Teens
Off the Shelf - Blog
Book Review: The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos
Harbinger: somebody or something that announces something: somebody or something that foreshadows or anticipates a future event
Meet Harbinger ?Harry? Jones?..a new hero of mine. Harry has a LOT to work out: bullies, lightening,
pain, a punk rock band, disfigurement, girls, the future. In Scar Boys, a story in the guise of a
college admission letter, we hear about his short but trauma-filled life and how he deals. Well, at
first he does not deal...
Even though he has a LOT of therapy, Harry can?t get past his appearance.
Even after he befriends Johnny and the pair successfully starts a punk rock band, he is still hung up on his
appearance and how it limits his life. Of course, Harry needs to discover that the real limiter is himself.
Another horrifying tragedy looms. Will Harry open his eyes?
The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos is a great story about friendship, the power of music, and finding your way.
Book Review: A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L. Stine
Claire and her best friend Delia are high school students, and they finally caught their Hollywood acting break! The catch is that it's a remake of a horror film from the 60s, and production on the original film was halted due to a series of deadly accidents. The rumor is that the set is cursed, and what could be better publicity for a horror film than an actual curse! But with Shakespearean love triangles left and right, a little bit of misplaced magic, and the occasional gruesome accident, mayhem ensues. But this is not the merry mayhem of a Shakespearean comedy; this is horrifying.When I was in elementary school, I absolutely devoured R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books. I have no idea how many I read, but I'm pretty sure it was every single one on the shelf at my local library. And then last year at the Tucson Festival of Books, I got to actually meet Mr. Stine himself! I was surprised at how humble and funny he was. Who expects the horror author to be funny? But he was. Come to find out, before he was R.L. Stine, he was Jovial Bob Stine and he wrote funny books for kids. On his website, rlstine.com, I saw that he began his career as a comedy writer in 1965, and didn't become a horror writer until 1986! He wrote a teen horror novel called Blind Date, and the rest is history. In just two weeks you too can meet Mr. Stine at the Tucson Festival of Books, and ask him about how he accidentally became a horror writer. He's scheduled at 10:30 and 2:30 on Saturday, and 10am on Sunday. Find his schedule here.
Happy reading!
~ gothbrarian
Book Review: Rigoberto Gonzalez & Benjamin Alire Saenz
Free Stuff to Do
19th Annual High School Art Invitational at Joel D. Valdez Main Library through March
Student artwork will be on display in the library gallery through March 31.
PCPL Named National Medal for Museum and Library Service Finalist
We are honored to share that Pima County Public Library has been named as a finalist for the 20th annual National Medal for Museum and Library Service Awards.
Is Homeschooling in Your Future? Find Out More at the Homeschooling Resource Fair
Come to a free resource fair for parents and kids at Murphy-Wilmot Library
Arizona SciTech Festival is Happening Here
During February and March make science and technology your family focus with the Arizona SciTech Festival and Pima County Public Library!
YALSA's Top Ten PIcks
What's good to read? Find out right here with the results of the YALSA Top Ten teen favorites.
We've Got the App!
The new PCPL app has features that you can use both inside the library and when you're out and about.