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May 2017 - Volume 9, Issue 5
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Road Trips This month we're featuring books about road trips. Here are some tips for road trips--or just for traveling down life's highway: 1) Always have enough books. (Are you away from the library? Check out eBooks on your phone or device!) 2) Be on the lookout for the random and the amazing. 3) Leave places just a little bit better than they were when you got there. 4) Have fun! Questions? Comments? Email us at teens@fvrl.org.
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"As for fairy tales, he understood that they were reflections of the people who had spun them, and were flecked with little truths--intrusions of reality into fantasy, like toast crumbs on a wizard's beard." ~ from Laini Taylor's Strange the Dreamer
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The Upside of Unrequited
by Becky Albertalli
Fiction. After 26 crushes and not a single kiss, Molly Peskin-Suso is ready to take a chance…or at least she wants to be ready. Though she's backed by loyal friends and her caring, multiracial family, her confidence is undermined by anxiety, not to mention a society which claims that "chubby girls don’t get boyfriends." As her twin sister Cassie pulls away to spend time with her girlfriend, Molly's friendship with geeky co-worker Reid deepens--could this be a relationship that's worth the risk of rejection? If you loved the warmth and offbeat humor of author Becky Albertalli's Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, you'll be charmed by The Upside of Unrequited.
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Overturned
by Lamar Giles
Mystery. Nikki learned about gambling from her dad, Nathan "The Broker" Tate, though she couldn't have guessed that at age 16 she'd have to use those skills to keep the family casino in business while her dad does time for murder. After bolstering her college fund through back-door poker, Nikki is nearly ready to get away from her messy family when Nathan's conviction is overturned--and that's just the first of many shocking events that lead a reluctant Nikki into a risky search through the Las Vegas underworld. If you're hooked by this "dark and twisty thriller" (Publishers Weekly) starring a daring African American teen, be sure to try author Lamar Giles' debut, Fake ID.
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The Inexplicable Logic of My Life
by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Fiction. Adopted as a child by a caring gay father from a huge Mexican American clan, Salvador knows from experience that biology isn't what defines a family. Yet after he uses his fists to respond to a classmate's slurs, Sal begins to wonder if he inherited violent tendencies from the birth father he never knew. Struggling with his anger, Sal also grapples with heartbreak over his grandma's terminal cancer and worry for Sam, his sharp-tongued best friend (who's got painful problems of her own). Readers who relish introspective writing and realistically flawed characters will want to follow Sal and his loved ones throughout a year of life-altering change.
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Strange the Dreamer
by Laini Taylor
Fantasy. After 200 years without communication, the lost city of Weep has passed into legend. It's an unusual area of study for young librarian Lazlo Strange, but his passion pays off when he joins an expedition to the desert city, which isn't as lost as it seemed. In Weep, Lazlo discovers realities even more astonishing than the stories he loves: ghosts, gods, lingering trauma from a vicious war, and a beautiful blue girl with nightmarish powers. If Strange the Dreamer leaves you longing for book 2 in this duology, you might want to fill your wait with the dream magic and post-war recovery in Melina Marchetta's Lumatere Chronicles or the lush, mythic world-building in Roshani Chokshi's The Star-Touched Queen.
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Gem & Dixie
by Sara Zarr
Fiction. How would finding a bag full of cash change your life? For 17-year-old Gem, it's a chance to reconnect with her 14-year-old sister, Dixie. They've been growing apart, even though Gem has spent most of her life trying to shelter Dixie from the drug-induced neglect of their manipulative mother and long-absent father. Their dad's recent return brings even more instability -- and a stash of money, which the sisters find and use to fund a three-day trip around Seattle. Fans of poignant, character-driven stories will be fascinated by how Gem and Dixie's temporary escape turns into a make-it-or-break-it test of their relationship.
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Fun stuff happens at the library! You'll find book groups, maker space, crafts, games, movies and more at a library near you:
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All FVRL libraries, bookmobiles and District Headquarters will be closed on Monday, May 29, for Memorial Day.
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Are you ready to plan an amazing trip? Or are you more of an armchair traveler? Either way, take a look at FVRL's online resources!
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Use CultureGrams to research information on the peoples and cultures of over 185 countries, the provinces and territories of Canada, and all 50 states in the U.S.
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Create your personal account and learn to speak a new language (including Pirate!) from dialog demonstrations by native speakers, practice recording and playback, and full-length films.
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The library is always looking for volunteers! Here's how to start: - Talk to your local librarian, or
- Read our volunteer webpage, or
- Contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@fvrl.org or 360-906-5075.
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Look for the June issue of #TeensAtFVRL on May 29!
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