The Great Scavenger Hunt Book Contest

The Great Scavenger Hunt is hosted by YA author Kay Cassidy. Here is how the Hunt works:
1) Come to the Buena Park Library and pick up The Great Scavenger Hunt Book List in the teen area.
2) Check out and read a book from the list.
3) Go to http://www.kaycassidy.com/hunt/list-ya and click on the title of the book you want to read. This will open a trivia challenge for the selected title. Print off the trivia challenge.
4) Answer the trivia challenge questions and give the completed questions to the librarian at the Information/Reference desk at the Buena Park Library.
5) If you get a least 8 out of 10 questions correct, you will be entered into Kay's monthly drawing.

Every month, YA author Kay Cassidy will choose one lucky winner. If you are the winning hunter, you'll receive a $50 gift card to the bookstore of your choice.

Get Ready for the SATs

See how you'll score without affecting your college record. Take a full-length SAT test under realistic test conditions on Saturday, February 6th from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. This practice test is for high school students only. Pre-register at the Library's Information/Reference Desk, by calling the Library at 714-826-4100 ext. 125 or online at www.kaptest.com. Please bring two #2 pencils and a calculator. This event is sponsored by Kaplan.
Let your parents know that there will be a college fund seminar at 10:00 a.m. on February 6th. This seminar will provide resources to help your family plan financially for your college education. This seminar is sponsored by Epi-Digm.

Teen Author Panel

There will be a panel of four teen authors at the Buena Park Library on Tuesday, January 12th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Authors include Jamie Martinez Wood author of Rogelia's House of Magic, Sandra Lopez author of Esperanza, Lara Rios author of Becoming Americana, and Julia Amante author of Evenings at the Argentine Club. These four authors will inspire and encourage teens to achieve their dreams. They will share their books and how they achieved their dream of becoming a writer. Copies of their books will be available for purchase. Attendees will have a chance to win a door prize.

After-Hours Amazing Race 2009

The Buena Park Library's fourth annual After-Hours Amazing Race was held Saturday, August 15th. Teens competed in teams of three. Teams completed about 25 tasks before reaching the finish line. Teams used the Library's online catalog, databases, reference books, and the Internet to answer questions related the the summer reading theme of baseball. They also performed baseball related tasks such a hitting a homerun in Wii baseball.

Holiday Card Making Workshop

There will be a holiday card making workshop on Saturday, December 5th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Library’s community room. A variety of supplies will be available for you to use as you create one-of-a-kind Holiday cards and gift tags.

Smash Bros. Tournament

On Saturday, November 21st from 2:00-4:00 in the library's downstairs auditorium there will be a Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Pit your favorite Smash Bros. character against another player in this head-to-head double elimination tournament. A prize will be awarded to the tournament winner.

Teen Read Week

Read something out of this world, just for the fun of it during Teen Read Week. Read a book the week of October 18-24th and receive a coupon for a free taco from Del Taco (while supplies last). To receive your taco coupon, just fill out a reading slip (located in the teen area) and turn it into the Information Desk.


During our Game Night on Tuesday, October 20th from 6:30-7:45, we will leave this dimension and help Rayman defeat the Raving Rabbids that have invaded his world. Prizes will be awarded to the winning team.

Deciding Between the ACT or SAT?

Take Kaplan's ACT/SAT combo test on Saturday, September 12th from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. This combo test includes a condensed version of both the SAT and ACT. Then come back to the Library on Tuesday, September 15th from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. for your results and ACT vs SAT workshop. In this workhop you will learn more about the differences between the two tests and how to think about deciding which test to take.

You can register for this class by:

• signing up at the Information/Reference desk
• calling the Library at 714-826-4100 ext.125
• enrolling at kaptest.com/practicetest

Game Maker Workshop

Do you want to learn how to make your own computer games? Then this workshop is for you. In this workshop you will be using downloadable Game Maker 7.0 software to get you started building your own great games in no time. Game Maker allows you to make exciting computer games, without the need to write a single line of code. Using easy to learn drag-and-drop actions, you can create professional looking games within very little time. This workshop is on Saturday, August 29th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the Library's Board Room upstairs. Each participant will have the use of a laptop to create his/her game. There is a limit of 21 attendees so make sure to pre-register at the Library's Information/Reference Desk.

