mer's blog

Think about your day so far. What have you done? How many of those things involved technology of some sort?
There’s the stuff that I immediately think of—texting on my cell phone, playing games on my iPad, streaming Netflix—but it doesn’t stop there. An alarm clock woke me up. My Keurig made my coffee. Fluffy pancakes were cooked to perfection thanks to my gas stove. I downloaded pictures from my digital camera onto my computer. I drove a car to work (mind you, it’s nothing like the Batmobile, but it still got me here and played the audiobook of The Help--so entertaining!). Since I’ve been here I’ve read and sent multiple emails, assisted someone interested in downloading ebooks onto their Kindle, worked on a couple of blog posts and updated some program information on our online calendar. And it goes on and on.
Maybe the more appropriate question would be—what have you done today that technology hasn’t touched? Gosh, when I really stop to think about this it’s mindboggling. The water I drank passed through the city water treatment plant (I hope). The clothing I’m wearing was most likely woven by a machine. I doubt the ingredients of my toothpaste were mixed by hand. My point? Technology touches everything. Happy Teen Tech Week. Get Your Geek on @ Your Library! Don’t forget to appreciate the little things.

Here's a map to create your own bookish roadtrip (the best kind, IMHO)!

Alabama
Looking for Alaska by John Green
What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson
Alaska
Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
Arizona
Invasion by Jon S. Lewis
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Arkansas
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
California
The Four Dorothys by Paul Ruditis
Reasons to be Happy by Katrina Kittle
Colorado
The Christopher Killer by Alane Ferguson

One tragic accident changes everything for Jane. After her parents’ sudden death, she discovers she has nothing left. Both of her siblings disappear with their inheritances; Jane learns that the stocks she’s been given are worthless. Penniless, she drops out of college and begins searching for a job. An agency has an immediate opening and they’ve handpicked Jane—a serious, studious girl—to become the au pair for rock star Nico Rathburn’s little girl, Maddy.
Jane quickly adapts to her new role as Maddy’s nanny and her new life at Thornton Park. Despite the easy adjustment though, Jane is distressed by some unusual things happening at Thornton—strange noises at night, unusual behavior from some of the staff, something secret on the third floor. She discovers that she’s drawn to the brooding, erratic Nico Rathburn—a friendship becomes a slight crush that smolders into something so much more. A budding relationship is difficult enough without paparazzi and cameras—can it withstand the secrets lurking around Thornton Park?
This modern retelling of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is vivid, well-drawn and very, very enjoyable. This one will pique interest in the original tale—make sure you place a hold!

Also try these modern retellings:

Avalon High by Meg Cabot
Crazy Beautiful Lauren Baratz-Logstead
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

Help us celebrate National Library Week by sending in photos of you and your friends to us at mosaic@geneva.lib.il.us! The theme this year is You Belong @ Your Library and we’ll be putting together a mosaic using the photos you send in.

Check out these photo mosaic examples.

Title: City of Orphans

Author: Avi

Number of Pages: 350
City of Orphans is an exciting historical fiction story with a bit of mystery mixed in too. It was written for girls and boys, probably 6th to 8th graders. It is about Maks, a Danish immigrant, who is about twelve years old. He is a newsie, someone who sells newspapers on the street, and one day is chased down by Bruno, the leader of the Plug Ugly Gang. The Plug Ugly’s always beat up newsies and take their profits for the day. So Maks gets chased into an alley by Bruno, and is almost beaten up. But out of nowhere, a girl leaps out of a pile of trash and whacks the Plug Ugly’s with a stick. She had the element of surprise, so Bruno and the others run off. Maks talks to her and finds out that her name is Willa, a German immigrant and orphan. The befriend each other, and things seem okay. But appearances can be deceiving. Mak’s sister, Emma, has been arrested for stealing a watch from a rich man in the Waldorf hotel. She insists that she is innocent, but Mak’s family doesn’t have a lawyer. Maks and Willa know that Emma had been framed, but no one will believe them. With the help of a once-great detective with tuberculosis, Maks and Willa work together to uncover the truth about what really happened at the Waldorf hotel.