Book Review – The Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Genre: Dystopia
Section: YA
Reviewer: Juliette

Summary Review:
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is the first book in a captivating and exciting trilogy that takes place a dystopian society. The story is centered around a future America, where ninety percent of all children age ten or older die from an unknown cause, while the remaining ten percent continue to survive with newfound abilities. This book follows one girl, Ruby Daly – who may be one of the most special – as she strives to tear down the wall that divides the nation’s suffering people from it’s government’s secrets.

Book Review – Who I Was With Her

Who I Was With Her by Nita Tyndall
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Section: YA
Reviewer: Charlotte

Summary Review:
The main character Corrine Parker is a runner and has been secretly dating Maggie Bailey, the captain of the rival high school running team for a year. Suddenly Maggie dies and Corrine is left all alone with her grief and no one she can confide in. Then she meets Elissa, Maggie’s ex-girlfriend (who Corrine never knew existed) and the only person who can understand what Corrine is going through.

Hot Chocolate Bombs!

Hot Chocolate Bombs

1. Count out 15 chocolate discs. Place in a microwave safe container and melt in the microwave (15 seconds at a time, and stir in between!) or over a double boiler (BE CAREFUL). Keep an eye on your chocolate and don’t let it burn!
2. Using a spoon or your fingers, CAREFULLY (chocolate is HOT!) spread the chocolate on the inside of both halves of your mold. Make sure to cover everything completely and get a nice coat. Place halves in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. *see note
3. Count out another 15 chocolate discs and melt (I used the same bowl).
4. Remove your molds from the freezer and carefully spread another layer of chocolate on both halves. Return to the freezer for another 10-15 minutes.
5. When the chocolate is solid remove the molds from the freezer and slide out your chocolate half circles. They should pop right out of the molds, but you may need to carefully tap them on the counter. If they break you can either re-melt and redo, or just seal the cracks with more melted chocolate.
6. Melt your remaining chocolate disc in the microwave- Keep a close eye on it!
7. If you want your molds to have a flat seam, CAREFULLY warm a plate in the microwave for 30 seconds and run the mold on the warm plate for a second to melt the edges. (see video for demonstration) I used the bowl I melted my chocolate in and it worked really well.
8. If you received a peppermint now’s the time to smash it. 🙂
9. Prop one half of your molds on a cup and fill with your cocoa, marshmallows, and/or peppermint.
10. Place both halves of your circles together and “glue” together with the last of your melted chocolate. Smooth out with the back of a spoon if desired, or you could roll in sprinkles or cocoa (not included in the kits).

To serve pour warm milk or milk alternative over the chocolate and watch it melt!

*Note: You CAN do one layer of chocolate, but I had better luck doing two thinner layers.

Virtual Teen Hangout!

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Well, we can’t have our usual Teen Lounge with snacks at the library this summer. But we CAN still hang out and play games online. We’ve created a Discord Server where y’all can hang out. And while we don’t have the library’s Xbox One or Wii we do have our JackBox games and our Roll 20 accounts. So we can still game!

How do you join the server? Visit the link below and fill out the included google form (or fill out the form below) and Danie will add you to the general-chat room! We have the form so that the room stays reserved for teens, just like the Teen Lounge at McArthur. Questions? Email Danie.

Sound interesting?

Check out the Discord Server here: https://discord.gg/UjFxWUN

Google Form: https://forms.gle/D1XRpnErXNSQZrFx8

Summer Reading PRIZES

DUDE. LOOK AT THE PRIZES.

Ticket 1:

$10 Gift Card to Elements!

Ticket 2:

$10 Gift Card to Yetos!

Ticket 3:

Gift Card to Reilly’s Bakery!

Ticket 4:

Gift Card to Jonsey’s Cafe!

Ticket 5:

Gift Card to Trillium!

Halfway through! :

Gift Card to Time & Tide Coffee

Don’t forget to enter your tickets into the drawing(s) for the prize(s) you’d like to try and win! You can’t win if you don’t spend your tickets. 🙂

The Princess Bride Interactive Movie!

Join us on February 11 for a FREE showing of The Princess Bride with audience participation! We will provide a script with a list of the callbacks and prompts as well as interactive items. Fun, food & a great movie!
Ages Teen and Up.

The movie will start at 6:00 pm, so join us early to get your supplies. 🙂

Teen Lounge!

New Year, New Programs! Tweens and Teens can join us every Wednesday from 3:00-5:00 in the Community Room for Teen Lounge- video games, snacks, crafts, or just hang out!

6-Word Short Story Winners!

Announcing the winners of our first ever 6-Word Short Story Contest! We received SO MANY entries it took us much longer than we expected to judge the submissions. Not a bad problem to have, but so hard. After much deliberation, we were able to narrow it down to these four winners. Two from grades 6-8 and two from grades 9-12. Winners received a small prize pack from the library.

6-Word Short Stories

November is NaNoWrMo, but with school, homework, jobs, sports, and everything, who has time to write a 50,000 story?! That’s why we’re doing a 6-Word Short Story Contest at the McArthur Library! Tweens and Teens in grades 6-12 are challenged to write a story in just six words.
Prizes will be awarded the top two winners in grades 6-8 and 9-12. Teens and Tweens may submit one original 6-word story. The contest is open from November 6 to November 30. Winners will be announced the first week of December. Winning entries will be featured on the library’s facebook and website.

Stories may be submitted via this form. https://forms.gle/VguMpyC8PbDujwuR9

 

Summer Learning at McArthur!

Download summer learning program materials here!