Great Summer Reads

Check out these book lists for some great reading this summer:

Fantasy
http://www.buenaparklibrary.org/blogteens/Teen%20Fantasy.pdf

Mysteries and Thrillers
http://www.buenaparklibrary.org/blogteens/Teen%20Mystery%20Thrillers.pdf

Science Fiction
http://www.buenaparklibrary.org/blogteens/Science%20Fiction.pdf

Realistic Fiction
http://www.buenaparklibrary.org/blogteens/Realistic%20Fiction%202.pdf

Humorous
http://www.buenaparklibrary.org/blogteens/Humerous%20Books%20for%20Teens.pdf

Award Winners
http://www.buenaparklibrary.org/blogteens/Cal%20Young%20Reader.pdf

Books for the College Bound
http://www.buenaparklibrary.org/blogteens/Books%20for%20the%20College%20Bound.pdf

Teen Top Teen Nominations
http://www.buenaparklibrary.org/blogteens/TEEN%20top%20ten%20nomination%20list%202009.pdf

If You Liked Twilight
http://www.buenaparklibrary.org/blogteens/If%20you%20liked%20twilight.pdf

Grand Slam--Summer Reading Club

Grand Slam, the summer reading club for teens, kicks off on Friday, June 19th at 2:00 in the Library's community room. At the kick-off celebration, you will sign-up for the summer reading club, hear about all of the special events planned during the summer, enjoy food, have your caricature drawn by Dave Boatman, play Wii games such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Guitar Hero.
There will be a variety of video and board game tournaments all summer long. Make sure to pick up a calendar of events and sign-up for the summer reading club on June 19th.

Wintergirls: April's Book Discussion Group Selection

On April 25th at 11:00 a.m. the Teen Book Discussion group will be discussing Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is the story of eighteen-year-old Lia as she struggles with anorexia. The book is told in Lia's own words as diary entries. If you are planning on coming to the book discussion, please have the book read prior to the meeting.

Healthy Snacks Workshop

You will discover that healthy foods don't have to be boring and can taste good too in this workshop on nutritious snacks at the library on Saturday, April 11th from 2:00-3:30 in the auditorium. In this workshop you will make and eat a healthy snack that is guaranteed to be something tasty and sweet. You will also be taking home some great tasting snack recipies. Come and learn how to feed your brain and muscles for peek performance in the classroom or on the field.

Guitar Hero World Tour Tournament

The Library held a Guitar Hero World Tour Tournament on Saturday, February 28th. The OC Register made of video of this event.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Competition Against Haskett Library

As part of Teen Tech Week, we will be having a virtual Super Smash Bros. Brawl competition against Anaheim's Haskett Library on Saturday, March 14th from 2:00-4:00 in the Library's auditorium. Our top players will go head to head with Anaheim's best! The best way to get a spot in the competition is to come to the library on Tuesday, March 10th from 6:30-7:45 for our practice match.

Book Discussion Group for Teens to Begin in March

A teen book discussion group will begin meeting in March. Our first meeting will be Saturday, March 28th from 3:00-4:00 p.m. At our first meeting we will be discussing "Life As We Knew It" by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
About the book: Miranda's disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.
Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda's struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.
If you are planning to attend this discussion group please have the book read before coming to the meeting on March 28th.

Book Trailer Contest for Teen Tech Week

As part of Teen Tech Week we will be having a contest in which you can create a book trailer promoting your favorite book.
WHAT IS A BOOK TRAILER: A book trailer is similar to a movie trailer, in that it is designed to create interest in a book and to encourage others to read the book.

THE RULES:
• You must be between the ages of 13-18 to enter.
• Your video should be 1-3 minutes long.
• Your video should promote a book available at the Buena Park Library.
• You must upload your video directly to YouTube and then send us the link using the online entry form explained below. Videos must be uploaded by March 16, 2009.
• Your video may not contain content that is inappropriate (think PG rating).
• You can find information and examples of book trailers at http://ca.youtube.com/iplteens and http://www.kalama.com/~zimba/tjomsland/yalit/booktrailers.html (some of the individual trailers are dead links to try the following examples: The Chocolate War, The Dangerous Book for Boys, How I Live Now, and I am the Messenger).
JUDGING:
The entries will be judged based on how well the above rules were met and how entertaining or informative the video was. The creator of the winning video will receive a Best Buy™ gift card.

GETTING STARTED:
• Sign up for a free YouTube account at www.youtube.com.

• Get help with creating, uploading and troubleshooting your video at the
YouTube Help Center.

• Great information on camera work, lighting, sound, editing, music and more at http://www.youtube.com/video_toolbox

The official entry form for the Buena Park Library’s Book Trailer Contest is located at www.buenaparklibrary.org (click on Teen Tech Week YouTube Contest link) and
ENTER YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE.