soon with a recap of this summer’s adventures at the library and some details about what’s coming next!

Always,

Missy

Once again, Fayetteville (NC) recognized the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the armed forces with a Field of Honor.  This year 1,300 full-size American flags swept across the lawn of the Airborne & Special Operations Museum during the month of May.

Airborne and Special Operations Museum; “The Gates” 9-11 Memorial

Yellow ribbons and tags were attached with the names of service members, sponsored by members of the public. 

Please check out our teen Flickr page for more pictures of the Field of Honor, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, and “The Gates” 9-11 Memorial.

The Up and Coming Weekly, News 14 Carolina, The Washington Post, have nice write-ups about the display and the Glory Days celebration.  Those who are interested in sponsoring a flag in 2010 may do so by clicking here.

Happy Memorial Day.  To the men and women, past and present, who have worn the uniform, thank you for your service. 

Always,

Missy

Here Lies Arthur

by Philip Reeve

So you think you know the story of King Arthur?  He was a wonderful king, had loads of knights, a great castle and a round table, right?  Wrong!  Here Lies Arthur tells the story of Arthur’s rise to power from a young girl’s point of view.   The story begins as Gwyna becomes Myrddin’s servant boy (yes, servant boy) and follows her thru her teenage years as she watches Arthur’s cruel and vicious rise to power.  This book is a fresh and different take on the traditional Arthurian legend.

Jennifer is a youth services librarian at the North Regional Branch.

Thanks for posting, Jenn!

I really enjoy these types of stories, too.  Some other books you might like to check out:

The Avalon series  by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Grail Quest series by Bernard Cornwell

The Arthur Trilogy by Kevin Crossley-Holland

The Pendragon Cycle series by Stephen R. Lawhead

Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffery

The Squire’s Tale and The Knight’s Tale series by Gerald Morris

I am Mordred by Nancy Springer 

The Legends of King Arthur series by Rosemary Sutcliff

…or go to our catalog and do a basic subject search for “King Arthur.”

Thanks for stopping by!

Read on, read on.

Always,

Missy

“I’d promised Mom I’d have no interest whatsoever in Jason, but I could see now that I’d made a vow that was easier said than done.”- The Boyfriend League by Rachel Hawthorne

Dani and Bird love baseball and are almost seniors in high school.  Life is great, except in the romance department.  Summer is approaching fast which means that the collegiate team will be playing ball in their town.  The players are in need of host houses in which to stay.  This is the perfect opportunity to meet a team of hot older guys.  After their parents agree, the girls get to play ‘hostess’ for the summer.  Bird easily finds a boyfriend but Dani may need help.  She is torn between her house guest and her parent’s rules.  Will Dani find a boyfriend who accepts her for who she really is?

I picked up this book because I was sick of cold and rainy weather.  The author brought the summer feeling out of the book.  The characters are the ‘next door neighbor’ type.  This novel is sure to bring a smile to your lips and a warm, fuzzy feeling to your heart.

Marsha is a youth services librarian at the Cliffdale Branch Library.

Thanks for posting, Marsha!

Always,

Missy

“I have McMurphy, the eight-hundred pound gorilla I carry in my DNA, a total loose cannon rolling around my personality.”- Born to Rock by Gordon Korman

Leo has a full scholarship to Harvard and is graduating soon.  The scholarship is taken away when he doesn’t tell on a friend.  He is also floored when he discovers his father is a rock star, which means his mom was a ‘groupie’ at one time.  Leo decides to tour with King Maggot, who is his father and the lead singer of Purge.  Can Leo handle being a ‘roadie’ and adjust to this new lifestyle?  Will his father be convinced to give him money for Harvard?

This book interested me because I love rock music.  This book did not disappoint me with its touch of ‘Almost Famous’ glamour.  I found myself laughing out loud at random intervals and think that this is a light-hearted and comical book.

Marsha is a youth services librarian at the Cliffdale Branch library.

Thanks for posting Marsha!

Always,

Missy