Thursday, December 25, 2014

Teen Pick of the Week: Zero

Zero by Ales Kot
Recommended as one of the Best Ongoing and Special Series Comics of 2014 by A.V. ClubZero explores what happens to the mind of a secret agent after years of violent traumatic experiences.

That question is what sets Ales Kot’s ongoing series apart from the typical action comic. There’s plenty of dynamic, forceful combat courtesy of Kot and his artistic collaborators, but violence is never glorified and the choices made during these encounters reverberate through the characters’ lives and become more painful with time. 

With a different artist for every issue, each chapter of Zero functions as a standalone story, a decision that is reflected in Jordie Bellaire’s highly specific coloring and Tom Muller’s fluid design aesthetic, which change to suit the content of each plot. 

The book is constantly evolving, and Kot’s decision to work with a new artist every month has brought astounding depth and personality to the series’ visuals as the story ventures deeper into Edward Zero’s psyche. [Oliver Sava via A.V. Club]

Check out Zero, volumes 1 and 2, now at the 
Ventress Library. Click on the title to place it on hold.
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Thursday, December 18, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: Hello From 2030, The science of the future and you

Cover image for Hello from 2030 : the science of the future and you


Schutten, Jan Paul
Nonfiction
Grades 3-7

Robots. Flying cars. And what the heck is futurology?

From living  homes ( where plants grow in earthen walls) and computers that roll up like sheets of paper, to disease-fighting robots that patrol your body and cars that can drive themselves--what will the future look like?

We know the Earth's population will grow, and our technology will continue to get faster and smaller.  We know we will cure more diseases.  But what about the things we don't know?  Maybe there will be an invention that changes everything.  Or an unexpected event will turn the whole world upside down!

Today it's time for you to start shaping the future by discovering how futurologists determine what's ahead.  Then put your own imagination to the test.  With the dynamic illustrations and challenging thought experiments in Hello From 2030, you, too, can become a prediction pro.


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Teen Pick of the Week: Girl Online

Girl Online
by Zoe Sugg
From YouTube sensation Zoella comes a debut coming-of-age novel that perfectly captures what it means to grow up and fall in love in today’s digital world. 
"I have this dream that, secretly, all teenage girls feel exactly like me. And maybe one day, when we realize that we all feel the same, we can all stop pretending we’re something we’re not. That would be awesome. But until that day, I’m going to keep it real on this blog and keep it unreal in 'real' life."
Penny has a secret.
Under the alias GirlOnline, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendship, boys, high school drama, her quirky family, and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life. When things go from bad to worse at school, her parents accept an opportunity to whisk the family away for Christmas at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. There, she meets Noah, a gorgeous, guitar-strumming American. Suddenly Penny is falling in love—and capturing every moment she spends with “Brooklyn Boy” on her blog.
But Noah has a secret, too, one that threatens to ruin Penny’s cover—and her closest friendship—forever.
Award-winning and influential YouTube vlogger Zoe Sugg delivers a heartfelt coming-of-age novel that perfectly captures the highs and lows of first love, friendship, and growing up in the digital age.

Click on the title to place it on hold at the Ventress Library.
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Friday, December 12, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: Animas: Legacy of the Claw

Cover image for Legacy of the claw

Legacy of the claw
 
Grey, C. R., author.
 
Book 1.

Ages 9+

To Twelve-Year-Old Baily Walker, kin means more than just family.  It means being part of the Animas bond, a harmonious link that connects humans and animals, and guides everything in his world. But Bailey hasn't found his kin yet, and without Animas, he's destined to be an outcast--or worse, lose his mind entirely.  So when he's accepted into the prestigious Fairmount Academy, he's determined to Awaken to his Animas once and for all, even if it's a measly worm.

But once there, Bailey can't resist the pull of the dark mysteries surrounding the kingdom.  A bear has been viciously attacked on school grounds, and when he and his friends discover signs of a ferocious predator in the woods surrounding campus, he knows something's out there, something dangerous.  And Fairmount isn't the only place where darkness if brewing.  In the capital city, a new leader preaches that humans must assert power over their kin and enslave them instead of living as one.  

Bailey can't shake the feeling that the root of the unrest, and the key to his Awakening, lies in an old riddle entwined around an even older prophecy--a prophecy that may reveal the truth about the rightful king of Aldermere.  And Bailey may be the only one who can unravel them.  The capital's dark forces with stop at nothing to prevent the prophecy from coming true.  If they succeed, the Animas bond will be in peril.  Can Bailey help protect the Animas bond while trying to Awaken to his own?

