Grimm – Page 2 – Teen Blog

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Exams: don’t panic!

On Thursday, 8 November, 2012

In stuff to learn

It’s exam time again, but never fear! Come to the library to study. Also, here’s some useful stuff:

Past Exam Papers. You can download these off the NZQA website here (you can print exam papers out at the library – printing costs 20c for an A4 black and white page).

The 2012 Exam Timetable. Here’s a link to the timetable (PDF).

NCEA Study Guides. You can borrow these from the library (for one week). If someone’s got the one you want, there are reference copies at the central library. Just bring your library card to the children’s enquiries desk.

Forum for students. Ask advice and talk to teachers and other students at studyit.

Revision tools for NCEA Science. At No Brain Too Small.

Exam tips from the good people at NZQA here.

Online Databases. The library’s got a wealth of information available through MyGateway. The Study and Homework page has got a collection of all-round useful websites and databases, but also have a look at Science, History, or Books & Reading, for example.

Exam Info Alerts. Find out the latest information from NZQA via Twitter.

Studystop Pages. Useful links and hints are here.

WCL Teens at Facebook. While you’re on a study break, like us on Facebook to waste some time.

The teen blog wishes you all the best for your exams!

Become a Youth Council Member

On Tuesday, 6 November, 2012

In wellington (you can't beat it etc. etc.)

The Wellington City Council is looking for new Youth Council members for 2013! If you are interested in council issues and youth-related activities in Wellington, this could be your opportunity to get involved.

The Youth Council has had a busy year in 2012, focusing on emergency preparedness and economic development. They have made submissions to the WCC, the Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Government on a range of issues, plans and policies, including on vulnerable children, public transport, the WCC’s Long Term Plan, and local government reform. Youth Council members have also attended conferences such as the Human Rights Commission’s national youth forum on cultural diversity.

Youth Council members must live in Wellington City, be 12 to 24 years old, and be able to attend meetings at 4pm on Wednesdays. Applications close in February 2013, when interviews will be held. This gives you heaps of time to think, decide and fill out the application form. You can also attend a Youth Council meeting to see the inner workings: the final meetings for 2012 are the 14th and 28th of November.

If you want to know more about the Youth Council, visit the webpage or have a look at the Facebook page to see what they’ve been up to. If you have any questions email youth.council@wcc.govt.nz.

Breaking Dawn Part 2: Mini Clips

On Wednesday, 31 October, 2012

In movies (they're like books that move!)

Hard to imagine, but after next month there will be no more Twilight movie trailers ever. Until then, here’s a couple of little jigsaw pieces of clips of Breaking Dawn Part 2:

And here:

Cute.

Breaking Dawn Part 2 opens in theatres in the middle of next month.

More successful teen authors

On Tuesday, 2 October, 2012

In internet culture

It’s well known that it’s very hard to get your book published. Some writers slave away for years before their first success, while some fortunate and talented people get published as teens. A little while ago we did an investigation into the teen publishing phenomenon, the result being this Top 10 list.

The trend is still continuing, thanks to the success of Alexandra Adornetto (Halo), Kody Keplinger (The DUFF) and others, as are spotlighted in this YALSA article.

The article has also got some suggestions for websites for aspiring writers, so it’s well worth a read if you love writing.

Which reminds us, it’s just one month from Nanowrimo (“thirty days and nights of literary abandon”), where you get to attempt to write a novel in 30 days (while still keeping on top of NCEA).

Movie Adaptation News

On Tuesday, 18 September, 2012

In movies (they're like books that move!)

Turning novels into movies is the new black, and here are some YA novels that are getting the treatment:

Divergent, by Veronica Roth. It has been announced that the film will be released in March 2014. See here for more. No word on the title of the third book (commonly called Detergent).

The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater (today is its official publication day – this link here should take you to the first two chapters, courtesy of ew.com). This LA Times article here also says that the author’s book The Scorpio Races is going to become a film also. Maggie must be very happy.

Numbers, by Rachel Ward. The script for this is being written at the moment. Here’s a review of the book, about a girl who can see the date of a person’s death in their eyes.

The Changeover, by Margaret Mahy. Margaret Mahy’s New Zealand classic might get made, with a little help from American backers, according to TVNZ, and Stuff and others.

Re-Draft 2012

On Monday, 17 September, 2012

In competition!

Re-Draft is an annual writing competition for teenagers organised by the School for Young Writers in Christchurch, and it’s now on!

Entries close on the 30th of September, and the entry form for the competition is here. The best entries get published in the annual Re-Draft anthology (which gets named after one of the stories in the collection).

This year’s judges are Tessa Duder and James Norcliffe, who are, we are told, really looking forward to seeing what this year’s entrants have to offer.

We have some previous years’ anthologies in the library.

New DVD alert

On Thursday, 13 September, 2012

In movies (they're like books that move!), new stuff (ooh, shiny!)

The Avengers (2012)

In which Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye teach Loki a lesson (we hope! (that would be a whole other movie (but equally fun perhaps))).

