Ender's Game Is Excellent

What can I say? I'm a huge fan of the book Ender's Game! In this wild and out science fiction story, Ender Wiggin is a young boy who lives in a world where you have cameras in the back of your head and parents are only allowed to have two children. And oh yeah, aliens have attacked the world before and their going to do it again. Ender turns out is a third child, which is not supposed to happen. One thing we know right out the gate is that Ender is a fighter. He is young, but it doesn't take much to set him off. Early in the book we can see that the author Orson Scott Card engages readers by involving you with all the aspects of Ender's training. You'd think this would be boring, but I think not, Ender is recruited to the kid military at just six years-old! Many of the scenes are described in detail, especially the battle games, which are richly described and will entice any video game fans. Ender is portrayed as just a pawn in the larger scheme of what is really going on and readers will ultimately sympathize with this. Which is why when you read this book, you are completely drawn to Ender's drive and realize that he is a force to be reckoned with. I cheered when Ender made friends in spite of the tremendous forces that continue to bring him down. The ending will be definitely be a huge surprise, but I do not give away any spoilers here! I believe that this book will continue to reach each every new generation - current and future ones.

Booktalking Bonus! This book is great for booktalking about the science fiction genre or is a great book recommendation if a tween or teen is looking for a good book to read. There are some interesting ways to booktalk Ender's Game. You can talk about the elements of science fiction or ask the group what they would do if Earth was being attacked by alien bugs. I mean really, what would they do? This could be a great way to open up a talk for this book. With so many elements based in the future with aliens and putting 6 year-old in the military and cameras in the back of kids' head this one might start some really cool conversations. Ender's Game is one of my all time favorites! I read it over and over again because it is so very captivating. I was never really a big fan of science fiction, but this book is the one that won me over. It is everything you could ever want in a scu-fu book. I love the character Ender he is so awesome and I think that tweens and teens will love Ender too! This also a series so appropriately called The Enderverse. If readers love Ender they can keep on reading about him although they are a grownup version of him and so many light years in space, but well worth the read!

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Librarian Lady

Mrs. McGonagall says hi!

Relaxing & Fun Spa Day for TWeens

For the past few months, I have been trying to pamper myself a little more than usual. I do a lot of running around at work, so when I get home my feet are very tired. I decided to start getting pedicures at least once a month and now my feet feel great and look so pretty. I love picking out a color and then topping it off with glitter!

I recently saw something that really spoke to my heart. On Saturday, I went to get a pedicure and I saw a tween boy getting a pedicure. He and his sister were both getting pedicures while their mom waited in the sitting area. I thought to myself, how cool is this? Later on, I reflected on how these two tweens making lasting memories and bonding which is an amazing thing for a brother and sister to do! 

So, in honor of all of the tweens out there, this blog post is chock full of spa day ideas and activities for guys and girls. Here's a list of fun activities you can do at your library that tweens will love. 

DIY Bath Bombs: Tweens will think you are the bomb after making these amazing bath bombs! 

Homemade Body Scrubs: You'll be tempted to eat these yummy smelling body scrubs.

Easy Towel Wrap: Add colorful ribbon and pins to make this terry cloth wrap unique.

Kool-Aid Lip Gloss: Make these sweet-smelling and tasty lip glosses just for fun. They make great gifts, too!

Glitter Slime: Glittery slime is the coolest thing. 

Hair Chalk: These awesome bright colors go on hair and wash right out. They're just so playful and fun!

Any time is a good time to plan a spa day, so I think I'll start planning mine right now!

Tune in next month for more tips and ideas for tween and teen programming from Mrs. Librarian Lady!

Hello Mrs. Librarian Lady is Back!

Wow!  It's been a long time since I posted here.  I feel bad, but I still have lots of fun ideas for teen programs and crafts.  One thing I just implemented at my library is something called the Teen Make n' Take Station.  This is really cool because each month I come up with ideas and buy the supplies, make a few samples and then put out everything at the station.  It has been wildly popular and I am excited to keep this going for our teens that come into the library.  Here is are a few of the crafts I have had at the Make n' Take Station so far.

September:  Paint Chip Bookmarks -  These were so fun and easy to make!  Visit your local home service store that has paint samples and you'll find all kinds of colors there.  Find different shaped hole punches or decorate with metallic sharpies and stickers.  Anything you do with these bookmarks is awesome!

October:  Decorated Animal Masks - The cutest masks ever :) Just print out the masks and make sure to have stickers, glitter, markers, hole puncher, and lots of ribbon

November:  Simple White Tile Coasters - I bought a box of  50 - 4" x 4" white tiles for $20 and decorated a few of them with colorful and metallic sharpies.  They turned out to be so adorable I gave mine away as gifts!

I'm looking for ideas for December, so if you have any easy holiday crafts ideas let me know!

Mrs. Librarian Lady

Earth Day & Beyond

Earth Day is coming up this Friday, April 22nd! There are many ways to celebrate and show respect for our planet. You can use a sustainable mode of transportation for your commute to work. Riding the bus or helps take more cars off the road, which reduces congestion and helps improve environmental air quality, especially on hot days! Biking or walking are also great eco-friendly transportation modes that can help you avoid traffic and give you a workout on your way to work. Did you know that you take action all year long? Check out Billion Acts of Green, a worldwide environmental movement that is helping to protect the Earth for future generations. Why not celebrate Earth Day this year by creating some very cute and eco-friendly crafts? These fun crafts will inspire teens to learn more about Earth Day and will also help connect them to their environment.

photo from Craftionary blog

Bottle Cap Art - This is a great way to help save the planet, keep all bottle caps and make cute art!


Earth Day Slime - Who doesn't like playing with wiggly jiggly slime? Grab the glue, starch, and food coloring and you are all set!

photo by Amber's Averie Lane Blog

Herb Mason Jar Planters - Brighten up your Earth Day celebration with these adorable herbs planted in decorated mason jars.


Clay Leaf Impressions - These clay leaf prints air dry easily and are not only fun, but also very educational!

photo by Handmade by Kelly's blog

Recycled Bird Feeder - This beautiful bird feeder will attract birds and maybe even squirrels too. They also make a great Earth Day gift for friends and family.http://www.handmadebykelly.com/diy-recycled-can-bird-feeder-craft/


Water Pollution Exploration - This is a creative way to teach teens about water pollution by using a sponge shaped like a fish!



Tune in next month for more craft ideas for tweens and teens from Mrs. Librarian Lady!