CRAM IT IN!

I mean, come on.

There always comes a point at the end of the summer, or the end of a vacation, or the end of a long weekend, or the last minutes of sunlight on a single day off, that I go into a panic because I have not read as much as I was planning to when said vacation was spread in front of me.

With that in mind I feel a little guilty laying a booklist roundup on you so close to the end of summer. But one of them is a list of books that don't even exist yet, so take a deep breath, and take a look...

TRASHY READS (via Flavorwire)
This is the only true "booklist" I'm including, meaning it's ALL books, and they all exist. Most available at your local library (ahem). Oh man, there are some amazing trashy books on this list, that have been SO MANY people's first introduction to topics people may not want young folks to know about. And they are salacious and page-turning and as good as staring at a Real Housewives marathon, I promise you. I have been meaning to read Scruples since I was about 12 years old. Before the summer is over! New goal!

FEMINIST SYLLABUS (also via Flavorwire)
 This list is cool because it's not just books, it's movies, youtube clips, songs, TV shows, art, you name it. Feminism is a huge, sprawling study and you'll find a lot of different ideas, presentations and styles on this list. I'd like to personally put in a plug for Julia Sugarbaker and her rant about ladies enjoying the company of other ladies. PREACH IT, JULIA SUGARBAKER! 

FUTURE BIOGRAPHIES (via BookRiot)
I like this idea. We're able to follow the lives of musicians, actors, writers and artists we admire minute to minute to second these days, but their story might change with some space and perspective. Something to keep in mind as you pass through TMZ...

CRAM IT IN!

I mean, come on.

There always comes a point at the end of the summer, or the end of a vacation, or the end of a long weekend, or the last minutes of sunlight on a single day off, that I go into a panic because I have not read as much as I was planning to when said vacation was spread in front of me.

With that in mind I feel a little guilty laying a booklist roundup on you so close to the end of summer. But one of them is a list of books that don't even exist yet, so take a deep breath, and take a look...

TRASHY READS (via Flavorwire)
This is the only true "booklist" I'm including, meaning it's ALL books, and they all exist. Most available at your local library (ahem). Oh man, there are some amazing trashy books on this list, that have been SO MANY people's first introduction to topics people may not want young folks to know about. And they are salacious and page-turning and as good as staring at a Real Housewives marathon, I promise you. I have been meaning to read Scruples since I was about 12 years old. Before the summer is over! New goal!

FEMINIST SYLLABUS (also via Flavorwire)
 This list is cool because it's not just books, it's movies, youtube clips, songs, TV shows, art, you name it. Feminism is a huge, sprawling study and you'll find a lot of different ideas, presentations and styles on this list. I'd like to personally put in a plug for Julia Sugarbaker and her rant about ladies enjoying the company of other ladies. PREACH IT, JULIA SUGARBAKER! 

FUTURE BIOGRAPHIES (via BookRiot)
I like this idea. We're able to follow the lives of musicians, actors, writers and artists we admire minute to minute to second these days, but their story might change with some space and perspective. Something to keep in mind as you pass through TMZ...

July is STILL Anti-Boredom Month!

Here are some ideas...

• All Cambridge youth centers are FREE!  All summer!

• Watch a free screening of Life of Pi outside at the Harvard Medical School Quadrangle on Thursday, July 11.

• Become a soap bubble magician.

• Write a letter (and mail it also).  You will make someone very happy!

Image: Dhiren Gala, 2012.

• Check out the Boomtown Festival at the Multicultural Arts Center July 29 thru August 1. 

•  While you are there, visit the rooftop garden at Kendall Square.

• Cut your hair.  Yes, you will initially feel trepidation, but once you get going it is quite exhilarating!

• Make popsicles.  If you don't have popsicle molds, use ice cube trays, muffin tins, or paper cups!

• Learn to say "hello" in another language.  You may also wish to learn how to say "help!"
  

• Go to the sandcastle competition at Revere Beach on July19-21.

• Wait for someone to water their yard, and then dive through their sprinkler.

• Learn some dance steps at The Mission (call 617-349-6273 to register), then salsa at Boston City Hall on Friday, July 12.

• Join an online writing community.

• Learn something new about birds, plants and animals at a free Fresh Pond event.

• Give your old Barbie a makeover.

 

• Watch cliff divers fall 90 feet into Boston Harbor at the ICA on August 25.

• Name all the feels. 

• Museums all over Massachusetts are participating in Free Fun Fridays -- find one near you!

• Just play: at the Sunday Parkland Games near the Weeks Footbridge on Memorial Drive.

• Finally, make your own souvenir t-shirt to commemorate it all!

Got more ideas of how to beat boredom to a pulp?  Share them with us in the comments!

July is STILL Anti-Boredom Month!

Here are some ideas...

• All Cambridge youth centers are FREE!  All summer!