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Thursday, December 11, 2014

Teen Pick of the Week: Avalon

Avalon
by Mindee Arnett
For fans of Josh Whedon's cult classic television show Firefly comes a fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi thriller from author Mindee Arnett, which New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White calls "a heart-pounding, tense joyride of a novel."
Jeth Seagrave and his crew have made their name stealing metatech: the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light. In a world where the agencies that patrol the outer edges of space are as corrupt as the crime bosses who control them, it's as much of a living as anyone can ask for. For years Jeth's managed to fly under the radar of the government that executed his parents for treason—but when he finds himself in possession of information that both the government and the crime bosses are willing to kill for, he's going to find there's no escaping his past anymore.
With pulse-pounding action, a captivating mystery, and even a bit of romance, Avalon is the perfect read for hard-core sci-fi fans and non-sci-fi fans alike.

Click on the title to place it on hold at the Ventress Library.
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Friday, December 5, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: Gabriel Finley & the Raven's Riddle


Cover image for Gabriel Finley & the raven's riddle












Gabriel Finley & the Raven's Riddle by George Hagen

Ages 9-12

A tangle of ingenious riddles, a malevolent necklace called a torc, flocks of menacing birds, and a stubborn writing desk that refuses to reveal its contents: these are just some of the obstacles that stand between Gabriel and his father, Adam Finley, who has vanished from their Brooklyn brownstone without a trace.

When Gabriel rescues an orphaned baby raven named Paladin, he discovers a valuable family secret that may lead him to his father: Finleys can bond with ravens in extraordinary ways--sharing thoughts, speaking to one another, even merging into one being and taking to the air.  Along with Paladin and three valiant friends, Gabriel sets off to bring his father home.

They will soon discover that Adam is being held captive by the evil demon Corax--half man, half raven, and Adam's very own disgraced brother--miles underground in a foreboding netherworld of birds called Aviopolis.  Along with his army of ghoulish minions, the Valravens, Corax is plotting to take over the land above, and now only Gabriel stands in the way.

As Gabriel and his friends travel from the heights of New York City to the depths of Avipolis on their quest--and ultimately confront Corax--readers will be held rapt.


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Thursday, December 4, 2014

Teen Pick of the Week: The Wake

The Wake by Scott Snyder
New York Times bestselling author, Scott Snyder (American Vampire, Batman, Swamp Thing) and artist Sean Murphy (Punk Rock Jesus, Joe The Barbarian), the incredible team behind the miniseries American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest, are reuniting for the powerful miniseries: The Wake.
When Marine Biologist Lee Archer is approached by the Department of Homeland Security for help with a new threat, she declines, but quickly realizes they won't take no for an answer. Soon she is plunging to the depths of the Arctic Circle to a secret, underwater oilrig filled with roughnecks and scientists on the brink of an incredible discovery.  But when things go horribly wrong, this scientific safe haven will turn into a house of horrors at the bottom of the ocean!
Collects The Wake #1-10.
Click on the title to place it on hold at the Ventress Library.
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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Teen Pick of the Week: Perfectly Good White Boy


Perfectly Good White Boy
by Carrie Mesrobian
Sean Norwhalt can read between the lines.

"You never know where we'll end up. There's so much possibility in life, you know?" Hallie said.

He knows she just dumped him. He was a perfectly good summer boyfriend, but now she's off to college, and he's still got another year to go. Her pep talk about futures and "possibilities" isn't exactly comforting. Sean's pretty sure he's seen his future and its "possibilities" and they all look disposable.

Like the crappy rental his family moved into when his dad left.

Like all the unwanted filthy old clothes he stuffs into the rag baler at his thrift store job.

Like everything good he's ever known.

The only hopeful possibilities in Sean's life are the Marine Corps, where no one expected he'd go, and Neecie Albertson, whom he never expected to care about.

"We're something else. Some other thing. I don't know what you'd call it. Maybe there's a word, though. Maybe I'll think of it tomorrow, when it won't matter," Neecie said.


Click on the title to place it on hold at the Ventress Library.
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Small Fry Pick of the Week: Nest

Cover image for Nest

Nest by Esther Ehrlich

Grades 4+

Home is a cozy next on Cape Cod for eleven-year-old Naomi "Chirp" Prenstein; her older sister, Rachel; her psychiatrist father; and her dancer mother.  But when Chirp's mom develops symptoms of a serious disease, the family struggles with tragic changes.

Chirp gets comfort from watching her beloved wild birds.  She also finds a true friend in Joey, the mysterious boy from across the road.

Nest is Esther Ehrlich's remarkable debut novel.  Her lyrical writing is honest, humorous, and deeply affecting.  Long after you finish Nest, the spirit of Chirp and her loving family will stay with you.


