Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan (and shortly after one on Nagasaki, Japan), effectively ending World War II. That much is covered in history classes. Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin tells the story of how the bomb was created. German physicist, Otto Hahn was the one to discover, in 1938 that when "speeding neutrons hit uranium atoms ... the force of the collision seemed to be causing the urnaium atom to split into two," and this discovery is what made the creation of the atomic bomb possible. As news of this discovery spread and World War II was set into motion a race to be the first to build this new bomb was on. The race to build the atomic bomb involved secrecy, sabotage, the kidnapping of German scientists, and spies attempting to infiltrate the project. Even though the reader knows how the book will end (with the Americans creating and dropping the first atomic bomb) Sheinkin captures the excitement, tension, and urgency surrounding the Manhattan Project (what the project to produce the bomb was called) in the 1940s.

We'll be discussing this book, along with others, at Caudill Cafe on June 11th.

Lisa

Summer Reading 2014

Our summer reading club, Paws to Read, kicks off today!  Come in and pick up a log to start earning prizes. The teen summer reading grand prize is a Kindle Fire!

Loved the Fault in Our Stars?

Check out some of these titles!

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Up until senior year, Greg has maintained total social invisibility. He only has one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time#151;when not playing video games and avoiding Earl's terrifying brothers#151; making movies, their own versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics. Greg would be the first one to tell you his movies are f*@$ing terrible, but he and Earl don't make them for other people. Until Rachel. Rachel has leukemia, and Greg's mom gets the genius idea that Greg should befriend her. Against his better judgment and despite his extreme awkwardness, he does. When Rachel decides to stop treatment, Greg and Earl make her a movie, and Greg must abandon invisibility and make a stand.

Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell
Rebecca Blue is a rebel with an attitude whose life is changed by a chance encounter with a soon-to-be dead girl. Rebel (as she's known) decides to complete the dead girl's bucket list to prove that choice, not chance, controls her fate. In doing so, she unexpectedly opens her mind and heart to a world she once dismissed; a world of friendships, family, and faith. With a shaken sense of self, she must reevaluate her loner philosophy;particularly when she falls for Nate, the golden boy do-gooder who never looks out for himself.



Deadline by Chris Crutcher
Ben Wolf has big things planned for his senior year. Had big things planned. Now what he has is some very bad news and only one year left to make his mark on the world. How can a pint-sized, smart-ass seventeen-year-old do anything significant in the nowheresville of Trout, Idaho? First, Ben makes sure that no one else knows what is going on-not his superstar quarterback brother, Cody, not his parents, not his coach, no one. Next, he decides to become the best 127-pound football player Trout High has ever seen; to give his close-minded civics teacher a daily migraine; and to help the local drunk clean up his act. And then there's Dallas Suzuki. Amazingly perfect, fascinating Dallas Suzuki, who may or may not give Ben the time of day. Really, she's first on the list. Living with a secret isn't easy, though, and Ben's resolve begins to crumble . . . especially when he realizes that he isn't the only person in Trout with secrets.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Although Annabel's façade makes people think she has everything going for her, she is lonely since she and Sophie are no longer speaking and her anorexic sister gets all the attention at home, until she meets reformed bad boy Owen, who just may be the one person who can help Annabel face the imperfections of life.

This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Earl
A collection of the journals, fiction, letters, and sketches of the late Esther Grace Earl, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 16. Photographs and essays by family and friends will help to tell Esther's story along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green who dedicated his #1 bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars to her.





If I Stay by Gayle Forman
>In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck... A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make--and the ultimate choice Mia commands.



Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
Vera's spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she's kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything. So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone--the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?





The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry
Kate's dream boyfriend has just broken up with her and she's still reeling from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Aidan planned on being a lifer in the army and went to Afghanistan straight out of high school. Now he's a disabled young veteran struggling to embrace his new life. When Kate and Aidan find each other neither one wants to get attached. But could they be right for each other after all?





Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon
"Chemo, radiation, a zillion surgeries, watching my mom age twenty years in twenty months . . . if that's part of the Big Dude'snbsp; plan, then it's pretty obvious, isn't it? Enough said." Smart-mouthed and funny, sometimes raunchy, Richard Casey is in most ways a typical seventeen-year-old boy. Except Richie has cancer, and he's spending his final days in a hospice unit. In this place where people go to die, Richie has plans to make the most of the life he has left. Sylvie, the only other hospice inmate under sixty, has a few plans of her own for Richie. What begins as camaraderie quickly blossoms into real love, and this star-crossed pair is determined to live on their own terms, in whatever time remains.

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
Jeffrey isn't a little boy with cancer anymore. He's a teen who's in remission, but life still feels fragile. The aftereffects of treatment have left Jeffrey with an inability to be a great student or to walk without limping. His parents still worry about him. His older brother, Steven, lost it and took off to Africa to be in a drumming circle and "find himself." Jeffrey has a little soul searching to do, too, which begins with his escalating anger at Steven, an old friend who is keeping something secret, and a girl who is way out of his league but who thinks he's cute.



How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love. Still, Bea can't quite dispel Jonah's gloom and doom - and as she finds out his family history, she understands why. Can Bea help Jonah? Or is he destined to vanish?




OCD, the Dude, and Me by Lauren Roedy Vaughn
With frizzy orange hair, a plus-sized body, sarcastic demeanor, and "unique learning profile," Danielle Levine doesn't fit in even at her alternative high school. While navigating her doomed social life, she writes scathing, self-aware, and sometimes downright raunchy essays for English class. As a result of her unfiltered writing style, she is forced to see the school psychologist and enroll in a "social skills" class. But when she meets Daniel, another social misfit who is obsessed with the cult classic film The Big Lebowski , Danielle's resolve to keep everyone at arm's length starts to crumble.


The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
"Science is just not enough this time, Campbell Soup. What you need is a miracle." With thosewords, sixteen-year-old Cam knows that hopingfor a future, or even a normal life, is out the window. Her mother picks the whole family up and moves them cross-country to Promise, Maine--a place known for its mystical healing powers. Cam, a die-hard non believer, isn't buying it. There's no such thing as miracles. But the longer she spendsin Promise, the more Cam learns to believe in many things she never used to-including myself. 

Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell

Rebecca (better known as Rebel) Blue is not what anyone would consider a joiner, not even a group of misfits to have lunch with.  She has blue hair and took up smoking at age 12 because it "bugged the hell out of Aunt Evelyn."  Rebel is familiar with detention and when a teacher decides to have them make a bucket list Rebel has no plans to take it very seriously. In this particular detention though Rebel crosses paths with Kennedy Green, and aside from both having a last name that is a color and being in detention that day, they have nothing in common with one another. Kennedy is a perky over achiever who actually relishes putting her bucket list together.  However, when Kennedy dies shortly after leaving detention and Rebel is one of the last people to talk to her.  Now she can't get Kennedy's voice and bucket list out of her head. Eventually (partially to spite her cousin) Rebel decides to complete Kennedy's bucket list.  In working on the bucket list Rebel is forced to take part in a world she's being doing her best to avoid.

While Rebel completing Kennedy's bucket list and beginning to grow as a person and forge real friendships, etc. is a predictable path to take Coriell makes the path bumpy and interesting.  Even though this experiment has her working with and trying to help others she is still by no means someone with any desire to conform.  Goodbye, Rebel Blue has Rebel opening herself up to people (including a cute boy, who belongs more to Kennedy Green's world than hers - who is really a bit of a flat character at times, but his little sister is hilarious), dealing with the loss of her mother who died years earlier, and trying to do it all on her own terms.

Librarian Lisa's Favorite Apps

1) Evernote
Can also be accessed via computer.  Allows for easy organization of notes, images, and web pages.



2) Google Calendar
Another that is a computer application as well. For android users my favorite part of this is the widget that shows the users schedule for several days.  That quick reminder has saved me more than once.

3) Snapseed (and then Photo Squarer to upload to Instagram)
A great app for editing your photos before posting.  Allows users to make subtle changes or over the top changes. 



4) Duolingo
Want to learn another language? Or just want to get some basics down for traveling out of the country? Give this app a try. Combines reading, writing, listening, and speaking to help users improve their language skills.

5) Goodreads
A social network to rate and recommend books.

6) Bartlett Public Library
Check your account, place holds, and see what's happening.

Other Suggestions:

Themer
)

NASA

Animoto
Use your photos to create videos.