A bargain at 80c for one week on a young adult’s card.

You can keep up to date with new DVDs as they come in using this RSS feed.

Breaking Dawn Part 2 Trailer

On Wednesday, 12 September, 2012

In movies (they're like books that move!)

Let the other games begin!

Breaking Dawn Part 2, in which Bella leaps tall pine trees in a single bound, and in which the big show down between the Cullens and the Volturi finally takes place, has a trailer:

The film is out on November 16th. Read the book to refresh your memory before then! Also, watch Part 1 on DVD (80c on a young adult card).

Manga Spotlight

On Tuesday, 4 September, 2012

In anime & manga, comics and graphic novels

Some manga series you might enjoy, if you haven’t already discovered them!

Sakura Hime, by Arina Tanemura. Sakura is a princess, engaged to Prince Oura since birth. Since she’s not keen on marrying the prince, Sakura runs away, accidentally looking at the full moon in the process (the one thing she must never do).

Kitchen princess, by Natsumi Ando. Najika is a talented cook, who follows the trail of a mystery boy who touched her heart as a child to the exclusive Seika Academy. Everyone at the Seika Academy is special in some way, except Najika according to the girls there. However, two brothers, Sora and Daichi, know her cooking is magical. (Also, who’s the mystery boy?)

Cardcaptor Sakura, by CLAMP. This was awarded the Seiun Award for best manga in 2001, and was also made into a TV series. The series begins with Sakura releasing the magical Clow Cards, a set of cards with their own personalitythat can assume different forms when activated. Oops. Sakura is told she must now find all the missing cards, battle their magical forms and re-seal them.

Kobato, also by CLAMP. Kobato, mysteriously, has a quest to heal broken hearts by trapping feelings in a bottle, in order to make her way to a mystery place. It sounds daunting, but she does have the help of a grumpy dog called Ioyogi-san, so that’s okay then. CLAMP’s website is here (great for practising your Japanese).

Here’s a list of other manga series we’ve got in the library.

Award Winning Graphic Novels

On Monday, 20 August, 2012

In comics and graphic novels

The annual Eisner Awards (sometimes called the Oscars of the comic industry according to Wikipedia) were held in July at the annual Comic-Con in San Diego, with some interesting winners announced:

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol won the Young Adult category. “Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn’t kidding about the “Forever” part… Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century. Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya’s normal life might actually be worse. She’s embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she’s pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs.” (goodreads.com)

Battlepug by Mike Norton won the Best Digital Comic category. We’ve just got this one in recently. It’s a pug (the cute little dogs with the punched-in noses), but it’s a battlepug. You can find out more on the website, or the battlepug is also on Twitter.

The Hunger Games are on DVD

On Friday, 17 August, 2012

In movies (they're like books that move!)

Let the games begin! The Hunger Games is released on DVD today, and we’ve got it! Right now, in fact. Reserve your copy (80 cents for one week on a young adult card) and it will wend its way to a reserve shelf at a library branch near you fairly shortly.

The 2 disc set contains extras including:

Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and The Hunger Games Phenomenon
The World is Watching: Making The Hunger Games
Letters From the Rose Garden
Controlling the Games
A Conversation with Gary Ross and Elvis Mitchell
Propaganda Film
Marketing Archive

We also have a superdeluxefantastic three disc set (in the general DVD collection, so $4.00 for one week) with extra extras:

Stories from the Cornucopia
Tribute Video Diaries
Biographies
Photo Album

Here’s the DVD trailer:

That is all.

NZTA Remix Competition

On Wednesday, 15 August, 2012

In competition!

The New Zealand Transport Agency is running a competition for schools called “Safer Journeys for Teens” (more information right here) in which you can win cash prizes for your school. We noticed that one of the categories is “Literary Remix” in which you can mash up Shakespeare a bit in the context of traveling safely. If you’re interested in entering, come to the library for inspiration! We’ve got a selection of Shakespeare DVDs in the Young Adult collection (80c on a YA card), and also Cliffs Notes on Shakespeare (if you’re short on time). We also have the Complete Works (if you’re not). Enjoy remixing!

Ferragost by Melina Marchetta

On Monday, 6 August, 2012

In fantasy, internet culture

Ferragost is a short story set in the world of the Lumatere Chronicles, featuring Lady Celie. It’s being published in the Review of Australian Fiction, an online journal, which is available for purchase (about $3.00 Australian) from tomorrow (7 August).

Melina Marchetta promises that the story doesn’t have any spoilers for Quintana of Charyn, which is released in a few weeks’ time, but that it does provide useful background. More explanation and a short extract here.

Some Links

On Thursday, 26 July, 2012

In internet culture, interviews with cool people, sport

If you’re a Jodi Picoult fan, and you’re interested in Between the Lines, the new novel she has written with her daughter Samantha Van Leer, then here’s a Radio New Zealand interview they did together today, talking about the inspiration for stories, who to cast in the movie, and other such writerly things.