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Thursday, November 6, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: Mouseheart


Cover image for Mouseheart. Vol. 1
Mouseheart by Lisa Fielder

Ages 8-12

Hopper is Just an ordinary pet-shop mouse--until he escapes.  Soon he finds himself below the bustling streets of Brooklyn, deep within the untangles of transit tunnels, and in Atlantia, a glorious utopian rat civilization.

But all is not as it seems.  Hopper misses Pinkie and Pup, the siblings he list in the escape attempt.  Atlantia is constantly threatened by roving revels who with to bring the city to its knees.  And there are cats everywhere, cats who would normally eats a rodent in a second, but leave the rats unharmed . . .
and no one can seem to answer why.

Soon Hopper is caught in the cross-hairs of an epic battle, on that spans generations and species. As the clashes rage, Hopper learns terrible, extraordinary secrets.  Deadly secrets about Atlantia.  Painful secrets about his friends.  And one powerful secret about himself.


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Saturday, November 1, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: Squeeze Play

Cover image for Squeeze play : a novel

Squeeze Play by Cal Ripken, JR.

Grades 5-8

Corey Maduro should be thrilled about the Orioles going to the big Grand Slam tournament.  But whenever he thinks about playing, he feels sick.  For one thing, he's in a monster hitting slump, which shows no signs of ending.  Then there's Katelyn Morris, who thinks she deserves Corey's center field job and tries to outdo him at everything.  

But Corey's biggest problem is his dad, who turns into a howling, wild-eyed maniac at his son's games.  Joe Maduro ridicules the other team, gets into shouting matches with parents, and screams at the umps when calls don't go the Orioles' way.  It's so embarrassing that Corey wants to crawl into a hole--except Katelyn would probably dig a better hole and make him feel worse.

With Squeeze Play, the best-selling team behind Hothead, Super Slugger, and Wild Pitch delivers another funny and action-packed home run.


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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: Learn to Speak Fashion


Cover image for Learn to speak fashion : a guide to creating, showcasing, and promoting your style.
Learn to Speak Fashion: a guide to creating, showcasing & promoting your style By Laura deCarufel

Gr 6+
Whether it's as simple as wanting to look good or as ambitious as creating a work of art, fashion is so much more than the clothes in our closets.  Learn to Speak Fashion is about the ideas, skills, and-above all-the fun behind thinking creatively about what you and others choose to wear.  Full of revealing tips and anecdotes from top designers, models, stylists, and more, this book is the perfect guide to finding your way in this exciting world

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Thursday, September 25, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: The Map Trap

[Cover]

The Map Trap by Andrew Clements

     Someone has stolen Alton's secret maps!  No, not treasure maps or anything . . . It's much worse.  Because these maps could get Alton into a world of trouble.  You see, ever since he was little, Alton has loved maps--studying them, collecting them, even covering his bedroom walls with them.  And now he also loves drawing them.  Sure, he draws regular maps, but his collection of secret maps?  They're  . . . different. Like the map about which cafeteria foods make kids race for the restrooms.  Or the map that shows what the regions inside a certain teacher's brain might look like.  There's even a map that plots how many time the principal says "um" during daily announcements!  Clearly, Alton needs to get his maps back.  But when he starts getting notes from the "mapnapper" telling him what he must do if he ever wants to see them again, it gives the phrase "uncharted territory" a whole new meaning.

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Teen Pick of the Week: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass Series #3)

Heir of Fire
by Sarah J. Maas
Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth... a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?
The bestselling series that has captured readers all over the world reaches new heights in this sequel to the New York Times best-selling Crown of Midnight. Packed with heart-pounding action, fierce new characters, and swoon-worthy romance, this third book will enthrall readers from start to finish.
Click on the title to place it on hold at the Ventress Library.
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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Teen Pick of the Week: Girl Defective

Girl Defective
by Simmone Howel
In the tradition of High Fidelity and Empire Records, this is the literary soundtrack to Skylark Martin’s strange, mysterious, and extraordinary summer.
This is the story of a wild girl and a ghost girl; a boy who knew nothing and a boy who thought he knew everything.
It’s a story about Skylark Martin, who lives with her father and brother in a vintage record shop and is trying to find her place in the world. It’s about ten-year-old Super Agent Gully and his case of a lifetime. And about beautiful, reckless, sharp-as-knives Nancy. It’s about tragi-hot Luke, and just-plain-tragic Mia Casey. It’s about the dark underbelly of a curious neighborhood. It’s about summer, and weirdness, and mystery, and music.
And it’s about life and death and grief and romance. All the good stuff.
Click on the title to place it on hold at the Ventress Library.
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Friday, September 12, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: 13 Fashion Style Every Child Should Know


[Cover]

by Simone Werle

If you love fashion and want to know more about different styles, their meaning, and their language, then this book is a must have.  It sends thirteen influential styles down the catwalk, from the early twentieth century all the way up to current looks like Haranjuku.

