Please check out our new “Contests” page to see details and get an entry form.

We have a new contest going on at the Burlington Public Library.  It’s called Decorate Your Space.  The idea is to come up with a design for the corkboard in the teen space.   The winner will actually get to decorate the board, and will win a $30 Gap Gift Card.

For this fall, the contest theme is…  It was a dark and stormy night.

THIS YEAR’S GRAND PRIZE IS AN IPOD NANO!

The summer reading program is officially underway. We have a few great events coming up and we have a reading program that will earn you rewards!  So come into the library today to pick up your summer reading log.

Summer Reading
*Track your reading by crossing out 10 minute chunks on your summer reading log (available at the library)*

*Remember that any reading counts.  If you read blogs, text messages, books, magazines, emails… it all counts.*

*Read for 400 minutes and you get a half-way prize, which you can claim starting July 5th.  You also get entered into a drawing for an IPOD NANO!*

*Read for 800 minutes and you’ll get a book of your choosing, which you can pick up after July 30th.  You also get entered a second time into the IPOD NANO drawing.*

Upcoming Summer Events
*Drumming with Ray Soriano - – Wednesday, July 6th 5-6 pm*

Come to the library for a hands-on drumming workshop with musician and teacher Ray Soriano.  You’ll have your choice of about 30 hand drums to beat, slap, smack, and pound.  Join us, and let loose your inner percussion star!

YouTube video of August 2009 workshop

*Intro Robotics Workshop* – - July 11th, 13th, 18th, 20th 2-4 pm

You are invited to an intro-level robotics workshop at the library!  This workshop will be involve four sessions over two weeks.  It will go something like this… build a Lego Mindstorms robot, program your robot to do something cool like fetch you a bag of chips, and finally, enter your robot in a competition.  The top robots of each category will earn your team prizes and bragging rights.
To register email Teen Librarian Sarah Lunde: sarahl@ci.burlington.wa.us

*Belly Dancing with Assent* – - Tuesday, July 19th 2-4 pm

Come dressed in your comfy clothes and get ready to shake it.  This class will introduce you to some belly dancing basics and inspire self-expression using a powerful artistic medium.

See you there!

(This next paragraph will make more sense if you read my very first post )

Farewell to BPL’s blog for teens by Lisa D. This was a place that you could visit to get updates on the best and brightest books that we have to offer! And remember… “Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life.” ~ Mortimer J. Adler

Who knows what the future holds but it’s usually more than we could have wished for. So, stay tuned for bigger and better from the Burlington Library’s future teen librarian!

Peace out…

I’m glad you asked! Let’s do something fun and take a look at the nominees for Best Picture in their book form: 127 Hours, Black Swan, Social Networking, The Fighter, Inception (House of Leaves is a book similar to the film, Inception), The Kids Are All Right, The King’s Speech, Toy Story 3,  True Grit, and Winter’s Bone. And the winner for Best Picture in the year 2010? The King’s Speech won! Yeah for language!!

What was the recipe for success? Equal parts rich, popular, beautiful girl named Brittany (what else?!) cooked at a low simmer with sexy, bad-boy Alex who knows that most females can not resist his sultry charm.

The spice in this story comes from the fact that both of these two soon-to-be lovebirds both harbor dark secrets behind their masks of perfection. Brittany goes to school each day all the while trying to hide her less than perfect home life that includes  parents who don’t get along and her mentally disabled sister that she lovingly cares for. Then there’s Alex Fuentes who’s from the South side of town, running from rumors of drug abuse, and gang violence, when in reality he’s desperately trying to protect his younger brother from these very real threats. Once this is established, the couple are partnered up in class which results in an immediate clash.

It’s only after Alex takes a bet to get Brittany to fall for him, that he actually does ends up falling for her. Now we have the couple who, moments ago couldn’t stand the sight of one another. The result is a couple who can’t stop staring into each others eyes. Capitalizing on this attraction, the author, Simone Elkeles, takes the reader on an emotional and bumpy ride, breaking stereotypes left and right. Elkeles also alternates chapters between the perspective of Brittany and Alex, giving the reader a glimpse into each character throughout the story, which is a nice technique and kept me caring about these two. So, buckle up and hang on for a ride full of sexual tension and sarcastic banter. You’ll know it’s true love and that this book is perfect!

Check out Elkeles’ website for more about her writing and book trailers by clicking here.Still not enough for you? Check this song out. She’s a big-time talented fan who created this song about Perfect Chemistry packed with teenage angst!