Happy Halloween!

Old haunted mansion against night sky

A Spooky Twist on a Classic Poem

Need a Costume? Make a Mask!

Express Yourself – Carve a Pumpkin!

Ready… Set… Carve!! Here are some fun and free pumpkin patterns. Print one out and start carving!
(Please remember to be careful.)

Beginner Patterns:

          

Intermediate Patterns:

    

Advanced Patterns:

   

Celebrate Teen Read Week!

TRW_2003logo_150pxTeen Read Week is an initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). It was created in 1998 to encourage teens to read for pleasure. This year’s Teen Read Week is October 18th – 24th, and the theme is “Read Beyond Reality @ Your Library”. So pick up a book that’s out of this world, or suggest some titles here for others to enjoy!

Vampire Books

Vampires are all the rage. You know all about the Twilight Series, by Stephenie Meyer. But have you heard of these other vampire series? Try one today!

House of Night, by P.C. Cast

        

Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead

    

Morganville Vampires, by Rachel Caine

      

   

Blue Bloods, by Melissa de la Cruz

   

Haunted California

Have you heard about the haunted Toys ‘R Us in Sunnyvale? The strange story of The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose? Or the mysterious happenings at Alcatraz in San Francisco? Find out about these and other allegedly haunted spots in California at the “Seize the Night” webpage.

Squirrel Awareness Week

October 5th through 11th is Squirrel Awareness Week.

Meet Twiggy, the squirrel who can water ski:

It’s Banned Books Week!

Celebrate your right to read by checking out a banned book! The following is a list of last year’s most frequently challenged books, according to the American Library Association. Have you read any of them?

Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2008

  1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
    Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group
  2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
    Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence
  3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
  4. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
    Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence
  5. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
    Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence
  6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
    Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group
  7. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
  8. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
    Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group
  9. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
    Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
  10. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
    Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group

If you would like to learn more about banned and challenged books, check out this page from the American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/aboutbannedbooks/index.cfm

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