Teen Read Week: Teen '14 Author Celebration

Hello, my name is Natasha and I am the Young Adult Coordinator for RPL. I have been very fortunate to work with many local YA authors for some of our amazing teen services programs. This year I have been working closely with an author by the name of Madelyn Rosenberg. Madelyn took over the coordinating Teen ’14 this year and together we've been planning away for this celebration.

One of the things we often hear is that kids don’t read. We’ve seen the studies. But we have a hard time believing them when we meet teen readers in the flesh. They’re smart, passionate, and engaged, and they’re Reason No. 1 that Virginia librarians and authors thought it was important to put on this event.  Words from Madelyn Rosenberg

A little history:

Teen ’13 started with RVA’s own A.B. Westrick and Meg Medina, who both had brand new books come out last year -- brand new award-winning books – though they didn't know that when they planned the event, which was a chance to get Virginia authors together with Virginia readers. The event was hugely successful. It generated a feeling of community in the very best sense of the word. There were warm fuzzies in abundance.

So we decided to do it all over again, with a fresh crop of authors, showing that Virginia grows readers and writers along with its apples, tobacco and peanuts. Some of the authors will repeat from last year. Most will be new, ready to talk about their latest books and ready to talk to lovers of teen literature at the Richmond Main Library.

Alexis O’Neil, an author and school-visit expert in California, is currently conducting a study on the effect meeting authors can have on school-age kids. Though her study is still in progress, she says it’s clear that a visit with an author can change attitudes and lives. At the least, she says, it encourages kids to revisit their own writing with fresh eyes.

But if  you’re looking for more reasons to come to Teen '14, try these:

- Kids like to see themselves in literature. A number of the authors have stories set in Virginia, so Teen ’14 also gives kids a chance to see different takes on their state.

- It encourages readers to Read Local.

- It brings attention to the programming efforts of local libraries.

- It supports one of Richmond’s local indy bookstores.

- It supports Richmond’s local indy writers.

- There will be door prizes.

- There will be music.

- There will be food.

- It’s free!


The Teen '14 Authors

Author: Kwame Alexander

THE CROSOVER is a coming-of-age verse novel about twin basketball-playing brothers whose devotion to their family and the pursuit of a championship is disrupted when one brother gets a girlfriend. 

Author: Gigi Amateau

Based on true events, COME AUGUST, COME FREEDOM illuminates a little known corner of American history as it honors the extraordinary will of one man.

Author: Vanessa Barger

In A WHISPERED DARKNESS, as the nights grow longer and the shadows take on substance in her new home, Claire Mallory will have to decide if she is strong enough to fight off the evil spirits, or let them claim her as one of their own.

Author: Cece Bell

Sudden hearing loss, an enormous hearing aid, an adorable crush, mysterious bathroom noises, and the quest for a True Friend—EL DEAFO totally needs her superpowers in this debut graphic novel by children's book author and illustrator Cece Bell

Author: Anne Blankman

In PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG it is 1931 Munich when the honorary niece of rising politician Adolf Hitler meets a fearless Jewish reporter who believes that her father was murdered by their closest family friends, members of the Nazi elite. 

Author: Martina Boone

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie Watson must find a way to break free of the family legacy in COMPULSION.

Barrie Watson finds a new kind of prison at her aunt's South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Author: Mary Crockett

Annabelle Manning is thrilled when her DREAM BOY walks into her chemistry class, until she learns that when dreams come true, so do nightmares.

Author: Jen Swann Downey

Twelve-year-old Dorothea Barnes can hold her own in any fake Renaissance Faire sword-fight, but she despairs of ever finding something more important to do with her sword. Then she stumbles into Petrarch's Library, the sprawling headquarters of a secret society of NINJA LIBRARIANS.

Author: L.M. Elliott

ACROSS A WAR-TOSSED SEA chronicles the challenges facing two London boys who escape Hitler's Blitz bombings, cross a U-boat infested Atlantic Ocean, and find refuge in Tidewater Virginia with the farming family of Patsy Ratcliff, the home-town girlfriend of Henry Forester of Under a War-torn Sky. 

Author: Alison Hart

Dogs plus history equals thrilling adventures in this series, which includes Darling: Mercy Dog of World War 1, and Murphy: Gold Rush Dog.

Author: Meg Medina

When Piddy Sanchez gets to her new high school, she's targeted by the school's most vicious bully, Yaqui Delgado. Whom can Piddy trust, and how can she stand her ground and survive?

