Calling All Teens!

Tomorrow (Tuesday, August 23, 2011), from 6-7 p.m., my Library is calling all teens to its Teen Council Call-Out Meeting.  Our online calendar has the details, and thanks to copy-and-paste technology, so now do you.

Teen Council Call Out Meeting

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Event Type: Teen Council
Date: 8/23/2011
Start Time: 6:00 PM
End Time: 7:00 PM

Description:

 This meeting is for teens who are interested in Teen Council whether they have been in Teen Council in the past. If you want to know more about Teen Council, you should come to this meeting. We will also be announcing the Fall Programs and any announcements at this meeting!

Location: Children's Program Area (Phone Library to Reserve)
Contact: Meghan Adams
Contact Number: 317-831-7323
Presenter: Meghan Adams
Status: Openings

Sorry, but the textbox above doesn't bigify when you click it.  Blame my minions.

Interested teens should join MPL Teen Council.  You get to write grants, plan events, recommend acquisitions, propose programs, and--this is THE most important aspect of the deal--eat pizza.  Often.  In enormous quantities.

I have a few suggestions for the new Teen Council to chew upon:

• There need to be more teen-oriented activities showcasing moi, such as my own graphic novel, music for my theme song, a Cauli Le Chat video, etc., etc.  (This list is almost endless.)
• Teen Council needs to make more library videos, including book trailers, program trailers, and promo trailers, for the MPL YouTube Channel.
• They need to save me some pizza.  Extra anchovies, if you please.

Sausage and Pepperoni Are Also Welcome,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Young Adult News Beat

P.S.  Teenager songs have been written for as long as teenagers have been purchasing records or CDs or whatever technological device is being used to sell music.  But there are only a few songs about the positive influence teenagers and twenty-somethings can contribute to society.  One of my favorites is "For Pete's Sake," recorded by The Monkees on the Headquarters album (1967), and written by Peter Tork and Joseph Richards. Peter, of course, was a member of the Prefab Four, and this was the first song he wrote for the group.

Relatively Fresh Book Trailers; No Refrigeration Required

It has been awhile since I've blogged the readers' advisory thing, so here goes.  We have some relatively fresh book trailers for some interesting reads. We begin with our first video "prime cut" (using a grocery meat counter analogy--and why not?  I like meat counters), which is a book trailer featuring a new science fiction novel (just released, or soon-to-be; street dates are for my minions to worry about).  You'd like title and author, I suppose.  Well, all things come to s/he who watches.

For young adult classics lovers, you should have already read this one, said Scowl-Face's high school American Literature teacher, junior year (he had, during his freshman year).  If you haven't, you ought to.

Life going too fast?  Tell me about it.

In recent years, a retired philosophy professor had real-time conversations with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who died in 1930.  Crazy?  Impossible?  Find out.

Jane Austen is all the rage nowadays.  If you can handle her 19th century prose, then why not branch out?  Victor Hugo should present little difficulty to Pride and Prejudice fans.  Give Hugo's masterpiece, Les Misérables, a go.

These and about 120 other book trailers are available for your viewing pleasure on my Library's YouTube Channel.  Check out the playlists along the right side of the MPL YouTube Channel home page.  We have over 180 videos uploaded, so there must be something you'll enjoy watching.  About 55,000 viewers have.

No Refrigeration Required (for Fresh Book Trailers),

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Video News Beat

P.S.  Karen McQuestion has written several truly engaging and entertaining books, for which there are "official" book trailers as well as those created by libraries such as mine.  Let's compare!  I'm ready to concede that the "official" ones are much better, but that's the advantage of having a budget, Boss Lady.  Just saying.  Both books are available in the Evergreen Indiana library catalog, and, of course, you may purchase copies from your favorite online book sellers, such as Amazon.com.  

[VIDEO UNAVAILABLE]

Official Book Trailer for Celia and the Fairies, by Karen McQuestion

MPL Book Trailer for Celia and the Fairies

[VIDEO UNAVAILABLE]

Official Book Trailer for A Scattered Life, by Karen McQuestion

MPL Book Trailer for A Scattered Life

Toss Some Tuna My Way

This Sunday (August 21, 2011), from 2 to 5 p.m., my Library is having an extra-special Courtyard event called Throw For Literacy.  Enjoy ice cream and throw for literacy in a game of cornhole.  The Library plans to build its adult literacy collection ("Read Up to Speed"), and this event is our springboard to increase awareness of literacy programs and resources.

So, what is this cornhole game?  I've never played.  Minions, make with the research!

Toss Beanbag Into Corn Hole

(Seems Simple Enough)

Hey, Pal!  Get In the Game!



