GCPL Teen Blog

Make bottle cap pins @ next week's Teen Tuesday!

2011-04-16T11:07:00.002-06:00

Join us, April 26th @ 4pm, in the Secret Garden.

Create pins for your jacket or backpack that are totally unique to you!

Teen Tech Week 2011!

2011-03-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

Check out the awesome programs and workshops we have planned!

What's Happening in March?

2011-02-26T12:27:00.002-07:00

Tuesday, March 8, we will be playing Wii in the Teen Scene.

March 28-April 1 is Teen Tech Week, stay tuned for what exciting events we have planned!

Why Books are Hardcore

2011-02-03T13:12:00.002-07:00

I'm at the library, where they call me a crook, 'cause I never even pay for my library books!

Look out, Twihards!

2011-01-29T14:22:00.006-07:00

The supernatural romance trend for the teenage reading crowd has gone from blood-sucking to, well, quite heavenly. But never fear, there are still the Edward Cullen-esque bad boys in angel form.

Angels are taking up the bookshelves, pushing vampires off of the bestsellers lists. Want in on the action? Here are a few of those new novels that are sure to be captivating:

February Teen Tuesdays @ 4pm!

2011-01-22T14:14:00.013-07:00

Hey there, here's what we're doing in February for Teen Tuesdays!

February 8th: Deck of Cards Valentine. Tell your Valentine 52 Reasons why you like or love them!

February 22: Cubecrafts. Try your hand at making these addictive paper figures! They come in an incredible variety of characters and are not as easy as they look!

Teen Tuesday is back with Otaku!

2011-01-08T12:18:00.002-07:00

Tuesday, Jan. 11th, @ 4pm is the day Teen Tuesday comes back from break!

We'll kick-off Otaku with Japanese-inspired watercolor calendars!

2011 Resolution: Volunteer!

2010-12-28T15:59:00.003-07:00

Need some volunteer hours for stuff like college applications? Maybe you just want to give back to your community?

Here is a site that can help you find volunteer opportunities that involve everything from animal rescue to disaster clean-up to art classes: VolunteerMatch.

And, remember, the Garden City Library is always looking for great teens to help us out!

Happy New Year!

Candy Sushi @ the Library

2010-12-14T16:37:00.002-07:00

A fun food project we did at Teen Tuesday today!

Otaku Cube-Crafts!

2010-11-12T12:48:00.005-07:00

Hey all! Here's a look at what we did at this week's Otaku Teen Tuesday!

To get more crafts like this, go to www.cubeecraft.com

Otaku Tuesday!

2010-09-07T11:29:00.003-06:00

Join us Tuesday, September 14th @ 4pm for our very first session of Otaku!

Solve it!

2010-07-09T12:38:00.000-06:00

Been bitten?

2010-06-15T15:31:00.003-06:00

Hey teens!

If you've been bitten by the Twilight bug...er, vampire...werewolf...whatever, you are probably as excited for the release of Eclipse as we are! In fact, we're so excited, we're throwing a party!

We'll meet in the Community Room @ 2p.m. Wednesday, June 30th! We'll watch New Moon, and I'll be giving out fun prizes throughout the movie!

Make Waves @ Your Library!

2010-06-09T16:51:00.005-06:00

Summer Reading has kicked off!

You can pick up a Summer Reading Treasure Map at the Garden City Library or go here to print one off!

Finish different levels in the Treasure Map to receive prizes like a free book, tickets for two to the Boise Hawks, an Applebees Dessert Shooter, and other stuff to make your summer a little cooler! You will also receive a ticket for each level & each bonus sheet you complete that goes into the Grand Prize Drawing!

What's the Grand Prize, you ask? This year, one lucky reader will receive an iPod Nano plus a $15 iTunes giftcard!

Pretty sweet, eh?

Well what are you waiting for?! Get to reading!

Teen Tech Week: Energy Seed Workshop!

2010-03-17T14:31:00.003-06:00

Hey all! Register for the Teen Tech Week Energy Seed Workshop here!

We will concentrate on the diverse ways of producing technology that is not a burden to our environment, but instead works with it to improve our lives and help decrease the damaging footprint of material usage and energy spent every day.