Author: Erica Orloff

In Orloff’s IN DREAMS, Iris discovers her father is actually the god of dreams and her nightmares and dreams follow her into reality, with both frightening and romantic results.

Author: Madelyn Rosenberg

NANNY X is the story of a special agent nanny, her three young charges -- four, if you count the dog – a naïve mayor, and a slick mogul who cannot be trusted.

Author: Kat Spears

SWAY is an antihero comedy about what happens when high-school senior, Jesse Alderman, who claims to have no feelings, meets a few people who force him to feel all kinds of things.

Author: Tammar Stein

SPOILS is the story of the Kohn family who won the lottery only to lose what matters most. Their youngest daughter, Leni, must now fight to save her family. Romance, mystery and mysticism are woven in a satisfying tale. 

Author: Tiffany Trent
In THE TINKER KING, the follow-up to the award-winning novel THE UNNATURALISTS, Vespa Nyx and her friends must face the consequences of their actions in freeing New London from the chains of steampunk sorcery, but the price may be greater than any of them are willing to pay.

Our Teen '14 Celebration is October 16 from 6:00 -8:30 pm.
And for those crafty teens out there, join us on October 14 at 3 pm as we re-purpose old library books to make book lanterns. The books that are made will be placed on display for Teen '14.

We hope you’ll come!

Seek The Unknown @your library-Teen Read Week & Teen '13

It's Teen Read Week... so join us!


Teen '13
The Richmond Public Library is hosting a group of award-winning and best-selling Virginia authors of books released in 2013. It's an evening of celebration for young readers and all fans of pre-teen and teen fiction. 

Enjoy food, fun, book sales, signings, and giveaways. Click here for a PDF of the flyer: http://abwestrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Teen13flyer.pdf

Meet your favorite authors: Aimee Agresti, Gigi Amateau, Hannah Barnaby, Susann Cokal, National Book Award winner Kathryn Erskine, Lana Krumwiede, Meg Medina, Elisa Nader, Erica Orloff, Valerie O. Patterson, Madelyn Rosenberg, Sarah Sullivan, Steve Watkins, A.B. Westrick, and Sylvia Whitman. Free and open to the public.

More information about this event can be found on the Richmond Public Library Event page: Teen '13 Facebook Event Page

There are so many cool stuff going on at the branches for Teen Read Week! 
Spirited History with LeeAnne & Angela
Learn about Richmond-area ghosts and things that go bump in the night with the paranormal investigation team, Spirited History. This program is best for ages 13 and up and will be held at several of our branches.

Wednesday, October 16 @ 6 pm
West End Library, 646-1877
Saturday, October 19 @ 2 pm
East End Library, 646-4474
Wednesday, October 23 @ 6pm
Belmont Library, 646-1139
Monday, October 28 @ 6 pm
North Avenue Library, 646-6675

FOR TEENS! At the Main Library on October 15 @ 4 pm: Make your phone and computer pay for itself… a class just for teens. Teens will learn how apps can help them save on the move.







More events for Teen Read Week can be found on the library's website calendar: RPL's Events Calendar

Girls of Summer 2013 Live Launch Party @ Main

What a great way to start off the Summer Reading program, right?

Our favorite library friends are joining us again for yet another wonderful summer program. This is the 3rd annual Girls of Summer launch party, where Richmond authors Meg Medina and Gigi Amateau join forces to present this empowering program for girls. The Girls of Summer 2013 will feature 18 titles by 18 authors for girls of all ages. 

Last year, the two authors did an interview with each other on our blog. The blog post can be found here: The Girls of Summer-A Conversation Between Authors Meg Medina & Gigi Amateau.


Also available is an interview they had a few weeks back with Bill Lohmann of the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Lohmann: ‘Strong girls’ is the goal of authors’ summer reading list.


We are ecstatic that these two authors decided to have their program at the Main Library again. To refresh your memory about the program, here is a blog post about last year's program: Girls of Summer 2012: One Night, Three Authors and One Amazing Book List.

If you are a mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, or even a friend of a girl, join us Tuesday, June 18th at 7 pm for this program. Spread the word!

More information about Meg Medina and Gigi Amateau can be found at their website: girlsofsummerlist.wordpress.com

PAINT ME A STORY: CELEBRATING CULTURE, READING & ART

The Richmond Public Library presents an exhibit of Latino children’s book illustration featuring the work of three award winning illustrators: John Parra, Lila Quintero Weaver and Joe Cepeda. 

