Girls Day In!

On Sunday the 26th thirteen girls gathered for a Girls Day In of pampering! While most enjoyed creating beautiful fingertips at the manicure station, several relaxed while sitting in a massage chair. A new feature this time was a foot soak, which provided bubbles and/or vibration for a foot massage. We will have the foot soaks again, but next time I will have help! Look for another spa day after the new year!

What Hannah's Been Reading: Suite Scarlett

So, last weekend I went down to Washington, DC for the National Book Festival, (which was awesome. I saw Suzanne Collins, who was awesome) but I needed something to keep me occupied on the drive down, so I picked up Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson on MP3-CD, which I have to say, I wasn't all that excited about. I was sort of desperate for something to listen to, and this book isn't my usual style. It's the story of Scarlett Martin who lives in her family's hotel, the Hopewell, in New York City. It's summer, her friends are gone, and she's turning fifteen. Her birthday present is the care of a suite at the Hopewell, and along with the suite comes a guest-- Mrs. Amberson, who turns Scarlett's summer on its head. There's also a hot actor named Eric, a production of Hamlet, some tuna fish, and a lot of trickery.

I was really pleasantly surprised by Suite Scarlett. It was a lot of fun to listen to, and I was so into it that I had to pick up the paper copy when I got home so that I could finish it. I was worried that the plot was going to be predictable. I thought that I had it figured out about half way through, and I considered stopping the CD, but I'm glad that I didn't because I was completely wrong about what I thought was going to happen. The plot was fun and well thought out, even if it was a little repetitive. Scarlett is a pretty cool character. She is a smart and independent girl, which I think is really important in teen lit. She also has a cool older brother, and their relationship was my favorite.

I would recommend Suite Scarlett to anyone who has ever wished they lived in a hotel in New York. Also, if you've already read the book, or you're planning to, or you're going to now, here's a link to a Twitter discussion the blog readergirlz had with Maureen Johnson specifically about Suite Scarlett. Most of it is along the column on the right.

Guitar Hero Tournament Update

The Guitar Hero Tournament this past Sunday was a rockin' good time! (Pun intended!) The competition was friendly and our winner, Robert D. warned everyone ahead of time that he was going to win! Huh, how about that? If he's that good at predictions, I'm going to ask him to pick my next lottery numbers for me! I think the finalists were out of breath after playing Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit in the "expert" round! Way to go Robert and runner-up Alex!

Hello Teens of Fredricksen!

My name is Mrs. Gay and I am the new Teens Services Coordinator at Fredricksen Library. I am very excited to take on this new position! I have experience working with teens, as I was a middle school teacher for 10 years and I have tutored high school students as well. Having worked the reference desk for two years here at Fredricksen, I am familiar with a few of the teen programs and I have had the opportunity to meet many of you already. The teen programs already scheduled for the fall will remain as scheduled. I hope to see many of you there! I plan to continue this teen Blogspot, but you may see changes. Hannah, a librarian who works at both the reference and circulation desks, will be doing most of the young adult book reviews. She reads YA literature nonstop and is really looking forward to giving you these reviews! Mrs. N. has created an AWESOME Teen Program at Fredricksen and I look forward to working to keep it great, but it can't be great without YOU, the teens! Do you have an idea for an upcoming teen program? Consider coming to the next TAG (Teen Advisory Group) meeting this Thursday at 7:00 pm in the community room. We would love fresh ideas and new faces! There will also be a TAG meeting Thursday, September 30th at 7:00 pm. The next time you are in the library, please stop by to see if I am working! I would love to meet you in person!