Cornhole Target Boards

(Featuring Two Big Farm Equipment Corporations)

So, let me see if I've got this straight.  Cornhole Toss is like Horseshoe Toss, except without the heavy metal.  I'm down with that.

Ice cream, I understand.  Felines don't generally partake, because of lactose-intolerance, but you can toss some tuna my way.

The whole family is welcome.  Come out to my Library this Sunday to support literacy.

Reading is Better Than Ice Cream,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Literacy Programs News Beat

P.S.  Here is our Promo Trailer encouraging you to put your nose in a book.  Don't slam it shut, however!  That would hurt plenty.



Any by Scowl-Face Will Serve

Thursday, August 18, which, in my time zone, is about a half-hour from now, is National Bad Poetry Day.  For some readers, any poetry is bad, but that's a rather all-inclusive categorization, if you ask moi.  There's plenty of good stuff out there; Garrison Keillor has said so, and he knows plenty.

For bad poetry, however, you need look no further than Scowl-Face.  He has published (really) a few poems in literary magazines, some of which were written for his (and friends') children.  (Please do not embarrass them by asking to see copies.)  He has one poetry collection, Full Circle, to his (dis)credit.  It was published 18 or 19 years ago, so if you could find a copy, it might be worth something.  But probably not much.  It sold maybe a dozen copies, most of which he probably purchased and gave to friends who, if Facebook had been around then, would have promptly "defriended" him.

Bad Poetry Day is designed to excuse people's efforts to pen poor poetry.  It is your authorized opportunity to compose the worst poems you can write.  That can be a fun game, if you and your friends are somewhat creative.   Bad poems often rhyme, which is not to imply that rhyming poetry is inherently inferior--it isn't--so you shouldn't limit yourself to any particular poetic form or style.  Just jot it down, laugh about it, and then incinerate it.  Why make the world suffer more?

Actually, since nobody writes using paper anymore, you can word-process your bad poetry and then click "don't save."  Better yet, you can write your lousy poetic inspirations in blog comments.

Hey, why not?  Leave a few lines in my comments section.  Remember, this is a family-friendly blog, more or less, so keep it appropriate for all readers.  Try something more sophisticated than mere limericks.  (Anything like "I knew a girl from Nantucket ..." is going to end rather crassly, any way you slice it.)

Do felines write poetry?  Well, we don't actually form verse, free or otherwise.  Our poems are performance pieces.  If you've ever watched a cat doing anything, you've seen poetry in motion (or at rest).  Remember:  objects at rest tend to remain at rest, and objects in motion . . .  Well, you can look up Newton's First Law of Motion on your own time.

Must Be a Huge Book

Poem and a Shave, Two-Bits, Mister,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Lousy Literature News Beat

P.S.  Here is a classic bad poem (okay, Wordsworth wasn't a bad poet, but this version is pretty corny) from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, which was actually two television series, Rocky and His Friends (1959-1961) and The Bullwinkle Show (1961-1964).  This was the wittiest cartoon program ever made, hands-down.  It was the MST3K of cartoons.

Zoologically Speaking (Part Deux)

Last Friday's trip to the Indianapolis zoo garnered many nice critter photos.

These two giraffes were particularly photogenic. Perhaps they are mother and child? I can't be sure, but they're obviously relatives.

Posing for the Camera

Zebras are such funny-looking horseys!  Those racing stripes are way-cool.

Who Did Your "Detailing"?

Ostriches Can Run Fast -- 30 Miles Per Hour!

Just for the record, felines like moi are categorically not going to chase, let alone catch, birds such as ostriches.  Not happening.  Some birds are clearly not winged dinners.

Hanging Out With My Pilot Pals

Bats are amazing!  They're mammals, like us, but they fly--how cool is that?  When they snooze, they view the world from an interesting perspective.  Thought I'd join them.

Not a Real Cobra, But Pretty Neat, Anyway

All the slitherdarts were kept in poorly-lit, glass enclosures, so none of my photos came out, except this one.

Looking For a Tenant?

Hey, Lady With the Red Hair!  Looking for someone to rent out a spare room?  Just asking.

Not Ready For Primetime, For Sure

This meerkat apparently felt the need to do the Full Monty for my behalf.  Not necessary, I can assure you!  Thank you, Photoshop, for some much-appreciated editing.  But could we do better?

It's hard to find bermuda shorts in meerkat sizes.

Hey, Tortie, Race Me to the Snack Bar

I'm guessing my friend Morgan the Library Bunny would win that race.

I've got more photos, but let's save them for a future posting.  Next time we'll talk swimming dinners.

Making Lots of New Critter Friends at the Zoo,

Cauli Le Chat

MPL Roving Reporter

Zoological News Beat

P.S.  "At the Zoo," by Simon & Garfunkel, seems an appropriate musical closer.  The song is the last track on the album Bookends (1968).