Submit your writing now!

The deadline for the third annual Henderson Libraries Teen Writing Contest is coming quickly! Don't forget to submit your poetry, fiction, or essay (not a school essay) for a chance to win! Eight teens will receive a gift card for placing first or second in one of eight categories including high school prose or poetry and middle school prose or poetry. See the link down there at the lower right corner of the screen for rules and a submittal form.

And if you love to write, think about joining the Green Valley Library Teen Writing Club! Our next meeting is Tuesday, February 21 from 4:30-6:00.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Crafting is a big deal these days. You take one look at Etsy or Pinterest, and you wind up spending an hour drooling over adorable hand-crafted items, from zombie plushies to pottery to clothing, etc.! Okay, maybe we don't ALL enjoy hand-crafted cuteness, but I'm sure we all know someone who is really (REALLY) into it (guys, I'm looking at you).

My favorite crafts use books to create a whole slew of different items: ornaments, wreaths, pumpkins, mobiles, dinosaurs-- you name it, someone's done it. Why would a librarian want to cut up a book, you ask? Because typeface against the creamy yellow background of a tattered page just looks so awesome! Besides, I only cut up books that are in really bad shape.



http://craftaphile.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-make-3d-paper-star.html



http://kaylaaimee.typepad.com/ce_jour/2009/11/tutorial-paperback-christmas-trees.html

Anyway, the point of this post is to invite you to a recycled book program tomorrow at Green Valley Library. From 4:30-5:30 we'll be making Christmas Trees out of book pages, sipping hot cocoa, and listening to some holiday tunes. If Christmas isn't your thing, you're always welcome to make your own creation! We'll raffle off a gingerbread house kit to one lucky attendee.

If you can't come, but feel intrigued, check out the tutorial links above!

Have you seen this, Hunger Games fans? A blog full of recipes for the food mentioned in the Hunger Games! http://www.fictionalfood.net/category/books/hunger-games-book/ Learn to make your own goat cheese, where to get purple melon, and more! I'm sure you have seen the trailer, but just in case, here it is.

Books for the Holiday Season

It's finally chilly outside, and inside we're all gearing up for the holidays: anticipating our favorite Thanksgiving dishes, putting up decorations, playing holiday music, and getting ready to celebrate. This time of year makes me want to curl up on the couch with a blanket, a mug of something delicious, and a book. I'm always looking for great holiday themed books for teens, but I find the pickings pretty slim. Am I missing something? Do you have a favorite? Share it!

In honor of Native American Heritage Month and the holidays that follow, here are a couple of recommendations-- great for guys or girls-- to help you get in the spirit.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie                                                                                      

Sherman Alexie packs a punch in this absorbing novel about a Native American boy searching for a brighter future. At once humorous and stirring, Alexie's novel follows Junior, a resident of the Spokane reservation who transfers out of the reservation's school -- and into a nearby rich, all-white farm school -- in order to nurture his desire to become a cartoonist. Junior encounters resistance there, a backlash at home, and numerous family problems -- all the while relaying his thoughts and feelings via amusing descriptions and drawings. Having already garnered a National Book Award for Young Adult Literature, this moving look at race and growing up is definitely one to pick up. (Text from GoodReads (www.goodreads.com)

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan          “I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.” So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions? Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

Teen Lounge Opening at Green Valley Library!

The new Teen Lounge at Green Valley Library is now operational. There's a lounge area where you can check out games for in-library use, comfy seats for reading or hanging out, and tables for studying or homework. We've also got three teen-only computers that will soon be up and running! And don't forget the books! Teen fiction has been relocated to the Teen Lounge, and we have new books and brand new Teen Life books on display for you to check out.

Please join us for a grand opening celebration on September 20, 2011 from 4:30-5:30. You'll have a chance to meet Bobby and Sandra Ellis, who donated the funds to make the Teen Lounge possible, and there will be cake!

We'd love to see you at a teen event. Find the calendar here, or pick up a hard copy at the library!

Teen Book Review

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Reviewed by Elizabeth, Grade 6



















Summary: Meggie and Mo must escape and defeat Capricorn and his men. Read out of their book by Mo, Dustfinger tries to get back into his story.

Review: I did love this book. Its characters were great, and the story and idea was great. it made me think about words a lot, and about books - to the point where the words seemed different. If you're a book-lover, then this is your book. Sometimes the language gets bad, but I wouldn't say too bad. I didn't really approve of the ending, but overall, I liked it!

Bubbly Boba

If you're feeling a little too hot next Tuesday at 4:30, come to Green Valley Library for a delicious and interesting drink! We'll be learning how to make boba milk teas and slushies, and you can choose your flavor-- green tea, purple yam, or lychee slush.



So what is this boba I speak of? Basically, balls of tapioca that you can chew at the end of your drink or suck up through a giant straw. Some of you have probably had your share of boba drinks, especially if you hang out on Spring Mountain Rd. Love it or hate it, it's a popular Asian treat, and a fun alternative to your standard boring Starbucks order.

Boba is a variant of what Americans call bubble tea, a drink that became popular in Taiwan in the 1980s. It is also referred to as pearl milk tea because the boba resembles pearls. Two tea shops in Taiwan both claim that they originated the recipe. Chun Shui Tang teahouse made a concoction of milk tea, fruit, tapioca balls, and Hanlin Teahouse made milk tea with smaller white tapioca balls. The drinks weren't popular at first, but when they were featured on an unidentified TV show, people became interested. I can't find the name of the show, so please share if you find out!

Today, boba shops are all over the place, and they offer way too many varieties of boba drinks to name. You can get tea, fruit-flavored soft drinks, smoothies, slushes, and more with a big dose of boba at the bottom.

If you're interested in trying out a few shops, I have listed some below. Drinks cost around $4 at a shop, but you can make them for much less money at home. Visit an Asian market to find raw boba (you have to boil it), tea, and a wide assortment of flavors and ingredients you can add! Find out how to cook your boba, and get a free drink by registering for the Boba Cafe Workshop!

Boba Tea Lounge
8846 S Eastern Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89123
(702) 942-6064
CooCoo's Gourmet Coffee Cafe (Not specifically a boba shop, but apparently they serve it, and it's in Henderson)
19 W. Pacific Ave.
Henderson, NV 89015
568-5069

Volcano Tea House
4215 Spring Mountain Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89102
873-0301

No 1 Boba Tea
4255 Spring Mountain Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89102
364-4724

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