• Watch a free screening of Life of Pi outside at the Harvard Medical School Quadrangle on Thursday, July 11.

• Become a soap bubble magician.

• Write a letter (and mail it also).  You will make someone very happy!

Image: Dhiren Gala, 2012.

• Check out the Boomtown Festival at the Multicultural Arts Center July 29 thru August 1. 

•  While you are there, visit the rooftop garden at Kendall Square.

• Cut your hair.  Yes, you will initially feel trepidation, but once you get going it is quite exhilarating!

• Make popsicles.  If you don't have popsicle molds, use ice cube trays, muffin tins, or paper cups!

• Learn to say "hello" in another language.  You may also wish to learn how to say "help!"
  

• Go to the sandcastle competition at Revere Beach on July19-21.

• Wait for someone to water their yard, and then dive through their sprinkler.

• Learn some dance steps at The Mission (call 617-349-6273 to register), then salsa at Boston City Hall on Friday, July 12.

• Join an online writing community.

• Learn something new about birds, plants and animals at a free Fresh Pond event.

• Give your old Barbie a makeover.

 

• Watch cliff divers fall 90 feet into Boston Harbor at the ICA on August 25.

• Name all the feels. 

• Museums all over Massachusetts are participating in Free Fun Fridays -- find one near you!

• Just play: at the Sunday Parkland Games near the Weeks Footbridge on Memorial Drive.

• Finally, make your own souvenir t-shirt to commemorate it all!

Got more ideas of how to beat boredom to a pulp?  Share them with us in the comments!

Summer is here and the reading has started

Image: Coasterpedia, 2010.

First off, a pat on the back to all of y'all who made a beeline to the library and picked up your required reading!  Hopefully you have found something fun and exciting to enjoy.

If you are still searching for the perfect story, consider trying one of these books featuring amusement parks and carnivals!



Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando
Dream Factory by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby
Rosie & Skate by Beth Ann Bauman
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Swim to Me by Betsy Carter
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Likes of Me by Randall Beth Platt
How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

Summer is here and the reading has started

Image: Coasterpedia, 2010.

First off, a pat on the back to all of y'all who made a beeline to the library and picked up your required reading!  Hopefully you have found something fun and exciting to enjoy.

If you are still searching for the perfect story, consider trying one of these books featuring amusement parks and carnivals!



Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando
Dream Factory by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby
Rosie & Skate by Beth Ann Bauman
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Swim to Me by Betsy Carter
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
The Likes of Me by Randall Beth Platt
How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

Saturday Librarytimes

I get it. It's like SUMMER outside, and school is almost done, and all you (I) want to do is run around and listen to this song on repeat.

But the Teen Room is open, should you need us. I'm here all day. Pop in and say hi.

June 5: End of School Karaoke Party!

It may not quite be the end of the year for everybody, but there's no doubt that everyone's counting down the days till summer vacation starts. 

Mark THIS day on your calendar, when the Teen Advisory Board is hosting an after school karaoke party!  Come unlease your inner diva and cheer on your friends!

You can browse song choices here.  Let us know what you'd like to sing and we'll get it on the playlist.

NEW BOOKS ARE EVERYWHERE!

There are new books on every surface of the Teen Room! You've got a week before school starts, friends, to read whatever you want and we have whatever you're looking for. We even have TWO books that feature the fabulous sunglasses I was sporting at the beach this summer! I'm telling you, WE HAVE IT ALL!

Oh, heart-shaped sunglasses. I'll miss you the most. Until next summer...

Re: Vision Spoken Word Summer Camp

Brought to you by Mass LEAP, who hosted April's poetry slam.  The camp runs all next week: Monday, July 16 through Saturday, July 21.

"Through writing, revision and performance we will inspire critical thinking through a social justice lens and provide the tools for these young people to grow as artistic leaders in their communities."



WHO: Young people ages 13 to 19, or currently enrolled in high school

WHEN: Mon-‐Thurs: 11:00 -‐ 3:00pm.

• Friday, July 20th: Special non-mandatory field trip.
• Saturday, July 21: Final performance!

WHERE: Madison Park High School, Boston.

HOW MUCH: Applying is free of charge; the participation fee (once you get in!) is 30.00. Scholarships available.

Summer in Cambridge

Are you looking for something to do in our fair city?  (Besides visiting your charming librarians, natch.)  Here are a few guides to get you started!

Cambridge Recreation Guide
Hours and activities for the War Memorial Pool and facilities

Summer Youth Guide 2012
The Department of Human Services guide to camps, youth centers, parks, and more!

City of Cambridge Events Calendar
Whether you want to see what's going down with the Board of Zoning Appeals or take a FREE urban bicycling workshop, there's something for everyone.

Cambridge Office for Tourism Community Events calendar
There is so much going on in your city, guys!  For instance, did you know that there's a free cocktail & snacks event every Thursday in June at the Hyatt Regency?  I DID NOT KNOW, and I pride myself on knowing where the snacks are.