We'll each be making a small handmade lamp called an “energy seed” that uses the left over energy in dead batteries to light itself for sometimes weeks on end! (How cool is that?!) These lamps are great examples of creative projects that make use of technology in ways that help us learn and maintain wonder about the world we live in.

I've Got A Hunger...

2009-11-17T13:14:00.003-07:00

Last week I finished reading The Hunger Games and its sequel, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

Recently, it seems the only book I hear about, other than Twilight of course, is The Hunger Games. So, I decided to pick up the book, maybe just glance through it. Turns out, I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, because I simply could not put it down. When I finished the book, I dreamed about it, and when I was awake, I was dying to get my hands on the sequel.

Finally, I did, and I tried to pace myself, savor every detail of the book, and make it last just a little bit longer. But, once again, I couldn't stop reading and finished that one in a day as well. So, here I am, still obsessing over this series and hoping that the third book's release is early 2010.

Here is a great fanmade trailer for The Hunger Games:

And here is another awesome fanmade trailer for Catching Fire:

Wild About Twilight - Tuesday, Nov. 17th @ 4 pm!

2009-11-14T14:09:00.005-07:00

We will be watching Twilight in the Community Room this Tuesday!

The first 20 people will enjoy making Bella's bracelet, complete with charms from Edward and Jacob!

Free, No Registration Required-Just show up & join others who are Wild About Twilight!

Tie-riffic!

2009-11-10T17:27:00.003-07:00

Here's a look at what we did with tie-dye today!

Teen Trailers

2009-10-06T14:32:00.000-06:00

This October, in honor of Teen Read Week's theme, "Read Beyond Reality", we will be making a book trailer based upon a sci-fi or fantasy book!

Start thinking about what book would be fun and simple to make a trailer about! (Leave some comments describing your ideas!!!) On October 22 we will meet in the Community Room from 4-7 p.m. for brainstorming and filming.

Here is an example book trailer I created with a good friend:
(Yes, only two of us made it, so imagine how easy it will be with more people!)

Banned Books Week 2009

2009-09-29T16:28:00.006-06:00

This week is Banned Books Week! A week of celebrating Freedom of Speech through books that were challenged or even banned.

The books featured on our Banned Books Week display are books that have been challenged or targeted for banning.

Here are just a few titles that you will find in a list of books that were challenged or banned:
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling, the Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, to Kill a Mockingbird by Lee Harper, the Golden Compass by Philip Pullman, the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, and the Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

Recognize any of these "potentially harmful" books? Chances are, you've already read them in your classrooms or they may even be your favorite books.

Photo Scavenger Hunt Update

2009-08-19T14:45:00.004-06:00

Here are a couple entries for the Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt that were submitted by the Extremely Fearsome Girls!

Here's what they entered for so last year:

and boring:

Those are great, girls!

Acoustics & Picnics Concert on the 29th!

2009-08-18T11:07:00.001-06:00

Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt

2009-07-30T11:46:00.011-06:00

Hey there, Teens! Can you come up with
some extremely creative, artistic, or crazy pictures?

The Garden City Library is holding a Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt for the month of August!

To compete, please pick up the Entry Form & Guidelines, or click on this link: Entry Form & Guidelines to print off a copy.

This is a creative scavenger hunt, meaning you don't have to find one specific thing, but a place/thing that fits the description we give you. You can use a digital camera or even a picture phone!

Some of these descriptions include something So Last Year, something Cuddly, something Scary, and something Scenic.
The possibilities are endless and there are no wrong answers!

For example, for cuddly, I could take a picture of the cutest dog in the whole wide world, which is my dog, of course:

...or I could take a picture of the shoe-scraper outside. It's kinda cuddly, right?

This contest is for individuals or groups of up to 4 in grades 6-12. It runs from August 1st through August 22nd.
Completed entries can be submitted through August 19th and will be judged for prizes. Winners will be notified on August 22nd at the Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt Party!
Participants must provide their own cameras. We will not accept any photographs of people.

Silly Olympics for Teens!

2009-07-23T11:24:00.002-06:00

It's time to break out the sweat band for our Silly Olympic Games on Tuesday, the 28th of July, at 4 p.m.!

