Ever dreamt of starting over with a new identity...?

Now you can experience it along with Grace Kincaid in Megan Shull's new book, Amazing Grace. (Click on the link to check our catalog for this title.) Grace Kincaid is tired of being America's "It" girl, and longs for the life of an average 15 year old. Laugh along with Grace as she starts her life over as Emily O'Brien, and finds the love, friendship, and most important of all, normalcy, she has always longed for.

Voting is now open for Teen Read Week

Have you voted yet? Turn in your blue cards at the AV desk this week for a free prize. Vote for your favorite books here and also online at the Teens' Top Ten online poll by clicking on your favorite 3 books. Check back next week on the website and at your library to look at the final list. Teen Read Week ends Saturday, October 22nd.

How Rude!

Those of you that missed out on Pam Mihankhah's visit to the library on Teen Etiquette, I have her handout I'm typing up for you right now. So, here is the Purdue Extension Office of Henry County's:

Ten Commandments for Good Manners

1. Thou Shall Be Thyself.
Good manners begin with a good sense of self.

2. Thou Shall Say "Thank You."
Thanking others is a way of praising them and is one of the keys to having good manners. Send thank-you notes, or express your gratitude on the phone. This simple act will be lasting relationships. When someone gives you a compliment, the best response is a simple "thank you." And don't forget "please," "excuse me," and "you're welcome," which are other marks of good manners.

3. Thou Shall Give Compliments.
A fundamental rule of good manners is to give. Think about what you can give to others, and remember that the most precious gifts cost nothing. When you meet someone, you can always think of a genuine compliment to give. A "Hello" or "How are you?" may not be enough. You can also give you undivided attention and interest to others. You can be generous with words of praise, warm greetings, sympathy, love and other good news.

4. Thou Shalt Not be Boastful, Arrogant or Loud.
5. Thou Shall Listen Before Speaking.
6. Thou Shall Speak with Kindness and Caution.
7. Thou Shall not Criticize or Complain.
8. Thou Shall be Punctual.
9. Thou Shalt Not Embarrass Others.
10. Thou Shall Act and Look your Best.

What do you think of Pam's Ten Commandments? Been slipping on your etiquette? Or are you the next Miss Manners? If you want more on manners, check out this book at the library catalog link here: How Rude! The Teenagers' Guide to Good Manners, Proper Behavior and Not Grossing People Out by Alex J. Packer. This book will send some Miss Manners types running! It features some hilarious gross-out stories. Check it out.

Exploring Podcasts

Some of you may have caught a brief glimmer of podcasting and a chicklet/button to click on for iPodder --a "podcatcher" for downloads. Well, it's not happening for my blog quite yet, but I'm looking into it. As far as I can figure, Talkr is unable to turn my site feeds into podcasts. *Sigh* But I am trying to find a better way, so that you all an listen to this blog on your iPod or other mP3 players ASAP! But you can still have my blog content syndicated to you if you subscribe. The buttons under the SITE FEEDS section will help you with this fabulous feature.

UPDATE: I have since posted a Talkr button/chicklet link on the right-hand side of the page, and the blog posts are being turned into podcasts. Thanks to Talkr for commenting on this post and for helping me out! Now, anyone can listen to these blog postings via a podcast. A great way to listen on the go.

Teens' Top Ten--The Countdown is On for Teen Read Week!

If you have visited the NCHCPL teen blog before, you might have noticed the link to the Teens' Top Ten on the right hand side. "What is this?," you may ask yourself...Well, The American Library Association has put together a book list of nominees created from teens across the country. During Teen Read Week, October 16th-22nd, you can vote at that ALA teen reading page and nominate your favorite books. So, check out the nominations, get your last-minute reading @ your library, and be prepared to vote during Teen Read Week!

Get Real @ your library during Teen Read Week

Don't forget to register online for all the Teen Read Week events: Tuesday, October 18th we'll be showing brand-new-to-video The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie, Thursday October 20th our local investigators will be "gettin' real" and talk about their latest lie detector testing, and Saturday is the makeup date for Mehndi (Henna Tattoos). You can get details on our calendar or call me at 765-529-0362 ext.313.

Don't Be Gross! Etiquette for Teens @ your Library

When is it a bad time to be talking on a cell phone? Do you sometimes feel like you're the tacky one in the bunch? Or does someone else's rude behavior drive you bonkers? Pam Mihankhah is here next Thursday, October 13 at 7 pm to shed some light on this subject of etiquette and how it applies to your world. You can register right now on the web calendar. Come hone your manners, learn some social mores, and maybe just walk away feeling a little more comfortable in your own shoes.