*Please note, my personal experience with these apps is on the android (not iOS) platform and while most are available for the iPhone or iPad some may not be and some may have different capabilities.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor and Park first meet up on the school bus. Eleanor is the awkward new girl everyone on the bus has decided they are going to be mean to. Park likes to sit by himself and get lost in the music he listens to on his Walkman, but he feels sorry for Eleanor and lets her sit down by him. Soon Park notices that Eleanor is reading the comic books he brings on the bus. Soon after that he starts lending her comic books and soon after that they become friends.

Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park is a nice change from the gazillion dystopia novels that have shown up in the young adult section the last number of years. I’ve enjoyed several of the dystopia series, but it’s nice to read something not set in the future. In the case of Eleanor & Park it seems to be set in the past, perhaps the late eighties or early nineties.

The book alternates between Eleanor’s point of view and Park’s points of view. I was thoroughly charmed by the first two-thirds of Eleanor & Park, but the book’s last one-hundred or so pages seemed to drag. I think a lot of this had to do with Park’s character development. Apparently he is some combination of saint and superhero. I guess this is possible, there are certainly amazing people in the world, but reading about someone who seems to have no doubts about the relationship he is in does not make for compelling reading. It was almost as if some of the later Park sections of the book were being written by Eleanor. The book’s last third also suffers because not a whole lot happens. It’s nice that Rowell gives the sense that the reader is hanging out with the main characters but hanging out can get kind of boring. Despite these complaints, Eleanor & Park is definitely worth reading. Rowell has a fresh voice and a great knack for coming up with quirky yet believable characters. I could see Eleanor & Park becoming a young adult classic on par with The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

John

Ten Techie Reads

Teen Tech Week starts March 9th. 

Check out these books featuring computers, tech whizzes, and futuristic technology.


1) Feed by M.T. Anderson
In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble.


2) iBoy by Kevin Brooks
Before the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teen. A head-on collision with high technology has turned Tom Harvey into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. Now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could. But not even his mental search engine can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy's actions.

3) The Eye of Minds by James Dashner 
Michael is a gamer. And he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion and the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. But some rules were made for a reason. And recent reports claim that one gamer is holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. Yet the gamer's motives are a mystery. The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. And they've been watching Michael.

4) Little Brother by Cory Doctorow 
Marcus, a.k.a "w1n5t0n" figures he already knows how the system works-and how to work the system. But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack. In the wrong place at the wrong time, they are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they're mercilessly interrogated for days. When finally released, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.

5) Brain Jack by Brian Falkner 
In this dystopic near-future neuro-headsets have replaced computer keyboards. Just slip on a headset, and it's the Internet at the speed of thought. For teen hacker Sam Wilson, a headset is a must. But as he becomes familiar with the new technology, he has a terrifying realization. If anything on his computer is vulnerable to a hack, what happens when his mind is linked to the system? Could consciousness itself be hijacked?

6) Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon 
Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her computer-hacking skills to stay safely anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in an empty warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side. Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa's talents on his team.

7) BZRK by Michael Grant 
On one side: Charles and Benjamin Armstrong's Nexus Humanus. On the other: a group of teen hackers who call themselves BZRK. Twenty-first-century warfare that takes place on the macro and nano level for the highest stakes: humanity's free will.

8) Insignia by SJ Kincaid 
Tom, a fourteen-year-old genius at virtual reality games, is recruited by the United States military to begin training at the Pentagon Spire as a combatant in World War III, controlling the mechanized drones that do the actual fighting off-planet.


9) A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan 
Farrah "Digit" Higgins may be going to MIT in the fall, but this high school genius has left her geek self behind in another school district so she can blend in with the popular crowd and actually enjoy her senior year. But when Farrah unknowingly cracks a terrorist group's number sequence, her laid-back senior year gets a lot more interesting. Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping-- all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously. So much for blending in . . .

10) Twinmaker by Sean Williams
Can you really change your body just by carrying around a coded note? Sure, the d-mat booth will transport you anywhere instantly, but can it also make you taller, stronger, more beautiful? Clair's best friend, Libby, is determined to give it a try. What starts as Libby's dream turns into Clair's nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious stranger called Q, Clair's attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups.