A romance in two voices

Tue, 12/19/2006 - 1:44pm by K.C.

Calliope is tired of being dragged by her mother cross-country from one Renaissance Faire to another. Eliot longs for the day when his father used to sell swimming pools -- before he "found God," and subsequently founded the fat camp for Christian kids ("What would Jesus eat?"). When Cal and Eliot meet, there's instant chemistry -- literally and figuratively. Do they have a future? Or will Eliot's father and Cal's mother (and her jouster boyfriend) tear them apart? posted by Greg Leitich Smith

Scrambled Eggs at Midnight is a romantic comedy with an almost classic feel. Check out Cynsations to learn how co-authors Barkley and Hepler got together on this book.

NEW books - Spunky Princess

Tue, 12/19/2006 - 11:36am by ryanikoglu

Way Fun! A spunky twist on the Cinderella Tale, in a chapter book for kids!! Read Bella at Midnight. There are even glass slippers, a fairy castle, and complex relations. Author Jane Yolen says "Bella has everything - magic, mystery, romance - that I want from a fairytale novel ... I read it in two big gulps and loved every bit of it." I agree. Enjoy!

Grisly Grimm

Fri, 12/15/2006 - 4:04pm by anned

If you are tired of the “Disneyfied” versions of your favorite fairy tales, but short on time, then Jonathan Vankin’s condensed versions are for you. Based on the original tales of the brothers Grimm, they have been converted to comic form by fifty-two artists for the book The Big Book of Grimm (released by Paradox Press, an imprint of DC Comics). You will find some familiar names among them—Keith Giffen (of Ambush Bug and Justice League fame), Sergio Argones (creater of Groo the Wanderer and marginals for MAD Magazine since 1963), Joe Staton (numerous DC titles including Justice Society of America, Green Lantern, and Scooby Doo), and James Kochalka (American Elf). My personal favorite was Kochalka’s “Dog and Sparrow”, which was as cute as it was gruesome.

What can Damien want?

Thu, 12/14/2006 - 10:46am by K.C.

Written in short lines of free verse, Street Love tells a story of love across social-class lines. Damien who excels at both basketball and academics has been accepted into a top college. In contrast Junice is desperate to protect her little sister after their single-parent mom is sentenced to 25 years for dealing drugs.

From the moment they meet on the bench in the school office, it’s clear they’re drawn to one another. Coming from such different worlds “love” is the only thing Damien and Junice have in common. Is it enough to keep them together?

New Moon

Wed, 12/13/2006 - 7:02pm by fletch

If you enjoyed Twilight by Stephanie Meyer New Moon the second book in the trilogy is now available on BOCD or a Book. If you enjoy listening to either of these books, check out Pirates The True and Remarkable Adventures of Minerva Sharpe and Nancy Kington, Female Pirates another great listen!

Tournament Weekend: Monkey Ball, DDR, and the Grand Championships!

Wed, 12/13/2006 - 10:42am by eli

This weekend, we'll have three video game tournaments at the Downtown Library, with something for everyone, including food and prizes. First, we'll have an All-Ages Super Monkey Ball Tournament, Friday Night, 12/15, from 6-8:30 PM. Come play Super Monkey Ball, Monkey Target, Monkey Bowling, Monkey Dogfight, and even try your hand at Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz on the one and only Nintendo Wii! Read on for full details about the Monkey Ball event.

Then, on Saturday, 12/16, it's the biggest gaming event in town; the 2006 AADL-GT Super Smash Double Dash Grand Championships! The event starts at noon, with the Clan Cup for the top 8 clans from the regular season. Then we'll have the Wildcard Tournament for players in grades 6-12 who are new or didn't finish the season in the top 64. 8 wildcards will join the top players in the Grand Championship itself, with First Prize: a Nintendo Wii, Second Prize: a 2gb iPod Nano, and Third Prize: A Nintendo DS! It all comes down to this, have you got what it takes? This event will be broadcast live on CTN Channel 18, so a signed release form is required. Preregister before you come, and you can use self checkin and skip the line!

Finally, we'll wrap up the weekend with an All-Ages Dance Dance Revolution Tournament, Sunday, 12/17, from 1-4 PM. Prizes for the two best standard/heavy players, and for the best adult/child team! All events in the Multipurpose Room at the Downtown Library. Plus, stay tuned for Pokémon and DS Fest events during Winter Break!

Dragons and destiny

Tue, 12/12/2006 - 2:39pm by joy k

Hitomi is a perfectly average high school student, aside from her gift for reading tarot cards. A magical accident involving a dragon sweeps her away to the hidden world of Gaea, where she falls into the company of Van, a boy prince with a mysterious past. There the dangerous Zaibach Empire is doing its best to conquer all the surrounding countries, and Van’s homeland is next on its list. Soon Hitomi’s ability to predict the future is a power that everyone wants to use.

In the ten years since it first aired in Japan, The Vision of Escaflowne tv series has become an anime classic. The Japanese language track features some of anime industry’s best voice talent. Maaya Sakamoto, who is now winning new fans for her recent performance of Haruhi in Ouran High School Host Club, had her first major role in Hitomi; she also sings the opening theme song.

Volume 1 (episodes 1-4)
Volume 2 (episodes 5-8)
Volume 3 (episodes 9-11)
Volume 4 (episodes 12-14)
Volume 5 (episodes 15-17)
Volume 6 (episodes 18-20)
Volume 7 (episodes 21-23)
Volume 8 (episodes 24-26)

The movie version of Escaflowne features the same voice actors but retells the story from the tv series from a slightly darker perspective.

American Born Chinese & The Monkey King

Tue, 12/12/2006 - 11:15am by erin

Cleverly interweaving stories tell the tales of Jin Wang, a teen who meets with ridicule and social isolation when his family moves from San Francisco's Chinatown to an exclusively white suburb; Danny, a popular blond, blue-eyed high school jock whose social status is jeopardized when his goofy, embarrassing Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee, enrolls at his high school; and the Monkey King who, unsatisfied with his current sovereign, desperately longs to be elevated to the status of a god. Exploring issues of self-image, cultural identity, transformation, and self-acceptance American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is a rare treat.

Ever wondered . . .

Sat, 12/09/2006 - 1:28pm by K.C.

how a jet's black box works, how a skin graft is grown, or how a pet translator interprets the mood of your dog or cat? Take a look at Cool Stuff and How it Works. This full color picture book uses advanced imaging technology such as X rays, scanning electron micrographs, and infrared thermograms, along with traditional graphics, to reveal the workings of all this and more. A feast for the eye and brain!

It's All Write! Short Story Writing Contest

Fri, 12/08/2006 - 3:57pm by Bertha

It's All Write!
Short Story Writing Contest
First Place $250
Second Place $150
Third Place $100
First, Second and Third Place prizes will be awarded in the following categories: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-10, and Grades 11-12

Submissions accepted Monday, January 22, 2007 through Monday, March 19, 2007

So, now's the time to finish up that story you've been working on. If you need some inspiration, I'd start with any short story collection edited by Don Gallo. Destination Unexpected includes a story by Ron Koertge who is the speaker at this year's Awards Program.
Click here for the complete guidelines.
Good Luck!