Compete in challenges such as the Plastic Straw Javelin Throw, Shoe Lace Race, and Paper Plate Discuss for some awesome prizes! Be sure to stretch, because this competition will be heating up!

Come and Learn About the History of Henna Body Art!

2009-07-02T13:05:00.003-06:00

Mehndi is the application of henna,a powder derived from a plant commonly found in the Middle East, to the skin to make intricate, beautiful and temporary designs. This ancient art originated in the Middle East, India, and parts of Africa. I will apply the temporary henna "tattoos" to volunteers and explain the cultural significance of this ancient beauty practice. Learn about Mehndi and try it out! I personally will be creating Mehndi designs just for you!

This event will be held on Tuesday, July 7th @ 4 p.m. and Saturday, July 11th @ 1 p.m. Be sure you register online here and fill out a parental consent form!

Hope to see you there

Out with the Vampires and in with the Zombies

2009-06-26T11:33:00.003-06:00

In my desperate search for a satisfying fantasy novel that had nothing to do with shimmering vampires or underdog wizards, The Forest of Hands and Teeth was brought to my attention. With a novel that lives up to its mysterious and enticingly morbid title, Carrie Ryan feeds her readers a beautiful story surrounded by death and chaos.

From the first line I found myself consuming every word with an eagerness that by the second chapter turned into a savage and gnawing desire to discover the truth about Mary's isolated world.

As Carrie Ryan's story unfolded, I could smell the fog and decaying leaves, taste the musty air that coats the village and was absorbed deeper into the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

Watch the Trailer Here:

Geekin' Out

2009-06-23T17:56:00.012-06:00

Here's a look at what we did today at the Tween Program "Geekin' Out"!

Saturday, the 20th of June @ 1 p.m.: The Very Creative Caterpillar

2009-06-18T10:52:00.008-06:00

I would hope that we are all familiar with Eric Carle's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This teen event is in celebration of all his stories and illustrations that bring such whimsy and joy to anyone that reads them.

Saturday, June 20th at 1 p.m., we will meet in the Secret Garden and everyone will recreate a famous Eric Carle illustration of their choice! It looks complicated, but creating an illustration like Eric Carle is a lot of fun.

As an example, I chose to try out Mister Seahorse.
Notice how his illustrations look like a collage of colors? Eric Carle actually uses colorful tissue paper to create this effect.

To make my seahorse look like Mister Seahorse, I first paint a few sheets of tissue paper with bright, random colors, almost creating a rainbow on the paper. If I wanted, I could even paint little designs on the paper, like polka-dots or zig-zag lines.

After the tissue has completely dried, I sketch parts of the seahorse on random parts of the sheets. Then I cut out the parts and place them together like a puzzle, overlapping the pieces.

The next step to finalize my art is to brush watered-down glue over the top of the tissue paper. This not only locks the tissue in place, but also makes the collage look like one piece of paper, not a bunch of pieces.

Does that look cool, or what? Hope to see you all there!

Memory Boxes for Teens Saturday, June 13

2009-06-09T12:53:00.004-06:00

Come make cool memory boxes in the Teen Scene this Saturday at 1 p.m.! You can decorate them however you like, we'll supply the boxes. Take your box home and put ribbons, awards, photographs, notes, and other trinkets you'd like to keep safe inside it. They'll be absolutely perfect for those memorable moments :]

DDR and Pizza for Teens on Saturday, June 6

2009-06-03T15:31:00.003-06:00

Hey there, teens! Work up a sweat playing Dance Dance Revolution with us on Saturday! We'll have pizza and plenty of fun. It'll be in the Community Room at 1 p.m., so come sporting socks and your cool dance moves. :] Hope to see you there!

Summer Volunteers

2009-05-20T16:53:00.002-06:00

The Garden City Library is still in need of volunteers over the summer. Tonight we are holding our Volunteer Orientation Party from 6-7:30. There will be pizza, cake, and lots of wonderful people!

If you haven't yet applied to be a volunteer for the Garden City Library, it's not too late! Just swing on by or give us a call at 472-2944!