Here’s a lovely salute to Margaret Mahy by American author Kristin Cashore, focussing on the many reasons why MM’s young adult writing is so wonderful, and so deservedly award-winning.

If you are interested in the Olympic Games and statistics, the New York Times has a map of medals won by country from 1896 to 2008. It is pretty cool (if you’re not into stats) and very interesting (if you are). In 1984 New Zealand won enough medals for “New Zealand” to appear on its circle.

NPR.com (National Public Radio, I believe) in the US is compiling a list of the best young adult novels ever. You can vote for your favourites (a bit of good taste from New Zealand won’t hurt).

Dystopian E-Books

On Wednesday, 11 July, 2012

In eLibrary, library news

The library has a growing collection of -ebooks, including a selection in the popular young adult dystopian genre:

0.4, Mike Lancaster

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Mary E Pearson

Ashfall, Mike Mullin

Candor, Pam Bachorz

Matched and Crossed, Ally Condie

The Dead, Charlie Higson

The Declaration, The Resistance and The Legacy, Gemma Malley

There’s a waiting list for the Hunger Games trilogy, but if you don’t mind that then The Hunger Games is here, Catching Fire here and Mockingjay here.

E-books are available for three weeks, and they’re free to borrow (and also don’t incur any overdue charges). So easy.

For other, print, dystopian books have a look at this list.

A Festival of Films

On Tuesday, 10 July, 2012

In movies (they're like books that move!)

Have you done the International Film Festival before? If not, then maybe this is the year! There’s a fabulous aray of films, including some cherry picked here:

From Up on Poppy Hill – if you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli then you might like to see their latest on the big screen at the Embassy. To get prepared, you could also do a Studio Ghibli retrospective, including My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle.

Lore – this is based on one of the stories in The Dark Room by Rachel Seiffert, in which Lore and her brothers and sisters travel 900 kilometres across post-war Germany to safety (they hope) in Hamburg.

I Wish – set in Japan, where Koichi’s family is disrupted by the separation of his parents, and he finds himself at opposite ends of the country to his brother Ryu. Koichi believes there’s magic in the new bullet train service that might reunite them (and so a plan is hatched!).

Farewell, My Queen – the last days of Marie-Antoinette (as opposed to the first days, as in the movie Marie Antoinette with Kirsten Dunst). This is also based on the novel (same name) by Chantal Thomas.

There are many many more! Have a look at the website for more (or come into a library and pick up a brochure).

You can also keep up to date with new DVDs added to the library’s collection with this RSS feed here.

Most Searched For

On Monday, 9 July, 2012

In internet culture, library news

Each month (ish) we check to see which library items are the most-reserved, most in demand (Most Wanted). We also keep an eye on which catalogue items are the most searched for, and the two sort of match up! Here’s a list of the top 10 young adult Easyfind catalogue searches from June:

Spelling things correctly increases the chance of getting the results you want*: here are some words and names that sent people on wild goose chases – choclate, tradgedy, Stephanie Meyer (our old friend), Selean Gomez, cognative.

* Although Easyfind does helpfully suggest spelling alternatives for you!

Random Link

On Wednesday, 4 July, 2012

In internet culture

Epic Reads is a new book site focusing on young adult literature. Established by HarperCollins, epicreads is interactive (polls, quizzes, reviews, contests, forums etc) and you can sign in via Facebook to share results and content. Additionally, the site has two separate channels for paranormal fiction (called Pitch Dark) and romance (Story Crush).

For links to other sites of interest we have a list!

Divergent procrastinations

On Tuesday, 5 June, 2012

In internet culture

Veronica Roth‘s Divergent trilogy is super popular at the moment. While you’re waiting in the queue for Insurgent, here’s some stuff to read or do:

– Read Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story on the Divergent Facebook page (it’s one of the tabs). Although I wouldn’t do this if you’ve not read Divergent yet. It is, as the title suggests, Four talking about his first meeting with Tris. Ah.

– An interview on goodreads.com. Here Veronica Roth talks about interesting things like how her dystopian society of factions started out as a utopia, and what authors and ideas have influenced her.

– Do a faction quiz, to find out where you’d end up.

– Visit a fan site for much info, like Divergent Lexicon, Divergent Fans, Divergentish (fan art), the Factionless livejournal community.

It’s like a growing internet phenomenon.

New Zealand Music We Like: Monty again!

On Thursday, 10 May, 2012

In aotearoa new zealand, music and other nice noises

Great news for the modern man: live at the Auckland Town Hall by Eru Dangerspiel.

Eru Dangerspiel is Trinity Roots band member Ricky Gooch’s side project, though it’s seriously major in concept.

22 piece group (plus choir!) including Whirimako Black, Anna Coddington, Nathan Haines and members of Fat Freddy’s, The Black Seeds, Fly My Pretties, Dimmer, The Phoenix Foundation – whew! It’s funky, it’s futuristic, it’s Great news for the modern man!

~ Monty