Join us for an opening reception with local Latina children’s book author Meg Medina. 

Friday, April 26, 2013

4-6:00 pm 

Broad Rock Library

4820 Old Warwick Road

Free and open to the public

Paint Me A Story will be on display at Broad Rock through the weekend before moving to the Richmond Main Library, 101 East Franklin Street.  The exhibit will run May 3 – May 31 in the Children’s Department with an opening reception on Friday, May 3 from 6:30-9 pm.

In conjunction with the exhibit, mixed media artist and illustrator, Sarah Hand from the Visual Arts Center of Richmond will present two free youth art workshops in book making.  Saturday May 4, 2–4 pm and Thursday, May 16, 3:30 – 4:30 pm at the Main Library.  Call 804-646-7223 for details.

The exhibit and workshops honor El Día De los Niños/ El Día de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) celebrated yearly on April 30.

  

Featured Illustrators:

Joe Cepeda is the illustrator of award-winning picture books such as What a Truly Cool World (Scholastic), Nappy Hair (Knopf), Mice and Beans (Scholastic) including The Swing (Arthur A. Levine Books), which he wrote as well as illustrated.  Mr. Cepeda has illustrated books written by numerous notable authors including Gary Soto, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Arnold Adoff, Monica Brown, Julius Lester and most recently, Toni Morrison.  He has also illustrated book jackets for many titles, including Esperanza Rising.  He was selected to illustrate the cover of Shaquille O’Neal and Reading is Fundamental’s Biggest Book in the World.  Mr. Cepeda received an ALA 2002 Pura Belpre’ Honor Award and the Recognition of Merit Award for 2000 from the George G. Stone Center for Children’s Books.  His work has been accepted to the Society of Illustrators shows in New York and Los Angeles. In addition to his illustrative work, Mr. Cepeda is sought after as a public speaker to schools and other groups. He is the current president of the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles. 

John Parra is an award winning illustrator, fine artist, designer, and educator, best known for his art illustrated Latino themed children’s books such as Gracias / Thanks and Waiting for the Biblioburro.  For his books he has received numerous awards and honors including: The Golden Kite Award from The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), The Pura Belpré Honor’s Award from The American Library Association / REFORMA, The International Latino Book Award: Best Interior Children's Book Illustrations from Latino Literary Now, and The Christopher’s Award from The Christopher’s Inc. organization. Parra’s original artwork has also been showcased and displayed in numerous gallery shows and museum exhibitions throughout the United States and South America. He has taught at the Carnegie Art Museum in Oxnard, CA and regularly speaks at schools and literary conferences across the country advocating art and reading education.

Lila Quintero Weaver is the author-illustrator of the graphic novel Darkroom: A Memoir in Black & White, published in 2012 by The University of Alabama Press. In Darkroom, Lila tells the story of her family’s 1961 immigration from Argentina to the racially torn American South.

Funding for the exhibit provided by Friends of the Richmond Public Library.

Girls of Summer 2012: One Night, Three Authors and One Amazing Book List

Gigi Amateau and Meg Medina

If you were not downtown at Library Park on Tuesday, June 19th, you missed a real treat! Oh and ice cream too. Local authors, Gigi Amateau and Meg Medina, presented their second annual Girls of Summer book list. Books about amazing, strong girls for amazing, strong girls! The list is made up of 18 titles for girls of all ages; and includes fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels. The complete list is posted to their Girls of Summer website.

Each book was introduced at random with a short review. We were even treated to a few readings, which were all done by three wonderful young ladies.

Each Friday, their website will feature and interview with a different author who wrote one of the books on the list. Short reviews of each of the books on the list are also posted.

We were also treated to a conversation with a conversation with Wendy Shang, author of The Great Wall of Lucy Wu.

Wendy used to be a lawyer, and a few years ago she found herself wondering what was the one thing she hadn't done that she still really wanted to do? The answer was write a children's book!

It is hard to grow up and have one foot in two different cultures and no one is every completely comfortable with it. You are always told, to write about what you know, so she did. Which was also the reason why Lucy is twelve.Wendy remembers being twelve better then most other times in her life.

But she also wanted to make Lucy different, so she made Lucy a short, basketball player. (Gigi will tell you that is great basketball in the book!)

Wendy's advice to aspiring writers is this: read! Read a lot, read everything. Write a lot, write a little every day, and learn to edit your own work. 

We are looking forward to next year's event at Library Park!

a crowd of all ages