Happy May Day!

2009-05-01T14:38:00.000-06:00

"Now is the month of maying,
When merry lads are playing,
Fa la la la la”

This is the song that has been plaguing my brain all morning long. So, naturally, I decided to research the origin of May Day to put a stop to those Madrigals singing in my head.

In many countries, May Day is similar to International Workers' Day, or Labor Day, which celebrates the social and economic achievements of the labor movement. This originates with the United States labor movement in the 19th Century. On May 1, 1886, unions across the country went on strike, demanding that their workdays be shortened to eight hours. Though these protests were not immediately successful, eight hour workdays slowly became commonplace.

In medieval England, people would celebrate May Day, the start of spring, by going out to the country or woods, "going a-maying", and gathering foliage and flowers. They would also put up a maypole, a pole that was decorated with flowers and ribbons, brightly painted, and served as a centerpiece for the festivities.

Nowadays in England, the first Monday of May is a bank holiday. Since May 1 does not always fall on a Monday, May Day festivities have been moved to the Monday for public convenience. Some communities still start their celebrations at sunset on April 30 with parades and floral decorations.

Padstow, a small town on the North coast of Cornwall, holds the annual Obby Oss (dialect for Hobby Horse), which is thought to be the oldest May Day celebration in the country dating way back to the 13th century. In this festival, dancers parade through town dressed as highly decorated horses. Some recreations of horses are dressed in bright ribbons, while others wear dark masks.

"Each with his bonny lass,
Upon the greeny grass,
Fa la la la la.

The Spring clad all in gladness,
Doth laugh at Winter´s sadness,
Fa la la la la. "

Dia De Los Ninos at the Library

2009-04-28T13:43:00.005-06:00

In Mexico, Día De Los Niños, Day of the Child, is celebrated on April 30. This day recognizes children and their importance to society. The festivities include games, music, gifts, raffles, exhibits, scientific demonstrations, workshops and a parade. Candy and balloons are handed out everywhere by magicians, mimes, clowns, and puppeteers.

The Garden City Library is also taking part in celebrating Dia De Los Ninos on April 30th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. There will be dancers, music, pinata and flower crafts, games, food, and more!

Find the Idaho Statesman's article about Día De Los Niños here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/entertainment/story/745188.html

Felíz Día De Los Niños!

A New Face At GCPL

2009-04-14T15:15:00.003-06:00

Hey Guys! My name is Jordan, and I'll be your new Teen Programs Assistant at GCPL. I'm so excited to get to know everyone and I'm positive we're gonna have a blast.

I'm super into artsy stuff like theatre and music, and I look forward to bringing that into our teen programs this upcoming summer. As some of you know, the theme is Express Yourself, so this is a good time to get those creative juices flowing! I'll be doing some workshops involving the theatre arts and letting that inner child-like enthusiasm out when it comes to "play" and ideas. It will be so much fun to play some improv games and let out all that energy from being cooped up inside all winter!

I'm up for the YAAC meeting on Tuesday, the 21st of April [same time, same place]. So I'll bring the pizza if you guys bring the fabulous ideas and any questions you may have for me...fair trade? :]

If you want to say "Hi" to Gen, go ahead and I'll let her know for ya!

See you all soon,
Jordan

Hardmath

2009-03-19T13:13:00.000-06:00

Here's a taste of what we will be doing on Saturday March 21st for Teen Tech Week!

Wii Bowling at Capital High

2009-03-11T14:54:00.002-06:00

Thanks for all of you who came to play some Wii Bowling today at Capital High School. We had a great time, though we could not play in the library because of testing. All of you Centennial Highers, come play the Wii during your lunch hour on the 19th!

Why was I at your school? Well, Teen Tech Week is sneaking up on us. Saturday the 21st we have Jason Seivers and a pal here teach us Stop Motion Animation! There are fun techy times ahead for the Teen Tech Lounge where we will sit back, chill, and play WII, try out some cool new websites (see previous post), and get your picture taken in the photo booth. We’ve also confirmed that Caleb Chung will be here to talk robotics and invention on the 26th of March. You can visit our website to register, at NotAQuietLibrary.org and if you have any questions, our number is 472-2944.

I've always wondered what I would look like...

2009-02-25T15:01:00.005-07:00

Teen Tech Week is almost upon us! Events are being held on March 21st, 24th, and 26th, see NotAQuietLibrary.org for more info. For the event on the 24th, we are having a Technology Lounge. That night we are playing the Wii on the big screen, we'll have a photobooth and we will be discovering some new and fun websites.

In the lineup for our new and fun websites, we stumbled across a website called Taaz. At Taaz.com you can upload a picture of yourself and give yourself a makeover. In order for me to guide all you Teen Tech-ers on the 24th, I had to try this site out myself. And check out the new look:

...nuff said

Here's the Scoop!

2009-02-05T15:40:00.003-07:00

Hi there Scoop readers.

Welcome to the Garden City Library Teen Blog!

As you can see, we like to have fun here.

Feel free to look around and to follow us on twitter at twitter.com/gcplteens

Teens Impact the Garden City Library

2009-02-04T13:30:00.005-07:00

As a teen, I wanted to make a difference whether in my school, in my community, or in my family. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to work with some great young adults while working at the Garden City Library. Though I am often facilitating the teen activities, I think of these teens as my friends. We share a lot of common interests and I have been impacted by their presence in my life.

I am so excited to help teens have a voice in the Garden City Library. This is where YAAC comes in. YAAC stands for Young Adult Advisory Council and is a group of teenagers that meets the third Tuesday of every month at 4:00 pm in the Teen Scene of the library. This is their time to express the type of literature, music, movies, and programs that they would like to see at GCPL.

If you who do not live near the Garden City Library, think about approaching your local library about having an advisory council for teens. If you are interested in influencing the Garden City Library and want to become part of our YAAC, drop by on February 17th at 4:00 pm for some snacks and a time to make your voice heard.

Teens at the Garden City Library making Origami Ornaments during Christmas time.

Getting Geared Up!

2009-02-03T14:18:00.004-07:00

As some of you may have heard, we are making Fortune Cookies this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the Garden City Library! Come and join us in the Community Room while we decorate our boxes, come up with our witty fortunes, and create yummy fortune cookies. In honor of the event, here is the recipe!

Pre-Baking tip. Be sure to write your fortunes before you make the cookie. Papers should be no more than 2-1/2" x 1/4".

Ingredients:
*1/3 cup Sugar
*1 Egg
*3 tablespoons Water
*2 tablespoons oil
*1/4 cup Corn Starch

1. Preheat the electric griddle to 340 degrees.

2. In one bowl, mix the water and cornstarch together. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and sugar continually until the mixture is thick and turns an ivory color (this may make you a little tired, but don’t give up!) Add the oil and stir. Add the water/cornstarch mixture and stir until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

3. Once the griddle is warm, pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto the griddle. Using the back of the spoon, spread the mixture into a thin circle starting in the middle and working your way to the edges making about a 4 inch circle. Allow the cookie to cook for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. With a spatula, slowly work your way under the cookie and flip to cook the other side.

4. When that side is golden brown, remove from the griddle and work quickly while the cookie is still hot and flexible. Take your fortune and lay it on the cookie. Fold the edges without creasing the cookie in half. Then fold the cookie in half again by using the edge of a cup and pulling down on the ends until they touch the cup. Allow the cookies to cool in a cup or empty egg cartons so they can keep their shape while they cool. The first couple of cookies are not the prettiest, but do not fear! They will turn out better as you cook more. Have fun!

Fortune Cookie Generator

"You will reconsider a new idea..."

2008-12-31T11:58:00.009-07:00

Yesterday was the day that we had been anticipating. Not like it's a huge deal, but we've never really done anything like this at GCPL before so it was our day to pitch the idea. In preparation to demonstrate our possible Valentines Day Teen craft, we whipped up some eggs, poured in the ingredients, and warmed up the griddle.

We brought the demonstrations to the Powers that Be. There was pouring, unsticking, flipping, folding, molding, and cooling. Guess what folks? SUCCESS!

TEENS: on Saturday, February 7th at 2:00 come to the Garden City Library and we'll be making:

Your Fortune Is: Man who sneezes without hanky takes matters into his own hands.

