Looking for Alaska by John Green introduces you to 16-year-old Miles “Pudge” Halter who heads off to seek his Great Perhaps at an Alabama boarding school, where new-found freedom, guilty pleasures and an enigmatic girl named Alaska hurl him into life.

Honor books include Black Juice by Margo Lanagan, I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth by Elizabeth Partridge, and A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson.

And we want to remind you the Downtown public library has both group study spaces and personal study areas that are quiet and perfect for final test preparation. There are snack and drink machines on the second floor for break-time, and librarians that can help if you come upon a conundrum.

I just finished watching 24, did any one else see that? I've never watched it before, but after watching the the beginning of this season, I am seriously considering getting the earlier seasons from the library.

I know there are also a lot of Lost fans out there, and just so you know, we have the first season. If you have any thoughts or theories on this season's shows, this is the place to add them.

The Wise and Venerable Yoda

I discovered these 5 Keys while cleaning my desk. They came from a talk Shutta Crum gave on writing. I'm going to try flesh out what Shutta was talking about using the short story Light of Other Days. And I added a few suggestions of my own

5 Keys to Good Writing after the break.

If you haven't seen the Chronicles of Narnia Rap.. you must be living in a sensory deprivation chamber. I thought I'd post it just in case, though..

The Wise and Venerable Yoda

I sense a bit of January stagnation around here. Read Light of Other Days by Science Fiction writer Bob Shaw. Its very short, and very well written.

In a stroke of brilliance (or is it ratings-despair?), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has tagged Jon Stewart to serve as Master of Ceremonies at this year's Academy Awards show, airing Sunday, March 5 on ABC.

It is hoped that Stewart, best known for his longstanding role as the deliverer of fake news on Comedy Central, and for his award-winning America (the Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction will pull in the young hip viewers who are devoted followers of Stewart's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, but who avoid the oft-perceived-as-stodgy Oscars.

And ask him what being the "dean" actually means for me while you're at it. Congressman John Dingell will conduct office hours at Malletts Creek Branch on Tuesday January 10th from 7-8 PM. Tell your politically inclined friends, this is an opportunity for some face time with the representative of the 15th Congressional District.

Write a short story! You have until March 20th to turn it in. Maybe you've had this idea knocking around in your head for months, so now is the time to go ahead and write it down. The announcement about this contest will be mailed to all Middle and High Schools in Washtenaw County, and winners will be announced on May 13th with an Awards Program held during the Ann Arbor Book Festival
For complete contest rules go to this link

PRIZES will be awarded to first-place ($250 cash awards), second-place($150 cash awards) and third-place ($100 cash awards) finishers in three categories-
*6th, 7th and 8th grades
*9th and 10th grades
*11th and 12th grades
It's All Write is sponsored by "The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation Robert Bruce Dunlap Memorial Awards Fund.

Call us at 327-8301 if you have other questions, and good luck.

The Library has recently acquired the Criterion edition of 1960's swordplay classics The Sword of the Beast, Samurai Spy, Kill!, and the excellent Samurai Rebellion, left, starring Toshiro Mifune. Also new--and from the same decade--is 1963's Jason and the Argonauts, which showcases Ray Harryhausen's brilliant use of stop-motion animation, and the family favorite Born Free (1966). While you're in the 1960s, this may also be a good time to revisit 1964's Mary Poppins and lend your voice to the fray over this week's news that Steven Spielberg is considering a remake.