January 25th, 2010
Here are a bunch of books that were added to the Teenspace today. Check them out. Really, check….them…out.
Exposure by Mal Peet
Beautiful by Amy Reed
Fat Cat by Robin Brande
Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor
The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa
Death on the River by John Wilson
Girl to the Core by Stacey Goldblatt
Dark Angel by David Klasss
Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
Pretty Dead by Francesco Lia Block
In the Woods by Robin Stevenson
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January 16th, 2010
So you’ve just read a great book and want to find out more about the author? Why not check out an author blog. There are a ton of YA authors writing blogs and these can hold a wealth of information. Some give away books, some talk about what they may be writing next or what YA books 
they like the best. Below are links to the blogs of popular YA authors and some of the books they have written. Check them out and let us know other author blogs you read?
Stephenie Meyer, …well, you know!
Meg Cabot, the Princess Diaries series
Melissa Marr, Ink Exchange
Justine Larbalestier, Liar, Magic Lessons
P.C. Cast, the Marked Series
John Green, Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines
Christopher Paolini, the Inheritence series
Scott Westerfeld, the Uglies series
Melissa Walker, Violet by Design
Libba Bray, A Great and Terrible Beauty
Sara Dessen, Lock and Key, This Lullaby, Along for the Ride
Ally Carter, I’d Tell You I Love You but Then I’d have to Kill You
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January 7th, 2010
Need help taming your Facebook account? There are books that can help, but there’s also free stuff online. Including this site from Mashable: The Social Media Guide. Mashable is dedicated to providing information on social media. Their guide includes information on organizing your friends lists to the “Top Facebook Apps for Music Lovers” and “Top Games to Play on Facebook.” Check it out.
Also while you’re on Facebook, friend the Hayward hyc, the facebook page for your youth government representatives in Hayward.
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January 4th, 2010
Welcome back! The first week of 2010 will start with a bang at the library. Dive in to any or all of these events happening this week.
Get Your Game On! (Main): Wednesday, January 6, 1 to 3 p.m.
Get Your Game On! Play Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and a variety of XBOX games at our regular gaming day. We have a bunch of board games too. Come and hang out with friends and eat snacks.
Teen Advisory Group (Main): Wednesday, January 6, 4:30 p.m.
Join the Main Library’s Teen Advisory Group. Plan programs, choose books and make the library a great place for teens. Come to this meeting and see what it’s all about.
Bluford High Book Club: Thursday, January 7, 3:45 p.m.
We’ve still got two books left of our current selection Secrets in the Shadows by Anne Schraff. The book is short so you could probably finish reading it by the time this club meets. If not, come by and pick up our new book, Someone to Love Me also by Schraff. This club will be reading the whole Bluford Series. You get to keep the books.
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January 2nd, 2010
The beginning of the year is a good time for reflection. Here we do it with some of the best teen literature of 2009. Below are links to popular sites listing their picks for the best of 2009. The Hayward Library has many of these books available for check out. If you don’t see your favorite on the list, tell us what it is in a comment.
ALA Teens Top 10
More than 11,000 teens voted in September for this list of their favorite teen books. Did you?
Reading Rants 2009 Top 10
This site for book recommendations for teens lists favorite books for 2009. Check it out throughout the year for reviews of books you may find interesting.
Publisher’s Weekly Top 10 Childrens Books
Scroll down to the fiction section to find a selection of books for teens. Editors chose these books for “their remarkable writing, indeliable characters, and arresting artwork.”
Washington Post
Editors chose a list of top books of the year by listing some of the most favorable reviews. Look for the “For teens” section.
Amazon Best of 2009
Editors from Amazon chose their favorite teen titles for 2009 and also list top selling books based on customer sales.
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December 8th, 2009
The Teen Advisory Group at the Main Library hosted its first ever event Saturday called The Festival of World Cultures. 
The group came up with the idea for the event, planned and then hosted it to overwhelming success. More than 60 people attended. 
Children worked on multiculturally inspired crafts, got a henna tattoo and heard the amazing japanese drum group, Eden Aoba Taiko.
The TAG and other volunteers that worked on this event really showed their leadership abilities. Great job!!
If you would like to join the TAG and participate in planning awesome events contact Shawna.
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November 30th, 2009
recommended_reading
Try these books…
Thwonk Young Adult Bauer
Tithe Young Adult Black
A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle Trilogy) Young Adult Bray
Faerie Wars Young Adult Brennan
House of Night series Young Adult Cast
The Mortal Instruments series Young Adult Clare
Blue Bloods series Young Adult De la Cruz
Shiver Young Adult Stiefvater
Forest of Hands and Teeth Young Adult Ryan
Blood and Chocolate Young Adult Klauss
The Red Necklace & The Silver Blade Young Adult Gardner
Need Young Adult Jones
The Immortals series Young Adult Noel
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September 30th, 2009
You have the freedom to read, choose and select the books you want. Sometimes in some places it may be hard to get to books because censors have tried to remove them from schools and libraries. So celebrate your freedom to read, by checking out one of the books below that was challenged somewhere in the United States last year.
For a complete list of these books and the reasons why they were challenged visit the American Library Association website here.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part‑Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier
Looking for Alaska by Peter Jenkins
It’s perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris
Angus Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
Ttfn by Lauren Myracle
Bling Bling by Minya Oh
Book of Bunny Suicides by Andy Riley
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
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September 17th, 2009
Now’s the time to enter the Voice of Democracy scholarship program contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. All you have to do is submit an essay for your chance to win $30,000 in scholarship money(high school). See information below for the two separate contests. Prizes are awarded at local, state and national levels. Entry deadline is November 1, 2009.
The library will accept applications and pass them to the local VFW representative up to October 30, 2009. 
If You’re in High School (9 – 12)
Theme: “Does America Still Have Heroes?”
Submit a 3 to 5 minute audio essay on this topic by November 1.
If You’re Middle School (6 – 8 grade)
Theme: “When is the Right Time to Honor Our Military Heroes?”
Submit a 300 to 400 word essay based on this theme and be entered to win prizes.
Applications are available in the teenspace, or ask Shawna for more information. You can also find the official application and more information on both these programs at the VFW Voice of Democracy page.
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September 15th, 2009
If you’re a junior or senior in a Alameda County school, here’s your chance to learn more about local government and build your college application resume: apply to the Alameda County Youth Leadership Academy!
In this free, five-session course you will learn about County programs and services. You’ll also meet County officials and staff and develop leadership skills. The Academy begins Saturday, October 3, 9 a.m. to noon in the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chambers.
Applications must be turned in by Wednesday, September 23, 2009. Find the yellow application in the teenspace or download the application from here.
Applications are accepted on a first come first served basis by region, so don’t hesitate. Come see Shawna if you need more information or help with downloading.
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