The patterns, cuts, and accessories typical of each style are described and each one is placed within the context of its time and social movements.  This book is the indispensible style guide for every young fashion lover! Get inspired!

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Saturday, September 6, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: The Dumbest Idea Ever!


Cover image for The dumbest idea ever!
The Dumbest Idea Ever by Jimmy Gownley

What if the dumbest idea ever changed your life forever?

At 13, Jimmy was popular, at the top of his class, and the leading scorer on his basketball team.  But all that changed when the chicken pox forced him to miss the championship game.  Then things went from bad to worse when he got pneumonia and missed even more school.  Before Jimmy knew it, his grades were sinking and nothing seemed to be going right.

How would Jimmy turn things around, get his momentum  back, and maybe even land a date with the cutest girl in school?


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Saturday, August 30, 2014

Teen pick of the Week: The Island of Excess Love

The Island of Excess Love
by Francesca Block
In The Island of Excess Love, Pen has lost her parents. She’s lost her eye. But she has fought Kronen; she has won back her fragile friends and her beloved brother. Now Pen, Hex, Ash, Ez, and Venice are living in the pink house by the sea, getting by on hard work, companionship, and dreams. Until the day a foreboding ship appears in the harbor across from their home. As soon as the ship arrives, they all start having strange visions of destruction and violence. Trance-like, they head for the ship and their new battles begin.
This companion to Love in the Time of Global Warming follows Pen as she searches for love among the ruins, this time using Virgil’s epic Aeneid as her guide. A powerful and stunning book filled with Francesca Lia Block’s beautiful language and inspiring characters.
Interested? Read an excerpt here.
Click on the title to place it on hold at the Ventress Library.
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Friday, August 22, 2014

Small Fry Friday Pick of the Week: Minion

[Cover]

Minion by John David Anderson
A companion to sidekicked

Ages 8-12

Michael Morn might be a villain, but he's really not a bad guy.  When you live in New Liberty, known as the City without a Super, there are only two kinds of people:  those who turn to crime and those who suffer.  Michael and his adoptive father spend their days building boxes--special devices with mysterious abilities--which they sell to the mob at a price.  With Michael's "gift" and his dad's ingenuity, they find a way to get by.  They provide for each other.  In a city torn apart by the divide between the rich and the poor, the moral and the immoral, this is as much of a family as Michael could ever hope for.

But then a Super comes to town, a mysterious blue streak in the sky known only as the Comet, and Michael's world is thrown into disarray.  The Comet could destroy everything and Michael and his dad have built, the safe and secure life they've made for themselves.  And now Michael and his father face a choice:  to hold tight to their life or to let it unravel.


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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Teen Pick of the Week: Between the Spark and the Burn

Between the Spark and the Burn
by April Genevieve Turcholke
The conclusion to Between the Devil and The Deep Blue Sea, this gothic thriller romance with shades of Stephen King and Daphne du Maurier is a must-read for fans of Beautiful Creatures and Anna Dressed in Blood.
Freddie once told me that the Devil created all the fear in the world.
But then, the Devil once told me that it's easier to forgive someone for scaring you than for making you cry.
The problem with River West Redding was that he'd done both to me.

The crooked-smiling liar River West Redding, who drove into Violet's life one summer day and shook her world to pieces, is gone. Violet and Neely, River's other brother, are left to worry—until they catch a two a.m. radio program about strange events in a distant mountain town. They take off in search of River but are always a step behind, finding instead frenzied towns, witch hunts, and a wind-whipped island with the thrum of something strange and dangerous just under the surface. It isn't long before Violet begins to wonder if Neely, the one Redding brother she thought trustworthy, has been hiding a secret of his own . . .

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Friday, August 15, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: The adventures of Beekle


[Cover] 


Picture Book

This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born.  He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and--at long last--is given his special name: BEEKLE.



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Friday, August 8, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: Sorry You're Lost

[Cover]
Sorry You're Lost by Matt Blackstone

Middle School

When seventh grader Denny "Donuts" Murphy's mother dies, he becomes the world's biggest class clown, hiding his grief by playing pranks and seeking rock stardom.  Craving an even larger distraction, Donuts and his best friend hatch a flabbergasting candy scheme to land dates to an upcoming school dance.  But dodging teachers, bullies, candy wrappers, and the truth isn't ( entirely) a laughing matter.  It's time to stop playing the fool and find out what more Donuts is made of.

Matt Blackstone's funny and uplifting novel about friendship, loss, and healing reminds us all that life is good.  Except when it's not.  And even then . . . well, as a wise person atop a mountain sipping hot chocolate and eating gourmet candy once said, you should read the book.

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Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Teen Pick of the Week: The Half Life of Molly Pierce

The Half-Life 
of Molly Pierce
You take it for granted. Waking up. Going to school, talking to your friends. Watching a show on television or reading a book or going out to lunch.

You take for granted going to sleep at night, getting up the next day, and remembering everything that happened to you before you closed your eyes.

You live and you remember.

Me, I live and I forget.

But now—now I am remembering. 



For all of her seventeen years, Molly feels like she’s missed bits and pieces of her life. Now, she’s figuring out why. Now, she’s remembering her own secrets. And in doing so, Molly uncovers the separate life she seems to have led…and the love that she can’t let go.

The Half Life of Molly Pierce is a suspenseful, evocative psychological mystery about uncovering the secrets of our pasts, facing the unknowns of our futures, and accepting our whole selves.




Click on the title to place it on hold at the Ventress Memorial Library.

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Friday, August 1, 2014

Small Fry Pick of the Week: Saving Kabul Corner

 [Cover] Saving Kabul Corner by N.H. Senzai

Ages 8-12

A true tomboy, twelve-year-old Ariana couldn't be more different from her cousin Laila, who just arrived in California from Afghanistan.  Laila is a proper, ladylike Afghan  girl, one who can cook, sew, sing, and is well versed in her Pukhtun culture.  Ariana can't stand her.  Laila has moved into Ariana's cramped bedroom and, even worse, she is becoming close to Mariam, Ariana's friend.

When a rival Afghan grocery store opens near Ariana's family store, it reignites a decades-old feud tracing back to Afghanistan.  Like it or not, the cousins must move beyond their differences to help the families make peace before everything their parents have worked for is destroyed.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Small Fry Friday: Children of the King

[Cover]

Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett

Cecily and Jeremy have been sent to live with uncle peregrine in the English countryside, safe from war, along with a young refugee named May.  But when Cecily and May find two mysterious boys hiding out in the ruins of a nearby castle, their extraordinary adventures are just beginning.

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Small Fry Pick of the Week: How Rocket Learned to Read

[Cover] How Rocket Learned to Read
Picture Book

Meet Rocket, a new student,
and his teacher, a little yellow bird.

Watch as Rocket practices singing out the sounds of each letter of the alphabet, discovers the delicious excitement of listening to stories, and finally, best of all . . . learns to read!

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Small Fry Pick of the Week: Plastic Ahoy!

[Cover]

Plastic Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Patricia Newman

Cool New Non-fiction for Primary School readers!

Plastic: it's used to make everything from drink bottles and bags and toys and toothbrushes. But what happens when it ends up where it doesn't belong--like in the pacific ocean?  How does it affect ocean life?  Is it dangerous?  And exactly how much is out there?

A team of researchers went on a scientific expedition to find out.  They explored the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where millions of pieces of plastic have collected.  The plastic has drifted there from rivers, beaches and ocean traffic all over the world.  Most of it has broken down into tiny pieces the size of confetti.

For nearly three weeks of sea, researchers gathered bits of plastic and ocean organisms.  These samples helped them learn more about the effects of plastic in the ocean.  Follow along on the expedition to find out how scientists studied the Garbage Patch--and what alarming discoveries they made.

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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Teen Pick of the Week: The Shadow Hero

The Shadow Hero
by Gene Luen Yang
In the comics boom of the 1940s, a legend was born: the Green Turtle. He solved crimes and fought injustice just like the other comics characters. But this mysterious masked crusader was hiding something more than your run-of-the-mill secret identity... The Green Turtle was the first Asian American super hero.

The comic had a short run before lapsing into obscurity, but the acclaimed author of "American Born Chinese," Gene Luen Yang, has finally revived this character in "Shadow Hero," a new graphic novel that creates an origin story for the Green Turtle.

With artwork by Sonny Liew, this gorgeous, funny comics adventure for teens is a new spin on the long, rich tradition of American comics lore.



Click on the title to place it on hold at the Ventress Memorial Library.

Read a great book lately? Want to recommend it as Pick of the Week? Email me!

Curious to see what other new and hot titles we've added to our collection? Check out the NEW Graphic Novel and YA Fiction boards on the Ventress Memorial Library Pinterest page