Cambridge Discovery Days
We've even got ye olde historical Cambridge covered.  Includes a link to the library's own amazing Archives and Special Collections.  Just think, someday there may be noteworthy and archival about you! 


I mean, check out this dude.  Oh Cambridge, you make me so proud!

Volunteer for Cambridge Recycling

Want to help Cambridge Recycling? Volunteer at a summer in the city movie night to get the word out and sign people up to receive the Cambridge Recycling newsletter. It’s fun because you are outside, get to talk to people, enjoy music & movie, and get a free t-shirt. Email recycle@cambridgema.gov if you can help at:

August 9, 7pm 
Eric Royer’s One Man Band & Outdoor Movie Screening (East Cambridge Savings Bank parking lot, 292 Cambridge St)

August 16, 7pm  
Vegetable Circus & Outdoor Movie Screening (East Cambridge Savings Bank parking lot, 1310 Mass Ave)

August 23, 7pm  
Levins Family Band: Uncle Eye & Aunt Julia & Outdoor Movie Screening (Volpe Center Lawn, 55 Broadway St)

August 30, 7pm  
Improv Boston’s Family Show & Outdoor Movie Screening (University park @ Sidney & Franklin St)

Happy Summertime Y'all!

We'll be here all summer long with books, movies, exciting events and air conditioning!

Don't be a stranger...keep your eye on the blog, or follow us on Facebook for updates.

Women2Women program seeking applicants

Ladies! Another summer opportunity to check out!

Every summer, Women2Women conduct an international young women's leadership conference in Boston.  This year, the program is from July 7th through 15th at Wheelock College.

Every year, over 100 emerging female leaders, ages 15-19 years, participate in this life-changing program. Over the 6-year history of Women2Women, over 550 leaders from 39 countries have participated in the program.



The ideal candidate for this amazing opportunity is as follows:

• American national
• Age 15 to 19 years
• Able to participate in week-long conference: July 7-15
• Committed to further developing their leadership skills
• Interested in learning about other cultures and countries
• Wants to develop a network of new friends from around the world

The application deadline is JUNE 1. We hope to accept 20 American leaders into the program.
There is NO COST for this program.

If you or your candidate(s) have any questions, please contact Kari Johnston or Tricia Raynard at: 617.912.3800 or email traynard@empowerpeace.org.

Deadline for Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program is May 11

If you are looking for a summer job, hurry hurry and submit your application!  MSYEP is a six-week program for Cambridge youth between the ages of 14 & 18.

You can print out the application here.

The Half Life of Planets

Her deal: on the last day of school, Liana finds a one-word note in her locker and that word is slut.  Sure, Liana's kissed a lot of boys, but is that who she really is?  And why is the kissing easy, but everything else is so hard?  As a scientific endeavor, Liana resolves to go kiss-free all summer.  Then she meets Hank.

His deal: Hank can tell you all you want to know (and quite a bit you don't) about rock music recorded before 2003.  But he can't talk to girls.  Actually, he has a hard time talking to anybody because he has Asperger's syndrome.  Then he meets Liana.

There have been quite a few co-authored young adult novels set up in alternating He said, She said chapters.  It is a fun idea, but only if the switchbacks are seamless.  If the authors are too intent on showcasing their style I get thrown out of the story itself: Now I'm reading so-and-so's chapter; I can tell by the relentless witty banter and 80s pop culture references.

Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin keep Half-Life balanced.  I don't know who wrote what and I don't care, I just want to know if Hank and Liana are going to work things out and start kissing already.

If you aren't having a great one already, this book showcases some of the best things about summer: hanging out on the boardwalk, playing skeeball, water fights, eating too much candy, outdoor concerts, and possibly falling in love.  Painful, nausea-inducing, freakout, amazing love.  Yeah.

Summer Reads Contest from Teenreads.com

You have till July 18th to enter to win a beach bag full of hot new releases and assorted summertime swag!

Book List Fever!

Image credit: stonehengetours.com

Happy Solstice and welcome to summer!  The lists of recommended summer reads are coming fast and furious, and of course we'll be posting our own favorites all summer long.

After you've performed your Solstice ritual, take a look at these book lists from the young adult division of the American Library Association.  Lots of excellent choices!

Summer Job

Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program (MSYEP) applications are online.  And the library participates in this program!  If you are interested in library work, make sure you put that on your application.

Thinking about summer

In the middle of a snowstorm. Well, aren't we all?

But more specifically, it's not too soon to start thinking about a summer job. If you are considering applying for a position in the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program and think you might like working at the library, by gosh tell a librarian! If you'd like to tell me, call 617-349-4027, or email mescobar@cambridgema.gov

There are a limited number of spaces for summer library workers, so don't delay!