Follow these wise words carefully.

FORTUNE COOKIES! So be thinking of fortunes and get ready to be creative!

Also don't forget we're having a DIY lip gloss and sugar scrub craft on January 17th @2

Cocoa and Cookie Party

2008-12-18T16:26:00.002-07:00

Here's a repost of our flyer for a Teen Event coming this Saturday!

lolcats

2008-12-12T15:31:00.001-07:00

I hope this puts a smile on your face :)

more animals

Coraline Coming to Theaters!

2008-12-09T13:08:00.002-07:00

A new book is coming to theaters! Coraline by Neil Gaiman is hitting theaters February 6th, 2009! Check out the preview for the new movie!

I could possibly be smarter than a 5th grader

2008-12-04T13:14:00.002-07:00

Take this fun quiz and see if you are smarter than a 5th grader

You are 60% Smarter than a fifth grader.

You got more than half right, atleast. It's 50% for your information, since you're still not that smart. A fifthgrader is smarter than you.

are you smarter than a fifth grader?
Take More Quizzes

December Events!

2008-12-02T17:22:00.005-07:00

In Addition to our monthy, here are the Teen Events coming your way this month!

And don't forget, December is Food For Fines. Bring non-perishable food to the Garden City Library and have up to $10.00 in fines forgiven. The donated food will go to the Idaho Food Bank.

Upcoming Events

2008-11-12T15:55:00.002-07:00

Here are some upcoming Teen events happening at the Garden City Library!

National Gaming Day
Saturday, November 15th from Noon-3:30 in the Teen Scene
Join us for free pizza and soda while we launch the new Wii and Lap-Top check outs.
We'll have some great games and some great laughs!

Young Adult Advisory Council (YAAC) Meeting
Tuesday, December 2nd from 4:00-5:00
Come and join our group. This group meets once a month to suggest books, magazines, CD's, and movies for the Garden City Library. They also plan programs and events all the while putting in community service hours that look great on college applications!

More events to follow!

Changing my skin

2008-11-06T14:12:00.002-07:00

I've been inspired by the frequent changes of myspace skins from all of the GCL teen myspace friends. If you notice that the blog looks a little different than last time, that would be why :)

Halloween!

2008-10-31T15:42:00.008-06:00

Who knew you could Trick or Treat at the Library? If you still have time, come to the Garden City Library to get some candy and piggy banks donated by Le Bois bank!

If you worked at the library, what would you be? Our costumes were as different as our personalities. The morning crew was manned by Tigger, an Angel/Devil and Cheryl wearing a T-Shirt saying "This is my Halloween Costume" This afternoon, the staff was made up of a Bunny, a Faerie, a Football Player, and a DeLorean that came complete with a Flux Capacitor (confused? Reference the "Back to the Future Movies")

Check out some of the pictures of the staff from this afternoon:

Costume party last Saturday

2008-10-28T15:24:00.006-06:00

Saturday October 28th we had a COSTUME PARTY! Thanks for all who came. We had 22 teens all dressed up ranging from nurses, to dolls; from flapper girls to basketball players. Check out some of the pictures from the party!

Pumpkin Carving Contest finalists.

Our teens making shadow puppets while an old horror film plays.

Our theme table. We had a fogging punch and goblets.

Free Costume Party This Saturday!

2008-10-22T17:08:00.005-06:00

The Garden City Public Library is having a free after hours Costume Party! Bring a carved pumpkin and see us from 5:00p.m.-7:00p.m. and join us for a hip-hop lesson from an instructor from Backstage Dance Studio. There will be prizes for costumes and pumpkins. It's also a pot-luck so bring your favorite dish.It'll be fun and there will be lots of CANDY!!!!! It's for grades 6-12 so bring your friends! See ya there!

Just for fun, take the "Which Twilight Character Are You?" Quiz
http://www.gotoquiz.com/which_twilight_vampire_are_you

Welcome to the Blog

2008-10-16T18:26:00.001-06:00

Well, here we are. This blog is for all of you Treasure Valley Teens out there. Feel free to add to any discussion. More details will follow