Books About Second Chances...

I picked up a book out of Teen Central's collection on Friday and devoured it over the weekend. I just could not put Amy Efaw's After down. It's the story of a 15 year old girl who is practically perfect (great grades, star goalie on her school's soccer team, tutors, coaches, babysits...She does it all) until the morning she gives birth. And puts the baby out with the garbage. Devon, the main character, doesn't ever come off as a villain. She has clearly, unequivocally done something wrong, but she isn't a bad person. After is all about the choices that have brought Devon's life to a screeching halt complete with lawyers, judges, and life in a juvenile detention facility and it's about chances and changing your life. In honor of After, I've put together a list of books about teens needing second chances either after their own not so great choices or because of someone else's. Read and enjoy.

Evelyn Coleman's Born in Sin
Carl Deuker's Runner
Amy Efaw's After
E. R. Frank's Wrecked
Oscar Hijuelos Dark Dude
Patricia McCormick Sold
Walter Dean Meyer's Monster
Walter Dean Meyer's Lockdown
Mary E. Pearson's A Room on Lorelei Street
Adam Rapp Little Chicago

Books and Movies...

I was talking with a couple folks after our movie night on Wednesday about all the great teen novels that have been turned into books. We've decided to devote our midweek movie series, which is every third Wednesday at 6 PM in Teen Central, to YA books to movies for at least the next six months. Next month, during Teen Read Week, we're showing a movie based on a book by Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan. Can you guess the title? If you want to have your own books to movies festival or just read some great books that have been made into movies, check out the list below.

Sapphire's Push (Precious)
Cornelia Funke's Inkheart
C.S. Lewis' Prince Caspian
C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Stan Lee's Iron Man
Phillip Pullman's The Golden Compass
The entire Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Carl Hiassan's Hoot
Ann Brashare's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Dyan Sheldon's Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Sarah Dessen's Someone Like You and That Summer (How to Deal)
Louis Sachar's Holes
Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries
Wendelin Van Draanen's Flipped
Stefanie Myers' Twilight and New Moon
Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief
Louise Rennison's Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging
Darren's Shan's Cirque du Freak series (The Vampire's Assistant)
Neil Gaiman's Coraline
Marjane Sarapi's Persepolis
Christopher Paolini's Eragon

This is, by far, not a complete list. What's your favorite book into movie?

Help!

We need your help! Today is the day to solve the mystery of our missing owl! Come by Teen Central at 4 today to meet the suspects, see the clues, and solve the crime! There will be cookies for the participating detectives. Check out our last post about our poor missing owl for more info.

Free Help with Homework and More!

Have you ever wanted a free tutor after school available anytime you need one? You can get that from Forsyth County Public Library. We have free online tutoring and academic and career resources from Tutor.com that everyone in the community can use! No matter what you're working on (homework, resume, college essay…you name it) or how much help you need, there's live tutoring available from 3-11 pm every day of the week through our website and thousands of resources available 24/7.

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K-12 and college students can get help with homework, studying, projects, essay writing and test prep in every subject, including algebra, statistics, chemistry, physics, social studies and English. Adults can get help with resume writing, GED prep, and academic support. All sessions are online and one-to-one with a live tutor.

What kind of resources are there?
There are thousands of resources—worksheets, practice problems, videos in every subject, as well as resources for state standardized tests and college entrance exams. They are available 24/7 so you can access them whenever you need extra help.
To get a tutor or find a resource, go to our Online Resources page and click "Live Homework Help". You'll need your library card if you are accessing it from home, but that's it.

Online Book Club #4 - Island Sting

Island Sting by Bonnie Doerr (in about 100 words)

Kenzie is a city girl in a whole new world when her mom moves her to a nature preserve in the Florida Keys and she immediately gets into trouble by falling into a canal to save what she thinks is a dog. She quickly realizes it's a tiny deer instead and then she meets a boy who helps her (and the deer) out of the canal. Soon, Kenzie learns that there is a poacher killing key deer even though they’re an endangered species. What is she going to do and that’s just in the first two chapters of this action packed mystery novel for middle schoolers.

Go read it and then answer our weekly questions! Don’t forget the author of this book will be visiting Teen Central on October 5th at 4 pm. We hope to see everyone there!

Question 1:
Both Kenzie and Angelo kept their hunt for the poacher a secret from their family. Do you agree with that decision? Would you have done the same? Why or why not?

Question 2:
Throughout the book, Kenzie does not have a cell phone. Why doesn’t she? If you had to go without a cell phone, how would your days change?

Question 3:
Kenzie and Angelo work to decrease litter pollution on their island. Why is decreasing litter important? What could you do to decrease litter?